Mercury speciation in surface and deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea

Mercury speciation and its distribution in surface and deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea were studied during two oceanographic cruises on board the Italian research vessel URANIA in summer 2003 and spring 2004 as part of the Med Oceaneor and MERCYMS projects. The study included deep water profiles of dissolved gaseous Hg (DGM), reactive Hg (RHg), total Hg (THg), monomethyl Hg (MeHg) and dimethyl Hg (DMeHg) in open ocean waters. Average concentrations of measured Hg species were characterized by seasonal and spatial variations. Overall average THg concentrations ranged between 0.41 and 2.65 pM (1.32 ± 0.48 pM) and were comparable to those obtained in previous studies of the Mediterranean Sea. A significant fraction of Hg was present as “reactive” Hg (average 0.33 ± 0.32 pM). Dissolved gaseous Hg (DGM), which consists mainly of Hg⁰, represents a considerable proportion of THg (average 20%, 0.23 ± 0.11 pM). The portion of DGM typically increased towards the bottom, especially in areas with strong tectonic activity (Alboran Sea, Strait of Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea), indicating its geotectonic origin. No dimethyl Hg was found in surface waters down to the depth of 40 m. Below this depth, its average concentration was 2.67 ± 2.9 fM. Dissolved fractions of total Hg and MeHg were measured in filtered water samples and were 0.68 ± 0.43 pM and 0.29 ± 0.17 pM for THg and MeHg respectively. The fraction of Hg as MeHg was in average 43%, which is relatively high compared to other ocean environments. The concentrations reported in this study are among the lowest found in marine environments and the quality of analytical methods are of key importance. Speciation of Hg in sea water is of crucial importance as THg concentrations alone do not give adequate data for understanding Hg sources and cycling in marine environments. For example, photoinduced transformations are important for the presence of reactive and elemental mercury in the surface layers, biologically mediated reactions are important for the production/degradation of MeHg and DGM in the photic zones of the water column, and the data for DGM in deep sea indicate the natural sources of Hg in geotectonicaly active areas of the Mediterranean Sea.     

Contaminant concentrations and toxicity of sea-surface microlayer near Los Angeles, California

Sea-surface microlayer samples were collected from six nearshore areas receiving different amounts of anthropogenic inputs. The samples were analyzed for selected trace metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The relative toxicities of the samples were determined with fish embryo bioassays.Contaminant concentrations generally increased from offshore to the inshore stations. Contaminant concentrations were several orders of magnitude higher in microlayer samples from the highly industrialized Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors compared to samples from a site 15km offshore. Microlayer samples from the inshore stations were significantly more toxic, and induced significantly more developmental abnormalities and chromosome aberrations, than samples from the offshore stations.     

Evaluation of bending moments and shear forces at unit connections of very large floating structures using hydroelastic and rigid body analyses

This paper investigates the characteristics of bending moments, shear forces and stresses at unit connections of very large floating structures (VLFS) under wave loads. The responses of VLFS are calculated by solving multi-body motion equation considering hydroelasticity and connection stiffness. Hydroelastic responses are calculated by the direct method. Higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM) is used for fluid analysis and finite element method (FEM) is introduced for structural analysis. The equation of motion is modified to describe the unit connections by employing spring elements. Bending moments and shear forces at the connections are obtained from the dynamic equilibrium condition for pressures and inertia forces. Two types of VLFS units such as tandem arranged units and side-by-side arranged units are considered in the numerical examples. The influences of connection stiffness, wave frequency and heading angle on responses of VLFS are investigated through the numerical examples. Rigid body analysis along with hydroelastic analysis is also carried out in the numerical analysis and comparison of those two approaches is discussed.     

4-tert-octylphenol and 17beta-estradiol applied by feeding to flounder Platichthys flesus: induction of vitellogenin and accumulation in tissues

In order to simulate a possible natural administration route of xenoestrogens male flounder Platichthys flesus were exposed via the diet to the alkylphenol 4-tert-octylphenol. Treatment with 4-tert-octylphenol (10, 50 and 100 mg OP kg(-1) BW) or 17beta-estradiol (0.05 mg kg(-1) BW) every second day during a period of 11 days resulted in a significant increase in plasma vitellogenin (Vtg) concentrations. The induction of Vtg was greatest in the fish receiving 50 mg OP kg-' BW. A significant accumulation of 4-tert-octylphenol was found in liver and muscle tissue of the OP treated groups. The tissue concentrations of 4-tert-octylphenol and the plasma vitellogenin concentration were positively correlated. The results show that 4-tert-octylphenol accumulates in liver and muscles of flounder P. flesus, and exerts estrogenic effects such as vitellogenin induction.     

