(Table S1) Stable isotope record and growth rates of cultured Mytilus edulis

To study the effects of temperature, salinity, and life processes (growth rates, size, metabolic effects, and physiological/genetic effects) on newly precipitated bivalve carbonate, we quantified shell isotopic chemistry of adult and juvenile animals of the intertidal bivalve Mytilus edulis (Blue mussel) collected alive from western Greenland and the central Gulf of Maine and cultured them under controlled conditions. Data for juvenile and adult M. edulis bivalves cultured in this study, and previously by Wanamaker et al. (2006, doi:10.1029/2005GC001189), yielded statistically identical paleotemperature relationships. On the basis of these experiments we have developed a species-specific paleotemperature equation for the bivalve M. edulis [T °C = 16.28 (±0.10) - 4.57 (±0.15) {d18Oc VPBD - d18Ow VSMOW} + 0.06 (±0.06) {d18Oc VPBD - d18Ow VSMOW}**2; r**2 = 0.99; N = 323; p < 0.0001]. Compared to the Kim and O'Neil (1997) inorganic calcite equation, M. edulis deposits its shell in isotope equilibrium (d18Ocalcite) with ambient water. Carbon isotopes (d13Ccalcite) from sampled shells were substantially more negative than predicted values, indicating an uptake of metabolic carbon into shell carbonate, and d13Ccalcite disequilibrium increased with increasing salinity. Sampled shells of M. edulis showed no significant trends in d18Ocalcite based on size, cultured growth rates, or geographic collection location, suggesting that vital effects do not affect d18Ocalcite in M. edulis. The broad modern and paleogeographic distribution of this bivalve, its abundance during the Holocene, and the lack of an intraspecies physiologic isotope effect demonstrated here make it an ideal nearshore paleoceanographic proxy throughout much of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Seawater carbonate chemistry, calcification and shell size of hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria during experiments, 2011

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide threatens to decrease pH in the world's oceans. Coastal and estuarine calcifying organisms of significant ecological and economical importance are at risk; however, several biogeochemical processes drive pH in these habitats. In particular, coastal and estuarine sediments are frequently undersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate due to high rates of organic matter remineralization, even when overlying waters are saturated. As a result, the post-larval stages of infaunal marine bivalves must be able to deposit new shell material in conditions that are corrosive to shell. We measured calcification rates on the hard clam, Mercenaria spp.,in 5 post-larval size classes (0.39, 0.56, 0.78, 0.98, and 2.90 mm shell height) using the alkalinity anomaly method. Acidity of experimental water was controlled by bubbling with air-CO2 blends to obtain pH values of 8.02, 7.64, and 7.41, corresponding to pCO2 values of 424, 1120, and 1950 µatm. These pH values are typical of those found in many near-shore terrigenous marine sediments. Our results show that calcification rate decreased with lower pH in all 5 size classes measured. We also found a significant effect of size on calcification rate, with the smaller post-larval sizes unable to overcome dissolution pressure. Increased calcification rate with size allowed the larger sizes to overcome dissolution pressure and deposit new shell material under corrosive conditions. Size dependency of pH effects on calcification is likely due to organogenesis and developmental shifts in shell mineralogy occurring through the post-larval stage. Furthermore, we found significantly different calcification rates between the 2 sources of hard clams we used for these experiments, most likely due to genotypic differences. Our findings confirm the susceptibility of the early life stages of this important bivalve to decreasing pH and reveal mechanisms behind the increased mortality in post-larval juvenile hard clams related to dissolution pressure, that has been found in previous studies.

