Relationships between near-bottom dissolved oxygen and sediment profile camera measures

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and other environmental authorities regulate concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) as a measure of nutrient-related eutrophication in estuarine and coastal waters. However, in situ DO concentrations are extremely variable, and their characterization requires an extensive sampling program to provide data over meaningful scales of time and space. In contrast, benthic faunal communities integrate the impacts of low DO over time, and can be rapidly assessed using benthic imaging. The goal of this study was to quantify the relationships between near-bottom dissolved oxygen and measures derived from benthic imaging with a sediment profile camera. We monitored three stations in Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA) for DO and other water quality parameters 15–20 cm above the sediment surface on 15-minute intervals between July and November 2002, and regularly sampled these stations with a sediment profile camera throughout this time period. These soft-sediment stations encompassed several DO environments. We tested for relationships between near-bottom DO and several camera measures, including Nilsson and Rosenberg's Benthic Habitat Quality (BHQ) index, the apparent Redox Potential Discontinuity (aRPD) depth, and various faunal features that can be identified in sediment profile images. Camera measures were examined against a variety of methods of characterizing DO (including mean DO, and the percent of time under various DO thresholds), over a span of time scales from 1 day to 49 days. The best relationship (highest r²) between near-bottom DO and BHQ was found when DO was evaluated as the percent of time under a hypoxic threshold of 2.6 mg l^− 1 over a 28-day time scale (by examining DO records over the 28 days preceding each camera deployment). We found that, over several benthic settings, the BHQ index was successful at identifying environments that had experienced relatively high or low DO over the preceding four weeks. Our sediment profile data showed more variability with DO in the intermediate values of BHQ. We conclude that sediment profile camera measures correlate to DO in areas where low DO is the primary stressor, integrate DO over ecologically relevant time scales, and enable sampling over spatial scales that are meaningful for mapping by virtue of rapid deployment and analysis. We submit that sediment profile camera imagery is a useful assessment and mapping tool for environmental managers interested in benthic condition and in first-order quantitative estimates of near-bottom DO regimes in areas where low DO is the primary benthic stressor.     

Effect of seaweed proliferation on benthic habitat quality assessed by Sediment Profile Imaging

Changes in sediment quality, with special reference to benthic habitat conditions resulting from macroalgae overgrowth, were studied in the Venice Lagoon, Italy. Data were collected biweekly in spring and summer from 1993 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2002, as part of the macroalgae growth control strategies managed by the Venice Water Authority-Consorzio Venezia Nuova. Benthic habitat conditions were studied by means of Sediment Profile Imaging, which allowed the collection of several variables: aRPD (apparent redox potential discontinuity), prism penetration depth, presence of anoxia on the surface of the sediment, presence of reduced gas bubbles, stage of benthic colonization. All these variables led to the calculation of an environmental index (Organism–Sediment Index, OSI), which was then related to physical variables and macroalgae abundance. Until 1996, the overall benthic habitat of the Venice Lagoon showed almost stressed conditions; from 1997, the seaweed biomass rapidly declined and the OSI increased significantly. The OSI seemed to be affected by seaweed biomass, sediment compactness and water depth. Macroalgae biomass greater than 4.5 kg/m² led to the complete disappearance of stage III of benthic colonization; values as low as 0.70 kg m² already had a severe impact on recolonization. SPI attributes indicated the main mechanisms that could have contributed to the benthic quality: seaweed proliferation is often followed by rapid decay of macroalgae biomass, especially when present in large amounts. The decrease in seaweed biomass often results in oxygen depletion in the water column and thus in the sediment, preventing complete benthic colonization. This research confirms the importance of in situ rapid reconnaissance surveys to assess the impact of eutrophication on the benthic habitat.     

