ALBERT

Description: There are some active bottom currents on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea (SCS). Reflection seismic profiles show that the bottom current channels occur in the water depth range of 1000 to 2700 m, extending from the NE to the SW, leading to accumulation of discontinuous drifts with higher sedimentation rates on the eastern side of the channel. The stacking pattern of the layers suggests that these drifts propagated southwestward, following the direction of the bottom currents. One sedimentary drift to the southeast of the Dongsha Islands has the highest sedimentation rate of 97cm/ka in the last 12 ka. The sedimentary characteristics of the sediment layers indicate that these bottom currents are most likley caused by the water movement of a branch of the West Pacific Ocean Current, which enters the northern SCS via the Bashi Strait. Once formed, the bottom currents transport sediments along the northern slope of SCS southwestward and finally disappear into the central basin of the SCS. Due to the bottom current activity, the deep-sea sedimentary process in the northern SCS is complex.

Description: Cold-water coral carbonate mounds, owing their presence mainly to the framework building coral Lophelia pertusa and the activity of associated organisms, are common along the European margin with their spatial distribution allowing them to be divided into a number of mound provinces. Variation in mound attributes are explored via a series of case studies on mound provinces that have been the most intensely investigated: Belgica, Hovland, Pelagia, Logachev and Norwegian Mounds. Morphological variation between mound provinces is discussed under the premise that mound morphology is an expression of the environmental conditions under which mounds are initiated and grow. Cold-water coral carbonate mounds can be divided into those exhibiting “inherited” morphologies (where mound morphology reflects the morphology of the colonised features) and “developed” morphology (where the mounds assume their own gross morphology mainly reflecting dominant hydrodynamic controls). Finer-scale, surface morphological features mainly reflecting biological growth forms are also discussed.

Description: Sponges of warm- and temperate- but also cold-waters are known to synthesize structurally diverse primary and secondary metabolites. These compounds fulfill a variety of functions including adaptations of the cell membranes to environmental conditions. We show here that boreal sponges of the order Halichondrida are rich sources of brominated lipid fatty acids. The comparison of lipid compositions of halichondrid Demospongiae from boreal and warmer waters indicates an accumulation of brominated fatty acids in sponges from colder settings. Moreover, the spatial distribution of brominated fatty acids in the sponge tissue of one widely distributed sponge of the North-East Atlantic (Phakellia ventilabrum) hints to a function related to membrane fluidity and permeability rather than to defense against predation. However, brominated fatty acids are diagnostic for the presence of bromoperoxidases in sponges and may therefore be potentially useful as markers in a chemical screening for secondary metabolites of pharmacological interest.

Description: Two new compounds, 2, 3, 5-trimethyl-6-(3-oxobutan-2-yl)-4H-pyran-4-one (1) and (2R)-2, 3-dihydro-7-hydroxy-6, 8-dimethyl-2-[(E)-prop-1-enyl] chromen-4-one (2), together with six known compounds (3–8), were isolated from a deep-sea fungus, identified as Aspergillus sydowi, by a bioassay-guided method. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and the cytotoxicities were evaluated by SRB method.

Description: Lake Superior has exhibited a continuous, century-long increase in nitrate whereas phosphate remains at very low levels. Increasing nitrate and low phosphate has led to a present-day severe stoichiometric imbalance; Lake Superior's deepwater NO3−:PO43− molar ratio is 10,000, more than 600 times the mean requirement ratio for primary producers. We examine the rate of [NO3−] increase relative to budgets for NO3− and fixed N. Nitrate in Lake Superior has continued to rise since 1980, though possibly at a reduced rate. We constructed whole-lake NO3− and N budgets and found that NO3− must be generated in the lake at significant rates. Stable O isotope results indicate that most NO3− in the lake originated by in-lake oxidation. Nitrate in the lake is responding not just to NO3− loading but also to oxidation of reduced forms of nitrogen delivered to the lake. The increasing [NO3−]:[PO43−] stoichiometric imbalance in this large lake is largely determined by these in-situ processes.

Description: Species of the genus Hysterothylacium are among the most common marine nematode fish parasites in the northern Atlantic. Due to recent findings of cryptic speciation in other parasitic ascaridoid nematodes, a similar pattern of sibling species was hypothesized also for Hysterothylacium aduncum. By investigating a 886- to 890-bp-long genomic DNA fragment including ITS-1, 5.8S rDNA and ITS-2 of 40 specimens of H. aduncum of sprat (Sprattus sprattus) of four different biogeographical regions (North Sea, English Channel, Bay of Biscay, Adriatic Sea), we could not detect significant genetic variability and therefore cryptic speciation. Nevertheless, while ITS-1 and 5.8S rDNA sequences were identical for all analysed specimens, ITS-2 sequences showed a population-specific pattern with the differentiation of an English Channel/Bay of Biscay group from a North Sea/Mediterranean Sea group.

Description: The Pacific Subtropical Cell (STC) circulation is being analyzed from transport time series across 9°S and 9°N, obtained from the German ECCO (GECCO) assimilation results for the period 1952–2002. In this estimate, the interior Pacific STC convergence shows significantly less decadal slowdown from the 1960's to the 1990's (∼5Sv), than in previous estimates based on hydrographic sections. In the GECCO results, about half of this STC convergence decrease is compensated by an increase in the equatorward transport of the western boundary currents. Overall, the STC varies primarily on interannual time scale, with relatively short time lags between STC convergence and transport variations of the Equatorial Undercurrent at 140°W.

Description: A stable and specific bacterial community was shown to be associated with the Mediterranean sponge Chondrilla nucula. The associated bacterial communities were demonstrated to be highly similar for all studied specimens regardless of sampling time and geographical region. In addition, analysis of 16S rDNA clone libraries revealed three constantly C. nucula-associated bacterial phylotypes belonging to the Acidobacteria, the Gamma- and Deltaproteobacteria present in sponge specimens from two Mediterranean regions with distinct water masses (Ligurian Sea and Adriatic Sea). For the first time, candidate division TM7 bacteria were found in marine sponges. A major part (79%) of the C. nucula-derived 16S rDNA sequences were closely related to other sponge-associated bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis identified 14 16S rRNA gene sequence clusters, seven of which consisted of exclusively sponge-derived sequences, whereas the other seven clusters contained additional environmental sequences. This study adds to a growing database on the stability and variability of microbial consortia associated with marine sponges.

Description: A Holocene Gulf of Guinea record of riverine runoff, based on Ba/Ca in tests of a shallow-dwelling planktic foraminifer, and sea surface temperature (SST), based on Mg/Ca, reveals centennial-scale instabilities in West African monsoon (WAM) precipitation and eastern equatorial Atlantic (EEA) thermal conditions. The long-term Holocene climate trend is characterized by a warm and wet early-mid Holocene and gradual drying and cooling during the late Holocene. Superimposed on this trend are numerous centennial scale drops in precipitation during the early-mid Holocene. The greatest declines in early Holocene monsoon precipitation were accompanied by significant SST cooling in the EEA and correlate with drops in air temperature over Greenland and fresh water outbursts into the North Atlantic (NA). This observation suggests that early Holocene climate instabilities in the NA were closely linked to changes in the WAM. The strong imprint of NA events in summer monsoon precipitation suggests that these events were not confined to winter-time. The late Holocene does not show large amplitude changes in riverine runoff at the centennial level. The relatively stable late Holocene conditions likely reflect a weakening and stabilization of the monsoon system, probably due to diminished influence of the NA region due to a reduction in ice sheet.

Description: Mombacho is a deeply dissected volcano belonging to the Quaternary volcanic chain of Nicaragua. The southern, historic collapse crater (El Crater) currently hosts a fumarolic field with a maximum temperature of 121°C. Chemical and isotopic data from five gas-sampling field campaigns carried out in 2002, 2003 and 2005 highlight the presence of high-temperature gas components (e.g. SO2, HCl and HF), which indicate a significant contribution of juvenile magmatic fluids to the hydrothermal system feeding the gas discharges. This is strongly supported by the mantle-derived helium and carbon isotopic signatures, although the latter is partly masked by either a sedimentary subduction-related or a shallow carbonate component. The observed chemical and isotopic composition of the Mombacho fluids seems to indicate that this volcanic system, although it has not experienced eruptive events during the last centuries, can be considered active and possibly dangerous, in agreement with the geophysical data recorded in the region. Systematic geochemical monitoring of the fumarolic gas discharges, coupled with a seismic and ground deformation network, is highly recommended in order to monitor a possible new eruptive phase.

Description: We present a new dust source area map for the Sahara and Sahel region, derived from the spatiotemporal variability of composite images of Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) using the 8.7, 10.8 and 12.0 μm wavelength channels for March 2006–February 2007. Detected dust events have been compared to measured aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and horizontal visibility observations. Furthermore the monthly source area map has been compared with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument aerosol index (AI). A spatial shift of the derived frequency patterns and the local maxima of AI-values can be explained by wind-transport of airborne dust implicitly included in the AI signal. To illustrate the sensitivity of a regional model using the new dust source mask, we present a case study analysis that shows an improvement in reproducing aerosol optical thickness in comparison to the original dust source parameterization.

Description: [1] On the basis of the detailed sedimentological record of the key-core PS66/309-1 and a review of open literature, we present an assessment of the paleoenvironmental conditions as well as trigger mechanism of the Hinlopen/Yermak Megaslide north of Spitsbergen. The Svalbard archipelago is characterized by strong inflow of Atlantic water accompanied by rapidly falling sea level, rapidly growing Svalbard-Barents Sea-Ice Sheet, and associated increasing glaciotectonic activity during the time window around 30 calendar kyr B. P. of this catastrophic failure event. Thus the potential trigger mechanisms include sediment buoyancy and excess pore pressure, hydrate stability, and tectonic/glaciotectonic processes. While the common scenarios seem to fail to explain this unique submarine megaslide, we focus on glacial processes and their consequences for the regional tectonic framework. We conclude that the Hinlopen/Yermak Megaslide has been the consequence of the rapid onset of Late Weichselian glaciation resulting in a drastic sea level drop, asymmetrical ice loading, and a forebulge development leading to enhanced tectonic movements along the Hinlopen fault zone. As the final trigger we assume a strong earthquake positioned below or close to the SE Sophia Basin.

Description: Multibeam sonar surveys have been conducted since their invention in the 1970s; however, mainly reflections from the seafloor were considered so far. More recently, water column imaging with multibeam is becoming of increasing interest for fisheries, buoy, mooring, or gas detection in the water column. Using ELAC SEABEAM 1000 data, we propose a technique to detect gas bubbles (flares) although this system is originally not designed to record water column data. The described data processing represents a case study and can be easily adapted to other multibeam systems. Multibeam data sets from the Black Sea and the North Sea show reflections of gas bubbles that form flares in the water column. At least for reasonably intense gas escape the detection of bubbles is feasible. The multibeam technique yields exact determination of the source position and information about the dimension of the gas cloud in the water. Compared to conventional flare imaging by single-beam echo sounders, the wide swath angle of multibeam systems allows the mapping of large areas in much shorter time.

