Showing papers in "Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science in 1984"

The salinity tolerance of forty-six marine phytoplankton isolates

Abstract: The acclimated reproduction rates of 46 marine phytoplankton isolates were measured in six salinities ranging from 0 to 45%. Estuarine species tolerated low salinity better than the oceanic species, coastal species being intermediate in their tolerance. The estuarine and oceanic species had salinity tolerances appropriate for their environments, but most of the coastal species tolerated salinity much lower than that from which they were isolated. This characteristic of coastal species may be a relict of selection pressure during the most recent glaciation or the result of gene flow being dependent upon central genetic populations located in bays and estuaries.

Dispersal and recruitment of blue crab larvae in Delaware Bay, U.S.A.

Abstract: Results of a three-year survey of the occurrence of Callinectes sapidus larvae in the mouth of Delaware Bay indicated that stage I zoea larvae were most abundant insurface water as compared to mid-depths and near bottom. The major peak in abundance of stage I zoea larvae occurred in early August with a secondary peak in early September. Peaks in abundance of megalopae occurred five weeks after the respective peaks in zoeal abundance. Zoea stages II–VIII were not collected in the bay mouth. Results of sampling every 3 h over consecutive tidal cycles showed that stage I zoea larvae were most common in the water column on ebbing tidal currents. Megalopae were most common in the water column on flooding tidal currents, suggesting a tidally related, vertical migration. It was concluded that stage I zoea larvae are flushed from the estuary and undergo development on the continental shelf. Megalopae are then transported back to inshore waters by a combination of winds and currents and invade the estuary by means of migration into the water column on flooding tidal currents and migration to the bottom on ebbing tidal currents.

Hydrocarbons in Washington coastal sediments

Abstract: The sources and distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and aliphatic hydrocarbons are characterized in seventeen sediments from a highly river-influenced sedimentary environment off the southwestern coast of Washington. The major hydrocarbons are land-derived, introduced as preformed compounds and display long-term stability in sediment cores. A series of PAH of anthropogenic origin and two naturally derived compounds, retene and perylene, dominate the PAH composition in these sediments. Plantwax n-alkanes are the major aliphatic hydrocarbon constituents. Aliphatic hydrocarbons of marine origin, pristane and a series of four acyclic, multibranched C25 polyolefins, are also observed in many sediments. The concentrations of these marine-derived hydrocarbons decrease to negligible levels rapidly with sediment depth from the sea-sediment interface, suggesting degradation. In general, the major land-derived hydrocarbons are concentrated in the midshelf silt deposit which extends northwestward along the continental shelf from the Columbia River mouth. A quantitatively more minor, natural series of phenanthrene homologs, also of terrestrial origin, is preferentially advected further offshore and deposited in continental slope sediments. These distributions are consistent with recognized particle associations for these compounds and sediment dispersal processes in this coastal environment. Sediment core records suggest the present pattern of dispersal has persisted for at least the past century and possibly since the Late Pleistocene.

Laboratory study of nitrogen and phosphorus remineralization during the decomposition of coastal plankton and seston