Ground truthing sediment profile imagery with traditional benthic survey data along an established disturbance gradient

Macrobenthic surveys are an expensive, slow and labour intensive means to establish the health of benthic communities. Sediment profile imagery (SPI) is a means of rapid reconnaissance for monitoring large areas of the benthos. SPI has often been used to monitor gross anthropogenic disturbance. The aim of this study is to determine if SPI can be used as a tool to reliably map change in communities along natural estuarine gradients. Macrobenthic sampling was carried out at five stations along an established estuarine gradient. This faunal data was analysed using standard multivariate techniques and to ground truth a concurrent SPI survey. Faunal analysis showed that habitat quality in Inner Galway Bay was generally good, with some localised disturbance from the River Corrib and the sewage out flow exterior to the city dock. Four distinct groups were identified with a degree of overlap occurring between stations 3 and 4. While existing SPI indices mapped habitat quality in the same manner as the faunal data for end member stations, the level of distinction between the habitats of an intermediate staging was found to be poor. This lack of distinction amongst the stage 2 and 3 stations was overcome by developing a tailored index, the Galway Bay index of habitat quality (GBHQ). This index was derived from the 5 observed variables in the SPI data that were determined to best match the faunal distribution by permutative mantel testing. The 5 observed variables from the SPI data were the depth of the apparent redox potential discontinuity (aRPD), the depth of penetration by the prism, and the presence/absence of infauna, surface faecal pellet layer and biogenic mounding. The GBHQ was able to distinguish between the 5 stations to a greater extent than previously described indices, showing clearly the separate groupings defined by the faunal data. The index was tested on a follow up SPI survey and shown to be applicable in mapping a broader range of habitats in Galway Bay. Indices generated for localised mapping of estuarine gradients should be derived from observed features and be ground truthed using faunal data. Some aspects of the GBHQ should be generally applicable to fine grained boreal estuarine sediments (aRPD/penetration), while others may be of limited utility in other locations depending on the digging characteristics of the particular SPI camera, and local factors influencing the persistence of biogenic features in the profile. This derivation technique provides a simple way to optimise SPI to particular studies and localities.     

Comparison of sediment profile image data with profiles of oxygen and Eh from sediment cores

A study of oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico provided a unique opportunity to compare data from sediment profile images (SPI) with that of sediment cores collected at locations in the central Gulf of Mexico from 1034 to 1175 m. Variables measured from SPI included sediment grain-size, sediment texture, apparent depth of oxygen penetration (aDOP) into the sediments, and parameters related to biogenic activity (tubes, burrows, feeding pits or mounds, and subsurface feeding voids). Variables measured from the sediment cores included sedimentation rate, dissolved oxygen profiles, and redox potential (Eh). There was a high degree of concordance between the two data sets based on correlation analysis. For example, the correlation between aDOP and maximum penetration of oxygen into the sediment was 0.69. For deep-sea sediment, SPI provides a means by which general geochemical conditions of near surface sediment can be remotely assessed providing a quick method for mapping surficial geochemistry over large areas.     

Sediment profile imaging (SPI) and micro-electrode technologies in impact assessment studies: Example from two fjords in Southern Chile used for fish farming

Two state-of-the-art techniques were used to assess the impact of organic loading from fish farming in two fjords of Southern Chile, Pillan and Reñihue Fjords. A sediment profile imaging (SPI) camera was deployed and sediment microprofiles (oxygen, H₂S, redox and pH) were measured in undisturbed sediment cores collected using a HAPS corer. Four out of seven stations in Pillan Fjord were found to be severely disturbed: SPI images showed azoic conditions (no apparent Redox Potential Discontinuity layer, no evidence of aerobic life form, presence of an uneaten fish food layer, negative OSI scores). These findings were corroborated by very high oxygen consumption rates (700–1200 mmol m^− 2 day^− 1), H₂S concentrations increasing quickly within the sediment column and redox potential decreasing towards negative values within a few mm down core. Results for Reñihue Fjord were not so straightforward. SPI images indicated that most of the stations (R3 to R7) presented well-mixed conditions (high apparent RPD layers, presence of infauna, burrows, etc.), but oxygen profiles yielded consumption rates of 230 to 490 mmol m^− 2 day^− 1 and organic carbon mineralization of 2.16 to 4.53 g C m^− 2 day^− 1. These latter values were close to the limit of aerobic degradation of organic matter although no visible changes were recorded within the sediment column. In view of our findings, the importance of integrating multidisciplinary methodologies in impact assessment studies was discussed.     

