Damos: Twenty Years of Dredged Material Disposal Site Monitoring. Isn'st That Enough?

Since 1977, the US Army Corps of Engineers Disposal Area Monitoring System (DAMOS) has monitored New England's offshore dredged material disposal sites. DAMOS has shown that by using monitoring information to make management decisions, open water disposal of dredged sediments is possible with minimal environmental impact. Over the past two decades, DAMOS has answered many of the key questions about dredged material impacts. Yet the need for such a programme remains strong from both the technical and public interest perspectives. the programme continues to monitor projects that are extending our knowledge in the areas of deeper water capping, geotechnical behaviour of capping and capped materials, and biological response to contaminants. These investigations, along with the need for specific disposal site surveys, will continue to provide valuable technical information needed by the public, policy makers, and regulators to make critical decisions on dredged sediment management.     

Sediment Parameters of Northwest Black Sea Shelf and Slope: Implications for Transport of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides

In June 1990, sediment cores were obtained from several locations in the Northwest Black Sea shelf and slope by a joint US/USSR scientific team aboard the survey vessel R/V VODYANITSKY. the goal of this investigation was to determine the distribution and levels of radioactivity resulting from the Chernobyl 1986 nuclear accident. the sediment was characterized for texture, mineral composition, redox state, heavy metals, and radionuclides. Correlations emerging from these data reveal paths of dispersal and transport of materials from river sources to deposition sites on the shelf and slope. Kaolinite in the clay mineral suite clearly reflects a dispersal pattern originating in the Danube River and progressing in an easterly direction across the shelf. Sand-size gypsum and the elemental heavy metals Zn, Cu, Cr, and Pb (probable industrial source) as well as the elements Al and Mg (probable terrigenous source) also show a dispersal pattern from the Danube station location in an easterly direction across the shelf. the dispersal direction indicated by these materials is not in conflict with recent existing notions concerning the hydrology of the Northwest Black Sea. Barium anomalies at a midshelf location may be related to operations in the Lebada oil fields situated updrift. Heavy mineral dispersal reflect the Danube and -Crimean Provinces established for the shelf and relate to terrestrial source areas. in addition, the heavy mineral monazite correlates with the radioactive Th 232 found most abundantly in the Crimean Province. Local anomalies of Mn, Fe and U in the sediment at station locations are related to redox (Eh) conditions and other factors. Cs^134/137 data, reported by Curtis and Broadway (1991), correspond to transport and dispersal patterns implicit in the mineralogic, anthropogenic indicators, and sediment characteristics of the study area.     

Climate Change,Marine Environments,and the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Climate change is expected to be a top driver of global biodiversity loss in the 21st century. It poses new challenges to conserving and managing imperiled species, particularly in marine and estuarine ecosystems. The use of climate‐related science in statutorily driven species management, such as under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), is in its early stages. This article provides an overview of ESA processes, with emphasis on the mandate to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to manage listed marine, estuarine, and anadromous species. Although the ESA is specific to the United States, its requirements are broadly relevant to conservation planning. Under the ESA, species, subspecies, and “distinct population segments” may be listed as either endangered or threatened, and taking of most listed species (harassing, harming, pursuing, wounding, killing, or capturing) is prohibited unless specifically authorized via a case‐by‐case permit process. Government agencies, in addition to avoiding take, must ensure that actions they fund, authorize, or conduct are not likely to jeopardize a listed species’ continued existence or adversely affect designated critical habitat. Decisions for which climate change is likely to be a key factor include: determining whether a species should be listed under the ESA, designating critical habitat areas, developing species recovery plans, and predicting whether effects of proposed human activities will be compatible with ESA‐listed species’ survival and recovery. Scientific analyses that underlie these critical conservation decisions include risk assessment, long‐term recovery planning, defining environmental baselines, predicting distribution, and defining appropriate temporal and spatial scales. Although specific guidance is still evolving, it is clear that the unprecedented changes in global ecosystems brought about by climate change necessitate new information and approaches to conservation of imperiled species. El Cambio Climático, los Ecosistemas Marinos y el Acta Estadunidense de Especies en Peligro     

Bioavailability and metabolism of hexavalent chromium compounds †

Intratracheal instillation of ⁵¹CrCl₃ in anaesthetized rabbits resulted in partial absorption. In blood, the absorbed material was entirely confined to the plasma compartment. Only trace amounts were deposited in liver and kidney. By contrast, after similar application of Na, ⁵¹CrO₄ the bulk of blood radioactivity was present in red blood cells (RBC). Substantial deposition occurred in liver and kidneys. It is concluded that Cr(VI) may enter the body unreduced via the lung and is partially deposited in cells over a prolonged period of time.