Abstract: The decomposition of cultured marine phytoplankton (Skeletonema costatum) and natural estuarine seston from Narragansett Bay, RI, was studied at two temperatures (8°C and 18°C) in bottles containing sterile bay-water (30‰) and in bay-water with micro-organisms small enough to pass through a glass fibre filter (nominally < 1μ). About 50% of the particulate organic nitrogen (PON) and particulate phosphorus (PP) was immediately released to the water in dissolved organic forms from both types of organic matter. Comparison of changes in the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) fraction in the sterile and non-sterile systems indicated that nearly all of the DON initially released was subsequently remineralized. Ammonification proceeded only in non-sterile bay-water. 20–25% of the PP was converted to dissolved inorganic-P (DIP) fraction after only 7 h in both sterile and non-sterile bay-water. Following autolytic releases of DON, DOP and DIP the initial rates of N and P remineralization were temperature dependent: Q10 values for PON and PP decay during first phase of microbially mediated decomposition ranged from 1·3 to 6·4. Rates of remineralization then slowed so that about equal amounts of nutrients were remineralized (45–50% of the N and 57–60% of the P in the phytoplankton and 60–63% of the N and 36–60% of the P in the natural seston) after 30 days storage at either temperature. During 30 days of decomposition in non-sterile seawater the NP ratios in the dissolved inorganic fractions converged on the ratios of total-N/total-P initially present in the bottles. Kinetic analysis of the decay of total organic-N (TON) and total organic-P (TOP) in the non-sterile systems and analysis of similar sets found in the literature showed that the initial stages of the decomposition of N and P from planktonic POM in vitro could be modelled as the sequential decay, at first-order rates, of two particulate fractions. The first, more labile, fraction comprised about 60% of the particulate N and P. First-order rate constants (−k, base e) for decomposition during the 1st and 2nd phases were 0·02 to 0·2 day−1 and 0·003 to 0·02 day−1, respectively. The decay rates are far too slow to account for the ‘rapid in situ recycling’ of nutrients needed to support phytoplankton production when other means of nutrient resupply (by advection, fixation, rainfall, etc.) are very low.

Structural aspects of the surf-zone fish assemblage at King's Beach, Algoa Bay, South Africa: Long-term fluctuations

Abstract: Regular collections of fish were obtained from the surf-zone at King's Beach, Algoa Bay. A total of 3970 fish, representing 50 species was caught with a coarse net and 16 857 fish, representing 37 species, were caught with a fine net. Predominant species were the blacktail, Diplodus sargus; the sand steenbras, Lithognathus mormyrus; the mullet, Liza richardsoni; the gorrie, Pomadasys olivaceum; the white stumpnose, Rhabdosargus globiceps; the sandshark, Rhinobatos annulatus; and the streepie, Sarpa salpa. No seasonal trends were discernible in the overall abundance or species diversity. The species composition of the dominant component of the fish assemblage varied considerably. This indicated instability in the community structure and cast doubts on the applicability of a classic community concept and the use of diversity indices. Neither classification nor correspondence analysis were of any use in identifying a characteristic species component. Multiple regression analysis indicated that short-term variations in wind conditions might be a primary determinant of fluctuations in abundance. The lack of seasonality in the community parameters may reflect the fact that short-term variability masks seasonal perturbations.

Transportation of water, particulate and dissolved organic and inorganic matter between a salt marsh and the Ems-Dollard estuary, The Netherlands

Abstract: Transport processes were studied in a gully between a saltmarsh and an estuary. After storm tides, ebb currents in the gully reached high values. It is concluded that particulate matter (both obganic and inorganic) are imported into the marsh. Coarse organic debris is exported during storm tides, but this amount is low when compared with the primary production on the marsh. Exports are shown for dissolved organic carbon, ammonia, phosphate and silica, while nitrate and possibly nitrite are imported. Therefore, it seems warranted to conclude that the organic matter producedin situ and imported is mineralized in the marsh.

Accumulation of sediments, trace metals (Pb, Cu) and total hydrocarbons in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island

Abstract: The accumulation of sediments, trace metals and hydrocarbons has been estimated from the analysis of the sediment from six coring sites in Narragansett Bay. Radionuclides ( 234 Th xs , 210 Pb xs , 239,240 Pu) with known input functions and trace metals (Cu, Pb) were used. We estimate that 6·9 × 10 4 tons of sediments, 51–90 tons of Pb, 72–100 tons of Cu and 400–1000 tons of total hydrocarbons accumulate annually under present conditions in the bay. This represents 64–117% (Pb), 89–123% (Cu) and 23–58% (hydrocarbons), respectively, of present day inputs to the bay. Furthermore, close to 100% of the particle-reactive radionuclides 210 Pb and 239,240 Pu accumulate in the bay. Present day inputs to the bay were calculated independently as 77–80 tons Pb and 81 tons of Cu. Sewage effluents were the dominant source of Cu, whereas atmospheric deposition and urban runoff were most important for Pb. Dredging activities by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1946 and 1971 removed more sediments from the bay than would have accumulated during the same time in the undredged areas of the bay. Copper smelting and coal mining on the shores of the upper bay during 1866–1880 left an imprint in the sediments which is still evident. Model derived accumulation rates of Pb, Cu and coal during that time were 3–4 times present-day inputs.

