Carbon and nitrogen dynamics of the intertidal seagrass, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera japonica</Emphasis>, on the southern coast of the Korean peninsula

Seagrasses require a large amount of nutrient assimilation to support high levels of production, and thus nutrient limitation for growth often occurs in seagrass habitats. Seagrasses can take up nutrients from both the water column and sediments. However, since seagrasses inhabiting in the intertidal zones are exposed to the air during low tide, the intertidal species may exhibit significantly different carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics compared to the subtidal species. To examine C and N dynamics of the intertidal seagrass, Zostera japonica, C and N content and stable isotope ratios of above- and below-ground tissues were measured monthly at the three intertidal zones in Koje Bay on the southern coast of Korea. The C and N content and stable isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) ratios of seagrass tissues exhibited significant seasonal variations. Both leaf and rhizome C content were not significantly correlated with productivity. Leaf δ¹³C values usually exhibited negative correlations with leaf productivity. These results of tissue C content and δ¹³C values suggest that photosynthesis of Z. japonica in the study site was not limited by inorganic C supply, and sufficient inorganic C was provided from the atmosphere. The tissue N content usually exhibited negative correlations with leaf productivity except at the upper intertidal zone, suggesting that Z. japonica growth was probably limited by N availability during high growing season. In the upper intertidal zone, no correlations between leaf productivity and tissue elemental content and stable isotope ratios were observed due to the severely suppressed growth caused by strong desiccation stress.     

Protection of marine birds and turtles at St Brandon’s Rock,Indian Ocean,requires conservation of the entire atoll

A survey of seabirds and turtles at St Brandon’s Rock, 400 km north of Mauritius, was undertaken in 2010. We estimated that 1 084 191 seabirds comprising seven breeding species and excluding non-breeders were present at the archipelago and we counted 279 turtle tracks and nesting pits of green turtles Chelonia mydas. Hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata were also present. Analyses of 30 different islets that make up the atoll showed that the seabird species mostly partitioned their use of islets based on islet size, with four species preferring larger islets and two species preferring smaller islets. Alien species introduced historically are still present and other threats, such as shipwrecks, remain. We propose conservation and other measures that should adequately protect the birds, turtles and coral reef by treating the atoll as a system.     

Low-Temperature Eclogites and Eclogitic Schists in Mn-rich Metabasites in Ward Creek, California; Mn and Fe Effects on the Transition between Blueschist and Eclogite

In situ eclogitic schist lenses occur in the coherent low-gradeepidote-zone Ward Creek metabasite unit of the Central Franciscanbelt. They contain almandine garnet, clinopyroxene, and rutile.They have slightly higher Mn content (0–5–1–0wt.%) than the coexisting Type III metabasites (0–12–0–25wt%) which contain epidote + glaucophane + actinolite + chlorite+ omphacite + quartz + sphene ? aragonite? lawsonite ? pumpellyite+ albite. The in situ eclogitic schists (130–140 Ma) canbe distinguished from older tectonic eclogites (150–160Ma) in Ward Creek as follows: (1) they are medium grained, whereasType IV tectonic eclogites are coarse grained; (2) they haveunaltered spessartine-rich idioblastic (0–4–10 mm)garnets, whereas Type IV tectonic eclogites have larger xenoblasticto hypidiomorphic spessartine-poor garnets which were corrodedand chloritized along the rim during retrograde metamorphism;(3) clinopyroxenes are chloromelanite in in situ eclogitic schistsbut omphacite in Type IV tectonic eclogites; (4) barroisiticamphiboles occur both as inclusions in garnets and as matrixminerals in Type IV tectonic eclogites but not in in situ eclogiticschists; (5) albite is present in in situ eclogitic schistsbut not in Type IV tectonic eclogites; and (6) the estimatedP-T condition of in situ eclogitic schists is 290 ?C < T<350 ?C, P = 8–9 kb, whereas that of Ward Creek Type IVtectonic eclogites is 500?C< r<540?C, P< 10–11–5kb. Medium-grained eclogites occur as individual blocks in WardCreek; they are different from Type IV tectonic eclogites butare very similar to in situ eclogitic schists. They have unalteredidioblastic garnet with high almandine and spessartine content(Alm₄₇Sp₂3Gr₂₀Py10), and they have chloromel-anitic clinopyroxeneand quartz but no barroisite. Paragonite is also stable in theseeclogites. The blocks formed at 380 ?C< r<400?C, and 9–5kb<P< 14 kb. They are presumably in situ eclogites formedat the highest-temperature part of the Ward Creek metabasiteunit and may be younger than Type IV tectonic eclogites. Such low-temperature occurrences of eclogitic assemblages aredue to the compositional effect on reactions between blueschistand eclogite that are insensitive to pressure and shift towardslower temperatures as bulk-rock MnO content and X_Fe/(Fe+Mg)increase. The Mn/(Mn + Fe) ratio of bulk rock is an importantfactor in controlling the P-T positions of these reactions attemperatures below 450 ?C, whereas the Fe/(Fe + Mg) ratio ofbulk-rock becomes important at temperatures higher than 450?C.     