Response of benthic infauna and epifauna to ocean disposal of red clay dredged material in the New York Bight: A study using sediment-profile imaging, surface imaging and traditional methods

In 1997, approximately 1 million cubic yards of consolidated red clay was dredged from Newark Bay in New Jersey and deposited on the seafloor at an open-water dredged material disposal site located on the inner continental shelf of the New York Bight. To address concerns about the ability of benthic organisms to colonize the seafloor deposits of this compact, organic-poor red clay, monitoring surveys were conducted in 1998 (1 year after disposal) and 2002 (5 years after disposal). The surveys used a combination of sediment imaging and traditional grab sampling methods to characterize physical and biological conditions over the surface of the red clay deposits in comparison to nearby reference areas consisting of either naturally-occurring, sandy surface sediments or deposits of unconsolidated, muddy dredged material. Sediment-surface and sediment-profile images (SPI) collected in summer 2002 indicated that the surface of the red clay deposits had become much smoother and more heterogeneous in texture compared to images collected in 1998. The images also indicated that these deposits had become colonized to a much greater degree by relatively abundant and diverse infaunal and epifaunal communities compared to 1998. Taxonomic analysis of benthic grab samples confirmed the imaging results and indicated relatively high infaunal organism abundance and diversity over the red clay deposits in 2002 compared to the reference areas. However, the structure of the benthic community inhabiting the red clay was fundamentally different from the communities in the reference areas, due to the differences in sediment texture and composition. The combination of imaging and traditional taxonomic approaches used in this study provided much greater insight on the red clay colonization process than either approach by itself.     

南海海底管道冲刷深度预测（英文）

Scour depth prediction of offshore pipelines is of great significance to the design and construction of the submarine pipeline projects. In this paper, based on the CFD software package FLUENT and User Defined Function(UDF), an Eulerian two-phase model, which includes an Euler-Euler coupled model for water and sediment phases, and a turbulent model for the fluid phase, is adopted to predict the scour depth around pipelines. The model is verified by observation data obtained from laboratory experiments. On the basis of the simulations, the factors affecting the scour depth, including the effects of incipient velocity, pipe diameter and sediment particle size and so on, were investigated. Meanwhile, according to formulas of incipient velocity of various sediments, approximate calculation on theoretical scour depths is developed for pipelines of seven stations in the South China Sea, where engineering application information is available.     

Benthic community patterns reflect water column processes in the Northeast Water polynya (Greenland)

Benthic community patterns were investigated in the Northeast Water polynya (Greenland) during the summers of 1992 and 1993 to elucidate to what extent the bottom fauna is influenced by the dynamics of the overlying water. Five different fractions of the benthos (foraminiferans, nematodes, polychaetes, peracarid crustaceans, and epibenthic megafauna), ranging in average adult body size over 6 orders of magnitude (from about 100 μm to about 10 cm), were sampled quantitatively at 69 stations in water depths from 40 to 515 m. Total abundances of nematodes, polychaetes and peracarid crustaceans were found to be primarily correlated with parameters characterizing the potential benthic food supply (water column pigment and nitrate concentrations, sediment bound pigments and sediment biological activity), whereas abundances of foraminiferans and megabenthos were largely associated with seabed properties. Four benthic zones were distinguished by separately analyzing the faunistic composition and distribution of the five community fractions for Ob Bank, Western Westwind Trough, Eastern Westwind Trough, and Belgica Trough. This pattern was shown principally to reflect pelagic regimes differing in surface water hydrography, ice cover and euphotic productivity. This is the first time that a synoptic study of several benthic community portions spanning such a range in sizes and life styles has been performed in a polar shelf ecosystem. Our results indicate that abundances as well as composition of Arctic benthos are largely influenced by mesoscale pelagic processes, and thus provide further evidence for the importance of the benthic-pelagic coupling in high latitude seas.     

