Temporal and spatial distribution of Cs in Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Horizontal and vertical dispersion in two regions

Caesium-137 activity concentration in the water columns of the Gulf of Patras (Central Greece) and the North-Eastern Aegean Sea (easterward to Lemnos Island) was investigated in selected sampling stations during the period September 2004–June 2006. The methodology followed was based on the sorption of caesium (Cs) on cotton wound cartridge filters impregnated by Cu₂[Fe(CN)₆] via in-situ pumping. In terms of the horizontal and vertical records, the activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs in the Gulf of Patras ranged between 1.2 and 6.7 Bq m⁻³, depending on the sampling period and the prevailing physicochemical regime at the sampling station. The general pattern of the decreased activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs with increasing depth was reversed in the Gulf of Patras during the cold period attributed to the prevailing advective processes of the area. The activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs in the North-Eastern Aegean Sea ranged from 2.6 to 12.8 Bq m⁻³, whereas significant stratified curves were observed during the warm period and also, in one station during the cold period. In terms of temporal variation, the discharges in the Gulf of Patras resulted in enhanced levels of ¹³⁷Cs, whereas in the North Aegean Sea the incoming water masses form the Black Sea had an apparent influence throughout the year by increasing the ¹³⁷Cs levels, hence presenting a weak seasonal variation. Comparing the two studied areas, one could say that the North Aegean Sea, as an open sea environment, presented higher concentrations due to the influence of the Black Sea water masses. The estimated inventories of ¹³⁷Cs in the Gulf of Patras ranged 0.25 ± 0.03–0.79 ± 0.03 kBq m⁻², whereas in the North-Eastern Aegean Sea they ranged 0.33 ± 0.02–0.92 ± 0.03 kBq m⁻².     

Energy and resource basis of an Italian coastal resort region integrated using emergy synthesis

Sustainable development of coastal zones must balance economic development that encourages human visitation from a larger population with desires that differ from the local residents with the need to maintain opportunities for the local resident society and conserve ecological capital, which may serve as the basis for residents.We present a case study in which the sustainability level of a coastal zone (Riviera del Beigua), located along the Ligurian coast of north-western Italy, was assessed through the lens of systems ecology using emergy synthesis to integrate across economic, social and environmental sub-systems.Our purposes were (1) to quantify the environmental sustainability level of this coastal zone, (2) to evaluate the role of tourism in affecting the economy, society and environment, and (3) to compare emergy synthesis to Butler's Tourism Area Life Cycle model (TALC). Results showed that 81% of the total emergy consumption in the coastal zone was derived from external sources, indicating that this tourist-heavy community was not sustainable. Tourism, as the dominant economic sub-system, consumed 42% of the total emergy budget, while local residents used the remaining 58%. The progressive stages of the TALC model were found to parallel the dynamic changes in the ratio of external emergy inputs to local emergy inputs, suggesting that emergy synthesis could be a useful tool for detecting a tourist region's TALC stage. Use of such a quantitative tool could expedite sustainability assessment to allow administrative managers to understand the complex relationship between a region's economy, environment and resident society so sound policies can be developed to improve overall sustainability.     

Estimation of the effect of the degree of sewage treatment on the status of pollution along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea using broad scale modelling

A preliminary investigation was performed to estimate the effect of the degree of treatment in Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) on the status of pollution along the coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea. Data from questionnaires and the literature were collected and processed (a) to identify 18 approximate 1D surface coastal currents, (b) to estimate their prevailing direction and average flow velocity and (c) to estimate the water pollution loads and identify their locations of discharge. Then, a simplified 1D water quality model was formulated and applied for the existing conditions and two hypothetical scenarios: (1) all coastal cities have STPs with secondary treatment and (2) all coastal cities have STPs with tertiary treatment to determine BOD(5), TN and TP concentrations in the 18 surface coastal currents. Calculated concentrations were compared and discussed. A main conclusion is that, to reduce pollution in the Mediterranean Sea measures should be adopted for upgrading the water quality of the rivers discharging into the Mediterranean Sea, along with the construction of STPs for all the coastal cities.     

