In this volume John Murray investigates the ecological processes that control the distribution, abundance, and species diversity of benthic foraminifera in environments ranging from marsh to the deepest ocean. To interpret the fossil record it is necessary to have an understanding of the ecology of modern foraminifera and the processes operating after death leading to burial and fossilisation. This book presents the ecological background required to explain how fossil forms are used in dating rocks and reconstructing past environmental features including changes of sea level. It demonstrates how living foraminifera can be used to monitor modern-day environmental change. Ecology and Applications of Benthic Foraminifera presents a comprehensive and global coverage of the subject using all the available literature. It is supported by a website hosting a large database of additional ecological information (www.cambridge.org/0521828392) and will form an important reference for academic researchers and graduate students in Earth and Environmental Sciences.

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Ecology and Applications of Benthic Foraminifera

The microphytobenthos consists of unicellular eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria that grow within the upper several millimeters of illuminated sediments, typically appearing only as a subtle brownish or greenish shading. The surficial layer of the sediment is a zone of intense microbial and geochemical activity and of considerable physical reworking. In many shallow ecosystems, the biomass of benthic microalgae often exceeds that of the phytoplankton in the overlying waters. Direct comparison of the abundance of benthic and suspended microalgae is complicated by the means used to measure biomass and by the vertical and horizontal distribution of the microphytobenthos in the sediment. Where biomass has been estimated as chlorophyll a, there may be negligible to large (40%) error due to interference by degradation products, except where chlorophyll is measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The vertical distribution of microphytobenthos, aside from mat-forming species, is determined by the opposing effects of their vertical migration, which tends to concentrate them near the surface, and physical mixing by overlying currents, which tends to cause an even vertical distribution through the mixed layer of sediment. Uncertainties in vertical distribution are compounded by frequently patchy horizontal distribution. Under-sampling on small (<1 m) scales can lead to errors in the estimate that are comparable to the ranges of seasonal and geographic variation. These uncertainties are compounded by biases in the techniques used to estimate production by the microphytobenthos. In most environments studied, biomass (as chlorophyll a) and light availability appear to be the principal determinants of benthic primary production. The effect of variable light intensities on integral production can be described by a functional response curve. When normalized to the chlorophyll content of the surficial sediment, the residual variation in the data described by the functional response curve is due to changes in the chlorophyll-specific response to irradiance. Production by the benthos is often a significant fraction of production in the water column and microphytobenthos may contribute directly to water column production when they are resuspended. Thus on both the basis of biomass and biogeochemical reactivity, benthic microalgae play significant roles in system productivity and trophic dynamics, as well as such habitat characteristics as sediment stability. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY074 00003

https://www.jstor.org/stable/info/1352224

Microphytobenthos: The ecological role of the “secret garden” of unvegetated, shallow-water marine habitats. I. Distribution, abundance and primary production

We present a new time-slice reconstruction of the Eurasian ice sheets (British–Irish, Svalbard–Barents–Kara Seas and Scandinavian) documenting the spatial evolution of these interconnected ice sheets every 1000 years from 25 to 10 ka, and at four selected time periods back to 40 ka. The time-slice maps of ice-sheet extent are based on a new Geographical Information System (GIS) database, where we have collected published numerical dates constraining the timing of ice-sheet advance and retreat, and additionally geomorphological and geological evidence contained within the existing literature. We integrate all uncertainty estimates into three ice-margin lines for each time-slice; a most-credible line, derived from our assessment of all available evidence, with bounding maximum and minimum limits allowed by existing data. This approach was motivated by the demands of glaciological, isostatic and climate modelling and to clearly display limitations in knowledge. The timing of advance and retreat were both remarkably spatially variable across the ice-sheet area. According to our compilation the westernmost limit along the British–Irish and Norwegian continental shelf was reached up to 7000 years earlier (at c. 27–26 ka) than the eastern limit on the Russian Plain (at c. 20–19 ka). The Eurasian ice sheet complex as a whole attained its maximum extent (5.5 Mkm2) and volume (~24 m Sea Level Equivalent) at c. 21 ka. Our continental-scale approach highlights instances of conflicting evidence and gaps in the ice-sheet chronology where uncertainties remain large and should be a focus for future research. Largest uncertainties coincide with locations presently below sea level and where contradicting evidence exists. This first version of the database and time-slices (DATED-1) has a census date of 1 January 2013 and both are available to download via the Bjerknes Climate Data Centre and PANGAEA (www.bcdc.no; http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.848117).

