Sublethal effects of hydrogen sulfide in sediments on the Urchin Lytechinus pictus

Laboratory exposures of the urchin Lytechinus pictus to sediment dosed with varying concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), but without elevated organic material, were conducted. Changes in mortality, behavior, growth and gonad production were measured during 49 days' flow through exposures. Hydrogen sulfide concentrations of 165·8 μ liter⁻¹ in pore water caused significant changes in all parameters measured. Concentrations as low as 32·9 μ liter⁻¹ caused significant decreases in wet weight and male gonad production. A concentration of 91·8 μ liter⁻¹ caused the mortality rate to increase 100-fold over control exposures (0·63 μ liter⁻¹). Sublethal effects on growth and gonad production could have been caused by either direct biochemical inhibition by H₂S or secondarily through behavioral modifications. Hydrogen sulfide concentrations above 165·8 μ liter⁻¹ are common near sewage outfalls and could contribute to changes in species composition and sediment toxicity that occur there.     

Long-term effects of tributyltin compounds on the baltic amphipod, Gammarus oceanicus

Amphipod larvae, Gammarus oceanicus, were exposed for 8 weeks to bis(tributyltin) oxide (TBTO) or tributyltin fluoride (TBTF), or for 5 weeks to leachates from tributyltin-containing antibiofouling paints. No larvae survived 8 weeks' exposure to 3 μg/litre TBTO or TBTF. Differential larval survival occurred during exposure to 0·3 gmg/litre of these same compounds. Paint leachates were shown to cause similar toxicity responses at comparable aqueous tributyltin concentrations. An examination of sublethal responses showed slight decreases in growth for larvae exposed to TBTO and to paint leachates, although responses at tributyltin levels below 1 μg/litre were not marked. Whole-animal oxygen consumption rates were not affected by low tributyltin exposure levels. While these studies demonstrate low level toxicity of tributyltins, effects on oxygen consumption and growth do not indicate a mode of action for these compounds.     

Rip currents as a geological tool

This paper considers the nature and sedimentary significance of rip currents. Rip currents are the main factor responsible for the transport of coarse sediments from the littoral zone to greater depths. Such sediments, deposited outside the zone of wave deformation, may be identified as storm rip current increments within sediments deposited during fair weather. Composite beds deposited during a given wave cycle by storm rip currents are closely similar to ‘turbidites’ and many so called ‘fluxo-turbidites’ described from flysch deposits. Using data gathered in studies conducted on the modern Baltic coast, supplemented by experimental work and theoretical considerations, a sedimentary model is proposed. The model may be used to interpret possible rip current deposits among shallow water ‘turbidites’, and both modern storm sediments and ancient ‘tempestites’.     

Frost risk mapping for landscape planning: A methodology

Summary Minimum air temperatures were measured during three winters with a network of stations in open, undulating terrain. It was observed that the change in minimum air temperature with elevation could be predicted from mean nighttime windspeed, total nighttime net radiation loss and a hill-top reference minimum temperature. It was also found that the deviation of temperatures at individual sites could be predicted from a local terrain parameter which reflects the extent of cold air accumulations. Thus a methodology for frost risk mapping has been developed which is based on regional weather dataand local terrain analysis. This paper describes the model and illustrates the regional weather and terrain effects with three-dimensional block diagrams.With 8 Figures     

Astronomical Engineering: A Strategy For Modifying Planetary Orbits

The Sun's gradual brightening will seriously compromise the Earth'sbiosphere within 10⁹ years. If Earth's orbit migrates outward,however, the biosphere could remain intact over the entiremain-sequence lifetime of the Sun. In this paper, we explore thefeasibility of engineering such a migration over a long timeperiod. The basic mechanism uses gravitational assists to (in effect)transfer orbital energy from Jupiter to the Earth, and therebyenlarges the orbital radius of Earth. This transfer is accomplishedby a suitable intermediate body, either a Kuiper Belt object or a mainbelt asteroid. The object first encounters Earth during an inward passon its initial highly elliptical orbit of large ( 300 AU)semimajor axis. The encounter transfers energy from the object to theEarth in standard gravity-assist fashion by passing close to theleading limb of the planet. The resulting outbound trajectory of theobject must cross the orbit of Jupiter; with proper timing, theoutbound object encounters Jupiter and picks up the energy it lost toEarth. With small corrections to the trajectory, or additionalplanetary encounters (e.g., with Saturn), the object can repeat thisprocess over many encounters. To maintain its present flux of solarenergy, the Earth must experience roughly one encounter every 6000years (for an object mass of 10²² g). We develop the details ofthis scheme and discuss its ramifications.     

