Finite element simulation of dispersion in the Bay of Santander

Two mathematical models are used to simulate pollution in the Bay of Santander. The first is the hydrodynamic model that provides the velocity field and height of the water. The second gives the pollutant concentration field as a resultant. Both models are formulated in two-dimensional equations. Linear triangular finite elements are used in the Galerkin procedure for spatial discretization. A finite difference scheme is used for the time integration. At each time step the calculated results of the first model are input to the second model as field data. The efficiency and accuracy of the models are tested by their application to a simple illustrative example. Finally a case study in simulation of pollution evolution in the Bay of Santander is presented

Multilocus DNA fingerprinting reveals high rate of heritable genetic mutation in herring gulls nesting in an industrialized urban site.

Genotoxins, such as polycyclic aromatic compounds, are ubiquitous in urban and industrial environments. Our understanding of the role that these chemicals play in generating DNA sequence mutations is predominantly derived from laboratory studies with specific genotoxins or extracts of contaminants from environmental media. Most assays are not indicative of the germinal effects of exposure in situ to complex mixtures of common environmental mutagens. Using multilocus DNA fingerprinting, we found the mutation rate in herring gulls inhabiting a heavily industrialized urban harbor (Hamilton Harbour, Ontario) to be more than twice as high as three rural sites: Kent Island, Bay of Fundy; Chantry Island, Lake Huron; and Presqu'ile Provincial Park in Lake Ontario. Overall we found a mutation rate of 0.017 +/- 0.004 per offspring band in Hamilton, 0.006 +/- 0.002 at Kent Island, 0.002 +/- 0.002 from Chantry Island, and 0.004 +/- 0.002 from Presqu'ile Provincial Park. The mutation rate from the rural sites (pooled) was significantly lower than the rate observed in Hamilton Harbour (Fisher's exact test, two-tailed; P = 0.0006). These minisatellite DNA mutations may be important biomarkers for heritable genetic changes resulting from in situ exposure to environmental genotoxins in a free-living vertebrate species.

Emerging From the Shadows : the Life of Captain John (Deserontyou), Circa 1742-1811, Founder of the Bay of Quinte Mohawk Village

This thesis is a biographical examination of the life of Mohawk leader Deserontyou (Captain John) and covers the years from the 1730's up to, and briefly following, 1811. The social, economic and political position of the Mohawk people and Deserontyou's position within the Fort Hunter community prior to the Revolution are addressed first. The Revolutionary War years are then covered with emphasis placed on Deserontyou's military role, the unpleasant conditions at Lachine and the painful reality for the Mohawk people in the aftermath of Britain's defeat. The post-war settlement on the Bay of Quinte is then explored, including the difficulties that Deserontyou experienced with the land, with the British Government, and with his own people. The documents upon which this examination are based come from many primary collections including: The Draper Manuscripts, the Haldimand Papers, the Stuart Papers, Ontario Lands & Forest Survey Records, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, Episcopal Records, the Bell Papers, the File Collection, the Claus Papers and Indian Affairs Papers.

Paleotemperatures and paleosalinities from the Celtic Margin (Bay of Biscay)

During the late Quaternary, both external and internal forcings have driven major climatic shifts from glacial to interglacial conditions. Nonlinear climatic steps characterized the transitions leading to these extrema, with intermediate excursions particularly well xpressed in the dynamics of the Northern Hemisphere cryosphere. Here we document the impact of these dynamics on the north-eastern North Atlantic Ocean, focussing on the 35-10 ka interval. Sea-surface salinities have been reconstructed quantitatively based on two independent methods from core MD95-2002, recovered from the northern Bay of Biscay adjacent to the axis of the Manche paleoriver outlet and thus in connection with proximal European ice sheets and glaciers. Quantitative reconstructions deriving from dinocyst and planktonic foraminiferal analyses have been combined within a robust chronology to assess the amplitude and timing of hydrological changes in this region. Our study evidences strong pulsed freshwater discharges which may have impacted the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.

Biological and environmental time series obtained from Point B, Bay of Villefranche

Ecological succession provides a widely accepted description of seasonal changes in phytoplankton and mesozooplankton assemblages in the natural environment, but concurrent changes in smaller (i.e. microbes) and larger (i.e. macroplankton) organisms are not included in the model because plankton ranging from bacteria to jellies are seldom sampled and analyzed simultaneously. Here we studied, for the first time in the aquatic literature, the succession of marine plankton in the whole-plankton assemblage that spanned 5 orders of magnitude in size from microbes to macroplankton predators (not including fish or fish larvae, for which no consistent data were available). Samples were collected in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea (Bay of Villefranche) weekly during 10 months. Simultaneously collected samples were analyzed by flow cytometry, inverse microscopy, FlowCam, and ZooScan. The whole-plankton assemblage underwent sharp reorganizations that corresponded to bottom-up events of vertical mixing in the water-column, and its development was top-down controlled by large gelatinous filter feeders and predators. Based on the results provided by our novel whole-plankton assemblage approach, we propose a new comprehensive conceptual model of the annual plankton succession (i.e. whole plankton model) characterized by both stepwise stacking of four broad trophic communities from early spring through summer, which is a new concept, and progressive replacement of ecological plankton categories within the different trophic communities, as recognised traditionally.

Micromesistius poutassou (blue whiting) abundance and biomass data in Bay of Biscay estimated from acoustic surveys (2000-2012)

Acoustic and pelagic trawl data were collected during various pelagic surveys carried out by IFREMER in May between 2000 and 2012 (except 2001), on the eastern continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay (Pelgas series). The acoustic data were collected with a Simrad EK60 echosounder operating at 38 kHz (beam angle at -3 dB: 7°, pulse length set to 1.024 ms). The echosounder transducer was mounted on the vessel keel, at 6 m below the sea surface. The sampling design were parallel transects spaced 12 nm apart which were orientated perpendicular to the coast line from 20 m to about 200 m bottom depth. The nominal sailing speed was 10 knots and 3 knots on average during fishing operations. The scrutinising (species identification) of acoustic data was done by first characterising acoustic schools by type and then linking these types with the species composition of specific trawl hauls. The data set contains nautical area backscattering values, biomass and abundance estimates for blue whiting for one nautical mile long transect lines. Further information on the survey design, scrutinising and biomass estimation can be found in Doray et al. 2012.