ALBERT

Description: Highlights: • Ca. 418 ka Pauzhetka tephra from South Kamchatka was found in 11 marine sediment cores. • New major and trace element analyses allow identification of tephra glasses. • K/Ti and K/Fe maxima mark the Pauzhetka tephra presence in marine sediments. • The tephra occurs at Marine Isotope Stages 12 to 11c and below the Bermuda excursion. • The revised ash dispersal covers vast areas in the NW Pacific and Okhotsk Sea. Abstract: The distal Pauzhetka tephra, formed by a large caldera-forming volcanic eruption in South Kamchatka, has been identified in eleven recently recovered marine sediment cores based on major and trace element compositions of tephra glass. Ten SO264 cores form a transect along the Emperor Seamount Chain (ESC) in the Northwest (NW) Pacific between ∼50.3° and ∼45°N, 800–1200 km southeast of the Pauzhetka caldera. One additional core LV28-41-4 was retrieved in the Okhotsk Sea, ∼600 km west of the caldera. The Pauzhetka tephra glass shards have a characteristic medium-K rhyolite composition and trace element content compatible with the rear-arc position of the source volcano that ensures their identification. In the NW Pacific SO264 cores, the tephra is preserved as layers in cores 33, 47, 49, 53, 55, 56 and 62, as a lens in core 45, and as cryptotephra in cores 57 and 66. It forms a cryptotephra in the Okhotsk Sea core LV28-41-4. Distinctively high XRF-retrieved K/Ti and K/Fe ratios compared to those for the host sediments help identify the Pauzhetka tephra. According to our refined stable oxygen isotope (δ18O)- and magneto-stratigraphy of two studied and two reference cores, the Pauzhetka tephra occurs within a local δ18O maximum during a transition from marine isotope stage 12 to 11c (Termination V) and below a paleointensity minimum referred to as the Bermuda excursion, at ca. 418 ka. Using the tephra age as an isochron, we show that average linear sedimentation rates decrease southward along a transect of the SO264 cores, except in core 55. It partially reflects an intensification of mid-depth currents causing winnowing, erosion or non-deposition along the ESC over the past 418 kyr. An increased linear sedimentation rate in core 55, recovered from the southern leeward side of the Minnetonka Seamount, appears to record the pelagic accumulation protected from the mid-depth current influence. Our findings expand the former ash dispersal area farther southeast in the NW Pacific and southwest in the Okhotsk Sea. The new data on the tephra thickness supports the axis direction of the fallout zone southeast of the Pauzhetka caldera. Our results suggest the Pauzhetka tephra as a key middle Pleistocene isochron for the stratigraphy and correlation of the NW Pacific and Okhotsk Sea sediments.

Description: The world's forests store large amounts of carbon (C), and growing forests can reduce atmospheric CO2 by storing C in their biomass. This has provided the impetus for world-wide tree planting initiatives to offset fossil-fuel emissions. However, forests interact with their environment in complex and multifaceted ways that must be considered for a balanced assessment of the value of planting trees. First, one needs to consider the potential reversibility of C sequestration in trees through either harvesting or tree death from natural factors. If carbon storage is only temporary, future temperatures will actually be higher than without tree plantings, but cumulative warming will be reduced, contributing both positively and negatively to future climate-change impacts. Alternatively, forests could be used for bioenergy or wood products to replace fossil-fuel use which would obviate the need to consider the possible reversibility of any benefits. Forests also affect the Earth's energy balance through either absorbing or reflecting incoming solar radiation. As forests generally absorb more incoming radiation than bare ground or grasslands, this constitutes an important warming effect that substantially reduces the benefit of C storage, especially in snow-covered regions. Forests also affect other local ecosystem services, such as conserving biodiversity, modifying water and nutrient cycles, and preventing erosion that could be either beneficial or harmful depending on specific circumstances. Considering all these factors, tree plantings may be beneficial or detrimental for mitigating climate-change impacts, but the range of possibilities makes generalisations difficult. Their net benefit depends on many factors that differ between specific circumstances. One can, therefore, neither uncritically endorse tree planting everywhere, nor condemn it as counter-productive. Our aim is to provide key information to enable appropriate assessments to be made under specific circumstances. We conclude our discussion by providing a step-by-step guide for assessing the merit of tree plantings under specific circumstances.

Description: Total alkalinity (TA) is an important variable of the ocean carbonate system. In coastal oceans, carbonate system dynamics are controlled by a range of processes including photosynthesis and respiration, calcification, mixing of water masses, continental inputs, temperature changes, and seasonal upwelling. Assessments of diel, seasonal and interannual variations in TA are required to understand the carbon cycle in coastal oceans. However, our understanding of these variations remains underdeveloped due to limitations in observational techniques. Autonomous TA measurements are therefore required. In this study, an in situ TA analyzer (ISA-TA) based on a single-point titration with spectrophotometric pH detection was deployed in Tong'an Bay, Xiamen, China, over a five-month period in 2021 to determine diel and seasonal TA variations. The TA observations were combined with an artificial neural network (ANN) model to construct TA prediction models for this area. This provided a simple method to investigate TA variations in this region and was applied to predict surface water TA between March and April 2021. The in situ TA observations showed that TA values in Tong'an Bay varied within a range from 1931 to 2294 μmol kg−1 over the study period, with low TA in late winter, early summer and late summer, and high TA in early winter. The TA variations in late summer and early winter were mainly controlled by mixing of water bodies. The diel variations of TA were greatly determined by tides, with a diel amplitude of 9 to 247 μmol kg−1. The ANN model used temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen to estimate TA, with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of ∼14 μmol kg−1, with salinity as the input variable with the greatest weight. The approach of combining ISA-TA observations with an ANN model can be extended to study the carbonate system in other coastal regions.

Description: Highlights • Cu complexation was measured for the first time in the Fram Strait region. • Cu-binding ligand concentrations and binding strength varied longitudinally in the Fram Strait. • More than 99 % of dCu was organically complexed by strong ligands. • On the Greenland shelf the Transpolar Drift and the coastal processes were the main sources of Cu ligands. Abstract The Fram Strait represents the major gateway of Arctic Ocean waters towards the Nordic Seas and North Atlantic Ocean and is a key region to study the impact of climate change on biogeochemical cycles. In the region, information about trace metal speciation, such as copper, is scarce. This manuscript presents the concentrations and conditional stability constants of copper-binding ligands (LCu and log KcondCu2+L) in the water column of Fram Strait and the Greenland shelf (GEOTRACES cruise GN05). Cu-binding ligands were analysed by Competitive Ligand Exchange-Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (CLE-ACSV) using salicylaldoxime (SA) as competitive ligand. Based on water masses and the hydrodynamic influences, three provinces were considered (coast, shelf, and Fram Strait) and differences were observed between regions and water masses. The strongest variability was observed in surface waters, with increasing LCu concentrations (mean values: Fram Strait = 2.6 ± 1.0 nM; shelf = 5.2 ± 1.3 nM; coast = 6.4 ± 0.8 nM) and decreasing log KcondCu2+L values (mean values: Fram Strait = 15.7 ± 0.3; shelf = 15.2 ± 0.3; coast = 14.8 ± 0.3) towards the west. The surface LCu concentrations obtained above the Greenland shelf indicate a supply from the coastal environment to the Polar Surface Water (PSW) which is an addition to the ligand exported from the central Arctic to Fram Strait. The significant differences (in terms of LCu and log KcondCu2+L) between shelf and coastal samples were explained considering the processes which modify ligand concentrations and binding strengths, such as biological activity in sea-ice, phytoplankton bloom in surface waters, bacterial degradation, and meltwater discharge from 79NG glacier terminus. Overall, the ligand concentration exceeded those of dissolved Cu (dCu) and kept the free copper (Cu2+) concentrations at femtomolar levels (0.13–21.13 fM). This indicates that Cu2+ toxicity limits were not reached and dCu levels were stabilized in surface waters by organic complexes, which favoured its transport to the Nordic Seas and North Atlantic Ocean and the development of microorganism.

Description: Seaweed farming contributes substantial amounts of organic carbon to the ocean, part of which can be locked for a long term in the ocean and perform the function of ocean carbon sequestration, and the other part can be converted into inorganic carbon through microbial mineralization and aerobic respiration, affecting the pCO2, pHT and dissolved oxygen of seawater. It is generally believed that seaweed farming will cause the seawater to become a sink of CO2 due to carbon fixation by macroalgal photosynthesis. However, little attention has been paid to the fact that seaweed farming environment may sometimes become a source rather than a sink of CO2. Here, through in-situ mesocosm cultivation experiments and eight field investigations covering different kelp growth stages in an intensive farming area in China, we found that compared with the surrounding seawater without kelps, the seawater at the fast-growth stage of kelp was a sink of CO2 (pCO2 decreased by 17−73 μatm), but became a source of CO2 at the aging stage of kelp (pCO2 increased by 20−37 μatm). Concurrently, seawater pHT experienced a transition from increase (by 0.02−0.08) to decline (by 0.03−0.04). In-situ mesocosm cultivation experiments showed that the positive environmental effects (i.e., pCO2 decrease and pHT increase) induced by kelps at the early growth stage could be offset within only 3 days at the late-growth and aging stages. The release of dissolved organic carbon by kelps at the late growth stage increased significantly, supporting the enhancement in microbial abundance and respiration, which was manifested by the remarkable decrease in seawater dissolved oxygen, ultimately leading to CO2 release exceeding photosynthetic CO2 absorption. This study suggests that mature farmed kelps should be harvested in time to best utilize their carbon sink function and environmental benefits, which has guiding significance for the rational management of seaweed farming.