Provenance of Holocene Calcareous Aeolianites, Eastern South Australia

The southeastern coast of South Australia contains a spectacular and world-renown suite of Quaternary calcareous aeolianites. This study is focused on the provenance of components in the Holocene sector of this carbonate breach-dune succession. Research was carried out along seven transects from ~30 meters water depth offshore across the beach and into the dunes. Offshore sediments were acquired via grab sampling and SCUBA. Results indicate that dunes of the southern Lacepede and Otway coasts in particular are mostly composed of modern invertebrate and calcareous algal allochems. The most numerous grains are from molluscs, benthic foraminifera, coralline algae, echinoids, and bryozoans. These particles originate in carbonate factories such as macroalgal forests, rocky reefs, seagrass meadows, and low-relief seafloor rockgrounds. The incorporation of carbonate skeletons into coastal dunes, however, depends on a combination of; 1) the infauna within intertidal and nearshore environments, 2) the physical characteristics of different allochems and their ability to withstand fragmentation and abrasion, 3) the wave and swell climate, and 4) the nature of aeolian transport. Most aeolian dune sediment is derived from nearshore and intertidal carbonate factories. This is particularly well illustrated by the abundance of robust infaunal bivalves that inhabit the nearshore sands and virtual absence of bryozoans that are common as sediment particles in water depths > 10mwd. Thus, the calcareous aeolianites in this cool-water carbonate region are not a reflection of the offshore marine shelf factories, but more a product of shallow nearshore-intertidal biomes.

Fossil associations from the middle and upper Eocene strata of the Pamplona Basin and surrounding areas (Navarre, western Pyrenees)

Fossil associations from the middle and upper Eocene (Bartonian and Priabonian) sedimentary succession of the Pamplona Basin are described. This succession was accumulated in the western part of the South Pyrenean peripheral foreland basin and extends from deep-marine turbiditic (Ezkaba Sandstone Formation) to deltaic (Pamplona Marl, Ardanatz Sandstone and Ilundain Marl formations) and marginal marine deposits (Gendulain Formation). The micropalaeontological content is high. It is dominated by foraminifera, and common ostracods and other microfossils are also present. The fossil ichnoasssemblages include at least 23 ichnogenera and 28 ichnospecies indicative of Nereites, Cruziana, Glossifungites and ?Scoyenia-Mermia ichnofacies. Body macrofossils of 78 taxa corresponding to macroforaminifera, sponges, corals, bryozoans, brachiopods, annelids, molluscs, arthropods, echinoderms and vertebrates have been identified. Both the number of ichnotaxa and of species (e. g. bryozoans, molluscs and condrichthyans) may be considerably higher. Body fossil assemblages are comparable to those from the Eocene of the Nord Pyrenean area (Basque Coast), and also to those from the Eocene of the west-central and eastern part of South Pyrenean area (Aragon and Catalonia). At the European scale, the molluscs assemblages seem endemic from the Pyrenean area, although several Tethyan (Italy and Alps) and Northern elements (Paris basin and Normandy) have been recorded. Palaeontological data of studied sedimentary units fit well with the shallowing process that throughout the middle and late Eocene occurs in the area, according to the sedimentological and stratigraphical data.

Strontium isotopes and sedimentology of a marine Triassic succession (upper Ladinian) of the westernmost Tethys, Spain

Chemical Stratigraphy, or the study of the variation of chemical elements within sedimentary sequences, has gradually become an experienced tool in the research and correlation of global geologic events. In this paper 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of the Triassic marine carbonates (Muschelkalk facies) of southeast Iberian Ranges, Iberian Peninsula, are presented and the representative Sr-isotopic curve constructed for the upper Ladinian interval. The studied stratigraphic succession is 102 meters thick, continuous, and well preserved. Previous paleontological data from macro and micro, ammonites, bivalves, foraminifera, conodonts and palynological assemblages, suggest a Fassanian-Longobardian age (Late Ladinian). Although diagenetic minerals are present in small amounts, the elemental data content of bulk carbonate samples, especially Sr contents, show a major variation that probably reflects palaeoenvironmental changes. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios curve shows a rise from 0.707649 near the base of the section to 0.707741 and then declines rapidly to 0.707624, with a final values rise up to 0.70787 in the upper part. The data up to meter 80 in the studied succession is broadly concurrent with 87Sr/86Sr ratios of sequences of similar age and complements these data. Moreover, the sequence stratigraphic framework and its key surfaces, which are difficult to be recognised just based in the facies analysis, are characterised by combining variations of the Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr and CaCO3 contents

Development of release methods for critically endangered freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)

