Woods Hole Authors Research

Hierarchical mapping of Northern Eurasian land cover using MODIS data

Sulla-Menashe,Damien

The Northern Eurasian land mass encompasses a diverse array of land cover types including tundra, boreal forest, wetlands, semi-arid steppe, and agricultural land use. Despite the well-established importance of Northern Eurasia in the global carbon and climate system, the distribution and properties of land cover in this region are not well characterized. To address this knowledge and data gap, a hierarchical mapping approach was developed that encompasses the study area for the Northern Eurasia Earth System Partnership Initiative (NEESPI). The Northern Eurasia Land Cover (NELC) database developed in this study follows the FAO-Land Cover Classification System and provides nested groupings of land cover characteristics, with separate layers for land use, wetlands, and tundra. The database implementation is substantially different from other large-scale land cover datasets that provide maps based on a single set of discrete classes. By providing a database consisting of nested maps and complementary layers, the NELC database provides a flexible framework that allows users to tailor maps to suit their needs. The methods used to create the database combine empirically derived climate–vegetation relationships with results from supervised classifications based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. The hierarchical approach provides an effective framework for integrating climate–vegetation relationships with remote sensing-based classifications, and also allows sources of error to be characterized and attributed to specific levels in the hierarchy. The cross-validated accuracy was 73% for the land cover map and 73% and 91% for the agriculture and wetland classifications, respectively. These results support the use of hierarchical classification and climate–vegetation relationships for mapping land cover at continental scales.

The fluid dynamics of swimming by jumping in copepods

Jiang,Houshuo

Copepods swim either continuously by vibrating their feeding appendages or erratically by repeatedly beating their swimming legs, resulting in a series of small jumps. The two swimming modes generate different hydrodynamic disturbances and therefore expose the swimmers differently to rheotactic predators. We developed an impulsive stresslet model to quantify the jump-imposed flow disturbance. The predicted flow consists of two counter-rotating viscous vortex rings of similar intensity, one in the wake and one around the body of the copepod. We showed that the entire jumping flow is spatially limited and temporally ephemeral owing to jump-impulsiveness and viscous decay. In contrast, continuous steady swimming generates two well-extended long-lasting momentum jets both in front of and behind the swimmer, as suggested by the well-known steady stresslet model. Based on the observed jump-swimming kinematics of a small copepod Oithona davisae, we further showed that jump-swimming produces a hydrodynamic disturbance with much smaller spatial extension and shorter temporal duration than that produced by a same-size copepod cruising steadily at the same average translating velocity. Hence, small copepods in jump-swimming are in general much less detectable by rheotactic predators. The present impulsive stresslet model improves a previously published impulsive Stokeslet model that applies only to the wake vortex.

Marine subsurface eukaryotes: the fungal majority

Edgcomb,Virginia P.

P>Studies on the microbial communities of deep subsurface sediments have indicated the presence of Bacteria and Archaea throughout the sediment column. Microbial eukaryotes could also be present in deep-sea subsurface sediments; either bacterivorous protists or eukaryotes capable of assimilating buried organic carbon. DNA- and RNA-based clone library analyses are used here to examine the microbial eukaryotic diversity and identify the potentially active members in deep-sea sediment cores of the Peru Margin and the Peru Trench. We compared surface communities with those much deeper in the same cores, and compared cores from different sites. Fungal sequences were most often recovered from both DNA- and RNA-based clone libraries, with variable overall abundances of different sequence types and different dominant clone types in the RNA-based and the DNA-based libraries. Surficial sediment communities were different from each other and from the deep subsurface samples. Some fungal sequences represented potentially novel organisms as well as ones with a cosmopolitan distribution in terrestrial, fresh and salt water environments. Our results indicate that fungi are the most consistently detected eukaryotes in the marine sedimentary subsurface; further, some species may be specifically adapted to the deep subsurface and may play important roles in the utilization and recycling of nutrients.

Harmonic analysis of the cone flicker ERG of rabbit

Qian,Haohua

Harmonic analysis was used to characterize the rabbit flicker ERG elicited by sinusoidally modulated full-field stimuli under light-adapted conditions. The frequency-response function for fundamental amplitude, derived from Fourier analysis of the ERG waveforms, exhibited two limbs, with an amplitude minimum at approximately 30 Hz, and a high-frequency region peaking at around 45 Hz and extending to more than 100 Hz at higher adapting levels. At low frequencies (< 20 Hz), the fundamental response amplitude was independent of mean luminance (Weber law behavior), whereas the response amplitude at high stimulus frequencies varied nonlinearly with mean luminance. At low frequencies, intravitreal administration of L-AP4, which blocks ON-pathway activity, reduced the fundamental response amplitude and produced a phase shift. On the other hand, PDA, which reduces OFF-pathway activity, had a minimal effect on both the response amplitude and phase at low frequencies. At high frequencies, L-AP4 increased the fundamental response amplitude at low mean luminances, whereas PDA had only a small effect on amplitude and phase. Both pharmacologic agents removed the minimum in the amplitude-frequency function as well as the abrupt change in phase at stimulus frequencies near 30 Hz. The results suggest that there is a nonlinear interaction between ON- and OFF-pathway activity over the entire stimulus frequency range examined in this study. These findings provide a basis for formulating protocols to evaluate the effect of pharmacologic agents and/or disease on the cone flicker ERG of rabbit. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Identification and developmental expression of the full complement of Cytochrome P450 genes in Zebrafish

Goldstone,Jared V.

Background: Increasing use of zebrafish in drug discovery and mechanistic toxicology demands knowledge of cytochrome P450 (CYP) gene regulation and function. CYP enzymes catalyze oxidative transformation leading to activation or inactivation of many endogenous and exogenous chemicals, with consequences for normal physiology and disease processes. Many CYPs potentially have roles in developmental specification, and many chemicals that cause developmental abnormalities are substrates for CYPs. Here we identify and annotate the full suite of CYP genes in zebrafish, compare these to the human CYP gene complement, and determine the expression of CYP genes during normal development. Results: Zebrafish have a total of 94 CYP genes, distributed among 18 gene families found also in mammals. There are 32 genes in CYP families 5 to 51, most of which are direct orthologs of human CYPs that are involved in endogenous functions including synthesis or inactivation of regulatory molecules. The high degree of sequence similarity suggests conservation of enzyme activities for these CYPs, confirmed in reports for some steroidogenic enzymes (e.g. CYP19, aromatase; CYP11A, P450scc; CYP17, steroid 17a-hydroxylase), and the CYP26 retinoic acid hydroxylases. Complexity is much greater in gene families 1, 2, and 3, which include CYPs prominent in metabolism of drugs and pollutants, as well as of endogenous substrates. There are orthologous relationships for some CYP1 s and some CYP3 s between zebrafish and human. In contrast, zebrafish have 47 CYP2 genes, compared to 16 in human, with only two (CYP2R1 and CYP2U1) recognized as orthologous based on sequence. Analysis of shared synteny identified CYP2 gene clusters evolutionarily related to mammalian CYP2 s, as well as unique clusters. Conclusions: Transcript profiling by microarray and quantitative PCR revealed that the majority of zebrafish CYP genes are expressed in embryos, with waves of expression of different sets of genes over the course of development. Transcripts of some CYP occur also in oocytes. The results provide a foundation for the use of zebrafish as a model in toxicological, pharmacological and chemical disease research.

New CYP1 genes in the frog Xenopus (Silurana) tropicalis: Induction patterns and effects of AHR agonists during development

Jonsson,Maria E.

