Origins and scales of hypoxia on the Louisiana shelf: Importance of seasonal plankton dynamics and river nutrients and discharge

Management plans for the Mississippi River Basin call for reductions in nutrient concentrations up to 40% or more to reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), while at the same time the government is considering new farm subsidies to promote development of biofuels from corn. Thus there are possibilities of both increasing and decreasing river nutrients depending on national priorities. River flow rates which also influence the extent of hypoxia on the shelf may be altered by global climate change. We have therefore developed a series of simulations to forecast ecosystem response to alterations in nutrient loading and river flow. We simulate ecosystem response and hypoxia events using a linked model consisting of multiple phytoplankton groups competing for nitrogen, phosphorus and light, zooplankton grazing that is influenced by prey edibility and stoichiometry, sub-pycnocline water-column metabolism that is influenced by sinking fecal pellets and algal cells, and multi-element sediment diagenesis. This model formulation depicts four areas of increasing salinity moving westward away from the Mississippi River point of discharge, where the surface mixed layer, four bottom layers and underlying sediments are represented in each area. The model supports the contention that a 40% decrease in river nutrient will substantially reduce the duration and areal extent of hypoxia on the shelf. But it also suggests that in low and middle salinity areas the hypoxia response is saturated with respect to nutrients, and that in high salinity regions small increases in nutrient and river flow will have disproportionally large effects on GOM hypoxia. The model simulations also suggest that river discharge is a stronger factor influencing hypoxia than river nutrients in the Mississippi River plume. Finally, the model simulations suggest that primary production in the low salinity regions is light limited while primary production in the higher salinity zones is phosphate limited during the May to October period when hypoxia is prevalent in the Mississippi River plume.     

Mercury bioaccumulation in estuarine food webs

We tested for unintended mercury contamination problems associated with estuarine floodplain restoration projects of the Louisiana coastal zone, USA. Barataria Bay and Breton Sound are two neighboring deltaic estuaries that were isolated by levees from the Mississippi River about 100 years ago. These estuaries recently have been reconnected to the nutrient-rich Mississippi River, starting major river diversion (input) flows in 1991 for Breton Sound and in 2004 for Barataria Bay. We collected > 2100 fish over five years from 20 stations in these estuaries to test two hypotheses about Hg bioaccumulation: (H1) Background Hg bioaccumulation in fish would be highest in low-salinity upper reaches of estuaries, and (H2) recent river inputs to these upper estuarine areas would increase Hg bioaccumulation in fish food webs. For H1, we surveyed fish Hg concentrations at several stations along a salinity gradient in Barataria Bay in 2003-2004, a time when this estuary lacked strong river inputs. Results showed that average Hg concentrations in fish communities were lowest (150 ng/g dry mass) in higher salinity areas and -2.4x higher (350 ng/g) in low-salinity oligohaline and freshwater upper reaches of the estuary. For H2, we tested for enhanced Hg bioaccumulation following diversion onset in both estuaries. Fish communities from Breton Sound that had long-term (> 10 years) diversion inputs had -1.7x higher average Hg contents of 610 ng/g Hg vs. 350 ng/g background values. Shorter-term diversion inputs over 2-3 years in upper Barataria Bay did not result in strong Hg enrichments or stable C isotope increases seen in Breton Sound, even though N and S stable-isotope values indicated strong river inputs in both estuaries. It may be that epiphyte communities on abundant submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are important hotspots for Hg cycling in these estuaries, and observed lesser development of these epiphyte communities in upper Barataria Bay during the first years of diversion inputs may account for the lessened Hg bioaccumulation in fish. A management consideration from this study is that river restoration projects may unintentionally fertilize SAV and epiphyte-based food webs, leading to higher Hg bioaccumulation in river-impacted floodplains and their food webs.     

Processesof Tamarix invasion and floodplain development along the lower Green River, Utah.