The last Eurasian ice sheets - a chronological database and time-slice reconstruction, DATED-1

Introduction. Alien Species in European Waters Leppakoski, et al. Bioinvasion Ecology: Assessing Invasion Impact and Scale Carlton. Who is Who Among Nonindigenous Species. Protists - A Dominant Component of the Ballast-Transported Biota Hulsmann, Galil. Introduced Marine Algae and Vascular Plants in European Aquatic Environments Wallentinus. Coscinodiscus wailesii - A Nuisance Diatom in European Waters Laing, Gollasch. The Comb Jelly Mneniopsis leidyi in the Black Sea Kideys. The Predatory Water Flea Cercopagis pengoi in the Baltic Sea: Invasion History, Distribution and Implications to Ecosystem Dynamics Telesh, Ojaveer. History and Success of an Invasion into the Baltic Sea: The Polychaete Marenzelleria cf. viridis, Development and Strategies Zettler, et al. Alien Crayfish in Europe: Negative and Positive Impacts and Interactions with Native Crayfish Westman. Invasion History, Biology and Impacts of the Baikalian Amphipod Gmelinoides fasciatus Panov, Berezina. Ponto-Caspian Amphipods and Mysids in the Inland Waters of Lithuania: History of Introduction, Current Distribution and Relations With Native Malacostracans Arbaciauskas. Teredo navalis - The Cryptogenic Shipworm Hoppe. Introduction and Acclimatisation of the Pacific Carpet Clam, Tapes philippinarum, to Italian Waters Breber. Dreissena (D.) polymorpha: Evolutionary Origin and Biological Peculiarities as Prerequisites of Invasion Success Orlova. Zebra Mussel: Impacts and Spread Minchin, et al. Red King Crab (Paralithodes camtshaticus) and Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in the Barents Sea Petryashov, et al. Alien Freshwater Fishes of Europe Lehtonen. Introduced Semiaquatic Birds andMammals in Europe Nummi. Genetics on Invasive Species Muller, Griebeler. Vectors. Vectors -- How Exotics Get Around Minchin, Gollasch. Oyster Imports as a Vector for the Introduction of Alien Species into Northern and Western Europe Coastal Waters Wolff, Reise. Exotics for Stocking and Aquaculture, Making Correct Decisions Minchin, Rosenthal. Life in Ballast Tanks Gollasch, et al. Ballast Tanks Sediments Hamer. Regional Overviews. Biological Invasions in the White Sea Berger, Naumov. Introduced Marine Organisms in Norwegian Waters, Including Svalbard Hopkins. The Baltic Sea -- a Field Laboratory for Invasion Biology Leppakoski, et al. Introduced Marine Species of the North Sea Coasts Reise, et al. Exotics of Coastal and Inland Waters of Ireland and Britain Minchin, Eno. Open Atlantic Coast of Europe -- A Century of Introduced Species Goulletquer, et al. Review of Non-native Marine Plants in the Mediterranean Sea R. Siguan. Current Status of Aquatic Introductions in Italy O. Ambrogi. A Sea Change -- Exotics in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Galil, Zenetos. The Marmara Sea, A Link Between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea Ozturk. The Black Sea -- A Recipient, Donor and Transit Area for Alien Species Gomoiu, et al. Invaders in the Caspian Sea Aladin, et al. Invasions by Alien Species in Inland Freshwater Bodies in Western Europe: The Rhine Delta van der Velde, et al. Biological Invasions into German Waters: An Evaluation of the Importance of Different Human-mediated Vectors for Nonindigenous Macrozoobenthic Species Nehring. Invasive Ponto-Caspian Species in Waters of the Vistula and Oder Basins and the Southern Baltic Sea Jazdzewski, Konopacka. The

