(Appendix A) Oxygen and carbon isotope results of detrital carbonate grains of Heinrich layers from HU90-013-028 and IODP Sites 303-U1302/U1303/U1308 in the North Atlantic Ocean

We report oxygen and carbon isotope results of detrital carbonate grains from Heinrich layers at three sites in the North Atlantic located along a transect from the Labrador Sea to the eastern North Atlantic. Oxygen isotopic values of individual detrital carbonate grains from six Heinrich layers at all sites average - 5.6 ppm ± 1.5 ppm (1sigma; n = 166), reflecting values of dolomitic limestone derived from source areas in northeastern Canada. The d18O of bulk carbonate at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1308 (re-occupation of Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 609) in the eastern North Atlantic records the proportion of detrital to biogenic carbonate and d18O decreases to - 5 ppm during Heinrich (H) events 1, 2, 4 and 5 relative to a background value of ~ 1 to 2 ppm for biogenic carbonate. Bulk d18O also decreases during H3 and H6 but only attains values of - 1ppm, indicating either a greater proportion of biogenic-to-detrital carbonate or a different source. Because the d18O of detrital carbonate is ~ 9 ppm lower than foraminifer carbonate, any fine-grained detrital carbonate not removed from the inner test chambers will lower foraminifer d18O. We conclude bulk carbonate d18O is a sensitive proxy for detrital carbonate and may be useful for identifying Heinrich layers in cores within and near the margins of the North Atlantic ice-rafted detritus (IRD) belt.

Chemical composition of a manganese nodule from the Blake Plateau, Atlantic Ocean

The area surveyed during project AMC-11-67 was the portion of the Blake Plateau between latitude 30°00'N and 33°00'N and between the 100 to 1000 fathom curves. The survey was conducted from 3 October until 18 October 1967. Survey operations included dredgings, camera and multi-sensor lowerings. A collection of manganese and phosphate concretions as well as coral and sediment samples were examined by the ESSA(NOAA) Atlantic Oceanographic Laboratories. Chemical analyses were conducted at the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston by Richard A. Laidley for X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis and H. Costello for Atomic Absorption Analysis. Later the whole collection of samples was transferred to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History were it is available for study (see, http://mineralsciences.si.edu/collections.htm).

Zn/Sr record of the Last Interglacial Transition in South Atlantic Ocean sediments

We examined the zinc content of diatom frustules as an indicator of past changes in surface seawater Zn2+ concentration. Zn/Si data of samples from three cores located in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean spanning the last interglacial-glacial transition are presented. Changes in the Zn/Si record are linked to changes in the surface water Zn2+ concentration. The source of variation in Zn2+ concentration appears to be via changes in deep water upwelling and circulation. We rule out changes in phytoplankton productivity and aeolian dust input as a source of variation in the Zn/Si record. Likewise, the Zn/Si data are not linked to shifts in the diatom species composition of the sediment or sediment preservation effects. The Zn/Si results presented do not support the zinc hypothesis. There is no link between the uptake of CO2 by phytoplankton, as inferred from the d13C record, and the Zn/Si record.

Sample locations, stratigraphic information and listing of carbon and oxygen isotope data of the measured planktonic foraminifera of surface sediments in the western South Atlantic Ocean (Table 1)

We explored the potential to use the stable isotopic compositions of planktonic foraminifera as a proxy for the position of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC) in the Argentine Basin. For this purpose, we measured the oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions of Globigerinoides ruber (pink and white varieties measured separately), Globigerinoides trilobus, Globigerina bulloides, Globorotalia inflata and Globorotalia truncatulinoides (left- and right-coiling forms measured separately) from a latitudinal transect of 56 surface sediment samples from the continental slope off Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina between 20 and 48°S. Lowest oxygen isotopes values were found in G. ruber (pink), followed by G. ruber (white) and G. trilobus reflecting the highly stratified near surface water conditions north of the BMC. Globigerina bulloides was present mainly south of the BMC and records subsurface conditions supporting earlier plankton tow studies. Globorotalia inflata and G. truncatulinoides (left and right) were both available over the whole transect and calcify in the depth level with the steepest temperature change across the BMC. Accordingly, the delta18O of these species depict a sharp gradient of 2? at the confluence with remarkably stable values north and south of the BMC. Our data show that the oxygen isotopic composition of G. inflata and G. truncatulinoides (left and right) are the most reliable indicators for the present position of the BMC and can therefore be used to define the past migration of the front if appropriate cores are available.

