ALBERT

Description: Two case studies of the application of geoscientific maps for planning in semi-arid regions are presented, one for the Mediterranean province of Valencia and another for the island of Gran Canaria (Canaries). Both regions are very dynamic from the point of view of population growth and urban-touristic-industrial development, and they suffer from a serious degree of environmental degradation. The provincial/ island governments have undertaken programmes of geoscientific mapping and assessment to serve as a basis for the establishment of guidelines for future planning. Two map sets have been made (1:200,000 in Valencia and 1:50,000 in Gran Canaria), based on initial maps of homogeneous integrated units. These represent a series of hierarchical land subdivisions, progressively smaller and more detailed (morphodynamic environments, systems, units, elements), defined on the basis of morphostructure, climate, lithology, surficial deposits, landforms, topography, active processes, soils, vegetation and human influence. Each individual map unit is described by means of a form which includes 114 items, summarising its environmental features. Morphodynamic units have been evaluated in terms of qualities significant for planning, and a series of derivative maps has been developed (geologic hazards, soil capability, present degree of erosion, potential erodibility, quality for conservation). A final map shows the most advisable types of uses and the main limitations for human activities, mainly due to engineering geological factors. This is a synthesis document which can be used directly by planners.

Description: Middle Pleistocene strata of the Kidnappers Group consist of a conformable sequence of alternating fluvio-lacustrine and shallow marine sediments exposed along coastal cliffs near Cape Kidnappers, southern Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Three major paleomagnetic polarity intervals are recognised and interpreted as Jaramillo Normal Subchron, upper Matuyama Reversed Chron and Brunhes Normal Chron. This and biostratigraphy indicates an age range of 0.97 to 0.54 Ma for the group, compared to 0.85 to 〈 0.33 Ma previously suggested by fission track ages of tuffs. The new age control and facies interpretations suggest that the upper part of the group represents oxygen isotope stages 22 to 15. The duration and magnitude of isotope stages is reflected in the relative thicknesses of lithological units. Glacial periods are recorded as alluvial aggradation in the form of braidplain conglomerates, while estuarine and subaerial sands and muds with temperate climate pollens represent interglacial periods. This contrasts with many coastal and shelf sequences where glacial periods are represented by unconformities. Chemical and paleomagnetic characterisation of silicic tuffs in the Kidnappers Group establishes correlation to other sections and cores in New Zealand, the Tasman Sea and the western Pacific Ocean, thus providing temporal correlation for a range of sedimentary environments.

Description: We studied the distribution and abundance of marine birds in Bransfield Strait and southern Drake Passage during January and February 1985. We identified clusters of bird species, “communities” with similar distributions, and examined the extent to which the distributions of these seabird communities reflected the underlying physical oceanography of the region. Based on temperature, salinity and silicon data, we identified 11 water masses which resulted from varying degrees of mixing of water from the Pacific Basin, the Bellingshausen Sea, the Weddell Sea and terrestrial runoff. Seabird species assemblages were associated with contiguous clusters of water masses, suggesting a response by the birds to apparently subtle differences in their marine habitat.

Description: The Hg concentration in horned octopus was studied in relation to its biological cycle. The metal was measured in the muscle tissue of specimens of different size, sex and maturity. This species proved to be a strong accumulator of mercury, whose concentration was found to be correlated with length independently of the sex. The relationship with size was found also for the organic form. Consideration was given to the danger of frequent consumption of this cephalopod and to its use as a biomonitor of environmental mercury impact.

Description: The aims of this project were to improve understanding of the basic life.cycle biology, stock structure, trophic interactions and fisheries exploitation of northeast Atlantic squid, in particular the loliginids Loligo forbesi and Loligo vulgaris. Multivariate analysis of morphometric data and isozyme electrophoresis shows that L. forbesi populations from the coast of mainland Europe are fairly homogeneous, but that those from the Azores are a distinct stock. Loligo forbesi and L. vulgaris are annual species with a peak of breeding in the winter (December-May) throughout the geographical range, and one or more seasonal peaks of recruitment. Loligo are probably batch spawners. Males grow larger than females, mature about 1 month earlier and recruit earlier to the fishery. Sexual maturity occured at two distinct size classes, more obviously in males than females. Fish, including many cimmercially important species, and Crustacea, were the dominant prey of Loligo. The incidence of fish in the diet increases with squid size. Squid of all types are eaten by fish, seals, cetaceans and seabird, although quantitative estimates of consumption by these trophic levels were low. Catches of squid from northeast Atlantic waters increased over the period 1980-1990 but currently supply only a minor component of the European market for squid, the balance being made up by imports. The squid catch in the northern part of the range shows wide fluctuations in abundance by area and by season. The applicability of assessment methods for these stocks is limited by inadequate and inaccurate statistical information, and because nearly all of the catch arises by-catch from finfisheries.

Description: 1. The salivary enzymes of the octopus Eledone cirrhosa were separated using isoelectric focusing techniques (IEF) and HPLC. 2. The use of casein zymograms allowed the detection of at least 10 caseinolytic bands in analytical IEF gels and a preliminary, based on pI values, is described. 3. There appear to be two salivary chitinases. 4. Using HPLC, it was possible to separate the most cationic of these from the proteolytic enzymes of similar pI.

Description: The present paper demonstrates the application of serological methods to the identification of fish prey in the diets of marine mammals. Antisera were raised to muscle protein extracts of cod Gadus morhua Linnaeus, herring Clupea harengus Linnaeus and salmon Salmo salar Linnaeus. The antisera were tested for reaction with protein extracts from raw and in vitro digested fish muscle; stomach contents of captive dolphins Tursiops truncatus Montagu fed on known dites; digestive tract contents of seals Halichoerus grypus Fabricius and Phoca vitulina Linnaeus which contained hard remains of known prey species; and faeces of captive seals fed on known diets. The salmon antisera were shown to be sufficiently strong and specific to be used for identification of salmonid proteins in digestive tract contentc of marine mammals, and were potentially applicable to screening seal faeces. Antisera raised to cod and herring were less successful, due to low speificity and low titre, rspectively. The potential exists to develop this methodology for routine identification of a range of prey species in marine mammal diets.