Biodiversity loss is a global problem with freshwater bivalves considered amongst the most
endangered biota. The freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera, is declining
throughout its range owing to habitat degradation and overexploitation. In most of its range,
populations are regarded as reproductively non-functional which has led to the development
of captive breeding programmes. A novel method of releasing M. margaritifera was trialled,
with captive-bred juveniles being released into the rivers caged in ‘mussels silos’ (protective
concrete domes with ventilation creating upwelling to ensure water through flow). We
released 240 juvenile mussels and survival and growth rates were monitored for 18 months
post-release for three size classes: A (13.01-20.00mm); B (10.01-13.00mm); and C (4.01-
10.00mm). We explicitly tested two experimental treatments; one where sediment was added
to each silo (allowing mussels to orientate and burrow) and one without sediment. Survival
by the end of the experiment at month 18 was significantly higher for the largest size class at
97% (though growth was lowest in this cohort), and lowest for the smallest size class at 61%
(though growth was highest in this cohort). Survival and growth were unaffected by the
experimental treatment suggesting that adding sediment offered no advantage. Growth was
positively correlated with both water temperature and the particle size of suspended solids
(both of which were collinear, peaking in summer). There are a large number of ex situ
breeding programmes for freshwater pearl mussels throughout Europe and our finding
suggest that the use of ‘mussel silos’ could be a useful tool to protecting juvenile mussels
allowing them to be released at a relatively early stage of development, minimising the risk of
domestication.

Inputs from a mercury-contaminated lagoon: impact on the nearshore waters of the Atlantic Ocean

Ria de Aveiro, a Portuguese coastal lagoon that exchanges water with the Atlantic Ocean, received the effluent from a chlor-alkali industry for over 50 years; consequently several tons of mercury had been buried in the sediments of an inner basin. To assess the importance (and seasonal variation) of the lagoon waters as carriers of mercury to the nearby coastal area, we measured total mercury levels in several compartments: in surface sediments, in surface and deep waters (including dissolved and particulate matter!, and in biota. Dissolved (reactive and total) mercury concentrations both in surface and deep waters were low (<1 to 15 ng L '). Mean mercury values in suspended particulate matter varied hetween 0.2 and 0.6 jxg g ' and in sediments between 1 and 9 ng g '. Aquatic organisms displayed levels below regulatory limits but exhibited some bioaccumulation of mercury, with concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.8 ^ig g ' Idry weight (dw)|. No seasonal pattern was found in this study for mercury-related determinations. Levels found in the estuary mouth during ebb tide provide evidence for the transport of mercury to the coastal zone. No significant changes in the partition of mercury between dissolved and particulate phases were found in the coastal waters in comparison with the values found in the estuary mouth. In spite of the high levels of mercury found inside some areas of the lagoon, the wide web of islands and channels allows some spreading of contaminants before they reach the coastal waters. Moreover, the low efficiency of local marine sediments in trapping mercury contributes to a dilution of mercury transported in suspended particulate matter over a broader area, reducing the impact in the nearby manne coastal zone.

Ancient clam gardens, traditional management portfolios, and the resilience of coupled human-ocean systems

Indigenous communities have actively managed their environments for millennia using a diversity of resource use and conservation strategies. Clam gardens, ancient rock-walled intertidal beach terraces, represent one example of an early mariculture technology that may have been used to improve food security and confer resilience to coupled human-ocean systems. We surveyed a coastal landscape for evidence of past resource use and management to gain insight into ancient resource stewardship practices on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. We found that clam gardens are embedded within a diverse portfolio of resource use and management strategies and were likely one component of a larger, complex resource management system. We compared clam diversity, density, recruitment, and biomass in three clam gardens and three unmodified nonwalled beaches. Evidence suggests that butter clams (Saxidomus gigantea) had 1.96 times the biomass and 2.44 times the density in clam gardens relative to unmodified beaches. This was due to a reduction in beach slope and thus an increase in the optimal tidal range where clams grow and survive best. The most pronounced differences in butter clam density between nonwalled beaches and clam gardens were found at high tidal elevations at the top of the beach. Finally, clam recruits (0.5-2 mm in length) tended to be greater in clam gardens compared to nonwalled beaches and may be attributed to the addition of shell hash by ancient people, which remains on the landscape today. As part of a broader social-ecological system, clam garden sites were among several modifications made by humans that collectively may have conferred resilience to past communities by providing reliable and diverse access to food resources.