Description: We investigated the effect of commercially available enzymes (α-amylase, α-galactosidase, papain, trypsin, and lipase) as well as proteases from deep-sea bacteria on the larval attachment of the bryozoan Bugula neritina L. The 50% effective concentrations (EC50) of the commercial proteases were 10 times lower than those of other enzymes. Crude proteases from six deep-sea Pseudoalteromonas species significantly decreased larval attachment at concentrations of 0.03 to 1 mIU ml−1. The EC50 of the pure protease from the bacterium Pseudoalteromonas issachenkonii UST041101-043 was close to 1 ng ml−1 (0.1 mIU ml−1). The protease and trypsin individually incorporated in a water-soluble paint matrix inhibited biofouling in a field experiment. There are certain correlations between production of proteases by bacterial films and inhibition of larval attachment. None of the bacteria with biofilms that induced attachment of B. neritina produced proteolytic enzymes, whereas most of the bacteria that formed inhibitive biofilms produced proteases. Our investigation demonstrated the potential use of proteolytic enzymes for antifouling defense.

Description: We have applied the novel analytical method NanoSIMS to cephalopod statoliths for the first time in order to analyse their chemical microstructure, using a spatial resolution of 400 nm. This technique makes it possible to analyse in situ nano-scale chemical variations between increment layers. In statoliths of the boreoatlantic armhook squid Gonatus fabricii, we found distinct concentration patterns indicating a periodicity in strontium and sodium distributions. Sr and Na show a negative relation, both elements showing alternating patterns where the increments vary in width between approximately 1 and 5 μm. Results suggest, that aragonite deposited during the night is rich in Na and poor in Sr, while aragonite deposited during the day is rich in Sr and poor in Na. This study demonstrates the excellent suitability of NanoSIMS for nano-scale microchemical analyses of aragonite, providing new information on calcification processes and individual life histories. Possible future fields of application include not only cephalopod statoliths, but also virtually all biomineralized tissues in aquatic organisms like fish otoliths, gastropod statoliths, bivalve shells, foraminifers and corals.

Description: Measurements of CH4 concentrations in the bottom water during two discrete sampling periods in subsequent years above different cold seeps at the Pacific margin off Costa Rica indicate large-scale variations of CH4 release. CH4 is emitted from mud extrusions and a slide scar at 1000–2300 m water depth. Maximum CH4 concentrations were found to be lower above all investigated sites in autumn 2003 than in autumn 2002 although seep sites are up to 300 km apart. Tidal and current changes were observed but found to apply only to individual seep sites. Increased seismic activity connected to the moment magnitude (M W ) 6.4 earthquake offshore Costa Rica in June 2002 could have had an impact on all seep sites and thereby caused an increase in CH4 emission. This is supported by the largest variations of CH4 concentration found above mud extrusions located above faults likely more strongly affected by tectonic movements. Even though our data indicate a relation between seismicity and CH4 seepage, the relation is not proven, and future work is needed to comprehensively test this hypothesis.

Description: We assessed interrelations between climatic, meteorological and hydrological factors in the Balearic Sea, and identified drivers of the abundance variability of planktonic copepods over the period 1994–2003. Temporal variability in the total abundance of copepods appears to be indicative of the southern spreading of the Northern Current, and therefore of meridional transport of water masses in the Balearic Sea. The results show that the large-scale atmospheric variability in the North Atlantic Ocean acts as a main driver of regional meteorological variations and hydrographic patterns in the Balearic Sea area. The clearly most novel insight from this study is that the effects of the North Atlantic climate on hydrographic variability and the abundance of copepods in the studied area are noticeable at monthly scales. Thus, the North Atlantic climate influence on the structure and biogeochemical fluxes in the Western Mediterranean pelagic ecosystems deserve more attention that they have been received so far.

Description: An indoor mesocosm system was set up to study the response of phytoplankton and zooplankton spring succession to winter and spring warming of sea surface temperatures. The experimental temperature regimes consisted of the decadal average of the Kiel Bight, Baltic Sea, and three elevated regimes with 2°C, 4°C, and 6°C temperature difference from that at baseline. While the peak of the phytoplankton spring bloom was accelerated only weakly by increasing temperatures (1.4 days per degree Celsius), the subsequent biomass minimum of phytoplankton was accelerated more strongly (4.25 days per degree Celsius). Phytoplankton size structure showed a pronounced response to warming, with large phytoplankton being more dominant in the cooler mesocosms. The first seasonal ciliate peak was accelerated by 2.1 days per degree Celsius and the second one by 2.0 days per degree Celsius. The over-wintering copepod populations declined faster in the warmer mesocosm, and the appearance of nauplii was strongly accelerated by temperature (9.2 days per degree Celsius). The strong difference between the acceleration of the phytoplankton peak and the acceleration of the nauplii could be one of the “Achilles heels” of pelagic systems subject to climate change, because nauplii are the most starvation-sensitive life cycle stage of copepods and the most important food item of first-feeding fish larvae.

Description: Here we present the results of local source tomographic inversion beneath central Java. The data set was collected by a temporary seismic network. More than 100 stations were operated for almost half a year. About 13,000 P and S arrival times from 292 events were used to obtain three-dimensional (3-D) Vp, Vs, and Vp/Vs models of the crust and the mantle wedge beneath central Java. Source location and determination of the 3-D velocity models were performed simultaneously based on a new iterative tomographic algorithm, LOTOS-06. Final event locations clearly image the shape of the subduction zone beneath central Java. The dipping angle of the slab increases gradually from almost horizontal to about 70°. A double seismic zone is observed in the slab between 80 and 150 km depth. The most striking feature of the resulting P and S models is a pronounced low-velocity anomaly in the crust, just north of the volcanic arc (Merapi-Lawu anomaly (MLA)). An algorithm for estimation of the amplitude value, which is presented in the paper, shows that the difference between the fore arc and MLA velocities at a depth of 10 km reaches 30% and 36% in P and S models, respectively. The value of the Vp/Vs ratio inside the MLA is more than 1.9. This shows a probable high content of fluids and partial melts within the crust. In the upper mantle we observe an inclined low-velocity anomaly which links the cluster of seismicity at 100 km depth with MLA. This anomaly might reflect ascending paths of fluids released from the slab. The reliability of all these patterns was tested thoroughly.

Description: In 2005 an amphibious seismic network was deployed on the Chilean forearc between 41.75°S and 43.25°S. 364 local events were observed in a 11-month period. A subset of the P and S arrival times were inverted for hypocentral coordinates, 1-D velocity structure and station delays. Main seismic activity occurred predominantly in a belt parallel to the coast of Chiloé Island in a depth range of 12–30 km presumably related to the plate interface. The 30° inclination of the shallow part of the Wadati-Benioff zone is similar to observations further north indicating that oceanic plate age is not controlling the subduction angle of the shallower part for the Chilean subduction zone. The down-dip termination of abundant intermediate depth seismicity at approximately 70 km depth seems to be related to the young age (and high temperature) of the oceanic plate. Crustal seismicity is associated with the Liquiñe-Ofqui fault zone and active volcanoes.

Description: While recent changes in subarctic North Pacific climate had dramatic effects on ecosystems and fishery yields, past climate dynamics and teleconnection patterns are poorly understood due to the absence of century-long high-resolution marine records. We present the first 117-year long annually resolved marine climate history from the western Bering Sea/Aleutian Island region using information contained in the calcitic skeleton of the long-lived crustose coralline red alga Clathromorphum nereostratum, a previously unused climate archive. The skeletal δ18O-time series indicates significant warming and/or freshening of surface waters after the middle of the 20th century. Furthermore, the time series is spatiotemporally correlated with Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and tropical El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices. Even though the western Bering Sea/Aleutian Island region is believed to be outside the area of significant marine response to ENSO, we propose that an ENSO signal is transmitted via the Alaskan Stream from the Eastern North Pacific, a region of known ENSO teleconnections.

Description: Total alkalinity (AT) was measured during the Meteor 51/2 cruise, crossing the Mediterranean Sea from west to east. AT concentrations were high (∼2600 μmol kg−1) and alkalinity-salinity-correlations had negative intercepts. These results are explained by evaporation coupled with high freshwater AT inputs into coastal areas. Salinity adjustment of AT revealed excess alkalinity throughout the water column compared to mid-basin surface waters. Since Mediterranean waters are supersaturated with respect to calcite and aragonite, the excess alkalinity likely reflects alkalinity inputs to coastal areas close to regions of deep and intermediate water formation. An alkalinity budget shows that main alkalinity inputs come from the Black Sea and from rivers, whereas the Strait of Gibraltar is a net sink. The major sink appears to be carbonate sedimentation. The basin-average net calcification rate and CaCO3 sedimentation was estimated to be 0.38 mol m−2 yr−1. The estimated residence time of AT is ∼160 yr.

Description: Stable isotope signatures of primary producers display high inter- and intraspecific variation. This is assigned to species-specific differences in isotope fractionation and variable abiotic conditions, e.g., temperature, and nutrient and light availability. As consumers reflect the isotopic signature of their food source, such variations have direct impacts on the ecological interpretation of stable isotope data. To elucidate the variability of isotope fractionation at the primary producer level and the transfer of the signal through food webs, we used a standardised marine tri-trophic system in which the primary producers were manipulated while the two consumer levels were kept constant. These manipulations were (1) different algal species grown under identical conditions to address interspecific variability and (2) a single algal species cultivated under different nutrient regimes to address nutrient-dependent variability. Our experiments resulted in strong interspecific variation between different algal species (Thalassiosira weissflogii, Dunaliella salina, and Rhodomonas salina) and nutrient-dependent shifts in stable isotope signatures in response to nutrient limitation of R. salina. The trophic enrichment in 15N and 13C of primary and secondary consumers (nauplii of Acartia tonsa and larval herring) showed strong deviations from the postulated degree of 1.0‰ enrichment in δ13C and 3.4‰ enrichment in δ15N. Surprisingly, nauplii of A. tonsa tended to keep “isotopic homeostasis” in terms of δ15N, a pattern not described in the literature so far. Our results suggest that the diets’ nutritional composition and food quality as well as the stoichiometric needs of consumers significantly affect the degree of trophic enrichment and that these mechanisms must be considered in ecological studies, especially when lower trophic levels, where variability is highest, are concerned.

