Showing papers on "Benthic zone published in 2009"

Effects of natural and human-induced hypoxia on coastal benthos

Abstract: . Coastal hypoxia (defined here as Hypoxia alters both the structure and function of benthic communities, but effects may differ with regional hypoxia history. Human-caused hypoxia is generally linked to eutrophication, and occurs adjacent to watersheds with large populations or agricultural activities. Many occurrences are seasonal, within estuaries, fjords or enclosed seas of the North Atlantic and the NW Pacific Oceans. Benthic faunal responses, elicited at oxygen levels below 2 ml L−1, typically involve avoidance or mortality of large species and elevated abundances of enrichment opportunists, sometimes prior to population crashes. Areas of low oxygen persist seasonally or continuously beneath upwelling regions, associated with the upper parts of oxygen minimum zones (SE Pacific, W Africa, N Indian Ocean). These have a distribution largely distinct from eutrophic areas and support a resident fauna that is adapted to survive and reproduce at oxygen concentrations

Hypoxia-Related Processes in the Baltic Sea

Abstract: Hypoxia, a growing worldwide problem, has been intermittently present in the modern Baltic Sea since its formation ca. 8000 cal. yr BP. However, both the spatial extent and intensity of hypoxia have increased with anthropogenic eutrophication due to nutrient inputs. Physical processes, which control stratification and the renewal of oxygen in bottom waters, are important constraints on the formation and maintenance of hypoxia. Climate controlled inflows of saline water from the North Sea through the Danish Straits is a critical controlling factor governing the spatial extent and duration of hypoxia. Hypoxia regulates the biogeochemical cycles of both phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in the water column and sediments. Significant amounts of P are currently released from sediments, an order of magnitude larger than anthropogenic inputs. The Baltic Sea is unique for coastal marine ecosystems experiencing N losses in hypoxic waters below the halocline. Although benthic communities in the Baltic Sea are naturally constrained by salinity gradients, hypoxia has resulted in habitat loss over vast areas and the elimination of benthic fauna, and has severely disrupted benthic food webs. Nutrient load reductions are needed to reduce the extent, severity, and effects of hypoxia.

Ocean overturning since the Late Cretaceous: Inferences from a new benthic foraminiferal isotope compilation

Abstract: [1] Benthic foraminiferal oxygen isotopic (d 18 O) and carbon isotopic (d 13 C) trends, constructed from compilations of data series from multiple ocean sites, provide one of the primary means of reconstructing changes in the ocean interior. These records are also widely used as a general climate indicator for comparison with local and more specific marine and terrestrial climate proxy records. We present new benthic foraminiferal d 18 O and d 13 C compilations for individual ocean basins that provide a robust estimate of benthic foraminiferal stable isotopic variations to � 80Ma andtentatively to � 110Ma. First-order variations ininterbasinal isotopicgradients delineate transitions from interior ocean heterogeneity during the Late Cretaceous (>� 65 Ma) to early Paleogene (35– 65 Ma) homogeneity and a return to heterogeneity in the late Paleogene–early Neogene (35–0 Ma). We propose that these transitions reflect alterations in a first-order characteristic of ocean circulation: the ability of winds to make water in the deep ocean circulate. We document the initiation of large interbasinal d 18 O gradients in the early Oligocene and link the variations in interbasinal d 18 O gradients from the middle Eocene to Oligocene with the increasing influence of wind-driven mixing due to the gradual tectonic opening of Southern Ocean passages and initiation and strengthening of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The role of wind-driven upwelling, possibly associated with a Tethyan Circumequatorial Current, in controlling Late Cretaceous interior ocean heterogeneity should be the subject of further research.

Ecology of marine sediments : from science to management

Abstract: Introduction 1. Sampling sediments 2. The sediment and related environmental factors 3. Describing assemblages of sediment-living organisms 4. Diversity 5. Functional diversity of benthic assemblages 6. Spatial variations in sediment systems 7. Temporal variations in benthic assemblages 8. Human impacts on soft sediment systems - trawling and fisheries 9. Human impacts on soft sediment systems - pollution 10. The soft-sediment benthos in the ecosystem 11. The benthos in the management of marine sediments Concluding remarks

Contrasting impacts of invasive engineers on freshwater ecosystems: an experiment and meta-analysis.