Modeling Potential Impacts of Beach Replenishment on Horseshoe Crab Nesting Habitat Suitability

Beach replenishment has been proposed to increase nesting habitat for horseshoe crabs, but its environmental consequences may compromise the egg development and viability of this declining species. Horseshoe crab habitat requirements were used to build a habitat suitability model in STELLA to predict the potential impacts of beach replenishment on horseshoe crab eggs. A habitat suitability index (H.S.I.) comprised of six variables (dissolved oxygen, sediment grain size, sand temperature, sand moisture, wave energy, and salinity) was developed and compared between replenished and natural beaches. Sediment grain size and dissolved oxygen were higher in the natural beach, whereas sand temperature and moisture were higher in the replenished beach, resulting in significantly higher suitability of the natural beach (p = 5.39 × 10^?15, df = 30). The model was most sensitive to air temperature, rainfall, tide, and sediment grain size. This model is useful for understanding the processes affecting horseshoe crabs and predicting impacts of coastal management activities on habitat suitability. Based on the results of this model, beach replenishment is not recommended for increasing or improving horseshoe crab habitat, unless care is taken to match fill sediment to natural grain size and color.     

淤泥质海岸波致液化及航道骤淤问题初步研究

研究波浪与淤泥海床相互作用导致的海床液化、体积冲刷和高浓度近底悬沙的层移输运问题。采用de Wit提出的液化判别条件及计算方法,结合连云港近岸波浪和淤泥力学特征,计算不同来波条件下淤泥质海床的液化深度;进一步考虑浑水中含沙量对流速的折减影响,计算液化层运移速度分布。计算结果表明,大浪条件下,淤泥质海床可能有较大的液化深度,但层移厚度不大。由于层移含沙量较高,在近底水流驱动下仍能形成较大的输沙率和一定规模的大风天航道骤淤。有关研究成果为海床稳定性分析和输沙计算提供了新的思路和方法。     

Benthic megafauna communities under the influence of the South Atlantic Central Water intrusion onto the Brazilian SE shelf: A comparison between an upwelling and a non-upwelling ecosystem

The structure and dynamics of the benthic invertebrate megafauna of the Southeastern Brazilian shelf were studied over a 2-year period. Two regions presenting different oceanographic conditions, Ubatuba-SP and Cabo Frio-RJ were compared in terms of biomass, density of organisms and species richness. Two to three 30-min tows were undertaken at each of the stations, located at 40 and 100 m isobath, in a normal transect offshore of both regions. Faunal distributional patterns correlated with water mass dynamics, depth and sediment parameters. In the Cabo Frio region, subjected to a Ekman-driven seasonal coastal upwelling, the impact of the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) on the inner shelf leads to a change in the benthic communities, with a high dominance of top carnivores such as the crab Portunus spinicarpus and the sea-star Astropecten brasiliensis, which accounted for the larger part of the total biomass. Distinct species associations were found in each of the two regions and the total biomass at Cabo Frio inner shelf was almost twice that of Ubatuba during the 2002 summer, when a marked upwelling was verified. The relationship between megabenthic biomass and input of organic matter to the sea floor during upwelling events is discussed.     

Decreasing oxygen concentrations in the Gullmar Fjord, Sweden, as confirmed by benthic foraminifera, and the possible association with NAO

The deep Gullmar Fjord on the Swedish west coast may be subject to a trend of decreasing oxygen content of the bottom-water. Due to a non-uniform frequency of oxygen measurements before and after 1980, and small differences in the minimum concentrations, it is difficult to assess with certainty if this is true or not. We have used benthic foraminifera from three ultra-high resolution sediment records to try to find out if such a trend exists. The sediment records comprise the time between 1930 and 1996, with an almost year-based temporal resolution. The foraminiferal records show a significant change in faunal composition during the mid-1970's when it altered from a common Skagerrak fauna to an assemblage characterized by an opportunistic, low oxygen tolerant species; Stainforthia fusiformis. This species is an indicator of low oxygen environments of many Scandinavian fjords. The timing of this faunal change coincides with one of the first recorded severe low oxygen events in the Gullmar Fjord in the winter of 1973/1974. The change suggests that the Gullmar Fjord has actually been subject to a decrease in bottom-water oxygen concentrations. The reason for this change is not clear but here, for the first time, we present sediment records that suggest that there is a causal relation between variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices and the marine environment. In the early 1970s the NAO-indices altered from a mainly negative phase towards a mainly positive period which is still ongoing. Positive NAO-indices (winter values) in the Skagerrak region are generally marked by westerly winds which normally prevent the exchange of bottom-water in the fjords, i.e., the oxygenation of the sea floor and the supply of oxygen to benthic life.     

