Effects of various pollutant mixtures on immune responses of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) collected at a salinity gradient in Danish coastal waters, links to supplementary material

The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed sea with a steady salinity gradient (3 per mil-30 per mil). Organisms have adapted to such low salinities, but are suspected to be more susceptible to stress. Within the frame of the integrated environmental monitoring BONUS + project "BEAST" the applicability of immune responses of the blue mussel was investigated in Danish coastal waters. The sampling sites were characterised by a salinity range (11-19 per mil) and different mixtures of contaminants (metals, PAHs and POPs), according to chemical analysis of mussel tissues. Variation partitioning (redundancy analysis) was applied to decompose salinity and contamination effects. The results indicated that cellular immune responses (total and differential haemocyte count, phagocytic activity and apoptosis) were mainly influenced by contaminants, whereas humoral factors (haemolytic activity) were mainly impacted by salinity. Hence, cellular immune functions may be suitable as biomarkers in monitoring programmes for the Baltic Sea and other geographic regions with salinity variances of the studied range.

10Be content s of late Cenozoic sediments from ODP Leg 117

This paper is a comparative study of the variation in 10Be content of different late Cenozoic sedimentary environments recovered during ODP Leg 117. The Oman Margin site, Hole 728A, with overlying high-productivity cells, the pelagic Owen Ridge site, Hole 722A, and the Indus Fan site, Hole 720A, each display a specific 10Be distribution with time. Differences in scavenging intensity and upwelling in the water column, must account for the variations in the initial 10Be input into the sediments from Holes 728A and 722A, whereas differences in sediment character and sedimentation rate can explain the variances between Holes 722A, 728A, and 720A.

Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) sightings and population estimates for the Canadian High Arctic 2002-2004

Aerial surveys of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) were conducted in the Canadian High Arctic during the month of August from 2002 to 2004. The surveys covered the waters of Barrow Strait, Prince Regent Inlet, the Gulf of Boothia, Admiralty Inlet, Eclipse Sound, and the eastern coast of Baffin Island, using systematic sampling methods. Fiords were flown along a single transect down the middle. Near-surface population estimates increased by 1.9%-8.7% when corrected for perception bias. The estimates were further increased by a factor of approximately 3, to account for individuals not seen because they were diving when the survey plane flew over (availability bias). These corrections resulted in estimates of 27 656 (SE = 14 939) for the Prince Regent and Gulf of Boothia area, 20 225 (SE = 7285) for the Eclipse Sound area, and 10 073 (SE = 3123) for the East Baffin Island fiord area. The estimate for the Admiralty Inlet area was 5362 (SE = 2681) but is thought to be biased. Surveys could not be done in other known areas of occupation, such as the waters of the Cumberland Peninsula of East Baffin, and channels farther west of the areas surveyed (Peel Sound, Viscount Melville Sound, Smith Sound and Jones Sound, and other channels of the Canadian Arctic archipelago). Despite these probable biases and the incomplete coverage, results of these surveys show that the summering range of narwhals in the Canadian High Arctic is vast. If narwhals are philopatric to their summering areas, as they appear to be, the total population of that range could number more than 60 000 animals. The largest numbers are in the western portion of their summer range, around Somerset Island, and also in the Eclipse Sound area. However, these survey estimates have large variances due to narwhal aggregation in some parts of the surveyed areas.

Single beam survey data and links to sea-bottom video files off Helgoland

Kelp forests represent a major habitat type in coastal waters worldwide and their structure and distribution is predicted to change due to global warming. Despite their ecological and economical importance, there is still a lack of reliable spatial information on their abundance and distribution. In recent years, various hydroacoustic mapping techniques for sublittoral environments evolved. However, in turbid coastal waters, such as off the island of Helgoland (Germany, North Sea), the kelp vegetation is present in shallow water depths normally excluded from hydroacoustic surveys. In this study, single beam survey data consisting of the two seafloor parameters roughness and hardness were obtained with RoxAnn from water depth between 2 and 18 m. Our primary aim was to reliably detect the kelp forest habitat with different densities and distinguish it from other vegetated zones. Five habitat classes were identified using underwater-video and were applied for classification of acoustic signatures. Subsequently, spatial prediction maps were produced via two classification approaches: Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and manual classification routine (MC). LDA was able to distinguish dense kelp forest from other habitats (i.e. mixed seaweed vegetation, sand, and barren bedrock), but no variances in kelp density. In contrast, MC also provided information on medium dense kelp distribution which is characterized by intermediate roughness and hardness values evoked by reduced kelp abundances. The prediction maps reach accordance levels of 62% (LDA) and 68% (MC). The presence of vegetation (kelp and mixed seaweed vegetation) was determined with higher prediction abilities of 75% (LDA) and 76% (MC). Since the different habitat classes reveal acoustic signatures that strongly overlap, the manual classification method was more appropriate for separating different kelp forest densities and low-lying vegetation. It became evident that the occurrence of kelp in this area is not simply linked to water depth. Moreover, this study shows that the two seafloor parameters collected with RoxAnn are suitable indicators for the discrimination of different densely vegetated seafloor habitats in shallow environments.

The third glacier inventory of North Tyrol, Austria, for 2006

A new, third, glacier inventory (GI3) is presented for North Tyrol, which is based on Airborne Laser Scanning for the year 2006. 447 glaciers covering 235 km**2 are included. 4 small, formerly neglected glaciers have been added. Basic quantities such as size, maximum, minimum and median elevation show large variances. Very recent glacier changes between the former inventory (GI2: 1998) and GI3 show a strong reduction in area (-8%) and mean thickness (-7 m). An asymmetry of mean maximum, minimum and median elevation is quantified with approximately 200 m higher values for south-exposed glaciers. Rates of changes are around 1% per year and 1 m per year between GI2 and GI3. The strongest volume losses occurred for glaciers between 5 and 10 km**2.