Abstract: Invasion by common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in shallow lakes have been followed by stable-state changes from a macrophyte-dominated clear water state to a phytoplankton-dominated turbid water state. Both invasive carp and crayfish are, therefore, possible drivers for catastrophic regime shifts. Despite these two species having been introduced into ecosystems world-wide, their relative significance on regime shifts remains largely unexplored. We compared the ecological impacts of carp and crayfish on submerged macrophytes, water quality, phytoplankton, nutrient dynamics, zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates by combining an enclosure experiment and a meta-analysis. The experiment was designed to examine how water quality and biological variables responded to increasing carp or crayfish biomass. We found that even at a low biomass, carp had large and positive impacts on suspended solids, phytoplankton and nutrients and negative impacts on benthic macroinvertebrates. In contrast, crayfish had a strong negative impact on submerged macrophytes. The impacts of crayfish on macrophytes were significantly greater than those of carp. The meta-analysis showed that both carp and crayfish have significant effects on submerged macrophytes, phytoplankton, nutrient dynamics and benthic macroinvertebrates, while zooplankton are affected by carp but not crayfish. It also indicated that crayfish have significantly greater impacts on macrophytes relative to carp. Overall, the meta-analysis largely supported the results of the experiment. Taken as a whole, our results show that both carp and crayfish have profound effects on community composition and ecosystem processes through combined consequences of bioturbation, excretion, consumption and non-consumptive destruction. However, key variables (e.g. macrophytes) relating to stable-state changes responded differently to increasing carp or crayfish biomass, indicating that they have differential ecosystem impacts.

Extreme longevity in proteinaceous deep-sea corals.

Abstract: Deep-sea corals are found on hard substrates on seamounts and continental margins worldwide at depths of 300 to ≈3,000 m. Deep-sea coral communities are hotspots of deep ocean biomass and biodiversity, providing critical habitat for fish and invertebrates. Newly applied radiocarbon age dates from the deep water proteinaceous corals Gerardia sp. and Leiopathes sp. show that radial growth rates are as low as 4 to 35 μm year−1 and that individual colony longevities are on the order of thousands of years. The longest-lived Gerardia sp. and Leiopathes sp. specimens were 2,742 years and 4,265 years, respectively. The management and conservation of deep-sea coral communities is challenged by their commercial harvest for the jewelry trade and damage caused by deep-water fishing practices. In light of their unusual longevity, a better understanding of deep-sea coral ecology and their interrelationships with associated benthic communities is needed to inform coherent international conservation strategies for these important deep-sea habitat-forming species.

Harmful Algal Blooms

Abstract: Harmful algae of fresh and brackish inland waters mainly include planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria; certain filamentous, coenobic and tissue-forming chlorophytes; the haptophyte Prymnesium parvum; the benthic mat-forming diatom Didymosphenia geminata in stream habitats; and an array of problematic ‘taste-and-odor’ taxa including planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, and ochrophytes. Their detrimental ecological and socioeconomic effects can include production of potent toxins and other bioactive substances; attack of beneficial aquatic life as predators or parasites; habitat degradation leading to fish kills; increased fouling of pumps, filters, and intake pipes; compromised potable water supplies; increased costs of water treatment; and depressed waterfront property values, reduced recreational uses of waterways, and other economic loss. Although their impacts are often reported as substantial, they are poorly quantified except for isolated or local situations. Many harmful algae are broadly distributed in inland waters across geographic regions, and strongly stimulated by nutrient overenrichment. Physical, chemical (herbicide), and biological techniques used in attempts to control these organisms are limited, and have not substantially improved over the past several decades. Although often economically and politically difficult to achieve, reductions of both Ni and P (N and P comanagement) remain the most effective long term approach.

Terrestrial organic matter and light penetration: Effects on bacterial and primary production in lakes

Abstract: We investigated productivity at the basal trophic level in 15 unproductive lakes in a gradient ranging from clear-water to brown-water (humic) lakes in northern Sweden. Primary production and bacterial production in benthic and pelagic habitats were measured to estimate the variation in energy mobilization from external energy sources (primary production plus bacterial production on allochthonous organic carbon) along the gradient. Clear-water lakes were dominated by autotrophic energy mobilization in the benthic habitat, whereas humic lakes were dominated by heterotrophic energy mobilization in the pelagic habitat. Whole-lake (benthic + pelagic) energy mobilization was negatively correlated to the light-extinction coefficient, which was determined by colored terrestrial organic matter in the lake water. Thus, variation in the concentration of terrestrial organic matter and its light-absorbing characteristics exerts strong control on the magnitude, as well as on the processes and pathways, of energy mobilization in unproductive lakes. We suggest that unproductive lakes in general are sensitive to input of terrestrial organic matter because of its effects on basal energy mobilization in both benthic and pelagic habitats.

