Two new species of Xyala (Nematoda,Monhysteroidea) from sublittoral sediments in Liverpool Bay

Two new species of Xyala (Nematoda, Monhysteroidea) are described from sublittoral sediments in Liverpool Bay, England. Xyala barbata n. sp. is distinguished mainly by the dorsally directed gubernacular apophyses and X. longicaudata n. sp. is distinguished by the long tail, the large amphids and the high, narrow labial rugae.     

Selective grazing by zooplankton populations in Southampton Water

Experiments were made with natural populations of both zooplankton and phytoplankton from Southampton Water (England), using an electronic particle counter to measure grazing effects. What appear to have been large differences within and between experiments in size of particles selected are shown to have been mainly a result of variations in total amout of grazing. When this was taken into account it was found that there was no difference in size of particles selected most strongly whether the zooplankton was dominated by copepods or smaller cirripede nauplii. This can be accounted for by similarities in the setous feeding appendages of these two forms. It is suggested that similarity in particle selection would lead to competition between the two grazers if they were not separated seasonally.     

珠江表层沉积物中有机氯农药含量及分布

为研究珠江地区有机氯农药现阶段的污染水平,本研究于2009年采集珠江地区19个表层沉积物样品,利用高分辨气相色谱与高分辨质谱联用(HRGC-HRMS)检测了9种持久性有机污染物包括六六六、滴滴涕、六氯苯、灭蚁灵、七氯、异狄氏剂、九氯、氯丹和环氧七氯.其中六六六、滴滴涕和六氯苯的含量较高,分别为<0.001—1.98 ng.g-1(干重),<0.01—5.07 ng.g-1(干重)和<0.01—1.54 ng.g-1(干重).对六六六和滴滴涕组分研究发现,珠江地区的有机氯农药残留可能主要来自于历史残留.参照Long等给出的毒性评价标准对珠江采样区进行生态评价发现,滴滴涕类有机氯农药对该区生物可能仍存在生态风险.     

Distribution and assessment of mercury (Hg) in surface sediments of Futian mangrove forest,China

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - To investigate the distribution of mercury (Hg) in Futian mangrove wetland, surface sediments from land to sea were collected, including Kandelia obovata,...     

Distribution of nutrients and AOU in the Mediterranean Water (North Atlantic Ocean)

Water samples were collected in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean (33-37^° N and 11-16^° W) in May 1983, and vertical profiles of chemical and physical parameters allowed us to identify the different water masses. A significant difference in salinity and its maximum can be found at different places and depths, as a consequence of the spreading of the Mediterranean Water (MW) from the Strait of Gibraltar. The apparent oxygen utilization shows a correlation with nutrients in North Atlantic Central Water. The relative percentages of water masses were assessed in order to examine the depth of maximum influence of MW as a function of latitude and to apply this knowledge to the black scabbard fish long-line strategy. The long-line fishing depth location was adapted to the specific MW distribution of the different banks with improvements in the mean catch efficiency. The thickness of the MW prevalence layer has a pronounced decrease to the south. MW influence clearly sinks and decrease to south-west. The highest percentage of the MW was found in the Gorringe Bank area and the lowest in the Madeira area.     

Distribution of diatoms in the surficial sediments of the Mangyung-Dongjin tidal flat,west coast of Korea (Eastern Yellow Sea)

The relationship between the distribution of benthic diatoms and sediment characteristics of the Mangyung-Dongjin tidal flat on the west coast of Korea was investigated during June and July 1988. Diatoms were collected from the upper 5 mm of sediments at 60 sites along eight transect lines running perpendicular to the shore line. Of the 371 taxa encountered in the study area, 88% were pennate diatoms. Genera represented by the greatest number of species were Navicula, Nitzschia, Amphora, Cocconeis, Fragilaria and Achnanthes. The most abundant species were Paralia sulcata, Navicula sp. #1, N. arenaria and Cymatosira belgica; all were broadly distributed across the tidal flats. The 60 sites could be assigned to eight clusters with respect to similarity in species composition. Discriminant analysis showed that separation cluster was primarily related to the mean grain size of the sediment. The species could not be separated into groups based on similarities in occurrence; a high degree of spatial overlap was observed. The preferences of the more abundant species for grain size were, therefore, analysed by plotting numerical abundance against mean grain size. There were at least four patterns: species groups could be associated with finegrained sediments, those of intermediate size and coarser sediments and the last group showed no discernible pattern.     