Methane, helium isotope and hydrogen data from the Nibelungen hydrothermal area, Mid Atlantic Ridge

Hydrothermal emission of mantle helium appears to be directly related to magma production rate, but other processes can generate methane and hydrogen on mid-ocean ridges. In an on-going effort to characterize these processes in the South Atlantic, the flux and distribution of these gases were investigated in the vicinity of a powerful black smoker recently discovered at 8°17.9' S, 13°30.4' W. The vent lies on the shoulder of an oblique offset in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and discharges high concentrations of methane and hydrogen. Measurements during expeditions in 2004 and 2006 show that the ratio of CH4 to 3He in the neutrally buoyant plume is quite high, 4 x 10**8. The CTD stations were accompanied by velocity measurements with lowered acoustic Doppler current profilers (LADCP), and from these data we estimate the methane transport to have been 0.5 mol/sec in a WSW-trending plume that seems to develop during the ebb tidal phase. This transport is an order of magnitude greater than the source of CH4 calculated from its concentration in the vent fluid and the rise height of the plume. From this range of methane fluxes, the source of 3He is estimated to be between 0.14 and 1.2 nmol/sec. In either case, the 3He source is significantly lower than expected from the spreading rate of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. From the inventory of methane in the rift valley adjacent to the vent, it appears that the average specific rate of oxidation is 2.6 to 23/yr, corresponding to a turnover time between 140 and 16 days. Vertical profiles of methane in the surrounding region often exhibited Gaussian-like distributions, and the variances appear to increase with distance from the vent. Using a Gaussian plume model, we obtained a range of vertical eddy diffusivities between 0.009 and 0.08 m2m2/sec. These high values may be due to tidally driven internal waves across the promontory on which the vent is located.

Long-term eddy-covariance measurements from FINO2 platform above the Baltic Sea

The estimation of the carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes above the open ocean plays an important role for the determination of the global carbon cycle. A frequently used method therefore is the eddy-covariance technique, which is based on the theory of the Prandl-layer with height-constant fluxes in the atmospheric boundary layer. To test the assumption of the constant flux layer, in 2008 measurements of turbulent heat and CO2 fluxes were started within the project Surface Ocean Processes in the Anthropocene (SOPRAN) at the research platform FINO2. The FINO2 platform is situated in the South-west of the Baltic Sea, in the tri-border region between Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. In the frame of the Research project SOPRAN, the platform was equipped with additional sensors in June 2008. A combination of 3-component sonic anemometers (USA-1) and open-path infrared gas analyzers for absolute humidity (H2O) and CO2 (LICOR 7500) were installed at a 9m long boom directed southward of the platform in two heights, at 6.8 and 13.8m above sea surface. Additionally slow temperature and humidity sensors were installed at each height. The gas analyzer systems were calibrated before the installation and worked permanently without any calibration during the first measurement period of one and a half years. The comparison with the measurements of the slow sensors showed for both instruments no significant long-term drift in H2O and CO2. Drifts on smaller time scales (in the order of days) due to the contamination with sea salt, were cleaned naturally by rain. The drift of both quantities had no influence on the fluctuation, which, in contrast to the mean values, are important for the flux estimation. All data were filtered due to spikes, rain, and the influence of the mast. The data set includes the measurements of all sensors as average over 30 minutes each for one and a half years, June 2008 to December 2009, and 10 month from November 2011 to August 2012. Additionally derived quantities for 30 minutes intervals each, like the variances for the fast-sensor variables, as well as the momentum, sensible and latent heat, and CO2 flux are presented.

d13C and d15N stable isotopes values, total nitrogen and C/N ratios of sediment core GeoB4801-1

Rising stable nitrogen isotope ratios (d15N) in dated sediment records of the German Bight/SE North Sea track river-induced coastal eutrophication over the last 2 centuries. Fully exploiting their potential for reconstructions of pristine conditions and quantitative analysis of historical changes in the nitrogen cycle from these sediment records requires knowledge on processes that alter the isotopic signal in non-living organic matter (OM) of sinking particles and sediments. In this study, we analyze the isotopic composition of particulate nitrogen (PN) in the water column during different seasons, in surface sediments, and in sediment cores to assess diagenetic influences on the isotopic composition of OM. Amino acid (AA) compositions of suspended matter, surface sediments, and dated cores at selected sites of the German Bight serve as indicators for quality and degradation state of PN. The d15N of PN in suspended matter had seasonal variances caused by two main nitrate sources (oceanic and river) and different stages of nitrate availability during phytoplankton assimilation. Elevated d15N values (> 20 per mil) in suspended matter near river mouths and the coast coincide with a coastal water mass receiving nitrate with elevated isotope signal (d15N > 10 per mil) derived from anthropogenic input. Particulate nitrogen at offshore sites fed by oceanic nitrate having a d15N between 5 and 6 per mil had low d15N values (< 2 per mil), indicative of an incipient phytoplankton bloom. Surface sediments along an offshore-onshore transect also reflect the gradient of low d15N of nitrate in offshore sites to high values near river mouths, but the range of values is smaller than between the end members listed above and integrates the annual d15N of detritus. Sediment cores from the coastal sector of the gradient show an increasing d15N trend (increase of 2.5 per mil) over the last 150 years. This is not related to any change in AA composition and thus reflects eutrophication. The d15N signals from before AD 1860 represent a good estimation of pre-industrial isotopic compositions with minimal diagenetic overprinting. Rising d13C in step with rising d15N in these cores is best explained by increasing productivity caused by eutrophication.