Description: Cephalopods are well known for their cognitive capabilities and unique behavioural repertoires. Yet, certain life strategies and behaviours are still not fully understood. For instance, coastal octopuses have been documented (mainly through citizen science and TV documentaries) to occasionally leave the water and crawl in intertidal areas. Yet, there is a complete lack of knowledge on this behaviour's physiological and biochemical basis. Within this context, this study aimed to investigate, for the first time, physiological (routine and maximum metabolic rates and aerobic scope) and biochemical (i.e., antioxidant enzymes activities, heat shock protein and ubiquitin levels, DNA damage, lipid peroxidation) responses of the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, to emersion. The octopuses’ physiological performance was determined by measuring metabolic rates in different emersion treatments and biochemical markers. The size-adjusted maximum metabolic rates (MMRadj) of octopuses exposed to 2:30 min of air exposure followed by re-immersion did not differ significantly from the MMRadj of the chased individuals (control group). Yet, most biochemical markers revealed no significant differences among the different emersion treatments. Our findings showed that O. vulgaris could tolerate exposure to short-term emersion periods due to an efficient antioxidant machinery and cellular repair mechanisms. Alongside, we argue that the use of atmospheric air through the mucus-covered gills and/or cutaneous respiration may also help octopus withstand emersion and crawling on land.

Description: Highlights: • Inhibitory potential of eelgrass microbiome against aquatic and fecal pathogens • Isolation of epiphytes and endophytes associated with eelgrass leaves and roots • Particularly leaf epibiotic bacteria exhibit significant antimicrobial activity. • Rich secondary metabolite composition by untargeted metabolomics • Potential involvement of eelgrass microbiome in seagrass ecosystem services Seagrass meadows provide crucial ecosystem services for coastal environments and were shown to reduce the abundance of waterborne pathogens linked to infections in humans and marine organisms in their vicinity. Among potential drivers, seagrass phenolics released into seawater have been linked to pathogen suppression, but the potential involvement of the seagrass microbiome has not been investigated. We hypothesized that the microbiome of the eelgrass Zostera marina, especially the leaf epiphytes that are at direct interface between the seagrass host and the surrounding seawater, inhibit waterborne pathogens thereby contributing to their removal. Using a culture-dependent approach, we isolated 88 bacteria and fungi associated with the surfaces and inner tissues of the eelgrass leaves (healthy and decaying) and the roots. We assessed the antibiotic activity of microbial extracts against a large panel of common aquatic, human (fecal) and plant pathogens, and mined the metabolome of the most active extracts. The healthy leaf epibiotic bacteria, particularly Streptomyces sp. strain 131, displayed broad-spectrum antibiotic activity superior to some control drugs. Gram-negative bacteria abundant on healthy leaf surfaces, and few endosphere-associated bacteria and fungi also displayed remarkable activities. UPLC-MS/MS-based untargeted metabolomics analyses showed rich specialized metabolite repertoires with low annotation rates, indicating the presence of many undescribed antimicrobials in the extracts. This study contributes to our understanding on microbial and chemical ecology of seagrasses, implying potential involvement of the seagrass microbiome in suppression of pathogens in seawater. Such effect is beneficial for the health of ocean and human, especially in the context of climate change that is expected to exacerbate all infectious diseases. It may also assist future seagrass conservation and management strategies.

Description: The seismic receiver function (RF) technique is widely used as an economic method to image earth's deep interior in a large number of seismic experiments. P-wave receiver functions (RFs) constrain crustal thickness and average Vp/Vs in the crust by analysis of the Ps phase and multiples (reflected/converted waves) from the Moho. Regional studies often show significant differences between the Moho depth constrained by RF and by reflection/refraction methods. We compare the results from RF and controlled source seismology for the Baikal Rift Zone by calculating 1480 synthetic RFs for a seismic refraction/reflection velocity model and processing them with two common RF techniques [H–κ and Common Conversion Point (CCP) stacking]. We compare the resulting synthetic RF structure with the velocity model, a density model (derived from gravity and the velocity model), and with observed RFs. Our results demonstrate that the use of different frequency filters, the presence of complex phases from sediments and gradual changes in the properties of crustal layers can lead to erroneous interpretation of RFs and incorrect geological interpretations. We suggest that the interpretation of RFs should be combined with other geophysical methods, in particular in complex tectonic regions and that the long-wavelength Bouguer gravity anomaly signal may provide effective calibration for the determination of the correct Moho depth from RF results. We propose and validate a new automated, efficient method for this calibration.

Description: The investigation of innovative macroalgal cultivation is important and needed to optimize farming operations, increase biomass production, reduce the impact on the ecosystem, and lower system and operational costs. However, most macroalgal farming systems (MFSs) are stationary, which need to occupy a substantial coastal area, require extensive investment in farm infrastructure, and cost high fertilizer and anchoring expenses. This study aims to model, analyze, and support a novel binary species free-floating longline macroalgal cultivation concept. The expected outcomes could provide a basis for the design and application of the novel MFS to improve biomass production, decrease costs, and reduce the impact on the local ecosystem. In this paper, Saccharina latissima and Nereocystis luetkeana were modeled and validated, and coupled with longline to simulate the binary species MFS free float in various growth periods and associated locations along the US west coast. The numerical predictions indicated the possibility of failure on the longline and breakage at the kelp holdfasts is low. However, the large forces due to an instantaneous change in dynamic loads caused by loss of hydrostatic buoyancy when the longline stretches out of the water would damage the kelps. Buoy-longline contact interactions could damage the buoy, resulting in the loss of the system by sinking. Furthermore, the kelp-longline and kelp-kelp entanglements could potentially cause kelp damage.

Description: This literature review presents major environmental indicators and their optimum variation ranges for the prevalence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the marine environment by critically reviewing and statistically analyzing more than one hundred studies from countries around the world. Results of this review indicated that the prevalence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the marine environment is primarily responsive to favorable environmental conditions that are described with environmental indicators. The importance of environmental indicators to the prevalence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus can be ranked from the highest to lowest as Sea Surface Temperature (SST), salinity, pH, chlorophyll a, and turbidity, respectively. It was also found in this study that each environmental indicator has an optimum variation range favoring the prevalence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Specifically, the SST range of 25.67 ± 2 °C, salinity range of 27.87 ± 3 ppt, and pH range of 7.96 ± 0.1 were found to be the optimum conditions for the prevalence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. High vibrio concentrations were also observed in water samples with the chlorophyll a range of 16–25 μg/L. The findings provide new insights into the importance of environmental indicators and their optimum ranges, explaining not only the existence of both positive and negative associations reported in the literature but also the dynamic associations between the Vibrio presence and its environmental drivers.

Description: The United Nations is dedicated to bringing countries together to solve international problems and to shape a better future. One of the greatest challenges facing society today is meeting the population’s basic needs, while protecting the environment, hence the UN Sustainable Development Goals — 17 goals to overcome current and future sustainability challenges. We incorporate the 17 goals into a simplified global socio-ecological model to analyze what actions are necessary to promote a desirable future. We find that the current population size and resource use are not sustainable with any one goal or combination of goals. In the sustainable scenarios described here the global population decreases, while maintaining higher consumption levels. We estimate that sustainability hinges on maintaining an equivalence between natural and agricultural land areas and the human population — approximately 1ha of land per person is necessary to promote human well-being and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, we find that long-term sustainability hinges on changes within the next 50 years and goals that solely target environmental degradation or consumption are too slow to drive sustainability. Social progress is occurring much faster than environmental progress, therefore actions that target shifts in power dynamics, inequality, development and education in lower income countries should be prioritized to maintain ecosystem services and promote well-being. The goals that incorporate a combination of socio-ecological policies (SDGs 3,6,8,9,10,11) promote well-being and sustainability.

Description: Although parasitism is one of the most common species interactions in nature, the role of parasites in their hosts' thermal tolerance is often neglected. This study examined the ability of the trematode Podocotyle atomon to modulate the feeding and stress response of Gammarus locusta towards temperature. To accomplish this, infected and uninfected females and males of Gammarus locusta were exposed to temperatures (2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30 °C) for six days. Shredding (change in food biomass) and defecation rates (as complementary measure to shredding rate) were measured as proxies for feeding activity. Lipid and glycogen concentrations (energy reserves), catalase (oxidative stress indicator), and phenoloxidase (an immunological response in invertebrates) were additionally measured. Gammarid survival was optimal at 10 °C as estimated by the linear model and was unaffected by trematode infection. Both temperature and sex influenced the direction of infection effect on phenoloxidase. Infected females presented lower phenoloxidase activity than uninfected females at 14 and 18 °C, while males remained unaffected by infection. Catalase activity increased at warmer temperatures for infected males and uninfected females. Higher activity of this enzyme at colder temperatures occurred only for infected females. Infection decreased lipid content in gammarids by 14 %. Infected males had significantly less glycogen than uninfected, while infected females showed the opposite trend. The largest infection effects were observed for catalase and phenoloxidase activity. An exacerbation of catalase activity in infected males at warmer temperatures might indicate (in the long-term) unsustainable, overwhelming, and perhaps lethal conditions in a warming sea. A decrease in phenoloxidase activity in infected females at warmer temperatures might indicate a reduction in the potential for fighting opportunistic infections. Results highlight the relevance of parasites and host sex in organismal homeostasis and provide useful insights into the organismal stability of a widespread amphipod in a warming sea.

Description: Highlights • Role of salt leaching in seafloor stability is assessed via experiments and models. • Undrained cohesive strength of clayey silt subjected to leaching decreased by 50%. • Failure occurs when flushed layer is 〉3.5 m thick and slope gradient is 〉3°. Abstract Offshore freshened groundwater (OFG) has been documented in many continental margins worldwide. OFG systems are dynamic, expanding and contracting with falling and rise sea-levels. OFG has long been thought to be an important geomorphic agent in continental margins, either via active discharge at the seafloor, which can erode depressions, or the generation of excess pore pressure, which can deform sediments and cause slope failure. It has also been proposed that OFG flow can drive the loss of sediment shear strength via salt leaching, when seawater in pores is replaced by freshwater. Here, we measure changes in the geotechnical properties of seafloor clayey silt due to salt leaching using flushing experiments, and assess the implications of these changes on the stability of siliciclastic continental margins with 2D limit equilibrium modelling. We document a ~ 50% decrease in undrained cohesive strength of seafloor sediment after flushing, as well as a decrease in its shear strength, bulk density, and moisture content, which is similar to that reported for subaerial quick clays undergoing salt leaching. When applied to a theoretical submarine domain 300 m wide by 100 m high, we estimate that salt leaching can trigger slope failure when the thickness of the flushed layer is 〉3.5 m or when the slope gradient is 〉3°. Such conditions are primarily satisfied on the continental slope or the shallow seafloor close to the shoreline. Salt leaching by OFG flow merits consideration as a potential mechanism destablising submarine sedimentary slopes.