Pacific salmon effects on stream ecosystems: a quantitative synthesis.

Abstract: Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) disturb sediments and fertilize streams with marine-derived nutrients during their annual spawning runs, leading researchers to classify these fish as ecosystem engineers and providers of resource subsidies. While these processes strongly influence the structure and function of salmon streams, the magnitude of salmon influence varies widely across studies. Here, we use meta-analysis to evaluate potential sources of variability among studies in stream ecosystem responses to salmon. Results obtained from 37 publications that collectively included 79 streams revealed positive, but highly inconsistent, overall effects of salmon on dissolved nutrients, sediment biofilm, macroinvertebrates, resident fish, and isotopic enrichment. Variation in these response variables was commonly influenced by salmon biomass, stream discharge, sediment size, and whether studies used artificial carcass treatments or observed a natural spawning run. Dissolved nutrients were positively related to salmon biomass per unit discharge, and the slope of the relationship for natural runs was five to ten times higher than for carcass additions. Mean effects on ammonium and phosphorus were also greater for natural runs than carcass additions, an effect attributable to excretion by live salmon. In contrast, we observed larger positive effects on benthic macroinvertebrates for carcass additions than for natural runs, likely because disturbance by live salmon was absent. Furthermore, benthic macroinvertebrates and biofilm associated with small sediments ( 32 mm) showed a positive response. This comprehensive analysis is the first to quantitatively identify environmental and methodological variables that influence the observed effects of salmon. Identifying sources of variation in salmon–stream interactions is a critical step toward understanding why engineering and subsidy effects vary so dramatically over space and time, and toward developing management strategies that will preserve the ecological integrity of salmon streams.

Quantity and bioavailability of sediment organic matter as signatures of benthic trophic status

Abstract: Tools used for assessing marine trophic status are generally based on water column characteristics, which, however, may provide unreliable classification of the benthic trophic status. Here, we provide evidence from the literature that quantity and bioavailability of sediment organic matter are reliable proxies to assess benthic marine trophic status. We compiled data on the protein, carbohydrate and lipid concentration of sediments from different oceanic and coastal regions and varying water depths. The concentration of these 3 components as a whole (biopolymeric carbon) was found to be significantly correlated (r = 0.84) with the total organic carbon concentration, suggesting that the biopolymeric fraction is representative of the total organic carbon pool. However, the system- atic variation of the biopolymeric fraction was higher than that of total organic carbon concentrations, suggesting that biopolymeric carbon is a more sensitive proxy of benthic trophic status than is the total carbon pool. Furthermore, biopolymeric carbon was significantly correlated to the amount of phytopigments, indicating that biopolymeric carbon accumulation in the sediment is related to inputs of algal carbon. Biopolymeric carbon concentrations were also positively correlated to the sediment community oxygen consumption, suggesting that the progressive accumulation of biopolymeric car- bon could be an additional co-factor potentially responsible for hypoxic or anoxic events. The enzy- matically digestible and algal fractions of biopolymeric carbon decreased in sediments with increas- ing biopolymeric carbon content (i.e. eutrophic systems), suggesting that organic carbon in eutrophic sediments is mostly refractory in nature. We propose that a biopolymeric carbon concentration in the sediment of >2.5 mg C g -1 , being associated with a bioavailable fraction of <10%, can be considered as a threshold level at which benthic consumers may experience mostly refractory organic carbon.