Description: Distribution and abundance of the horned octopus Eledone cirrhosa in the Tyrrhenian Sea are described on the basis of stratified-random bottom trawl surveys in spring and summer of the years 1985–1987. Specimens were caught between 25 and 630 m depth (higher densities between 50 and 200 m depth); mature males were found to prefer deeper bottoms than mature females. Young specimens occurred in spring samples from the Western Ligurian Sea and in summer samples from the Lower Tyrrhenian Sea, but were scarcely represented in the Higher Tyrrhenian Sea. Thus recruitment seems to be progressively delayed later in the season from north to south. The greatest abundance was recorded in the Higher Tyrrhenian Sea; wide seasonal variations of minimum stock biomass estimates have been observed and total biomass decreased from 1985 to 1987 in the surveyed areas.

Description: Feeding trials in which salmon was fed to captive seals are described and sources of evidence for the presence of salmon in the diet of seals are evaluated. In faecal samples, the recovery rate of salmon otoliths is too low and bony remains are too fragmented to be useful. Protein extracts from the faeces of salmon-fed captive seals will react with anti-salmon antisera, but the reaction is not strong enough for the methods to be presently applied to field samples. In the digestive tract samples from seals, the use of bony remains for the identification of salmon significantly increases the probability of recognising this species. Protein extracts from digestive tract contents will react positively with anti-salmon antisera and this shows that serological methods can provide evidence for the presence of Salmonidae in the diet of seals, in the absence of solid remains.

Description: Growth increments have been reported to occur in the squid beak, radula, gladius and statolith. Of these, the statolith, which is part of the organ responsible for detection of linear and angular acceleration, has proved most promising for age determination. Growth increments in the statolith are formed from aragonite crystals in an organic matrix. They are best viewed after sectioning the statolith or after decalcification in weak acid. The statolith grows in concert with the rest of the squid. Experiments with squid in which chemical markers have been incorporated at a known time in the statolith, and experiments with cultured squid of known age, appear to confirm the hypothesis that growth increments in the statolith are laid down daily. Increments are produced in the laboratory in the absence of tidal, feeding or temperature cycles, which suggests that there is a firmly entrained endogenous circadian rhythm associated with their formation. However, the possibility that increment formation can be disrupted by environmental factors, or that rings in the statolith are produced coincidentally at the rate of approximately one per day, should not be fully discounted without further experimental corroboration. Data on squid age, derived from growth increments in the statolith, clearly have value in fisheries investigations, but they should be treated with caution until they have been validated.

Description: The scientific basis for managing the short fin squid, Illex argentinus, Stock around the Falkland Islands is presented. A target proportional escapement policy is used which permits a level of fishing effort compatible with conservation targets to be set each year. This policy is intimately related to the method of assessing stock size and the rate of fishing mortality presented in a related paper. The results of applying this management procedure for the 1987 and 1988 fishing seasons, the first 2 years of regulated fishing in Falkland Islands waters, are described. The policy has the considerable benefit that the data requirements and monitoring procedures are straightforward, and can be implemented by the limited manpower resources of the islands.

Description: The oxygen isotopic composition of bulk chalk samples, the planktonic foraminifers Globotruncana and Rugoglobigerina, and the benthic bivalve Inoceramus are reported from the standard section of the Upper Cretaceous white chalk of Lägerdorf-Kronsmoor, NW Germany (Middle Coniacian to Lower Maastrichtian). The section shows the increasing impact of burial diagenesis with depth expressed by a significant negative trend in the oxygen isotopic values and increasing amounts of secondary, precipitated microspar. However, the biogenic components studied show different diagenetic characteristics. The planktonic foraminifers are completely recrystallized, whereas the prisms of Inoceramus are well preserved and only slightly overgrown by negligible amounts of secondary calcite. The original oxygen isotopic composition of the chalk is estimated on the basis of numerical elimination of the diagenetic trend and by use of a normalized carbonate content. It appears that the corrected isotopic signal of the bulk sediment, which primarily consisted of calcareous nannoplankton, significantly correlates with the isotopic composition of the Inoceramus prisms. Thus, the benthic bivalve Inoceramus and the nannoplankton probably lived in a water mass of the same isotopic composition. The Inoceramus oxygen isotope values suggest a mean temperature of approximately 16°C for the NW European Basin during the late Campanian and early Maastrichtian.

Description: The periodicity of deposition of growth increments in the cuttlebone of juvenile Sepia officinalis was investigated under controlled conditions for a short period after hatching (19 days). The slope of time elapsed and increment counts was significantly different from 1 indicating that lamellae are not deposited on a daily basis. The relationship between increment counts and juvenile length was, however, highly significant. Also significant were the relationships between the number of growth increments and shell length and increment counts and cuttlebone area. These data show that the number of growth increments is related primarily to the growth rate of the juvenile rather than to its chronological age. Taking into account these data, the cuttlebone lamellae cannot be used for age determination in the juvenile cuttlefish just after hatching.

Description: The fine fraction of surface sediment samples in the Norwegian Sea shows an unexpectedly high amount of calcareous nannoplankton. Investigations, using time-series sediment traps in the Lofoten Basin (69°N, 1983/84), near Bear Island (75°N, 1984/85) and in the Fram Strait (78°N, 1984/85) provided information about the accumulation of this material in relation to the strong seasonality of biological production. Coccolith identification and counting, by means of a scanning electron microscope, indicated that the coccolith assemblages in the traps consist almost entirely of the two speciesEmiliania huxleyi andCoccolithus pelagicus. These species dominated the flux rate of the nannoplankton carbonate. A further eight species only made minor contributions to the flux. In the Lofoten Basin a distinct seasonality could be recognized in both standing crop and carbonate flux. Also the relationship between the two main species and the proportion of intact coccospheres showed an annual cycle. In the sample series of the two northerly traps the seasonality was less distinct. In general, the coccolith flux decreases towards the North. This was particularly evident for the smaller speciesE. huxleyi, while the number of massiveC. pelagicus coccoliths — and so the coccolith carbonate flux — diminished only slightly. Additional investigations on water samples from the Norwegian Sea revealed species compositions that differed greatly from those in the sediment traps. This suggests that selective processes change the relative species proportions during sedimentation.

Description: Brain pathways controlling the chromatophores of the squidLolliguncula brevis are described using cobalt iontophoresis. The results show several input and output pathways of the anterior and posterior chromatophore and lateral basal lobes. These connections allow coordination and modification of the chromatophore motor program throughout the motor pathway. Unlike other cephalopod species, there seems to be no direct input from the optic lobes to the lateral basal lobes inL. brevis. This species displays only a few simple patterns; therefore the underlying neural pathways for chromatophore control may be different from those of other cephalopods with more extensive patterning repertoires.