Description: Highlights • The hydrothermal fluids were sampled from a neovolcanic ridge within a non-transform offset. • Serpentinization has been involved on the pathway of hydrothermal circulation • The fluids are strongly affected by phase separation with extremely high Cl content in brine phase • A hybrid model of hydrothermal circulation controlled by tectonic and magmatic activities simultaneously was proposed. The Daxi Vent Field (DVF) is located on a neovolcanic ridge within a non-transform offset at water depths of ∼3500 m, on the Carlsberg Ridge, northwest Indian Ocean. In 2017, we investigated this site using the submersible Jiaolong and collected two fluid samples from orifices of chimneys named “Buddha's Hands” and “A1”, about 37 m apart. Their in-situ measured temperatures are 273 °C and 272 °C, respectively. The Buddha's Hands fluid is highly Cl-enriched (928 mM), while the A1 fluid is Cl-depleted (303 mM). This indicates that they have undergone phase separation. The segregated phases must have remixed during the ascent because the vapor and brine phases sampled cannot be produced by the same phase separation history without other processes. Olivine-rich and/or ultramafic mantle rocks must have been involved during the hydrothermal circulation as evidenced by high dissolved H2 (7.07 mM) and methane (0.884 mM) concentrations, a depletion in B relative to seawater, high Ca and low K, and large positive Eu anomalies. The Fe content in Buddha's Hands fluid is extremely high (11,900 μM) as a result of phase separation, while the Cu concentrations in both fluids are relatively low due to entrainment of seawater which results in precipitation of Cu-rich sulfides in the subseafloor. The concentrations of Zn, Ag, Ga, Sn, Sb, and Cd in A1 vent fluid are significantly elevated due to generation of acidity and remobilization of these elements as Cu-rich sulfides are deposited. The subseafloor processes and associated geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids at the DVF are distinct from other mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems due to the specific geologic setting. Hence a hybrid model of hydrothermal circulation is proposed. This study broadens our understanding of the hydrothermal processes occurring in areas of NTO setting and provides more information on mass fluxes discharging from hydrothermal systems and the formation of sulfide deposits.

Description: We interpret the crustal and upper mantle structure along ∼2500 km long seismic profiles in the northeastern part of the Sino-Korean Craton (SKC). The seismic data with high signal-to-noise ratio were acquired with a nuclear explosion in North Korea as source. Seismic sections show several phases including Moho reflections (PmP) and their surface multiple (PmPPmP), upper mantle refractions (P), primary reflections (PxP, PL, P410), exceptionally strong multiple reflections from the Moho (PmPPxP), and upper mantle scattering phases, which we model by ray-tracing and synthetic seismograms for a 1-D fine-scale velocity model. The observations require a thin crust (30 km) with a very low average crustal velocity (ca. 6.15 km/s) and exceptionally strong velocity contrast at the Moho discontinuity, which can be explained by a thin Moho transition zone (〈 5 km thick) with strong horizontal anisotropy. We speculate that this anisotropy was induced by lower crustal flow during delamination dripping. An intra-lithospheric discontinuity (ILD) at ∼75 km depth with positive velocity contrast is probably caused by the phase transformation from spinel to garnet. Delayed first arrivals followed by a long wave train of scattered phases of up to 4 s duration are observed in the 800–1300 km offset range, which are modelled by continuous stochastic velocity fluctuations in a low-velocity zone (LVZ) below the Mid-Lithospheric Discontinuity (MLD) between 120 and 190 km depth. The average velocity of this LVZ is about 8.05 km/s, which is much lower than the IASP91 standard model. This LVZ is most likely caused by rocks which are either partially molten or close to the solidus, which explains both low velocity and the heterogeneous structure.

Description: This chapter aims at introducing the reader to general concepts about the main forcings of the Mediterranean Sea, in terms of exchanges through the Strait of Gibraltar, and air-sea exchanges of heat, freshwater, and momentum. These forcings are also responsible for the peculiar characteristics of Mediterranean water masses. Therefore, the chapter continues with giving a general explanation on water mass analysis, and then it describes the properties and vertical and horizontal distributions of the main Mediterranean water masses. To conclude, the reader is introduced to the use of other (biogeochemical, and chemical) tracers of water masses, with a focus on the Mediterranean Sea.

Description: The acclimative response of phytoplankton, which adjusts their nutrient and pigment content in response to changes in ambient light, nutrient levels, and temperature, is an important determinant of observed chlorophyll distributions and biogeochemistry. Acclimative models typically capture this response and its impact on the C : nutrient : Chl ratios of phytoplankton by explicitly resolving the dynamics of these constituents of phytoplankton biomass. The instantaneous acclimation (IA) approach only requires resolving the dynamics of a single tracer and calculates the elemental composition assuming instantaneous local equilibrium. IA can capture the acclimative response without substantial loss of accuracy in both 0D box models and spatially explicit 1D models. A major drawback of IA so far has been its inability to maintain mass balance for the elements with unresolved dynamics. Here we extend the IA model to capture both C and N cycles in a 0D setup, which requires analytical derivation of additional flux terms to account for the temporal changes in cellular N quota, Q. We present extensive tests of this model, with regard to the conservation of total C an N and its behavior in comparison to an otherwise equivalent, fully explicit dynamic acclimation (DA) variant under idealized conditions with variable light and temperature. We also demonstrate a modular implementation of this model in the Framework for Aquatic Biogeochemical Modelling (FABM), which facilitates modeling competition between an arbitrary number of different acclimative phytoplankton types. In a 0D setup, we did not find evidence for computational advantages of the IA approach over the DA variant. In a spatially explicit setup, performance gains may be possible but would require modifying the physical-flux calculations to account for spatial differences in Q between model grid cells.

Description: Highlights • Plinian eruptions linked to rheologically different mingling andesite magmas. • Magma decompression regimes producing variable degassing/crystallization kinetics. • Least explosive eruptions at slowest decompression, ascent and strain rates. • Plinian phases at rapid/intermittent magma decompression, ascent and strain rates. Abstract Estimating the kinetics of andesite magma vesiculation and crystallization inside volcanic plumbing systems is key for unraveling andesite Plinian eruption dynamics. The conduit kinetics provide the necessary input data for estimating the magma flow rates driving magma ascent and the fragmentation mechanisms controlling shifts in eruption explosivity and style. This information is crucial for increasing knowledge on expected hazards and for developing realistic eruption scenarios. In this work, we estimate conduit magma vesiculation and crystallization kinetics during the 3300 cal BP Upper Inglewood Plinian eruptive episode of Mount Taranaki, New Zealand. This episode comprised (i) low-intensity, conduit-opening phases of dome-collapse PDCs; (ii) pre-climactic, highly explosive phases of diverse PDCs, of up to violent 18-km-runout lateral blasts; (iii) climactic phases of steady 22-km-high Plinian eruption columns; and (iv) waning phases of column-collapse PDCs. By employing synchrotron microtomography, combined with mineral/glass chemistry and electron-microscopy, we quantified 3D vesicle and crystal size and shape distributions in juvenile pyroclasts over time, and corresponding number densities ranging from 1.1 × 105 to 2.5 × 106 mm−3 for vesicles, and from 8.0 × 104 to 5.1 × 106 mm−3 for crystals. Our results indicate that tapping of chemically alike yet rheologically contrasting magmas over a multi-phase andesite eruptive episode is linked to: (a) mafic magma recharge and differentiation in multiple storage reservoirs at distinct crustal levels, (b) stepwise to rapid magma decompression while mingling, producing variable pre- and syn-eruptive degassing and crystallization, and (c) syn-eruptive changes in melt viscosity, strain rate, localized shear deformation, and conduit geometry. The earliest and least explosive eruptive phases (≈ 2 × 106 kg s−1) were produced at the slowest rates of magma decompression (0.3–0.6 MPa s−1), ascent (0.01–0.02 m s−1) and strain (〈 0.002 s−1), driven by volatile diffusion and exsolution. All subsequent pre-climactic and Plinian phases (4 × 107–1 × 108 kg s−1) were produced at either rapid or intermittent rates of magma decompression (2.0–6.0 MPa s−1), ascent (0.06–0.2 m s−1) and strain (〉 0.003–0.010 s−1), powered by combined magma volatile supersaturation and delayed disequilibrium degassing, decompression-induced microlite crystallization and rapid heterogeneous vesiculation kinetics, shear deformation and magma mingling. These processes enabled complex fragmentation mechanisms of the rheologically most homogeneous magmas.

Description: Food web research provides essential insights into ecosystem functioning, but practical applications in ecosystem-based management are hampered by a current lack of knowledge synthesis. To address this gap, we provide the first systematic review of ecological studies applying stable isotope analysis, a pivotal method in food web research, in the heavily anthropogenically impacted Baltic Sea macro-region. We identified a thriving research field, with 164 publications advancing a broad range of fundamental and applied research topics, but also found structural shortcomings limiting ecosystem-level understanding. We argue that enhanced collaboration and integration, including the systematic submission of Baltic Sea primary datasets to stable isotope databases, would help to overcome many of the current shortcomings, unify the scattered knowledge base, and promote future food web research and science-based resource management. The effort undertaken here demonstrates the value of macro-regional synthesis, in enhancing access to existing data and supporting strategic planning of research agendas.

