ALBERT

Description: Surface air temperature measurements obtained from different sensors are used to construct a unique time series with one minute time-interval. Apart from differences in design and environmental exposition, periods of missing data also exist in the data series of each sensor. A primary data set was selected in terms of quality and temporal extension. A combination of two different techniques is applied to complete this data set: one is based on the autocorrelation of the series and the other on measurements taken from other sensors. The resulting values constitute a complete series of surface air temperature at AGGO.

Description: Surface air temperature measurements obtained from different sensors are used to construct a unique time series with one minute time-interval. Apart from differences in design and environmental exposition, periods of missing data also exist in the data series of each sensor. A primary data set was selected in terms of quality and temporal extension. A combination of two different techniques is applied to complete this data set: one is based on the autocorrelation of the series and the other on measurements taken from other sensors. The resulting values constitute a complete series of surface air temperature at AGGO.

Description: This dataset contain stable isotope values for water samples collected ~weekly from the Rio Bermejo at the Lavalle bridge (-25.6513, -60.1277) from March 2016 to February 2018. Water samples were filtered to 0.2 micron using a custom filtration device. We measured d2H and d18O on a Picarro L-2140i Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer at the GFZ Potsdam. Measurements were made in duplicate, normalized to the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW), and analytical uncertainty is reported as one standard deviation from the mean. River discharge was measured at the El Colorado gauging station, which is ~100 km down slope from the sampling location.

Description: This dataset provides the geochemistry data for the Holocene sediment sequence retrieved from Lake Uddelermeer (The Netherlands) in 2012. Additionally, alkane concentrations for a set of modern leaf samples are provided. Concentrations of fossil alkanes, GDGTs as well as elemental (C, N, S, H) and compound-specific delta Deuterium measurements are presented against both depth (cm) and age (cal yr. BP). A total of 59 samples were analysed. Modern leaf alkane concentrations are presented as concentrations, 10 samples were analysed. The geochemical data provides information about regional vegetation change as well as changes in effective precipitation. It was produced to inform on the age and duration of major environmental transitions during the middle and late Holocene. Cores were retrieved from the lake using a 3-m long handheld piston corer deployed from a floating coring platform during field work in April and May 2012. Samples were obtained from splits of the core and processed in the laboratory of the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) using standard protocols (CNHS, alkane concentrations), the laboratory of Utrecht University (the Netherlands; GDGT concentrations) and at GFZ Potsdam (Germany; delta Deuterium). Name of the Campaign: UDD Event Label: UDD-E Method: Uwitec piston corer Latitude: 52.24652778 Longitude: 5.76097222 Elevation: 24m asl Date/Time of event: 2012-05-01T14:00:00 Further information about event: Lake sediment sequence retrieved using a 60 mm piston corer deployed from a floating platform.

Description: Water samples were filtered to 0.2 micron prior to measurement. Samples for cation analysis were acidified in the field to pH 〈 2 using 6N HNO3. Cation concentrations were measured with a Varian 720 inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) at the GFZ Helmholtz Laboratory for the Geochemistry of the Earth Surface (HELGES), using SLRS-5 (Saint-Laurent River Surface, National Research Council - Conseil National de Recherches Canada) and USGS M212 and USGS T187 as external standards. We corrected for instrument drift by measuring an internal standard (GFZ-RW1) every 10 samples and we determined measurement uncertainty using calibration curve uncertainty. Anion concentrations were measured with a Dionex ICS1100 Ion Chromatograph, using USGS standards M206 and M212 as external standards for quality control, with uncertainty determined from triplicate analysis. We corrected cation concentrations for cyclic salt inputs following Bickle et al. (2005, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2004.11.019).

Description: Presented are analytical data from lacustrine sediment cores, retrieved from Lake Nam Co (Tibetan Plateau). The sediment core is a composite of one gravity core, taken with a Rumohr-Meischner gravity corer (63 mm diameter) and a piston core, retrieved using an uwitec piston coring system (http://www.uwitec.at; 90 mm diameter). The composite core labelled 〈NC 08/01〉 comprises a total length of 10.378 m. The cores were obtained at N 30.737417, E 090.790333 at a water depth of 93 m on 2008-09-15. The purpose of obtaining this sediment core was to establish a high-resolution record of climate (monsoonal) and environmental change using multiple proxy data. The dataset comprises analytical data based on sedimentological, inorganic geochemical, mineralogical and isotope-geochemical methods. Specifically: sediment water content & density; magnetic susceptibility; particel size data; quantitative inorganic geochemical data (ICP-OES aqua regia and HCL digestions); semi-quantitative XRF elemental data; carbon, nitrogen, sulfur contents; qualitative mineralogical data; bulk sediment stable carbon and oxygen isotope data.