Description: A central tenet of Antarctic ecology suggests that increases in Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) populations during the last four decades resulted from an increase in prey availability brought on by the decrease in baleen whale stocks. We question this tenet and present evidence to support the hypothesis that these increases are due to a gradual decrease in the frequency of cold years with extensive winter sea ice cover resulting from environmental warming. Supporting data were derived from one of the first, major multidisciplinary winter expedition to the Scotia and Weddell seas; recent satellite images of ocean ice cover; and the analysis of long-term surface temperature records and penguin demography. Our observations indicate there is a need to pay close attention to environmental data in the management of Southern Ocean resources given the complexity of relating biological changes to ecological perturbations.

Description: The seabird and seal community at Heard Island and the McDonald Islands comprised an estimated total biomass of 27893 tonnes of which the 15 breeding species of seabirds made up 70%. The total annual consumption of marine resources was estimated to be approximately 521 000 t, of which 81% was consumed by seabirds Approximately 165 000 t of fish, 41 600 t of squid and 312 000 t of crustaceans are consumed annually by this seabird and seal community. The annual energy flux to this community was estimated to be 2.17·1012 kJ and approximately 56 000 t of carbon are consumed annually. Breeding populations of King Penguins and Antarctic Fur Seals are increasing, that of the Southern Elephant Seal is decreasing; there are no data on the population trend for Macaroni Penguins, the predominant consumer species. Commercial fisheries are presently operating at the nearby Iles Kerguelen, and similar activities may prove to be commercially viable at Heard Island. The fishery is for Champsocephalus gunnari, a major prey species of penguins and Antarctic Fur Seals at Heard Island during the summer breeding season.

Description: Mean intracellular pH (pHi) and PCO2 (PiCO2) have been analysed based on pH and total CO2 measurements in tissue homogenates. Tissues were sampled from undisturbed worms (Sipunculus nudus), squid (Illex illecebrosus), trout (Salmo gairdneri), toads (Bufo marinus), and rats. Homogenate metabolism was inhibited by the addition of potassium fluoride and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA). Model calculations revealed that the influence of dilution, medium buffers, and contamination by extracellular fluids was negligible. In white muscle tissue the resulting pHi values were virtually the same as found in studies using DMO (dimethyloxazolidinedione). If large fractions of mitochondria were present (e.g. in heart muscle), DMO derived pHi values were considerably higher, probably representing overestimates. Homogenate derived pHi values are concluded to represent the effective mean pHi by taking into account pH gradients, and the volumes and buffering of cellular compartments. High time resolution and small variability make this method especially useful to assess rapid changes in pHi, e.g. in exercising animals.

Description: An automated and semi-intelligent voltammetric system is described for trace metal analysis. The system consists of a voltammeter interfaced with a personal computer, a sample changer, 2 peristaltic pumps, a motor burette and a hanging mercury drop electrode. The system carries out fully automatically approximately 5 metal determinations per hour (including at least 3 repetitive scans and calibration by standard addition) at trace levels encountered in clean sea water. The computer program decides what level of standard addition to use and evaluates the data prior to switching to the next sample. Alternatively, the system can be used to carry out complexing ligand titrations with copper whilst recording the labile copper concentration; in this mode up to 8 full titrations are carried out per day. Depth profiles for chromium speciation in the Mediterranean Sea and a profile for copper complexing ligand concentrations in the North Atlantic Ocean measured on board-ship with the system are presented. The chromium speciation was determined using a new method to differentiate between Cr(III) and Cr(VI) utilizing adsorption of Cr(III) on silica particles.

Description: The use of in-line UV-digestion for breakdown of dissolved organic matter (DOM), prior to voltammetric determination of trace metals in natural samples, is discussed in this paper. Destruction of DOM is necessary to free trace metals that are organically complexed and to remove interfering organic surfactants. Complete breakdown of DOM in natural water samples is achieved by in-line UV-digestion using a 100 W medium pressure mercury vapour lamp and a silica coil, at a sample digestion time of 4.5 min. The efficiency of the system is tested with destruction of humic acid, conversion of Cr(III) to Cr(VI), and the release of Ni and Cu from organic complexes in sea water. The in-line application of UV is illustrated by automated voltammetry of nanomolar levels of Cu and Ni in samples from oceanic origin.

Description: The organization of the chitin-proteoglycan in Loligo vulgaris pen was examined ultrastructurally and related to the molecular order indicated by X-ray diffraction. There is a centrosymmetric striated repeat of 22 nm in the system which is based upon dark and light bands of unequal width. The banding is orientated perpendicular to the direction of the major molecular axis of the chitin fibres. The chitin molecules are laid down in sheets with a mutual, though irregular, twist to produce a laminated ‘plywood’ material.

Description: Instrumentation and methods are described for collecting surface sea water using pumping with subsequent in-line analysis by stripping voltammetry or chronopotentiometry. The review is illustrated with data for estuarine copper and nickel, and the distribution of nickel in Liverpool Bay.

Description: Changes in marine ecosystems can be manifested in many different ways, on different temporal and spatial scales. Seabirds are top consumers in marine foodwebs and offer opportunities to detect and assess the biological effects of changes in physical parameters (sea-surface temperature [SST], salinity, depth of thermocline etc.) of the marine ecosystem. We compare six-eight years' of data on the biology (diet, and breeding success) of four species of seabird (arctic tern Sterna paradisaea and common tern S. hirundo, which feed at the sea surface; and Atlantic puffin Fratercula antica and razorbill Alca torda, which dive 30-60 m for their prey) breeding on Machias Seal Island (MSI) in the Bay of Fundy with both our own meteorological and oceanographic measurements, and with standard measurements from conventional sources. These are compared with fisheries data on changes in the main prey of all the seabirds concerned (juvenile or '0-group' herring Clupea harengus) which are the most direct link between the seabirds and the physical properties of the marine system. We explore relationships between seabird productivity and diet, and other aspects of both herring biology (larval surveys, and fat content) and oceanography (SST data from the island, and remotely sensed data from the entrance to the Bay of Fundy). Timing of laying by puffins followed SST variation at neither the local (MSI) nor regional scales, but at the scale of the North Atlantic, following the trend of populations breeding off northern Norway. The proportion of herring in the diet of terns over 6 years varied inversely with herring larval abundance the previous fall; this relationship was not statistically significant in the puffin and razorbill. A major new finding is the considerable (approximately 50%) inter-annual variation in the energy density (fat content) of juvenile herring that are the main seabird prey; breeding success of both species of tern varied in parallel with the energy density of juvenile herring in the diet until the last two years of the study, when sandlance (Ammodytes sp.) and euphausid shrimp predominated in the diet. Our long-term research approach combines traditional population monitoring (of numbers of breeding birds) with demographic, behavioural and environmental monitoring, to provide new understanding of the marine ecosystem as well as of seabirds.