Significant ecological, hydrologic, and geomorphic changes have occurred during the 20th century along many large floodplain rivers in the American Southwest. Native Populus forests have declined, while the exotic Eurasian shrub, Tamarix, has proliferated and now dominates most floodplain ecosystems. Photographs from late 19th and early 20th centuries illustrate wide river channels with largely bare in-channel landforms and shrubby higher channel margin floodplains. However, by the mid-20th century, floodplains supporting dense Tamarix stands had expanded, and river channels had narrowed. Along the lower Green River in eastern Utah, the causal mechanism of channel and floodplain changes remains ambiguous due to the confounding effects of climatically driven reductions in flood magnitude, river regulation by Flaming Gorge Dam, and Tamarix invasion. This study addressed whether Tamarix establishment and spread followed climate- or dam-induced reductions in annual peak flows or whether Tamarix was potentially a driver of floodplain changes. We aged 235 Tamarix and 57 Populus individuals, determined the hydrologic and geomorphic processes that controlled recruitment, identified the spatial relationships of germination sites within floodplain stratigraphic transects, and mapped woody riparian vegetation cohorts along three segments of the lower Green River. The oldest Tamarix established along several sampling reaches in 1938, and 1.50-2.25 m of alluvium has accreted above their germination surfaces. Nearly 90% of the Tamarix and Populus samples established during flood years that exceeded the 2.5-year recurrence interval. Recruitment was most common when large floods were followed by years with smaller peak flows. The majority of Tamarix establishment and Green River channel narrowing occurred long before river regulation by Flaming Gorge Dam. Tamarix initially colonized bare instream sand deposits (e.g., islands and bars), and most channel and floodplain changes followed the establishment of Tamarix. Our results suggest that Tamarix recruitment was triggered by large annual floods that were followed by years with lower peak flows, not by periods of low flow alone. Tamarix appears to have actively invaded floodplains, while Populus colonization has been limited. Thus, Tamarix invasion may have greatly influenced floodplain development and riparian vegetation composition along the lower Green River since the early 20th century.     

Estimating abundance without recaptures of marked pallid sturgeon in the Mississippi River

Abundance estimates are essential for assessing the viability of populations and the risks posed by alternative management actions. An effort to estimate abundance via a repeated mark‐recapture experiment may fail to recapture marked individuals. We devised a method for obtaining lower bounds on abundance in the absence of recaptures for both panmictic and spatially structured populations. The method assumes few enough recaptures were expected to be missed by random chance. The upper Bayesian credible limit on expected recaptures allows probabilistic statements about the minimum number of individuals present in the population. We applied this method to data from a 12‐year survey of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the lower and middle Mississippi River (U.S.A.). None of the 241 individuals marked was recaptured in the survey. After accounting for survival and movement, our model‐averaged estimate of the total abundance of pallid sturgeon ≥3 years old in the study area had a 1%, 5%, or 25% chance of being <4,600, 7,000, or 15,000, respectively. When we assumed fish were distributed in proportion to survey catch per unit effort, the farthest downstream reach in the survey hosted at least 4.5–15 fish per river kilometer (rkm), whereas the remainder of the reaches in the lower and middle Mississippi River hosted at least 2.6–8.5 fish/rkm for all model variations examined. The lower Mississippi River had an average density of pallid sturgeon ≥3 years old of at least 3.0–9.8 fish/rkm. The choice of Bayesian prior was the largest source of uncertainty we considered but did not alter the order of magnitude of lower bounds. Nil‐recapture estimates of abundance are highly uncertain and require careful communication but can deliver insights from experiments that might otherwise be considered a failure.     

Das neue EU-Pestizidrecht: Chance und Herausforderung für eine Minimierung von Pestizidrisiken in der konventionellen Landwirtschaft

The scale of problems caused by pesticides in Europe and the awareness about this is growing. The new European pesticide legislation implies a chance to strengthen the protection of the environment and consumers health. The revised pesticide authorization regulation implements the concept of comparative assessment in order to induce dynamic risk reduction. Mandatory national action plans for member states have to provide clear targets and timetables for the reduction of pesticide risk and use intensity. If and when serious improvements for consumer and the environment become perceptible depends on relevant details on how to implement the legislation into practice and on the engagement of governments and stakeholder to work on an efficient implementation.     

