Terrestrial discharge influences microbioerosion and microbioeroder community structure in coral reefs

Microbioerosion rates and microbioeroder community structure were studied in four Kenyan protected coral-reef lagoons using shell fragments of Tridacna giant clams to determine their response to the influence of terrestrial run-off. Fourteen different microbioeroder traces from seven cyanobacteria, three green algae and four fungi species were identified. The river discharge-impacted reef and ‘pristine’ reef showed similar composition but higher microbioeroder abundance and total cyanobacteria- and chlorophyte-bioeroded areas when compared with the other study reefs. Cyanobacteria dominated during the north-east monsoon (NEM) relative to the south-east monsoon (SEM) season, with algae and cyanobacteria being major microbioeroders in the river-impacted and pristine reefs. The rate of microbioerosion varied between 4.3 g CaCO3 m^?2 y^?1 (SEM) and 134.7 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1 (NEM), and was highest in the river-impacted reef (127.6 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1), which was almost double that in the pristine reef (69.5 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1) and the mangrove-fringed reef (56.2 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1). The microbioerosion rates measured in this study may not be high enough to cause concern with regard to the health and net carbonate production of Kenya’s coral reefs. Nevertheless, predicted increases in the frequency and severity of stresses related to global climate change (e.g. increased sea surface temperature, acidification), as well as interactions with local disturbances and their influence on bioerosion, may be increasingly important in the future.     

Cape cormorants decrease,move east and adapt foraging strategies following eastward displacement of their main prey

Numbers of Cape cormorants Phalacrocorax capensis breeding in South Africa decreased by nearly 50% from approximately 107 000 pairs in 1977–1981 to 57 000 pairs in 2010–2014. Although four colonies had >10 000 pairs in 1977–1981, there was just one such colony in 2010–2014. Almost all the decrease occurred after the early 1990s off north-west South Africa, between the Orange River estuary and Dassen Island. South of this, the number breeding in the two periods was stable, with some colonies being formed or growing rapidly in the 2000s. The proportion of South Africa’s Cape cormorants that bred south of Dassen Island increased from 35% in 1977–1981 to 66% in 2010–2014, with the opposite situation observed in the north-west. This matched a shift to the south and east in the distributions of two of the Cape cormorant’s main prey species, anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and sardine Sardinops sagax. In 2014, an apparent scarcity of prey in the north-west resulted in Cape cormorants attempting to take bait from hooks of fishing lines over an extended period, a behaviour not previously recorded. The number of Cape cormorants breeding in the south may be constrained by the absence of large islands between Dyer Island in the west and Algoa Bay in the east. If so, it may be possible to bolster the southern population through the provision of appropriate breeding habitat, such as platforms, or restricting human disturbance at suitable mainland cliff breeding sites.     

Distribution and sources of sedimentary organic matter in a tropical estuary,south west coast of India (Cochin estuary): A baseline study

Surface sediments samples were collected from 9 stations of the Cochin estuary during the monsoon, post-monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons and were analyzed for grain size, total organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN) and stable isotopic ratios of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) to identify major sources of organic matter in surface sediments. Sediment grain size is found to be the key factor influencing the organic matter accumulation in surface sediments. The δ¹³C values ranges from ?27.5‰ to ?21.7‰ in surface sediments with a gradual increase from inner part of the estuary to the seaward side that suggest an increasing contribution of marine autogenous organic matter towards the seaward side. The δ¹⁵N value varies between 3.1‰ and 6.7‰ and it exhibits complex spatial and seasonal distributions in the study area. It is found that the dynamic cycling of nitrogen through various biogeochemical and organic matter degradation processes modifies the OC/TN ratios and δ¹⁵N to a considerable degree. The fraction of terrestrial organic matter in the total organic matter pool ranges from 13% to 74% in the surface sediments as estimated by δ¹³C based two end member mixing model.     

Vertical distribution of living mangrove foraminifera from KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

Modern foraminiferal assemblage zones can be used to reconstruct palaeo sea levels when applied to fossil foraminifera down a sediment core. Previous intertidal foraminiferal studies have predominantly focused on assemblages in surface sediments (0–1 cm), with the rationale that surface assemblages reflect the modern-day environment. Foraminifera live infaunally and therefore there is a need to document the infaunal vertical distribution of living foraminifera to fully capture the modern environment. Infaunal foraminiferal populations may compositionally differ from or be similar to those in the uppermost 1 cm of a core sample, but abundance is variable vertically, making it very complex to reconstruct and interpret past sea levels. This can have implications for the choice of assemblages to use as modern analogues for past sea-level reconstructions. This study documents the vertical infaunal distribution of living foraminifera, to allow for more informed interpretations of palaeo-reconstructions in mangrove environments. The down-core vertical distribution and abundance of living foraminifera, along with grain size and organic content, were documented using sediment cores along an elevational transect. Nine taxa were recorded as living at the time of collection, six of which were restricted to the top 4 cm. The majority of these were calcareous and found in the cores situated closer to the intertidal channel. Therefore, we argue that the diversity of living calcareous and agglutinated foraminifera could be restricted by grain size, with coarser grain sizes associated with lower species diversity. The findings suggest that foraminiferal species inhabiting the top 4 cm represent deeper living foraminiferal populations. Therefore, the top 4-cm interval can be used to establish a modern training set upon which reconstructions can be based. The findings from this study will provide guidance on the use of South African mangrove environments for future sea-level reconstructions.     