Distribution and behaviour of radiocaesium in Scottish freshwater loch sediments

The distribution and behaviour of radiocaesium have been studied in the sediments of two contrasting freshwater lochs: Round Loch of Glenhead, an acidified loch in south-west Scotland, with organic-rich sediments (≈20%C) and Loch Lomond, 35 km north-west of Glasgow, where sediments are low in organic matter (1–6%C, southern basin), but with a relatively high clay content. In the sediments of Scottish freshwater lochs,¹³⁷Cs [half life (t_1/2) = 30.23 yr] originates from fallout from nuclear weapons’ testing (1950s and 1960s) and from the Chernobyl reactor accident in 1986, which is also the source of the shorter-lived¹³⁴Cs [half life (t_1/2) = 2.05 yr]. Use of the characteristic¹³⁴Cs/¹³⁷Cs activity ratio of radiocaesium emitted from Chernobyl enables resolution of sedimentary radiocaesium profiles into the two component sources. In the organic-rich sediment of Round Loch, downward diffusion of radiocaesium in porewaters obscures its pattern of input to the loch. In the more clay-rich sediments of Loch Lomond, separate radiocaesium concentration peaks, related to atmospheric deposition maxima, are clearly discernible, although an influence of partial mixing is apparent. While the derived Chernobyl fallout inventory of radiocaesium in Round Loch sediments is broadly comparable with that for Loch Lomond, the corresponding weapons testing inventory is an order of magnitude lower than in Loch Lomond. Although Round Loch is situated in an area of known elevated Chernobyl deposition, the inventory is much lower than literature values of atmospheric deposition, indicating significant loss of radiocaesium from this loch. The weapons testing inventory in Round Loch is also lower than reported estimates, whereas in Loch Lomond the established inventories from both sources are similar to, or greater than, fallout deposition. The differences between the distribution and inventories in the two lakes confirms that radiocaesium is much less efficiently bound and is correspondingly much more mobile in the organic sediments of Round Loch of Glenhead than in the more clay-rich sediments of Loch Lomond.     

Distribution and speciation of heavy metals in Apulian coastal sediments

In the framework of the Interreg II Project Italy–Greece, distribution and speciation of trace metals in surface coastal sediments of Apulian regions were studied. A sequential extraction technique was used to determine the chemical association of heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe, Cr, Mn, Cu and Cd) with major sedimentary phases (acid soluble phases, easily reducible fraction and oxidizable matter). The relationship between the metals' content and the grain-size composition of the sediments was also considered: generally the elements resulted associated with the fine fraction, even if in some cases (Cu in the oxidizable phase) the opposite behaviour was observed. The studied area is not particularly polluted, except for some defined zones, as for example Brindisi's harbour. Speciation analysis revealed that the major part of the heavy metals are not easily mobilizable and bioavailable. Even in this case, there are some exceptions to the general behaviour: Cu and Pb in several samples are largely present in the oxidizable phase, which even if not immediately available can become a source of associated elements when redox conditions change.     

物种敏感度分布法（SSD）在农药水质基准推导中的应用

水质基准推导方法在水质基准制定中起着至关重要的作用,物种敏感度分布法是目前国际上常用的基准推导方法,但利用此方法推导水质基准时,可选用的模型很多,但并不是所有的模型都能很好地拟合农药毒性数据集。为了筛选得到拟合优度较好的模型,选取4种典型农药,对采用不同模型拟合物种敏感度分布曲线的结果进行比较研究。结果显示,sigmoid、Gaussian、Gompertz和exponential growth 4种模型对于农药数据集,无论是在曲线走势、HC5值的合理性还是拟合优度方面的拟合效果都优于其他几种模型。因此,在应用物种敏感度分布法推导农药水质基准时,可以首选上述4种模型进行拟合,然后再从中选出最优模型来确定基准值,从而保证基准值推导的科学性。研究结果可为农药水质基准制定时推导方法的选择提供科学参考。     