Malthusian overfishing in Pulau Banggi?

We assess, based on fisheries and interview data collected on-site, whether Malthusian overfishing is occurring in Pulau Banggi, Sabah. Fisheries resources in Pulau Banggi have been perceived to be declining over the past 20 years, and characteristics of Malthusian overfishing are evident, although not at a magnitude comparable with other more heavily exploited artisanal fisheries in the Philippines. It appears that Pulau Banggi's reef fisheries are at an early stage of Malthusian overfishing, and this is therefore a critical time for addressing and mitigating drivers of overfishing to prevent inevitable and further decline of Pulau Banggi's reef fisheries.     

Remote sensing and surface POC concentration in the South Atlantic

Several SeaWiFS products have been compared with shipboard data to assess the possibility of using remote sensing to estimate particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration in surface waters. Transmissometer data were collected during six South Atlantic Ventilation Experiment (SAVE) hydrographic expeditions conducted between November 1987 and March 1989 from R/V Knorr, and Melville. A total of 361 beam attenuation profiles were made with a SeaTech transmissometer interfaced with a CTD/rosette. In order to calculate the POC concentration from transmissometer profiles, a regression between beam attenuation and POC for open Atlantic Ocean waters derived from our research in the North Atlantic (North Atlantic Bloom Experiment, NABE) and enhanced by data from the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series Station (BATS) was applied. The profiles were processed and examined as vertical sections of the surface 250 m. The data were collected in two successive years, during the same season, which allowed us to compile a combined data set over the austral summer for examination. Beam attenuation/POC concentrations were integrated down to one attenuation depth with the intent of making comparisons with satellite optical data. No satellite optical data were available for 1987–1989, so the only option was to compare our integrated data with SeaWiFS-derived variables from later years averaged over the same season as SAVE data. Analysis of four SeaWiFS products acquired from 1997 to 2002 demonstrated very low variations from year to year for seasonally averaged data, suggesting that making comparisons of the beam attenuation/POC fields with averaged satellite optical products from later years is a valid (though not optimal) approach for this area. The highest correlation between beam attenuation/POC concentration and remotely derived products was found with normalized water-leaving radiance at 555 nm. Other SeaWiFS-derived variables—chlorophyll concentration, diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm and integral chlorophyll (integrated over one attenuation depth)—were also compared but showed a slightly less satisfactory correlation.     

Observations of the Orion Nebula in Hα, [NII] and Hβ lines

Monochromatic photographs of the Orion Nebula taken through narrow bandpass interference filters (Δλ=10 Å) centred on Hα, Hβ and [NII] lines are presented. Ratio contours of Hα/[NII] and Hα/Hβ are derived. They enable a detailed study of the point-to-point variation in ionization structure and temperature throughout the nebula. Dust located within the ionized gas is studied from the Hα/Hβ ratio which varies from point to point over the nebula. Its strongest concentration, apart in the obvious ‘dark bay’, occurs in a shell surrounding the exciting stars, with about 2′ of diameter. Close to Θ¹ Ori the Hα/Hβ ratio, corrected for interstellar reddening, is about 3.0 in good agreement with the predicted value (Brocklehurst, 1971). To account for these measures, the following arguments are proposed:

1. Dust grains are completely or partially destroyed in region close to the exciting stars.
2. Radiation pressure and stellar wind push the remaining dust up to some equilibrium distance outwards. The consequence of this action is obviously the formation of a ‘dust mantle’ which is seen as a ring in projection.