基于TOP-RICE模型嘧菌酯·噻呋酰胺4%展膜油剂稻田水溢出对水生生态系统风险评估研究

为评估嘧菌酯·噻呋酰胺4%展膜油剂在我国稻田水溢出对水生生态系统的风险,本研究依据中华人民共和国农业行业标准NY/T 2882.2—2016《农药登记环境风险评估指南第2部分:水生生态系统》,采用TOP-RICE暴露模型分别单独评估了嘧菌酯和噻呋酰胺2种有效成分稻田滴撒方式应用时水溢出对水生生态系统的风险。其中,TOP-RICE初级暴露模型中有我国连平和南昌2个水稻-地下水暴露场景,每个场景都对分蘖期和拔节期进行分别评估。分析结果显示,嘧菌酯·噻呋酰胺4%展膜油剂中的嘧菌酯按照申请的良好农业规范(GAP)使用,生物富集风险可接受,初级风险评估对无脊椎动物(急性)和无脊椎动物(慢性)风险不可接受,但经中宇宙研究后,在连平和南昌2个场景点,均为拔节期用药对无脊椎动物的风险可接受,但分蘖期用药对无脊椎动物的风险不可接受;嘧菌酯·噻呋酰胺4%展膜油剂中的噻呋酰胺按照申请的GAP使用,生物富集带来的风险可以接受,经初级风险评估风险均可接受。在忽略2种有效成分相互间作用时,初步认为嘧菌酯·噻呋酰胺4%展膜油剂在我国稻田拔节期按照GAP要求施用时水溢出对水生生态系统的风险可接受,但应避免在分蘖期用药,以免其中的有效成分嘧菌酯对水生无脊椎动物产生不良影响。     

Obligate Cave Fauna of the 48 Contiguous United States

Abstract: We assembled a list of obligate cave-dwelling species and subspecies, their county distribution, and their provisional global conservation rank. A total of 927 species and 46 additional subspecies in 96 families exclusively from cave and associated subterranean habitats have been described in the 48 contiguous states of the United States. The terrestrial (troglobitic) species are concentrated in northeast Alabama (especially Jackson County), with other concentrations in Kentucky, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Only 23 counties, comprising less than 1% of the land area of the 48 contiguous states, account for over 50% of the terrestrial species and subspecies. The aquatic (stygobitic) species are concentrated in Hays County, Texas, with other concentrations in Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Only 18 counties, comprising less than 1% of the land area, account for over 50% of the aquatic species and subspecies. Endemism is high, with 54% of the species known from a single county. Approximately 95% of the species are listed by The Nature Conservancy as vulnerable or imperiled in the United States. These cave species comprise 50% of all vulnerable or imperiled species listed in databases of the Natural Heritage Program. Less than 4% of these subterranean species have federal status. Conservation can best be accomplished through habitat protection, which must include protection of the associated surface habitat.     

新烟碱类杀虫剂呋虫胺对意大利蜜蜂的安全性评价

呋虫胺作为新一代烟碱类农药,究竟会给蜜蜂造成何种影响尚不清楚。本研究选取意大利蜜蜂为研究对象,分别测定呋虫胺对蜜蜂的急性毒性、慢性毒性以及幼虫发育毒性,并通过其危害商值(hazard quotient,HQ)初步评价呋虫胺对蜜蜂的生态风险,综合评价呋虫胺对蜜蜂的安全性。结果表明,急性经口毒性48 h半数致死剂量(48 h-LD50)为0.033μg·蜂-1,对蜜蜂高毒;慢性毒性10 d半数致死剂量(10 d-LDD50)为0.010μg·蜂-1,慢性毒作用带比值为3.5,存在慢性中毒的风险;幼虫7 d半数致死剂量为577 ng·幼虫-1,高剂量呋虫胺对蜜蜂幼虫存活率、化蛹率和羽化率均存在影响,处理剂量越高,存活率、化蛹率和羽化率越低,呈高度负相关(r=-0.98,-0.89,-0.80)。风险评价结果表明,呋虫胺对蜜蜂为中等风险到高风险。研究可为呋虫胺的合理使用提供科学参考。     