The Xenopus tropicalis genome shows a single gene in each of the four cytochrome P450 1 (CYP1) subfamilies that occur in vertebrates, designated as CYP1A, CYP1B1, CYP1C1, and CYP1D1. We cloned the cDNAs of these genes and examined their expression in untreated tadpoles and in tadpoles exposed to waterborne aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists, 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126), beta-naphthoflavone (beta NF), or indigo. We also examined the effects of PCB126 on expression of genes involved in stress response, cell proliferation, thyroid homeostasis. and prostaglandin synthesis. PCB126 induced CYP1A. CYP1B1, and CYP1C1 but had little effect on CYP1D1 (77-, 1.7-, 4.6- and 1.4-fold induction versus the control, respectively). beta NF induced CYP1A and CYP1C1 (26- and 2.5-fold), while, under conditions used, indigo tended to induce only CYP1A (1.9-fold). The extent of CYP1 induction by PCB126 and beta NF was positively correlated to the number of putative dioxin response elements 0-20 kb upstream of the start codons. No morphological effect was observed in tadpoles exposed to 1 nM-10 mu M PCB126 at two days post-fertilization (dpf) and screened 20 days later. However, in 14-dpf tadpoles a slight up-regulation of the genes for PCNA, transthyretin, HSC70, Cu-Zn SOD, and Cox-2 was observed two days after exposure to mu M PCB126. This study of the full suite of CYP1 genes in an amphibian species reveals gene- and AHR agonist-specific differences in response, as well as a much lower sensitivity to CYP1 induction and short-term toxicity by PCB126 compared with in fish larvae. The single genes in each CYP1 subfamily may make X. tropicalis a useful model for mechanistic studies of CYP1 functions. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low marine sulfate concentrations and the isolation of the European epicontinental sea during the Early Jurassic

Newton,Robert J.

Two records of seawater sulfate isotope composition from the Early Jurassic demonstrate that large isotopic gradients existed between the European epicontinental sea and the open Tethys Ocean. These differences can be explained by the modifi cation of open-ocean sulfate isotopic compositions by water-mass isolation, sea-level rise, and the effects of changing regional weathering and pyrite burial fl uxes, during a time of rapid environmental change. Both records contain large positive isotopic excursions. In the section from Europe (Yorkshire, UK), a 6 parts per thousand excursion begins in the early exaratum subzone of the Toarcian in the middle of the organic-rich shale representing a well-known oceanic anoxic event. An open Tethyan margin record from Tibet records a much larger 19 parts per thousand excursion, but the section is less well dated. Two age interpretations are possible: sparse biostrati-graphic evidence places this excursion in the Aalenian, but we suggest that it may correlate with the positive excursion in Yorkshire. Hence these records may document both a Toarcian event and an Aalenian sulfur isotope event, or the early Toarcian anoxic event alone. Conservative estimates of the rate of isotopic change with time based on the Tibetan section suggest that Early Jurassic seawater sulfate concentrations were between 1 and 5 mM, much lower than previously thought.

Multiple Alkynes React with Ethylene To Enhance Carbon Nanotube Synthesis, Suggesting a Polymerization-like Formation Mechanism

Plata,Desiree L.

Thermal treatments of feedstock gases (e.g., C2H4/H-2) used during carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis result in the formation of a complex mixture of volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Some of these are likely important CNT precursors, while others are superfluous and possibly degrade product quality, form amorphous carbon, and/or contribute to growth termination. To simulate the effect of thermal treatment without this chemical complexity, we delivered trace amounts of individual hydrocarbons, along with ethylene and hydrogen, to a cold-wall atmospheric pressure reactor containing a locally heated metal catalyst (Fe on Al2O3). Using these compound-specific experiments, we demonstrate that many alkynes (e.g., acetylene, methyl acetylene, and vinyl acetylene) accelerate multiwalled CNT formation with this catalyst system. Furthermore, ethylene is required for enhanced CNT growth, suggesting that the alkyne and ethylene may react in concert at the metal catalyst. This presents a distinct (NT formation mechanism where the chemical precursors may be intact during C-C bond formation, such as in polymerization reactions, challenging the widely accepted hypothesis that precursors completely dissociate into C (or C-2) units before "precipitating" from the metal. Armed with these mechanistic insights, we were able to form high-purity CNTs rapidly with a 15-fold improvement in yield, a 50% reduction in energetic costs, and order of magnitude reduction in unwanted byproduct formation (e.g., toxic and smog-forming chemicals and greenhouse gases).

Comment on "The Incidence of Fire in Amazonian Forests with Implications for REDD"

Balch,Jennifer K.

Aragao and Shimabukuro (Reports, 4 June 2010, p. 1275) reported that fires increase in agricultural frontiers even as deforestation decreases and concluded that these fires lead to unaccounted carbon emissions under the United Nations climate treaty's tropical deforestation and forest degradation component. Emissions from post-deforestation management activities are, in fact, included in these estimates-but burning of standing forests is not.

Editorial: Special Issue on the 2006 Shallow Water Experiment (Part II)

Chapman,N. Ross

Observations of Broadband Acoustic Backscattering From Nonlinear Internal Waves: Assessing the Contribution From Microstructure

Lavery,Andone C.

In this paper, measurements of high-frequency broadband (160-590 kHz) acoustic backscattering from surface trapped nonlinear internal waves of depression are presented. These waves are ideal for assessing the contribution from oceanic microstructure to scattering as they are intensely turbulent. Almost coincident direct microstructure measurements were performed and zooplankton community structure was characterized using depth-resolved net sampling techniques. The contribution to scattering from microstructure can be difficult to distinguish from the contribution to scattering from zooplankton using a single narrowband frequency as microstructure and zooplankton are often colocated and can have similar scattering levels over a range of frequencies. Yet their spectra are distinct over a sufficiently broad frequency range, allowing broadband backscattering measurements to reduce the ambiguities typically associated with the interpretation of narrowband measurements. In addition, pulse compression signal processing techniques result in very high-resolution images, allowing physical processes that are otherwise hard to resolve to be imaged, such as Kelvin-Helmholtz shear instabilities. In this study, high-resolution acoustic observations of multiple nonlinear internal waves are presented and regions with distinct scattering spectra are identified. Spectra that decrease in level across the available frequency band were highly correlated to regions of intense turbulence and high stratification, and to Kevin-Helmholtz shear instabilities in particular. Spectra that increase in level across the available frequency band were consistent with scattering dominated by small zooplankton. Simple inversions for relevant microstructure parameters are presented. Limitations of, and improvements to, the broadband system and techniques utilized in this study are discussed.

Merging Multiple-Partial-Depth Data Time Series Using Objective Empirical Orthogonal Function Fitting

Lin,Ying-Tsong

In this paper, a method for merging partial overlapping time series of ocean profiles into a single time series of profiles using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition with the objective analysis is presented. The method is used to handle internal waves passing two or more mooring locations from multiple directions, a situation where patterns of variability cannot be accounted for with a simple time lag. Data from one mooring are decomposed into linear combination of EOFs. Objective analysis using data from another mooring and these patterns is then used to build the necessary profile for merging the data, which is a linear combination of the EOFs. This method is applied to temperature data collected at a two vertical moorings in the 2006 New Jersey Shelf Shallow Water Experiment (SW06). Resulting profiles specify conditions for 35 days from sea surface to seafloor at a primary site and allow for reliable acoustic propagation modeling, mode decomposition, and beamforming.

Investigation of Mode Filtering as a Preprocessing Method for Shallow-Water Acoustic Communications

Morozov,Andrey K.

Acoustical array data from the 2006 Shallow Water Experiment (SW06) was analyzed to show the feasibility of broadband mode decomposition as a preprocessing method to reduce the effective channel delay spread and concentrate received signal energy in a small number of independent channels. The data were collected by a vertical array, which spans the water column from 12-m depth to the bottom in shallow water 80 m in depth. Binary m-sequence data were used to phase-shift-keyed (PSK) modulate signals with different carrier frequencies. No error correction coding was used. The received signals were processed by a system that does not use training or pilot signals. Signals received both during periods of ordinary internal wave activity and during a period with unusually strong internal wave solitons were processed and analyzed. Different broadband mode-filtering methods were analyzed and tested. Broadband mode filtering decomposed the received signal into a number of independent signals with a reduced delay spread. The analysis of signals from the output of mode filters shows that even a simple demodulator can achieve a low bit error rate (BER) at a distance 19.2 km.