五大连池火山群喷气锥成因机制探讨

五大连池火山群1537个喷气锥中,多数分布在火烧山熔岩流中,在水量充足的五池到四池之间的熔岩台地上,喷气锥数量集中、个体较大、发育良好。通过对五大连池火山群喷气锥的形态结构和集中分布特点进行分析,认为水蒸气在混合气体形成喷气锥中起主导作用,重力也在喷气锥形态塑造上有一定意义。含挥发分的基性岩浆溢流到在靠近水域的地区时表层冷凝固结,内部熔岩仍温度高、粘度低,与地下水作用形成火山气体和水蒸气构成的混合气体,气体冲破表层间歇溢出时,带动熔岩外掀堆叠在喷气孔周围形成喷气锥,中央保留气体多次逸出的通道形成中空结构。当气体压力不足以使熔岩从喷口溢出,喷气锥的生长停止。     

Survival estimates for the greater crested tern Thalasseus bergii in southern Africa

The nominate race of the greater crested tern Thalasseus bergii breeds only along the coast of the Benguela region (west coast) of southern Africa, where its population is increasing, in contrast to other species of breeding seabirds in the region which similarly depend on forage fish. Although this population’s trends are well known, its demographic parameters remain obscure. We used multi-event capture–recapture–recovery modelling to provide the first estimates of survival. The survival rate of birds older than two years was 0.93 (0.91–0.95); second-year survival was 0.93 (0.90–0.95) and first-year survival was 0.80 (0.73–0.85). A resighting of a 34-year-old bird is a new longevity record for the species. Population growth rates projected with a Leslie matrix model that included our survival estimates were very similar to estimates from annual counts of the breeding population (7–8% y^?1), suggesting that these survival estimates adequately describe the species’ demography. High survival rates have likely contributed to the species’ recent population increase in the region.     

Magnetic tracing of sediment dynamics of mudbanks off southwest coast of India

In this study, we utilized environmental magnetic in combination with sedimentological and hydrodynamic data to investigate the formative processes of mudbanks along southwest coast of India. We document the linkages between enrichment of silt-sized magnetic particles and formation processes of mudbanks along Alappuzha coast. A trend of increasing magnetite concentration and coarsening in magnetic grain size is observed at mudbank stations M2 and M3, while the mud-deficient station (M1) showed an opposite trend. A strong relationship between magnetic and physical grain size for all samples implies that the magnetic particle size and clastic grain size are largely adjunct. Analysis of rock magnetic and grain size data of surficial and suspended sediments from non-mudbank (M1) and two mudbank stations (M2, M3) reflect the differential sediment partitioning and transport regimes which controlled the formation of mudbanks along Alappuzha coast. Two plausible mechanisms responsible for the formation of mudbanks are identified: grain size-selective entrainment is the dominant process during pre-monsoon; weaker hydrodynamics (waves and bottom currents) favors accumulation of silt-sized (fine and coarse) magnetic and non-magnetic fractions resulting in the formation of magnetically low-enriched sediment bed of mixed grain sizes. At the onset of monsoon, wave-induced energetic bottom currents enhance the suspension of entire sediment bedload at stations M2, M3 to form fluid mud. Concurrently, mineral-density-based selective fractionation allows the settling of coarse silt-sized magnetic particles, while the fine magnetic silt-size particles accumulate forming thick fluid mud as a suspension load resulting in the formation of mudbanks. An observed increase in magnetic susceptibility and coarsening in magnetic grain size of surficial sediments at mudbank stations (M2, M3) during monsoon period supports the interpretation. Our findings are summarized in a conceptual model which can be very well applied to investigate sediment dynamics associated with mudbank formation in coastal and shelf sedimentary systems.     

Relationship between tissue phosphorus and seawater phosphate in the brown alga Hormosira banksii

We measured tissue phosphorus content of high and low intertidal Hormosira banksii to test the hypothesis that tissue phosphorus content would be greater in individuals from the low intertidal because of greater total uptake associated with longer immersion in seawater. Moreover, we predicted that tissue phosphorus would be greater at sites where the seawater contained higher phosphate concentrations. There was a positive, linear relationship between local seawater phosphate concentrations and tissue phosphorus content of H. banksii from high and low intertidal zones at six different sites in winter. However, there were no comparable relationships in summer, even though the range of seawater phosphate concentration was similar in both seasons. The phosphorus contents of low intertidal H. banksii were significantly greater than high intertidal H. banksii in winter, but not in summer. Reasons for these differences may be related to greater access to seawater phosphate in low intertidal algae (than those in the high intertidal) in winter, followed by greater utilisation of the internal phosphorus between winter and summer, due to faster growth rates in the low intertidal.