Extracellular release of small and large molecules by phytoplankton in the Southern Bight of the North Sea

Abstract: Extracellular release by phytoplankton of small and large metabolites (molecular weight 〈and〉 500 d) is determined kinetically in various marine ecosystems including the eutrophic Scheldt estuary, the Belgian coastal zone and the oligotrophic English Channel. Kinetic curves show that while small metabolites are immediately released in the external medium, a lag phase is always observed in the release of large metabolites. Results indicate that 9–48% of the total excreted amount ends up in the small metabolites pool with no dependence on light intensity or nutritive conditions. Relative rates of heterotrophic uptake of the phytoplankton extracellular metabolites are calculated from the time dependent distribution of 14 C labelled extracellular products. The data indicate that small molecules with high turnover rates (up to 25% h −1 ) may occasionally be excreted by phytoplankton cells. The turnover time of high molecular weight excreted compounds is much longer. A correlation is found between the rate of production of these large extracellular metabolites and the exoenzymatic activity of the bacterial populations.

River plumes, Coral Reefs and mixing in the Gulf of Papua and the northern Great Barrier Reef

Abstract: The mean annual freshwater discharge in the Gulf of Papua, principally from the Fly, Kikori and Purari rivers, is estimated to be 13000 m 3 s −1 . Water from these rivers forms a low salinity surface layer in the Gulf, where it has a residence time of about two months and flows generally eastward. A small fraction of this water intrudes through Bligh Entrance on the Great Barrier Reef continental shelf. Horizontal patchiness and mixing of these intruding waters with shelf waters are considerably enhanced by secondary circulation (wakes) around coral reefs. The wakes shapes, visible in enhanced LANDSAT imagery, are similar to those around cylinders and plates in laboratory experiments at low Reynolds numbers. Topographically enhanced mixing may explain why the cross-shelf gradients of temperature and of the structure of fish communities are smaller in the northern region than in the central region of the Great Barrier Reef.

Seasonality of occurrence, foods and food preferences of ichthyoplankton in Biscayne Bay, Florida

Abstract: Ichthyoplankton and microzooplankton were collected twice monthly for one year at a single station in Biscayne Bay, Florida. Based on approximate 10-m3, 333-μm mesh bongo net samples, the mean annual densities were 17·7 m−3 and 1·8 m−3 for fish eggs and larvae, respectively. Ichthyoplankton was most abundant in spring-summer. The most common fish larvae were bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), spotted dragonet (Callionymus pauciradiatus), thread herring (Opisthonema oglinum) and gobies (Gobiidae), which comprised 50% of all larvae collected. A comparison of 35-μm and 333-μm mesh, bongo net collections revealed that mean densities of fish larvae were 8·5 times higher in the smaller mesh. The most abundant microzooplankton, based on 35-μm bongo net collections, were copepod nauplii, <100 μm in width, which averaged 90·41−1 and tintinnids which averaged 168·51−1. The mean density of microzooplankton <100 μm wide, potentially suitable food for first-feeding fish larvae, was 104·91−1, exclusive of tintinnids, and 273·41−1 including tintinninds. Excepting tintinnids, seasonal variability in microzooplankton abundance was low relative to that for ichthyoplankton. High microzooplankton densities, combined with low seasonal variability, indicated that feeding conditions for fish larvae were usually good in Biscayne Bay. Copepods, especially nauplii, were the predominant food of fish larvae (71% of all food items). Only mollusc veliger larvae (18% of all food items) were highly preferred prey but they were a small component of most larval fish diets. Average width of prey eaten by first-feeding larvae was 74 μm. Prey size increased in relation to larval length.