Physiological and behavioral aspects of Calanus euxinus females (Copepoda: Calanoida) during vertical migration across temperature and oxygen gradients

 In the Black Sea, during summer stratification, Calanus euxinus (Hulsemann) undertakes diel vertical migrations with an amplitude of about 117 m from oxygenated, warm (18 °C) surface layers to hypoxic (∼0.8 mg O₂ l⁻¹) zones with lower temperature (7.9 °C). When such changes in temperature and oxygen concentration are reproduced in the laboratory, total metabolism, basal metabolism and scope of activity of copepods decrease 7.2, 7.8 and 6.7 times, respectively, while the frequency of locomotory acts and mechanical power decline 3.4- and 9.5-fold, respectively. These changes allowed the copepods to conserve a significant portion of food consumed near the surface for transformation to lipid reserves. Diel respiratory oxygen consumption of migrating individuals, calculated so as to include actual duration of residence in layers with different temperature and oxygen concentrations, is estimated at 17.87 μg O₂ ind⁻¹. The net energy cost of vertical migration made up only 11.6% of the total. Copepods expend 78.6% of diel energy losses during approximately 10 h in the surface layers, while about 5.4% is required during about 9 h at depth. Hypoxia is shown to have a significant metabolic advantage during diel vertical migrations of C. euxinus in the Black Sea. Received: 1 October 1999 / Accepted: 11 July 2000     

An improved user-based beach climate index

In many coastal resort areas of the world, it is likely that optimal climatic conditions for beach use might occur outside the peak of the tourist season. Investigation of this issue together with associated publicity might help to spread the tourism load and hence reduce undesirable social and environmental effects of extreme seasonality in tourist demand. For this to take place, better knowledge of beach user preferences in terms of climate and bathing water temperature is required. Questionnaire surveys were carried out in Wales, Malta and Turkey to establish the preferences of north European beach users for thermal sensation and bathing water temperature, plus priority levels for other climatic attributes. A user-based beach climate index based on these preferences and priorities was formulated. Linkage was made between the user-generated ratings for various climatic conditions and published climate data to evaluate most major Euro-Mediterranean/Black Sea and a range of other beach tourism areas on a month-by-month basis. Results showed excessively hot thermal sensation in many southern and eastern Mediterranean coastal destinations during July and August, the present peak of the beach tourism season. Highest preference was given to water temperatures rather lower than those found in these areas during late summer. Many long haul coastal destinations popular with north European visitors had similar unpleasant thermal sensations over several months. Uncertainties and deficiencies still exist with the system, but from the point of view of north European beach users the final scores generated in this study may be regarded as good approximations of the quality of resort area climates for sedentary beach use.     

东海春季赤潮前后沉积物-海水界面营养盐交换速率的研究

应用实验室培养法现场研究了3～5月东海硅藻赤潮发生前后10个站位的营养盐在沉积物-海水界面的交换,并应用连续函数拟合法计算了营养盐的界面交换速率.结果显示,NO^-₃-N在赤潮前向沉积物中汇聚［-1.33～－0.68 mmol/(m²·d)］,赤潮后却基本由沉积物向海水中释放［－0.69～0.82 mmol/(m²·d)］.NH⁺₄-N在赤潮前后大都从沉积物中释放［－0.65～1.46 mmol/(m²·d)］,赤潮后释放速率小于赤潮前.NO^-₂-N赤潮前后除Zc17站外都向沉积物中汇聚［－0.09～0.05 mmol/(m²·d)］,赤潮后汇聚速率稍高.SiO^2-₃-Si在所有站位都由沉积物向海水释放［0.85～9.23 mmol/(m²·d)］,其赤潮后速率高于赤潮前.PO^3-₄-P在赤潮前向沉积物中汇聚［－0.06～－0.01 mmol/(m²·d)］,在赤潮后却由沉积物向海水中释放［0～1.26 mmol/(m²·d)］.NO^-₃-N和PO^3-₄-P向东海近海沉积物的汇聚在春季不利于硅藻赤潮的暴发,但其在硅藻赤潮暴发后从沉积物的大量释放为后面紧接的大面积甲藻赤潮的暴发提供了重要的营养物质补充.     