Passive Time Reversal Acoustic Communications Through Shallow-Water Internal Waves

Song,Aijun

During a 12-h period in the 2006 Shallow Water Experiment (SW06), binary phase shift keying (BPSK) signals at the carrier frequencies of 813 and 1627 Hz were propagated over a 19.8-km source-receiver range when a packet of strong internal waves passed through the acoustic track. The communication data are analyzed by time reversal processing followed by a single-channel decision feedback equalizer. Two types of internal wave effects are investigated in the context of acoustic communications. One is the rapid channel fluctuation within 90-s data packets. It can be characterized as decreased channel coherence, which was the result of fast sound-speed perturbations during the internal wave passage. We show its effect on the time reversal receiver performance and apply channel tracking in the receiver to counteract such fluctuation. The other one is the long-term (in the scale of hours) performance degradation in the depressed waveguide when the internal waves passed through the acoustic track. Even with channel tracking, the time reversal receiver experiences average 3-4-dB decrease in the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Such long-term performance degradation is explained by the ray approximation in the depressed waveguide.

Underwater Tracking of Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) With High-Frequency Pingers and Acoustic Recording Tags

Schmidt,Val

A long-baseline (LBL) acoustic system has been developed for the tracking of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) that have been tagged with digital acoustic recording devices (DTAGs), providing quantitative observations of submerged whale behavior during bubble net feeding. The system includes three high-frequency acoustic sources deployed from small boats that follow the whale after the animal has been tagged. Integrated global positioning systems (GPSs) provide positioning and synchronized operation of the sources. Time-encoded acoustic signals from the sources are recorded along with whale vocalizations and ambient noise on the whale tag. Time-of-flight measurements, as measured by the tag acoustic data, are converted to range from the whale to each source with a measured sound-speed profile. A nonlinear least squares solution is then solved for the whale's position with a nominal positional fix rate of once per second. The system is demonstrated with data collected from a tagged animal in summer 2007. Dead-reckoned track generation methods commonly used in previous studies are shown to capture the qualitative nature of the whale track, albeit with poor absolute positional accuracy, and to distort the track when the whale's movement is predominantly vertical. In contrast, the LBL data can provide quantitative measures of whale behavior. Transit speeds between bubble net feeding events for this case study are found to range from 0.7 to 1.9 m . s(-1) (n = 8). The mean diameter of bubble net curtains are measured to range from 9.6 to 10.9 m. Whale speeds during bubble net rotations vary from 1.0 to 1.9 m . s(-1) (n = 6).

Gene and protein structure of the mate recognition protein gene family in Brachionus manjavacas (Rotifera)

Gribble,Kristin E.

The mate recognition protein (MRP) gene is a member of a family of extracellular matrix protein genes, called MRP Motif Repeat (MMR) genes, with no known homologs. Two sets of MMR genes, designated MMR-A and MMR-B, were found in Brachionus manjavacas. MMR-B has previously been shown to encode the MRP in the Brachionus plicatilis species complex. MMR family genes share the same basic structure: a signal peptide sequence, followed by nearly identical 276 bp (MMR-A) or 261 bp (MMR-B) repeats, with a truncated final repeat. Each repeat of the predicted MMR-A and -B proteins is expected to have a secondary structure of 5 alpha-helices, ranging in length from 11 to 20 amino acids, separated by coils of 1-3 amino acids. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids are predicted to be partitioned to opposite sides of each alpha-helix, suggesting that MMR proteins are globular with a hydrophobic core. MMR-A and MMR-B proteins vary in their post-translational modifications, resulting in differences in size and charge, and likely causing differences in the physical properties of the proteins on the surface of the female, and their ability to be recognized by a receptor on a male rotifer. The identity of MMR gene repeats is theorized to be maintained by concerted evolution, through a process of unequal crossing over and/or gene conversion, with new mutations likely to be lost. Rarely, however, the same process of concerted evolution can rapidly spread a mutation across all of the repeats. When a mutation results in conformational changes in the protein detectable by males, it could lead to reproductive isolation and thereby to speciation. Thus, changes in MRP could be a driving force in the high degree of species diversity seen within the B. plicatilis cryptic species complex.

Molecular evolution of the membrane associated progesterone receptor in the Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera, Monogononta) species complex

Smith,Hilary A.

Many studies have investigated physiological roles of the membrane associated progesterone receptor (MAPR), but little is known of its evolution. Marked variations in response to exogenous progesterone have been reported for four brachionid rotifer species, suggesting differences in progesterone signaling and reception. Here we report sequence variation for the MAPR gene in the Brachionus plicatilis species complex. Phylogenetic analysis of this receptor is compared with relatedness based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 sequences. Nonsynonymous to synonymous site substitution rate ratios, amino acid divergence, and variations in predicted phosphorylation sites are examined to assess evolution of the MAPR among brachionid clades.

Thoughts on a variable meridional overturning cell and a variable heat-flux to the atmosphere

Nof,Doron

The atmospheric response to a potential slowdown of the Atlantic meridional overturning cell (AMOC) is examined using the nonlinear analytical approach (for Heinrich events) introduced by Sandal and Nof (Sandal, C. and Nof, D., A new analytical model for Heinrich events and climate instability. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 2008, 38, 451-466; SN, hereafter). Most numerical global climate models predict that the atmosphere should cool in response to the increased freshwater-fluxes (ohosingo) that slow the AMOC down and significantly reduce the heat-flux to the atmosphere. Our application of SN to the modern day climate suggests that the answer to the question of how the atmosphere responds to a slowing AMOC is not that simple. Within the (admittedly limited) dynamics which SN invoke, we find that, as the global numerical climate models predict, a slowdown of the AMOC will indeed cause the mean atmosphere of the entire Northern Hemisphere to cool. However, in contrast to the numerical predictions, our analytical approach suggests that a region in the immediate vicinity of the Atlantic convection (up to a distance of O(1000 km)) may warm up, not cool down (roughly 3 degrees C for 50% mass-transport reduction). For some extreme conditions of a constant atmospheric transport independent of the AMOC (which is not a part of the dynamics involved by SN), the atmosphere can indeed locally cool, but the cooling is minimal (less than 0.3 degrees C for a 50% ocean mass transport reduction), and the associated reduction in heat flux from the ocean to the atmosphere is almost totally negligible. We also place the SN results on a somewhat firmer ground by examining in detail about its closure condition and the most critical assumption adapted by SN. The first has to do with the ratio of the atmospheric and oceanic mass transports (assumed unity in SN) and the second involves up-to-date maps of the ocean-atmosphere heat-fluxes. We show that the system of governing equations admits physically relevant solutions only for particular relationships between the atmospheric and ocean mass transports participating in the ocean-atmosphere heat exchange. Still, as the analytics misses critical atmospheric components such as moisture and variability in the heat exchange interaction area, our results can only serve as an indicator of the problem complexity.

Observed 20th century desert dust variability: impact on climate and biogeochemistry

Mahowald,N. M.

Desert dust perturbs climate by directly and indirectly interacting with incoming solar and outgoing long wave radiation, thereby changing precipitation and temperature, in addition to modifying ocean and land biogeochemistry. While we know that desert dust is sensitive to perturbations in climate and human land use, previous studies have been unable to determine whether humans were increasing or decreasing desert dust in the global average. Here we present observational estimates of desert dust based on paleodata proxies showing a doubling of desert dust during the 20th century over much, but not all the globe. Large uncertainties remain in estimates of desert dust variability over 20th century due to limited data. Using these observational estimates of desert dust change in combination with ocean, atmosphere and land models, we calculate the net radiative effect of these observed changes (top of atmosphere) over the 20th century to be -0.14 +/- 0.11 W/m(2) (1990-1999 vs. 1905-1914). The estimated radiative change due to dust is especially strong between the heavily loaded 1980-1989 and the less heavily loaded 1955-1964 time periods (-0.57 +/- 0.46 W/m(2)), which model simulations suggest may have reduced the rate of temperature increase between these time periods by 0.11 degrees C. Model simulations also indicate strong regional shifts in precipitation and temperature from desert dust changes, causing 6 ppm (12 PgC) reduction in model carbon uptake by the terrestrial biosphere over the 20th century. Desert dust carries iron, an important micronutrient for ocean biogeochemistry that can modulate ocean carbon storage; here we show that dust deposition trends increase ocean productivity by an estimated 6% over the 20th century, drawing down an additional 4 ppm (8 PgC) of carbon dioxide into the oceans. Thus, perturbations to desert dust over the 20th century inferred from observations are potentially important for climate and biogeochemistry, and our understanding of these changes and their impacts should continue to be refined.

