The trophic status of two Northern Irish sea loughs

Studies were conducted on nutrient cycling in two coastal embayments; Strangford Lough and Belfast Lough, in order to classify these coastal waters in compliance with the European Union Urban Waste Water Treatment and Nitrates Directives. Analysis of the data suggests that Strangford Lough is nitrogen-limited throughout much of the growing season with chlorophyll-a levels comparable to the open Irish Sea. In contrast, much of Belfast Lough is never nitrogen-limited and, with chlorophyll-a levels at time exceeding 50 μg/l, is exhibiting symptoms of eutrophication.     

Changes in Tundra Pond Limnology: Re-sampling Alaskan Ponds After 40 Years

The arctic tundra ponds at the International Biological Program (IBP) site in Barrow, AK, were studied extensively in the 1970s; however, very little aquatic research has been conducted there for over three decades. Due to the rapid climate changes already occurring in northern Alaska, identifying any changes in the ponds’ structure and function over the past 30–40 years can help identify any potential climate-related impacts. Current research on the IBP ponds has revealed significant changes in the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of these ponds over time. These changes include increased water temperatures, increased water column nutrient concentrations, the presence of at least one new chironomid species, and increased macrophyte cover. However, we have also observed significant annual variation in many measured variables and caution that this variation must be taken into account when attempting to make statements about longer-term change. The Barrow IBP tundra ponds represent one of the very few locations in the Arctic where long-term data are available on freshwater ecosystem structure and function. Continued monitoring and protection of these invaluable sites is required to help understand the implications of climate change on freshwater ecosystems in the Arctic.     

Phosphate enrichment in the northern Gulf of Aqaba: Regulation by carbonate sediments and impact on nitrogen elevation

The effect of carbonate sediment in regulating phosphate concentrations in sea water was investigated by laboratory incubation experiments using different sediment types. Incubation experiments were made with two types of sediments: uncontaminated sediment from a marine reserve and contaminated sediment with deposited phosphate powders. Fluxes of inorganic nitrogen and phosphate were estimated from linear regressions of solute concentrations over incubation periods. Ammonium and phosphate fluxes were about twofold higher in the uncontaminated sediment that had significantly lower organic carbon and total phosphate concentrations than in the phosphate-contaminated sediment. To test the effect of dissolved phosphate on increasing nitrogen fixation, additional incubation experiments were carried out using treated carbonate and silicate sediments with added dissolved phosphate (20 μM). Incubations were made under sterile conditions with HgCl₂ added to distinguish between biologically enhanced processes and pure physicochemical processes. The adsorption rate of phosphate onto carbonate sediment was about twice that onto silicate sediments. No nitrogen elevation either as ammonium or as nitrate was observed in the soluble phosphate enrichment incubations. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the importance of the regulation of soluble phosphate concentrations in carbonate sediment environments where the carbonate sediment acts as a buffering system keeping soluble phosphate concentrations at certain steady-state levels. The study also demonstrates the lack of evidence on enhancement of nitrogen concentrations due to the increase phosphate concentrations.     

贵州高原水库百花湖富营养化特征分析

为了解贵州高原水库百花湖的富营养化特征,于2011年5月(平水期)、8月(丰水期)、11月(枯水期)对水体富营养化特征的主要指标及环境因子进行采样调查与分析。结果表明:2011年百花湖水库呈富营养型(TSI M>50)3个时期富营养化状态指数表现为丰水期>枯水期>平水期。百花湖水库的总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)和Chl-a表底层浓度的平均值分别为1.48~1.61 mg/L、0.04~0.07 mg/L、20.27~10.41 mg/m3;透明度(SD)为0.60~1.80 m。水体中Chl-a浓度与TN、TP浓度呈负相关和极不明显的关系,与NO-+-2-N、NH4-N浓度呈极显著负相关,与NO 3-N呈负相关,与水温呈正相关,与pH和DO呈极显著的正相关。     

Subsurface sediment contamination during borehole drilling with an air-actuated down-hole hammer

Drilling methods can severely alter physical, chemical, and biological properties of aquifers, thereby influencing the reliability of water samples collected from groundwater monitoring wells. Because of their fast drilling rate, air-actuated hammers are increasingly used for the installation of groundwater monitoring wells in unconsolidated sediments. However, oil entrained in the air stream to lubricate the hammer-actuating device can contaminate subsurface sediments. Concentrations of total hydrocarbons, heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Cr, Zn, Pb, and Cd), and nutrients (particulate organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) were measured in continuous sediment cores recovered during the completion of a 26-m deep borehole drilled with a down-hole hammer in glaciofluvial deposits. Total hydrocarbons, Cu, Ni, Cr and particulate organic carbon (POC) were all measured at concentrations far exceeding background levels in most sediment cores. Hydrocarbon concentration averaged 124 +/- 118 mg kg(-1) dry sediment (n = 78 samples) with peaks at depths of 8, 14, and 20 m below the soil surface (maximum concentration: 606 mg kg(-1)). The concentrations of hydrocarbons, Cu, Ni, Cr, and POC were positively correlated and exhibited a highly irregular vertical pattern, that probably reflected variations in air loss within glaciofluvial deposits during drilling. Because the penetration of contaminated air into the formation is unpreventable, the representativeness of groundwater samples collected may be questioned. It is concluded that air percussion drilling has strong limitations for well installation in groundwater quality monitoring surveys.     

SWAT parameterization for the identification of critical diffuse pollution source areas under data limitations

For lowering sediment, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution of surface water bodies at the catchment scale, environmental legislation require programs of pollution abatement measures. To be able to ensure the cost-effectiveness of such programs we first need to identify high risk areas, which give rise to increased pollutant runoff. Process-based GIS models provide the opportunity to identify such critical areas and hence better target diffuse pollution abatement actions. However, these models are data intensive and their spatially-distributed parameterization in poorly monitored catchments is not feasible without extensive input data pre-processing and significant simplifying assumptions. This study implements the widely-used SWAT river basin model (Soil Water Assessment Tool) to study a medium-sized Greek catchment with the typical data limitations met at the national level, in order to identify critical diffuse pollution source areas that may serve as the key areas for meeting the objective of ‘good ecological status’ of water bodies set by the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Model parameterization and evaluation are presented along with the decisions made to overcome problems related to data representation in the catchment, in an effort to provide guidance on SWAT modeling in areas with similar characteristics. The results show that sediments and nutrients could be adequately reproduced in large time steps (monthly or seasonal) and that even with the current data limitations, the seasonal variation and the most critical areas of pollutant losses to waters could be adequately identified. The study proposes a transparent modeling approach under data limitations without neglecting possible deficiencies; however, it maintains that the SWAT model, if appropriately parameterized with respect to the land-use and soil differentiation within a limited-gauged catchment, can still facilitate the selection and placement of suitable practices across the landscape for a cost-effective diffused pollution management.     

光和营养盐对三角褐指藻生化组成的影响

采用¹⁴C标记技术,测定三角褐指藻光合作用速率及其光合产物生化组成的相对含量。实验结果表明,在常温和适宜的光强围范内,随光强增强,三角褐指藻光合产物中蛋白质百分比减少,碳水化合物百分比增加,脂类相对含量基本不变。当海水氮磷比为16时,藻类蛋白质合成的相对含量最高。光合产物生化组成蛋白质与碳水化合物之比（P/C）的变化可以反映在不同海洋环境下藻类的生长状态。