Description: This data set is part of a larger data harmonization effort to make lake sediment core data machine readable and comparable. Here we standardized X-ray fluorescence line scanning (XRF)-based element data of sediment core EN18208, retrieved in 2018 from Lake Ilirney (Chukotka, Russia) at 10.76 m water depth. The glacial lake Ilirney is situated in the forest tundra mountain area and has one outflow, one main inflow and several smaller inflows. It lies at an elevation of ca. 428 m a.s.l. with a surface area of ca. 30 km2 and a maximum lake water depth of estimated 44 m. The 10.76 m sediment core was retrieved by a UWITEC piston corer during the RU-Land_2018_Chukotka expedition of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI, Germany, Potsdam) in cooperation with the North Eastern Federal State University (NEFU, Russia, Yakutsk). The downcore elemental composition was measured using an AVAATECH x-ray fluorescence core scanner at Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR) in Berlin, Spandau.

Description: This data set is part of a larger data harmonization effort to make lake sediment core data machine readable and comparable. Here we standardized radiocarbon and OSL age data of sediment core EN18208, retrieved in 2018 from Lake Ilirney (Chukotka, Russia) at 10.76 m water depth. The glacial lake Ilirney is situated in the forest tundra mountain area and has one outflow, one main inflow and several smaller inflows. It lies at an elevation of ca. 428 m a.s.l. with a surface area of ca. 30 km2 and a maximum lake water depth of estimated 44 m. The 10.76 m sediment core was retrieved by a UWITEC piston corer during the RU-Land_2018_Chukotka expedition of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI, Germany, Potsdam) in cooperation with the North Eastern Federal State University (NEFU, Russia, Yakutsk). Radiocarbon data have been analysed from bulk sediment samples in Bremerhaven at the MICADAS laboratory. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was performed at the Royal Holloway Luminescence Laboratory using a Risø TL/OSL-DA-15 automated dating system.

Description: A 25-cm long predominantly aragonite stalagmite was collected November 2, 2005 from Dharamjali Cave (29.5°N, 80.2°E) in the central Himalayas. This dataset contains stable isotope, trace element, XRF, U/Th dating, and dripwater data. The age model spans 4.2 to 2.3 ka BP, and the dataset records seasonal shifts in hydroclimate from 4.2 to 3.1 ka BP. Using the DHAR-1A half of the speleothem, 750 samples were milled at 100–300 µm resolution for stable isotope analysis (δ18O and δ13C) and analyzed at GFZ Potsdam. Further high-resolution stable isotope analysis at the University of Cambridge included 876 samples from the bottom 4 cm of the mirroring slab DHAR-1B, covering c. 4.2–3.6 ka BP. The δ44/40Ca measurements were made on 60 aragonite samples of aragonite and 1 calcite sample milled between 4.2 and 2.8 ka BP. The elemental composition of DHAR-1B was determined first with an Avaatech XRF scanner at the University of Cambridge, and later using laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) at the University of Waikato. U-series dating was performed at Caltech on 22 samples. Twelve U-series ages (between 2.55 and 4.14 ka BP) were used to construct the age models, using ensembles of 2000 Monte Carlo simulations for each proxy using the MATLAB-based COPRA script (Breitenbach et al., 2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-1765-2012).

Description: This data set is part of a larger data harmonization effort to make lake sediment core data machine readable and comparable. Here we standardized grain size element data of sediment core EN18208, retrieved in 2018 from Lake Ilirney (Chukotka, Russia) at 10.76 m water depth. The glacial lake Ilirney is situated in the forest tundra mountain area and has one outflow, one main inflow and several smaller inflows. It lies at an elevation of ca. 428 m a.s.l. with a surface area of ca. 30 km2 and a maximum lake water depth of estimated 44 m. The 10.76 m sediment core was retrieved by a UWITEC piston corer during the RU-Land_2018_Chukotka expedition of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI, Germany, Potsdam) in cooperation with the North Eastern Federal State University (NEFU, Russia, Yakutsk). Grain-size was measured using a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 laser diffraction particle analyser.

Description: This data set is part of a larger data harmonization effort to make lake sediment core data machine readable and comparable. Here we standardized mineral data of sediment core EN18208, retrieved in 2018 from Lake Ilirney (Chukotka, Russia) at 10.76 m water depth. The glacial lake Ilirney is situated in the forest tundra mountain area and has one outflow, one main inflow and several smaller inflows. It lies at an elevation of ca. 428 m a.s.l. with a surface area of ca. 30 km2 and a maximum lake water depth of estimated 44 m. The 10.76 m sediment core was retrieved by a UWITEC piston corer during the RU-Land_2018_Chukotka expedition of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI, Germany, Potsdam) in cooperation with the North Eastern Federal State University (NEFU, Russia, Yakutsk). Bulk mineralogy was analysed by (x-ray diffractometry (XRD) using a (PHILIPS, Netherlands) PW1820 goniometer.

Description: This data set is part of a larger data harmonization effort to make lake sediment core data machine readable and comparable. Here we standardized radiocarbon and OSL age data of sediment core EN18208, retrieved in 2018 from Lake Ilirney (Chukotka, Russia) at 10.76 m water depth. The glacial lake Ilirney is situated in the forest tundra mountain area and has one outflow, one main inflow and several smaller inflows. It lies at an elevation of ca. 428 m a.s.l. with a surface area of ca. 30 km2 and a maximum lake water depth of estimated 44 m. The 10.76 m sediment core was retrieved by a UWITEC piston corer during the RU-Land_2018_Chukotka expedition of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI, Germany, Potsdam) in cooperation with the North Eastern Federal State University (NEFU, Russia, Yakutsk). Water content and organic matter was analysed at AWI Potsdam. Dried and milled samples were analysed using a Vario EL III carbon-nitrogen-sulphur analyser. Organic carbon content was determined using a Vario MAX C analyser.