Description: Thermogenic hydrocarbons, formed by the thermal alteration of organic matter, are encountered in several piston core stations in the King George Basin, Anatarctica. These hemipelagic sediments are being deposited in an area of active hydrothermalism, associated with the back-arc spreading in the Bransfield Strait. The lateral extent of sediments infiltrated by the hydrothermally influenced interstitial fluids is characterized by basalt diapirix intrusions and is delineated by an acoustically turbid zone in the sediments of the eastern part of the basin. Iron-sulphide-bearing veins and fractures cut across the sediment in several cores; they appear to be conduits for flow of hydrothermally altered fluids. These zones have the highest C2+ and ethene contents. The thermogenic hydrocarbons have molecular C1/(C2 + C3) ratios typically 〈 50 and δ13CH4 values between −38% and −48%, indicating an organic source which has undergone strong thermal stress. Several sediment cores also have mixed gas signatures, which indicate the presence of substantial amounts of bacterial gas, predominantly methane. Hydrocarbon generation in the King George Basin is thought to be a local phenomenon, resulting from submarine volcanism with temperatures in the range 70–150°C. There are no apparent seepages of hydrocarbons into the water column, and it is not believed that significant accumulation of thermogenic hydrocarbons reside in the basin.

Description: For over thirty years man has studied “outer space” and installed satellites which watch the surface of the Earth. The great depths of the world ocean are, however, practically unknown and there is an urgent need to put abyssal benthic laboratories into “inner space” in order to study basic phenomena of interest to marine science and climatology as well as man's impact on the oceans. In view of the numerous problems related to global change, as a first step emphasis should first be on the role of the oceans and their inherent processes, which are the focus of such international programmes as the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) and the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS). Multi-disciplinary registration of key events at selected key sites investigating the variability in time and space are of the utmost importance. The same methods and techniques must be used for the study of human impacts on the deep oceans caused by mining of metalliferous resources and by waste disposal as well as in basic studies. However, the investigation of the inner space of our planet has certain requirements. As long-term and large-scale investigations become more and more important, development of automized systems, largely independent from research vessels will be required. This will demand high capacities of energy for all technical functions as well as high storage capacities for data and samples. As a consequence the needs for two different—although overlapping—functional approaches are defined for future deep-sea deployments. (A) A system for long-term registration of the natural variability and long-term monitoring of human impacts: (B) A system for short-term observations and short-time experimentations. This report summarizes their technological demands. The envisioned interdisciplinary technology should deliver information on physical, biological and geochemical processes and their variabilities in the deep oceans. The prospected systems need to have the ability for real time video observation, data transfer and experimental manipulation, as well as sensing and sampling facilities with large storage capacities for long-term deployments. Prospective costs of the described multipurpose abyssal benthic laboratory will presumably exceed the funds for deep-sea research of a single country. A joint European effort could solve this problem and help to manifest a leading role for European marine science in international deep-sea and global change research.

Description: The reproductive cycle of the sponge Halichondria panicea was investigated at Boknis Eck in the Western Kiel Bight over 2 yr, and over 1 yr on the island Helgoland in the North Sea and was compared with material collected earlier at Tjärnö at the Swedish west coast. Temperature and salinity were monitored at the different stations in order to determine whether different hydrographic conditions could be linked to differences in seasonal patterns of the reproductive cycle. The results showed H. panicea to be gonochoristic at all stations. The ratio of males to females varied between populations and years, but females predominated consistently. Comparison of the reproductive cycle in the years 1987 and 1989 at the brackish-water station Boknis Eck shows that high ambient winter and spring temperatures in 1989 resulted in a shorter period of oogenesis and earlier larval release, as compared to the year 1987. The reproductive cycle of the sponges at the fully marine station at Helgoland in 1989 and the brackish-water station at Tjärnö in 1978 under temperature and salinity conditions similar to those at Boknis Eck in 1989 showed the same seasonal pattern. We conclude that the lower salinities found at both Boknis Eck and Tjärnö do not cause a delay or slow-down of reproduction at these stations as compared to Helgoland. Under favourable temperature conditions, oogenesis was highly synchronous within the different populations, while it was more spread over time under the low ambient water temperatures at Boknis Eck in 1987.

Description: The winter ice-regime of the 〈80 km wide Alaskan Beaufort Sea shelf is characterized by compression and shearing, resulting in the formation of major grounded pressure ridge systems stabilizing the fast ice on the mid-shelf, and essentially no open-water areas. In contrast, the winter ice-regime of the 500-km wide Laptev Sea shelf is controlled by winds blowing from land to sea, and is therefore dilational. A perennial polynya borders the hundreds of kilometers-wide and very smooth fast ice offshore. In this body of open water, rapidly forming ice is continuously advected offshore by the mean wind field, making the Laptev Sea the single major ice factory for the Arctic Ocean and Transpolar Drift. Conversely, with summer warming this dark polynya turns into an area of high heat gain, which results in the retreat of the ice edge to a much higher latitude and greater distance (〉500 km) from the mainland than in the Beaufort Sea. As a result, the annual freeze-up does not incorporate old, deep-draft ice, and with a lack of compression, such deep-draft ice is not generated in situ, as on the Beaufort Sea shelf. The Laptev Sea has as much as 1000 km of fetch at the end of summer, when freezing storms move in and large (6 m) waves can form. Also, for the first three winter months, the polynya lies inshore at a water depth of only 10 m. Turbulence and freezing are excellent conditions for sediment entrainment by frazil and anchor ice, when compared to conditions in the short-fetched Beaufort Sea. We expect entrainment to occur yearly. Different from the intensely ice-gouged Beaufort Sea shelf, hydraulic bedforms probably dominate in the Laptev Sea. Corresponding with the large volume of ice produced, more dense water is generated in the Laptev Sea, possibly accompanied by downslope sediment transport. Thermohaline convection at the midshelf polynya, together with the reduced rate of bottom disruption by ice keels, may enhance benthic productivity and permit establishment of open-shelf benthic communities which in the Beaufort Sea can thrive only in the protection of barrier islands. Indirect evidence for high benthic productivity is found in the presence of walrus, who also require year-round open water. By contrast, lack of a suitable environment restricts walrus from the Beaufort Sea, although over 700 km farther to the south. We could speculate on other consequences of the different ice regimes in the Beaufort and Laptev Seas, but these few examples serve to point out the dangers of exptrapolating from knowledge gained in the North American Arctic to other shallow Arctic shelf settings.