Description: Aim: Invasive alien species are a growing problem worldwide due to their ecological, economic and human health impacts. The “killer shrimp” Dikerogammarus villosus is a notorious invasive alien amphipod from the Ponto-Caspian region that has invaded many fresh and brackish waters across Europe. Understandings of large-scale population dynamics of highly impactful invaders such as D. villosus are lacking, inhibiting predictions of impact and efficient timing of management strategies. Hence, our aim was to assess trends and dynamics of D. villosus as well as its impacts in freshwater rivers and streams. Location: Europe. Methods: We analysed 96 European time series between 1994 and 2019 and identified trends in the relative abundance (i.e. dominance %) of D. villosus in invaded time series, as well as a set of site-specific characteristics to identify drivers and determinants of population changes and invasion dynamics using meta-regression modelling. We also looked at the spread over space and time to estimate the invasion speed (km/year) of D. villosus in Europe. We investigated the impact of D. villosus abundance on recipient community metrics (i.e. abundance, taxa richness, temporal turnover, Shannon diversity and Pielou evenness) using generalized linear models. Results: Population trends varied across the time series. Nevertheless, community dominance of D. villosus increased over time across all time series. The frequency of occurrences (used as a proxy for invader spread) was well described by a Pareto distribution, whereby we estimated a lag phase (i.e. the time between introduction and spatial expansion) of approximately 28 years, followed by a gradual increase before new occurrences declined rapidly in the long term. D. villosus population change was associated with decreased taxa richness, community turnover and Shannon diversity. Main Conclusion: Our results show that D. villosus is well-established in European waters and its abundance significantly alters ecological communities. However, the multidecadal lag phase prior to observed spatial expansion suggests that initial introductions by D. villosus are cryptic, thus signalling the need for more effective early detection methods.

Description: Algen, Zooplankton und Fische gehören zu den Schlüsselakteuren der biologischen Kohlenstoffpumpe, mithilfe derer der Ozean der Atmosphäre auf natürliche Weise Kohlendioxid entnimmt und den enthaltenen Kohlenstoff in großen Wassertiefen einlagert. Damit dieser Mechanismus jedoch optimal funktioniert, braucht es Nährstoffe, die vielerorts fehlen, zumindest im lichtdurchfluteten Oberflächenwasser. Durch das Heraufpumpen nährstoffreichen Tiefenwassers könnte der Mensch diesen Nährstoffmangel beheben. Ob ein solcher künstlicher Auftrieb aber tatsächlich klimawirksam wäre, welche Risiken er mit sich brächte und ob er technisch und rechtlich im großen Stil umgesetzt werden könnte, ist bislang ungewiss. Die Forschungsmission CDRmare liefert Antworten.

Description: Squid play a major role in the Southern Ocean food web. However, their age and growth remain poorly studied. Here, using upper and lower beaks of Moroteuthopsis longimana collected from the diet of Dissostichus mawsoni from Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Southern Ocean, we studied: (1) Feasibility of using beaks collected from predators’ stomachs to study the age of Southern Ocean oceanic squid; and (2) Age estimation and growth patterns of M. longimana. The rostrum sagittal section (RSS) of both beaks had micro-increments, with the lower beak being the best to observe and count a readable sequence of increments to estimate the age. Assuming a daily deposition of increments, our results suggest that M. longimana can live up to 820 days and may hatch throughout the year. Studied individuals presented a consistent growth rate from hatching to death but with, at least, one period of faster growth. A novel pattern of regular cycles, composed of 7–10 lighter increments followed by a darker one, was found in the medium-anterior region of the RSS. Differences were found in the growth rate and size reached at the same age between individuals from the Pacific and Atlantic sectors, which might be related with different environmental conditions between both capture sites. This study shows that lower beaks from predators’ stomachs can be used to study the age of Southern Ocean squids and that M. longimana hatches in all seasons, being available year round to predators that feed of this species.

Description: The topographic fabric of the rift valley floor has been analyzed using the multibeam echosounder data obtained by the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Abyss at two locations over a short segment of the slow-spreading Central Indian Ridge between 10°18′ and 10°57′S. The region is influenced by hydrothermal venting in the near vicinity. Two AUV dives D51 and D52 were performed over this segment at two locations that are 30 km apart and covered 5 km2 and 8 km2 seafloor area, respectively. The dive D51 covered the off-axis part of the rift valley floor in the middle part of the segment, and the dive D52 is located near to the non-transform discontinuity that covered the terminal part of an oceanic core complex (OCC). High-resolution seafloor topography as revealed by the AUV-mounted multibeam echosounder system brought out several micro-bathymetric fabric features such as a lava lake, a cratered volcano, an OCC, and the foot wall volcanic complex at the distal part of the OCC. The valley floor imaged in the D51 is marked by a lava flow encompassing an area of 1 km2 and a volcano in the NE corner. The volcano has a diameter of about 800 m with an elevation of about 200 m from the adjacent seafloor, and the partially mapped volcano crater has a relief of about 60 m. A prominent linear fissure running parallel to the ridge axis has been identified; this feature joins with the volcano. Analysis of AUV-mounted CTD data indicated three distinct temperature spikes ranging 0.009 to 0.013 °C in the region of dive D51. The observed temperature spikes appear to be related to the linear fissure on the seafloor and probably represent leaky venting of fluids from the fissure. With respect to the dive D52, the foot wall volcanic features associated with the OCC are prominent. The volcanic seafloor feature covered an area of 3.45 km2 and is conspicuous with rugged topographic fabric at the base of the OCC. These inferences and the morphotectonics of the rift valley floor as revealed by the AUV data suggest moderate hydrothermal venting in this segment of the slow-spreading Central Indian Ridge.

Description: Elevated dimethyl sulfide (DMS) concentrations in the sea surface microlayer (SML) have been previously related to DMS air–sea flux anomalies in the southwestern Pacific. To further address this, DMS, its precursor dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), and ancillary variables were sampled in the SML and also subsurface water at 0.5 m depth (SSW) in different water masses east of New Zealand. Despite high phytoplankton biomass at some stations, the SML chlorophyll a enrichment factor (EF) was low (〈 1.06), and DMSP was enriched at one station with DMSP EF ranging from 0.81 to 1.25. DMS in the SML was determined using a novel gas-permeable tube technique which measured consistently higher concentrations than with the traditional glass plate technique; however, significant DMS enrichment was present at only one station, with the EF ranging from 0.40 to 1.22. SML DMSP and DMS were influenced by phytoplankton community composition, with correlations with dinoflagellate and Gymnodinium biomass, respectively. DMSP and DMS concentrations were also correlated between the SML and SSW, with the difference in ratio attributable to greater DMS loss to the atmosphere from the SML. In the absence of significant enrichment, DMS in the SML did not influence DMS emissions, with the calculated air–sea DMS flux of 2.28 to 11.0 µmol m−2 d−1 consistent with climatological estimates for the region. These results confirm previous regional observations that DMS is associated with dinoflagellate abundance but indicate that additional factors are required to support significant enrichment in the SML.

Description: Bacterial populations face the constant threat of viral predation exerted by bacteriophages (‘phages’). In response, bacteria have evolved a wide range of defense mechanisms against phage challenges. Yet the vast majority of antiphage defense systems described until now are mediated by proteins or RNA complexes acting at the single-cell level. Here, we review small molecule-based defense strategies against phage infection, with a focus on the antiphage molecules described recently. Importantly, inhibition of phage infection by excreted small molecules has the potential to protect entire bacterial communities, highlighting the ecological significance of these antiphage strategies. Considering the immense repertoire of bacterial metabolites, we envision that the list of antiphage small molecules will be further expanded in the future.

Description: FS MARIA S. MERIAN - MSM114, Las Palmas - Mindelo, 15. - 21. Januar 2023 „MOSES Eddy Study IV“

Description: Here, we outline how to identify hydrogenase enzymes from metagenomic fosmid libraries through an activity-based screening approach. A metagenomic fosmid library is constructed in E. coli and the fosmids are transferred into a hydrogenase deletion mutant of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (ΔhyaB) via triparental mating. If a fosmid clone exhibits hydrogen-uptake activity, S. oneidensis’ phenotype is restored and hydrogenase activity is indicated by a color change of the medium from yellow to colorless. The screen enables screening of 48 metagenomic fosmid clones in parallel.

Description: Geological histories of volcanic ocean islands can be revealed by the sediments shed by them. Hence there is an interest in studying cores of volcaniclastic sediments that are particularly preserved in the many flat-floored basins lying close to the Azores islands. We analyse four gravity cores collected around the central group of the islands. Three sedimentary facies (F1-F2a, F2b) are recognized based on visual core logging, particle morphometric and geochemical analyses. F1 is clay-rich hemipelagite comprising homogeneous mud with mottled structures from bioturbation. F2a and F2b are both clay-poor volcaniclastic deposits, which are carbonate-rich and carbonate-poor, respectively. More biogenic carbonate in F2a reflects the incorporation of unconsolidated calcareous material from island shelves or bioturbation. Within F2a and F2b we identify deposits emplaced by pyroclastic fallout, primary or secondary turbidity currents by combining multiple information from lithological composition, sedimentary structures, chemical composition of volcanic glass shards and morphometric characteristics of volcanic particles. Primary volcaniclastic sediments were found in all four cores, echoing activity known to have occurred up to historical times on the adjacent islands. These preliminary results suggest that greater details of geological events could be inferred for other volcanic islands by adopting a similar approach to core analysis.

Description: Climate change and plastics pollution are dual threats to marine environments. Here we use biogeochemical and microplastic modelling to show that even if there is complete removal of microplastics and cessation of deposition in the oceans in 2022, regional recovery from microplastic-induced remineralization and water column deoxygenation could take hundreds of years for coastal upwelling zones, the North Pacific and Southern Ocean. Surface stratification and reduced sea ice cover further impede regional recovery, highlighting the importance of aggressive mitigation of plastic pollution.