The effects of prolonged aquatic macrophyte senescence on the biology of the dominant fish species in a southern African coastal lake

Abstract: The littoral zone of Swartvlei, an estuarine lake on the southern Cape coast, was characterized by extensive beds of submerged aquatic macrophytes. May 1979 marked the beginning of a regression phase which lasted more than three years. The senescence of the Potamogeton pectinatus and charophyte beds resulted in a 60% decline in primary production, a 74% slump in littoral invertebrate biomass and a 54% decline in the abundance of the fishes Monodactylus falciformis (Lacepede) and Rhabdosargus holubi (Steindachner) associated with the macrophytes. Gravimetric and calorific analyses of their food revealed that invertebrates and filamentous algae from the littoral zone were of major importance. The two fish species consumed approximately 2% of the primary production during the Potamogeton canopy phase and 3% during the Potamogeton senescent phase. Invertebrate consumption declined from 33 mg m−2 day−1 during the canopy phase to 8 mg m−2 day−1 during the senescent phase. The disappearance of the Potamogeton and charophyte beds also resulted in a decrease in the condition of both species but the effect was indirect and related mainly to the collapse of invertebrate stocks associated with the plants.

Heavy metals in a contaminated Australian estuary—Dispersion and accumulation trend

Abstract: Very high concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd occur in the muddy bottom sediments of Lake Macquarie, a saline coastal lagoon in southeastern Australia. The trace metals emanate from industrial sources, especially a lead-zinc smelter, at the northern end of the lake. Individual metal concentrations decrease progressively away from the source area but at differing rates; Zn is most mobile and Cd appears to be deposited first. They approach natural background levels in the southern part of the lake. Mn shows a reverse trend but Ni, Co, Ag and Fe rarely rise above background levels. Shallow cores in the lake bed penetrated a metal enriched surface zone 15–35 cm thick underlain by uncontaminated sediments with natural (background) metal concentrations. Sedimentation rates determined from radiocarbon ages on shells in the cores mainly range between 0·15 and 0·5 mm yr−1. Over the 85 years since industrialization commenced, less than 5 cm of mud has accumulated on the lake bed. Bioturbation is invoked to account for the depth to which the sediment has been enriched in heavy metals.

226Ra and 228Ra in the mixing zones of the Pee Dee River-Winyah Bay, Yangtze River and Delaware Bay Estuaries

Abstract: 226Ra and 228Ra have non-conservative excess concentrations in the mixing zones of the Pee Dee River-Winyah Bay estuary, the Yangtze River estuary, and the Delaware Bay estuary. Laboratory experiments, using Pee Dee River sediment, indicate desorption of 226Ra to increase with increasing salinities up to 20‰. In Winyah Bay desorption from river-borne sediments could contribute almost all of the increases for both isotopes. Desorption adds only a portion of the excess 228Ra measured in the Yangtse River and adjacent Shelf waters and Delaware Bay. In the Yangtze River the mixing zone extends over a considerable portion of the Continental Shelf where 228Ra is added to the water column by diffusion from bottom sediments, while 226Ra concentrations decrease from dilution. Diffusion of 228Ra from bottom sediments in Delaware Bay primarily occurs in the upper part of the bay (< 22‰ water) where fine grained sediments predominate. A diffusive flux for 228Ra of 0·33 dpm cm−2 year was determined for Delaware Bay.

Energy budgets and predation impact of dominant epibenthic carnivores on a shallow soft bottom community at the Swedish west coast

Abstract: The energy flow through the epibenthic community on a shallow soft bottom in Gullmar Fjord, Sweden, is evaluated. The interaction between the dominant epibenthic predators: brown shrimp Crangon crangon L., juvenile plaice Pleuronectes platessa L. and sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas), and their food supply is examined, and the fate of the biomass produced within the shallow water ecosystem is described. A steady state model is presented which describes the amounts, pathways and annual rates of energy flowing through the shallow water community. Field and laboratory studies are performed in order to validate the consumption rates of the fish and shrimp species. The brown shrimp occupies a key position in this ecosystem. It represents food, consisting of newly settled juveniles, both to its conspecifics and to other epibenthic species in shallow water. Sixty to eighty per cent of the annual production of shrimps in shallow water is consumed by the epibenthic predators. The brown shrimp constitutes a main predator on other epibenthic species and, by providing such feedback loops, the shrimp constitutes a highly significant regulator of epibenthic carnivores in shallow water. A loss from the benthic community will occur due to predation, maximally amounting to 24–34% of the annual production, which is a high value compared to similar areas. A dynamic simulation is also performed in order to calculate the seasonal change of energy in the epibenthic community in shallow water. Based on mortality calculations, the total output from the shallow nursery should amount to 0·6 g m−2 year−1 (dry wt).