Precursor gas chemistry determines the crystallinity of carbon nanotubes synthesized at low temperature

Nessim,Gilbert D.

Despite significant progress in carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the factors determining the structure of the resulting carbon filaments and other graphitic nanocarbons are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that gas chemistry influences the crystal structure of carbon filaments grown at low temperatures (500 °C). Using thermal CVD, we decoupled the thermal treatment of the gaseous precursors (C2H4/H2/Ar) and the substrate-supported catalyst. Varying the preheating temperature of the feedstock gas, we observed a striking transition between amorphous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and crystalline CNTs. These results were confirmed using both a hot-wall CVD system and a cold-wall CVD reactor. Analysis of the exhaust gases (by ex situ gas chromatography) showed increasing concentrations of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that correlated with the structural transition observed (characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy). This suggests that the crystallinity of carbon filaments may be controlled by the presence of specific gas phase precursor molecules (e.g., VOCs and PAHs). Thus, direct delivery of these molecules in the CVD process may enable selective CNF or CNT formation at low substrate temperatures. The inherent scalability of this approach could impact many promising applications, especially in the electronics industry.

An assessment of Arctic Ocean freshwater content changes from the 1990s to the 2006–2008 period

Rabe,Benjamin

Unprecedented summer-season sampling of the Arctic Ocean during the period 2006–2008 makes possible a quasi-synoptic estimate of liquid freshwater (LFW) inventories in the Arctic Ocean basins. In comparison to observations from 1992 to 1999, LFW content relative to a salinity of 35 in the layer from the surface to the 34 isohaline increased by 8400±2000 km3 in the Arctic Ocean (water depth greater than 500 m). This is close to the annual export of freshwater (liquid and solid) from the Arctic Ocean reported in the literature. Observations and a model simulation show regional variations in LFW were both due to changes in the depth of the lower halocline, often forced by regional wind-induced Ekman pumping, and a mean freshening of the water column above this depth, associated with an increased net sea ice melt and advection of increased amounts of river water from the Siberian shelves. Over the whole Arctic Ocean, changes in the observed mean salinity above the 34 isohaline dominated estimated changes in LFW content; the contribution to LFW change by bounding isohaline depth changes was less than a quarter of the salinity contribution, and non-linear effects due to both factors were negligible.

Chemistry of hot springs along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center

Mottl,Michael J.

The Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC) is the southernmost part of the back-arc spreading axis in the Lau Basin, west of the Tonga trench and the active Tofua volcanic arc. Over its 397-km length it exhibits large and systematic changes in spreading rate, magmatic/tectonic processes, and proximity to the volcanic arc. In 2005, we collected 81 samples of vent water from six hydrothermal fields along the ELSC. The chemistry of these waters varies both within and between vent fields, in response to changes in substrate composition, temperature and pressure, pH, water/rock ratio, and input from magmatic gases and subducted sediment. Hot-spring temperatures range from 229° to 363 °C at the five northernmost fields, with a general decrease to the south that is reversed at the Mariner field. The southernmost field, Vai Lili, emitted water at up to 334 °C in 1989 but had a maximum venting temperature of only 121 °C in 2005, due to waning activity and admixture of bottom seawater into the subseafloor plumbing system. Chloride varies both within fields and from one field to another, from a low of 528 mmol/kg to a high of 656 mmol/kg, and may be enriched by phase separation and/or leaching of Cl from the rock. Concentrations of the soluble elements K, Rb, Cs, and B likewise increase southward as the volcanic substrate becomes more silica-rich, especially on the Valu Fa Ridge. Iodine and δ7Li increase southward, and δ11B decreases as B increases, apparently in response to increased input from subducted sediment as the arc is approached. Species that decrease southward as temperature falls are Si, H2S, Li, Na/Cl, Fe, Mn, and 87Sr/86Sr, whereas pH, alkalinity, Ca, and Sr increase. Oxygen isotopes indicate a higher water/rock ratio in the three systems on Valu Fa Ridge, consistent with higher porosity in more felsic volcanic rocks. Vent waters at the Mariner vent field on the Valu Fa Ridge are significantly hotter, more acid and metal-rich, less saline, and richer in dissolved gases and other volatiles, including H2S, CO2, and F, than the other vent fields, consistent with input of magmatic gases. The large variations in geologic and geophysical parameters produced by back-arc spreading along the ELSC, which exceed those along mid-ocean ridge spreading axes, produce similar large variations in the composition of vent waters, and thus provide new insights into the processes that control the chemistry of submarine hot springs.

Bacteria in Beach Sands: An Emerging Challenge in Protecting Coastal Water Quality and Bather Health

Halliday,Elizabeth

To protect bather health at recreational beaches, fecal indicator bacterial standards are used to monitor water quality, and waters exceeding the standards are subsequently closed to bathers. However beachgoers are also in contact with beach sands, the sanitary quality of which is not included within beach monitoring programs. In fact, sands and sediments provide habitat where fecal bacterial populations may persist, and in some cases grow, in the coastal zone. Specific pathogens are less well studied in beach sands and sediments, but there is a body of evidence that they too may persist in these environments. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding the abundance and distribution of fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens in beach sands of diverse climatological regions, and at beaches subjected to varied levels of anthropogenic impact. In all regions fecal indicator bacteria are nearly ubiquitous in beach sands, and similar relationships emerge among fecal indicator abundance in dry sand, submerged sands, and water. Taken together, these studies contextualize a potential public health issue and identify research questions that must be addressed in order to support future policy decisions.

Characterization of Cyanate Metabolism in Marine Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus spp.

Kamennaya,Nina A.

Cyanobacteria of the genera Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus are the most abundant photosynthetic organisms on earth, occupying a key position at the base of marine food webs. The cynS gene that encodes cyanase was identified among bacterial, fungal, and plant sequences in public databases, and the gene was particularly prevalent among cyanobacteria, including numerous Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus strains. Phylogenetic analysis of cynS sequences retrieved from the Global Ocean Survey database identified >60% as belonging to unicellular marine cyanobacteria, suggesting an important role for cyanase in their nitrogen metabolism. We demonstrate here that marine cyanobacteria have a functionally active cyanase, the transcriptional regulation of which varies among strains and reflects the genomic context of cynS. In Prochlorococcus sp. strain MED4, cynS was presumably transcribed as part of the cynABDS operon, implying cyanase involvement in cyanate utilization. In Synechococcus sp. strain WH8102, expression was not related to nitrogen stress responses and here cyanase presumably serves in the detoxification of cyanate resulting from intracellular urea and/or carbamoyl phosphate decomposition. Lastly, we report on a cyanase activity encoded by cynH, a novel gene found in marine cyanobacteria only. The presence of dual cyanase genes in the genomes of seven marine Synechococcus strains and their respective roles in nitrogen metabolism remain to be clarified.

Diversity in destinations, routes and timing of small adult and sub-adult striped bass Morone saxatilis on their southward autumn migration

Mather,M. E.