Phytodetritus deposited on the Antarctic shelf and upper slope: its relevance for the benthic system

Underwater photography was used to ascertain regional, seasonal, interannual or depth dependent variations in the occurrence of phytodetritus on the Antarctic seafloor in order to explain the patchy distribution patterns of the benthos. The information was obtained from an average of 63 photographs taken at each of 76 stations in the Weddell and Lazarev Sea along a 2300 km coastline during four austral summers between 1986 and 1991. In areas where the shelf was broader than 80 km, the sediment showed a significantly higher phytodetritus cover than on the narrower shelf. This can probably be explained by the lower current velocity on the broader shelf. Significantly higher percentages of phytodetritus cover were also found on the seafloor in areas where the megabenthos cover was relatively low. These results indicate that in areas with a low current velocity, organic particles sink relatively fast onto the seafloor where they are available mainly for deposit feeders. The generally more abundant filter feeders are better adapted to a higher current velocity which transports the particles mainly horizontally over longer periods. No significant relationships were found between other physical parameters and the occurrence of phytodetritus. Therefore, the results are also discussed under the aspect of a weak pelagic–benthic coupling, effected by the long-term development of the benthic system.     

Effects of sediment resuspension on organic matter processing in coastal environments: A simulation model

A model, constructed using STELLA™, was used to simulate changes in standing stocks and flows of organic matter resulting from sediment resuspension in shallow coastal environments. Previous studies suggested that resuspension may determine the sites and rates of organic matter mineralization in shallow environments (Hopkinson, 1985, 1987). Those studies predicted that resuspended organic material could exert an enhanced demand on dissolved oxygen. Our model results support this hypothesis. Total system metabolism receives increasing contributions from the water column as settling rate decreases. Water column respiration also increases relative to benthic respiration as the frequency and intensity of resuspension events increases. This is driven by higher specific degradation rates in the water column than in the benthic environment. Furthermore, overall respiration (benthic + pelagic) increases in response to resuspension.     

Dynamics of suprabenthos-zooplankton communities around the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean): Influence of environmental variables and effects on the biological cycle of Aristeus antennatus