The behaviour of dissolved arsenic in the estuary of the River Beaulieu

Abstract: The chemical forms and distribution of dissolved arsenic species in the estuary of the River Beaulieu (Hampshire, U.K.) are reported. ‘Inorganic arsenic (V)’ in both the marine and riverine estuary inputs are in true solution, passing through ultrafiltration membranes having a nominal molecular weight cut-off of 500 daltons. Extensive removal of dissolved ‘inorganic arsenic (V)’ is apparent from the distribution of arsenic in the estuary, with laboratory mixing experiments indicating that removal is favoured in the low salinity region. ‘Inorganic arsenic (III)’ and methylated arsenic species account for up to 41% and 70% of the dissolved arsenic, respectively, but are only found during the warmer months when water temperatures exceed ca. 12°C.

Occurrence of larval fishes in the surf zone of a northern Gulf of Mexico barrier island

Abstract: Larval fishes were collected from the surf zone of Horn Island, Mississippi between March 1978 and April 1979. A standardized total of 39 435 larvae were taken from 222 collections in the inner and outer surf zone regions, representing fish in 69 taxa. Overall, considerably more larvae were collected in the outer surf zone (78·3%) than in the inner surf zone (21·7%). Engraulids, Chloroscombrus chrysurus and Symphurus spp. were the most abundant larvae taken from the outer surf zone while engraulids, Leiostomus xanthurus, Brevoortia patronus and Trinectes maculatus were the numerically dominant larvae in the inner surf zone. Seasonal peaks in abundance occurred at the outer surf zone stations during May and June and at the inner surf zone stations during December. Larval densities were significantly greater in night collections than in day collections. The occurrence of early larvae, late larvae and juveniles suggests that the surf zone habitat is important to several species of coastal marine fishes. Menticirrhus littoralis, Harengula jaguana and Trachinotus carolinus appear to most readily utilize the surf zone as a nursery area.

Variations in mangrove forest productivity in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea

Abstract: A survey method previously developed for estimating potential net primary production ( P N ) of mangrove forests was applied at 19 widely separated sites in tropical northern Australia and six sites in the Gulf of Papua. These estimates are compared with previous results for mangrove forests at Hinchinbrook Island, north Queensland. Surveys of soil properties in these areas indicate that low availability of soil phosphorus is a major contributing factor to the consistently in P N estimates of Cape York and North-western Australian forests (range in P N =11–26; mean P N = 19kg C ha −1 day −1 ) compared with the Hinchin-brook Island and Gulf of Papua forests (range in P N =3–38; mean P N =26 kg C ha −1 day −1 ). The regional variation and possible effects of other soil properties, such as redox potential and salinity, are discussed briefly. It is suggested that the generally low salinities and moderate soil redox status may partially offset the effects of low soil P in the Cape York region.

Biogenic debris from the pelagic tunicate, Oikopleura dioica, and its role in the vertical transport of a transuranium element

Abstract: The accumulation and retention of 241Am by the pelagic tunicate Oikopleura dioica were examined using laboratory cultures and radiotracer methodology. Animals (i.e., trunks and tails) and discarded empty houses accumulated Am from seawater, giving volume/volume concentration factors of 59±8 and 10±1, respectively. The half-time for retention of Am in empty labelled houses transferred to non-contaminated seawater was 29 h; the retention half-time of Am in houses discarded by larvaceans feeding on Am-labelled diatoms was 219 h; the half-time of Am in fecal pellets produced by animals feeding on a monospecific diet of diatoms was 134 h, and 247 h for fecal pellets from animals fed a mixed diet. Approximately 30% of filtered cells remained in houses after the houses were discarded. Sinking rates of discarded houses and fecal pellets were found to vary with temperature and size, ranging from 26–157 m day−1 (house) and from 25–166 m day−1 (fecal pellets). The ubiquity and abundance of appendicularians, together with their prodigious production of houses (e.g., 10±2 houses day−1 at 17°C for each experimental animal) point to their potential significance in the vertical transport of Am, and probably other reactive metals, to intermediate depths in the ocean.