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

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

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

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

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

Description: The Southern Ocean is a key region for analyzing environmental drivers that regulate sea-air CO2 exchanges. These CO2 fluxes are influenced by several mesoscale structures, such as meanders, eddies and other mechanisms responsible for energy dissipation. Aiming to better understand sea-air CO2 dynamics in the northern Antarctica Peninsula, we investigated an anticyclonic stationary eddy located south of Clarence Island, in the eastern basin of Bransfield Strait – named the Antarctica Slope Front bifurcation (ASFb) eddy. Physical, chemical and biological data were sampled, and remote sensing measurements taken, in the region during late summer conditions in February 2020. The eddy’s core consisted of cold (0.31 °C), salty (34.38) and carbon-rich (2247 μmol kg−1) waters with dissolved oxygen depletion (337 μmol kg−1). The core retains a mixture of local surface waters with waters derived from Circumpolar Deep Water (i.e., Warm Deep Water from the Weddell Sea and modified Circumpolar Deep Water from the Bransfield Strait) and Dense Shelf Water. The ASFb eddy acts as a CO2 outgassing structure that reaches a CO2 emission to the atmosphere of ∼1.5 mmol m−2 d–1 in the eddy’s core, mostly due to enhanced dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The results suggest that surface variation in DIC in the eddy’s core is modulated by (i) the entrainment of CO2-rich intermediate waters at ∼500 m, (ii) low primary productivity, associated with small phytoplankton cells such as cryptophytes and green flagellates, and (iii) respiration processes caused by heterotrophic organisms (i.e., zooplankton community). By providing a comprehensive view of these physical and biogeochemical properties of this stationary eddy, our results are key to adding new insights to a better understanding of the behavior of mesoscale features influencing sea-air CO2 exchanges in polar environments.

Description: Yak shanks and flanks are often used as food ingredients, but the lipid composition of these two parts may differ significantly. These meat parts were subjected to a lipidomics analysis using UHPLC-Q-Obitrap. Several computational tools, including feature-based molecular networks, ms-dial, and lipidone, were used to perform deep mining on the entire dataset. The analysis annotated 355 lipid species from 20 subclasses. Lipid chains have a length distribution of 16 to 20 carbons, with unsaturation ranging from 0 to 5. The results revealed that 71 lipids were significantly different in these muscles, including phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) (16:0/20:4), PEs (18:0/19:1), PEs (18:1/22:5), sphingomyelins (SMs) (36:2; 3O), and carnitines (CARs) (22:0). Furthermore, the metabolic pathways of glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids act as important roles in the differences of these lipid components. This study obtained a comprehensive lipid profile, which is critical for understanding the precise nutritional differences in different yak meat sections.

Description: Photosynthetic microorganisms like microalgae and cyanobacteria are quickly gaining recognition for their financial potential and have recently been subjected to research into metabolic manipulation to produce biofuels and different bio-based chemicals from CO2 and sunlight. CRISPR-Cas systems are presently the centre of attraction in synthetic biology research. Various cyanobacteria and algae species have been successfully edited using CRISPR-Cas9. However, many technical difficulties, such as chassis-organism-specific Cas9 toxicity, have delayed the progress of this tool for editing the genomes of diverse species of microalgae and cyanobacteria. CRISPR-Cas9 technology has enormous promises, and it has been employed to alter the metabolism of many algae and cyanobacteria. Advances in CRISPR-Cas9 technology and applications, as well as progress in CRISPR-based multiplex genome editing, the importance of traditional molecular tools in CRISPR biology, challenges in developing high-throughput mutant screening, and further improvements in genome-editing methods, have all been thoroughly discussed in order to make the genome engineering of algae and cyanobacteria more feasible. This review identifies important issues, suggests solutions, and highlights recent advances in genome editing in algae and cyanobacteria with the CRISPR-Cas9 system.

Description: This study examined the phytochemical profiles (mainly phenolics, carotenoids, and organosulfur compounds) and biological effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Allium flavum (AF), a species of the Allium genus commonly known as small yellow onion. Unsupervised and supervised statistical approaches revealed clear differences between extracts prepared with samples collected from different areas of Romania. Overall, the AFFF (AF flowers collected from Făget) extract was the best source of polyphenols, also showing the highest antioxidant capacity evaluated through both in vitro DPPH, FRAP, and TEAC anti-radical scavenging assays and cell-based OxHLIA and TBARS assays. All the tested extracts exhibited α-glucosidase inhibition potential, while only the AFFF extract exhibited anti-lipase inhibitory activity. The phenolic subclasses annotated were positively correlated with the assessed antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities. Our findings suggested that A. flavum has bioactive properties worth exploring further, being a potential edible flower with health-promoting implications.