SIMPLE VALIDATORY TOOLS FOR JUDGING THE PREDICTIVE PERFORMANCE OF PARAFAC AND THREE-WAY PLS

The methods PARAFAC and three-way PLS are compared with respect to their ability to predictreversed-phase retention values.Special attention is paid to simple validatory tools,the meaning and useof which are explained.The simple validatory tools consist of percentages of explained variation in the training set and thosethat can be calculated with the use of markers.These markers are special(reference)solutes,the retentionvalues of which are used to gain information about a new object for which predictions are wanted.Different validatory tools can be calculated with the use of these marker retention values:percentagesof used variation and mean sum of squared residuals after applying the model to these marker retentionvalues.The validatory tools are evaluated on their power to estimate their test set counterparts:thepercentages of explained variation in the test set and mean sum of squared prediction errors in the test set.Two different data sets from reversed-phase chromatography are used to evaluate the validatory tools.The first data set has a high signal-to-noise ratio and is measured under the same measurementconditions.The second data set has a low signal-to-noise ratio and is measured under differentmeasurement conditions.Some of the simple validatory tools seem to have relevance to their test setcounterparts,even in the case of the second data set.     

Additional note on the isotopic composition of strontium in McCartys flow,Valencia County,New Mexico

Strontium isotopic analyses of additional samples of the McCartys basalt flow (Holocene) exhibit no evident correlation with distance from the source crater or with strontium content. This confirms our previous comments urging caution in sampling of one basalt flow in order to determine its “source” initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr.     

The respiratory response of juvenile mud crabs, Rhithropanopeus harrisii to variations in salinity and following short-term exposure to halowax 1099®, a polychlorinated naphthalene (PCN)

Juvenile mud crabs Rhithropanopeus harrisii were exposed for five days to Halowax 1099, a polychlorinated naphthalene (approximately 1:1 ratio of tri- and tetrachlorinated isomers). Exposure concentrations were 0, 20, 50 or 100 μg/litre. The exposure salinity was 15%. At the end of the exposure period, respiratory rates of the crabs were determined at 15% S. The respiratory rates were also determined for control and exposed animals which were osmotically shocked by a move from 15% S to either 5 or 25% S immediately before respirometry. Exposure to PCNs always caused the mean respiratory rates of juvenile crabs to increase over control values. The respiratory response of crabs to PCN exposure was similar at the steady-state salinity (15% S) and after hyperosmotic shock (25% S). However, the mean rate for animals exposed to PCNs and given a hyposmotic shock was significantly higher than that for controls and for PCN-exposed animals at the other two salinities. Since hyperosmotic regulation of body fluids is most active at low salinities in this species, we suggest that the PCNs interfere with hyperosmotic regulation and reduce the efficiency of metabolic compensation for hyposmotic shock. The higher energetic cost of acclimation to transient reductions in salinity would be potentially detrimental to wild populations in impacted areas.     

The combined effect of salinity,temperature and oil on the growth pattern of embryos of the killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus Walbaum

Embryos of the estuarine teleost, Fundulus heteroclitus, were exposed during development to different concentrations of the water-soluble fractions (WSF) of a No. 2 fuel oil under various temperature-salinity combinations. Temperatures and salinities were, respectively: 20, 25 or 30°C and 10, 20 or 30%S. The WSF were extracted from No. 2 fuel oil daily and diluted to concentrations of 15, 20 or 25% of the original mixture. Controls were exposed to seawater without WSF at each temperature-salinity combination.The length of eleutheroembryos was markedly decreased by exposure to WSF. Temperature exerted an effect on growth at low WSF concentrations (0 and 15% WSF) but not at higher ones. The two highest WSF concentrations had a predominant effect on growth that was not further modified by physical factor influences. Conversely, as the WSF exposure increased, the yolk diameter increased, indicating a decreased utilisation of yolk material during development. The mean number of vertebrae in the eleutheroembryos decreased at high WSF concentrations and at high temperatures. Morphological abnormalities consisted predominantly of spinal deformations (scoliosis and lordosis). The data indicate that the survivors of chemical toxicity during embryo development exhibit sublethal responses which would reduce their survival potential in later life.