Description: The annual onset of snowmelt on sea ice is essential for climate monitoring since it triggers a decrease in surface albedo that feeds back into a stronger absorption of shortwave radiation—a process known as the snowmelt-albedo feedback—and thus strongly modifies the surface energy balance during summer [Curry et al., 1995]. Algorithms designed for the detection of snowmelt on Arctic sea ice and based on longterm passive-microwave data [Anderson, 1997; Drobot and Anderson, 2001] revealed the melt season in the Arctic from 1979 to 1998 to be significantly elongated and the onset of melt to be shifted toward earlier dates [Drobot and Anderson, 2001; Belchansky et al., 2004]. In the Antarctic, however, little effort has been made so far in detecting the length of the summer melt season on sea ice by means of satellite microwave data. This results from the fact that surface melting in the Antarctic differs significantly from corresponding processes in the Arctic [Nicolaus et al., 2006]. The hemispheric differences are supported by extensive field measurements [Massom et al., 2001; Haas et al., 2001 ] and find expression in a reversal of the general surface radar backscatter and brightness temperature (TB) tendencies during summer [Haas, 2001; Kern and Heygster, 2001] : In the Antarctic, sea ice backscatter increases and TB decreases when summer approaches, contrary to the Arctic. Hence, algorithms developed for Arctic sea ice are not applicable on its southern counterpart. As summer air temperatures in the Antarctic rarely rise above 0°C, classical surface melt ponds have never been observed to the extent they appear in the Arctic and the sea ice surface typically remains snow-covered year-round. Drinkwater and Liu [2000] investigate snowmelt on Antarctic sea ice based on a method that identifies a decrease in surface radar backscatter. However, they detect melt to be lasting for only some days and exclusively on first-year ice. Presumably, the backscatter decrease they observe is due to flooding of the snow before the ice underneath finally deteriorates.

Description: The impact of extreme sea ice initial conditions on modelled climate is analysed for a fully coupled atmosphere ocean sea ice general circulation model, the Hadley Centre climate model HadCM3. A control run is chosen as reference experiment with greenhouse gas concentration fixed at pre-industrial conditions. Sensitivity experiments show an almost complete recovery from total removal or strong increase of sea ice after four years. Thus, uncertainties in initial sea ice conditions seem to be unimportant for climate modelling on decadal or longer time scales. When the initial conditions of the ocean mixed layer were adjusted to ice-free conditions, a few substantial differences remained for more than 15 model years. But these differences are clearly smaller than the uncertainty of the HadCM3 run and all the other 19 IPCC fourth assessment report climate model pre-industrial runs. It is an important task to improve climate models in simulating the past sea ice variability to enable them to make reliable projections for the 21st century.

Description: Comparison of five deep-water coral (DWC)/mound ecosystems along the European Continental Margin shows that suspended particulate organic matter (sPOM), a potential food source, is lipid rich and of high quality. However, there are differences between the sites. The Darwin and Pelagia Mounds (N. Rockall Trough and N. Porcupine Bank, respectively) have higher proportions of labile particulate lipids (including high proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids) in the benthic boundary layer than Logachev, Hovland and Belgica Mounds (Rockall Bank, S. Porcupine Bank and Porcupine Seabight, respectively). The high quality sPOM could be transported downslope from the euphotic zone. There is some evidence for inter-annual variability at some sites (e.g. Hovland and Logachev Mounds) as large differences in suspended lipid and particulate organic carbon concentrations were observed over the sampling period. Elevated total organic carbon contents of sediments at mound sites, relative to control sites in some cases (particularly Darwin Mounds), probably reflect local hydrodynamic control and the trapping of sPOM by the DWC. Fresh POM can be relatively rapidly transferred to significant depth (up to 8 cm) through bioturbation that is evident at all sites. There is no clear evidence of present day hydrocarbon seepage at any of the sites.

Description: In spite of the fundamental role the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays for global climate stability, no direct current measurement of the Denmark Strait Overflow, which is the densest part of the AMOC, has been available until recently that resolve the cross-stream structure at the sill for long periods. Since 1999, an array of bottom-mounted acoustic instruments measuring current velocity and bottom-to-surface acoustic travel times was deployed at the sill. Here, the optimization of the array configuration based on a numerical overflow model is discussed. The simulation proves that more than 80% of the dense water transport variability is captured by two to three acoustic current profilers (ADCPs). The results are compared with time series from ADCPs and Inverted Echo Sounders deployed from 1999 to 2003, confirming that the dense overflow plume can be reliably measured by bottom-mounted instruments and that the overflow is largely geostrophically balanced at the sill.

Description: The experiment IGLOS (Investigation of the Greenland Boundary Layer Over Summit) was conducted in June and July 2002 in the central plateau of the Greenland inland ice. The German research aircraft Polar2, equipped with the turbulence measurement system Meteopod, was used to investigate turbulence and radiation flux profiles near research station “Summit Camp”. Aircraft measurements are combined with measurements of radiation fluxes and turbulent quantities made from a 50 m tower at Summit Camp operated by Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich. During all six flight missions, well-developed stable boundary layers were found. Even in high-wind conditions, the surface inversion thickness did not exceed roughly 100 m. The turbulent height of the stable boundary layer (SBL) was found to be much smaller than the surface inversion thickness. Above the surface layer, significant turbulent fluxes occurred only intermittently in intervals on the order of a few kilometres. Turbulent event fraction in the upper SBL shows the same dependence on gradient Richardson number as reported for near-surface measurements. Clear-air longwave radiation divergence was always found to contribute significantly to the SBL heat budget. In low-wind cases, radiative cooling even turned out to be dominant.

Description: Methanogenic archaea from Siberian permafrost complementary to the already well-studied methanogens from non-permafrost habitats were exposed to simulated Martian conditions. After 22 days of exposure to thermo-physical conditions at Martian low- and mid-latitudes up to 90% of methanogenic archaea from Siberian permafrost survived in pure cultures as well as in environmental samples. In contrast, only 0.3%–5.8% of reference organisms from non-permafrost habitats survived at these conditions. This suggests that methanogens from terrestrial permafrost seem to be remarkably resistant to Martian conditions. Our data also suggest that in scenario of subsurface lithoautotrophic life on Mars, methanogenic archaea from Siberian permafrost could be used as appropriate candidates for the microbial life on Mars.

Description: In nature, multiple-species rather than single-species microbial associations with plant or animal (including human) hosts are the rule more than the exception. Prominent examples are the microbial consortia of vertebrate intestines and cattle rumen. As many demosponges are associated with enormous amounts of microorganisms, contributing up to 40-60% of the sponge biomass, they are excellent models for marine multi-species, microbe-host associations. Representatives of at least eight different phyla, many of which contain few or no cultivated representatives, have been identified as specific members of the sponge-associated microbiota. Recent studies show that vertical transmission of symbionts through the larval stages rather than horizontal acquisition from seawater appears to be an important mechanism by which the complex and possibly ancient microbial consortia of sponges are formed.

Description: Many sponge species contain large and diverse communities of microorganisms. Some of these microbes are suggested to be in a mutualistic interaction with their host sponges, but there is little evidence to support these hypotheses. Stable nitrogen isotope ratios of sponges in the Key Largo, Florida (USA) area grouped sponges into species with relatively low δ15N ratios and species with relatively high δ15N ratios. Using samples collected in June 2002 from Three Sisters Reef and Conch Reef in the Key Largo, Florida area, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were performed on tissues of the sponges Ircinia felix and Aplysina cauliformis, which are in the low δ15N group, and on tissue of the sponge Niphates erecta, which is in the high δ15N group. Results showed that I. felix and A. cauliformis have large and diverse microbial communities, while N. erecta has a low biomass of one bacterial strain. As the low δ15N ratios indicated a microbial input of nitrogen, these results suggested that I. felix and A. cauliformis were receiving nitrogen from their associated microbial community, while N. erecta was obtaining nitrogen solely from external sources. Sequence analysis of the microbial communities showed a diversity of metabolic capabilities among the microbes of the low δ15N group, which are lacking in the high δ15N group, further supporting metabolic differences between the two groups. This research provides support for hypotheses of mutualisms between sponges and their associated microbial communities.

Description: The skeleton morphology of the azooxanthellate cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa can be strongly influenced by invasive boring sponges that infest corallites in the still living part of the colony. Atypically swollen corallites of live Lophelia pertusa from the Galway Mound (Belgica Carbonate Mound Province, Porcupine Seabight, NE Atlantic), heavily excavated by boring organisms, have been examined with a wide range of non-destructive and destructive methods: micro-computed tomography, macro- and microscopic observations of the outer coral skeleton, longitudinal and transversal thin sections and SEM analyses of coral skeleton casts. As a result, three excavating sponge species have been distinguished within the coral skeleton: Alectona millari, Spiroxya heteroclita and Aka infesta. Furthermore, four main coral/sponge growth stages have been recognised: (1) cylindrical juvenile corallite/no sponge cavities; (2) flared juvenile corallite/linear sponge cavities (if present); (3) slightly swollen adult corallites/chambered oval sponge cavities; (4) very swollen adult corallites/widespread cavities. The inferred correlation between corallite morphology and boring sponge infestation has been detected in micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) images and confirmed in sponge trace casts and peculiar features of coral skeleton microstructure.

Description: Cold-water coral carbonate mounds, owing their presence mainly to the framework building coral Lophelia pertusa and the activity of associated organisms, are common along the European margin with their spatial distribution allowing them to be divided into a number of mound provinces. Variation in mound attributes are explored via a series of case studies on mound provinces that have been the most intensely investigated: Belgica, Hovland, Pelagia, Logachev and Norwegian Mounds. Morphological variation between mound provinces is discussed under the premise that mound morphology is an expression of the environmental conditions under which mounds are initiated and grow. Cold-water coral carbonate mounds can be divided into those exhibiting “inherited” morphologies (where mound morphology reflects the morphology of the colonised features) and “developed” morphology (where the mounds assume their own gross morphology mainly reflecting dominant hydrodynamic controls). Finer-scale, surface morphological features mainly reflecting biological growth forms are also discussed.

Description: Dense Nordic waters enter the North Atlantic through passages in the Greenland-Scotland Ridge at a mean rate of 6 Sv. Subsequent entrainment of ambient water into the sinking plumes downstream of the sills approximately double this flux. Decade-long observations show these fluxes to be stable with no discernible trends. Hydraulic control of the overflows and the buffering effect of the Nordic basins effectively filter out short-term variability of dense water production associated with white noise North Atlantic Oscillation forcing. Simulations with directly forced and coupled atmosphere-ocean models show, under present climate conditions, overflow variability on multi-decadal time scales but no longterm trends.

Description: Wave attenuation is an important physical property of hydrate-bearing sediments that is rarely taken into account in site characterization with seismic data. We present a field example showing improved images of hydrate-bearing sediments on seismic data after compensation of attenuation effects. Compressional quality factors estimated from zero-offset Vertical Seismic Profiling data acquired at Mallik, Northwest Territories, Canada, demonstrate significant wave attenuation for hydrate-bearing sediments. These results are in agreement with previous attenuation estimates obtained from sonic logs and crosshole data at different frequency intervals. The application of an inverse Q-filter to compensate attenuation effects of permafrost and hydrate-bearing sediments improved the resolution of surface 3D seismic data and its correlation with log data, particularly for the shallowest gas hydrate interval. Compensation of the attenuation effects of the permafrost likely explains most of the improvements for the shallow gas hydrate zone. Our results show that characterization of the Mallik gas hydrates with seismic data not corrected for attenuation would tend to overestimate thicknesses and lateral extent of hydrate-bearing strata and hence, the volume of hydrates in place.