Description: If the umbilical of Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) allows the transmission of information in real time or the supply of energy to the robot, it also has many disadvantages such as entanglement or the difficulty of predicting its shape, which raises the question of being able to do without it. In order to turn these constraints into advantages, this paper proposes a method to estimate the position of an ROV by observing the shape of its umbilical. The umbilical is equipped with moving ballasts and buoys to give it a predictable shape with straight lines: simple mathematical models of the umbilical can thus be defined. Using these models and measuring the angles at the ends of the cable, the position of the ROV can be found. Three umbilical models with different equipment are proposed. The methods were tested in a pool and the estimated position of the ROV was compared with its actual position measured using a motion capture system.

Description: Sponges are known to harbour an exceptional diversity of uncultured microorganisms, including members of the phylum Actinobacteriota. While members of the actinobacteriotal class Actinomycetia have been studied intensively due to their potential for secondary metabolite production, the sister class of Acidimicrobiia is often more abundant in sponges. However, the taxonomy, functions, and ecological roles of sponge-associated Acidimicrobiia are largely unknown. Here, we reconstructed and characterized 22 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Acidimicrobiia from three sponge species. These MAGs represented six novel species, belonging to five genera, four families, and two orders, which are all uncharacterized (except the order Acidimicrobiales) and for which we propose nomenclature. These six uncultured species have either only been found in sponges and/or corals and have varying degrees of specificity to their host species. Functional gene profiling indicated that these six species shared a similar potential to non-symbiotic Acidimicrobiia with respect to amino acid biosynthesis and utilization of sulfur compounds. However, sponge-associated Acidimicrobiia differed from their non-symbiotic counterparts by relying predominantly on organic rather than inorganic sources of energy, and their predicted capacity to synthesise bioactive compounds or their precursors implicated in host defence. Additionally, the species possess the genetic capacity to degrade aromatic compounds that are frequently found in sponges. The novel Acidimicrobiia may also potentially mediate host development by modulating Hedgehog signalling and by the production of serotonin, which can affect host body contractions and digestion. These results highlight unique genomic and metabolic features of six new acidimicrobiial species that potentially support a sponge-associated lifestyle.

Description: Sponges harbour exceptionally diverse microbial communities, whose members are largely uncultured. The class Gammaproteobacteria often dominates the microbial communities of various sponge species, but most of its diversity remains functional and taxonomically uncharacterised. Here we reconstructed and characterised 32 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) derived from three sponge species. These MAGs represent ten novel species and belong to seven orders, of which one is new. We propose nomenclature for all these taxa. These new species comprise sponge-specific bacteria with varying levels of host specificity. Functional gene profiling highlights significant differences in metabolic capabilities across the ten species, though each also often exhibited a large degree of metabolic diversity involving various nitrogen- and sulfur-based compounds. The genomic features of the ten species suggest they have evolved to form symbiotic interaction with their hosts or are well-adapted to survive within the sponge environment. These Gammaproteobacteria are proposed to scavenge substrates from the host environment, including metabolites or cellular components of the sponge. Their diverse metabolic capabilities may allow for efficient cycling of organic matter in the sponge environment, potentially to the benefit of the host and other symbionts.

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

Description: “Whiting” events in the Bahama Banks, due to high concentrations of carbonate-rich particles suspended in the water, have been reported and discussed widely in the past 80 years. However, little is known about their distributions and particularly about their long-term changes. Here, using a deep learning (DL) model, we objectively delineate and quantify whiting features from Aqua MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite images (250-m resolution) and establish an 18-year data record (2003−2020) of whiting occurrences in the Bahama Banks. Both the Great Bahama Bank (GBB) and the Little Bahama Bank (LBB) show clear seasonality in whiting areas, where a primary peak in spring and a secondary peak in winter are found in the GBB but only one peak in winter is found in the LBB. Such a seasonality may be explained using a hydrodynamic hypothesis on calcium carbonate precipitation. The mean size of individual whiting patches in the GBB is about 2.4 ± 6.1 km2 (∼0.1 to 226 km2), while in the LBB is 1.4 ± 2.7 km2 (∼0.1 to 95 km2). The total whiting coverage in a typical cloud-free image is 87.1 km2 in the GBB and 32.0 km2 in the LBB, representing 0.14% and 0.76% of the entire GBB and LBB, respectively. Significant increases in the mean coverage have been found in the GBB since 2011, with peak coverage (∼200 km2) in 2013–2015 being at least 4 times higher than before (20–70 km2). Although the whiting area started to decrease after 2015, it did not reach the pre-2011 level until 2020. On the other hand, correlation analysis and principal component analysis of several environmental factors (pH, light, salinity, carbonate, aragonite, winds, currents) provided some hints on which factors may have contributed. From these, we infer a potential ‘Goldilocks’ scenario, whereby decreases in pH and carbonate concentration, concomitant with increases in Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and current speeds, created conditions increasingly favorable for whitings from 2011 to 2015. Continuation of these environmental trends after 2015, however, resulted in conditions increasingly unfavorable for whiting formation, yet without field-based measurements it is difficult to conclude the potential reasons for increases and decreases of whiting formation in the GBB.