Description: Offshore freshened groundwater (OFG) is groundwater with a salinity below that of seawater that is stored in sub-seafloor sediments and rocks. OFG has been proposed as an alternative solution to relieve water scarcity in coastal regions and to enhance oil recovery. Although OFG has been documented in most continental margins, we still have a poor understanding of the extent and flow characteristics of OFG systems, and their evolution through time. In view of the general absence of appropriate field data, paleohydrogeological models have been used. The majority of these models are based on 2D approaches, and they rarely consider the future evolution of OFG systems, especially in response to predicted climate change. Here we utilize recently acquired geological, geophysical and hydrogeological data from onshore and offshore the Maltese Islands, and employ 2D and 3D numerical models, to: (i) reconstruct the evolution of the onshore-offshore groundwater system during the last 188 ka, (ii) predict the evolution of the OFG system in response to climate-related changes. We show that the mechanisms emplacing OFG include a combination of active meteoric recharge at present as well as at sea-level lowstands. The Maltese onshore-offshore groundwater system is relatively dynamic, with 23% of groundwater being preserved in the last 18 ka. The control of geology is expressed by the more prevalent distribution of OFG north of the Great Fault, which is associated to the occurrence of low permeability units, and the asymmetry of the groundwater lens during the 18 ka lowstand. A 30% decrease in recharge predicted in the coming 100 years will diminish OFG extent by 38%, whereas sea-level rise will play a negligible role. At present the estimated volume of OFG is 1 km 3 , which could potentially provide an alternative supply of potable water to the Maltese Islands for 75 years. Exploitation of OFG with minimal salinization of onshore groundwater bodies would require locating pumping wells close to the coast.

Description: The main goal of the study is to establish the spatial and temporal distribution of pyroclastic material from large explosive eruptions of the volcanoes of Kamchatka, the Kuril, and Aleutian Islands to create a generalized tephrochronological model and reveal patterns of explosive activity in this region. This paper presents new data on the composition of volcanic ash (tephra) found in the Pleistocene deposits of the northwestern Pacific from the eastern slope of the Detroit Rise (northwestern part of the Imperial Ridge), 450–550 km east of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Eleven layers and lenses of tephra aged from 28 to 245 ka, which were previously unknown, were studied in the core Lv63-4-2. Their stratigraphic position and age were determined based on age models developed in this study. Based on the geochemical composition of volcanic glass (determined using an electron microprobe), seven layers were correlated with tephra from several cores in the northwestern Pacific and the Bering Sea. The obtained results supplement the information on large explosive eruptions of volcanoes in the region and their periods of activity. They also allow the development of a generalized tephrochronological model of Quaternary deposits, which is necessary for stratigraphic correlation, and of paleooceanological and paleogeographic reconstructions.

Description: This review focuses on the recognition of volcanic ash occurrences in marine sediment cores and on using their appearance and properties to deduce their origin. Widespread marine tephra layers are important marker horizons for both volcanological as well as general geological investigations. We describe ash detection by visual inspection and logging of sediment cores. Ash layer structure and texture, particle morphologies and lithological compositions of primary volcanic deposits are summarized and processes modifying them are discussed, both natural processes acting on and in the seafloor, i.e. erosion and bioturbation, and anthropogenic modifications during drilling/coring and core preparation. We discuss primary emplacement processes of marine fall and flow tephra deposits derived from either subaerial or submarine sources in order to identify distinguishing properties. We also elaborate on processes generating secondary, resedimented volcaniclastic layers such as submarine landslides and shelf erosion as well as fluvial input and ice-rafting, and how they can be distinguished from primary volcaniclastic deposits, which is essential in tephrostratigraphy. Finally, methods of tephra correlation between cores and on-land deposits/volcanoes are illustrated because they allow us to extend the 1D information from single cores to 3D distribution and facies changes of tephras and to bridge the land–sea gap.

Description: The Ca isotope composition of calcite and aragonite can provide insights into their formation conditions. The accurate interpretation of the Ca isotope composition of natural samples, however, requires precise knowledge of the equilibrium Ca isotope fractionation between the solid and fluid phases. In this study, the three-isotope method with 42Ca, 43Ca and 44Ca has been used to estimate the equilibrium isotope fractionation of Ca between the CaCO3 minerals calcite and aragonite and the Ca2+ aquo ion. Reactive fluids were enriched with 43Ca and equilibrated with synthetic calcite and aragonite of natural Ca isotope distribution up to 3745 h at 25 °C. The isotopic composition of solids and fluids was measured using MC-ICP-MS and the estimated equilibrium fractionation for calcite-Ca2+(aq) and aragonite-Ca2+(aq) was Δ44/42Casolid-fluid=−0.02±0.13‰ and −0.80±0.10‰, respectively. Textural observations of the reacted solids suggest that isotope equilibration in aragonite experiments occurs via extensive Ostwald ripening, yielding large crystalline needles at the end of the experiments. In contrast, calcite did not exhibit an observable increase in size during the course of the experiments. Isotope exchange rates in the case of calcite are similar to those reported in previous studies and ∼4 orders of magnitude lower than the far-from-equilibrium calcite dissolution rate. Calcium isotope exchange rates for aragonite are more rapid than calcite driven by a greater extent of Ostwald ripening occurring via dissolution/precipitation reactions. The results of this study suggest that the Ca isotope compositions of calcite and aragonite crystals in chemical equilibrium, but isotope disequilibrium, with natural fluids could be significantly altered without overt evidence of diagenesis, especially in the case of calcite. The extent to which Ca isotope compositions are altered, however, would depend strongly on the environmental conditions, such as fluid:solid ratio and permeability of the solid facilitating fluid transport.

Description: Invasive species can successfully and rapidly colonize new niches and expand ranges via founder effects and enhanced tolerance towards environmental stresses. However, the underpinning molecular mechanisms (i.e., gene expression changes) facilitating rapid adaptation to harsh environments are still poorly understood. The red seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla, which is native to the northwest Pacific but invaded North American and European coastal habitats over the last 100 years, provides an excellent model to examine whether enhanced tolerance at the level of gene expression contributed to its invasion success. We collected G. vermiculophylla from its native range in Japan and from two non-native regions along the Delmarva Peninsula (Eastern United States) and in Germany. Thalli were reared in a common garden for 4 months at which time we performed comparative transcriptome (mRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) sequencing. MRNA-expression profiling identified 59 genes that were differently expressed between native and non-native thalli. Of these genes, most were involved in metabolic pathways, including photosynthesis, abiotic stress, and biosynthesis of products and hormones in all four non-native sites. MiRNA-based target-gene correlation analysis in native/non-native pairs revealed that some target genes are positively or negatively regulated via epigenetic mechanisms. Importantly, these genes are mostly associated with metabolism and defence capability (e.g., metal transporter Nramp5, senescence-associated protein, cell wall-associated hydrolase, ycf68 protein and cytochrome P450-like TBP). Thus, our gene expression results indicate that resource reallocation to metabolic processes is most likely a predominant mechanism contributing to the range-wide persistence and adaptation of G. vermiculophylla in the invaded range. This study, therefore, provides molecular insight into the speed and nature of invasion-mediated rapid adaption.

Description: FS MARIA S. MERIAN - MSM114, Las Palmas - Mindelo, 16. - 21. Januar 2023 „MOSES Eddy Study IV“

Description: As an important external forcing, the effect of the 11-yr solar cycle on the tropical Pacific decadal variability is an interesting question. Here, we systematically investigate the phase-locking of the atmosphere and ocean covariations to the solar cycle in the tropical Pacific and propose a new mechanism to explain these decadal covariations. In both observation/reanalysis datasets and a solar cycle forced sensitivity experiment (named the SOL experiment), the ocean heat content anomalies (OHCa; 300 m) resemble a La Niña–like pattern in the solar cycle ascending phase, and the Walker circulation shifts westward. In the declining phase, the opposite is true. The accumulative solar irradiation directly contributes to this coherent decadal variability via changing the warm water volume and the solar-related heat is redistributed by the ocean dynamic processes. During the 11-yr solar cycle, the Pacific Walker circulation anomalies maintain the OHCa in the western equatorial Pacific and work as negative feedback for the eastern Pacific to help the OHCa phase transition. In addition, oceanic meridional heat transport via the subtropical cells and the propagation of off-equatorial Rossby waves also provide a lagged negative feedback to the OHCa phase transition according to the 11-yr solar cycle. The decadal coupled responses of the tropical Pacific climate system are 2 years more lag in the SOL experiment than in the observation/reanalysis. Significance Statement Here, we propose a new mechanism that the heating effect of the accumulative solar irradiation during the 11-yr solar cycle can be “integrated” into the tropical Pacific OHC and then provide a bottom-up effect on the atmosphere at decadal time scales. The strongly coupled processes in this region amplify the decadal phase-locking of the covariations to the 11-yr solar cycle. Our study demonstrates the role of the 11-yr solar cycle in the tropical Pacific decadal variability and provides a new explanation for the “bottom-up” mechanism of the solar cycle forcing. Our results update the understanding of the tropical Pacific decadal variability and may help to improve climate predictions at decadal time scales.

Description: Abstract Mesopelagic fishes are an important element of marine food webs, a huge, still mostly untapped food resource, and great contributors to the biological carbon pump, whose future under climate change scenarios are unknown. The shrinking of commercial fishes within decades has been an alarming observation, but its causes remain contended. Here, we investigate the effect of warming climate on mesopelagic fish size in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a glacial–interglacial–glacial transition of the Middle Pleistocene (marine isotope stages 20–18; 814–712 Kyr B.P.), which included a 4 °C increase of global seawater temperature. Our results based on fossil otoliths show that the median size of lanternfishes, one of the most abundant groups of mesopelagic fishes in fossil and modern assemblages, declined by ~35% with climate warming at the community level. However, individual mesopelagic species showed different and often opposing trends in size across the studied time interval, suggesting that climate warming in the interglacial resulted in an ecological shift toward increased relative abundance of smaller-sized mesopelagic fishes due to geographic and/or bathymetric distribution range shifts, and the size-dependent effects of warming.