Description: Despite the Arctic sea ice cover's recognized sensitivity to environmental change, the role of sediment inclusions in lowering ice albedo and affecting ice ablation is poorly understood. Sea ice sediment inclusions were studied in the central Arctic Ocean during the Arctic 91 expedition and in the Laptev Sea (East Siberian Arctic Region Expedition 1992). Results from these investigations are here combined with previous studies performed in major areas of ice ablation and the southern central Arctic Ocean. This study documents the regional distribution and composition of particle-laden ice, investigates and evaluates processes by which sediment is incorporated into the ice cover, and identifies transport paths and probable depositional centers for the released sediment. In April 1992, sea ice in the Laptev Sea was relatively clean. The sediment occasionally observed was distributed diffusely over the entire ice column, forming turbid ice. Observations indicate that frazil and anchor ice formation occurring in a large coastal polynya provide a main mechanism for sediment entrainment. In the central Arctic Ocean sediments are concentrated in layers within or at the surface of ice floes due to melting and refreezing processes. The surface sediment accumulation in central Arctic multi-year sea ice exceeds by far the amounts observed in first-year ice from the Laptev Sea in April 1992. Sea ice sediments are generally fine grained, although coarse sediments and stones up to 5 cm in diameter are observed. Component analysis indicates that quartz and clay minerals are the main terrigenous sediment particles. The biogenous components, namely shells of pelecypods and benthic foraminiferal tests, point to a shallow, benthic, marine source area. Apparently, sediment inclusions were resuspended from shelf areas before and incorporated into the sea ice by suspension freezing. Clay mineralogy of ice-rafted sediments provides information on potential source areas. A smectite maximum in sea ice sediment samples repeatedly occurred between 81°N and 83°N along the Arctic 91 transect, indicating a rather stable and narrow smectite rich ice drift stream of the Transpolar Drift. The smectite concentrations are comparable to those found in both Laptev Sea shelf sediments and anchor ice sediments, pointing to this sea as a potential source area for sea ice sediments. In the central Arctic Ocean sea ice clay mineralogy is significantly different from deep-sea clay mineral distribution patterns. The contribution of sea ice sediments to the deep sea is apparently diluted by sedimentary material provided by other transport mechanisms.

Description: During cruise ARK IV/3 with RV Polarstern (1987) volcanic rocks were recovered from the Nansen-Gakkel Ridge (NGR), a slow spreading (half rate approximately 0.5 cm) ridge with an axial depth of more than 5000 m. The NGR is one of the slowest and deepest mid-ocean ridges so far known and calculations based on the distance of sampling location from the axial valley yielded ages of approximately 600 ka for the rocks investigated here. According to petrographic and geochemical results i.e. spinifex textures, mg 〉 70 and MgO 〉 9 wt.%, the volcanics are termed komatiitic basalts. Dark spherical droplets of basanitic composition within the komatiitic basalts are believed to be relicts of an incomplete magma-mixing whose basanitic end-member could well account for the enriched character of the NGR basalts in terms of rare earth elements, Ti and incompatible trace elements. Based on Nd-isotope as well as high Sm/Nd ratios, mantle metasomatism (i.e. veined-mantle model) could be responsible for the enrichment of incompatible trace elements in the source region of komatiitic basalts of the NGR.

Description: The present paper reviews the literature related to the life cycle of the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis and its controlling factors and proposes novel hypotheses based on unpublished observations in culture and in the field. We chiefly refer to P. globosa Scherffel as most of the observations concern this species. P. globosa exhibits a complex alternation between several types of free-living cells (non-motile, flagellates, microzoopores and possibly macrozoospores) and colonies for which neither forms nor pathways have been completely identified and described. The different types of Phaeocystis cells were reappraised on the basis of existing microscopic descriptions complemented by unpublished flow cytometric investigations. This analysis revealed the existence of at least three different types of free-living cells identified on the basis of a combination of size, motility and ploidy characteristics: non-motile cells, flagellates and microzoospores. Their respective function within Phaeocystis life cycle, and in particular their involvement in colony formation is not completely understood. Observational evidence shows that Phaeocystis colonies are initiated at the early stage of their bloom each by one free-living cell. The mechanisms controlling this cellular transformation are still uncertain due to the lack of information on the overwintering Phaeocystis fomms and on the cell type responsible for colony induction. The existence of haploid microzoospores released from senescent colonies gives however some support to sexuality involvement at some stages of colony formation. Once colonies are formed, at least two mechanisms were identified as responsible of the spreading of colony form: colony multiplication by colonial division or budding and induction of new colony from colonial cells released in the external medium after colony disruption. The latter mechanism was clearly identified, involving at least two successive cell differentiations in the following sequence: motility development, subsequent flagella loss and settlement to a surface, mucus secretion and colony formation, colonial cell division and colony growth. Aggregate formation, cell motility development and subsequent emigration from the colonies, release of non-motile cells after colony lysis on the other hand, were identified as characteristics for termination of Phaeocystis colony development. These pathways were shown to occur similarly in natural environments. In the early stages of the bloom however, many recently-formed colonies were found on the setae of Chaetoceros spp, suggesting this diatom could play a key-rôle in Phaeocystis bloom inception. Analysis of the possible environmental factors regulating the transition between the different phases of the life cycle, suggested that nutrient status and requirement of a substrate for attachment of free-living cells would be essential for initiation of the colonial form. Physical constraints obviously would be important in determining colony shape and fragmentation although autogenic factors cannot be excluded. Some evidence exists that nutrients regulate colony division, while temperature and nutrient stress would stimulate cell emigration from the colonies.