Description: Zosteric acid (ZA) is a Zostera species-derived, sulfated phenolic acid compound with antifouling activity and has gained much attention due to its nontoxic and biodegradable characteristics. However, the yield of Zostera species available for ZA extraction is limited by natural factors, such as season, latitude, light, and temperature. Here we report the development of metabolically engineered Escherichia coli strains capable of producing ZA from glucose and glycerol. First, intracellular availability of the sulfur donor 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) was enhanced by knocking out the cysH gene responsible for PAPS consumption and overexpressing the genes required for PAPS biosynthesis. Co-overexpression of the genes encoding tyrosine ammonia-lyase, sulfotransferase 1A1, ATP sulfurylase, and adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate kinase constructed ZA producing strain with enhanced PAPS supply. Second, the feedback-resistant forms of aroG and tyrA genes (encoding 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase and chorismate mutase, respectively) were overexpressed to relieve the feedback regulation of L-tyrosine biosynthesis. Third, the pykA gene involved in phosphoenolpyruvate-consuming reaction, the regulator gene tyrR, the competing pathway gene pheA, and the ptsHIcrr genes essential for the PEP:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system were deleted. Moreover, all genes involved in the shikimate pathway and the talA, tktA, and tktB genes in the pentose phosphate pathway were examined for ZA production. The PTS-independent glucose uptake system, the expression vector system, and the carbon source were also optimized. As a result, the best-performing strain successfully produced 1.52 g L−1 ZA and 1.30 g L−1 p-hydroxycinnamic acid from glucose and glycerol in a 700 mL fed-batch bioreactor.

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

Description: Symbiosis between prokaryotes and microbial eukaryotes (protists) has broadly impacted both evolution and ecology. Endosymbiosis led to mitochondria and plastids, the latter spreading across the tree of eukaryotes by subsequent rounds of endosymbiosis. Present-day endosymbionts in protists remain both common and diverse, although what function they serve is often unknown. Here, we describe a highly complex community of endosymbionts and a bacteriophage (phage) within a single cryptomonad cell. Cryptomonads are a model for organelle evolution because their secondary plastid retains a relict endosymbiont nucleus, but only one previously unidentified Cryptomonas strain (SAG 25.80) is known to harbor bacterial endosymbionts. We carried out electron microscopy and FISH imaging as well as genomic sequencing on Cryptomonas SAG 25.80, which revealed a stable, complex community even after over 50 years in continuous cultivation. We identified the host strain as Cryptomonas gyropyrenoidosa, and sequenced genomes from its mitochondria, plastid, and nucleomorph (and partially its nucleus), as well as two symbionts, Megaira polyxenophila and Grellia numerosa, and one phage (MAnkyphage) infecting M. polyxenophila. Comparing closely related endosymbionts from other hosts revealed similar metabolic and genomic features, with the exception of abundant transposons and genome plasticity in M. polyxenophila from Cryptomonas. We found an abundance of eukaryote-interacting genes as well as many toxin-antitoxin systems, including in the MAnkyphage genome that also encodes several eukaryotic-like proteins. Overall, the Cryptomonas cell is an endosymbiotic conglomeration with seven distinct evolving genomes that all show evidence of inter-lineage conflict but nevertheless remain stable, even after more than 4,000 generations in culture.

Description: Scenarios—which account for the costs of and interactions among different mitigation options—show that we will need to remove hundreds of gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere over the course of the century to limit warming to well below 2°C, make efforts to limit it to 1.5°C, and ensure the sustained well-being of our planet. Yet at present, only 2 Gt is being removed per year, and nearly all of it is from forestry—only 0.1% is from novel forms of carbon removal. This commentary shows that the deployment of novel CO2 removal (CDR) over the next decade, its formative phase, is likely to be consequential in determining whether CDR will be available at scale and in time to reach net-zero CO2 emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal.

Description: We analyzed biogeochemical components of brash ice, originating from sea ice and icebergs, collected in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean during the summer and autumn of 2018–2020. Ice samples, collected from seawater by net or cage methods, were melted in the dark under cool conditions to measure physical and biogeochemical components such as salinity, stable oxygen isotopes, nutrients, and chlorophyll-a. We compared brash ice parameters with those of seawater samples from the temperature minimum layer, corresponding to the water in which the sea ice originated, to examine the effects of processes such as brine drainage, snow-ice formation, and biological activities on the biogeochemical components in sea ice. Samples from icebergs (ice formed on land) had salinity of zero and low concentrations of all other components, suggesting that the atmospheric deposition of nutrients is minimal in this clean environment. However, sea ice samples had a wide range of values for each parameter. Our results show that meteoric water makes a smaller contribution to sea ice than it typically does to multi-year landfast ice, and there is no correlation between this meteoric water contribution and nutrient concentrations, which suggests that the contribution of snow-ice formation to nutrients within sea ice is subordinate to the role of biological processes. Nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations in our brash ice samples are of similar magnitude to those in sea ice samples collected in the same area by coring of thick pack ice. Our data represent end-member values that may be useful to estimate the respective contributions of snow, sea ice, and seawater to surface water samples.