Invasive Aquatic Species of Europe - Distribution, Impacts and Management

The distribution of various types of larval development among marine bottom invertebrates has been discussed on the basis of ecological evidence by Thorson (1936, 1946, 1950, 1952) and Mileikovsky (1961b, 1965). The information at hand is reviewed anew in this paper and is re-evaluated in the light of modern pertinent literature. The interrelationships between certain larval types and their distribution are not as rigid and direct as originally assumed. This can be proved even by the “copy book” example of the distribution of the various forms of development among species of the coastal gastropod genus Littorina. Especially among species with wide distributional areas, local populations may exhibit greater diversity in larval types than has previously been thought. Different types of larval development have now become known to exist in different populations of opisthobranch gastropods and lamellibranchs, i.e., in invertebrate groups in which such variability had been ruled out by Thorson. Variability in the type of larval development within given species — as a function of geographical, seasonal and other environmental parameters —is also more common in other marine bottom invertebrates than formerly considered. Marine bottom invertebrates are characterized not only by the 3 main different types of larval development proposed by Thorson (pelagic, direct, viviparous), but also by a fourth type: demersal (free non-pelagic) development. This fourth type occurs at all water depths and in all geographic zones of the oceans. The most important of the 4 types is pelagic (planktotrophic) development. Thorson's rule (decrease in numbers of species possessing pelagic development from the Equator towards the Poles, and from shallow-shelf waters to greater oceanic depths) is well substantiated by new data. However, one correction is necessary: pelagic development is not completely absent in the abyssal zone, as was proposed by Thorson (1950, and later), but is represented in it by at least several species belonging to various groups of invertebrates, and is also fairly common in the bathyal zone. A detailed analysis of the distributional pattern of the different types of development of marine bottom invertebrates must further take into consideration asexual reproduction with all its different modifications. Asexual reproduction in benthonic invertebrates is ecologically significant because of its common occurrence in nature; in numerous species it is also important as a biological supplement to sexual reproduction. The vast majority of species inhabiting the shallow-shelf zone and, partly, the higher levels of the slope zone of ocean areas located roughly between the polar circles, reveals development by means of planktotrophic larval stages. In the highest latitudes and on the slopes to abyssal depths—characterized by low water temperatures, scarcity of food, increasing hydrostatic pressure and other environmental peculiarities—other types of larval development prevail and, progressively, replace pelagic development with increasing latitude or depth. The distributional patterns of the various types of development among marine bottom invertebrates form one of the most important factors determining the basic distributional dynamics of the whole benthos in all oceans, both in the geological past and at the present time.

Types of larval development in marine bottom invertebrates, their distribution and ecological significance: a re-evaluation

Marine 14C reservoir ages for 19th century whales and molluscs from the North Atlantic

Effects of organic effluents from a salmon farm on a fjord system. II. Temporal and spatial patterns in infauna community composition

This paper presents data on species composition, abundance, horizontal and vertical distributions of zooplankton from selected sites across Nordvestbanken, northern Norway, sampled monthly from March to September 1994. The sampling covered three stations: A(closest to shore), C and D (close to the shelf break). There was a distinct succession in species composition over the season, with a shift fro1n a community alrnost entirely dominated by Calanus finmarchicus in May, towards a larger contribution of smaller, neritic species in August and September. Numeiically C finmarchicus made up about 70% of the total zooplankton stock at stations D and C in May (about 90% ifnauplii, which mostly belonged to this species, are included), whereas the proportion of this species was about 50% at station A this month. The population development of the most common species agreed with earlier findings in the area. A CCA analysis was performed including a total of 18 copepod species and 8 environmental variables. ...

Physical and biological factors influencing the seasonal variation in disatributrion of zooplanton across the shelfat Nordvestbaskem, northern Norway, 1994

Fecal pellet production rates for mesozooplankton (> 500 µm) were measured monthly at a shelf edge and inshore station in northern Nonvegian coastal waters during Nlarch-September as part of the Ocean Margin Exchange (OMEX) stLrdy. The total potential fecal pellet carbon flux was higher at the inshore station except in May when Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus) was more abundant at the shelf edge. Mesozooplankton fecal pellets had the potential to contribute 2.5 % (April & September) to> 100% (May-August) of the POC flux found in sediment traps. This compared with only 5-35 %, when fecal pellet carbon flux was measured from trap pellets suggests that a significant amount of fecal pellet remineralization or coprophagy was occurring in the surface waters. Calanus finmarchicus apparently plays a pivotal role in moderating pellet carbon flux on Nordvestbanken both through its potential fecal pellet production and possibly through coprophagy. Carbon ingestion by the lccrge mesozooplankton at the shelf e...

Tore Høisæter

Papers

Marine 14C reservoir ages for 19th century whales and molluscs from the North Atlantic

Effects of organic effluents from a salmon farm on a fjord system. II. Temporal and spatial patterns in infauna community composition

Physical and biological factors influencing the seasonal variation in disatributrion of zooplanton across the shelfat Nordvestbaskem, northern Norway, 1994

Contribution by mezooplankton focal pellets to the carbon flux on Nordvestkbanken, north Norwegian shelf in 1994

Effects of organic effluents from a salmon farm on a fjord system. III. Linking deposition rates of organic matter and benthic productivity