Since chromium was accumulated in liver after administration of Cr(VI) we investigated the intracellular disposition of Cr(VI) in the isolated perfused liver. No significant sex differences in chromium distribution were observed. At the end of the experiments (1 h), 60% of the applied dose (312μg Cr/liver) was located in the cytosol, whilst 14% was in the mitochondria, 9% in the microsomal pellet and 2% was associated with the nuclei. Gel chromatography of the cytosolic compartment showed that the overwhelming part of chromium was eluted in fractions with an apparent molecular weight of 6,000 dalton. These fractions exhibited absorption maxima at 410nm and 548nm. It is concluded, that cytosolic reduction might be the main intracellular redox pathway for chromates. This view was confirmed by monitoring the reaction of Cr(VI) with GSH in vitro. GSH reduced Cr(VI) without further cofactors under formation of GSH‐chromium complexes, which possibly represent major intermediates in the metabolism of Cr(VI).     

Testing the presence of marine protected areas against their ability to reduce pressures on biodiversity

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are the preferred tool for preventing marine biodiversity loss, as reflected in international protected area targets. Although the area covered by MPAs is expanding, there is a concern that opposition from resource users is driving them into already low-use locations, whereas high-pressure areas remain unprotected, which has serious implications for biodiversity conservation. We tested the spatial relationships between different human-induced pressures on marine biodiversity and global MPAs. We used global, modeled pressure data and the World Database on Protected Areas to calculate the levels of 15 different human-induced pressures inside and outside the world's MPAs. We fitted binomial generalized linear models to the data to determine whether each pressure had a positive or negative effect on the likelihood of an area being protected and whether this effect changed with different categories of protection. Pelagic and artisanal fishing, shipping, and introductions of invasive species by ships had a negative relationship with protection, and this relationship persisted under even the least restrictive categories of protection (e.g., protected areas classified as category VI under the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a category that permits sustainable use). In contrast, pressures from dispersed, diffusive sources (e.g., pollution and ocean acidification) had positive relationships with protection. Our results showed that MPAs are systematically established in areas where there is low political opposition, limiting the capacity of existing MPAs to manage key drivers of biodiversity loss. We suggest that conservation efforts focus on biodiversity outcomes and effective reduction of pressures rather than prescribing area-based targets, and that alternative approaches to conservation are needed in areas where protection is not feasible.     

厦门西溪河口沉积物活性磷的分布特征及迁移转化机制

为探索不同河口区域锰、铁和硫地球化学行为对活性磷分布的影响,选择厦门西溪河口,应用薄膜扩散梯度（DGT）采样技术,对沉积物DGT有效态磷（DGT-P）、锰、铁和硫进行原位和高分辨监测.结果表明,在垂向剖面中,DGT-P的分布与铁和硫的氧化还原转化以及沉积物活性磷背景值关系密切,磷的钝化/活化主要受控于铁氧化物对磷的氧化吸附和还原溶解,以及硫酸盐还原和硫化物积累引发的磷活化;沿采样点分布,DGT-P的浓度平均值差异大（0.075~0.80 mg ·L^-1）,与盐度无关,而是与氧化还原条件密切相关,即氧化带越深磷浓度平均值越低;模型模拟结果表明,表层沉积物对孔隙水磷的再补给能力与DGT-P浓度及氧化还原条件相关,即氧化环境不利于沉积物磷的解吸再补给,而还原环境中与铁和硫地球化学的耦合有利于维持高活性磷浓度以及磷的持续释放.     