Description: Mathematical Oncology has emerged as a research field that applies either continuous or discrete models to mathematically describe cancer-related phenomena. Such methods are usually expressed in terms of differential equations, however tumor composition involves specific cellular structure and can demonstrate probabilistic nature, often requiring tailor-made approaches. In this context, cell-based models allow monitoring independent single parameters, which might vary in both time and space. By relying on extant tumor growth models in the literature, this study introduces cellular-automata simulation strategies that admit heterogeneous cell population while capturing both single-cell and cluster-cell behaviors. In this agent-based computational model, tumor cells are limited to follow four possible courses of action, namely: proliferation, migration, apoptosis or quiescence. Despite the apparent simplicity of those actions, the model can represent different complex tumor features depending on parameter settings. This study virtualized five different scenarios, showcasing model capabilities of representing tumor dynamics including alternate dormancy periods, cell death instability and cluster formation. Implementation techniques are also explored together with prospective model expansion towards deterministic features. The proposed stochastic cellular automaton model is able to effectively simulate different scenarios regarding tumor growth effectively, figuring as an interesting tool for in silico modeling, with promising capabilities of expansion to support research in mathematical oncology, thus improving diagnosis tools and/or personalized treatment.

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

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

Description: Isoflavones are important chemical components in Pueraria species with various biological activities. This study proposed an integrated strategy combining feature-based molecular networking (FBMN), chemometrics and activity evaluation for isoflavone analysis in the roots of P. lobate (PLR) and P. thomsonii (PTR). Based on the strategy, a total of 68 isoflavones were annotated in the two Pueraria species, and 11 significant difference isoflavones between PLR and PTR were identified by chemometric methods. Additionally, the correlation coefficient between the characteristic isoflavones and hypoglycemic activity were calculated, and 7 isoflavones were further confirmed as bioactive marker compounds. This approach provided guidance for the discovery of active markers among different products.

Description: The unique flavor of Pixian douban (PXDB) is widely acknowledged to be associated with its maturation process. However, there is limited knowledge about the non-volatile metabolites that contribute to this flavor. To bridge this gap, this study employed a metabolomics approach and a feature-based molecular network (FBMN) analysis to investigate the non-volatile metabolite fingerprints of PXDB during its two-year maturation process. Specifically, the FBMN tool was utilized to annotate the flavonoid, amide derivatives, and lipid components of PXDB for the first time. Subsequently, the MolNetEnhancer tool was employed to complement the FBMN annotation and identify eight substructural components. Finally, metabolomics analysis was carried out to identify 45 key metabolites involved in flavor formation across 10 major metabolic pathways (p 〈 0.05). Overall, the findings of this study have significantly expanded our understanding of the non-volatile metabolite fingerprinting and flavor formation mechanisms.

Description: The Sirex noctilio’s climatic adaption and rapid proliferation have caused Pinus mortality worldwide. The infestation combines the early effect of female S. noctilio gland secretion and the spreading symbiotic fungus Amylostereum areolatum. 'Lipidomics' is the study of all non-water-soluble components of the metabolome. Most of these non-water-soluble compounds correspond to lipids which can provide information about a biological activity, an organelle, an organism, or a disease. Using HPLC-MS/MS based lipidomics, 122 lipids were identified in P. radiata needles during S. noctilio infestation. Phosphatidic acids, N-acylethanolamines, and phosphatidylinositol-ceramides accumulated in infested trees could suggest a high level of phospholipases activities. The phosphatidylcholines were the most down-regulated species during infection, which could also suggest that they may be used as a substrate for up-regulated lipids. The accumulation of very long-chain fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids during the infestation could imply the tree defense response to create a barrier in the drilled zone to avoid larvae development and fungus proliferation. Also, the growth arrest phase of the trees during the prolonged infestation suggests a resistance response, regulated by the accumulation of NAE, which potentially shifts the tree energy to respond to the infestation.

Description: Sediment porewater dialysis passive samplers, also known as “peepers,” are inert containers with a small volume of water (usually 1–100 mL) capped with a semi-permeable membrane. When exposed to sediment over a period of days to weeks, chemicals (typically inorganics) in sediment porewater diffuse through the membrane into the water. Subsequent analysis of chemicals in the peeper water sample can provide a value that represents the concentrations of freely-dissolved chemicals in sediment, a useful measurement for understanding fate and risk. Despite more than 45 years of peeper uses in peer-reviewed research, there are no standardized methods available, which limits the application of peepers for more routine regulatory-driven decision making at sediment sites. In hopes of taking a step towards standardizing peeper methods for measuring inorganics in sediment porewater, over 85 research documents on peepers were reviewed to identify example applications, key methodological aspects, and potential uncertainties. The review found that peepers could be improved by optimizing volume and membrane geometry to decrease the necessary deployment time, decrease detection limits, and provide sufficient sample volumes needed for commercial analytical laboratories using standardized analytical methods. Several methodological uncertainties related to the potential impact of oxygen presence in peeper water prior to deployment and oxygen accumulation in peepers after retrieval from sediment were noted, especially for redox-sensitive metals. Additional areas that need further development include establishing the impact of deionized water in peeper cells when used in marine sediment and use of pre-equilibration sampling methods with reverse tracers allowing shorter deployment periods. Overall, it is expected that highlighting these technical aspects and research needs will encourage work to address critical methodological challenges, aiding in the standardization of peeper methods for measuring porewater concentrations at contaminated regulatory-driven sediment sites.