Description: Diatoms represent one of the most successful groups of marine phytoplankton and are major contributors to ocean biogeochemical cycling. They have colonized marine, freshwater and ice environments and inhabit all regions of the World’s oceans, from poles to tropics. Their success is underpinned by a remarkable ability to regulate their growth and metabolism during nutrient limitation and to respond rapidly when nutrients are available. This requires precise regulation of membrane transport and nutrient acquisition mechanisms, integration of nutrient sensing mechanisms and coordination of different transport pathways. This review outlines transport mechanisms involved in acquisition of key nutrients (N, C, P, Si, Fe) by marine diatoms, illustrating their complexity, sophistication and multiple levels of control.

Description: Since the 1980s, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has shaped European fisheries. It has often been criticised for being too prescriptive and, above all, for failing to protect either fishermen or ecosystems. The last reform dates back to the early 2010 s and has led to a slight but slow improvement in the state of ecosystems. Given that the CFP is in the process of evaluation, a group of French fishery scientists set up an initiative to add to the debate on what should be retained, reinforced or added to a possible new reform. This initiative came 10 years after a previous manifesto that presented their vision for fisheries in Europe. Four major issues emerged from the current initiative: (1) a need for transparency and simplification in fisheries management, (2) a need for more consultation and dialogue between stakeholders, (3) the urgency of the situation in the Mediterranean Sea, and (4) the necessity of putting into practice all research developments for an ecosystem approach to fisheries. Compared to 10 years ago, the response of scientists shows that the focus is no longer on achieving the maximum sustainable yield, but rather on the following steps to protect ecosystems and fisheries. An ecosystem approach to fisheries remains indispensable for both ecosystems and fishing activities. To this end, scientists put forward numerous proposals to improve the CFP, acknowledging that the final solutions should emerge from consultation with stakeholders. Climate change, an issue raised much more than in the manifest, reinforces the need to act.

Description: In our previous study, a β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (HaHex74) from Haloferula sp. showing high human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) synthesis ability was identified and characterized. In this study, HaHex74 was further engineered by directed evolution and site-saturation mutagenesis to improve its transglycosylation activity for HMOs synthesis. A mutant (mHaHex74) with improved transglycosylation activity (HaHex74-Asn401Ile/His394Leu) was obtained and characterized. mHaHex74 exhibited maximal activity at pH 5.5 and 35 °C, respectively, which were distinct from that of HaHex74 (pH 6.5 and 45 °C). Moreover, mHaHex74 showed the highest LNT2 conversion ratio of 28.2% from N,N’-diacetyl chitobiose (GlcNAc2), which is 2.2 folds higher than that of HaHex74. A three-enzyme cascade reaction for the synthesis of LNT2 and LNnT from chitin was performed in a 5–L reactor, and the contents of LNT2 and LNnT reached up to 15.0 g Lsingle bond1 and 4.9 g Lsingle bond1, respectively. Therefore, mHaHex74 maybe a good candidate for enzymatic synthesis of HMOs.

Description: Vouacapoua americana (Fabaceae) is an economically important tree in the Amazon region and used for its highly resistant heartwood as well as for medicinal purposes. Despite its frequent use, phytochemical investigations have been limited and rather focused on ecological properties than on its pharmacological potential. In this study, we investigated the phytochemistry and bioactivity of V. americana stem bark extract and its constituents to identify eventual lead structures for further drug development. Applying hydrodistillation and subsequent GC-MS analysis, we investigated the composition of the essential oil and identified the 15 most abundant components. Moreover, the diterpenoids deacetylchagresnone (1), cassa-13(14),15-dien-oic acid (2), isoneocaesalpin H (3), (+)-vouacapenic acid (4), and (+)-methyl vouacapenate (5) were isolated from the stem bark, with compounds 2 and 4 showing pronounced effects on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium, respectively. During the structure elucidation of deacetylchagresnone (1), which was isolated from a natural source for the first time, we detected inconsistencies regarding the configuration of the cyclopropane ring. Thus, the structure was revised for both deacetylchagresnone (1) and the previously isolated chagresnone. Following our works on Copaifera reticulata and Vatairea guianensis, the results of this study further contribute to the knowledge of Amazonian medicinal plants.

Description: Harmful marine bacteria, such as Vibrio or Aeromonas species, typically exist at low abundance in ocean environments but represent a reservoir from which epidemics can arise. Particularly, Vibrio strains and their associated infections are on the rise globally due to increasing sea surface temperature representing an emergent threat for human and animal health also being responsible for large economic losses in the aquaculture industry worldwide. New technological approaches are needed to improve strategies targeting these pathogens. This review discusses new approaches based on improved sampling strategies and novel analytical methods offering increased accuracy, high throughput, and informativeness to study and detect microbial pathogens in the marine environment. Detecting and characterizing ultra-low-abundance pathogenic strains can serve as a critical tool in risk management and outbreak prevention of diseases caused by emerging marine pathogens.

Description: Fahrtabschnitt 23.01. – 29.01.2023

Description: Algen, Zooplankton und Fische gehören zu den Schlüsselakteuren der biologischen Kohlenstoffpumpe, mithilfe derer der Ozean der Atmosphäre auf natürliche Weise Kohlendioxid entnimmt und den enthaltenen Kohlenstoff in großen Wassertiefen einlagert. Damit dieser Mechanismus jedoch optimal funktioniert, braucht es Nährstoffe, die vielerorts fehlen, zumindest im lichtdurchfluteten Oberflächenwasser. Durch das Heraufpumpen nährstoffreichen Tiefenwassers könnte der Mensch diesen Nährstoffmangel beheben. Ob ein solcher künstlicher Auftrieb aber tatsächlich klimawirksam wäre, welche Risiken er mit sich brächte und ob er technisch und rechtlich im großen Stil umgesetzt werden könnte, ist bislang ungewiss. Die Forschungsmission CDRmare liefert Antworten.

Description: This chapter gives an overview of the general biogeochemistry in the Mediterranean Sea explaining the particularities of the main biogeochemical variables and the physical, biological, and geochemical processes driving their distribution in the main basins of this marginal sea. Each subsection focuses on one essential variable, starting from dissolved oxygen and following inorganic nutrients, dissolved organic carbon and the CO2 system. A brief overview on the utility of those biogeochemical variables to identify water masses is also given. The chapter concludes with a summary of the projections and threats on biogeochemistry in the Mediterranean Sea under different future climate change scenarios.

Description: Alteration of volcanogenic aluminosilicates (VAs) in marine sediments is recognized as critical in regulating geochemical cycles and sustaining the oceanic deep biosphere, but rates of VA alteration and its associated authigenic mineral formation are not commonly reported. Here we present results on analyses of sediments and pore water recovered from the upper 150 mbsf of four sites drilled on the northern Hikurangi margin during IODP Expeditions 372 and 375. Petrographic analyses show that volcanogenic materials (glass shards, feldspar, volcanic lithoclasts) constitute important components (15–45 wt%) of the hemipelagic mud, and reveal ongoing glass alteration with accompanying authigenic phase formation. A reaction-transport model constrained by pore water Sr, 87Sr/86Sr, Ca, Mg, and Si was applied to simulate VA diagenetic reactions. Our model results yield VA alteration rates of 0.047–0.64 mmol Sr m−2 yr−1, with substantially higher values at Sites U1517 and U1520 that experienced rapid sediment emplacement. In addition, our simulations show that 〉99% of the dissolved Si generated by VA alteration is fixed in silica cement and authigenic clay, and that ∼50% of Ca incorporated in the authigenic carbonate is supplied by VA alteration. First-order estimates suggest that, in addition to authigenic carbonate precipitation, authigenic clay formation may represent an important sink for dissolved Mg. This study quantitatively examines the linkage between VA alteration and formation of authigenic phases, highlights its role in subsurface geochemical cycles, and indicates that slope instability may play an important role in promoting VA diagenesis.

Description: The L08- 22 research cruise was carried out in the framework of the BMBF project: “Searching for solutions for Carbon-sequestration in coastal ecosystems” sea4soCiety with a program of sediment sampling in coastal vegetated ecosystems in the Heiligenhafen area of the German Baltic coast. Three working days between 7th and 10th of June 2022 were used to conduct multidisciplinary research within the 3 nautical miles zone east of Heiligenhafen. The first day was dedicated to Multibeam echo sound mapping to characterize seagrass meadows, sediment/seagrass deposition spots and non-vegetated reference sites in the working area. The remaining two days were used for gravity coring, optical ground truthing, bottom water sampling, and in situ physical property measurements. Sediment cores of 15-69 cm length could be recovered from 10 selected sites and porewaters were subsampled onboard from a depo-center and from a reference site. The majority of sediment cores were handed over every evening in Heiligenhafen harbour to an onshore research team from University of Oldenburg and ZMT-Bremen. The data and samples collected on the L08-22 cruise will be used to study (1) Microbial POC degradation during erosion of vegetation-rich coastal sediments, (2) To determine POC degradation rates in coastal vegetated ecosystems of the German Baltic Sea, 3) To quantify POC accumulation rates in coastal vegetated ecosystems (seagrass and saltmarshes) of the German Baltic Sea.

Description: State-of-the-art Earth system models typically employ grid spacings of O(100 km), which is too coarse to explicitly resolve main drivers of the flow of energy and matter across the Earth system. In this paper, we present the new ICON-Sapphire model configuration, which targets a representation of the components of the Earth system and their interactions with a grid spacing of 10 km and finer. Through the use of selected simulation examples, we demonstrate that ICON-Sapphire can (i) be run coupled globally on seasonal timescales with a grid spacing of 5 km, on monthly timescales with a grid spacing of 2.5 km, and on daily timescales with a grid spacing of 1.25 km; (ii) resolve large eddies in the atmosphere using hectometer grid spacings on limited-area domains in atmosphere-only simulations; (iii) resolve submesoscale ocean eddies by using a global uniform grid of 1.25 km or a telescoping grid with the finest grid spacing at 530 m, the latter coupled to a uniform atmosphere; and (iv) simulate biogeochemistry in an ocean-only simulation integrated for 4 years at 10 km. Comparison of basic features of the climate system to observations reveals no obvious pitfalls, even though some observed aspects remain difficult to capture. The throughput of the coupled 5 km global simulation is 126 simulated days per day employing 21 % of the latest machine of the German Climate Computing Center. Extrapolating from these results, multi-decadal global simulations including interactive carbon are now possible, and short global simulations resolving large eddies in the atmosphere and submesoscale eddies in the ocean are within reach.