(Table 1) Basement penetration, recovery, and lithology of crustal DSDP holes in the North Atlantic Ocean

Oceanic crustal drilling by R. V. Glomar Challenger at 15 sites in the North Atlantic has led to a complex picture of the upper half kilometer of the crust. Elements of the picture include the absence of the source for linear magnetic anomalies, marked episodicity of volcanic activity, ubiquitous low temperature alteration and evidence for large scale tectonic disturbance. Comparison sections in the Pacific and much deeper crustal drilling are needed to attack problems arising from the North Atlantic results.

Chemotaxonomic phytoplankton patterns on the eastern boundary of the Atlantic Ocean

Surface pigment data from a transect along the eastern boundary of the Atlantic Ocean was analysed using CHEMTAX to yield more detailed information on the composition of phytoplankton communities. Total chlorophyll a concentrations varied from 0.03 mg m(-3) in a northern oligotrophic region to 30.3 mg m(-3) in the Benguela ecosystem. Diatoms dominated the Benguela, while both diatoms and haptophytes were the major groups in the Canary ecosystem and the temperate NE Atlantic. Prochlorococcus was the most prominent group in the southern oligotrophic region (15.5 degrees S-15 degrees N) although haptophytes were also a significant component of the population. In contrast, haptophytes dominated the northern oligotrophic region (21 degrees-40 degrees N). Photo-pigment indices indicated that chlorophyll b was mainly associated with prasinophytes and chlorophyll c with diatoms. Elevated photosynthetic carotenoids were due to increased proportions of haptophytes, but also linked with diatoms and dinoflagellates. Photoprotective carotenoids were more prominently associated with Prochlorococcus and to a lesser extent to Synechococcus.

Chemotaxonomic phytoplankton patterns on the eastern boundary of the Atlantic Ocean

Surface pigment data from a transect along the eastern boundary of the Atlantic Ocean was analysed using CHEMTAX to yield more detailed information on the composition of phytoplankton communities. Total chlorophyll a concentrations varied from 0.03 mg m(-3) in a northern oligotrophic region to 30.3 mg m(-3) in the Benguela ecosystem. Diatoms dominated the Benguela, while both diatoms and haptophytes were the major groups in the Canary ecosystem and the temperate NE Atlantic. Prochlorococcus was the most prominent group in the southern oligotrophic region (15.5 degrees S-15 degrees N) although haptophytes were also a significant component of the population. In contrast, haptophytes dominated the northern oligotrophic region (21 degrees-40 degrees N). Photo-pigment indices indicated that chlorophyll b was mainly associated with prasinophytes and chlorophyll c with diatoms. Elevated photosynthetic carotenoids were due to increased proportions of haptophytes, but also linked with diatoms and dinoflagellates. Photoprotective carotenoids were more prominently associated with Prochlorococcus and to a lesser extent to Synechococcus.

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.

New constraints on European glacial freshwater releases to the North Atlantic Ocean

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 expressed 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.

Description of a new species of skate of the genus Malacoraja Stehmann, 1970: the first species from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, with notes on generic monophyly and composition (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae)