Description: Addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are critical global challenges. As a substantial contributor to emissions, animal-based products are under increasing scrutiny. Animal-free dairy products provide a potential. Although understanding consumer acceptance of these products is crucial, the literature on this topic is scant. This study investigates the perception and acceptance of animal-free dairy among German consumers (N = 1,487) using an online survey with five information treatments (general and topic-specific information about animal-free cheese, gene-modified organisms, animal welfare, environmental concerns, and farmer existence). The acceptance of animal-free dairy was measured by the respondents' willingness to try, substitute, buy, and regularly buy animal-free cheese. Acceptance was found to be comparatively lower than in past studies, although still prevalent among 45.65 % of consumers. Notably, there were significant variances in consumers' perspectives toward animal-free cheese, causing an irregular distribution in their willingness statements. Multi-group analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling showed that consumer acceptance did not significantly differ between treatment groups. However, individual analysis revealed that the willingness to buy animal-free cheese was positively influenced by perceived benefits and perceived sustainability. Conversely, perceived risks decreased this willingness. Positive attitudes toward farming and knowledge about farming increased perceived risks, while high social trust lowered them. Attitudes toward animal welfare and social trust positively influenced perceived benefits. These findings can be applied to inform and facilitate market introduction strategies of animal-free dairy products for producers and policy makers, providing insights into consumer acceptance of these products in Germany.

Description: The oceans play a major role in moderating atmospheric CO2 levels. Enhanced CO2 uptake into ocean waters can be achieved by the provision of appropriate cations to the surface ocean, an approach known as ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). Here, we present a calcium ion battery approach that enhances alkalinity via electrochemical manipulation of seawater calcium concentrations. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach using a potassium barium iron cyanide [K2BaFe(CN)6] (PBFC) electrode, a Prussian blue analogue, to move calcium ions from one reservoir of seawater to another. Using material and electrochemical characterization of the Ca2+ ion insertion and expulsion properties of PBFC in synthetic seawater, we determine the repeatability of Ca2+ ion insertion and expulsion from the PBFC electrode. Our analyses prove a 2.75 % increase in seawater alkalinity via the PBFC electrode, which yields 2.64 mg CO2 (0.72 mg C) uptake per liter of seawater. This proof-of-concept method offers a unique, low-cost, energy efficient electrochemical approach for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal that can combine with marine-based renewable energy to enable a new family of effective, scalable climate change solutions.

Description: Seismic data represent one of the most valuable resources for investigating the internal structure and composition of the earth. One of the first people to deduce earth structure from seismic records was Mohorovičić, a Serbian seismologist who, in 1909, observed two distinct traveltime curves from a regional earthquake. He determined that one curve corresponded to a direct crustal phase and the other to a wave refracted by a discontinuity in elastic properties between crust and upper mantle. This worldwide discontinuity is now known as the Mohorovičić discontinuity or Moho for short. On a larger scale, the method of Herglotz and Wiechart (see, for example, Gubbins, 1992) was first implemented in 1910 to construct a 1-D whole earth model. The method uses the relationship between angular distance and ray parameter to determine velocity as a function of radius within the earth.

Description: Over the past 50 years, our understanding of the role of trace elements in animals and humans has significantly expanded. Some elements have been recognized as essential for vital body functions. Since the 1950s, with advances in histochemical and spectrometric methods, the distribution of trace elements in different structures of the brain has been studied. Scientific knowledge about the effects of trace elements on brain function has accumulated tremendously as well. Essential trace elements are considered as micronutrients, which are not produced in the body and mainly come from food. Different brain regions such as the cortex, white matter, basal ganglia, and the limbic system have various developmental trajectories and the so-called “critical periods.” The correctness of development is determined by the course of various processes (proliferation, migration, myelination, differentiation, etc.). Thus, it could be assumed that an imbalance of essential trace elements in critical periods of brain maturation can lead to detrimental morphofunctional consequences and impaired brain development. In this chapter, we have reviewed the most studied trace elements that are involved in neurogenesis, such as Fe, Zn, I, Se, Cu, and Mn, and their possible contribution to the manifestation of neurological disorders.

Description: Sponges are ecologically important benthic organisms with many important functional roles. However, despite increasing global interest in the functions that sponges perform, there has been limited focus on how such functions will be impacted by different anthropogenic stressors. In this review, we describe the progress that has been made in our understanding of the functional roles of sponges over the last 15 years and consider the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on these roles. We split sponge functional roles into interactions with the water column and associations with other organisms. We found evidence for an increasing focus on functional roles among sponge-focused research articles, with our understanding of sponge-mediated nutrient cycling increasing substantially in recent years. From the information available, many anthropogenic stressors have the potential to negatively impact sponge pumping, and therefore have the potential to cause ecosystem level impacts. While our understanding of the importance of sponges has increased in the last 15 years, much more experimental work is required to fully understand how sponges will contribute to reef ecosystem function in future changing oceans.