Distribution of dinoflagellate cysts in Yellow Sea sediments

To investigate the distribution,abundance,and species composition of dinoflagellate cysts in the Yellow Sea,surface sediment samples were collected at 37 sites,including the Korean dump site.Twenty-one dinoflagellate cyst taxa were identified,with the assemblages dominated mainly by Spiniferites bulloideus,Operculodinium centrocarpum,and cyst of Alexandrium catenella/tamarense type.A high frequency of O.centrocarpum in the Yellow Sea was observed for the first time,and it is likely that this can be attributed to the dynamics of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass and the Changjiang(Yangtze) River runoff.Total cyst concentrations ranged from 23 to 48 442 cysts/g dry weight,and high cyst concentrations were recorded adjacent to the dumping site.This result suggests that anthropogenic activities such as ocean dumping stimulate the growth of dinoflagellates in the Yellow Sea,which in turn leads to high levels of dinoflagellate cyst production.     

Effects of biochar, cow bone, and eggshell on Pb availability to maize in contaminated soil irrigated with saline water

Toxicity of heavy metals adversely affects environment and human health. Organic materials derived from natural matters or wastes have been applied to soils to reduce the mobility of contaminants such as heavy metals. However, the application of cow bone powder (CB), biochar (BC), and eggshell powder (ES) is rarely investigated for the reduction of Pb bioavailability in soils irrigated with saline water. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of CB, BC, and ES additions as immobilizing substances on Pb bioavailability in shooting range soil irrigated with deionized and saline water. Each additive of CB, BC, and ES at 5 % (w/w) was mixed with soils and then the deionized and saline water were irrigated for 21 days. With deionized water irrigation, the soils treated with CB, BC, and ES exhibited higher pH when compared with saline water irrigation. With saline water irrigation, the electrical conductivity, water-soluble anions, and cations were significantly increased in soils treated with CB, BC, and ES. The water-soluble Pb in soils treated with CB, BC, and ES was significantly decreased with saline water irrigation. On the other hand, the water-soluble Pb in soil treated with CB was increased with deionized water irrigation. Only BC with saline water irrigation decreased the Pb concentration in maize shoots.     

Estimation of the Roll Hydrodynamic Moment Model of a Ship by Using the System Identification Method and the Free Running Model Test

When a fast container ship or a naval vessel turns, accompanying roll motions occur. This roll effect must be considered in the horizontal equations of the motion of the ship to predict the maneuverability of the ship properly. In this paper, a new method for determining a model structure of the hydrodynamic roll moment acting on a ship and for estimating the hydrodynamic coefficients is proposed. The method utilizes a system identification technique with the data from sea trial tests or from free running model (FRM) tests. To obtain motion data that is applied to the proposed algorithm, an FRM of a large container ship was developed. Using this model ship, standard maneuvering tests were carried out on a small body of water out of doors. A hydrodynamic roll moment model was constructed utilizing the data from turning circle tests and a 20-20 zig-zag test. This was then confirmed through a 10-10 zig-zag test. It was concluded that a model structure of the hydrodynamic roll moment model could be established without difficulty through a system identification method and FRM tests.     

Titan at 3 microns: Newly identified spectral features and an improved analysis of haze opacity

We have reanalyzed the high-resolution spectrum of Titan between 2.87 and 3.12 μm observed with NIRSPEC/Keck II on 2001 Nov. 21 in southern summer, using updated CH₃D and C₂H₆ line-by-line models. From new synthetic spectra, we identify all but a few of the previously unidentified significant absorption spectral features in this wavelength range as due to these two species, both of which had been previously detected by Voyager and ground-based observations at other wavelengths. We also derive opacities and reflectivities of haze particles as functions of altitude for the 2.87-2.92 μm wavelength range, where Titan's atmosphere is partially transparent down to the surface. The extinction per unit altitude is observed to increase from 100 km (∼8 mbar) toward lower altitude. The derived total optical depth is approximately 1.1 for the 2.87-2.92 μm range. At wavelengths increasing beyond 2.92 μm the haze layers become much more optically thick, and the surface is rapidly hidden from view. These conclusions apply to equatorial and southern-temperate regions on Titan, excluding polar regions. We also find it unlikely that there is a large enhancement of the tropospheric CH₄ mole fraction over the value reported from analysis of the Huygens/GCMS observations.