Almost three-quarters of the 46 young adult and sub-adult striped bass Morone saxatilis that were acoustically tagged in Plum Island Estuary, Massachusetts, U.S.A., in the summer of 2006 were detected in one or more southern coastal arrays during their autumn migration. On the basis of the trajectories along which these M. saxatilis moved from feeding to overwintering areas, three migratory groups emerged. After leaving Plum Island Estuary, about half of the fish were detected only in a mid-latitude array, Long Island Sound. The other half of the tagged fish were detected during autumn and winter in a more southern array, the Delaware Estuary. This latter group of fish may have used two routes. Some travelled to the Delaware Estuary through Long Island Sound while other fish may have taken a second, more direct, coastal route that did not include Long Island Sound. Consequently, a seemingly homogeneous group of fish tagged at the same time in the same non-natal feeding location exhibited a diversity of southward movement patterns that could affect population-level processes. These three groups that differed in overwintering location and migration route could be movement contingents with migratory connectivity.

South Atlantic intermediate water mass geometry for the last glacial maximum from foraminiferal Cd/Ca

Makou,Matthew C.

Paleoceanographic studies using benthic foraminiferal Cd as a nutrient tracer have provided a robust means of reconstructing glacial Atlantic Ocean water mass geometry, but a paucity of data from the South Atlantic above 1200 m has limited investigation of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) configuration and formation. A new Cd depth profile from Brazil margin sediments suggests that AAIW penetrated northward at 1100 m to at least 27 degrees S in the glacial Atlantic. It exhibited substantially reduced delta C-13(as) values, confirming preliminary evidence that this AAIW was unique to the glacial Atlantic and that it formed differently than today, with less atmospheric contact.

Rapid Mixed Layer Deepening by the Combination of Langmuir and Shear Instabilities: A Case Study

Kukulka,Tobias

Langmuir circulation (LC) is a turbulent upper-ocean process driven by wind and surface waves that contributes significantly to the transport of momentum, heat, and mass in the oceanic surface layer. The authors have previously performed a direct comparison of large-eddy simulations and observations of the upper-ocean response to a wind event with rapid mixed layer deepening. The evolution of simulated crosswind velocity variance and spatial scales, as well as mixed layer deepening, was only consistent with observations if LC effects are included in the model. Based on an analysis of these validated simulations, in this study the fundamental differences in mixing between purely shear-driven turbulence and turbulence with LC are identified. In the former case, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) production due to shear instabilities is largest near the surface, gradually decreasing to zero near the base of the mixed layer. This stands in contrast to the LC case in which at middepth range TKE production can be dominated by Stokes drift shear. Furthermore, the Eulerian mean vertical shear peaks near the base of the mixed layer so that TKE production by mean shear flow is elevated there. LC transports horizontal momentum efficiently downward leading to an along-wind velocity jet below LC downwelling regions at the base of the mixed layer. Locally enhanced vertical shear instabilities as a result of this jet efficiently erode the thermocline. In turn, enhanced breaking internal waves inject cold deep water into the mixed layer, where LC currents transport temperature perturbation advectively. Thus. LC and locally generated shear instabilities work intimately together to facilitate strongly the mixed layer deepening process.

Detecting anthropogenic CO2 changes in the interior Atlantic Ocean between 1989 and 2005

Wanninkhof,Rik

Repeat observations along the meridional Atlantic section A16 from Iceland to 56 degrees S show substantial changes in the total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations in the ocean between occupations from 1989 through 2005. The changes correspond to the expected increase in DIC driven by the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 from the atmosphere, but the Delta DIC is more varied and larger, in some locations, than can be explained solely by this process. Concomitant large changes in oxygen (O-2) suggest that processes acting on the natural carbon cycle also contribute to Delta DIC. Precise partial pressure of CO2 measurements suggest small but systematic increases in the bottom waters. To isolate the anthropogenic CO2 component (Delta C-anthro) from Delta DIC, an extended multilinear regression approach is applied along isopycnal surfaces. This yields an average depth-integrated Delta C-anthro of 0.53 +/- 0.05 mol m(-2) yr(-1) with maximum values in the temperate zones of both hemispheres and a minimum in the tropical Atlantic. A higher decadal increase in the anthropogenic CO2 inventory is found for the South Atlantic compared to the North Atlantic. This anthropogenic CO2 accumulation pattern is opposite to that seen for the entire Anthropocene up to the 1990s. This change could perhaps be a consequence of the reduced downward transport of anthropogenic CO2 in the North Atlantic due to recent climate variability. Extrapolating the results for this section to the entire Atlantic basin (63 degrees N to 56 degrees S) yields an uptake of 5 +/- 1 Pg C decade(-1), which corresponds to about 25% of the annual global ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2 during this period.

Modeling the impact of declining sea ice on the Arctic marine planktonic ecosystem

Zhang,Jinlun

We have developed a coupled 3-D pan-Arctic biology/sea ice/ocean model to investigate the impact of declining Arctic sea ice on the marine planktonic ecosystem over 1988-2007. The biophysical model results agree with satellite observations of a generally downward trend in summer sea ice extent during 1988-2007, resulting in an increase in the simulated photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) at the ocean surface and marine primary productivity (PP) in the upper 100 m over open water areas of the Arctic Ocean. The simulated Arctic sea ice thickness has decreased steadily during 1988-2007, leading to an increase in PAR and PP in sea ice-covered areas. The simulated total PAR in all areas of the Arctic Ocean has increased by 43%, from 146 TW in 1988 to 209 TW in 2007; the corresponding total PP has increased by 50%, from 456 Tg C yr(-1) in 1988 to 682 Tg C yr(-1) in 2007. The simulated PAR and PP increases mainly occur in the seasonally and permanently ice-covered Arctic Ocean. In addition to increasing PAR, the decline in sea ice tends to increase the nutrient availability in the euphotic zone by enhancing air-sea momentum transfer, leading to strengthened upwelling and mixing in the water column and therefore increased nutrient input into the upper ocean layers from below. The increasing nutrient availability also contributes to the increase in the simulated PP, even though significant surface nutrient drawdown in summer is simulated. In conjunction with increasing surface absorption of solar radiation and rising surface air temperature, the increasing surface water temperature in the Arctic Ocean peripheral seas further contributes to the increase in PP. As PP has increased, so has the simulated biomass of phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Influences of the ocean surface mixed layer and thermohaline stratification on Arctic Sea ice in the central Canada Basin

Toole,J. M.

Variations in the Arctic central Canada Basin mixed layer properties are documented based on a subset of nearly 6500 temperature and salinity profiles acquired by Ice-Tethered Profilers during the period summer 2004 to summer 2009 and analyzed in conjunction with sea ice observations from ice mass balance buoys and atmosphere-ocean heat flux estimates. The July-August mean mixed layer depth based on the Ice-Tethered Profiler data averaged 16 m (an overestimate due to the Ice-Tethered Profiler sampling characteristics and present analysis procedures), while the average winter mixed layer depth was only 24 m, with individual observations rarely exceeding 40 m. Guidance interpreting the observations is provided by a 1-D ocean mixed layer model. The analysis focuses attention on the very strong density stratification at the base of the mixed layer in the Canada Basin that greatly impedes surface layer deepening and thus limits the flux of deep ocean heat to the surface that could influence sea ice growth/decay. The observations additionally suggest that efficient lateral mixed layer restratification processes are active in the Arctic, also impeding mixed layer deepening.

Denitrification and total nitrate uptake in streams of a tropical landscape

Potter,J. D.

