Sedimentary facies,production rates and facies models for recent coralline algal gravels,Co. Galway,Ireland

Five sedimentary facies are described from SCUBA diving examination and sampling of Mannin Bay, Ireland. A Bank facies is built up by the unattached coralline algae Lithothamnium corallioides and Phymatolithon calcareum. This autochthonous facies occurs in shallow sheltered environments. In exposed areas a rippled Clean Algal Gravel facies is found composed of coralline and molluscan debris. In intermediate energy areas a Muddy Algal Gravel facies is found with small amounts of live corallines. Sheltered creeks have a Mud facies which is partly carbonate and partly terrigenous. The shallow water coralline algal sediments are overlapped by a Fine Sand facies of mixed biogenic composition. Each facies is characterized by particular phenotypic growth forms of the unattached corallines. Rates of organic calcium carbonate production are obtained which are found to be similar to rates from shallow tropical non-reef environments. The carbonate sediments of Mannin Bay are compared with similar sediments from Kilkerrin Bay. Ireland, from Brittany and from Falmouth Harbour. From these comparisons, facies models are proposed for these carbonate sediments. The major factor controlling facies distribution is coastal morphology. The present day shelf is considered to be too exposed to preserve complete sequences of the shallow water sediments.     

持久性有机污染物对珊瑚藻生长和生理生态特性的影响

以蒽和Aroclor1254为典型污染物质,分析了持久性有机污染物对于采自深圳大鹏湾(N114°36′,E 22°25′)的珊瑚藻生长和生理生态特性的影响效果。研究结果表明,随着蒽和Aroclor1254处理浓度的增加,珊瑚藻的光合色素含量下降,细胞膜透性和活性氧代谢产物丙二醛含量增加,最终停止生长。尽管低浓度有机污染物10.0～20.0μg·L-1蒽和8.0～16.0μg·L-1 Aroclor1254处理下藻体分泌的胞外多糖含量较对照略有上升,但随着污染物浓度上升,胞外多糖含量明显下降,胞外多糖的自由基(包括O2·-、·OH和DPPH自由基)清除能力也同样明显走低。蒽和Aroclor1254对珊瑚藻生理和生长的抑制作用有较明显的剂量—效应关系,因此持久性有机污染物对于珊瑚藻而言具有明显毒害作用。两种有机污染物对于珊瑚藻的毒害效应类似,相较而言,Aroclor1254毒性效应稍大于蒽。     

珊瑚藻类钙化的研究

于１９９１年４－６月,在日本海若峡湾采集珊瑚藻类样品,采用钙镁离子定量的方法。对小珊瑚藻,异边孢藻和大边孢藻的Ｇａ,Ｍｇ及其碳酸盐的含量,无机和有机态碳元素的量比以及前两种藻类的钙化与光合作用固碳速度进行了研究。结果表明,三种珊瑚藻类的碳酸盐占藻体干重的７７％－８０％,其中ＣａＣＯ３占６６％－７０％,ＭｇＣＯ３占１０％－１１％。小珊瑚藻中Ｇａ的含量比两种边孢藻高,而Ｍｇ的含量则比后两者低。     

[已撤稿] 三亚珊瑚礁珊瑚藻种类及其空间特征与环境因子的关系

珊瑚藻是珊瑚礁生态系统中重要的功能性群体。2010年通过水肺潜水分析了三亚珊瑚礁区的珊瑚藻种类组成和丰度, 以及群落空间特征与环境因子的关系。共鉴定出3科10属25种珊瑚藻, 其中珊瑚藻科占优势地位。三亚珊瑚礁区的珊瑚藻优势种分别为叉节藻Amphiroa ephedraea、拟中叶藻Mesophyllum simulans、串胞新角石藻Neogoniolithon fosliei、中叶藻M. mesomorphum、圆锥呼叶藻Pneophyllum conicum、孔石藻Porolithon onkodes和布氏水石藻Hydrolithon boergesenii。基于多元统计的分析结果, 将调查采样站位分为近岸型和离岸型2个主要集群, 其中近岸型的珊瑚藻种类以浊度、沉积速率(0~63μm)和悬浮物耐受种类为主, 离岸型则以光依赖-沉积物敏感种类为主。以珊瑚藻种类组成和丰度为基础的群落相似性分析结果表明, 其空间变异处于显著性水平。生物与非生物变量的相关分析结果表明, 最佳两变量组合(浊度和盐度)显著影响三亚珊瑚礁区2种类型调查站位中的珊瑚藻集合。在同一个研究站位, 因受干扰程度不同, 深水处的珊瑚藻的覆盖率比浅水处高。分析结果表明, 在三亚独特的珊瑚礁区中, 自然或人为的物理干扰因素都对调节珊瑚藻群落结构非常重要。     

Fluvial deposits within the Pleistocene Crag at Thorpe St Andrew,Norwich, England