应用PCR-DGGE技术分析黄海冷水团海域的细菌群落组成

利用PCR-DGGE技术对2个季节(2006-04和2006-10)的黄海冷水团海域的细菌群落组成和优势菌群进行了分析.通过软件Glyko Bandscan分析DGGE图谱,4月份所有站位的条带数相近(约17条),多样性丰富;10月份,在冷水团范围以内站位的条带约16条,其多样性也较丰富;而在冷水团范围以外站位的条带少(约12条),其多样性较低.细菌16S rDNAV3区特征片段经DGGE分离、条带切割,共得到24条条带,克隆、测序后,进行系统进化分析,结果显示这24条带分别归属于2个细菌类群:变形细菌门(Proteobacteria)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroides).在24条序列中有16条分别与变形细菌亚群的γ和δ-Proteobacteria相似,有5条与拟杆菌门相似.时空分析发现,4月份所有站位水体(海水温度为7-12℃)的细菌群落组成和10月份(冷水团存在期)冷水团内部水体(海水温度低于10℃)的细菌群落组成相同(都包括γ-Proteobacteria、δ-Proteobacteria和Bacteroides),与10月份冷水团外部水体(海水温度大于19℃)的(包括γ-Proteobacteria和Bacteroides)不同.优势菌群也存在同样的分布特点,4月份所有站位水体的优势菌群与10月份冷水团内部水体的优势菌群也相同(都是γ-Proteobacteria),而10月份冷水团外部水体不同的站位优势菌群不同.该海域细菌群落组成和优势菌群的分布特点,可能与冷水团的形成有一定的相关性.     

渤海近岸水域环境污染状况分析

依据海洋环境质量公报,分析渤海近岸海域的环境现状、变化趋势、超标分布及污染源,说明影响渤海环境质量主要是陆源超标排放和水交换不畅。实施渤海环境治理具有紧迫性。渤海污染治理是个科学问题,应加强科技支撑作用。     

夏季中国东海生源有机硫化物的分布及其影响因素研究

二甲基硫(DMS)、二甲巯基丙酸内盐(DMSP)和二甲亚砜(DMSO)是海洋中最重要的3种生源有机硫化物.本文系统研究了2013年6月中国东海表层海水中3种硫化物的水平分布规律及其影响因素,并估算了DMS海-气通量.结果表明,表层海水DMS、溶解态DMSPd、颗粒态DMSPp、溶解态DMSOd和颗粒态DMSOp浓度平均值分别为4.70、7.00、27.83、13.66和10.78 nmol·L-1.DMS、DMSP和DMSO与叶绿素a(Chl-a)水平分布规律相似,均呈现近岸高、远海低的趋势.相关性分析结果表明,DMS、DMSPd和DMSOp浓度与Chl-a浓度均有显著的相关性,说明浮游植物生物量是影响东海有机硫化物生产分布的重要因素.此外,研究发现DMS与DMSPd、DMSOd与DMS间分别存在一定的相关性,表明表层海水中DMS主要来源于DMSPd的微生物降解,而DMSOd的主要来源是DMS的氧化过程.此外,夏季东海DMS海-气通量在0.62~33.98μmol·(m2·d)-1之间,平均值为9.71μmol·(m2·d)-1.     

南海南部海域浮游细菌群落特征及影响因素研究

采用高通量测序技术,对南海南部海域浮游细菌丰度、群落组成和群落多样性的分布特征及与环境因子的关系进行了研究.结果表明,该研究区域浮游细菌丰度为107~108个/L,近岸大于离岸,同一站位不同水层细菌分布差异明显.优势类群为变形菌门、蓝藻门和拟杆菌门,优势亚群为 γ-变形菌纲、α-变形菌纲、蓝藻菌纲和黄杆菌纲,研究区域内不同水体间物种组成存在较大差异,另外该海域还存在大量未被认知的细菌类群.该海域浮游细菌种类丰富,具有较高的多样性指数(H￠)(4.44~7.00),研究区域内表层水体H￠接近,分别为5.26、5.33和5.07,处于上升流的次表层水体中H￠为6.70明显高于其他水层.DOC和磷酸盐是影响该海域浮游细菌丰度的主要因素,同时磷酸盐也是影响其群落多样性的主要因素,表明该海域异养浮游细菌生长主要受P的限制.