Methods for the Study of Deep-Sea Sediments, Their Functioning and Biodiversity

Abstract: Deep-Sea Environmental Variables Total Organic Matter and Water Contents, Grain Size, Bulk Density, Porosity, and Redox Potential of Sediments Total Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen, and Organic Phosphorus in Marine Sediments Bioavailable Organic Matter: Total and Enzymatically Hydrolyzable Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Lipids Photosynthetic Pigment Concentrations in Marine Sediments Food Supply of Organic Matter to the Deep-Sea Floor Fluxes of Labile Organic Matter to the Sea Floor Total Carbohydrate Flux from Sediment Trap Samples Total Protein Flux from Sediment Trap Samples Total Lipid Flux from Sediment Trap Samples Total DNA from Sediment Trap Samples Phytopigment Flux from Sediment Trap Samples Deep-Sea Benthic Life Viral Abundance Prokaryotic Abundance Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization and Catalyzed Reporter Deposition for Benthic Prokaryote Assemblage Structure Prokaryotic Abundance by Real-Time PCR Abundance of Heterotrophic Benthic Protists Abundance of Benthic Foraminifera Abundance of Metazoan Meiofauna Macrofaunal Abundance Megafauna Abundance Deep-Sea Benthic Diversity Extraction and Purification of DNA from Marine Sediments Suitable for the Analysis of Prokaryotic Diversity Archaeal Diversity Analysis Using 16S rDNA T-RFLP (Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms) Benthic Bacterial Diversity Based on Cloning and Sequencing of 16S rRNA Genes Benthic Bacterial Diversity Analysis Based on ARISA (Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis) Meiofaunal Diversity Macrofaunal and Megafaunal Diversity Parameters for the Measurement of Marine Benthic Structural and Functional Diversity Deep-Sea Benthic Functioning Deep-Sea Experiments and Manipulations Effect of Pressure on Enzymatic Activities, Viral Production, and Prokaryotic Heterotrophic Production Organic Carbon Remineralization Rates in Marine Surface Sediments Derived from Shipboard Pore-Water Oxygen Microprofiles Degradation and Turnover of Organic Matter in Marine Sediments Extracellular DNA Extraction from Marine Sediments Degradation of Extracellular DNA in Marine Sediments Viral Production in Marine Sediments Determination of Living/Dead and Active/Dormant Bacterial Fractions in Marine Sediments Prokaryotic Biomass in Marine Sediments Benthic Prokaryotic Heterotrophic Production Using the Leucine Incorporation Method Prokaryotic Chemoautotrophic Production in Marine Sediments Meiofaunal Biomass and Secondary Production Macrofaunal and Megafaunal Biomass and Biochemical Composition Protistan Grazing on Benthic Prokaryotes Meiobenthos Predation on Prokaryotes Analysis of Benthic Food Webs and Benthic Trophodynamics Suggested Readings for the Study of Deep-Sea Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Suggested Readings Index

Cross-shelf benthic community structure on the Great Barrier Reef: relationships between macroalgal cover and herbivore biomass

Abstract: The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is one of the most extensively studied coral reef systems in the world, yet to date, there has been no comprehensive multi-spatial scale evaluation of its benthic community structure. Such descriptions provide a useful reference point for evaluating future community changes. Moreover, large-scale associations between macroalgae and herbivory on the GBR are yet to be investigated. Our aim, therefore, was to quantify all major substratum categories across multiple spatial scales and investigate cross-shelf relationships between macroalgal cover and herbivore biomass. Using point-intercept transects and timed underwater censuses, individual benthic components and roving herbivorous fish densities were quantified across 3 spatial scales: latitude, continental shelf position and within-reef habitat. Principal component analysis and analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) revealed a distinct separation of inner-shelf reef habitats from all mid- and outer-shelf habitats in both northern and central regions of the GBR. Macroalgal cover was generally high on inner-shelf reefs (36 to 66%) and decreased markedly on all mid- and outer-shelf habitats (0 to 15%). A significant negative correlation was found between macroalgal cover and total herbivorous fish biomass, but no relationship was found between macroalgal cover and macroalgal browser biomass. In contrast to macroalgae, the cover of crustose coralline algae and live scleractinian corals increased markedly across the shelf in both regions of the GBR. These patterns appear to be shaped by both physical and biological factors, including wave energy, sedimentation and grazing intensity.

Trawl disturbance on benthic communities: chronic effects and experimental predictions.

Abstract: Bottom trawling has widespread impacts on benthic communities and habitats. While the direct impacts of trawl disturbances on benthic communities have been extensively studied, the consequences from long-term chronic disturbances are less well understood. The response of benthic macrofauna to chronic otter-trawl disturbance from a Nephrops norvegicus (Norway lobster) fishery was investigated along a gradient of fishing intensity over a muddy fishing ground in the northeastern Irish Sea. Chronic otter trawling had a significant, negative effect on benthic infauna abundance, biomass, and species richness. Benthic epifauna abundance and species richness also showed a significant, negative response, while no such effect was evident for epibenthic biomass. Furthermore, chronic trawl disturbance led to clear changes in community composition of benthic infauna and epifauna. The results presented indicate that otter-trawl impacts are cumulative and can lead to profound changes in benthic communities, which may have far-reaching implications for the integrity of marine food webs. Studies investigating the short-term effects of fishing manipulations previously concluded that otter trawling on muddy substrates had only modest effects on the benthic biota. Hence, the results presented by this study highlight that data from experimental studies can not be readily extrapolated to an ecosystem level and that subtle cumulative effects may only become apparent when fishing disturbances are examined over larger spatial and temporal scales. Furthermore, this study shows that data on chronic effects of bottom trawling on the benthos will be vital in informing the recently advocated move toward an ecosystem approach in fisheries management. As bottom-trawl fisheries are expanding into ever deeper muddy habitats, the results presented here are an important step toward understanding the global ecosystem effects of bottom trawling.