江苏海洋开发的资源环境条件评述

江苏海洋的区位优越，海域广阔，环境条件总体有利，海洋资源种类多，数量大，具有综合开发功能，而且资源和环境的区域组合良好，有利于海洋产业的集约经营和协调发展，但也存在不少限制因素，如深水区离岸较远，海底矿产勘探程度低，自然灾害较多等。应根据实际情况确定本省海洋的开发战略。     

醌基氯甲基化聚苯乙烯的制备及废水生化处理应用

非水溶性介体厌氧生物催化技术是目前环境领域研究热点,通过Friedel-Crafts反应将5种醌基化合物接枝在氯甲基化聚苯乙烯大分子载体上.以1,4-萘醌为例,分别从反应温度、反应物摩尔比来研究其对载体接枝1,4-萘醌体系的影响,其中最佳的反应温度为78℃,最佳的反应物摩尔比为1,4-萘醌∶氯甲基聚苯乙烯=2∶1.通过傅里叶红外光谱分析,醌基基团成功地接枝在了大分子骨架氯甲基化聚苯乙烯上.制备的5种醌基材料作为非水溶性氧化还原介体能催化提高生物反硝化速率和偶氮染料脱色,同时在偶氮染料的生物降解中表现了良好的循环使用性.此研究开拓了醌基功能材料的制备新路径和介体催化技术新方向.     

海洋环境水下电磁场基本特性及抑制方法研究

目的掌握环境水下电磁场的基本特性以及适宜的降噪方法。方法从时域、频域、相关与极化等方面对某海域进行分析,并对得到的大量海洋环境水下电磁场特性进行总结,基于分析结果,研究自适应线谱增强技术在海洋环境水下电磁场抑制方面的应用。结果海洋环境水下电磁场具有一定的规律性和随机性,利用自适应线谱增强技术,信号强度增加了6 dB。结论通过对环境电磁场基本特性以及抑制方法的研究,可以对舰船测试中环境电磁场的影响程度进行评估,并提高目标的探测能力。     

硫素对水稻根系铁锰胶膜形成及吸收镉的影响

添加外源镉污染水稻土进行池栽试验,施入不同形态及数量的硫肥(单质硫、石膏),研究硫素对水稻根系铁锰胶膜的形成及对水稻吸收镉的影响.结果表明,整个水稻生育期内,土壤溶液Eh范围在-200~100 m V之间;p H在6.9~7.9之间;pe+p H在4~10之间.水稻根表胶膜以Fe膜为主,其质量分数达到5 000~13 000 mg·kg-1,Mn膜的质量分数相对较小,为170~580 mg·kg-1.在孕穗期高硫量处理与低硫量处理的铁胶膜质量分数分别为9 400 mg·kg-1和8 600 mg·kg-1,高硫量处理比低硫量处理可生成更多的铁胶膜;而根表锰胶膜的数量差异主要表现在分蘖期,单质硫和石膏硫处理的锰胶膜质量分数分别为600 mg·kg-1和400 mg·kg-1,达到显著差异水平,单质硫比石膏硫更易促进水稻根表锰胶膜的形成.胶膜对于Fe2+过量吸收有一定阻控作用,对Mn2+作用不显著.水稻根表胶膜吸附Cd的质量分数在分蘖期为78.8~131.1 mg·kg-1,孕穗期16.6~21.1mg·kg-1,成熟期3.0~9.2 mg·kg-1.在分蘖期与孕穗期,高硫量处理比低硫量处理的吸附量高,在成熟期反之.采用ACA方法浸提铁锰胶膜内的Cd测定值并不能真实地表明胶膜实际固定Cd的质量分数.水稻体内各部位Cd的质量分数表现为根茎叶籽粒.一定量的施硫能有效减少水稻各器官中Cd的质量分数.对于根和茎叶,单质硫在成熟期以前效果好于石膏硫;对于籽粒,石膏硫效果更佳.一定量的硫肥,能有效阻碍Cd从水稻根部向茎叶与籽粒的转移.对于茎叶,在孕穗期单质硫和石膏硫的Cd转移系数分别为0.13和0.25,差异显著,单质硫能更好地阻碍Cd的转移;对于籽粒,石膏硫的阻碍效果更好.