This paper records the findings at a temporary exposure at Thorpe St Andrew near Norwich, Norfolk, UK in Early and early Middle Pleistocene Crag deposits. The British Geological Survey (BGS) describes the particular formation exposed as Norwich Crag consisting of Early Pleistocene shallow marine sediments. The section shows a succession of sorted sands and gravels overlain by a sandy diamicton. Based on field evidence and clast analysis, the sands and gravels are interpreted as the product of point bar and overbank sedimentation and represent the product of a river cutting into and aggrading within the more widespread shallow marine deposits. Composition of the sediments indicates derivation, primarily from Wroxham Crag Formation, with a contribution from Norwich Crag. The sandy diamicton is interpreted as late Middle Pleistocene Corton Till that is recorded in the area. A distinct pattern of colour changes at the top of the sands and gravels is interpreted as a soil that developed on the fluvial sediments before being overridden by the glacier that deposited the Corton Till. The existence of the fluvial sediments within the regional shallow marine deposits suggests that a fall of sea-level, possibly due to climate cooling, while the elevation of the sediments and the adjacent Crag implies that the site has been uplifted since sedimentation. This is the first observation of terrestrial sediments within the shallow marine Crag. The paper also makes a contribution to understanding the diagenetic processes that give deposits within this region some distinctive colour and sediment patterns.     

The Middle Pleistocene terraces of the central Waveney valley,Earsham, south Norfolk,UK

Although substantial work has been done on the pre-glacial terraces of East Anglia, very little systematic work has been done to understand the origin of river terraces in East Anglia that have formed since ice last covered the region. This paper records the results of studies of exposures and borehole records in ‘classical’ Quaternary terrace landforms that are considered to have formed since the Anglian (MIS 12) Glaciation, in the middle Waveney Valley. These features have been examined in terms of their morphological and sedimentological properties, in order to provide a detailed record of their form and composition, understand their processes of formation, and identify their stratigraphical status. The results show that the main body of the highest terrace (Homersfield Terrace, Terrace 3) is not composed of river sediments, but of shallow marine sediments, and is a remnant of early Middle Pleistocene Wroxham Crag. River sediments, in the form of Anglian age (MIS 12) glaciofluvial Aldeby Sands and Gravels also exist in the area as a channel fill, cut through the Wroxham Crag, and reflect outwash erosion and sedimentation from a relatively proximal ice margin to the west. The results mean that the interpretations previously presented for the terrace landforms of the middle Waveney valley are not applicable. The issue of why the terrace stratigraphy, hitherto identified in East Anglia cannot be related to that for the River Thames to the south and the rivers of Midland England to the west, still requires further research.     

中国珊瑚藻的多样性及分布研究现状

珊瑚藻是海洋生态系统中一类重要的钙化红藻,且具有海洋初级生产力和生态服务功能,已经成为当前热点研究生物之一。目前,世界各国有关珊瑚藻的种类、分布等正在逐渐明晰,而我国海域珊瑚藻的分布研究尚属空白,许多种类的多样性信息也需要更新。中国珊瑚藻本底信息的匮乏也阻碍了我国在各个层面上开展珊瑚藻研究与保护工作。为此,文章对中国海域珊瑚藻种类和分布现状进行了汇总与分析。结果表明,中国现有珊瑚藻种类记录162种,合并同物异名种后共计112种,隶属于10科26属,约占全球珊瑚藻种类数的15%;其中大陆有79种,台湾岛66种,香港10种。我国珊瑚藻的分布从渤海到南海均有分布,呈现出明显的热带与亚热带分布特征;其中辽宁、山东、浙江、福建、广东和香港海域记载较少(<20种),而台湾岛、海南岛和三沙海域则较多(>30种)。研究能为明确我国珊瑚藻的种类、数量及分布特征等方面提供良好的参考资料。     

Effect of nitrogen, phosphorous, and their interaction on coral reef algal succession in Glover's Reef, Belize

Nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers were used to determine their short-term summer effects on algal colonization, abundance, and species composition in moderate herbivory treatments. Secondary succession of algae on coral skeletons was examined in four treatments: an untreated control, a pure phosphate fertilizer, a pure nitrogen fertilizer, and an equal mix of the two fertilizers. Turf algae cover was the only measure of algae abundance to respond significantly to fertilization. Turf cover was three times higher in treatments with added nitrogen when compared with the pure phosphorus treatment. These turfs were dominated by green and cyanobacteria taxa, namely Enteromorpha prolifera, Lyngbya confervoides, and two species of Cladophora. The phosphate treatment was dominated by encrusting corallines and the cyanobacteria L. confervoides, while the controls had the highest cover of frondose brown algae, namely Padina sanctae-crucis and two species of Dictyota. Results indicate that turf algae were co-limited by nitrogen and phosphorus but enrichment appeared to inhibit brown frondose algae that currently dominate these reefs. Number of species was lowest on the pure phosphorus and nitrogen treatments, highest in the controls and intermediate in the mixed treatments, which suggests that diversity is reduced most by an imbalanced nutrient ratio.     

Field Meeting to the Bawdsey Peninsula, Suffolk, England, 22nd May 2010, to examine London Clay, Coralline Crag and Red Crag deposits: Leaders: Roger Dixon and Bob Markham

A one-day Geologists’ Association field excursion to the Bawdsey Peninsula in coastal Suffolk is described, with a guided tour of ‘The Pliocene Island’ at Sutton Knoll and visits to examine coastal erosion, the London Clay and Red Crag at Bawdsey East Lane, and the Red Crag at Alderton and Ramsholt. The depositional environments indicated by the Crag sediments and faunas are discussed, and non-derived Red Crag mollusc faunas at Sutton and sand-wave mollusc assemblages from Ramsholt are described.