Description: Seaweeds are colonized by a microbial community, which can be directly linked to their performance. This community is shaped by an interplay of stochastic and deterministic processes, including mechanisms which the holobiont host deploys to manipulate its associated microbiota. The Anna Karenina principle predicts that when a holobiont is exposed to suboptimal or stressful conditions, these host mechanisms may be compromised. This leads to a relative increase of stochastic processes that may potentially result in the succession of a microbial community harmful to the host. Based on this principle, we used the variability in microbial communities (i.e., beta diversity) as a proxy for stability within the invasive holobiont Gracilaria vermiculophylla during a simulated invasion in a common garden experiment. Independent of host range, host performance declined at elevated temperature (22°C) and disease incidence and beta diversity increased. Under thermally stressful conditions, beta diversity increased more in epibiota from native populations, suggesting that epibiota from non-native holobionts are thermally more stable. This pattern reflects an increase in deterministic processes acting on epibiota associated with non-native hosts, which in the setting of a common garden can be assumed to originate from the host itself. Therefore, these experimental data suggest that the invasion process may have selected for hosts better able to maintain stable microbiota during stress. Future studies are needed to identify the underlying host mechanisms.

Description: The abyssal plains are vast areas without large scale relief that occupy much of the ocean floor. Although long considered relatively featureless, they are now known to display substantial biological heterogeneity across different spatial scales. Ecological research in these regions benefits increasingly from non-destructive visual sampling of epifaunal organisms with imaging technology. We analysed images from ultra-high-definition towed camera transects at depths of around 3500 m across three stations (100–130 km apart) in the Bering Sea, to ask whether the density and distribution of visible epifauna indicated any substantial heterogeneity. We identified 71 different megafaunal taxa, of which 24 occurred at only one station. Measurements of the two most abundant faunal elements, the holothurian Elpidia minutissima and two xenophyophores morphotypes (the more common identifiable as Syringammina limosa), indicated significant differences in local densities and patchy aggregations that were strikingly dissimilar among stations. One station was dominated by xenophyophores, one was relatively depauperate in both target taxa as well as other identified megafauna, and the third station was dominated by Elpidia. This is an unexpected level of variation within comparable transects in a well-mixed oceanic basin, reinforcing the emerging view that abyssal habitats encompass biological heterogeneity at similar spatial scales to terrestrial continental realms.

Description: Highlights: • First abundance of MPs in offshore sediments along South-Eastern Mediterranean • Mean MPs ranged between 1126 ± 1363 MPs/kg. • Most abundant shapes were fibers and films. • Most abundant polymer types were PP and PE. • Coastal landfills and wastewater discharges shaped spatial distribution of MPs. Few studies on microplastics (MPs) in the marine environment have been conducted along the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and even fewer along the Lebanese coast. This study aims to determine MPs contamination for the first-time in coastal and continental shelf sediments collected along the Lebanese shores, South-Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Sediments were collected as transects in 10 sites with a total of 23 samples between 2 and 120 m depth and suspected MPs were assessed by moving farther from land-based sources. Microplastics concentrations ranged between 0 and 4500 MPs/kg of dry sediment (1126 ± 1363 MPs/kg). Polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene were the polymers identified on micro-Raman. Coastal landfills and raw sewage effluents were identified as the main sources and routes for MPs into the Lebanese coastal marine environment. This study serves as the first database reporting MPs in continental shelf sediments in the South-Eastern Mediterranean

Description: Fahrtabschnitt 30.01. – 31.01.2023

Description: Massive swarms of the red crab Pleuroncodes planipes (Stimpson, 1860), a species of squat lobster, are a dominant functional component of the upwelling ecosystem in the eastern Pacific Ocean (Boyd, 1967; Smith et al., 1975). These swarms can wash ashore on the coast, creating mass depositions of crustacean carcasses, a striking phenomenon that has been long documented in Baja California and California (Aurioles-Gamboa et al., 1994; Boyd, 1967). However, little is known about the fate of crab swarms transported offshore by oceanic currents. In May 2015, using an autonomous deep-sea robot, we discovered an unexpectedly large fall of red crab carcasses (〉1000 carcasses ha−1) at a depth of 4050 m on the abyssal Pacific seafloor (Figure 1), almost 1500 km from their spawning areas off the northwest American coast. Several questions arise from this unexpected finding that may help unveil additional close linkages in nutritional transport between processes at the sea surface and the remote abyssal seafloor.

Description: The Angolan shelf system represents a highly productive ecosystem. Throughout the year sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are cooler near the coast than further offshore. Lowest SSTs, the strongest cross-shore temperature gradient and maximum productivity occur in austral winter when seasonally prevailing upwelling favourable winds are weakest. Here, we investigate the seasonal mixed layer heat budget to analyse atmospheric and oceanic causes for heat content variability. By using different satellite and in-situ data, we derive monthly estimates of surface heat fluxes, mean horizontal advection and local heat content change. We calculate the heat budgets for the near coastal and offshore regions separately to explore processes that lead to the observed differences. The results show that the net surface heat flux warms the coastal ocean stronger than further offshore thus acting to damp spatial SST differences. Mean horizontal heat advection is dominated by meridional advection of warm water along the Angolan coast. However, its contribution to the heat budget is small. Ocean turbulence data suggests that the heat flux due to turbulent mixing across the base of the mixed layer is an important cooling term. This turbulent cooling that is strongest in shallow shelf regions is capable of explaining the observed negative cross-shore temperature gradient. The residuum of the mixed layer heat budget and uncertainties of budget terms are discussed.

Description: The present worldwide study of 31 off-shore back-arc basins and subbasins (BABs) identifies their principal characteristics based on a broad spectrum of geophysical and subduction-related parameters. This synthesis is next used to identify trends in evolution of the back-arc basins for improving our understanding of subduction systems in general. The analysis, based on the present plate configuration, demonstrates that geophysical characteristics and fate of the back-arc basins are essentially controlled by the nature of the overriding plate, which controls lithosphere thermo-compositional structure and rheology. The plate nature governs the length of the extensional zone in back-arc settings along the trench, the efficiency of lithosphere stretching, BAB crustal structure, its buoyancy and bathymetry. Subduction dip angle apparently controls the location of slab melting zone and the efficiency of slab roll-back with feedback link to other parameters. By tectonic nature of the overriding plate (the downgoing plate is always oceanic) the back-arc basins are split into active BABs formed by ocean-ocean, arc-ocean, and continent-ocean convergence, and extinct back-arc basins. By geophysical characteristics, BABs formed on continental plates are subdivided into active BABs with and without seafloor spreading, and extinct BABs are subdivided to Pacific, possibly formed on oceanic plates, and non-Pacific with reworked continental or arc fragments. Six types of BABs are distinctly different. Extension of the overriding oceanic plate above a steeply dipping old oceanic plate, preferentially subducting nearly westwards, forms large deep back-arc basins with a thin oceanic-type crust. In contrast, BABs on the overriding continental or arc plates form at small opening rates and often by shallow subduction of younger oceanic plates with random subduction orientation; these BABs have small size, shallow bathymetry, and hyperextended or transitional ~20 km thick arc- or continental-type crust typical of passive margins. The presence of a 2–5 km thick high-Vp lowermost crustal layer, characteristic of BABs in all settings, indicates the importance of magmatic underplating in their crustal growth. Conditions required for the initiation of a back-arc basin and transition from stretching to seafloor opening depend on the nature of the overriding plate. BABs formed on oceanic plates always evolve to seafloor spreading. BABs formed on continental or arc plates require a long spreading duration with large (〉8 cm/y) opening rates and crustal thinning factor 2.8–5.0 to progress from crustal extension to seafloor spreading; such transition does not happen in back-arc basins formed behind a shallow subduction (〈45o) of a young (〈40 My) oceanic plate. The nature of the overriding plate also determines the fate of back-arc basins after termination of lithosphere extension: extinct Pacific back-arc basins with oceanic-type crust evolve towards deep old “normal” oceans, while shallow non-Pacific BABs with low heat flow and thick crust are likely to preserve their continental or arc affinity. BABs do not follow oceanic cooling plate model predictions. Distinctly different geophysical signatures for spreading at mid-ocean ridges and for back-arc seafloor spreading are caused by a principally different nature of their dynamics.