Habitat,movements and environmental preferences of dusky sharks,Carcharhinus obscurus,in the northern Gulf of Mexico

The dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) is the largest member of the genus Carcharhinus and inhabits coastal and pelagic ecosystems circumglobally in temperate, subtropical and tropical marine waters. In the western North Atlantic Ocean (WNA), dusky sharks are overfished and considered vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. As a result, retention of dusky sharks in commercial and recreational fisheries off the east coast of the United States (US) and in the northern Gulf of Mexico is prohibited. Despite the concerns regarding the status of dusky sharks in the WNA, little is known about their habitat utilization. During the summers of 2008–2009, pop-up satellite archival tags were attached to ten dusky sharks (one male, nine females) at a location where they have been observed to aggregate in the north central Gulf of Mexico southwest of the Mississippi River Delta to examine their movement patterns and habitat utilization. All tags successfully transmitted data with deployment durations ranging from 6 to 124 days. Tag data revealed shark movements in excess of 200 km from initial tagging locations, with sharks primarily utilizing offshore waters associated with the continental shelf edge from Desoto Canyon to the Texas/Mexican border. While most sharks remained in US waters, one individual moved from the northern Gulf of Mexico into the Bay of Campeche off the coast of Mexico. Sharks spent 87 % of their time between 20 and 125 m and 83 % of their time in waters between 23 and 30 °C. Since dusky sharks are among the most vulnerable shark species to fishing mortality, there is a recovery plan in place for US waters; however, since they have been shown to make long-distance migrations, a multi-national management plan within the WNA may be needed to ensure the successful recovery of this population.     

宝鸡市街道灰尘重金属污染的健康风险评价

对宝鸡市工业区、交通区和商业区等不同功能区所采集的街尘样品应用美国EPA人体暴露风险评价方法对灰尘重金属进行健康风险评价.结果表明,As、Hg、Pb、Cu、Zn、Cr、Co、Ni、Mn、V这10种重金属平均含量均高于陕西土壤背景值,其中Hg、Pb平均含量分别为陕西土壤背景值的37倍和20倍.健康风险评价表明,灰尘中10...     

Flooding and the Distribution of Selected Metals in Floodplain Sediments in St. Maries, Idaho

The link between sediment contamination and flooding is not well established, since flooding may exacerbate problems by spreading pollutants throughout the floodplain, or alternatively may dilute contaminants in source areas. To determine the substance of such relationships, the pattern of sediment contamination was examined in a small Idaho town following flooding in 1996. Four heavy metals were tested, nickel, chromium, zinc and copper, in 97 soil samples obtained from sites across the floodplain of the St. Joe River. Flood history and land-uses at each sample site were noted. Results showed that contamination levels generally were not high, with flood areas having lower concentrations than non-flood areas. A stronger relationship could be argued for land-use, with higher concentrations of contamination associated with some industrial sites. High levels of contamination were also found in several samples taken from recreational areas. Further research looking at the potential sources of contamination in relation to characteristics of the flood hydrology would seem pertinent.     

太湖梅梁湾沉积物中多环芳烃的生态和健康风险

持久性有机物引起的水质安全性问题日益受到广泛的关注.利用生态和健康风险评价的原理和方法,对太湖梅梁湾水源地沉积物中的多环芳烃可能导致的负面效应进行了分析.首先采用商值法筛选出该地区沉积物中具有潜在风险的多环芳烃,再进一步用建立在暴露浓度分布和物种敏感度分布上的概率法定量表征风险.结果表明,太湖梅梁湾水源地沉积物的多环芳烃中,菲、荧蒽、芘、苯并[a]蒽、屈、苯并[a]芘、二苯并[a,h]蒽7种具有潜在风险;在保护95%的物种水平下,菲的风险最小,而荧蒽和芘风险较高,达20%.健康风险分析表明,美国EPA提出的7种具有遗传毒性的多环芳烃其致癌风险在梅梁湾沉积物中均在10-5水平以下.     