Enhanced ocean carbon storage from anaerobic alkalinity generation in coastal sediments

Abstract: The coastal ocean is a crucial link between land, the open ocean and the atmosphere. The shallowness of the water column permits close interactions between the sedimentary, aquatic and atmospheric compartments, which otherwise are decoupled at long time scales (≅ 1000 yr) in the open oceans. Despite the prominent role of the coastal oceans in absorbing atmospheric CO2 and transferring it into the deep oceans via the continental shelf pump, the underlying mechanisms remain only partly understood. Evaluating observations from the North Sea, a NW European shelf sea, we provide evidence that anaerobic degradation of organic matter, fuelled from land and ocean, generates total alkalinity (AT) and increases the CO2 buffer capacity of seawater. At both the basin wide and annual scales anaerobic AT generation in the North Sea's tidal mud flat area irreversibly facilitates 7–10%, or taking into consideration benthic denitrification in the North Sea, 20–25% of the North Sea's overall CO2 uptake. At the global scale, anaerobic AT generation could be accountable for as much as 60% of the uptake of CO2 in shelf and marginal seas, making this process, the anaerobic pump, a key player in the biological carbon pump. Under future high CO2 conditions oceanic CO2 storage via the anaerobic pump may even gain further relevance because of stimulated ocean productivity.

Complexity and simplification in understanding recruitment in benthic populations

Abstract: Research of complex systems and problems, entities with many dependencies, is often reductionist. The reductionist approach splits systems or problems into different components, and then addresses these components one by one. This approach has been used in the study of recruitment and population dynamics of marine benthic (bottom-dwelling) species. Another approach examines benthic population dynamics by looking at a small set of processes. This approach is statistical or model-oriented. Simplified approaches identify “macroecological” patterns or attempt to identify and model the essential, “first-order” elements of the system. The complexity of the recruitment and population dynamics problems stems from the number of processes that can potentially influence benthic populations, including (1) larval pool dynamics, (2) larval transport, (3) settlement, and (4) post-settlement biotic and abiotic processes, and larval production. Moreover, these processes are non-linear, some interact, and they may operate on disparate scales. This contribution discusses reductionist and simplified approaches to study benthic recruitment and population dynamics of bottom-dwelling marine invertebrates. We first address complexity in two processes known to influence recruitment, larval transport, and post-settlement survival to reproduction, and discuss the difficulty in understanding recruitment by looking at relevant processes individually and in isolation. We then address the simplified approach, which reduces the number of processes and makes the problem manageable. We discuss how simplifications and “broad-brush first-order approaches” may muddle our understanding of recruitment. Lack of empirical determination of the fundamental processes often results in mistaken inferences, and processes and parameters used in some models can bias our view of processes influencing recruitment. We conclude with a discussion on how to reconcile complex and simplified approaches. Although it appears impossible to achieve a full mechanistic understanding of recruitment by studying all components of the problem in isolation, we suggest that knowledge of these components is essential for simplifying and understanding the system beyond probabilistic description and modeling.

Bridging levels of pharmaceuticals in river water with biological community structure in the Llobregat River basin (northeast Spain).

Abstract: A wide range of human pharmaceuticals are present at low concentrations in freshwater systems, particularly in sections of polluted river. These compounds show high biological activity, often associated with a high stability. These characteristics imply a potential impact of these substances on aquatic biota even when present at low environmental concentrations. Low flow conditions in Mediterranean rivers, most of which flow through densely populated areas and are subjected to intensive water use, increase the environmental risk of these emergent compounds. Here, we studied whether pharmaceuticals in river water affect the local benthic community structure (diatoms and invertebrates). For this purpose, we analyzed the occurrence of pharmaceuticals along the Llobregat River and examined the benthic community structure (diatoms and invertebrates) of this system. Some pharmaceutical products in the Llobregat River registered concentrations greater than those cited in the literature. Multivariate analyses revealed a potential causal association between the concentrations of some anti-inflammatories and β-blockers and the abundance and biomass of several benthic invertebrates (Chironomus spp. and Tubifex tubifex). Further interpretation in terms of cause-and-effect relationships is discussed; however, it must be always taken with caution because other pollutants also may have significant contributions. Combined with further community experiments in the laboratory, our approach could be a desirable way to proceed in future risk management decisions.