O primeiro registro para o Atlântico Sul ocidental de uma espécie do gênero Malacoraja Stehmann, 1970 é feita com base na descrição de Malacoraja obscura, espécie nova, proveniente do talude continental do Sudeste brasileiro dos estados do Espírito Santo e Rio de Janeiro em profundidades de 808-1105 m. A espécie nova é conhecida através de cinco exemplares e é distinta de seus congêneres pela sua coloração dorsal composta por numerosas manchas esbranquiçadas e pequenas na região do disco e nadadeiras pélvicas, por apresentar uma fileira irregular de espinhos ao longo da superfície dorsal mediana da cauda a qual persiste em espécimes maiores (desde a base da cauda até dois-terços do seu comprimento numa fêmea de 680 mm de comprimento total, CT) e uma região pequena desprovida de dentículos na base ventral da cauda (estendendo somente até a margem distal da nadadeira pélvica). Outros caracteres diagnósticos em combinação incluem a ausência de espinhos escapulares em indivíduos maiores, número elevado de fileiras dentárias (64/62 fileiras num macho subadulto de 505 mm de CT e 76/74 numa fêmea de 680 mm de CT) e de vértebras (27-28 Vtr, 68-75 Vprd), coloração ventral do disco uniformemente castanha escura, duas fenestras pós-ventrais na cintura escapular, fenestra pós-ventral posterior grande, forame magno circular e dois forames para a carótida interna na placa basal ventral do neurocrânio. Machos adultos não são conhecidos, porém uma descrição anatômica de M. obscura, sp. nov., é fornecida. Comparações são realizadas com todo o material conhecido de M. kreffti, com a literatura sobre M. senta e com material abundante de M. spinacidermis da África do Sul; M. obscura, sp. nov., assemelha-se mais a M. spinacidermis do Atlântico Sul oriental em esqueleto dérmico, coloração e tamanho. Malacoraja é monofilético devido à sua espinulação e apêndices rostrais conspícuos e é aparentemente composta por dois grupos de espécies, um para M. obscura e M. spinacidermis e outro para M. kreffti e M. senta, porém a elucidação das relações filogenéticas entre as espécies necessita de mais informações anatômicas, principalmente das duas últimas espécies.

Biology of Grapsus grapsus (LINNAEUS, 1758) (Brachyura, Grapsidae) in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, Equatorial Atlantic Ocean

Eleven expeditions were undertaken to the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago to study the reproductive biology of Grapsus grapsus, providing additional information on limb mutilation and carapace colour. MATURE software was used to estimate morphological maturity, while gonadal analyses were conducted to estimate physiological maturity. The puberty moult took place at larger size in males (51.4 mm of carapace length) than in females (33.8 mm), while physiological maturity occurred at a similar size in males (38.4 mm) and in females (33.4 mm). Above 50 mm, the proportion of red males increased in the population, indicating that functional maturity is also related to colour pattern. Small habitat and high local population density contributed to the high rate of cannibalism. The low diversity of food items, absence of predators of large crabs and high geographic isolation are the determinants of unique behavioural and biological characteristics observed in the G. grapsus population.

DIET of THE BLUE MARLIN (MAKAIRA NIGRICANS, LACEPEDE 1802) (PERCIFORMES: ISTIOPHORIDAE) of THE SOUTHWESTERN EQUATORIAL ATLANTIC OCEAN.

Diet composition of the blue marlin, Makaira nigricans, from the southwestern equatorial Atlantic Ocean was analyzed between October 2004 and November 2005. In the 226 stomachs of fish ranging between 100 and 311 cm lower jaw -fork length (LJFL), 44 items were identified, including 31 fishes and 13 cephalopods. Seventy stomachs were empty (23.6 %). M. nigricans fed preferentially on heavy and muscular scombrid fishes especially upon the skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758), probably to sustain their high metabolism, and on a variety of other items composed mainly by epipelagic species of fish and cephalopods.

Quantifying recreational shore angling catch and harvest in southern Portugal (north-east Atlantic Ocean): implications for conservation and integrated fisheries management

Recreational shore fishing along 250 km of the south and south-west coast of Portugal was studied based on roving creel and aerial surveys. Surveys were conducted between August 2006 and July 2007, following a stratified random-sampling design and provided information on catch and effort, harvest and discards, angler demographics and fishing habits. Overall, 192 roving creel surveys, 24 aerial surveys and 1321 interviews were conducted. Based on the aerial surveys, a mean +/- s.e. total fishing effort of 705 236 +/- 32 765 angler h year(-1) was estimated, corresponding to 166 430 +/- 9792 fishing trips year(-1). Average time spent per fishing trip was 4.7 h. A total of 48 species, belonging to 22 families, were recorded in roving creel surveys. The most important species was Diplodus sargus, accounting for 44% of the total catches by number and 48% by mass. Estimated mean +/- s.e. total annual recreational shore fishing catch was 160.2 +/- 12.6 t year(-1) (788 049 +/- 54 079 fishes year(-1)), of which 147.4 +/- 11.9 t year(-1) (589 132 +/- 42 360 fishes year(-1)) was retained. Although overall shore-based recreational catches only corresponded to 0.8% of the commercial landings (only common species considered), D. sargus catches by recreational shore anglers were considerable, corresponding to 65% of the commercial landings. The implications of these results for integrated fisheries management and conservation are discussed, and future research proposed.