Aspects of the ecology of a small estuarine embayment

A 1.8 ha brackish (5 to 15 S) embayment (Osborn Cove) on the Western Shore of Chesapeake Bay (USA) was studied during 1976 to examine some hydrologic and climatic influences on its phytoplankton, bacteria, intertidal benthos, a peripheral salt marsh (equivalent to 20% of the cove surface area), and the surrounding 48 ha forest watershed. Comparisons with 1975 and 1977 for temperature, salinity, rainfall and tidal extremes, show 1976 to have had normal rainfall but a cooler autumn. Sediment moves alongshore into the cove after rainfall, and erosion causes soil breakdowns from nearby cliffs. This movement, ice damage and predators appear to mediate distribution of the intertidal benthos. Phytoplankton density, chlorophyll and photosynthesis are compared with other portions of the Chesapeake Estuary sampled in parallel programs. Phytoplankton chlorophyll oscillations observed in the Bay and Potomac River were not seen in the cove. Cove gross and net photosynthesis averaged about the same as the bay, but the cove had higher rates in spring, a result of significantly higher net assimilation ratios rather than higher biomass. River-contributed nutrients may have produced this stimulation when used by tidally inoculated phytoplankton. Large numbers of small flagellates were not seen after heavy rainfall fluishing. Net phytoplankton production in the cove was estimated at 97.6 g C m^-2 yr^-1. A portion of the cove having restricted circulation apparently contributed 48% of this production in months when its phytoplankton was dominated by small flagellates. Total estimated net production by cove phytoplankton was 1.75x10³ kg C yr^-1, compared to 0.75x10³ kg C yr^-1 for a narrow peripheral zone of Spartina alterniflora growth occupying only 13% as much area. This ratio and circumstantial evidence suggests that leaf litter from the surrounding forest dominated particulate input to the cove. Bacterial plate counts showed increases in total numbers as a function of water temperature, with surface counts exceeding bottom counts. Indigenous bird and mammal waste are suggested as important bacterial inputs. Rainfall pulses resulted in rapid increases of fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus counts.     

长江口湿沉降汞的时间分布及潜在生态危害

于2008年2月-2009年1月逐月采集长江口右岸陈行采样点的大气湿沉降样品,测试样品的总汞、溶解态汞浓度。分析结果显示,不同月份湿沉降中各形态汞的浓度变化较大,其中总汞浓度变化范围在0.09-0.45μg/L,体积加权平均值为0.22μg/L,总汞沉降通量高达199.79μg/（m2.a）,远高于其它地区,该区域的大气已经受到一定程度的汞污染。总汞、颗粒态汞月沉降量与降水量呈明显的正相关关系（除6月份）,总汞浓度与降水量在汛期（6-9月份）具有良好的负相关性,大气湿沉降汞的形态受到人为活动产生的颗粒物的影响,颗粒态汞占总汞比例变化范围在14%-89%之间,平均为62%。以地表水Ⅲ类标准0.1μg/L为评价标准,长江口湿沉降汞的潜在生态危害系数高,全年湿沉降汞平均值属于强生态危害范围。     

Occurrence,spatial and seasonal variation,and environmental risk of pharmaceutically active compounds in the Pearl River basin,South China