The impact of changing climate on phenology, productivity, and benthic–pelagic coupling in Narragansett Bay

Abstract: The timing and magnitude of phytoplankton blooms have changed markedly in Narragansett Bay, RI (USA) over the last half century. The traditional winter–spring bloom has decreased or, in many years, disappeared. Relatively short, often intense, diatom blooms have become common in spring, summer, and fall replacing the summer flagellate blooms of the past. The annual and summer mean abundance (cell counts) and biomass (chl a ) of phytoplankton appear to have decreased based on almost 50 years of biweekly monitoring by others at a mid bay station. These changes have been related to warming of the water, especially during winter, and to increased cloudiness. A significant decline in the winter wind speed may also have played a role. The changes in the phenology of the phytoplankton and the oligotrophication of the bay appear to have decreased greatly the quantity and (perhaps) quality of the organic matter being deposited on the bottom of the bay. This decline has resulted in a very much reduced benthic metabolism as reflected in oxygen uptake, nutrient regeneration, and the magnitude and direction of the net flux of N 2 gas. Based on many decades of standard weekly trawls carried out by the Graduate School of Oceanography, the winter biomass of bottom feeding epibenthic animals has also declined sharply at the mid bay station. After decades of relatively constant anthropogenic nitrogen loading (and declining phosphorus loading), the fertilization of the bay will soon be reduced during May–October due to implementation of advanced wastewater treatment. This is intended to produce an oligotrophication of the urban Providence River estuary and the Upper Bay. The anticipated decline in the productivity of the upper bay region will probably decrease summer hypoxia in that area. However, it may have unanticipated consequences for secondary production in the mid and lower bay where climate-induced oligotrophication has already much weakened the historically strong benthic–pelagic coupling.

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment BRIDGING LEVELS OF PHARMACEUTICALS IN RIVER WATER WITH BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN THE LLOBREGAT RIVER BASIN (NORTHEAST SPAIN)

Abstract: A wide range of human pharmaceuticals are present at low concentrations in freshwater systems, particularly in sections of polluted river. These compounds show high biological activity, often associated with a high stability. These characteristics imply a potential impact of these substances on aquatic biota even when present at low environmental concentrations. Low flow conditions in Mediterranean rivers, most of which flow through densely populated areas and are subjected to intensive water use, increase the environmental risk of these emergent compounds. Here, we studied whether pharmaceuticals in river water affect the local benthic community structure (diatoms and invertebrates). For this purpose, we analyzed the occurrence of pharmaceuticals along the Llobregat River and examined the benthic community structure (diatoms and invertebrates) of this system. Some pharmaceutical products in the Llobregat River registered concentrations greater than those cited in the literature. Multivariate analyses revealed a potential causal association between the concentrations of some anti-inflammatories and b-blockers and the abundance and biomass of several benthic invertebrates (Chironomus spp. and Tubifex tubifex). Further interpretation in terms of cause-and-effect relationships is discussed; however, it must be always taken with caution because other pollutants also may have significant contributions. Combined with further community experiments in the laboratory, our approach could be a desirable way to proceed in future risk management decisions.

Biodiversity of benthic microbial communities in bioturbated coastal sediments is controlled by geochemical microniches.

Abstract: We used a combination of field and laboratory approaches to address how the bioturbation activity of two crustaceans, the ghost shrimp Neotrypaea californiensis and the fiddler crab Uca crenulata, affects the microbial diversity in the seabed of a coastal lagoon (Catalina Harbor, Santa Catalina Island, CA, USA). Detailed geochemical analyses, including oxygen microsensor measurements, were performed to characterize environmental parameters. We used a whole-assemblage fingerprinting approach (ARISA: amplified ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis) to compare bacterial diversity along geochemical gradients and in relation to subsurface microniches. The two crustaceans have different burrowing behaviors. The ghost shrimp maintains complex, deep-reaching burrows and permanently lives subterranean, supplying its burrow with oxygen-rich water. In contrast, the fiddler crab constructs simpler, J-shaped burrows, which it does not inhabit permanently and does not actively ventilate. Our goal was to address how varying environmental parameters affect benthic microbial communities. An important question in benthic microbial ecology has been whether burrows support similar or unique communities compared with the sediment surface. Our results showed that sediment surface microbial communities are distinct from subsurface assemblages and that different burrow types support diverse bacterial taxa. Statistical comparisons by canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the availability of oxidants (oxygen, nitrate, ferric iron) play a key role in determining the presence and abundance of different taxa. When geochemical parameters were alike, microbial communities associated with burrows showed significant similarity to sediment surface communities. Our study provides implications on the community structure of microbial communities in marine sediments and the factors controlling their distribution.