Description: Coupling between surface water plankton and abyssal benthos was investigated during a mass development of salps (Salpa fusiformis) in the Northeast Atlantic. Cyanobacteria numbers and composition of photosynthetic pigments were determined in faeces of captured salps from surface waters, sediment trap material, detritus from plankton hauls, surface sediments from 4500–4800 m depth and Holothurian gut contents. Cyanobacteria were found in all samples containing salp faeces and also in the guts of deep-sea Holothuria. The ratio between zeaxanthin (typical of cyanobacteria) and sum of chlorophyll a pigments was higher in samples from the deep sea when compared to fresh salp faeces, indicating that this carotenoid persisted longer in the sedimenting material than total chlorophyll a pigments. The microscopic and chemical observations allowed us to trace sedimenting salp faeces from the epipelagial to the abyssal benthos, and demonstrated their role as a fast and direct link between both systems. Cyanobacteria may provide a simple tracer for sedimenting phytodetritus.

Description: The flux of reactive organic carbon (C(org)) into sediments of the southern and eastern Weddell Sea was estimated by modelling measured oxygen and nitrate pore-water profiles. Highest flux of reactive organic carbon into the sediment was calculated for the shelf region (500 and 600 mmol C m-2 year-1), whereas for pelagic and continental slope sediments C(org) fluxes of less than 60 mmol C m-2 year-1 and 100-200 mmol C m-2 year-1 respectively were calculated. The oxygen penetration depth (OPD) ranged from less than 2 cm in shelf sediments to much greater than 40 cm in pelagic sediments. For the first time, sediments covered by the Filchner Ice Shelf (probably cut off from a source of primary production for a few decades) were sampled. In this area a restricted vertical flux of reactive organic carbon was expected. However, the C(org), content of these sediments was as high as that of Antarctic shelf sediments, which suggests lateral transport of organic matter. In contrast, pore-water profiles and calculated reactive organic carbon fluxes off Filchner Ice Shelf are similar to those of much deeper depositional environments (3000-4000 m water depth).

Description: Geochemical and Sr, Pb, O and C isotopic data are reported for carbonatite samples from five locations in southeast Brazil. Elemental abundances and δ13CPDB data (between −5.8 and −7.2‰) prove that all the samples are derived from the mantle. Dupal isotopic characteristics in the all carbonatite samples from five locations in southeast Brazil are found in this study, characteristics that have not previously been recognized in carbonatites. Brazilian carbonatites possess average values of between 101 and 145, average values of between 5.2 and 10.3, and initial Sr isotopic compositions of between 0.7046 and 0.7062. The Brazilian carbonatites comprise two groups: The northern group is coincident with the passage of the Trindade non-Dupal hotspot at ca. 80 Ma, while the southern group mainly corresponds to the passage of the Tristan de Cunha Dupal hotspot at ca. 130 Ma. Although we expected a geochemical correlation between the Brazilian carbonatites and the South Atlantic hotspots, the enriched isotopic signature (EM1) of all the carbonatite samples is similar to that of alkali basalts on Tristan de Cunha. The combined OSr isotopic diagram indicates that the southern group carbonatites have negligible or only slight crustal contamination. The northern group samples show significantly higher δ18OSMOW values of 9–14‰, more radiogenic Pb isotopic ratios, and a value of 0.705. Even if these signatures are derived from the contamination of a lower crustal component with mantle sources, it is clear that the parental magma also has inherent EM1 isotopic characteristics. The interpretation of the origin of EM1 in the Brazilian carbonatites (subcontinental lithospheric mantle vs. asthenosphere) is dependent on the model of Paraná volcanism at ca. 130 Ma, which remains controversial. One possibility is that both the northern and southern carbonatites came from enriched SCLM under a part of Gondwanaland. In this case, a hotspot would provide the thermal energy to melt the lithospheric source region for both the Paraná flood basalts and the alkali carbonatitic volcanism. Another possibility is that the source of the northern carbonatites is also the Tristan plume carbonate-rich material which had once been trapped under the crust and reactivated by the Trindade hotspot, on the assumption that Paraná volcanism at ca. 130 Ma was mainly triggered by the huge Tristan plume activity. If anything, we favour the latter and believe an asthenospheric mantle plume origin for both the ultimate carbonate source and the Dupal anomaly in the Brazilian carbonatites.

Description: A combined high resolution seismic, sub-bottom profiling, and multi-beam echo-sounding survey in the Skagerrak (Danish sector of the North Sea) together with gas analyses at a station along the profile exhibit the expulsion of gas (mainly methane) and the presence of gas-charged sediments at shallow depth. The echo-soundings yield detailed insight into the distribution and shape of typical sea-floor features associated with gas seepage, such as pockmarks. The pockmarks reach dimensions of 800 m in length, 300 m in width, and 15 m in depth, with the long axis running parallel to the slope of the Norwegian Trench. Processing of the multi-channel high resolution seismic data and the digitally recorded sub-bottom profiler signals indicate an internal compressional velocity of about 1050 m s-1 within the gas-charged sediments reaching from the sea-floor to a sub-bottom depth of about 23 m. Using the lateral distribution and thickness of the gas-charged sediments in conjunction with a mean concentration of gas of 3000 ppb, the present amount of trapped gas is estimated to be 6·45 × 1011 g CH4. The flux of methane through the sea-bed into the water column appears to be 7·2 × 1010 g CH4 per year. To explain the small difference in size between the methane pool in near-surface sediments and the annual flux through the sea-bed, a constantly high supply of methane from leaking hydrocarbon reservoirs at greater depths has to be active.

Description: The Cenozoic sediments sampled in ODP Leg 104 on the Vøring Plateau show a distinct variability of the total organic carbon content (TOC) and the accumulation rates of TOC. Based on the geochemical and organic-petrographic characterization of the sedimentary organic matter (OM), the allochthonous and autochthonous proportion of the OM could be quantified.The results clearly demonstrate that high TOC percentages and TOC accumulation rates in Cenozoic sediment sections display a generally high input of allochthonous organic matter. Oxidized and partly well-rounded organic particles built up the main portion of OM within the Miocene, TOC-rich sediments. The most probable source of this oxidized OM are reworked sediments from the Scandinavian shelf. Changes in the input of these organic particles are to some degree correlative with sea-level changes.The Cenozoic accumulation of autochthonous OM is low and does not reveal a clear variation during the Miocene and early Pliocene. In spite of a high accumulation rate of biogenic opal during the Early Miocene, the accumulation rate of autochthonous TOC is low. The autochthonous particle assemblage is dominated by relatively inert OM, like dinoflagellate cysts. This points to an intensive biological and/or early diagenetic degradation of the marine OM under well oxidized bottom water conditions during the last 23 Myr. Nevertheless, a continuation of marine OM degradation during later stages of diagenesis cannot be excluded.A prominent dominance of allochthonous OM over autochthonous is documented with the beginning of the Pliocene. At 2.45 Ma the episodic occurrence of ice-rafted, thermally mature OM reflects the onset of the glacial erosion of Mesozoic, coal and black shale bearing sediments on the Scandinavian and Barents Sea shelves. The first occurrence of these, in view of the actual burial depth, thermally overmature OM particles is, therefore, a marker for the beginning of the strong Scandinavian glaciation and the advance of the glacial front toward the shelves.

