Paleolimnological investigations of anthropogenic environmental change in Lake Tanganyika: VII. Carbonate isotope geochemistry as a record of riverine runoff

Evaporation dominates the removal of water from Lake Tanganyika, and therefore the oxygen isotope composition of lake water has become very positive in comparison to the waters entering the lake. The surface water in Lake Tanganyika has remained relatively unchanged over the last 30 years with a seasonal range of +3.2 to +3.5 VSMOW. Water from small rivers entering the lake seems to have a ¹⁸O value between –3.5 and –4.0, based on scattered measurements. The two largest catchments emptying into the lake deliver water that has a ¹⁸O value between these two extremes. This large contrast is the basis of a model presented here that attempts to reconstruct the history of runoff intensity based on the ¹⁸O of carbonate shells from Lake Tanganyika cores. In order to use biogenic carbonates to monitor changes in the ¹⁸O of mixing-zone water, however, the oxygen isotope fractionation between water and shell carbonate must be well understood. The relatively invariant environmental conditions of the lake allow us to constrain the fractionation of both oxygen and carbon isotope ratios. Although molluskan aragonitic shell ¹⁸O values are in agreement with published mineral-water fractionations, ostracode calcite is 1.2 more positive than that of inorganic calcite precipitated under similar conditions. Ostracode shell ¹⁸O data from two cores from central Lake Tanganyika suggest that runoff decreased in the first half of this millennium and has increased in the last century. This conclusion is poorly constrained, however, and much more work needs to be done on stable isotope variation in both the waters and carbonates of Lake Tanganyika. We also compared the ¹³C of shells against predicted values based solely on the ¹³C of lake water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The ostracode Mecynocypria opaca is the only ostracode or mollusk that falls within the predicted range. This suggests that M. opaca has potential for reconstructing the carbon isotope ratio of DIC in Lake Tanganyika, and may be a useful tool in the study of the history of the lakes productivity and carbon cycle.     

Upwelling signals in radiocarbon from early 20th-century Peruvian bay scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) shells

We quantified Δ¹⁴C, δ¹⁸O, and δ¹³C cycles along ontogeny within four bay scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) shells collected from Callao Bay, Salaverry, and Sechura Bay, Peru following the 1907–1908 non-El Niño years and the 1925–1926 El Niño. Δ¹⁴C and δ¹³C generally covary; Δ¹⁴C and δ¹⁸O vary inversely. Simultaneous decreases in Δ¹⁴C and increases in δ¹⁸O in non-El Niño shells are followed by constant Δ¹⁴C and gradually decreasing δ¹⁸O, which we interpret as evidence for discrete marine upwelling events followed by warming of the initially cold upwelled water. Upwelling changes from El Niño events are detectable with difficulty in mollusk shell Δ¹⁴C.     

Recognizing cryptic environmental changes by using paleoecology and taphonomy of Pleistocene bivalve assemblages in the Oga Peninsula,northern Japan

Multivariate analyses applied to Pleistocene bivalve assemblages from the Oga Peninsula (northern Japan) discriminate three distinct assemblages. The assemblages and their taphonomy were used to recognize environmental settings and changes. The Astarte–Cyclocardia–Glycymeris assemblage indicates shelf environment (below the storm wave base) where gravels and shells are transported from shallower settings. Supply of the exotic coarse sediment probably enabled epifaunal bivalves to inhabit the sea floor. The Glycymeris assemblage is characterized by dominance of G. yessoensis and represents current-swept shoreface environment (above the storm wave base). The Moerella assemblage is characterized by bivalves inhabiting bay to open-marine conditions and diverse deposit-feeders, indicating a moderately land-locked environment, such as an open bay or a bay mouth. Fine-grained substrata rich in organic matters in the bay were probably suitable for the deposit-feeders. Ordination also shows the assemblages along two environmental gradients, a bathymetrical one and the other related to open-marine and bay conditions. The environmental changes are explained mainly by glacio-eustatic sea-level changes and alternation of coastal geomorphology caused by local crustal movements. This study also suggests that fossil assemblages can be a powerful tool to reconstruct environments and depositional dynamics even in intensely bioturbated sedimentary facies.     