Metabolic changes in Phaeocystis poucheti (Hariot) Lagerheim during the spring bloom in Belgian coastal waters

Abstract: Incorporation of 14C-bicarbonate into the major intracellular end-products of photosynthesis (protein, polysaccharide, lipid) and two classes of exoproducts (oligomers and polymers) was measured in Belgian coastal waters at different stages of the spring phytoplankton bloom, entirely dominated by the alga Phaeocystis poucheti. It was shown that intracellular protein synthesis contributed 20–42% of the total intracellular 14C fixed and was positively correlated with the inorganic nitrogen content of the surrounding medium. The decrease of protein synthesis following nitrogen depletion is balanced by an increase of intracellular polysaccharide synthesis, which varies from 22 to 42% of the intracellular 14C fixed, and by an increase in extracellular release of high molecular weight material (18–60% of total 14C fixed) which forms a mucous envelope where cells are embedded. Lipid synthesis is not correlated with the ambient inorganic nitrogen content and represents a rather constant proportion (about 20%) of the intracellular 14C fixed.

Flounders follow the tides to feed: Evidence from ultrasonic tracking in an estuary

Abstract: Ultrasonically tagged flounders were tracked in the estuary of the River Bann, Northern Ireland, for periods of between 2 and 12 h (11 fish for a total of 92 h and 2·5 km), during their summer residence. Positions were determined by triangulation with two receivers. All fish remained within 400 m of the release point; on average flounders moved about 270 m during one tidal cycle, equivalent to 830 body lengths, or just over 1 body length per minute. Movements were most likely at dusk, but other parameters were not contingent upon time of day, although no data were gathered at dawn. Frequency, direction, distance, speed and duration of movement and turn rate were all significantly contingent upon state of the tide. The movement data are interpreted in terms of feeding behaviour, supported by results from other parts of the study. At high tide flounders made active but meandering searches for food on the inundated mudflats. Similar but faster searches heading downstream on falling tides reflected (a) completion of feeding while littoral invertebrates were still available and (b) avoidance of stranding. Flounders made infrequent but long and linear passages downstream at low tide, when they tended to bury themselves at the edge of the main channel where there was little food. Subsequently, the fish followed the rising tide upstream so that the cycle of movements kept most fish in the same area of the estuary in the short term. It is suggested that tolerance of changing salinities enables flounders, more than other flatfish species, to exploit dense populations of estuarine intertidal invertebrates as food.

Numerical Simulation of phytoplankton productivity in partially mixed estuaries

Abstract: A two-dimensional steady-state model of light-driven phytoplankton productivity and biomass in partially mixed estuaries has been developed. Effects of variations in river flow, suspended sediment concentration, phytoplankton sinking, self-shading and growth rates on distributions of phytoplankton biomass and productivity are investigated. Numerical simulation experiments show that biomass and productivity are particularly sensitive to variations in suspended sediment concentrations typical of natural river sources and to variations in loss rates assumed to be realistic but poorly known for real systems. Changes in the loss rate term within the range of empirical error (such as from dark bottle incubation experiments) cause phytoplankton biomass to change by a factor of two. In estuaries with adequate light penetration in the water column, it could be an advantage for phytoplankton to sink. Species that sink increase their concentration and form a phytoplankton maximum in a way similar to the formation of the estuarine turbidity maximum. When attenuation is severe, however, sinking species have more difficulty in maintaining their population.

The distribution and geochemistry of some trace metals in the Bermuda coastal environment

Abstract: Results of the analyses of the water column and sediments of the Bermuda Platform for Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn are presented. The major process controlling the water column concentrations is physical mixing of open ocean waters with inshore waters, which are polluted by a wide range of diffuse inputs. Sedimentation within the inshore waters plays a lesser, but significant, role as do fluxes from the sediments of Fe and Mn and possibly phytoplankton uptake of Zn. Concentrations within the sediments are controlled by the formation of trace metal enriched clay/organic particles in the inshore areas and their subsequent redistribution by sediment resuspension, except for Fe and Mn which are largely associated with clay lattices.