Description: Sponges (Porifera) are filter feeders that take up microorganisms from seawater and digest them by phagocytosis. At the same time, many sponges are known to harbor massive consortia of symbiotic microorganisms, which are phylogenetically distinct from those in seawater, within the mesohyl matrix. In the present study, feeding experiments were performed to investigate whether phylogenetically different bacterial isolates, hereafter termed “food bacteria,” microbial seawater consortia, and sponge symbiont consortia are taken up and processed differently by the host sponge. Aplysina aerophoba retained high numbers of bacterial isolates and microbial seawater consortia with rates of up to 2.76 × 106 bacteria (g sponge wet weight)–1 h–1, whereas the retention of sponge symbionts was lower by nearly two orders of magnitude [5.37 × 104 bacteria (g sponge wet weight)−1 h–1]. In order to visualize the processing of a food bacterium within sponge tissues, the green fluorescent protein-labeled Vibrio strain MMW1, which had originally been isolated from A. aerophoba, was constructed. Incubation of this strain with A. aerophoba and subsequent visualization in tissue cryosections showed its presence in the choanocytes and/or endopinacocytes lining the canals but, unlike latex beads, not in deeper regions of the mesohyl, which suggests digestion of the bacteria upon contact with the host. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was performed on the incubation seawater to monitor the changes in phylogenetic composition after incubation of the sponge with either seawater or sponge symbiont consortia. However, the DGGE experiment provided no evidence for selective processing of individual lineages by the host sponge. In conclusion, this study extends early studies by Wilkinson et al. (Proc R Soc London B 220:519–528, 1984) that sponges, here A. aerophoba, are able to differentiate between food bacteria and their own bacterial symbionts.

Description: The Caribbean sponge, Plakortis simplex, is known to contain a large array of secondary metabolites, including the antimalarial polyketide plakortin, several unusual glycolipids, and some hopanoids, which closely resemble typical bacterial metabolites. The hypothesis that they could be products of bacterial metabolism was tested by localizing specific metabolites in cells using physical separation of sponge cells, bacterial symbionts and supernatant by differential centrifugation. The obtained fractions were analysed separately for the typical P. simplex metabolites by NMR and mass spectrometry, and most of them were shown to be present in the bacterial cells but not in the sponge cells. In addition, PCR screening showed that the biosynthetic pathway for glycosphingolipids was present in the bacterial cells. Isolation of a Sphingomonas strain PS193 from P. simplex and subsequent glycosphingolipid analysis resulted in the detection of a known glycosphingolipid, GSL-1, that did, however, not match the glycosphingolipid profile of P. simplex. Therefore, it is unlikely that Sphingomonas strain PS193 is an abundant member of the microbial community associated with P. simplex. Other glycosphingolipid producing bacteria in P. simplex remain to be identified. In conclusion, this study provides experimental evidence that the glycolipids and hopanoids and possibly also the polyketide plakortin are produced by microbial symbionts rather than the sponge from which the metabolites were originally isolated.

Description: Identifying the source of atmospheric dust is crucial to better understand the global marine biogeochemical cycle as phytoplankton growth relies on dissolved micronutrient elements available in the open ocean. Mineralogical, geochemical and Sr isotope analyses of a one year-time series (April 2003–April 2004) of deep ocean particle flux at the Madeira Abyssal Plain in the subtropical northeast Atlantic are presented. The lithogenic fraction has a high occurrence of palygorskite and smectite and an absence of kaolinite together with Sr isotopic compositions similar to the Northeast Atlantic aerosols. This indicates the Anti-Atlas Moroccan chain of Paleozoïc age as the source region. The lithogenic fraction supplies 4 times more Fe during a dust event than during the spring-summer aeolian input. A continuous input of only 1% of the lithogenic iron made available over a year period, could lead to an increase in primary productivity of 40% relative to today's value.

Description: Two single-channel seismic (SCS) data sets collected in 2000 and 2005 were used for a four-dimensional (4D) time-lapse analysis of an active cold vent (Bullseye Vent). The data set acquired in 2000 serves as a reference in the applied processing sequence. The 4D processing sequence utilizes time- and phase-matching, gain adjustments and shaping filters to transform the 2005 data set so that it is most comparable to the conditions under which the 2000 data were acquired. The cold vent is characterized by seismic blanking, which is a result of the presence of gas hydrate in the subsurface either within coarser-grained turbidite sands or in fractures, as well as free gas trapped in these fracture systems. The area of blanking was defined using the seismic attributes instantaneous amplitude and similarity. Several areas were identified where blanking was reduced in 2005 relative to 2000. But most of the centre of Bullseye Vent and the area around it were seen to be characterized by intensified blanking in 2005. Tracing these areas of intensified blanking through the three-dimensional (3D) seismic volume defined several apparent new flow pathways that were not seen in the 2000 data, which are interpreted as newly generated fractures/faults for upward fluid migration. Intensified blanking is interpreted as a result of new formation of gas hydrate in the subsurface along new fracture pathways. Areas with reduced blanking may be zones where formerly plugged fractures that had trapped some free gas may have been opened and free gas was liberated.

Description: This study presents a comparison of sea surface temperature (SST) estimates based on Mg/Ca ratios of Globigerinoides ruber and alkenone unsaturation index (U37 K′) in core sediment recovered from the Gulf of Guinea, eastern equatorial Atlantic. Mg/Ca- and U37 K′-based SST estimates yield fairly comparable results for the time interval 21,000–14,500 years and for the late Holocene. The early and middle Holocene, however, are largely characterized by a discrepant trend, with warm Mg/Ca and cold U37 K′ based SST estimates. This discrepant SST trend is accompanied by low sea surface salinity estimates (high riverine runoff) and biogenic sediment, which is characterized by high biogenic opal content, low carbonate content, and relatively low alkenone concentration. We hypothesize that the discrepancy in the reconstructed SSTs during the middle and early Holocene presumably suggests a period of elevated riverine input of dissolved silica and dominantly siliceous phytoplankton bloom in a low saline and warm surface water, while alkenone producers were likely prevalent in a season of cold SST and low riverine silica input. This study suggests that changes in the local hydrography and nutrient input have strong influence on the U37 K′-based SST estimate that may be unraveled by combining different SST proxies.

Description: In this paper it is suggested that a stochastic isotropic diffusive process, representing a spatial first order auto regressive process (AR(1)-process), can be used as a null hypothesis for the spatial structure of climate variability. By comparing the leading empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of a fitted null hypothesis with EOF modes of an observed data set, inferences about the nature of the observed modes can be made. The concept and procedure of fitting the null hypothesis to the observed EOFs is in analogy to time analysis, where an AR(1)-process is fitted to the statistics of the time series in order to evaluate the nature of the time scale behavior of the time series. The formulation of a stochastic null hypothesis allows one to define teleconnection patterns as those modes that are most distinguished from the stochastic null hypothesis. The method is applied to several artificial and real data sets including the sea surface temperature of the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean and the Northern Hemisphere wintertime and tropical sea level pressure.

Description: The effect of volcanic activity on submarine hydrothermal systems has been well documented along fast- and intermediate-spreading centers but not from slow-spreading ridges. Indeed, volcanic eruptions are expected to be rare on slow-spreading axes. Here we report the presence of hydrothermal venting associated with extremely fresh lava flows at an elevated, apparently magmatically robust segment center on the slow-spreading southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 5°S. Three high-temperature vent fields have been recognized so far over a strike length of less than 2 km with two fields venting phase-separated, vapor-type fluids. Exit temperatures at one of the fields reach up to 407°C, at conditions of the critical point of seawater, the highest temperatures ever recorded from the seafloor. Fluid and vent field characteristics show a large variability between the vent fields, a variation that is not expected within such a limited area. We conclude from mineralogical investigations of hydrothermal precipitates that vent-fluid compositions have evolved recently from relatively oxidizing to more reducing conditions, a shift that could also be related to renewed magmatic activity in the area. Current high exit temperatures, reducing conditions, low silica contents, and high hydrogen contents in the fluids of two vent sites are consistent with a shallow magmatic source, probably related to a young volcanic eruption event nearby, in which basaltic magma is actively crystallizing. This is the first reported evidence for direct magmatic-hydrothermal interaction on a slow-spreading mid-ocean ridge.

Description: The Arctic Ocean is the missing piece for any global model. Records of processes at both long and short timescales will be necessary to predict the future evolution of the Arctic Ocean through what appears to be a period of rapid climate change. Ocean monitoring is impoverished without the long-timescale records available from paleoceanography and the boundary conditions that can be obtained from marine geology and geophysics. The past and the present are the key to our ability to predict the future.

Description: Hydroxylamine (NH(2)OH) is an intermediate of the marine nitrogen cycle and in marine environments dissolved NH(2)OH is short-lived. In order to investigate the distribution of NH(2)OH under varying oxygen conditions, its seasonal variability was investigated on a monthly basis from July 2005 to May 2006 at the time series station Boknis Eck located in the Eckernforde Bay (southwestern Baltic Sea). NH(2)OH concentrations were generally low and close to the detection limit. However, a pronounced increase was observed after the seasonal thermohaline stratification period with low oxygen/anoxic conditions in the deep layers was terminated in November 2005. The increase of NH(2)OH was associated with the re-oxygenation of the water column. We conclude that NH(2)OH was produced in-situ during nitrification. We suggest that the detection of significant amounts of NH(2)OH can be used as an indicator for a "fresh" nitrifying system.

Description: The dynamics and predictability of the decadal to multidecadal Atlantic merid­ional overturning circulation (MOC) variability are described from observations and models. The investigation focuses on two modes that involve the MOC: One mode exhibits a quasi-decadal period, while the other is multidecadal. The two modes have completely different underlying dynamics, which is reflected in their rather different spatial characteristics. While the quasi-decadal mode represents a damped mode of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system, the multidecadal mode can be basically understood as the MOC response to the multidecadal forcing by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). "Perfect model" predictability studies indicate a rather high predictability potential of the MOC variability on decadal timescales. Variations of the MOC are associated with variations in the meridional heat trans­port that drive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. SST anomalies in the North Atlantic thus exhibit a similar decadal predictability potential as the MOC. The decadal predictability carries over to the atmosphere. The probability density function of European surface air temperature anomalies, for instance, changes sig­nificantly with the state of the MOC. A reconstruction of the MOC for the 20th cen­tury from observed SSTs shows considerable variability on decadal timescales, but no strong sustained long-term trend. Furthermore, an assessment of the observed hydrographical changes in the Nordic Seas, with the aid of ocean general circula­tion model experiments and the analysis of recent scenario integrations with global climate models, indicates that the expected anthropogenic weakening of the MOC may not exceed the level of the internal variability within the next decades.