Planktonic ciliates in Southampton Water: abundance,biomass, production,and role in pelagic carbon flow

The abundance and biomass of marine planktonic ciliates were determined at monthly intervals at two stations in Southampton Water between June 1986 and June 1987. The two stations, an outer one at Calshot and an inner one at N. W. Netley, were subject to differing marine and terrestrial influences. The potential ciliate production at cach station on each visit was estimated from these data. Enumeration of ciliates and measurements of biovolume were performed on Lugol's iodinepreserved samples and potential production was calculated using a predictive relationship based on temperature and cell volume. Heterotrophic ciliate abundance and biomass were greatest at both stations during spring and summer months, with respective maxima of 16x10³ organisms 1^-1 and 219 g Cl^-1 recorded at N. W. Netley. Estimates of the potential production of the ciliate community ranged from <1 to 18 g Cl^-1 d^-1 at Calshot and <1 to 141 g Cl^-1 at N. W. Netley, with annual values of 2 and 9 mg Cl^-1 yr^-1, respectively. Abundances, biomass and potential production estimates were generally greater at N. W. Netley than at Calshot. Carbon flow through the ciliate community was assessed using annual production values from both this study and the literature. The annual ciliate carbon requirement was equivalent to 9 and 11% of annual primary production at Calshot and N. W. Netley, and potential annual ciliate production was equivalent to 34% and >100% of the energy requirements of metazoan zooplankton at these locations, although comprising only 8 and 10% of their available food.     

A new species ofPterygonema (Nematoda: Ceramonematoidea) from sublittoral sand in Liverpool Bay

Pterygonema cambriensis n.sp. is described from sublittoral sand in Liverpool Bay, UK. The species is distinguished by the anterior distension of the cephalic helmet, the shield-shaped cuticular plates on which the amphids are borne, and the presence of 8, well-developed, longitudinal alae.     

Distribution of mercury in the sediments of some freshwater bodies in Ethiopia

Sediment samples were collected from Tinishu Akaki River (TAR), Lake Awassa, and Lake Ziway, Ethiopia for determination of mercury. The air-dried samples were analyzed for mercury with a differential atomic absorption spectrometer after thermal evaporation of bound mercury converting it to its atomic form. Certified reference materials (CRMs) of sediments and soils were used to validate the method. The recovery of mercury from CRMs and sediments was in the range of 95–100%. The limit of detection for the determination of mercury was 50?ng?kg^?1. The concentration of total mercury in the sediments varied from 3.9 to 110?µg?kg^?1 for TAR, 14 to 67?µg?kg^?1 for Lake Awassa, and 17 to 110?µg?kg^?1 for Lake Ziway. It was found that the total mercury concentrations in all samples were below the United States Environmental Protection Agency guideline of 200?µg?kg^?1.     

Distribution and abundance of eggs of Labidocera aestiva (Copepoda: Calanoida) in the bottom sediments of Buzzards Bay,Massachusetts, USA

Grain-size composition of the sea-bed and density of eggs of Labidocera aestiva in bottom sediments in Buzzards Bay were determined at approximately monthly intervals from March 1983 through April 1984. The results of this study, together with those of Marcus (1984), show that during the fall and winter periods of 1982–1984 the proportion of eggs of L. aestiva occurring in the surficial sea-bottom sediments declined and the proportion of eggs in the deeper sediment layers increased. High positive correlations (r ²=0.72 and 0.92) were observed during the early fall 1983 between egg abundance and the proportion of the total sediments represented by the mud fraction. During late fall, winter, and early spring 1983–1984, the coefficients of determination were much lower. Physical criteria (e.g. sedimentation and transport characteristics) can be used to accurately predict the distribution and abundance of recently spawned eggs on the sea-bottom.     