Dissolved chromium in the St. Lawrence estuary

Abstract: A study of dissolved chromium in the St. Lawrence estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence has been carried out. A chromium concentration of 0·7 μg l −1 was found in the St. Lawrence River. In the turbidity maximum of the upper estuary, chromium is removed from solution onto fine-grained resuspended sediments and internally produced organic-rich floccules. A simple flux calculation shows that these processes remove ∼50% of the total dissolved chromium input of the river. At salinities greater than 5‰ dissolved chromium mixes conservatively.

Trace metal composition of and accumulation rates of sediments in the Upper Gulf of Thailand

Abstract: Sediment cores and grab samples were collected in the Upper Gulf of Thailand to determine sedimentation rates and to determine if metal concentrations reflect anthropogenic inputs. Accumulation rates of sediments in the Upper Gulf measured using the 210Pb method, appear to vary from ca. 4 to 11 mm yr−1. Sediment budgets suggest that little of the sediment delivered to the Upper Gulf by the major rivers is ultimately transported to the Lower Gulf. Metal concentrations in Upper Gulf sediments appear to be dominantly controlled by natural inputs.

Macrofaunal involvement in the sublittoral decay of kelp debris: the detritivore community and species interactions

Abstract: The fauna associated with sea-bed accumulations of decomposing Laminaria saccharina has been studied by year-round SCUBA diving at two sites in the Clyde Sea area. Seasonal changes in density of 64 species are reported. In the autumn, large quantities of kelp are detached by storms. This weed carries with it to the sea bed a large part of its normal fauna. Additional species settle onto the weed from the plankton whilst others migrate onto it from the surrounding sea bed. Peak densities of associated species were recorded in autumn. Litter bag experiments in situ showed that, except during the summer, weed is lost from sea-bed accumulations at a faster rate when macrofaunal animals are excluded. The macrofauna therefore inhibits decomposition. The relative importance of interactive cropping by three macrodetritivores, Psammechinus miliaris (Echinodermata), Platynereis dumerilii (Polychaeta) and Gammarus locusta (Amphipoda) was studied by in situ containment of different species combinations. The presence of Gammarus with Psammechinus resulted in less weed being lost than when Psammechinus was isolated. This is because Gammarus selectively crops rotting weed, retarding frond disintegration by microbes. Platynereis retards microbial colonization of frond tissues ruptured during its feeding by repeated cropping of the same region. Weed would decompose very rapidly were it not for macrofaunal cropping. Macroalgal decay thus differs profoundly from that of vascular plants.

Kinetics of phosphate adsorption by iron oxyhydroxides in aqueous systems

Abstract: The rate of uptake of phosphate onto synthetic Fe(III)- and Fe(II)-derived oxyhydroxides has been studied using reaction conditions similar to those encountered in natural waters. Kinetic analyses were carried out on the adsorption profiles and both first-order and second-order conditional rate constants were obtained. The temperature dependence of some of the rate constants was investigated and corresponding apparent activation energies calculated. Similar experiments and analyses were undertaken using Fe from natural sources and in general the conditional rate constants obtained in seawater were in agreement with the synthetic ones. The results of this study are of value when comparing the time scales of adsorption processes in natural waters with the time scales of mixing and advection.

Statistical analysis of estuarine profiles: II application to arsenic in the Tamar estuary (S.W. England)

Abstract: By combining field observations with a statistical approach and a simple but effective estuarine analogue, the main features of the cycling of arsenic in the Tamar estuary have been elucidated. As(III) and As(V) enrichment in the water column is due to a combination of localized inputs and effective recycling of sediment interstitial waters. The profiles of As(V) are similar to those of NH 4 + and are dominated by an estuarine maximum resulting from an input from the sediments. As(III) profiles are correlated with those of dissolved manganese and exhibit both fresh water and estuarine maxima. As(III) appears to be effectively removed at the freshwater/brackish water interface by a combination of heterogenous oxidation, catalysed by hydrous manganese dioxide, and adsorption on to iron oxyhydroxide. The estuarine distribution of As(III) within the water column is consistent with the published rates of oxidation of As(III) to As(V) by both inorganic and microbiological processes. The reduction of As(V) to As(III) in the sediments is incomplete. On the basis of our observations a tentative estuarine arsenic cycle is presented.