Dynamics of suprabenthos and zooplankton were analyzed in two areas located in the NW (off Sóller harbour) and S (off Cabrera Archipelago) of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean) at depths ranging between 135–780 m. Four stations situated respectively at 150 m (shelf-slope break), and at bathyal depths of 350, 650 and 750 m were sampled at bi-monthly intervals during six cruises performed between August 2003 and June 2004. Suprabenthos showed maximum biomass in both areas from late spring to summer (April to August), while minimum biomass was found in autumn (September–November). Though variable, temporal dynamics of zooplankton showed peaks of biomass in late winter and summer (February and June), while minimals occurred in autumn (August–September) and, at bathyal depths, in April. Suprabenthos (abundance; MDS analyses) showed a sample aggregation as a function of depth (3 groups corresponding to the shelf-slope break, upper slope — over 350 m; and the middle, deeper part of the slope — over 650–750 m), without any separation of hauls by season. By contrast, zooplankton samples were separated by season and not by depth. There was evidence of three seasonal groups corresponding to summer (June 2004–August 2003), autumn–winter (September and November 2003, February 2004), and spring (April 2004), being especially well established off Sóller. In general, suprabenthos was significantly correlated with the sediment variables (e.g. total organic matter content (% OM), potential REDOX), whereas zooplankton was almost exclusively dependent on Chl a at the surface, which suggests two different food sources for suprabenthos and zooplankton. The increase of suprabenthos abundance in April–June was paralleled by a sharp increase (ca. 2.8 times) in the %OM on sediment during the same period, coupled ca. 1–2 months of delay with the peak of surface Chl a recorded in February–March (from satellite imagery data). Suprabenthos biomass was also correlated with salinity close to the bottom, suggesting a link between suprabenthos abundance and changes in the oceanographic condition of water masses close to the bottom. It is suggested that a higher suprabenthos biomass recorded off Sóller in comparison to that off Cabrera in June could, in turn, be related to a seasonal inflow of Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) in April–June in this area at mid bathyal depths (350–650 m). This trend would be based on: 1) it was evident only at mid-slope depths between 350–750 m, coinciding with the LIW distribution, and 2) it was not recorded among zooplankton (collected throughout the water column). The possible effect of the fluctuations of suprabenthos and zooplankton on higher trophic levels has been explored studying the diet and food consumption rates of the red shrimp Aristeus antennatus, as indicator species by its dominance in bathyal communities. A. antennatus increased its food consumption from February to April–June 2004 off Sóller, which in the case of large (CL > 40 mm) specimens was found in both areas. In addition, there was a shift of diet from winter to spring–early summer. In this last period, A. antennatus preyed upon euphausiids and mesopelagic decapods and fish, while benthos (e.g. polychaetes and bivalves) decreased in the diet. This indicates an increase in the food consumption and probably in the caloric content of the diet in pre-spawning females in April–June 2004, which is synchronized with the period when gonad development begins in A. antennatus females (May–June). Anyway, macrozooplankton, and not suprabenthos, is crucial as a high energetic food source in the coupling between food intake and reproduction in the red shrimp.     

Habitat characteristics as determinant of the structure and spatial distribution of epibenthic and demersal communities of Le Danois Bank (Cantabrian Sea, N. Spain)

The purpose of this paper is to detect and describe general trends in the spatial distribution of epibenthic and demersal communities of Le Danois Bank (El Cachucho) in relation to the environmental variables that characterize their habitat by means of multivariate ordination. Data were derived from two multidisciplinary surveys carried out in October 2003 and April 2004 included in the ECOMARG project. The surveys were focused on the study of the physical scenario, including both geological (seabed characterization from bathymetry and backscatter data) and hydrographic features, and the different compartments of the benthic fauna (endobenthic, epibenthic, suprabenthic and demersal communities). For the present study, epibenthos and demersal species were sampled using two different gears, a 3.5 m beam trawl and a Porcupine 39/52 type baca otter trawl respectively. The total species richness combining both samplers ascended to 221, including 71 species of fishes, 65 crustaceans, 35 molluscs, 29 echinoderms, 10 cnidarians and 5 sponges.Multivariate methods were used for the study of the characteristics of communities and habitats. Hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to calculate and visualize similarities between samples in terms of species composition. To assess the amount of variation of faunal densities related to a set of eight environmental variables, a redundancy analysis (RDA) was used. The set of environmental variables used were: depth, near-bottom temperature and salinity, sedimentary typology (dry weight percentages of coarse sands, medium and fine sands, silt and organic matter) and seafloor reflectivity. Using the spatial distribution of the ranges of depth and seafloor reflectivity that characterize the habitats of the faunal assemblages we defined the spatial distribution of the different communities.The multivariate analysis of 18 beam-trawl samples and 15 otter trawl samples showed the existence of 4 main assemblages associated with the more characteristic habitats of the area. The Callogorgia–Chimaera community live mainly in the areas at the top of the Bank (425–550 m depth), where the sediment coverage is lower and there exists a high presence of rocky outcrops. The Gryphus–Galeus community were found in the areas at the top of the Bank covered by medium and fine sand sediments with low organic matter content. The Phormosoma–Trachyrincus community live on the sedimentary terraces that characterize the Bank break (550–800 m) and the Pheronema–Deania community occupy all the deeper (800–1050 m) sedimentary grounds of the inner basin.     