Nutrient enrichment homogenizes lake benthic assemblages at local and regional scales

Abstract: The compositional heterogeneity of biotic assemblages among sites, or b- diversity, regulates the relationship between local and regional species diversity across scales. Recent work has suggested that increased harshness of environmental conditions tends to reduce b-diversity by decreasing the importance of stochastic processes in structuring assemblages. We investigated the effect of nutrient enrichment on the compositional heterogeneity of lake benthic invertebrate assemblages in Ireland at both local (within-lake) and regional (among-lake) scales. At local scales, we found that the compositional heterogeneity of benthic assemblages was related inversely to the extent of nutrient enrichment (as indicated by measurements of water column total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and chlorophyll a), after effects of lake morphology (i.e., surface area, connectivity, and depth of sampling) and alkalinity were accounted for. At regional scales, we found that nutrient-rich lakes had significantly more homogenous benthic assemblages than nutrient-poor lakes, over and above the effect of alkalinity and across a similar range of lake morphologies. These findings have profound implications for global aquatic biodiversity, as the homogenization of benthic assemblages at both local and regional scales may have important and unpredictable effects on whole aquatic ecosystems, with potentially considerable ecological and evolutionary consequences.

Ocean acidification and biologically induced seasonality of carbonate mineral saturation states in the western Arctic Ocean

Abstract: Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) mineral saturation states for aragonite (?aragonite) and calcite (?calcite) are calculated for waters of the Chukchi Sea shelf and Canada Basin of the western Arctic Ocean during the Shelf-Basin Interactions project from 2002 to 2004. On the Chukchi Sea shelf, a strong seasonality and vertical differentiation of aragonite and calcite saturation states was observed. During the summertime sea ice retreat period, high rates of phytoplankton primary production and net community production act to increase the ?aragonite and ?calcite of surface waters, while subsurface waters become undersaturated with respect to aragonite due primarily to remineralization of organic matter to CO2. This seasonal “phytoplankton-carbonate saturation state” interaction induces strong undersaturation of aragonite (?aragonite = 10%). The seasonal aragonite undersaturation of waters observed on the Chukchi Sea shelf is likely a recent phenomenon that results from the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 and subsequent ocean acidification, with seasonality of saturation states superimposed by biological processes. These undersaturated waters are potentially highly corrosive to calcifying benthic fauna (e.g., bivalves and echinoderms) found on the shelf, with implications for the food sources of large benthic feeding mammals (e.g., walrus, gray whales, and bearded seals). The benthic ecosystem of the Chukchi Sea (and other Arctic Ocean shelves) is thus potentially vulnerable to future ocean acidification and suppression of CaCO3 saturation states.

Satellite-derived SST data as a proxy for water temperature in nearshore benthic ecology

Abstract: Satellite-derived sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are increasingly being used as a proxy for water temperature in nearshore marine ecology, but there have been very few evaluations of how accurately SSTs reflect actual temperatures experienced by subtidal organisms. Here, we describe the benthic temperature climatology of 4 coastal locations along a ~1000 km latitudinal gradient in ocean temperature in Western Australia (WA), and compare temperature records from in situ loggers at 10 to 12 m depth with records from 2 independent satellite-derived SST datasets over 2 years. Satellite-derived SSTs were significantly correlated with in situ logger data at all locations, which demonstrate their overall ability to detect general patterns of ecological importance. However, SSTs were also significantly different from benthic water temperatures (usually 1 to 2°C higher), and they did not adequately detect ecologically important small-scale variability or provide reliable informa- tion on temperature extremes. Furthermore, rank orders of the study locations differed between the methodologies, especially in winter. We emphasize the need to carefully consider whether the accu- racy and resolution of satellite-derived SSTs are appropriate for the specific ecological hypothesis being tested in nearshore subtidal habitats, and advocate the use of in situ loggers otherwise. We also highlight the suitability of the WA coastline for experimental work on the effects of temperature (and synergistic factors) on marine organisms.