Description: The growing world population increases the demand for water, energy, and land. This demand for natural resources impacts the transport of material and the supply of nutrients in the coastal ocean by rivers. We assess the potential impact of river N, Si, Fe, and organic carbon (OC) fluxes on the global and coastal ocean biogeochemistry, using an ocean biogeochemistry model and observations, in eight different scenarios. We assess two extreme scenarios, one with no river nutrients, corresponding to a complete stop of nutrient input by rivers, and one with high nutrient fluxes, corresponding to a world population of 12 billion people. Compared to today's scenario values, primary production (PP) changes from −5% to +5% for the open ocean, and from −16% to +5% for the coastal ocean. In the coastal ocean the impact of river nutrients on PP depends on regional nutrient limitation. River inputs have a larger impact on PP in areas where upwelling and high runoff are combined. The coastal ocean is typically N‐ or Si‐limited. River Fe not assimilated by the phytoplankton is exported to open ocean areas, and its fertilizing effect depletes coastal and open ocean surface waters from N and Si. The impact on PP is reflected on global ocean low‐O2 areas whose extent changes from −16% to +23% across the range of scenarios. River nutrients have a modest impact on the global ocean CO2 sink of up to 0.4 Pg C a−1, depending on the amount of inorganic and organic carbon transported by the rivers.

Description: Eddy length scales are calculated from satellite altimeter products and in an eddy-resolving model of the North Atlantic Ocean. Four different measures for eddy length scales are derived from kinetic energy densities in wave number space and spatial decorrelation scales. Observational estimates and model simulation agree well in all these measures near the surface. As found in previous studies, all length scales are, in general, decreasing with latitude. They are isotropic and proportional to the local first baroclinic Rossby radius (L r) north of about 30°N, while south of 30°N (or for L r 〉 30 km), zonal length scales tend to be larger than meridional ones, and (scalar) length scales show no clear relation to L r anymore. Instead, they appear to be related to the local Rhines scale. In agreement with a recent theoretical prediction by Theiss [2004], the observed and simulated pattern of eddy length scales appears to be indicative of two different dynamical regimes in the North Atlantic: anisotropic turbulence in the subtropics and isotropic turbulence in the subpolar North Atlantic. Both regions can be roughly characterized by the ration between L r and the Rhines scales (L R), with L R 〉 L r in the isotropic region and L R 〈 L r in the anisotropic region. The critical latitude that separates both regions, i.e., where L R = L r, is about 30°N.

Description: Over the past several decades, the Arctic Ocean has undergone substantial change. Enhanced transport of warmer air from lower latitudes has led to increased Arctic surface air temperature. Concurrent reductions in Arctic ice extent and thickness have been documented. The first evidence of warming in the intermediate Atlantic Water (AW, water depth between 150 and 900 meters) of the Arctic Ocean was found in 1990. Another anomaly, found in 2004, suggests that the Arctic Ocean is in transition toward a new, warmer state [Polyakov et al., 2005, and references therein].

Description: Cephalopod beaks retrieved from stomachs of dead emperor penguin chicks at Pointe Géologie, Terre Adélie, provide information on taxonomic and size composition of the penguin’s squid diet, on the trophic range of the squid species preyed upon and on the fractional trophic impact of the penguin on the whole food web. Emperor penguins prey upon four squid species (Psychroteuthis glacialis, Kondakovia longimana, Gonatus antarcticus, Alluroteuthis antarcticus) and do not take squid larger than 480 mm mantle length. Larger squid live either below the penguin’s diving range or are beyond its handling capacity. Nitrogen stable isotope ratios indicate that squids cover a range of about two trophic levels (2.5–8‰ δ15N). The impact of the emperor penguin, however, concentrates on the upper part of this range, about 68% of its squid prey being 〉6‰ δ15N. The principal components of the emperor’s diet, fish, krill and squid, differ distinctly in average trophic level. Consequently the trophic position of the emperor penguin changes accordingly with diet composition and may differ by almost one trophic level between different emperor penguin colonies.

Description: On- and off-mound sediment cores from Propeller Mound (Hovland Mound province, Porcupine Seabight) were analysed to understand better the evolution of a carbonate mound. The evaluation of benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the off-mound position helps to determine the changes of the environmental controls on Propeller Mound in glacial and interglacial times. Two different assemblages describe the Holocene and Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 and late MIS 3 (∼31 kyr BP). The different assemblages are related to changes in oceanographic conditions, surface productivity and the waxing and waning of the British Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) during the last glacial stages. The interglacial assemblage is related to a higher supply of organic material and stronger current intensities in water depth of recent coral growth. During the last glaciation the benthic faunas showed high abundances of cassidulinid species, implying cold bottom waters and a reduced availability of organic matter. High sedimentation rates and the domination of Elphidium excavatum point to shelf erosion related to sea-level lowering (∼50 m) and the progradation of the BIIS onto the shelf. A different assemblage described for the on-mound core is dominated by Discanomalina coronata, Gavelinopsis translucens, Planulina ariminensis, Cibicides lobatulus and to a lower degree by Hyrrokkin sarcophaga. These species are only found or show significantly higher relative abundances in on-mound samples and their maximum contribution in the lower part of the record indicates a higher coral growth density on Propeller Mound in an earlier period. They are less abundant during the Holocene, however. This dataset portrays the boundary conditions of the habitable range for the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, which dominates the deep-water reefal ecosystem on the upper flanks of Propeller Mound. The growth of this ecosystem occurs during interglacial and interstadial periods, whereas a retreat of corals is documented in the absence of glacial sediments on-mound. Glacial conditions with cold intermediate waters, a weak current regime and high sedimentation rates provide an unfavourable environmental setting for Lophelia corals to grow. A Late Pleistocene decrease is observed in the mound growth for Propeller Mound, which might face its complete burial in the future, as it already happened to the buried mounds of the Magellan Mound province further north.

Description: Quorum sensing (QS) signals have been considered to play important roles in biofilm development and in the attractiveness of biofilms to higher organisms in marine ecosystem. In this study, bacterial QS signalsacylated homoserine lactone derivatives (AHLs) were detected in 2-, 4-, and 6-day-old subtidal biofilms by using AHLs reporter strains. N-dodecanoyl-homoserine lactone (C12-HSL) was identified in 6-day-old biofilm at a concentration of 9.04 μg cm−minus;2 (3.36 mmol l−minus;1). To investigate the possible role of AHLs in the consequent eventlarval settlement of the polychaete Hydroides elegans onto subtidal biofilmsseven biofilm-derived bacteria that effectively induced larval settlement of H. elegans, were screened for AHL production. One of them, the Vibrio sp. UST950701-007, produced N-hexanoyl-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL). Larval settlement bioassay showed that C6-HSL, C12-HSL, and 3-oxo-octanoyl-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C8-HLS) at certain concentrations induced some initial larval settlement behaviors such as reducing swimming speed, crawling on the bottom. However, these AHLs did not effectively induce larval settlement in comparison to the effective settlement inducer 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. The possible chemokinetic mechanism and indirect effects of AHLs on larval settlement are suggested.

Description: A generalized heat function is defined for diagnosing the pathways by which heat is carried by the ocean. In contrast to previous work, our generalized heat function varies along an isentrope only in the presence of mixing. The generalized heat function is diagnosed using the Levitus global ocean data set, net northward heat transport based on the data set of Grist and Josey, and different specifications for mixing in the ocean. The separation between the heat flux carried by the shallow wind driven cells and the deep overturning circulation is clearly revealed, with up to 0.4 PW being associated with the spreading of North Atlantic Deep Water. The importance of eddy-induced mixing near the surface of the Southern Ocean is evident.

Description: Because of its chemical and radiative properties, atmospheric ozone constitutes a key element of the Earth's climate system. Absorption of sunlight by ozone in the ultraviolet wavelength range is responsible for stratospheric heating, and determines the temperature structure of the middle atmosphere. Changes in middle atmospheric ozone concentrations result in an altered radiative input to the troposphere and to the Earth's surface, with implications on the energy balance and the chemical composition of the lower atmosphere. Although a wide range of ground- and satellite-based measurements of its integrated content and of its vertical distribution have been performed since several decades, a number of uncertainties still remain as to the response of middle atmospheric ozone to changes in solar irradiance over decadal time scales. This paper presents an overview of achieved findings, including a discussion of commonly applied data analysis methods and of their implication for the obtained results. We suggest that because it does not imply least-squares fitting of prescribed periodic or proxy data functions into the considered times series, time-domain analysis provides a more reliable method than multiple regression analysis for extracting decadal-scale signals from observational ozone datasets. Applied to decadal ground-based observations, time-domain analysis indicates an average middle atmospheric ozone increase of the order of 2% from solar minimum to solar maximum, which is in reasonable agreement with model results.

Description: The anthropogenic CO2 accumulation rate for the North Atlantic Ocean was estimated on the basis of the decrease in the δ13C of the dissolved inorganic carbon measured between cruises in 1981 (Transient Tracers in the North Atlantic), 1993 (OACES) and 2003 (Repeat Hydrography). A mean depth‐integrated δ13C change of −15.0 ± 3.8‰ m yr−1 was estimated by applying a multiple linear regression approach to determine the anthropogenic δ13C decrease at 22 stations where δ13C depth profiles were compared. The largest and deepest anthropogenic δ13C decreases occurred in the subpolar ocean and, in contrast, the smallest and shallowest decreases occurred in the tropical ocean. A mean anthropogenic CO2 accumulation rate of 0.63 ± 0.16 mol C m−2 yr−1 (0.32 ± 0.08 Pg C yr−1) in the North Atlantic Ocean over the last 20 years was determined from the mean depth‐integrated δ13C change and a ratio of anthropogenic δ13C to DIC change of −0.024‰ (μmol kg−1)−1. Only half of the accumulated anthropogenic CO2 in the North Atlantic during the last 20 years was the result of air‐sea CO2 uptake, based on a comparison of the air‐sea 13CO2 flux to the DIC13 inventory change, with the other half likely a result of northward advective transport.

Description: Measurements of chlorofluorocarbon inventories during 1997–2003 allow the detection and quantification of significant changes in the formation rates of two modes of Labrador Sea Water (LSW): Upper (ULSW) and deep LSW, both here defined in fixed density intervals. Both modes contribute to the cold limb of the Meridional Overturning Circulation. Results reveal that the lighter ULSW formed since the mid-1990s has started to replace the large pool of the deep LSW stored in the western North Atlantic. Formation of deep LSW was absent in 1997–2003. Formation of ULSW compensated for this absence during 1998/99 (7.9 Sv), but afterwards significantly declined to 2.5 Sv. The decrease of the overall LSW formation throughout 1997–2003 correlates with a declining eastward baroclinic mass transport between the centers of the subpolar and subtropical gyres since 1997, a warming of LSW, and a gradually decreasing North Atlantic Oscillation index after 1999.

Description: This study aimed at simulating different degrees of winter warming and at assessing its potential effects on ciliate succession and grazing-related patterns. By using indoor mesocosms filled with unfiltered water from Kiel Bight, natural light and four different temperature regimes, phytoplankton spring blooms were induced and the thermal responses of ciliates were quantified. Two distinct ciliate assemblages, a pre-spring and a spring bloom assemblage, could be detected, while their formation was strongly temperature-dependent. Both assemblages were dominated by Strobilidiids; the pre-spring bloom phase was dominated by the small Strobilidiids Lohmaniella oviformis, and the spring bloom was mainly dominated by large Strobilidiids of the genus Strobilidium. The numerical response of ciliates to increasing food concentrations showed a strong acceleration by temperature. Grazing rates of ciliates and copepods were low during the pre-spring bloom period and high during the bloom ranging from 0.06 (Δ0°C) to 0.23 day−1 (Δ4°C) for ciliates and 0.09 (Δ0°C) to 1.62 day−1 (Δ4°C) for copepods. During the spring bloom ciliates and copepods showed a strong dietary overlap characterized by a wide food spectrum consisting mainly of Chrysochromulina sp., diatom chains and large, single-celled diatoms.