● 38 PhACs and 2 pesticides were detected in the three rivers of the Pearl River basin. ● Anti-inflammatory/analgesics drugs were the predominant PhACs. ● The concentrations of PhACs showed seasonal and spatial variation. ● Diazepam and ibuprofen were the two PhACs with a moderate environmental risk. The occurrence, fate, and environmental risk of 40 pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) from surface waters and sediments were comprehensively investigated in the Beijiang River, Xijiang River, and Maozhou River of the Pearl River basin, South China. Salicylic acid and diclofenac (anti-inflammatory drugs), gemfibrozil (a lipid regulator), carbamazepine (an antiepileptic drug), diazepam (a psychoactive drug), and 2-methyl-4-chloro-phenoxyacetic acid (MCPA, a pesticide) were the most ubiquitous compounds in the studied region. The average concentrations of detected PhACs in surface waters and sediments ranged from 0.17 to 19.1 ng/L and 0.10 to 10.4 ng/g, respectively. Meanwhile, PhACs concentration in surface waters and sediments varied greatly among and within the Beijiang River, Xijiang River, and Maozhou River. The largest annual flux of PhACs of the Xijiang River and Beijiang River was more than 11 000 kg per annum, whereas only 25.7 kg/a in the Maozhou River. In addition, the estimated emissions of PhACs in the Beijiang River, Xijiang River, and Maozhou River ranged respectively from 0.28 to 4.22 kg/a, 0.12 to 6.72 kg/a, and 6.66 to 91.0 kg/a, and the back-estimated usage varied with a range from 12.0 to 293 kg/a, 6.79 to 944 kg/a, 368 to 17 459 kg/a. Moreover, the emissions of PhACs showed a close relationship with the gross domestic product (GDP) of each city along the Pearl River. The environmental risk assessment suggested that diazepam and ibuprofen had a moderate risk in this region.     

Effects of restoration and reflooding on soil denitrification in a leveed Midwestern floodplain.

River floodplains have the potential to remove nitrate from water through denitrification, the anaerobic microbial conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas. An important factor in this process is the interaction of river water with floodplain soil; however, many rivers have been disconnected from their historic floodplains by levees. To test the effect of reflooding a degraded floodplain on nitrate removal, we studied changes in soil denitrification rates on the Baraboo River floodplain in Wisconsin, USA, as it underwent restoration. Prior to this study, the site had been leveed, drained, and farmed for more than 50 years. In late fall 2002, the field drainage system was removed, and a gate structure was installed to allow controlled flooding of this site with river water. Soil moisture was extremely variable among zones and months and reflected local weather. Soil organic matter was stable over the study period with differences occurring along the elevation gradient. High soil nitrate concentrations occurred in dry, relatively organic-poor soil samples and, conversely, all samples with high moisture soils characterized by low nitrate. We measured denitrification in static cores and potential denitrification in bulk samples amended with carbon and nitrogen, one year before and two years following the manipulation. Denitrification rates showed high temporal and spatial variability. Static core rates of individual sites ranged widely (from 0.00 to 16.7 microg N2O-N x [kg soil](-1) x h(-1), mean +/- SD = 1.10 +/- 3.02), and denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) rates were similar with a slightly higher mean (from 0.00 to 15.0 microg N2O-N x [kg soil](-1) x h(-1), 1.41 +/- 1.98). Denitrification was not well-correlated with soil nitrate, organic matter content, or moisture levels, the three parameters typically thought to control denitrification. Static core denitrification rates were not significantly different across years, and DEA rates decreased slightly the second year after restoration. These results demonstrate that restored agricultural soil has the potential for denitrification, but that floodplain restoration did not immediately improve this potential. Future floodplain restorations should be designed to test alternative methods of increasing denitrification.     

Predicting invasion risk using measures of introduction effort and environmental niche models.