Description: Forest soils harbour a vast array of organisms that govern the processing of organic matter. Through their trophic interactions, they give rise to carbon flows that sustain soil ecosystem functioning. Understanding how soil food webs shape carbon flows may enhance our knowledge about the role of biodiversity on soil processes. In this work, we assembled trophic networks representing soil food webs of two beech forests during spring and autumn, and compiled mass-balanced models quantifying carbon flows between their components. These models were investigated using network analysis to identify the role of the components on carbon flow, cycling and functional trophic relationships. Moreover, we explored how the structure of carbon exchanges promote efficiency and stability. Results indicate the importance of indirect interactions. Most trophic groups exhibit a diffuse dependency on all the compartments for their carbon requirement although certain groups such as Collembola play the role of hubs in distributing carbon. Indirect interactions often reverse the impacts of direct trophic relationships being antagonistic to the direction of change predicted based on predator–prey interactions. The high incidence of generalist feeding habits increases the redundancy of energy channels thereby making such food webs more resilient against perturbations but at the expense of carbon transfer efficiency. Although differences can be observed across sites and periods, food web structure rather than environmental variability seems to be the main factor responsible for patterns of carbon flows in the two beech forests. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Description: The unique male pregnancy in pipefishes and seahorses ranges from basic attachment (pouch-less species: Nerophinae) of maternal eggs to specialized internal gestation in pouched species (e.g. Syngnathus and Hippocampus) with many transitions in between. Due to this diversity, male pregnancy offers a unique platform for assessing physiological and molecular adaptations in pregnancy evolution. These insights will contribute to answering long-standing questions of why and how pregnancy evolved convergently in so many vertebrate systems. To understand the molecular congruencies and disparities in male pregnancy evolution, we compared transcriptome-wide differentially expressed genes in four syngnathid species, at four pregnancy stages (nonpregnant, early, late and parturition). Across all species and pregnancy forms, metabolic processes and immune dynamics defined pregnancy stages, especially pouched species shared expression features akin to female pregnancy. The observed downregulation of adaptive immune genes in early-stage pregnancy and its reversed upregulation during late/parturition in pouched species, most notably in Hippocampus, combined with directionless expression in the pouch-less species, suggests immune modulation to be restricted to pouched species that evolved placenta-like systems. We propose that increased foeto-paternal intimacy in pouched syngnathids commands immune suppression processes in early gestation, and that the elevated immune response during parturition coincides with pouch opening and reduced progeny reliance. Immune response regulation in pouched species supports the recently described functional MHC II pathway loss as critical in male pregnancy evolution. The independent co-option of similar genes and pathways both in male and female pregnancy highlights immune modulation as crucial for the evolutionary establishment of pregnancy.

Description: As tropical seagrass meadows decline throughout the tropics, propagule transplantation is being used as an effective restoration method. This technique promotes genetic diversity in the restored seagrass meadows. Although many environmental factors, especially temperature and burial, can influence the success of seed/seedling transplantation success, little is known about these effects on transplanted tropical seagrass propagules. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a 92-day laboratory incubation experiment to test the effects of representive temperatures (20 °C and 30 °C) and burial status (with and without burial) on germination and seedling growth of the tropical seagrass Enhalus acoroides. Results showed that germination rate was 3-fold higher in the treatment without burial (75%) than in the treatment with burial (25%). The germination success rate in the 30 °C treatment was about two times higher than that of the 20 °C treatment. When burial and temperature were tested in combination, germination success was highest in the 30 °C without burial treatment while the lowest rates were obtained in the 20 °C and burial treatment. Further, the temperature of 30 °C benefited leaf and root growth as well. These results illustrate that burial decreased E. acoroides germination, while high temperature enhanced both germination and seedling growth. Thus, transplantation of E. acoroides propagules for tropical seagrass restoration should be conducted when seawater temperature is warm, and the seeds should be fixed on the sediment surface rather than buried.

Description: Most subduction zones remain poorly resolved when it comes to the study of the precise location of the far offshore located updip limit of coseismic slip and its controlling param- eters, which is an essential component of earthquake hazard assessment. The relative lack of seismicity on the updip limit, combined with laboratory friction studies, suggest the shallow fault is mostly velocity strengthening and likely to creep. This view is reinforced by geodetic inversions, which show low to zero coupling close to the trench. However, these locations are remote from the land; hence the models derived from terrestrial stations are not sufficiently well constrained. Moreover, the updip region can also be seismogenic, as demonstrated by tsunami earthquakes and shallow, slow slip events. (...)

Description: The North Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent area (STCC) is high in mesoscale eddy activities. According to the rotation direction of the eddy flow field and the sign of temperature anomaly within the eddy, they can be divided into four categories: cyclonic cold-core eddy (CCE), anticyclonic warm-core eddy (AWE), cyclonic warm-core eddy (CWE) and anticyclonic cold-core eddy (ACE). CCE and AWE are called normal eddies, and CWE and ACE are named abnormal eddies. Based on the OFES data and vector geometry automatic detection method, we find that at the sea surface, the maximum monthly number of the CCE, AWE, CWE, and ACE occurs in December (765.70 ± 52.05), January (688.20 ± 82.53), August (373.40 ± 43.09) and August (533.00 ± 56.92), respectively. The number of normal eddies is more in winter and spring, and less in summer and autumn, while abnormal eddies have the opposite distribution. The maximum rotation velocity of the four types of eddies appears in June (11.71 ± 0.75 cm/s), June (12.24 ± 0.86 cm/s), May (10.63 ± 0.99 cm/s) and June (9.97 ± 0.91 cm/s), which is fast in winter and spring. The moving speed of the four types of eddies is almost similar (about 10 ~ 11 cm/s). The amplitude of normal and abnormal eddies is both high in summer and autumn, and low in winter and spring, with larger amplitudes in normal than abnormal eddies. The eccentricity (defined as the eccentricity of the ellipse obtained by fitting the eddy boundary) of the four types of eddies is also close to each other, and their variation ranges from 0.7 to 0.8, with no apparent seasonal variation. The vertical penetration depth, which has no significant seasonal difference, is 675.13 ± 67.50 m in cyclonic eddies (CCE and CWE), which is deeper than that 622.32 ± 81.85 m in anticyclonic eddies (ACE and AWE). In addition, increasing the defined temperature threshold for abnormal eddies can significantly reduce their numbers but does not change their seasonal variation trend.

Description: (25.01. - 04.03.2023)

Description: (25.01. - 04.03.2023)

Description: (25.01. - 04.03.2023)

Description: Die Speicherung von Kohlendioxid im tiefen Untergrund der Nordsee ist technisch machbar und wird bereits seit Jahrzehnten unter norwegischen Gewässern praktiziert. Unter der deutschen Nordsee existieren ebenfalls Gesteinsformationen, in denen sich vermutlich große Mengen Kohlendioxid speichern ließen. Dennoch bleiben wichtige Fragen offen, die in der Forschungsmission CDRmare adressiert und beantwortet werden sollen – mit dem Ziel, die Kohlendioxid-Speicherung im geologischen Untergrund der deutschen Nordsee unter Einhaltung des Vorsorgeprinzips zu ermöglichen.

Description: Auf Island wird seit dem Jahr 2014 mit Kohlendioxid angereichertes Wasser in die obere Ozeankruste injiziert – und das erfolgreich. Das Kohlendioxid mineralisiert innerhalb kurzer Zeit und wird für Jahrmillionen fest gebunden. Da Ozeankruste jedoch nur an wenigen Orten der Welt über den Meeresspiegel hinausragt, untersuchen Forschende derzeit die Option, Kohlendioxid in Meeresregionen zu verpressen, in denen riesige Areale geeigneter Basaltkruste in mittlerer bis großer Wassertiefe liegen. Ein möglicher Vorteil: Im Untergrund der Tiefsee würde sich das Kohlendioxid entweder verflüssigen oder aber im Meerwasser lösen, welches im Gestein zirkuliert. Aufgrund des hohen Drucks wären sowohl das flüssige Kohlendioxid als auch das Kohlendioxid-Wasser-Gemisch schwerer als Meerwasser und Leckagen aus dem Untergrund damit unwahrscheinlicher. Doch wäre eine Kohlendioxid-Speicherung im Tiefsee-Untergrund technisch machbar und am Ende auch ökonomisch sinnvoll? Die Forschungsmission CDRmare liefert Antworten – mithilfe eines weltweit ersten Tiefsee-Forschungsexperimentes zur Kohlendioxid-Speicherung an erkalteten Flanken des Mittelatlantischen Rückens.

Description: Auf Island wird seit dem Jahr 2014 mit Kohlendioxid angereichertes Wasser in die obere Ozeankruste injiziert – und das erfolgreich. Das Kohlendioxid mineralisiert innerhalb kurzer Zeit und wird für Jahrmillionen fest gebunden. Da Ozeankruste jedoch nur an wenigen Orten der Welt über den Meeresspiegel hinausragt, untersuchen Forschende derzeit die Option, Kohlendioxid in Meeresregionen zu verpressen, in denen riesige Areale geeigneter Basaltkruste in mittlerer bis großer Wassertiefe liegen. Ein möglicher Vorteil: Im Untergrund der Tiefsee würde sich das Kohlendioxid entweder verflüssigen oder aber im Meerwasser lösen, welches im Gestein zirkuliert. Aufgrund des hohen Drucks wären sowohl das flüssige Kohlendioxid als auch das Kohlendioxid-Wasser-Gemisch schwerer als Meerwasser und Leckagen aus dem Untergrund damit unwahrscheinlicher. Doch wäre eine Kohlendioxid-Speicherung im Tiefsee-Untergrund technisch machbar und am Ende auch ökonomisch sinnvoll? Die Forschungsmission CDRmare liefert Antworten – mithilfe eines weltweit ersten Tiefsee-Forschungsexperimentes zur Kohlendioxid-Speicherung an erkalteten Flanken des Mittelatlantischen Rückens.

Description: Coral reefs are complex habitats that contain very high biodiversity and provide different ecosystem services. In the Coral Triangle, however, various major benthic components are still understudied. This can limit our understanding of coral reef community dynamics, especially in the presence of a changing climate coupled with local disturbances (e.g., decreased water quality). This study describes the benthic community structure of an ecologically and economically important coral reef system in the central Philippines through characterizing the assemblages of three major components (hard corals, octocorals, and sponges) among sites and stations with varying environmental conditions (i.e., exposure to monsoons, water quality levels). Results reveal significant variations in the mean percentage covers of hard corals, octocorals, and sponges at the site and station levels (ANOVA, p 〈 0.05), with hard corals dominating in Site 1, which is more exposed to the southwest monsoon, and Site 3, which is an embayed and unexposed site with low water quality, while soft corals dominated in Site 2, which is more exposed to the northeast monsoon. Multivariate analyses also revealed significant variations in the benthic community structure at different spatial scales (ANOSIM, p 〈 0.05). Interestingly, even stations within a site had significant variations in community structure, with different taxa being dominant. This study highlights the importance of conducting more detailed analyses of understudied taxa (i.e., octocorals and sponges) during coral reef surveys to improve our understanding of coral reef community dynamics that is very important for management.