Description: We assessed the temporal changes in and the relationships between the structures of the macroinvertebrate communities and the environmental conditions of the French Rhône River (the river from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea) over the last 20 years (1985–2004). Multisite environmental and biological datasets were analysed using multiple CO-inertia analysis (MCOA) and Procrustean analysis. Changes in environmental conditions were mainly marked by an improvement in water quality between 1985 and 1991 and by an increase in water temperature from 1985 onwards due to climate change. Improvement in water quality seemed to delay changes in community structures under global warming. We then observed trends in community structures coupled with high temperatures and a decrease in oxygen content. Interestingly, we observed both gradual changes and rapid switches in community states. These shifts seemed coupled to extreme hydroclimatic events (i.e. pulse disturbances). Floods and the 2003 heatwave enhanced the development of eurytolerant and invasive taxa which were probably able to take advantage of gradual warming environmental conditions. Despite various site-specific “press” constraints (e.g. hydropower schemes, nuclear power plants), similar changes in community structures were observed along the French Rhône River. Such consistency in temporal processes at large geographical scales underlined the strength of hydroclimatic constraints on community dynamics compared to specific local disturbances. Finally, community structures did not show any sign of recovery, and their relative sensitivities to extreme hydroclimatic events seemed to increase with time. Thus, our results suggest that global changes may reduce the resilience of current community states.

Description: The use of statolith chemistry to trace migration pathways and distinguish populations of cephalopods is based on the assumption that the elemental composition of statoliths is influenced by physicochemical properties of the ambient environment. However, such influences have not been investigated experimentally up until now. This study presents the first microchemical analyses of cephalopod statoliths obtained from laboratory experiments under different controlled temperature and salinity conditions. Our results show that statolith chemical composition is strongly related to both salinity and temperature in ambient waters. The Ba/Ca ratio is negatively related to temperature and shows no relation to salinity. The I/Ca ratio is positively related to temperature and negatively to salinity. No Sr/Ca relation was found to either salinity or temperature, suggesting that the well-established proxy strontium is not as useful in cephalopod statoliths as in other biomineralized aragonites. Microanalysis of trace elements, however, shows an enormous potential for field studies on distribution, migration and stock separation of cephalopods. Furthermore, Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence Analysis is introduced as a promising novel method for statolith analysis, providing a spatial resolution of typically 10–15 μm combined with detection limits down to 0.5 ppm.

Description: The spatial structure of surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies in the extratropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) during the 20th century is studied from the data obtained over the period 1892–1999. The expansion of the mean (over the winter and summer periods) SAT anomalies into empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) is used for analysis. It is shown that variations in the mean air temperature in the Arctic region (within the latitudes 60°–90°N) during both the winter and summer periods can be described with a high accuracy by two spatial orthogonal modes of variability. For the winter period, these are the EOF related to the leading mode of variability of large-scale atmospheric circulation in the NH, the North Atlantic Oscillation, and the spatially localized (in the Arctic) EOF, which describes the Arctic warming of the mid-20th century. The expansion coefficient of this EOF does not correlate with the indices of atmospheric circulation and is hypothetically related to variations in the area of the Arctic ice cover that are due to long-period variations in the influx of oceanic heat from the Atlantic. On the whole, a significantly weaker relation to the atmospheric circulation is characteristic of the summer period. The first leading variability mode describes a positive temperature trend of the past decades, which is hypothetically related to global warming, while the second leading EOF describes a long-period oscillation. On the whole, the results of analysis suggest a significant effect of natural climatic variability on air-temperature anomalies in the NH high latitudes and possible difficulties in isolating an anthropogenic component of climate changes.

Description: Ecological forecasts predict the immigration of boreal species into Arctic waters as one consequence of rising sea temperatures. Here, we report the finding of Atlantic snake pipefish (Entelurus aequoreus) off the western coast of Spitsbergen at 79°N in August 2006. This syngnathid fish species, which was presumed to be confined to waters south of Iceland, has dramatically increased in population size in its core distribution area in the northeastern Atlantic since 2002, probably in response to greater reproduction success due to higher water temperatures. We conclude that our finding is an indication of the predicted northward extension of the distribution range of boreal species.

Description: Focused fluid expulsion at cold vents is a common feature of subduction zones, serving as an important backflux of water and volatile elements to the oceanic reservoir. The strong enrichment of iodine in fluids collected from mounds along the Central American convergent Margin allowed the determination of 129I/I ratios for age calculations in order to determine potential source formations in this active, erosional margin. The majority of the determined iodine ages are between 40 and 20 Ma. Because these ages are older than the age of host sediments and underthrust sediments on the oceanic plate (〈18 Ma), a major contribution of iodine must come from old, organic rich sources in the upper plate. Both the iodine concentrations and ages determined for the mounds in this study are similar to reported values for hydrate fields at accretionary margins, indicating that iodine and associated organic carbon cycling at both erosional and accretionary margins may occur on similar time scales.

Description: The distribution of platinum group elements (PGEs) in massive sulfides and hematite–magnetite±pyrite assemblages from the recently discovered basalt-hosted Turtle Pits hydrothermal field and in massive sulfides from the ultramafic-hosted Logatchev vent field both on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was studied and compared to that from selected ancient volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) deposits. Cu-rich samples from black smoker chimneys of both vent fields are enriched in Pd and Rh (Pd up to 227 ppb and Rh up to 149 ppb) when compared to hematite–magnetite-rich samples from Turtle Pits (Pd up to 10 ppb, Rh up to 1.9 ppb). A significant positive correlation was established between Cu and Rh in sulfide samples from Turtle Pits. PGE chondrite-normalized patterns (with a positive Rh anomaly and Pd and Au enrichment), Pd/Pt and Pd/Au ratios close to global MORB, and high values of Pd/Ir and Pt/Ir ratios indicate mafic source rock and seawater involvement in the hydrothermal system at Turtle Pits. Similarly shaped PGE chondrite-normalized patterns and high values of Pd/Pt and Pd/Ir ratios in Cu-rich sulfides at Logatchev likely reflect a similar mechanism of PGE enrichment but with involvement of ultramafic source rocks.

Description: Seasonal lipid dynamics of various developmental stages were investigated in Pseudocalanus minutus and Oithona similis. For P. minutus, the dominance of 16:1(n−7), 16:4(n−3) and 20:5(n−3) fatty acids indicated a diatom-based nutrition in spring, whereas 22:6(n−3), 16:0, 18:2(n−6) and 18:1(n−9) pointed to a flagellate-based diet during the rest of the year as well as omnivorous/carnivorous low-level feeding during winter. The shorter-chain fatty alcohols 14:0 and 16:0 prevailed, also reflecting biosynthetic processes typical of omnivores or carnivores. Altogether, the lipid signatures characterized P. minutus as an opportunistic feeder. In contrast, O. similis had consistently high amounts of the 18:1(n−9) fatty acid in all stages and during all seasons pointing to a generally omnivorous/carnivorous/detritivorous diet. Furthermore, the fatty alcohol 20:1(n−9) reached high percentages especially in adult females and males, and feeding on Calanus faecal pellets is suggested. Fatty alcohols, as wax ester moieties, revealed significant seasonal variations in O. similis and a seasonal trend towards wax ester accumulation in autumn in P. minutus. P. minutus utilized its lipid deposits for development in the copepodite stages III and IV and for gonad maturation in CV and females during the dark season. However, CVs and females depended on the spring phytoplankton bloom for final maturation processes and reproduction. O. similis fueled gonad maturation and egg production for reproduction in June by wax esters, whereas reproduction in August/September co-occurred with the accumulation of new depot lipids. Both species revealed significantly higher wax ester levels in deeper (〉50 m) as compared to surface (0–50 m) dwelling individuals related to a descent prior to overwintering.

Description: The anomalously strong hurricane activity in the Atlantic sector during the recent years led to a controversy about the impact of global warming on hurricane activity in the Atlantic sector. Here we show that the temperature difference between the tropical North Atlantic and the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans (Indo-Pacific) is a key parameter in controlling the vertical wind shear over the Atlantic, an important quantity for hurricane activity. The stronger warming of the tropical North Atlantic relative to that of the Indo-Pacific during the most recent years drove reduced vertical wind shear over the Atlantic and is thus responsible for the strong hurricane activity observed. In 2006, however, the temperature difference between the tropical North Atlantic and the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans is much reduced, which explains the relatively weak hurricane season.

Description: After the discovery of large densities of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Baltic Sea near Kiel by Javidpour et al. (First record of Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz 1865 in the Baltic Sea, 2006) in October 2006, we investigated the gelatinous zooplankton in the North Sea near Helgoland and recorded Mnemiopsis leidyi for the first time in the North Sea, albeit in much lower densities than those recorded in the Baltic Sea.

Description: A novel selective enrichment method is described for phototrophic green sulfur bacteria even in the presence of purple sulfur and purple nonsulfur bacteria using sulfanilate, which was discovered during efforts to selectively isolate sulfanilate-metabolizing anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria from marine habitats. Samples for these experiments were obtained from beaches, saltpans, subsurface mangrove soils, fish and prawn aquaculture ponds and backwaters of the East and West coasts of India. Photoorganoheterotrophic and photolithoautotrophic enrichments in the absence of sulfanilate predominantly yielded purple bacterial enrichments. In contrast, photolithoautotrophic enrichments in the presence of sulfanilate yielded green-colored enrichments from the same samples. Whole cell absorption spectra of the enrichment cultures revealed the presence of bacteriochlorophyll c and thus green phototrophic bacteria. Microscopic observation demonstrated the presence of sulfur globules outside the bacterial cells and the presence of non-motile cells, some of which had prosthecae. 16S rDNA sequences obtained from green sulfur bacterial strains isolated from enrichment cultures confirmed the presence of representatives of the green sulfur bacterial genera Prosthecochloris and Chlorobaculum. The selective pressure of sulfanilate exerted through inhibition of phototrophic purple sulfur bacteria was demonstrated by inhibition studies using the purple sulfur bacteria Marichromatium indicum JA100 and Marichromatium sp. JA120 (JCM 13533) and the green sulfur bacterium Prosthecochloris sp. JAGS6 (JCM 13299).

Description: The traditional point of view is that in the ocean, the meridional transport of heat is achieved by the wind-driven and meridional overturning circulations. Here we point out the fundamental role played by ocean mixing processes. We argue that mixing (i.e., water mass conversion) associated with eddies, especially in the surface mixed layer, can play an important role in closing the ocean heat budget. Our results argue that the lateral mixing applied at the surface of ocean/climate models should be playing an important role in the heat balance of these models, indicating the need for physically-based parameterizations to represent this mixing.