Rapid increases in nitrogen (N) loading are occurring in many tropical watersheds, but the fate of N in tropical streams is not well documented. Rates of nitrate uptake and denitrification were measured in nine tropical low-order streams with contrasting land use as part of the Lotic Intersite Nitrogen eXperiment II (LINX II) in Puerto Rico using short term (24-hour) additions of (KNO3)-N-15 and NaBr. Background nitrate concentrations ranged from 105 to 997 mu g N/L, and stream nitrate uptake lengths were long, varying from 315 to 8480 m (median of 1200 m). Other indices of nitrate uptake (mass transfer coefficient, V-f [cm/s], and whole-stream nitrate uptake rate, U [mu g N.m(-2).s(-1)]) were low in comparison to other regions and were related to chemical, biological, and physical parameters. Denitrification rates were highly variable (0-133 mu g N.m(-2).min(-1); median = 15 mu g N.m(-2).min(-1)), were dominated by the end product N-2 (rather than N2O), and were best predicted by whole-stream respiration rates and stream NO3 concentration. Denitrification accounted for 1-97% of nitrate uptake with five of nine streams having 35% or more of nitrate uptake via denitrification, showing that denitrification is a substantial sink for nitrate in tropical streams. Whole-stream nitrate uptake and denitrification in our study streams closely followed first-order uptake kinetics, indicating that NO3 uptake is limited by delivery of substrate (NO3) to the organisms involved in uptake or denitrification. In the context of whole-catchment nitrogen budgets, our finding that in-stream denitrification results in lower proportional production of N2O than terrestrial denitrification suggests that small streams can be viewed as the preferred site of denitrification in a watershed in order to minimize greenhouse gas N2O emissions. Conservation of small streams is thus critical in tropical ecosystem management.

Review of Florida red tide and human health effects

Fleming,Lora E.

This paper reviews the literature describing research performed over the past decade on the known and possible exposures and human health effects associated with Florida red tides. These harmful algal blooms are caused by the dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, and similar organisms, all of which produce a suite of natural toxins known as brevetoxins. Florida red tide research has benefited from a consistently funded, long-term research program, that has allowed an interdisciplinary team of researchers to focus their attention on this specific environmental issue—one that is critically important to Gulf of Mexico and other coastal communities. This long-term interdisciplinary approach has allowed the team to engage the local community, identify measures to protect public health, take emerging technologies into the field, forge advances in natural products chemistry, and develop a valuable pharmaceutical product. The review includes a brief discussion of the Florida red tide organisms and their toxins, and then focuses on the effects of these toxins on animals and humans, including how these effects predict what we might expect to see in exposed people.

Nursing vocalization of a polar bear cub

Derocher,Andrew E.

We recorded the nursing vocalization of a wild polar bear (Ursus maritimus) cub in Svalbard, Norway and describe it with the term humming. From a 3-minute recording of the vocalization, we found the sounds composed of between 30-55 pulses with a mean of 0.05 (SE = 0.002) seconds in duration, a frequency with the greatest energy at 0.28 kHz (SE = 0.06), and a mean maximum frequency of 0.85 kHz (SE = 0.15). The function of the pulsed vocalization is unknown but may relate to comfort and contentment or to stimulate milk release by the mother.

Permafrost and Wetland Carbon Stocks

Davidson,Eric A.

Dynamic millennial-scale climate changes in the northwestern Pacific over the past 40,000 years

Chen,M. -T

Ice core records of polar temperatures and greenhouse gases document abrupt millennial-scale oscillations that suggest the reduction or shutdown of thermohaline Circulation (THC) in the North Atlantic Ocean may induce the abrupt cooling in the northern hemisphere. It remains unknown, however, whether the sea surface temperature (SST) is cooling or warming in the Kuroshio of the Northwestern Pacific during the cooling event. Here we present an AMS C-14-dated foraminiferal Mg/Ca SST record from the central Okinawa Trough and document that the SST variations exhibit two steps of warming since 21 ka - at 14.7 ka and 12.8 ka, and a cooling (similar to 1.5 degrees C) during the interval of the Younger Dryas. By contrast, we observed no SST change or oceanic warming (similar to 1.5-2 degrees C) during the episodes of Northern Hemisphere cooling between similar to 21-40 ka. We therefore suggest that the "Antarctic-like" timing and amplitude of millennial-scale SST variations in the subtropical Northwestern Pacific between 20-40 ka may have been determined by rapid ocean adjustment processes in response to abrupt wind stress and meridional temperature gradient changes in the North Pacific. Citation: Chen, M.-T., X. P. Lin, Y.-P. Chang, Y.-C. Chen, L. Lo, C.-C. Shen, Y. Yokoyama, D. W. Oppo, W. G. Thompson, and R. Zhang (2010), Dynamic millennial-scale climate changes in the northwestern Pacific over the past 40,000 years, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L23603, doi:10.1029/2010GL045202.

Golgi Cells Operate as State-Specific Temporal Filters at the Input Stage of the Cerebellar Cortex

Heine,Shane A.

Cerebellar processing of incoming information begins at the synapse between mossy fibers and granule cells, a synapse that is strongly controlled through Golgi cell inhibition. Thus, Golgi cells are uniquely positioned to control the flow of information into the cerebellar cortex and understanding their responses during behavior is essential to understanding cerebellar function. Here we show, for the first time, that Golgi cells express a unique oculomotor-related signal that can be used to provide state-and time-specific filtering of granule cell activity. We used newly established criteria to identify the unique electrophysiological signature of Golgi cells and recorded these neurons in the squirrel monkey ventral paraflocculus during oculomotor behaviors. We found that they carry eye movement, but not vestibular or visual, information and that this eye movement information is only expressed within a specific range of eye positions for each neuron. In addition, simultaneous recordings of Golgi cells and nearby mossy fibers revealed that Golgi cells have the opposite directional tuning of the mossy fiber(s) that likely drive their responses, and that these responses are more sluggish than their mossy fiber counterparts. Because the mossy fiber inputs appear to convey the activity of burst-tonic neurons in the brainstem, Golgi cell responses reflect a time-filtered negative image of the motor command sent to the extraocular muscles. We suggest a role for Golgi cells in the construction of forward models of movement, commonly hypothesized as a major function of the cerebellar cortex in motor control.

Constraining ventilation during deepwater formation using deep ocean measurements of the dissolved gas ratios Ar-40/Ar-36, N-2/Ar, and Kr/Ar

Nicholson,David

The concentration of inert gases and their isotopes in the deep ocean are useful as tracers of air-sea gas exchange during deepwater formation. Delta Kr/Ar, Delta N-2/Ar, and delta Ar-40 were measured in deep profiles of samples collected in the northwest Pacific, subtropical North Pacific and tropical Atlantic oceans. For the ocean below 2000 m, we determined a mean Delta Kr/Ar composition of -0.96% +/- 0.16%, a mean Delta N-2/Ar of 1.29% +/- 0.21% relative to equilibrium saturation, and for delta Ar-40 a value of 1.188% +/- 0.055% relative to air. These data are used to constrain high-latitude ventilation processes in the framework of three-box and seven-box ocean models. For the three-box model tracer data, we constrain the appropriate surface area of the high-latitude region in both models to be 3.6% (+2.5%, -1.7%) of ocean surface area and the bubble air injection rate to be 22.7 (+8.8, -7.3) mol air m(-2) yr(-1). Results for the seven-box model were similar, with a high-latitude area of 3.3% (+2.2%, -1.3%). Our results provide geochemical support for suggestions that the effective area of high-latitude ventilation is much smaller than the region of elevated preformed nutrients and demonstrate that noble gases strongly constrain the ocean solubility pump. Reducing high-latitude surface area weakens the CO2 solubility pump in the box models and limits communication between the atmosphere and deep ocean. These tracers should be useful constraints on high-latitude ventilation and the strength of the solubility pump in more complex ocean general circulation models.

Widespread influence of resuspended sediments on oceanic particulate organic carbon: Insights from radiocarbon and aluminum contents in sinking particles

Hwang,Jeomshik

Particulate organic carbon (POC) in the ocean often exhibits more depleted radiocarbon contents (lower Delta C-14 values) than expected if its sole source were POC recently synthesized by primary production and export from the overlying surface waters. An examination of available Delta C-14 data sets for sinking POC show that this phenomenon is both common and globally widespread. Also, a strong correlation is found to exist between Delta C-14 values of organic carbon and aluminum content in sinking particles that is consistent over a range of oceanic settings. Together, these findings imply that aged organic carbon associated with lithogenic material from sediment resuspension is responsible for the observed low Delta C-14 values as opposed to other processes such as incorporation of dissolved inorganic carbon or dissolved organic carbon into POC at depth. An estimate based on POC flux- weighted Delta C-14 values shows that about 35% of sinking POC at the locations studied is derived from resuspended sediment. Our results suggest that resuspension of sediment and its subsequent lateral transport is an important component of the oceanic carbon cycle and should be considered in models of oceanic carbon export and burial.