Estimation of the size of molluscan larval settlement using the death assemblage

Abstract: The death assemblage is an important source of information about temporal variability in community composition. The living community and the short-term death assemblage have been studied at a sandy-bottom station in the Laguna Madre, Texas. Abundance peaks of living species are usually followed by long-term abundance increases of the same species in the death assemblage. This phenomenon provides a tool for investigating between-sampling-occasion events in the preservable component of the living community. Given a six-week sampling regimen, approximately 90% of all individuals settle, live and die during the period between consecutive sampling occasions and are not collected alive. Thus, larval settlements are consistently underestimated by about 90% from data on the living community. Comparisons of year-to-year variability in settlement and survivorship of settled individuals in the youngest age classes may be considerably in error. Better estimations of actual settlement and survivorship can be made from the death assemblage provided that the rate of taphonomic loss can be quantified. The rate of taphonomic loss can be expressed as the species' half-life, the time required for the destruction of 50% of the individuals that were added to the death assemblage following settlement. Half-lives for the smallest size classes in the death assemblage at this site are about 100 days.

Benthic nutrient regeneration in South Texas coastal waters

Abstract: Because of the variable, unpredictable nature of many potential nutrient sources for coastal phytoplankton primary production needs in the north-western Gulf of Mexico, benthic regeneration was investigated as a more constant source of nutrients to this ecosystem. Water column ammonia profiles taken at several locations on the south Texas inner-shelf in the last seven years showed peak concentrations in bottom waters. Benthic chamber measurements verified the presence of ammonia fluxes at the mud-water interface in south Texas coastal waters. These fluxes were related to benthic faunal activity as measured by sediment metabolism. Laboratory experiments, designed to test the effect of benthic faunal removal on nutrient regeneration, suggested that the fauna play a role in regulating this process. How this regulation may occur is discussed. It was estimated that annual benthic regeneration rates can supply 69% of the nitrogen required to support phytoplankton primary production in these coastal waters.

On the ecology of meiofauna in an organically polluted estuarine mudflat

Abstract: The structure, distribution and seasonal changes of the benthic meiofauna in an organically polluted, tidal, brackish-water mudflat in the Ems-Dollart estuary were analysed. Towards the outfall of polluted fresh water, macrofauna disappeared, numbers of meiofauna increased but the diversity of the meiofauna decreased. In the area surrounding the outfall the numbers and biomass of nematodes and oligochaetes increased rapidly in spring and remained high until autumn ( c. 13 × 10 6 individuals m −2 ; c. 2gCm −2 ). The benthic fauna comprised small numbers of species, dominated by a few fast-growing diatom-feeding nematodes ( Eudiplogaster pararmatus and Dichromadora geophila ) and oligochaetes ( Amphichaeta sannio and Paranais litoralis ). Eudiplogaster pararmatus exhibits brood care and it tolerates low salinities. Dichromadora geophila which is oviparous, behaved similarly regarding tolerances, life cycle and feeding but this species was less successful than Eudiplogaster in colonizing the mudflats near the outfall. The success of the two naidid oligochaete species results from their method of reproduction by means of binary fission. Most organisms fed on benthic diatoms. In spite of intensive mineralization in the mudflat, only one bacteria-feeding organism was found in abundance (the nematode Leptolaimus papilliger ). The absence of macrofaunal organisms, e.g. Nereis diversicolor , is probably also responsible for the development of high densities of meiofauna in the upper sediment layers of the mudflats in the vicinity of the outfall. The heavy load of organic waste entering the Dollart reduced the diversity within the benthic ecosystem, but nevertheless a simple system remained, based on the recurrent reoxidation of the sediment surface.