Description: We have assessed the reliability of several foraminifer-hosted proxies of the ocean carbonate system (d11B, B/Ca, and U/Ca) using Holocene samples from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. We examined chemical variability over a range of test sizes for two surface-dwelling foraminifers (Globigerinoides sacculifer and Globigerinoides ruber). Measurements of d11B in G. ruber show no significant relationship with test size in either Atlantic or Pacific sites and appear to provide a robust proxy of surface seawater pH. Likewise there is no significant variability in the d11B of our Atlantic core top G. sacculifer, but we find that d11B increases with increasing test size for G. sacculifer in the Pacific. These systematic differences in d11B are inferred to be a consequence of isotopically light gametogenic calcite in G. sacculifer and its preferential preservation during postdepositional dissolution. The trace element ratio proxies of ocean carbonate equilibria, U/Ca and B/Ca, show systematic increases in both G. ruber and G. sacculifer with increasing test size, possibly as a result of changing growth rates. This behavior complicates their use in paleoceanographic reconstructions. In keeping with several previous studies we find that Mg/Ca ratios increase with increasing size fraction in our wellpreserved Atlantic G. sacculifer but not in G. ruber. In contrast to previous interpretations we suggest that these observations reflect a proportionally larger influence of compositionally distinct gametogenic calcite in small individuals compared to larger ones. As with d11B this influences G. sacculifer but not G. ruber, which has negligible gametogenic calcite.

Description: In the marine environment, biofilms on submerged surfaces can promote or discourage the settlement of invertebrate larvae and macroalgal spores. The settlement-mediating effects of biofilms are believed to involve a variety of biofilm attributes including surface chemistry, micro-topography, and a wide range of microbial products from small-molecule metabolites to high-molecular weight extracellular polymers. The settled organisms in turn can modify microbial species composition of biofilms and thus change the biofilm properties and dynamics. A better understanding of biofilm dynamics and chemical signals released and/or stored by biofilms will facilitate the development of antifouling and mariculture technologies. This review provides a brief account of 1) existing knowledge of marine biofilms that are relevant to settlement mediation, 2) biotechnological application of biofilms with respect to developing non-toxic antifouling technologies and improving the operation of aquaculture facilities, and 3) challenges and future directions for advancing our understanding of settlement-mediating functions of biofilms and for applying this knowledge to real-life situations.

Description: A decadal warming trend of Antarctic Bottom Water flowing through the Vema Channel is reanalyzed. Our data base consists of 94 high precision, full depth stations from 19 visits to the Vema Sill plus twelve stopovers at two additional key locations. Originally a long-term temperature increase in the near-bottom jet was noted from 1992 onward, after a period of rather constant abyssal temperatures since 1972. From today's perspective the apparent stagnant temperature level until 1991 can be interpreted as a period of feeble rising in comparison with a perspicuous warming trend of 2.8 mK yr(-1) in the following 15 years. However, the clearly manifested temperature rise is superimposed with fluctuations. For the first time the available time series appears long enough to indicate an associated slight freshening of the bottom water. An attempt is made to trace the observed variability back to its source region in the Weddell Sea.

Description: This is the first in-depth study of a cluster of cold-water coral reefs, the Fugløy Reefs, found at 70°N on the Norwegian margin. Combining high resolution seismic reflection data, side-scan sonar, video-images, and oceanographic measurements reveals the geologic, geomorphologic and oceanographic setting in which the reefs occur. The reefs consist mainly of the scleractinian ahermatypic Lophelia pertusa, and exist below the thermocline at water depths between 140 m and 190 m. The reefs appear as cone-shaped, acoustically transparent features on seismic reflection data, consistently located in places characterized by the availability of hard substrate, high relief, and periodical exposure to high tidal cur-rents (〉30 cm/s). These currents transport water of the Norwegian Atlantic Current to the reefs from an area with fluid expulsion-related pockmarks. The spatial relationship between reef and pockmark locations and current directions suggests that seepage of biogenic gas might be a catalyst to reef growth. With a height of more than 40 m some of the Fugløy reefs are among the highest reported from the Norwegian Margin. This indicates highly fa-vourable growth conditions, and conservative estimates indicate a net growth rate for the reefs of ~5 mm/yr. We expect that cold-water reefs will be found further north along the Barents Sea margin as general awareness on the geophysical signature and appearance of the reefs increases, because all known factors involved in reef establishment and growth are within the required intervals also further north. Introduction

Description: Spreading is a common type of ground failure in subaerial environments. However, this type of mass movement has hardly been documented in submarine settings. In this paper we show that spreading covers at least 25% of the Storegga Slide scar area, a giant submarine slide located offshore mid-Norway. The morphological signature of spreading is a repetitive pattern of ridges and troughs oriented perpendicular to the direction of movement. Two modes of failure can be identified: retrogressive failure of the headwall and slab failure and extension, both involving the breakup of a sediment unit into coherent blocks. These blocks are displaced downslope along planar slip surfaces. Limit equilibrium modeling indicates that loss of support and seismic loading are the main potential triggering mechanisms. The extent of displacement of the spreading sediment is controlled by gravitationally induced stress, angle of internal friction of the sediment, pore pressure escape, and friction. The resulting block movement pattern entails an exponential increase of displacement and thinning of the failing sediment with distance downslope. Sediment properties explain the remaining spatial variation of ridge and trough morphologies associated with spreading.

Description: In comparison to subaerial and planetary landscapes, submarine environments are rarely investigated using quantitative geomorphological techniques. Application of traditional geomorphometric techniques is hindered by the spatial variability in bathymetric data resolution and the extensive scale over which changes in topography occur. We propose a novel methodology for the improved quantitative analysis of submarine elevation data by adapting numerical techniques, developed for subaerial analyses, to submarine environments. The method integrates three main morphometric techniques: (1) morphometric attributes and their statistical analyses, (2) feature-based quantitative representation, and (3) automated topographic classification. These techniques allow useful morphological information to be extracted from a digital elevation model. Morphometric attributes and their statistical analyses provide summary information about an area, which can be used to calibrate computer-generated geomorphometric maps. In these maps the boundaries of geomorphological features are delineated, and they can thus be used as the basis for geomorphological interpretation. Ridge patterns and their morphological characteristics provide an accurate representation of specific aspects of terrain variability. Moment statistics are used as proxies of surface roughness to differentiate between surface types. Unsupervised classification, carried out using ridge characteristics and moment statistics, reliably segments the surface into units of homogeneous topography. A case study of debris flow lobes within the Storegga Slide shows that the techniques work robustly and that the new methodology integrating all the techniques can significantly enhance submarine geomorphological investigations.

Description: Shipboard measurements of air/sea fluxes and sea surface concentrations of dimethylsulfide (DMS) were made over the tropical and midlatitude North Pacific Ocean. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry was used to measure DMS levels in ambient air and in air equilibrated with surface seawater drawn from a depth of 5 m. Air/sea fluxes were obtained using eddy covariance. Corrections and uncertainties involved in the calculation of fluxes from shipboard data are discussed. The surface ocean DMS concentrations measured during this study ranged from 1 to 10 nM, and atmospheric mixing ratios ranged from 20 to 1000 ppt. Air/sea fluxes ranged from 0.47 to 39 mu mol m(-2) d(-1). Most of the variance in the fluxes can be accounted for by variations in sea surface concentration (37%) and wind speed (19%). Gas transfer coefficients derived from the measurements are generally consistent with those derived from deliberate inert gas tracer experiments and eddy covariance measurements of CO(2). The gas transfer coefficients exhibit wind speed dependence, but the variance in the data is sufficiently large that they do not constrain the functionality of the wind speed dependence of gas exchange.

Description: The symmetry or asymmetry of the process of continental breakup has been much debated over the last 20 years, with various authors proposing asymmetric simple shear models, others advocating more symmetric, pure shear models and some combinations of the two. The unroofing of vast expanses of sub-continental mantle at non-volcanic margins has led some authors to argue in favour of simple shear models, but supporting evidence is lacking. Subsidence evidence from conjugate margin pairs is equivocal, and the detailed crustal and lithospheric structure of such pairs not generally well enough known to draw firm conclusions. In the Porcupine Basin, where the final stages of break-up are preserved, the development of structural asymmetry is demonstrable, and apparently related to late stage coupling of the crust to the mantle following the complete embrittlement of the crust. This agrees with theoretical modelling results, which predict that asymmetric models can develop only on a lithospheric scale when the crust and mantle are tightly coupled. However, whether such asymmetry is maintained during continued exhumation of the mantle is unclear.

Description: Workshop to Integrate Subduction Factory and Seismogenic Zone Studies in Central America, Heredia, Costa Rica, 18–22 June 2007 The driving force for great earthquakes and the cycling of water and climate-influencing volatiles (carbon dioxide, sulfur, halogens) across the convergent margin of Central America have been a focus of international efforts for over 8 years, as part of the MARGINS program of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 574) of the German Science Foundation, and the Central American science community. Over 120 scientists and students from 10 countries met in Costa Rica to synthesize this intense effort spanning from land to marine geological and geophysical studies.

Description: Specific associations of bacteria with phytoplankton have recently been reported in the literature. In our study, we analyzed bacterial communities of microalgal cultures related to algal growth phases. Seven freshly isolated key diatom and dinoflagellate species from Helgoland Roads, North Sea, were investigated. The community composition of associated bacteria as well as the cell numbers, the photosynthetic efficiency of the algae, and the depletion of inorganic nutrients in the medium were recorded over a period of 8 weeks in batch cultures. Diversity and succession of bacterial communities was analyzed by ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial populations was performed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA genes followed by DNA sequence analysis. Members of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria and the Flavobacteria–Sphingobacteria group within the Bacteroidetes phylum predominated in the cultures. Differences in free-living and attached bacterial populations were observed between the phylogenetic groups. Shifts in the bacterial communities could not be correlated to changes of nutrient levels or algal growth phases. Regarding our results, it should not be generalized that the compositions of the bacterial communities are strictly species specific for microalgae. The importance of factors like the composition of exudates is apparent.

Description: In-depth analysis of planktic foraminiferal census data paired with δ18O records of specific indicator species provides new insight into the surface ocean evolution of the northeast Atlantic during the previous interglacial warm period (oxygen isotope stage (OIS) 5e). Full interglacial conditions existed at the study site for a maximum of only 8 kyr, between 125 and 117 ka. Highest sea surface temperatures (SSTs) occurred during early OIS 5e concomitant with high summer insolation but after the main phase of ice sheet melting of the preceding glaciation (Saalian). This early peak SST interval is marked by the appearance of tropical-subtropical species and lasted for 4 kyr until 121 ka, as corroborated by a major change in planktic δ18O. Relative stability in global ice volume continued for another 3–4 kyr before SSTs dropped further toward the next stadial. During early OIS 5e the situation of the surface water vertical structure appears to have been different from the early Holocene. For OIS 5e it is therefore suggested that the particular melting history of late Saalian ice had a long-lasting and profound effect on both postdeglacial surface water mass configuration in the North Atlantic and heat-moisture transfer into Europe.