Whole‐lake estimates of carbon flux through algae and bacteria in benthic and pelagic habitats of clear‐water lakes

Abstract: This study quantified new biomass production of algae and bacteria in both benthic and pelagic habitats of clear-water lakes to contrast how carbon from the atmosphere and terrestrial sources regul ...

Trophic relationships in a deep Mediterranean cold-water coral bank (Santa Maria di Leuca, Ionian Sea)

Abstract: Cold-water corals (CWC) are frequently reported from deep sites with locally accelerated currents that enhance seabed food particle supply. Moreover, zooplankton likely account for ecologically important prey items, but their contribution to CWC diet remains unquantified. We investigated the benthic food web structure of the recently discovered Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) CWC province (300 to 1100 m depth) located in the oligotrophic northern Ionian Sea. We analyzed stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) of the main consumers (including ubiquitous CWC species) exhibiting different feeding strategies, zooplankton, suspended particulate organic matter (POM) and sedimented organic matter (SOM). Zooplankton and POM were collected 3 m above the coral colonies in order to assess their relative contributions to CWC diet. The δ15N of the scleractinians Desmophyllum dianthus, Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa (8 to 9‰) and the gorgonian Paramuricea cf. macrospina (9 to 10‰) were consistent with a diet mainly composed of zooplankton (6 to 7‰). The antipatharian Leiopathes glaberrima was more 15N-depleted (7 to 8‰) than other cnidarians, suggesting a lower contribution of zooplankton to its diet. Our δ13C data clearly indicate that the benthic food web of SML is exclusively fuelled by carbon of phytoplanktonic origin. Nevertheless, consumers feeding at the water–sediment interface were more 13C-enriched than consumers feeding above the bottom (i.e. living corals and their epifauna). This pattern suggests that carbon is assimilated via 2 trophic pathways: relatively fresh phytoplanktonic production for 13C-depleted consumers and more decayed organic matter for 13C-enriched consumers. When the δ13C values of consumers were corrected for the influence of lipids (which are significantly 13C-depleted relative to other tissue components), our conclusions remained unchanged, except in the case of L. glaberrima which could assimilate a mixture of zooplankton and resuspended decayed organic matter.

Oxygen and organic matter thresholds for benthic faunal activity on the Pakistan margin oxygen minimum zone (700-1100 m)

Abstract: A transition from fully laminated to highly bioturbated sediments on continental margins is thought to derive from increased animal activity associated with increasing bottom-water oxygen concentration. We examined faunal community responses to oxygen and organic matter gradients across the lower oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) on the bathyal Pakistan margin, where sediments grade from fully laminated sediment at 700 m (0.12 mL L −1 O 2 [5 μM]) to highly bioturbated sediment at 1100 m (0.23 mL L −1 O 2 [10 μM]). High-resolution sampling of the seafloor (every 50 m water depth) was conducted along a single transect during inter- and post-monsoon periods in 2003 to address (a) the existence of oxygen thresholds regulating macrofaunal abundance, composition, diversity and lifestyles, (b) the interactive effects of organic matter quantity and quality, (c) associated community effects on sediment structure, and (d) potential seasonality in these processes. Macrofaunal biomass and bioturbation depth were positively correlated with organic matter availability, which peaked at 850–950 m (3.39–3.53% Org. C). In contrast, macrofaunal diversity (H′), dominance (R1D), and burrow number exhibited threshold responses at oxygen concentrations of 0.12–0.20 mL L −1 [5–9 μM]), with few animals and highly laminated sediments present below this concentration and most taxa present in fully bioturbated sediments above it. The highly mobile, burrowing amphinomid polychaete Linopherus sp. exhibited almost complete dominance and high density at 750–850 m (0.12–0.14 mL L −1 O 2 [5–6 μM]), but despite its activity, sediment laminae remained faintly visible. Formation of permanent burrows and detritivory were dominant macrofaunal lifestyles within the OMZ, allowing laminae to persist at surprisingly high animal density and biomass. Results reflect a shift from organic matter to oxygen regulation of body size and biogenic structures following the monsoon. This study suggests that for assemblages evolving under permanent severe hypoxia, food availability remains a significant determinant of animal abundance and biogenic structure depth. Oxygen influences patterns of diversity and dominance and interacts with organic matter to generate abrupt faunal transitions on the Pakistan margin.