湖泊大型贝类控藻与净化水质的研究

为研究湖泊大型贝类控藻与净化水质的效果,本研究在太湖梅梁湾利用其土著大型贝类褶蚊冠蚌、三角帆蚌、湖螺分别在14只敞口水箱、鱼池(计3000m2)和设置在太湖梅梁湾20只围隔的自然水体中,建立贝类净化水体系统,定期测试,结果表明:1、三种贝类净化水体效果显著。在相同条件下,对水体叶绿素a单位消除量、消除率,褶纹冠蚌>湖螺>三角帆蚌; 2、鱼池系统中二龄三角帆蚌密度1．6只／m2,蚌以网袋设置在水面下30cm,时间距6月30日～9月6日,与无蚌对照池比较,水体叶绿素含量降低57．5％,悬浮物含量降低49．2％,水体透明度提高7～8cm;3、在太湖围隔净化系统中:(1)贝类生物量相同时,即50％生物量褶纹冠蚌悬挂水上层,50％生物量湖螺在底层的复合系统与100％生物量褶蚊冠蚌悬挂水上层的单一系统,历时228h,结果比较,后者的叶绿素a、悬浮物单位消除量均分别高于前者2．7％～37．4％和5．2％～26．8％。表明褶纹冠蚌在水上层的单一系统净化水体效果较好。我们在蚌对太湖围隔系统水体藻类结构变化试验的结果与该结果一致。(2)当水温(18．5±1)℃,本系统不同贝类生物量比较试验结果表明,以褶纹冠蚌生物量384g／m3对水体叶绿素、悬浮物消除效果相对最好,132h,分别达到407．3μg／kg·h和94．7mg／kg·h。在太湖围隔水体中,只有蚌生物量达到一定量值时,才能在有限时段内发挥对水体叶绿素a、悬浮物、藻类生物量降低消除的效果,但褶纹冠蚌生物量过大,单位消除量反而减少。我们在贝类不同组合,对太湖围隔系统水体、藻类结构变化试验的结果与该结果一致。(3)经108h后观察测量,对照组透明度为38～39cm,实验组为72～120cm,是对照组的2．3倍。而且,对照组约1／10水面出现水华,而实验组水面洁净,未出现水华。实验组贝类对叶绿素和悬浮物消除率分别达到72．0％～90．5％和59．1％～80．8％。贝类净化水体效果非常明显。(4)褶纹冠蚌在太湖试验围隔系统中,从10月17日至22日,使藻类结构产生了明显变化;1、2、3、4试验组藻类数量分别下降66．4％;84．0％;95．3％和90．1％。藻类结构中蓝藻占75．8％;微囊藻占蓝藻总量的97．2％。以上各试验组围隔系统中的蓝藻数量分别下降83．6％;91．7％;99．8％和94．4％。微囊藻数量分别下降73．1％;85．8％;100％和90．3％,所以蚌对太湖水体中藻类,特别是蓝藻、蓝藻中的微囊藻数量下降效果是非常明显的。     

云南高原湖泊软体动物β多样性及其组分分析

周转(一个集合体中的物种在另一个集合体中被其他物种代替)和嵌套(物种贫乏的集合体是物种丰富集合体的严格子集)是形成β多样性的两种途径.本文采用Baselga提出的β多样性加法分解方法,对云南高原湖泊软体动物β多样性及其周转和嵌套组分进行了研究.利用多位点方法计算,结果表明云南高原湖泊软体动物总β多样性为0.8903(S?rensen指数法)和0.9419(Jaccard指数法),周转组分分别占总β多样性的80.93%(S?rensen指数法)和88.92%(Jaccard指数法).总β多样性为瓣鳃类腹足类,金沙江水系南盘江水系澜沧江水系元江水系,浅水型深水型.周转组分占总β多样性的比例为瓣鳃类腹足类,元江水系南盘江水系澜沧江水系金沙江水系,深水型浅水型.采用配对的方法计算结果表明,不同湖泊对软体动物总β多样性及其周转、嵌套成分的值分布形式不同.周转的成分分布比较均匀,嵌套成分呈现一种单峰的分布.周转成分最大值为1,最小值为0,表明湖泊对间β多样性存在着完全的周转和完全的嵌套形式,所以相应地要采取多区域保护和重点保护相结合的策略保护云南高原湖泊软体动物.     

Seasonal variation in biomarker responses of Donax trunculus from the Gulf of Annaba (Algeria): Implication of metal accumulation in sediments

The aim of the present study was to test biomarker responses in an edible mollusk, Donax trunculus L. (Mollusca, Bivalvia) associated with environmental pollution in the Gulf of Annaba (northeastern Algeria). The biomarkers selected were glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and metallothioneins (MTs). Samples were collected seasonally (September 2014, and January, April and July 2015) from two sites located over the Gulf of Annaba: El Battah and Sidi Salem. The results obtained reveal that autumn and winter were the two seasons that show an increase in GST activity, an inhibition of AChE activity and a high rate of MT. In addition, a decrease in AChE activity, an increase in both GST activity and MT levels in D. Trunculus collected from Sidi Salem in comparison with those of El Battah were observed. The biomarker responses at the Sidi Salem site reflect the presence of certain pro-oxidative compounds such as metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn and Fe) determined in sediments in winter (January) 2015. Moreover, metal concentrations, except Fe, were higher at Sidi Salem than at El Battah. Overall, the Gulf of Annaba remains contaminated by heavy metal. However, this metallic contamination is relatively low and the risks for local population via this edible species were also low.