Description: A deep Seismic reflection profile collected by DEKORP and BELCORP in the western Rhenish Massif was supplemented by wide-angle measurements. Signals from a vibrator source were successfully recorded to a distance of 60 km. A passive recording array was operated that recorded all shots along the profile. The wide-angle and near-vertical data were used to construct a velocity model for the profile. Most of the wide-angle reflections coincide with strong near-vertical reflections or bands of high reflectivity. The North Variscan Deformation Front, seen as a prominent shallow reflection on many profiles in this region, separates an upper crust with rather nigh velocities from a layer with lower velocities underneath. At a depth of 20–22 km a thin (2–3 km thick) layer of high velocities is found. The Moho is not reflective either in the near-vertical or in the wide-angle data, suggesting the presence of a thick crust-mantle transition zone.

Description: Teleseismic P-wave travel time residuals recorded by a mobile, shortperiod network are interpreted using the composition of crustal and upper mantle xenoliths. A three-dimensional inversion of the P residuals revealed a small-scale anomalous domain with a velocity reduction of 3% in the crust and a broad low-velocity anomaly of 4% beneath the Moho down to a depth of 50 km. Xenoliths of the Miocene Urach volcanic field (“UVF”, 1300 km2; 355 eruptive centres, mostly diatremes) comprise phlogopite-bearing, clinopyroxene-rich mantle xenoliths, evidence for large ion lithophile element (LIL) metasomatism in an originally depleted harzburgitic mantle, reflecting chemical modification of the upper mantle beneath the UVF. The metasomatism caused partial melting in the spinel peridotite stability field, indicated by glasses in xenoliths, and a diapiric uprise of the partially molten metasomatized mantle. The observed reduction of the P-wave velocity of 4% in the lithospheric mantle can be explained by a local enrichment of phlogopite accompanied by increased temperatures. The crustal low-velocity body coincides very well with the postulated volume of an ancient intracrustal magma chamber or system of chambers required by the composition of xenoliths, the magnetization of the diatremes and the spatial distribution of the volcanic eruption centres.

Description: ISOTOPE ratios and concentrations of incompatible trace elements are remarkably successful in discriminating the tectonic origin and magmatic source components for basalts1–5. But problems remain with discriminating the tectonic origin of some tholeiites, especially where field relations and other geological evidence are ambiguous. For example, the tectonic origin of basalts from the Troodos ophiolite (Cyprus) has been debated for several decades. Most workers have been unable to distinguish between an island-arc and/or back-arc origin for the ophiolite6–8. Here we use volatile, K2O and TiO2 contents from ∼250 fresh submarine volcanic glasses to discriminate between tholeiites from different tectonic regimes. K2O÷H2O ratios are lower (〈0.70) in spread ing-centre glasses than in those from island arcs and intraplate oceanic islands. Back-arc-basin basalts can generally be separated from mid-ocean-ridge basalts by their high H2O contents. Using this information, we show that some fresh glasses from the Troodos ophiolite have a clear back-arc-basin affinity.

Description: Crustal xenoliths in three Cenozoic volcanic fields of West Germany, the Northern Hessian Depression (NHD), the Eifel and the Urach/Hegau, include medium to high-grade meta sedimentary and felsic to mafic meta-igneous rocks. Also present in all three suites are pyroxenites and hornblendites. For each volcanic field, a model crustal profile is proposed based on calculated or measured P-wave velocities of xenoliths and depth-Vp relationships (EGT Central Segment and Rhenish Massif traverses). The xenolith lithologies from the NHD and the Eifel show some similarities. The middle crust between the depths of about 10 and 25 km consists mainly of meta-sediments, felsic gneisses and granulites. Meta-sedimentary rock types are particularly abundant in the Eifel at depths of between about 5 and 15 km but are less common within the NHD xenolith collection. The felsic gneisses range from meta-granites to meta-tonalites (I-and S-type). Eifel meta-sediments range from meta-pelites to meta-greywackes and meta-quartzites. The NHD xenolith suite contains a few highly depleted granulite-facies meta-sedimentary fragments. At depths between 24 and 26 km, the increase in Vp from about 6.8 to 〉 8 km s−1 (28–34 km) is correlated with the presence of mafic granulites intercalated with eclogites, pyroxenites and hornblendites. Beneath North Hessia, the granulite layer problably grades into a composite eclogite-peridotite layer at the lower part of this transition zone. The crust beneath the Urach/Hegau consists largely of meta-sediments with subordinate felsic meta-igneous rocks. Most of the meta-sedimentary samples seem to be depleted in felsic components, suggesting intra-crustal differentiation by partial melting. The Urach crust contains lithologies which are similar to the outcropping Moldanubian-type para-gneisses of the Black Forest. Mafic and ultramafic xenoliths from the Urach/Hegau differ in their mineralogy and chemical composition from the Eifel and NHD mafic granulites. They represent meta-cumulates derived from alkaline magmas which intruded the base of the crust and underwent deformation and recrystallization. Petrographic and chemical differences between Urach/Hegau and Eifel/NHD are believed to reflect the contrasting styles of crustal evolution in the Rhenohercynian and the Moldanubian belts of the Variscan orogen.

Description: Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important atmospheric trace gas. Changes in the concentration of N2O in the atmosphere have evoked considerable interest because of its role in (i) regulating stratospheric ozone levels, and (ii) contributing to the atmospheric greenhouse phenomenon. The global concentration of N2O in the atmosphere has been rising since the start of the Industrial Revolution, before which the concentration was almost constant at about 280–290 ppbv. In ad 1990, it reached about 310 ppbv and is rising at a rate of 0·5–1·1 ppbv (i.e. 0·2–0·3%) per year. In this paper, the history of N2O in the Earth's atmosphere, together with its latitudinal and altitudinal distributions, and seasonal oscillations, are described.