Biochemical composition of marine sediment from the eastern Weddell Sea (Antarctica): High nutritive value in a high benthic-biomass environment

Within the SCAR's international EASIZ programme, as part of the benthic–pelagic coupling experiment, grain size and organic matter contents in marine surface sediment were measured. Samples were taken during the austral autumn of 2000 from 3 regions in the eastern Weddell Sea: Kapp Norvegia, Four Seasons Bank, and Austasen.In general, sediments were fine sand with a grain size fraction < 200 μm representing more than 40% of the total weight. The sediments from Four Seasons Bank (64 to 107 m depth) were coarser than those from Austasen and Kapp Norvegia (209 to 480 m depth), presumably due to winnowing of fine sediment at shallow depths. Organic carbon (OC) content ranged from 0.25% to 1.2% and constituted 10% to 97% of the total carbon. The samples from Kapp Norvegia presented the highest OC values. Overall, protein (PRT), lipid (LPD), and carbohydrate (CHO) contents were similar to those in sediment from cold regions (e.g., the North Atlantic and the Ross Sea) but higher than those in sediment from other Antarctic and more septentrional regions (e.g., the Ross Sea and the Mediterranean). The difference within the Antarctic is explained through the local conditions in Terra Nova Bay and Kapp Norvegia. In the Antarctic, PRT and LPD carbon were the main contributors to the biopolymeric carbon (BPC). In the eastern Weddell Sea shelf, the BPC accounted for more than 90% of the OC in most of the samples. More than 82% of the total PRT, LPD, and CHO were present in the fraction < 200 μm. This work remarks the existence of sediments with a high nutritional value persistent several weeks after the spring–summer pulse of fresh organic matter. It is also highlighted the high potential availability of these sediments (due to its grain size) for the benthic communities inhabiting this high-latitude continental shelf.     

Experiments on the survival of six brackish macro-invertebrates from the Baltic Sea after dredged spoil coverage and its implications for the field

Physical disturbance by disposal of dredged materials in estuarine and coastal waters may result in burial of benthic fauna. Survival rates depend on a variety of factors including the type and amount of disposed materials and the lifestyle of the organisms. Laboratory burial experiments using six common macrobenthic invertebrates from a brackish habitat of the western Baltic Sea were performed to test the organisms' escape reaction to dredged material disposal. Experimental lab-results were then extrapolated to a field situation with corresponding bottom topography and covering layer thicknesses at experimental field disposal study sites. Resulted survival rates were then verified by comparison with results of an earlier field study at the same disposal sites.Our experimental design in the lab included the disposal of two types of dredged material (i.e. ‘till’ and ‘sand/till mixture’) and two covering layer depths (i.e. 10–20 cm and 14–40 cm). All three bivalves Arctica islandica (Linnaeus), Macoma balthica (Linnaeus), Mya arenaria (Linnaeus) and the polychaete Nephtys hombergii (Savigny) successfully burrowed to the surface of a 32–41 cm deposited sediment layer of till or sand/till mixture and restored contact with the overlying water. These high escape potentials could partly be explained by the heterogeneous texture of the till and sand/till mixture with ‘voids’. The polychaete Bylgides (Harmothoe) sarsi (Malmgren) successfully burrowed through a 16 cm covering layer whereas the polychaete Lagis koreni (Malmgren) showed almost no escaping reaction. No general differences in escape behaviour after burial were detected between our test species from the brackish habitat and those reported in the literature for the same species in marine environments. However, a size-dependence in mobility of motile polychaetes and M. arenaria was apparent within our study. In comparison to a thick coverage, thin covering layers (i.e. 15–16 cm and 20 cm) increased the chance of the organisms (N. hombergii and M. arenaria) to reach the sediment surface after burial. This was not observed for the other test species. While crawling upward to the new sediment surfaces burrowing velocities of up to 8 cm d^− 1 were observed for the bivalves and up to 20 cm d^− 1 for N. hombergii. Between 17 and 79% of the test organisms showed burrowing activity after experimental burial. The survival rate (defined as the ability to regained contact with the sediment surface) ranged from 0 to 33%, depending on species and on burial depth. The organisms reached the sediment surface by burrowing (polychaetes and bivalves) and/or by extending their siphons to the new sediment surface (bivalves). The extrapolation of laboratory survival rates to the two disposal sites was obtained based on the in situ thicknesses of the dredged spoil layers measured by multi-beam echo sounder. This resulted in total average survival rate estimates for the test species of 45 and 43% for the two disposal sites. The results obtained during the laboratory tests and the following extrapolation to the field were verified by the range of results from a previous field study, using grab sampling shortly before and after a disposal event in June 2001. The effect of dredged material disposal on the tested Baltic Sea benthic macrofauna was assessed by extrapolating the verified laboratory results to the field.     

