Pore water acetate and hydrogen, helium and methane gas concentrations in ODP Leg 204 sediments

Acetate and hydrogen concentrations in pore fluids were measured in samples taken at seven sites from southern Hydrate Ridge (SHR) offshore Oregon, USA. Acetate concentrations ranged from 3.17 to 2515 µM. The maximum acetate concentrations occurred at Site 1251, which was drilled on a slope basin to the east of SHR at depths just above the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) that marks the boundary of gas hydrate stability. Acetate maxima and localized high acetate concentrations occurred at the BSR at all sites and frequently corresponded with areas of gas hydrate accumulation, suggesting an empirical relationship. Acetate concentrations were typically at a minimum near the seafloor and above the sulfate/methane interface, where sulfate-reducing bacteria may consume acetate. Hydrogen concentrations in pressure core samples ranged from 16.45 to 1036 parts per million by volume (ppmv). In some cases, hydrogen and acetate concentrations were elevated concurrently, suggesting a positive correlation. However, sampling of hydrogen was limited in comparison to acetate, so any relationships between the two analytes, if present, were difficult to discern.

Literature review of elasmobranch bycatch and retention rate

To address growing concern over the effects of fisheries non-target catch on elasmobranchs worldwide, the accurate reporting of elasmobranch catch is essential. This requires data on a combination of measures, including reported landings, retained and discarded non-target catch, and post-discard survival. Identification of the factors influencing discard vs. retention is needed to improve catch estimates and to determine wasteful fishing practices. To do this we compared retention rates of elasmobranch non-target catch in a broad subset of fisheries throughout the world by taxon, fishing country, and gear. A regression tree and random forest analysis indicated that taxon was the most important determinant of retention in this dataset, but all three factors together explained 59% of the variance. Estimates of total elasmobranch removals were calculated by dividing the FAO global elasmobranch landings by average retention rates and suggest that total elasmobranch removals may exceed FAO reported landings by as much as 400%. This analysis is the first effort to directly characterize global drivers of discards for elasmobranch non-target catch. Our results highlight the importance of accurate quantification of retention and discard rates to improve assessments of the potential impacts of fisheries on these species.

The number of plastic particles found in estuarine sediment and water samples of five estuaries, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Widespread disposal of plastics negatively affects biotic and abiotic components of marine systems. Monitoring plastics transitioning through estuaries is vital in assessing terrestrial inputs to oceanic environments. Data on microplastics (particles <= 5mm) in estuaries are scant. This study determined microplastic levels within five estuaries along the Durban coastline and on intervening beaches. Plastics were isolated from estuarine sediment, beach sediment and the surface water of each estuary and characterised. Sediment at the Bayhead area of Durban Harbour was found to contain the highest average plastic concentrations (745.40 ± 129.72 particles per 500ml). Overall an attenuating concentration trend away from the city center was found. Fragments composed the largest percent of plastics (59 %) found in Bayhead, whereas fibers dominated other estuaries (Mdloti - 66 %, uMgeni - 38 %, Isipingo - 45 % and iLovu - 53 %). Plastic particle concentration in estuarine sediment generally increased from larger to smaller size classes. If high input and high retention in the harbour is coupled with high organic and metal pollutant loads, this area can become (if not already) a major environmental hazard.

Food selectivity and processing by the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa

Cold-water corals form prominent reef ecosystems along ocean margins that depend on suspended resources produced in surface waters. In this study, we investigated food processing of 13C and 15N labelled bacteria and algae by the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. Coral respiration, tissue incorporation of C and N and metabolic-derived C incorporation into the skeleton were traced following the additions of different food concentrations (100, 300, 1300 µg C/l) and two ratios of suspended bacterial and algal biomass (1:1, 3:1). Respiration and tissue incorporation by L. pertusa increased markedly following exposure to higher food concentrations. The net growth efficiency of L. pertusa was low (0.08±0.03), which is consistent with their slow growth rates. The contribution of algae and bacteria to total coral assimilation was proportional to the food mixture in the two lowest food concentrations, but algae were preferred over bacteria as food source at the highest food concentration. Similarly, the stoichiometric uptake of C and N was coupled in the low and medium food treatment, but was uncoupled in the high food treatment and indicated a comparatively higher uptake or retention of bacterial carbon as compared to algal nitrogen. We argue that behavioural responses for these small-sized food particles, such as tentacle behaviour, mucus trapping and physiological processing, are more likely to explain the observed food selectivity as compared to physical-mechanical considerations. A comparison of the experimental food conditions to natural organic carbon concentrations above CWC reefs suggests that L. pertusa is well adapted to exploit temporal pulses of high organic matter concentrations in the bottom water caused by internal waves and down-welling events.

(Table 1) Water chemistry of groundwater and snow samples from three sites in Ontario, Canada

Snow samples collected from hand-dug pits at two sites in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada were analysed for major and trace elements using the clean lab methods established for polar ice. Potentially toxic, chalcophile elements are highly enriched in snow, relative to their natural abundance in crustal rocks, with enrichment factor (EF) values (calculated using Sc) in the range 107 to 1081 for Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Mo, Pb, Sb, Te, and Zn. Relative to M/Sc ratios in snow, water samples collected at two artesian flows in this area are significantly depleted in Ag, Al, Be, Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, V, and Zn at both sites, and in Co, Th and Tl at one of the sites. The removal from the waters of these elements is presumably due to such processes as physical retention (filtration) of metal-bearing atmospheric aerosols by organic and mineral soil components as well as adsorption and surface complexation of ionic species onto organic, metal oxyhydroxide and clay mineral surfaces. In the case of Pb, the removal processes are so effective that apparently ''natural'' ratios of Pb to Sc are found in the groundwaters. Tritium measurements show that the groundwater at one of the sites is modern (ie not more than 30 years old) meaning that the inputs of Pb and other trace elements to the groundwaters may originally have been much higher than they are today; the M/Sc ratios measured in the groundwaters today, therefore, represent a conservative estimate of the extent of metal removal along the flow path. Lithogenic elements significantly enriched in the groundwaters at both sites include Ba, Ca, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, S, Si, Sr, and Ti. The abundance of these elements can largely be explained in terms of weathering of the dominant silicate (plagioclase, potassium feldspar, amphibole and biotite) and carbonate minerals (calcite, dolomite and ankerite) in the soils and sediments of the watershed. Arsenic, Mo, Te, and especially U are also highly enriched in the groundwaters, due to chemical weathering: these could easily be explained if there are small amounts of sulfides (As, Mo, Te) and apatite (U) in the soils of the source area. Elements neither significantly enriched nor depleted at both sites include Fe, Ga, Ge, and P.