(Table 1) Concentrations of organic pollutants in soil samples from Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colonies and reference sites, Hop Island, Antarctica

Although long-range atmospheric transport has been described as the predominant mechanism for exposing polar regions to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), recent studies have suggested that bird activity can also contribute substantially to contaminant levels in some environments. However, because the species so far reported have all been migratory, it has not been demonstrated conclusively whether locally elevated contamination represents transport from lower latitudes by the migrating birds or, alternatively, redistribution and concentration of contaminants that were already present in the high-latitude environments. The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that several POPs are present in elevated concentrations in an environment frequented by a non-migratory species (Adelie penguins) that spends its entire life in the Antarctic. Levels of POPs, such as p,p'-DDE, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlordanes (CHLs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were 10 to 100-fold higher in soil samples from penguin colonies than from reference areas. This significant difference is likely related to local penguin activity, such as a higher abundance of guano and the presence of bird carcasses. This hypothesis is also supported by a higher percentage of persistent congeners (PCB 99, 118, 138 and 153) in the soil from the colonies compared to the reference areas. This profile of PCB congeners closely matched profiles seen in penguin eggs or penguin blood.

Composite depth scales, ash layer correlations and splice tie points of ODP Site 186-1151

We present composite depth scales for the multiply cored intervals from Sites 1150 and 1151. These new depth scales place coeval strata recovered in cores from different holes at a single site into a common stratigraphic framework. At Site 1150, double coring between Holes 1150A and 1150B occurred over only a short interval between ~703 and 713 meters below seafloor (mbsf), but this is sufficient to tie the upper portion of the stratigraphic section cored in Hole 1150A to the lower portion cored in Hole 1150B. The upper ~100 m of the sedimentary section at Site 1151 was double cored with the advanced piston corer and partially cored with the rotary core barrel, resulting in the complete recovery of this interval. The composite depth scales were constructed using Splicer software to vertically adjust the relative depths of various cores from one hole to the depths from another hole so as to align distinct physical properties measured on cores. The magnetic susceptibility data was the physical property most easily correlated between holes, and therefore primarily used to create a composite depth scale and spliced stratigraphic section. The spliced section is a continuous stratigraphic section constructed from representative cored intervals from the holes at a site. Both the splice and the composite depth scale can be applied to other data sets from Site 1151 to provide a stratigraphically continuous and laterally consistent basis for interpreting lithologic features or data sets. The resulting composite scale showed a 30% improvement in correlation of the magnetic susceptibility data relative to the original mbsf depth scale, and comparable improvement when applied to the other data sets.

Biogeochemical measurements of sediments collected at station MSM15/1_492-PUC2 (reference site 1) in the Black Sea during the MSM15/1 cruise in 2010

Biogeochemical measurements in sediment cores collected with the submersible JAGO (pusch cores) and a TV-MUC in the Black Sea during MSM15/1, Northwest Crimea (HYPOX Project), at water depths between 152-156 m. A series of microbial mats were sampled on the hypoxic region of the Crimean Shelf. Concentrations of organic carbon (Corg) and nitrogen (N) were measured on finely powdered, freeze-dried subsamples of sediment using a using a Fisons NA-1500 elemental analyzer. For organic carbon determination samples were pre-treated with 12.5% HCl to remove carbonates. Chlorophyll a (chl a), phaeopigments (PHAEO) and chloroplastic pigment equivalents (CPE) was measured according to Schubert et al., (2005) and total hydrolyzable amino acids (THAA) and single amino acid: ASP, GLU, SER, HIS, GLY, THR, ARG, ALA, TYR, MET, VAL, PHE, ILE, LEU, LYS following Dauwe et al., 1998.

Biogeochemical measurements of sediments collected at station MSM15/1_492-PUC5 (reference site 2) in the Black Sea during the MSM15/1 cruise in 2010

Biogeochemical measurements in sediment cores collected with the submersible JAGO (pusch cores) and a TV-MUC in the Black Sea during MSM15/1, Northwest Crimea (HYPOX Project), at water depths between 152-156 m. A series of microbial mats were sampled on the hypoxic region of the Crimean Shelf. Concentrations of organic carbon (Corg) and nitrogen (N) were measured on finely powdered, freeze-dried subsamples of sediment using a using a Fisons NA-1500 elemental analyzer. For organic carbon determination samples were pre-treated with 12.5% HCl to remove carbonates. Chlorophyll a (chl a), phaeopigments (PHAEO) and chloroplastic pigment equivalents (CPE) was measured according to Schubert et al., (2005) and total hydrolyzable amino acids (THAA) and single amino acid: ASP, GLU, SER, HIS, GLY, THR, ARG, ALA, TYR, MET, VAL, PHE, ILE, LEU, LYS following Dauwe et al., 1998.

Pore water geochemistry of arctic deep sea sediments measured at station MSM16/2_809-1 (REF, Reference)

Pore water and turnover rates were determined for surface sediment cores obtained in 2009 and 2010. The pore water was extracted with Rhizons (Rhizon CSS: length 5 cm, pore diameter 0.15 µm; Rhizosphere Research Products, Wageningen, Netherlands) in 1 cm-resolution and immediately fixed in 5% zinc acetate (ZnAc) solution for sulfate, and sulfide analyses. The samples were diluted, filtered and the concentrations measured with non-suppressed anion exchange chromatography (Waters IC-Pak anion exchange column, waters 430 conductivity detector). The total sulfide concentrations (H2S + HS- + S**2-) were determined using the diamine complexation method (doi:10.4319/lo.1969.14.3.0454). Samples for dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity measurements were preserved by adding 2 µl saturated mercury chloride (HgCl2) solution and stored headspace-free in gas-tight glass vials. DIC and alkalinity were measured using the flow injection method (detector VWR scientific model 1054) (doi:10.4319/lo.1992.37.5.1113). Dissolved sulfide was eliminated prior to the DIC measurement by adding 0.5 M molybdate solution (doi:10.4319/lo.1995.40.5.1011). Nutrient subsamples (10 - 15 ml) were stored at - 20 °C prior to concentration measurements with a Skalar Continuous-Flow Analyzer (doi:10.1002/9783527613984).

Sulphate reduction rates of arctic deep sea sediments measured at station MSM16/2_809-1 (REF, Reference)

Turnover rates were determined for surface sediment cores obtained in 2009 and 2010. Sulfate reduction (SR) were measured ex situ by the whole core injection method (doi:10.1080/01490457809377722). We incubated the samples at in situ temperature (1.0°C) for 12 hours with carrier-free 35**SO4 (dissolved in water, 50 kBq). Sediment was fixed in 20 ml 20% ZnAc solution for AOM or SR, respectively. Turnover rates were measured as previously described (doi:10.4319/lom.2004.2.171).