Observations on the ecological importance of salt marshes in the Cumberland Basin,a macrotidal estuary in the Bay of Fundy

The Cumberland Basin, a 118 km² estuary at the head of the Bay of Fundy which has an average tidal range of about 11m, contains large tracts of salt marsh (15% of the area below highest high water). Low marsh (below about 0·9 m above mean high water) is composed almost exclusively of Spartina alterniflora while the vegetation on high marsh is more diverse but dominated by Spartina patens. Because of its higher elevation, high marsh is flooded infrequently for short periods by only extreme high tides. Low marsh is inundated much more frequently by water as much as 4m deep for periods as long as 4 h per tide. Temporal variability in the occurrence of extreme tides influences the flooding frequency of high marsh for any given month and year. Using a modification of Smalley's method, the mean annual net aerial primary production (NAPP) of low and high marsh is estimated to be 272 and 172 g C m^?2, respectively. Vegetation turnover times average 1·0 and 2·0 y for low and high marsh, respectively. Because of abundant tidal energy, much of the low marsh production appears to be exported and distributed widely about the estuary. Since high levels of turbidity suppress phytoplankton production, salt marshes produce approximately half of the carbon fixed photosynthetically in the Cumberland Basin. It is concluded that salt marshes play a major ecological role in the Cumberland Basin.     

A genetic assessment of the taxonomic status of New Zealand mussels of the genus Xenostrobus Wilson, 1967

ABSTRACT

The genus Xenostrobus consists of small, marine and estuarine mussels that all appear similar externally. One of its estuarine species, Xenostrobus securis, with a native range in New Zealand and Australia, has become invasive in the Northern Hemisphere. No genetic data are available to determine if X. securis populations from the two countries are conspecific. Additionally, marine Xenostrobus from New Zealand have often been regarded as a species, X. neozelanicus, distinct fromthe marine Australian species X. pulex. We combined new DNA sequences with published data to assess the taxonomic status of New Zealand Xenostrobus. The data comprised 658 aligned bases of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and 331 bases of nuclear histone H3. There was no evidence that X. securis populations from Australia and New Zealand are specifically distinct. Northern Hemisphere specimens of X. securis belonged to Australian, not New Zealand, clades in phylogenetic analyses of COI data, suggesting the former country as their more likely original source. The results confirm that X. neozelanicus and X. pulex are distinct species and for nomenclatural completeness for this taxonomic decision a lectotype is designated for Mytilus ater Zelebor in Dunker and Zelebor, 1866 DunkerW, ZeleborJ. 1866. Bericht über die von der Novara-expedition mitgebrachten Mollusken. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien. 16:909–916. [Google Scholar] [?=?Modiolus neozelanicus Iredale, 1915 IredaleT. 1915. A commentary on Suter’s ‘Manual of New Zealand Mollusca’. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 47:417–497. [Google Scholar]].     

Mapping sediment acoustic impedance using remote sensing acoustic techniques in a shallow-water carbonate environment

 Real-time trackline plots of surficial sediment acoustic impedance delineate several sedimentary facies off Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas. The sea floor within a 6×6 km surveyed area consists of carbonate muds (silts), sands and shell, rock, and live corals. The 4-kHz acoustic data supports this finding by providing a pictographic representation of the distribution and structure of several sediment facies types. Plotting the gridded acoustic data with commercial mapping software (Surfer) provides a three-dimensional (3D) perspective of the bottom topography with a color contour map of surficial sediment impedance (upper 0.4 m) draped over the 3D surface.     

Interlaboratory calibration experiments using the polychaetous annelid Capitella capitata

An interlaboratory calibration experiment was conducted at three laboratories to test two sources of variation associated with bioassay experiments, variation due to the experimenter and to the natural seawater. Twenty-eight day static (with frequent media renewal) bioassays exposing the polychaete Capitella capitata to cadmium were conducted with synthetic and natural seawaters. Test results varied between the three laboratories; however, the variations are most probably explained by the shipment of the experimental animals to the participating laboratories.     

Simplified limit solutions for the capacity of suction anchors under undrained conditions

Upper bound plastic limit analyses (PLA) can provide a useful framework for estimating the load capacity of suction caisson anchors in purely cohesive soils. Since arbitrary assumptions regarding the soil stress state are not required in the PLA formulation, it may be used with greater consistency compared to other simplified approaches such as limit equilibrium methods. While PLA methods do not attempt to include all of the complexities of anchor behavior, they can provide a relatively simple framework for visualizing anchor kinematics leading to an understanding of the relative importance of various parameters on suction anchor load capacity. The most rigorous PLA formulations involve postulating a three-dimensional anchor-soil failure mechanism and deriving expressions for internal energy dissipation throughout the mechanism. This approach can involve extensive numerical integrations and a relatively complex scheme for optimizing the failure mechanism to obtain a least upper bound collapse load. Considerable simplification is possible if the problem is formulated in terms of ultimate unit resistances (lateral, axial, and their interaction) that can be exerted by the soil on the caisson. In this case, the caisson failure mechanism can be characterized in terms of one or two optimization variables. Simple expressions for the ultimate unit resistances acting on the caisson can be obtained from several sources including rigorous PLA solutions, finite element techniques, or experimental measurements. General expressions are possible by limiting consideration to common, idealized strength profiles such as uniform or constant gradient. Such simplified formulations are particularly valuable for providing an analysis tool accessible to practicing engineers. Suction caisson anchors can be subjected to a variety of load orientations including nearly vertical uplift forces imposed by the vertical tendons of tension leg platforms, horizontal loads imposed by catenary mooring systems, and inclined loads imposed by taut moorings. Recently, PLA methods have been applied to the analysis of suction caissons subjected to this range of loading conditions. This paper reviews the formulation of these analyses and summarizes the most significant findings.     

Microlites and "nanolites" in rhyolitic glass: microstructural and chemical characterization

 We used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study magmatic crystals in the Ben Lomond rhyolite lava dome, Taupo Volcanic Center, New Zealand. Using TEM and SEM to investigate the size distributions of these crystals, we identified three size populations: microphenocrysts (>1.2 μm wide), microlites (>0.6 μm wide), and smaller crystals (<0.6 μm wide) which we term "nanolites". The predominant mineral phases of the microlites and nanolites are augites, pigeonites, and hypersthenes. The compositions and microstructures within these pyroxenes indicate disequilibrium crystallization at approximately 850–900  °C and undercoolings as high as 300  °C from equilibrium crystallization temperatures. Complex microstructures resulting from subsolidus reactions in augite and pigeonite are consistent with moderate cooling rates within the upper obsidian layer of the Ben Lomond rhyolite dome. This study demonstrates the existence of sub-micron magmatic crystals in a rhyolite and illustrates the potential of TEM to provide unique information about the crystallization and cooling histories of glassy volcanic rocks. Received: May 8, 1995 / Accepted: November 27, 1995