Natural organobromine in marine sediments: New evidence of biogeochemical Br cycling

Leri,Alessandra C.

Organobromine (Br-org) compounds, commonly recognized as persistent, toxic anthropogenic pollutants, are also produced naturally in terrestrial and marine systems. Several enzymatic and abiotic bromination mechanisms have been identified, as well as an array of natural Brorg molecules associated with various marine organisms. The fate of the carbon-bromine functionality in the marine environment, however, remains largely unexplored. Oceanographic studies have noted an association between bromine (Br) and organic carbon (C-org) in marine sediments. Even so, there has been no direct chemical evidence that Br in the sediments exists in a stable form apart from inorganic bromide (Br-inorg), which is widely presumed conservative in marine systems. To investigate the scope of natural Brorg production and its fate in the environment, we probed Br distribution and speciation in estuarine and marine sediments using in situ X-ray spectroscopy and spectromicroscopy. We show that Br-org is ubiquitous throughout diverse sedimentary environments, occurring in correlation with C-org and metals such as Fe, Ca, and Zn. Analysis of sinking particulate carbon from the seawater column links the Brorg observed in sediments to biologically produced Br-org compounds that persist through humification of natural organic matter (NOM). Br speciation varies with sediment depth, revealing biogeochemical cycling of Br between organic and inorganic forms as part of the burial and degradation of NOM. These findings illuminate the chemistry behind the association of Br with C-org in marine sediments and cast doubt on the paradigmatic classification of Br as a conservative element in seawater systems.

Authigenic Pb isotopes from the Laurentian Fan: Changes in chemical weathering and patterns of North American freshwater runoff during the last deglaciation

Kurzweil,Florian

Climate-dependent chemical weathering trends have a strong impact on the dissolved Pb isotopic composition of continental runoff during glacial terminations, so that this tracer can be used to reconstruct the impact of the North American deglaciation on aspects of freshwater runoff and ocean chemistry. Here we present authigenic Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide-derived Pb isotope records from lower Laurentian Fan sediments that trace the local deglacial continental runoff signal through the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We use these records to investigate changes in the Pb isotopic composition of the North American runoff, and their relationship to deglacial processes. The new Pb isotope records are very similar to those from the subtropical deep NW Atlantic locations, though the new data are at higher resolution and exhibit much greater amplitudes of change due to their Laurentide Ice Sheet-proximal setting. Unradiogenic compositions (Pb-206/Pb-204 as low as 18.8 at 18.5 ka) during the latest glacial change towards highly radiogenic compositions during the early Holocene (Pb-206/Pb-204 = 20.1 at 11.2 ka). Late Holocene Pb-206/Pb-204 values return to intermediate values around Pb-206/Pb-204 = 19.6. These new data support previous inferences that the Pb isotopic composition of the deep Atlantic is controlled during deglaciation by changes in the pattern and intensity of continental chemical weathering. In more detail, the most significant change in the entire Pb isotope record starts at 12.5 ka and lasts until about 11 ka. This observation, of strong Pb isotopic changes across a climatically cold period in the North Atlantic region, suggests that at this location Pb isotopic compositions recorded in deep marine authigenic Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides not only trace deglacial changes in chemical weathering intensity but also highly depend on major freshwater runoff routes in interior North America. Our data suggest a gradual opening of the eastward freshwater runoff route in the course of the Younger Dryas. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A molecular phylogeny of the Thaliacea

Govindarajan,Annette F.

Thaliaceans are gelatinous holoplanktonic tunicates comprised of around 72 described species in three orders: the Pyrosomatida (pyrosomes), Salpida (salps) and Doliolida (doliolids). Despite their interesting biology and important role in ocean ecosystems, relatively little is known about their evolutionary relationships with other tunicate lineages and with each other. Here, using 40 newly obtained 18S rDNA sequences, we present a molecular phylogeny of the Thaliacea. Our results show the pyrosomes branching off first and support their division into the Pyrostremmatinae and Pyrosomatinae. Within the Salpida, we found the subfamily Salpinae is paraphyletic with the morphologically divergent Cyclosalpinae. We also resolved the uncertainty regarding Weelia (Salpa) cylindrica, finding it to be relatively distantly related to Salpa aspera, Salpa maxima, Salpa fusiformis and Salpa thompsoni.

Water mass-specificity of bacterial communities in the North Atlantic revealed by massively parallel sequencing

Agogue,Helene

Bacterial assemblages from subsurface (100 m depth), meso- (200-1000 m depth) and bathy-pelagic (below 1000 m depth) zones at 10 stations along a North Atlantic Ocean transect from 60 degrees N to 5 degrees S were characterized using massively parallel pyrotag sequencing of the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene (V6 pyrotags). In a dataset of more than 830 000 pyrotags, we identified 10 780 OTUs of which 52% were singletons. The singletons accounted for less than 2% of the OTU abundance, whereas the 100 and 1000 most abundant OTUs represented 80% and 96% respectively of all recovered OTUs. Non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling and Canonical Correspondence Analysis of all the OTUs excluding the singletons revealed a clear clustering of the bacterial communities according to the water masses. More than 80% of the 1000 most abundant OTUs corresponded to Proteobacteria of which 55% were Alphaproteobacteria, mostly composed of the SAR11 cluster. Gammaproteobacteria increased with depth and included a relatively large number of OTUs belonging to Alteromonadales and Oceanospirillales. The bathypelagic zone showed higher taxonomic evenness than the overlying waters, albeit bacterial diversity was remarkably variable. Both abundant and low-abundance OTUs were responsible for the distinct bacterial communities characterizing the major deep-water masses. Taken together, our results reveal that deep-water masses act as bio-oceanographic islands for bacterioplankton leading to water mass-specific bacterial communities in the deep waters of the Atlantic.

Update on CO2 emissions

Friedlingstein,P.

Extent and frequency of vessel oil spills in US marine protected areas

Dalton,Tracey

Little is known about how marine protected areas (MPAs) may be vulnerable to vessel oil spills in the United States. This study investigated individual size, frequency, and total amount of vessel oil spilled in US MPAs, and how characteristics of MPAs and individual spill events influenced spills. Vessel oil spills in US waters (2002-06) and MPA boundaries were mapped. Total number and volume of oil spills inside and outside MPAs were computed. Results show that the presence of a MPA does not seem to prevent vessel oil spills or reduce the amount of oil spilled, and that a variety of MPA attributes (e.g., scale of protection, fishing restrictions, and others) and spill event characteristics (e.g., vessel type, year of spill, and others) affect oil spills inside and outside MPAs. These results can be used to develop MPA rules and marine transportation policies that reduce the vulnerability of sensitive resources to oil spills. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High particle export over the continental shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula

Buesseler,Ken O.

Drifting cylindrical traps and the flux proxy Th-234 indicate more than an order of magnitude higher sinking fluxes of particulate carbon and Th-234 in January 2009 than measured by a time-series conical trap used regularly on the shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). The higher fluxes measured in this study have several implications for our understanding of the WAP ecosystem. Larger sinking fluxes result in a revised export efficiency of at least 10% (C flux/net primary production) and a requisite lower regeneration efficiency in surface waters. High fluxes also result in a large supply of sinking organic matter to support subsurface and benthic food webs on the continental shelf. These new findings call into question the magnitude of seasonal and interannual variability in particle flux and reaffirm the difficulty of using moored conical traps as a quantitative flux collector in shallow waters. Citation: Buesseler, K. O., A. M. P. McDonnell, O. M. E. Schofield, D. K. Steinberg, and H. W. Ducklow (2010), High particle export over the continental shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L22606, doi: 10.1029/2010GL045448.