Olivella Columellaris: un caracol de la Playa de Los Blancos

En la playa los Blancos del Estero de Jaltepeque en El Salvador existe siempre un fuerte oleaje que revuelve su suelo profundamente arenoso.Cada una de las oleadas causa además,particularmente en su contracorriente,una fuerte desviación de la arena hacia el occidente.Dentro de la zona del oleaje toda la arena de la playa esta en un movimiento continuo debido a las mareas,esta zona sufre fuertes movimientos del suelo cada doce horas,en que se mueven distintas fajas de las costas hacia adelante y atrás.Durante la marea alta un fuerte oleaje revuelve la playa y pocas horas después ya no se encuentra una gota de agua en la superficie de la arena.Durante el día su arena oscura se calienta rápida e intensamente.Una región tal que sufre primeramente un fuerte movimiento perpetuo y segundo un cambio microclimático tan fuerte y en breve plazo,ofrece condiciones bastante duras para la existencia de los más variados organismos,en particular para los animales de la macrofauna.Por otra parte la arena se mueve tan fuertemente que ejerce una fuerte presión en organismos soterrados.Sin embargo,existen algunos animales que según su constitución y su manera de vivir son capaces de existir en un ambiente semejante.Entre ellos se encuentra el caracol prosobranquial Olivella Columellaris que vive en la playa de los Blancos en grandes cantidades,este vive enterrado en la arena en la zona de los rompientes de las mareas.Su cubierta protege su cuerpo blando contra la fricción de la arena.

Microalga marina y su empleo en acuicultura y en la obtenci on de acidos grasos poliinsaturados

Una cepa de la microalga marina isochrysis galbana, depositada en la CCAP con el número de depósito CCAP 927/15 es capaz de producir elevadas cantidades de ácidos grasos poliinsaturados, especialmente de ácido eicosapentaenoico (EPA) y de ácido docosahexaenoico (DHA). La cepa microalgal crece adecuadamente a una temperatura de 18 c a 25 c, en un ph de 7 a 9,5, preferentemente a un ph de 7,65 a 8,00. La cepa microalgal, cultivada a 20 c en un fermentador de 5 litros agitado por paletas y con iluminación continua, produce EPA en una cantidad de, al menos, 39,5 mg por gramo de materia seca. Esta cepa es adecuada para su empleo en acuicultura (alimentación de larvas de peces y moluscos) y en la obtención de EPA y/o de un aceite rico en EPA y en DHA necesarios para la nutrición y salud humanas.

Seep communities from two mud volcanoes in the deep eastern Mediterranean Sea: faunal composition, spatial patterns and environmental control

The Mediterranean Sea constitutes a unique environment to study cold-seep ecosystems due to the presence of different geodynamic settings, from an active margin along the Mediterranean Ridge (MR) to a passive margin in the Nile Deep-Sea Fan (NDSF). We attempted to identify the structure of benthic communities associated with the Napoli and Amsterdam mud volcanoes (MVs) located on the MR and to establish the links between faunal distribution and environmental conditions at different spatial scales. Comparison between the 2 MVs revealed that the faunal distribution seemed to be mainly controlled by the characteristics of the microhabitats. On both geological structures, the variability between the different microhabitats was higher than the variability observed between replicates of the same microhabitat, and the distribution of macro-fauna was apparently linked to gradients in physico-chemical conditions. The peripheral sites from Napoli were generally more oxygenated and harboured lower species richness than the active sites. The reduced sediment microhabitat from Amsterdam presented the highest methane concentrations and was mainly colonised by symbiont-bearing vesicomyid bivalves and heterotrophic dorvilleid polychaetes. Overall, a higher taxonomic diversity was observed on Napoli. Sub-stratum type was hypothesised to be the second factor influencing faunal distribution. The results of this study highlight the high heterogeneity of faunal communities associated with seep ecosystems within this region and the need to pursue investigations at various spatial and temporal scales.