The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is native to east Asia, is established throughout Europe, and is introduced but geographically restricted in North America. We developed and compared two separate environmental niche models using genetic algorithm for rule set prediction (GARP) and mitten crab occurrences in Asia and Europe to predict the species' potential distribution in North America. Since mitten crabs must reproduce in water with >15% per hundred salinity, we limited the potential North American range to freshwater habitats within the highest documented dispersal distance (1260 km) and a more restricted dispersal limit (354 km) from the sea. Applying the higher dispersal distance, both models predicted the lower Great Lakes, most of the eastern seaboard, the Gulf of Mexico and southern extent of the Mississippi River watershed, and the Pacific northwest as suitable environment for mitten crabs, but environmental match for southern states (below 35 degrees N) was much lower for the European model. Use of the lower range with both models reduced the expected range, especially in the Great Lakes, Mississippi drainage, and inland areas of the Pacific Northwest. To estimate the risk of introduction of mitten crabs, the amount of reported ballast water discharge into major United States ports from regions in Asia and Europe with established mitten crab populations was used as an index of introduction effort. Relative risk of invasion was estimated based on a combination of environmental match and volume of unexchanged ballast water received (July 1999-December 2003) for major ports. The ports of Norfolk and Baltimore were most vulnerable to invasion and establishment, making Chesapeake Bay the most likely location to be invaded by mitten crabs in the United States. The next highest risk was predicted for Portland, Oregon. Interestingly, the port of Los Angeles/Long Beach, which has a large shipping volume, had a low risk of invasion. Ports such as Jacksonville, Florida, had a medium risk owing to small shipping volume but high environmental match. This study illustrates that the combination of environmental niche- and vector-based models can provide managers with more precise estimates of invasion risk than can either of these approaches alone.     

Modeling estuarine-shelf exchanges in a deltaic estuary: Implications for coastal carbon budgets and hypoxia

The export of wetland-derived materials to the coastal ocean (i.e., the “Outwelling” hypothesis) has received considerable attention over the past several decades. While a number of studies have shown that estuaries export appreciable amounts of nutrients and carbon, few studies have attempted to estimate the importance of estuarine sources for the coastal carbon budgets in river-dominated coastal ecosystems. A novel tidal prism model was developed to examine estuarine-shelf exchanges in the Barataria estuary, a deltaic estuary located in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. This estuary has been the site of a massive wetland loss, and it has been hypothesized that carbon export from the eroding coastal wetlands supports the development of a large hypoxic zone in the coastal Gulf of Mexico. The model results show that the Barataria estuary receives nitrogen through the tidal passes and releases carbon to the coastal ocean. The mean calculated tidal water discharge of 6930 m³ s⁻¹ is equivalent to about 43% of the lower Mississippi River discharge. The annual total organic carbon (TOC) export is 109 million kg, or 57 gC m² yr⁻¹ when prorated to the total water area of the estuary. This carbon export is equivalent to a loss of 0.5 m of wetland soil horizon over an area of 8.4 km², and accounts for about 34% of the observed annual wetland loss in the estuary between 1978 and 2000. Compared to the lower Mississippi River, the Barataria estuary appears to be a very small source of TOC for the northern Gulf of Mexico (2.7% of riverine TOC), and is unlikely to have a significant influence on the development of the Gulf's hypoxia.     

Review: Windows of exposure to pesticides for increased risk of childhood leukemia

Leukemia is the leading cause of cancer resulting in mortality of children, and there is some evidence suggesting the increased incidence rate increasing during the recent decades. Limited human evidence indicates an increased risk of developing leukemia in childhood as a result of pesticide exposure, with possible significance of exposure occurring during the developmental periods including preconception, pregnancy, and childhood. This review examines the results of relevant literature on the timing of pesticide exposure and leukemia diagnosed in childhood. Results suggest that the risk from pesticide exposure seems to be greater during pregnancy. Other findings indicate that maternal occupational exposure may be more of a greater concern than the paternal occupational exposure; and that the residential indoor use of pesticides tends to result in higher risk estimates than the residential outdoor use. Only limited data are available on particular pesticides, genetic factors, critical windows of exposure during development, and their association with different histological types of leukemia.     

Population Status of the Razorback Sucker in the Middle Green River (U.S.A.)

The razorback sucker, Xyrauchen texanus , in the middle Green River (U.S.A.) has been described as a static population consisting of old individuals that will eventually disappear through attrition. Capture data between 1980 and 1992 indicated a constant length frequency despite a slow but positive growth rate of individual fish. Abundance and survival estimates indicated that the population of razorback sucker in the middle Green River is precariously low but dynamic. Although high variation existed among survival estimates, no significant decrease in the population between 1982 and 1992 could be detected. The low level of recruitment occurring in the razorback sucker population of the middle Green River was related to high-flow years, indicating that floodplain habitats may be necessary for survival of the species.