Influence of temperature on the reproductive potential of Oncholaimus oxyuris (Nematoda: Oncholaimidae)

The large nematode Oncholaimus oxyuris Ditlevsen, 1911 is a dominant predator in a shallow polyhaline brackish-water pond in Belgium. The reproductive potential of this species was calculated as the intrinsic rate of natural increase r=1/D In pN _e , in which D is the generation time, p is the percentage of females, and N _e is the number of eggs per female. The generation time varies between 570 days at 5°C and 101 days at 25°C and is the main factor in the determination of r. The relationship between r and temperature is nearly linear and is given by r=0.0013 T–0.0042. The reproductive potential of O. oxyuris is much lower than would be predicted from body size; this and the dominance of males in the population, is discussed in the light of the evolution of stable predator-prey systems.     

Distribution of overwintering calanoid copepod eggs in sea-bed sediments around southern Britain

Eggs of the calanoid copepodsLabidocera wollastoni (Lubbock) andCentropages hamatus (Lilljeborg) and others, which could not be reliably assigned to species, were identified from sediment samples taken during three cruises in December 1984, January 1986, and February 1987 in the southern North Sea, the English Channel, the Irish Sea and the Celtic Sea. Eggs were most abundant in sediment samples taken between 20 and 80 m depth, with bottom stress less than 10 dyn cm^–2, and near to the positions of tidal fronts. It is suggested that sedimentation, resuspension and sediment transport contribute to the causes of these distributions, which have been found to be consistent with the distributions of species which are known to produce diapause eggs as an overwintering strategy. Nauplii ofL. wollastoni, C. hamatus, C. typicus (Krøyer)Temora longicornis (Müller) andAcartia sp. hatched from incubated sediment samples. The last noted hatchings ofL. wollastoni, Centropages spp. andT. longicornis all occurred more than 1 yr after the start of the incubation experiments.     

淮河中下游底泥中PAHs的分布及其生态风险评价

通过使用气相色谱质谱仪(GC/MS)测定淮河中下游底泥中多环芳烃(PAHs)单体的含量,探讨其分布特征及进行污染物生态风险评价。结果表明:淮河中下游底泥中PAHs含量总平均值为293.8ng·g-1,变化范围较大,总体呈中游高下游低的趋势;PAHs的种类和环数分布及菲/蒽、荧蒽/芘比值显示何台渡口至新集乡段底泥中的PAHs主要来源于化石燃料的高温燃烧与裂解,而安淮村至小河头段主要来源于化石燃料的低中温不完全燃烧或天然成岩过程;对照有关底泥的生态风险评价标准,淮河中游平圩和洛河段可能具有生物负效应,而其它地区的潜在生态风险则很小。     

Heavy metals contamination in mudflat and mangrove sediments (Mumbai,India)

The focus of this study, carried out on mudflat and mangrove sediments of Ulhas Estuary and Thane Creek in Mumbai, India, documents how sediment analysis in different ecosystems can help in understanding metal behaviour and pollution status of the region. Based on the the geoaccumulation index (I _geo ), the study shows that the estuarine and creek regions, being recipients of industrial and domestic wastes, display moderate pollution. Ulhas Estuary with higher clay and organic matter contents, exhibits higher amounts of metals than Thane Creek. Furthermore, using correlation and cluster analyses, the creek projects stable subenvironments with similar types of metal associations, with Fe and total organic carbon as the dominant metal carriers. By contrast, in the estuarine subenvironments, the metal associations do not reveal any distinct trend, which may be attributed to the disturbance caused by dredging activities routinely carried out in the region. Factor analysis carried out on I _geo data in both regions further helped in identifying polluted metal groups.     

Monitoring of linear alkyl benzenes (LABs) in riverine and estuarine sediments in Malaysia

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The aim of this a pioneering research is to investigate linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) as biomarkers of sewage pollution in sediments collected from four rivers...     

Jugendstadien von Desmoscolex-Arten (Nematoda,Desmoscolecidae) und deren Bedeutung für die Taxonomie

A moulting specimen of Desmoscolex balticus sp.n. indicates that all species of the genera Eudesmoscolex, Eutricoma, and Prodesmoscolex are, in reality, juvenile stages of species of the genus Desmoscolex.