     

Loi de titius-bode et formalisme ondulatoire

Several authors (Basano and Hughes, 1979; ter Haar and Cameron, 1963, Dermott, 1968; Prentice, 1976) give the revised Titius-Bode law in the form $$r_n = r_o C^n ,$$ wherer _n stands for the distance of thenth planet from the Sun;r _o andC are constant. They pointed out, in addition, that regular satellites systems around major planets obey also that law. It is now generally thought that the Kant-laplace primeval nebula accounts for the origin and evolution of the solar system (Reeves, 1976). Furthermore, it is shown (Prentice, 1976) that rings, which obey the Titius-Bode law, are formed through successive contractions of the solar nebula. Among difficulties encountered by Prentice's theory, the formation of regular satellites similar to the planatery system is the most important one. Indeed, the starting point of the planetary system is a rotating flattened circular solar nebula, whereas a gaseous ring must be the starting point of satellites systems. As far as the Titius-Bode law is concerned, we have the feeling that orbits of planets around the Sun and of satellites around their primaries do not depend on starting conditions. That law must be inherent to gravitation, in the same manner that electron orbits depend only on the atomic law instead of the starting conditions under which an electron is captured. If it is correct, then one may expect to formulate similarity between the T-B law and the Bohr law in the early quantum theory. Such a similarity is found (Louise, 1982) by using a postulate similar to the Bohr-Sommerfeld one — i.e., $$\int_{r_o }^{r_n } {U(r) dr = nk,}$$ whereU(r)=GM _⊙ /r is the potential created by the Sun,k is a constant, andn a positive integer. This similarity suggests the existence of an unknown were process in the solar system. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the possibility of such a process. The first approach is to study a steady wave encountered in special membrane, showing node rings similar to the Prentice's rings (1976) which obey the T-B law. In the second part, we try to apply the now classical Lindblad-Lin density wave theory of spiral galaxies to the solar nebula case. This theory was developed since 1940 (Lindblad, 1974) in order to account for the persistence of spiral structure of galaxies (Lin and Shu, 1964; Lin, 1966; Linet al., 1969; Contopoulos, 1973). Its basic assumption concerns the potential functionU expressed in the form $$U = U_0 + \tilde U,$$ whereU _o stands for the background axisymmetric potential due to the disc population, and ?«U _o is responsible of spiral density wave. Then, the corresponding mass-density distribution is \(\rho = \rho _o + \tilde \rho\) , with \(\tilde \rho \ll \rho _o\) . Both quantities ? and \(\tilde \rho\) must satisfy the Poisson's equation $$\nabla ^2 \tilde U + 4\pi G\tilde \rho = 0.$$ It is shown by direct observations that most spiral arms fit well with a logarithmic spiral curve (Danver, 1942; Considère, 1980; Mulliard mand Marcelin, 1981). From the physical point of view, they are represented by maxima of ? (or \(\tilde \rho\) ) which is of the form $$\tilde U = cte cos (q log_e r - m\theta ),$$ wherem is an integer (number of arms),q=cte, andr and θ are polar coordinates. The distancer is expressed in an arbitrary unit (r=d/d_o). In the case of an axisymmetric solar nebula (m=0), successive maxima of \(\tilde U\) are rings showing similar T-B law $$d = d_o C^n ,$$ withC=e ^{2 π/q} constant, andn is a positive integer. It is noted, in addition, that the steady wave equation within the special membrane quoted above and the new expression of the Poisson's equation derived from (5) are quite similar and expressed in the form $$\nabla ^2 \tilde U + cte\tilde U/r^2 = 0.$$ This suggests that both spiral structure of galaxies and Prentice's rings system result from a wave process which is investigated in the last section. From Equation (2) it is possible to derive the wavelength of the assumed wave ‘χ’, by using a procedure similar to the one by L. De Broglie (1923). The velocity of the wave ‘χ’ process is discussed in two cases. Both cases lead to a similar Planck's relation (E=hv).     

Water temperature behaviour in the River Loire since 1976 and 1881

Analysis of monthly mean river temperatures, recorded on an hourly basis in the middle reaches of the Loire since 1976, allows reconstruction by multiple linear regression of the annual, spring and summer water temperatures from equivalent information on air temperatures and river discharge. Since 1881, the average annual and summer temperatures of the Loire have risen by approximately 0.8?°C, this increase accelerating since the late 1980s due to the rise in air temperature and also to lower discharge rates. In addition, the thermal regime in the Orleans to Blois reach is considerably affected by the inflow of groundwater from the Calcaires de Beauce aquifer, as shown by the summer energy balance. To cite this article: F. Moatar, J. Gailhard, C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).