Mixing by shear instability at high Reynolds number

Geyer,W. R.

Shear instability is the dominant mechanism for converting fluid motion to mixing in the stratified ocean and atmosphere. The transition to turbulence has been well characterized in laboratory settings and numerical simulations at moderate Reynolds number-it involves "rolling up", i.e., overturning of the density structure within the cores of the instabilities. In contrast, measurements in an energetic estuarine shear zone reveal that the mixing induced by shear instability at high Reynolds number does not primarily occur by overturning in the cores; rather it results from secondary shear instabilities within the zones of intensified shear separating the cores. This regime is not likely to be observed in the relatively low Reynolds number flows of the laboratory or in direct numerical simulations, but it is likely a common occurrence in the ocean and atmosphere. Citation: Geyer, W. R., A. C. Lavery, M. E. Scully, and J. H. Trowbridge (2010), Mixing by shear instability at high Reynolds number, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L22607, doi:10.1029/2010GL045272.

Reconnaissance dating A new radiocarbon method applied to assessing the temporal distribution of Southern Ocean deep-sea corals

Burke,Andrea

We have developed a rapid reconnaissance method of preparing graphite for C-14/C-12 analysis Carbonate (similar to 15 mg) is combusted using an elemental analyzer and the resulting CO2 is converted to graphite using a sealed tube zinc reduction method Over 85% (n=45 replicates on twenty-one individual corals) of reconnaissance ages measured on corals ranging in age from 500 to 33 000 radiocarbon years (Ryr) are within two standard deviations of ages generated using standard hydrolysis methods on the same corals and all reconnaissance ages are within 300 Ryr of the standard hydrolysis ages Replicate measurements on three individual aragonitic corals yielded ages of 1076 +/- 35 Ryr (standard deviation n=5) 10 739 +/- 47 Ryr (n=8) and 40 146 +/- 3500 Ryr (n=9) No systematic biases were found using different cleaning methods or variable sample sizes Analysis of C-13/C-12 was made concurrently with the C-14/C-12 measurement to correct for natural fractionation and for fractionation during sample processing and analysis This technique provides a new rapid method for making accurate percent-level C-14/C-12 analyses that may be used to establish the rates and chronology of earth system processes where survey-type modes of age estimation are desirable For example applications may include creation of sediment core-top maps preliminary age models for sediment cores and growth rate studies of marine organisms such as corals or mollusks We applied the reconnaissance method to more than 100 solitary deep-sea corals collected in the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean to investigate their temporal and spatial distribution The corals used in this study are part of a larger sample set and the subset that was dated was chosen based on species as opposed to preservation state so as to exclude obvious temporal biases Similar to studies in other regions the distribution of deep-sea corals is not constant through time across the Drake Passage Most of the corals from the Burdwood Bank (continental shelf of Argentina) have ages ranging between 0 and 2500 calendar years whereas most of the corals from the Sars Seamount in the Drake Passage have ages between 10 000 and 12 500 calendar years Such differences may be caused in part by sampling biases but may also be caused by changes in larval transport nutrient supply or other environmental pressures (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

Expansion of voltage-dependent Na+ channel gene family in early tetrapods coincided with the emergence of terrestriality and increased brain complexity

Zakon,Harold H.

Mammals have 10 voltage-dependent sodium (Nav) channel genes. Nav channels are expressed in different cell types with different sub-cellular distributions and are critical for many aspects of neuronal processing. The last common ancestor of teleosts and tetrapods had four Nav channel genes presumably on four different chromosomes. In the lineage leading to mammals a series of tandem duplications on two of these chromosomes more than doubled the number of Nav channel genes. It is unknown when these duplications occurred, whether they occurred against a backdrop of duplication of flanking genes on their chromosomes, or as an expansion of ion channel genes in general. We estimated key dates of the Nav channel gene family expansion by phylogenetic analysis using teleost, elasmobranch, lungfish, amphibian, avian, lizard, and mammalian Nav channel sequences, as well as chromosomal synteny for tetrapod genes. We tested, and exclude, the null hypothesis that Nav channel genes reside in regions of chromosomes prone to duplication by demonstrating the lack of duplication or duplicate retention of surrounding genes. We also find no comparable expansion in other voltage dependent ion channel gene families of tetrapods following the teleost-tetrapod divergence. We posit a specific expansion of the Nav channel gene family in the Devonian and Carboniferous periods when tetrapods evolved, diversified, and invaded the terrestrial habitat. During this time the amniote forebrain evolved greater anatomical complexity and novel tactile sensory receptors appeared. The duplication of Nav channel genes allowed for greater regional specialization in Nav channel expression, variation in sub-cellular localization, and enhanced processing of somatosensory input.

The northeast US application of ATLANTIS: A full system model exploring marine ecosystem dynamics in a living marine resource management context

Link,Jason S.

Understanding marine ecosystem dynamics is a key challenge and opportunity facing us. One of the ways we can continue to unravel and understand marine ecosystem dynamics is via ecosystem modeling. We used one such model, ATLANTIS, to help explore the dynamics of the Northeast United States (NEUS) Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (LME). We have parameterized ATLANTIS for the NEUS LME by including major functional groups across a range of biota, the physiographic dynamics of the ecosystem, and the major fishing fleets. The objectives of this work were to describe the application of this ATLANTIS NEUS model; briefly highlight modeling skill; note areas for further improvement, data gaps, major lessons learned, and how our understanding of the ecosystem was enhanced as we executed the modeling process; and note how these model outputs could inform living marine resource management in this region. The preliminary results we show here describe outputs from a multivariate, multispecies, multifactorial modeling approach. Our modeling skill is reasonable, as determined by the fact that over 90% of our fleet effort estimates, nearly 80% of our functional group catches, and 100% of our main functional group biomasses were within limits of tolerance. Moreover, the general patterns and phenology of major events were replicated consistently, both in space and time across a broad suite of physical, chemical, biological and human factors. These include several taxa groups such as primary producers, zooplankton, benthos, fishes, marine mammals, as well as nutrients, landings, and fishing effort. Conversely, as expected, there were some groups or fleets that did exceed levels of tolerance. These were mostly invertebrate groups such as shrimp, squid or gelatinous zooplankton, groups which are notorious for being difficult to model. Yet the major taxa groups and main fishing fleets were all well within levels of tolerance. Thus, we assert that with the majority of all main processes and state variables simulated, this ATLANTIS model can indeed reasonably approximate observations for the NEUS LME across a range of factors, and more importantly can be used to evaluate the relative prominence across a range of factors that contribute to the dynamics of this marine ecosystem.

Understanding climate impacts on recruitment and spatial dynamics of Atlantic cod in the Gulf of Maine: Integration of observations and modeling

Runge,Jeffrey A.

We put forward a combined observing and modeling strategy for evaluating effects of environmental forcing on the dynamics of spatially structured cod populations spawning in the western Gulf of Maine. Recent work indicates at least two genetically differentiated complexes in this region: a late spring spawning, coastal population centered in Ipswich Bay, and a population that spawns in winter inshore and on nearshore banks in the Gulf of Maine and off southern New England. The two populations likely differ in trophic interactions and in physiological and behavioral responses to different winter and spring environments. Coupled physical-biological modeling has advanced to the point where within-decade forecasting of environmental conditions for recruitment to each of the two populations is feasible. However, the modeling needs to be supported by hydrographic, primary production and zooplankton data collected by buoys, and by data from remote sensing and fixed station sampling. Forecasts of environmentally driven dispersal and growth of planktonic early life stages, combined with an understanding of possible population-specific predator fields, usage of coastal habitat by juveniles and adult resident and migratory patterns, can be used to develop scenarios for spatially explicit population responses to multiple forcings, including climate change, anthropogenic impacts on nearshore juvenile habitat, connectivity among populations and management interventions such as regional fisheries closures.