Particle fluxes in the Almeria-Oran Front: control by coastal upwelling and sea surface circulation

Particle flux data were obtained from one instrumented array moored under the direct influence of the Almeria-Oran Front (AOF) in the Eastern Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean Sea, within the frame of the “Mediterranean Targeted Project II-MAss Transfer and Ecosystem Response” (MTPII-MATER) EU-funded research project. The mooring line was deployed from July 1997 to May 1998, and was equipped with three sequential sampling sediment trap-current meter pairs at 645, 1170 and 2210 m (30 m above the seafloor). The settling material was analysed to obtain total mass, organic carbon, opal, calcium carbonate and lithogenic fluxes. Qualitative analyses of SST and SeaWiFS images allowed monitoring the location and development of the Western and Eastern Alboran Sea gyres and associated frontal systems to determine their influence on particle fluxes.Particle flux time series obtained at the three depths showed a downward decrease of the time-weighed total mass flux annual means, thus illustrating the role of pelagic particle settling. The total mass flux was dominated by the lithogenic fraction followed by calcium carbonate, opal and organic carbon. The time series at the various depths were rather similar, with two strong synchronous biogenic peaks (up to 98 mg m⁻² day⁻¹ of organic carbon and 156 mg m⁻² day⁻¹ of opal) recorded in July 1997 and May 1998. Through comparing the fluctuations of the lithogenic and calcium carbonate-rich fluxes with the biogenic flux, we observed that the non-biogenic fluxes remained roughly constant, while the biogenic flux responded strongly to seasonal variations throughout the water column.Overall, the temporal variability of particle fluxes appeared to be linked to the evolution of several tens of kilometres in length sea surface hydrological structures and circulation of the Alboran Sea. Periodic southeastward advective displacements of waters from upwelling events off the southern Spanish coast were observed on SST and SeaWiFS images. In between these periods, widespread phytoplankton blooms were observed. The influence of the varying surface structures resulted in changes in the biogenic particle flux. For example, we observed an opal pulse in April 1998 that resulted from a diatom-rich highly productive frontal surface situation above the mooring line.Estimation of the annual organic carbon export and calculation of a seasonality index indicate that the overall dynamics of the carbon reservoir within the Eastern Alboran Sea appears to be strongly influenced by the sea surface hydrological structures.     

洋山港及邻近海域悬沙输运特征研究*

基于SWEM2D数值模型,建立了一个范围包括洋山港、长江口及杭州湾的二维水流泥沙数学模型。根据2004年5月洋山港实测水文泥沙资料,认为洋山港区域悬沙垂向切变输运较小,可忽略该项对悬沙输运的影响,采用二维泥沙数学模型能基本反映出该区域悬沙输运特点。利用2004年5月洋山港及邻近海域实测水文泥沙资料对模型计算结果进行验证,验证结果表明模型计算结果与实际情况吻合良好。在此基础上,根据模型计算结果计算了洋山港及邻近海域大、中、小潮期间悬沙输运速度。结果表明,洋山港区域悬沙主要以欧拉输运为主,斯托克斯漂移、潮泵输运为辅。该区域西口门高含沙量主要是受到长江口及杭州湾悬沙输运富集的影响。其邻近海域主要的悬沙输运在近南汇边滩以东区域分成两股,一股向北,一股沿着南汇南岸的水下泥沙通道,径直流向杭州湾,并在杭州湾的悬沙输运的带动下,向洋山港流去。