Description: [1] Recently, calcium isotope fractionation in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi was shown to exhibit a significant temperature dependency. An important subsequent question in this context is whether the observed fractionation patterns are caused by temperature itself or related growth rate changes. In order to separate growth and calcification rate effects from direct temperature effects, batch culture experiments with the coccolithophore E. huxleyi were conducted under varying light intensities. Despite large changes in cellular growth and calcification rates, calcium isotope fractionation remained constant. Independence of calcium isotope fractionation on growth and calcification was also obtained in two additional sets of experiments in which growth rates changed in response to varying calcium concentration and seawater salinity. These experiments also showed no direct effects of calcium concentration and salinity on calcium isotope fractionation. Values for calcium isotope fractionation of E. huxleyi coccoliths fell within a range of −1.0 to −1.6 (1000 lnα), confirming earlier results. This range is similar to that observed in several foraminiferal species and coccolith oozes, suggesting a rather homogeneous calcium isotopic composition in marine biogenic calcite. Our data further show that the calcium isotope fractionation does not change with changing isotopic composition of seawater. This is a basic requirement for reconstructing the calcium isotopic composition of the ocean over time.

Description: Near-inertial energy in the ocean is thought to be redistributed by β-dispersion, whereby near-inertial waves generated at the surface by wind forcing propagate downward and equatorward. In this letter, we examine the spreading of near-inertial energy in a realistic 1/12° model of the North Atlantic driven by synoptically varying wind forcing. We find that (1) near-inertial energy is strongly influenced by the mesoscale eddy field and appears to be locally drained to the deep ocean, largely by the chimney effect associated with anticyclonic eddies, and (2) the interior of the subtropical gyre shows very low levels of near-inertial energy, contrary to expectations based on the β-dispersion effect.

Description: Surface active substances (SAS) in the water column were measured by voltammetry using the electrochemical probe o-nitrophenol (ONP) during EIFEX, a mesoscale open ocean iron enrichment experiment in the Southern Ocean. SAS levels were low throughout the experiment (〈0.005 – 0.03 mg L−1 Triton X-100 equivalents). Initially SAS was extremely low in the photic zone, but as the phytoplankton bloom developed concentrations markedly increased throughout the upper 100 m (∼0.02 mg L−1 Triton X-100 equivalents). Highest concentrations of SAS (〉0.02 mg L−1 Triton X-100 equivalents) were found at the end of the bloom particularly at density discontinuities where organic material may accumulate. Exudates from diatoms appeared to be the major source of SAS during EIFEX, either from direct extracellular release or in the action of being grazed upon by zooplankton.

Description: Methyl iodide has been measured during two field campaigns in the Atlantic region in 2002. The first took place in July–August at 2300 m on the island of Tenerife, while the second was a shipborne, east–west crossing of the Tropical Atlantic at 10°N in October–November of the same year. Both campaigns were periodically impacted by dust, advected from Africa in trade winds. Unexpectedly, during these dust events, methyl iodide mixing ratios were observed to be high relative to other times. Backward calculations with the particle dispersion model FLEXPART show the origin of the dust storms as Mauritania and southern Algeria for the ground- and ship-based campaigns, respectively. The dust-laden air traveled from its source above the marine boundary layer to the measurement region. On the basis of the field data correlations and the simulations, we suggest that dust-stimulated emission of methyl iodide has occurred. To test this hypothesis, dust samples were collected from the identified source regions and added to filtered Atlantic seawater. This rapidly produced methyl iodide. Further tests established that the addition of iodide increased the yield and that iodide with H2O2 was greater still. This was found for both sterilized and nonsterilized samples. We conclude that there is an abiotic methyl iodide production mechanism that can occur via substitution, analogous to those in soil, rather than radical recombination. This may occur when dust contacts seawater containing iodide or when marine water vapor condenses on dust containing iodide. This hypothesis appears to be consistent with recent long-term methyl iodide data sets from Tasmania and may help resolve current uncertainties in the iodine cycle.

Description: Volcanoes confront Earth scientists with new fundamental questions: Can airborne volcanic ash release nutrients on contact with seawater, thereby excite the marine primary productivity (MPP); and, most notably, can volcanoes through oceanic fertilization affect the global climate in a way that is so far poorly understood? Here we present results from biogeochemical experiments showing that 1) volcanic ash from subduction zone volcanoes rapidly release an array of nutrients (co-)limiting algal growth in vast oceanic areas, 2) at a speed much faster (minute-scale) than hitherto known and that marine phytoplankton from low-iron oceanic areas can swiftly, within days, utilize iron from volcanic sources. We further present satellite data possibly indicating an increase of the MPP due to the seaward deposition of volcanic particulate matter. Our study supports the hypothesis that oceanic (iron) fertilization with volcanic ash may play a vital role for the development of the global climate.

Description: New observations from the North Sea, a NW European shelf sea, show that between 2001 and 2005 the CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) in surface waters rose by 22 μatm, thus faster than atmospheric pCO2, which in the same period rose approximately 11 μatm. The surprisingly rapid decline in air‐sea partial pressure difference (ΔpCO2) is primarily a response to an elevated water column inventory of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), which, in turn, reflects mostly anthropogenic CO2 input rather than natural interannual variability. The resulting decline in the buffering capacity of the inorganic carbonate system (increasing Revelle factor) sets up a theoretically predicted feedback loop whereby the invasion of anthropogenic CO2 reduces the ocean's ability to uptake additional CO2. Model simulations for the North Atlantic Ocean and thermodynamic principles reveal that this feedback should be stronger, at present, in colder midlatitude and subpolar waters because of the lower present‐day buffer capacity and elevated DIC levels driven either by northward advected surface water and/or excess local air‐sea CO2 uptake. This buffer capacity feedback mechanism helps to explain at least part of the observed trend of decreasing air‐sea ΔpCO2 over time as reported in several other recent North Atlantic studies.

Description: Coastal areas are exposed to a variety of threats due to high population densities and rapid economic development. How will this affect human welfare and our dependence on nature's capacity to provide ecosystem goods and services? This paper is original in evaluating this concern for major habitats (macroalgae, seagrasses, blue mussel beds, and unvegetated soft bottoms) in a temperate coastal setting. More than 40 categories of goods and services are classified into provisional, regulating, and cultural services. A wide variety of Swedish examples is described for each category, including accounts of economic values and the relative importance of different habitats. For example, distinguishing characteristics would be the exceptional importance of blue mussels for mitigation of eutrophication, sandy soft bottoms for recreational uses, and seagrasses and macroalgae for fisheries production and control of wave and current energy. Net changes in the provision of goods and services are evaluated for three cases of observed coastal ecosystem shifts: i) seagrass beds into unvegetated substrate; ii) unvegetated shallow soft bottoms into filamentous algal mat dominance; and iii) macroalgae into mussel beds on hard substrate. The results are discussed in a management context including accounts of biodiversity, interconnectedness of ecosystems, and potential of economic valuation.

Description: Proteins containing the PB1 domain, a protein interaction module conserved in animals, fungi, amoebas, and plants, participate in diverse biological processes. The PB1 domains adopt a ubiquitin-like β-grasp fold, containing two α helices and a mixed five-stranded β sheet, and are classified into groups harboring an acidic OPCA motif (type I), the invariant lysine residue on the first β strand (type II), or both (type I/II). The OPCA motif of a type I PB1 domain forms salt bridges with basic residues, especially the conserved lysine, of a type II PB1 domain, thereby mediating a specific PB1-PB1 heterodimerization, whereas additional contacts contribute to high affinity and specificity of the modular interaction. The canonical PB1 dimerization is required for the formation of complexes between p40phox and p67phox (for activation of the NADPH oxidase crucial for mammalian host defense), between the scaffold Bem1 and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Cdc24 (for polarity establishment in yeasts), and between the polarity protein Par6 and atypical protein kinase C (for cell polarization in animal cells), as well as for the interaction between the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases MEKK2 or MEKK3 and the downstream target mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase MEK5 (for early cardiovascular development in mammals). PB1 domains can also mediate interactions with other protein domains. For example, an intramolecular interaction between the PB1 and PX domains of p40phox regulates phagosomal targeting of the microbicidal NADPH oxidase; the PB1 domain of MEK5 is likely responsible for binding to the downstream kinase ERK5, which lacks a PB1 domain; and the scaffold protein Nbr1 associates through a PB1-containing region with titin, a sarcomere protein without a PB1 domain. This Review describes various aspects of PB1 domains at the molecular and cellular levels.

Description: Using recently released reprocessed gravity solutions from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), we estimate the ice loss rate for the Patagonia Icefield (PIF) of South America, for the period April 2002 through December 2006. After postglacial rebound and hydrological effects are corrected, the estimated rate is -27.9 ± 11 km3/year, equivalent to an average loss of ~-1.6 m/year ice thickness change if evenly distributed over the entire PIF area. The estimated contribution to global sea level rise is 0.078 ± 0.031 mm/year. This is an independent confirmation of relatively large melting rate estimates from earlier studies employing topographic and cartographic data.

Description: Scleractinian corals are increasingly used as recorders of modern and paleoclimates. The microstructure of four common reef-building coral genera is documented here: Acropora, Pocillopora, Goniastrea, and Porites. This study highlights the complexity and spatial variability of skeletal growth in different coral genera and suggests that a single growth model is too generalized to allow the accurate depiction of the variability observed in the four genera studied. New models must be introduced in order for coral skeletogenesis to be understood adequately to allow coral skeletons to serve as repositories of temporally constrained geochemical data. Owing to differences in microstructural patterns in different genera, direct observation of microstructural elements and growth lines may be necessary to allow microsamples to be placed into series that represent temporal sequences with known degrees of time averaging. Such data are critical for constraining microsampling strategies aimed at developing true time series geochemical data at very fine spatial and temporal scales.

Description: We describe the feeding habits of 70 blue sharks (Prionace glauca) and 39 salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) caught at 0–7 m depth at night by research drift gillnets in the transition region of the western North Pacific during April–May of 1999 and 2000. Blue sharks of 50–175 cm total length fed on a large variety of prey species, consisting of 24 species of cephalopods and 16 species of fishes. Salmon sharks of 69–157 cm total length fed on a few prey species, consisting of 10 species of cephalopods and one species of fish. Important prey for the blue sharks were large, non-active, gelatinous, meso- to bathypelagic cephalopods (e.g., Chiroteuthis calyx, Haliphron atlanticus, Histioteuthis dofleini and Belonella borealis) and small myctophid fishes. Important prey for the salmon sharks were mid-sized, active, muscular, epi- to mesopelagic squids (e.g. Gonatopsis borealis, Onychoteuthis borealijaponica and Berryteuthis anonychus). Our results suggest that blue sharks feed on cephalopods mainly during the daytime when they descend to deep water. Salmon sharks may feed opportunistically with no apparent diurnal feeding period. Blue sharks and salmon sharks have sympatric distribution in the transition region in spring; they have different feeding habits and strategies that reduce competition for food resources.