Description: A mechanistic account of skeletal density band formation in massive colonies of Porites is developed by linking observations from vital staining of growing skeletons with measurements of density band characteristics, dissepiment spacing and the depth to which skeleton was occupied by tissue. Three growth processes contribute to density band formation. First, addition of new skeleton at the outer surface of the colony. Second, thickening of existing skeleton through the depth of the tissue layer (tissue usually occupies skeleton formed over the last 4–13 months). Third, the density pattern is then modified by periodic and abrupt uplift of the lower margin of the tissue layer which occurs about every 30 days. Uplift is associated with formation of new dissepiments and produces a fine density band at the lower margin of the tissue layer. Less regular, fine bands are formed within the tissue layer probably as a result of variations in calcification at the colonial surface. X-radiography of skeletal slices compresses and combines the results of these mechanisms making it difficult to distinguish the contribution of individual mechanisms to the overall X-ray image. The relative importance of the three mechanisms — extension, thickening and tissue uplift — to overall skeletal growth may differ between individual colonies. Variability in the way the mechanisms operate and combine may account for widely differing reports of coral density banding.

Description: Accurate congener-specific determination of chlorobiphenyl congeners (all 209 congeners) is finally possible with the use of multidimensional gas chromatography-electron-capture detection techniques. The effectiveness of this technique for environmental analyses is enhanced by ultraclean laboratory practices, non-destructive extraction and clean-up steps and the use of low-volume, high-efficiency HPLC separation for various classes of organic contaminants. In the light of these new developments conventional procedures for chlorobiphenyl analysis are evaluated.

Description: Analysis of growth by year of hatching was estimated from the statolith growth increments of the oceanic squid Todarodes angolensis in three consecutive years. Samples were taken between November 1987 and February 1990 in the northern Benguela upwelling system. Growth increments suggested that hatching took place throughout the year and that the life cycle was ≈ 1 yr. From the onset of sexual maturity in the final third of the life cycle, growth rates were subject to considerable individual variation. Growth rate was significant highest in the 1987 year class, presumably because of exceptionally cool environmental conditions in the Benguela region. The response of T. angolensis to interannual environmental variability in the northern Benguela system is discussed. The results from this study suggest that it will be important to consider variability in growth rate in relation to environmental conditions, in future studies of squid age and growth.

Description: WHILE ammonites and all other ectocochleate cephalopods became extinct, nautiloids survived relatively unchanged from the Ordovician, suggesting that they are unusually well adapted to their niche. Here we obtain high-resolution tracks of Nautilus positions and depths, combined with telemetered jet pressures, which clarify both its lifestyle and economics. Nautilus is more active in nature than in captivity1, but its energy costs are lower than projected2,3. Viewing Nautilus as 'vertic', rather than benthic, resolves this contradiction. Records show that the cost of transport is the same in any direction within a vertical plane. Living on a reef face swept by a lateral current means that vertical movements4,5 sample large areas for chemical trails. A detected trail can be followed upcurrent in the slow-moving boundary layer, but no effort is wasted on horizontal movement without good prospects for food; long-range movements are downcurrent and made by drifting. Once fed, a Nautilus can reduce its energy costs by moving to deeper, cooler waters, where a single meal can last for months.

Description: Petroleum impregnated sediments and massive sulfides have been found in two deeps of the northerns Red Sea. Biological marker distributions in extracts and polar fraction degradation products were analyzed in order to elucidate the source of the petroliferous material. Two organic phases could be distinguished according to their source and maturity. The amounts of n-alkanes show a marked decrease with depth, whereas the concentrations of various branched and cyclic hydrocarbons increase, resulting in a humpof unresolvable compounds in a depth as shallow as 300 cm. Changes in concentrations and distributions of hopanoids in the Kebrit Deep sediments indicate a rapid increase of maturity with depth. The deepest core section (300 cm) and the masive sulfide reveal comparable maturation indices typical for mature oils. By chemical degradation of the polar fractions a series of C40-isoprenoids was obtained, which reveals a considerable contribution from methanogenic and thermophilic archapbacteria to the immature organic matter. The data suggest that petroliferous material ofthermogenic origin migrates through the younger sequences, superimposes the autochthonous organic substances in the sediments and furthermore, forms asphaltic impregnations in the massive sulfides.

Description: During a R.V. Meteor JGOFS-NABE cruise to a tropical site in the northeast Atlantic in spring 1989, three different vertical regimes with respect to nitrate distribution and availability within the euphotic zone were observed. Besides dramatic variations in the depth of the nitracline, a previously undescribed nose-like nitrate maximum within the euphotic zone was the most prominent feature during this study. Both the vertical structure of phytoplankton biomass and the degree of absolute and relative new production were related to the depth of the nitracline, which in turn was dependent on the occurrence/non-occurrence of the subsurface subtropical salinity maximum (S(max)). The mesoscale variability of the nitracline depth, as indicated from a pre-survey grid, and published data on the frequent occurrence of the S(max) in tropical waters suggest higher variability of new production and F-ratio than usually expected for oligotrophic oceans. The importance of salt fingering and double diffusion for nitrate transport into the euphotic zone is discussed.

Description: The Bass Strait cascade is a wintertime downwelling caused by cooling of the shallow waters of Bass Strait. During winter, a front separates the cold shelf water from the waters of the Tasman Sea. Continuous horizontal bands of downwelled water leading oceanward beneath the front imply that it can be transgressed near the bottom anywhere along its length. However, by far the greatest volume crosses at a breach at the northern end. Measured currents in eastern Bass Strait fit a predictable pattern: eastward toward the front, then as the front is approached, swinging north towards the breach. Flow northwards along the slope after downwelling is quantified using a simple analytic model. Cascade water found in the “far-field” was found only in small patches. One such patch was found to possess motion independent from the mean flow in which it was embedded.

Description: Studies on dormant resting cysts of the dinoflagellates Scrippsiella lachrymosa Lewis 1991 and S. trifida Lewis 1991 from Recent North Sea sediments suggest that their motile forms, which have not yet been officially recorded in this area till now, are common members of the North Sea plankton community. Cyst surveys offer avenues to overcome problems in spatial and temporal distributions and in taxonomy, and will help the compilation of a phytoplankton inventory in an area.