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

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

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

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

Description: Highlights: • Trematodes can affect gastropods' biochemical condition and grazing rates • L. littorea fed more on invasive G. vermiculophylla than on native F. vesiculosus • Trematode-infected snails fed on average 18 % more than uninfected snails • An increase in temperature induced the mobilization of energy reserves • Trematode-induced glycogen decrease might reduce gastropod heat stress tolerance Abstract: Marine bioinvasions are of increasing attention due to their potential of causing ecological and economic loss. The seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla has recently invaded the Baltic Sea, where, under certain conditions, it was found to outcompete the native alga Fucus vesiculosus. Parasites of grazers and temperature are among the potential factors which might indirectly modulate the interactions between these co-occurring algae through their single and combined effects on grazing rates. We tested the temperature and parasitism effects on the feeding of the gastropod Littorina littorea on F. vesiculosus vs. G. vermiculophylla. Uninfected and trematode-infected gastropods were exposed to 10, 16, 22, and 28 center dot C for 4 days while fed with either algae. Faeces production was determined as a proxy for grazing rate, and HSP70 expression, glycogen and lipid concentrations were used to assess the gastropod's biochemical condition. Gracilaria vermiculophylla was grazed more than F. vesiculosus. Trematode infection significantly enhanced faeces production, decreased glycogen concentrations, and increased lipid concentrations in the gastropod. Warming significantly affected glycogen and lipid concentrations, with glycogen peaking at 16 center dot C and lipids at 22 center dot C. Although not significant, warming and trematode infection increased HSP70 levels. Increased faeces production in infected snails and higher faeces production by L. littorea fed with G. vermiculophylla compared to those which fed on F. vesiculosus, suggest parasitism as an important indirect modulator of the interaction between these algae. The changes in the gastropod's biochemical condition indicate that thermal stress induced the mobilization of energy reserves, suggesting a possible onset of compensatory metabolism. Finally, glycogen decrease in infected snails compared to uninfected ones might make them more susceptible to thermal stress.

Description: Highlights: • Higher representation of picophytoplankton in land-terminating glacier fjord. • Smaller phytoplankton cells associated with glacial retreat. • Intermediate baroclinic circulation influences phytoplankton distribution. • Glacial retreat likely to have major implications for summer productivity. Abstract: Along Greenland's coastline, the magnitude and timing of primary production in fjords is influenced by meltwater release from marine-terminating glaciers. How local ecosystems will adapt as these glaciers retreat onto land, forcing fundamental changes in hydrography, remains an open question. To further our understanding of this transition, we examine how marine- and land-terminating glaciers respectively influence fjord bloom phenology. Between spring and autumn 2019, we conducted along-fjord transects of hydrographic variables, biogeochemical properties and pico- and nanophytoplankton counts to illustrate the contrasting seasonal bloom dynamics in the fjords Nuup Kangerlua and Ameralik. These fjords are in the same climatic region of west Greenland but influenced by different glacial structures. Nuup Kangerlua, a predominantly marine-terminating system, was differentiated by its sustained second summer bloom and high Chl a fluorescence in summer and autumn. In Ameralik, influenced by a land-terminating glacier, we found higher abundances of pico- and nanophytoplankton, and high cyanobacteria growth in autumn. The summer bloom in Nuup Kangerlua is known to be coincident with subglacial freshwater discharge sustaining renewed nutrient supply to the fjord. We observe here that the intermediate baroclinic circulation, which creates an inflow at subsurface depths, also plays an important role in increasing nutrient availability at shallower depths and potentially explains the distribution of primary producers. Our observations suggest that the retreat of marine-terminating glaciers onto land, with consequent increases in surface water temperature and stratification, and reduced light availability, may alter the magnitude, composition, and distribution of summer productivity.

Description: Highlights: • Networks indicators reveal structure of the food webs depicted by ecosystem models. • Fishing mortality affects the structure and functioning of the food webs. • Increasing fishing mortality of all fish groups triggers strong indicator response. • Overfishing endangers ecosystem resilience. Marine ecosystems are exposed to multiple stressors, mainly fisheries that, whenever mismanaged, may cause irreversible damages to whole food webs. Ecosystem models have been applied to forecast fisheries impact on fish stocks and marine food webs. These impacts have been studied through the use of multiple indicators that help to understand ecosystem responses to stressors. This study focused on a category of ecological indicators derived from the network theory to quantify energy flows inside the food web. These indicators were computed using two ecosystem models applied to the Eastern English Channel (i.e. Atlantis and OSMOSE). This work aimed at investigating how several ecological network indicators respond to different levels of fishing pressure and evaluating their robustness to model structure and fishing strategies. We applied a gradient of fishing mortality using two ecosystem models and carried out ecological network analysis to obtain network-derived indicators. The results revealed that the indicators response is highly driven by the food web structure, although the model assumptions buffered some results. The indicators computed from OSMOSE outputs were more sensitive to changes in fishing pressure than those from Atlantis. However, once the food web from Atlantis was simplified to mimic the structure of OSMOSE model, the indicators of the modified Atlantis became more sensitive to the intensity of fishing pressure. The indicators related to amount of energy flow and to the organization of the flows in the food web were sensitive to the increase of fishing mortality for all fishing strategies. These indicators suggested that increasing fishing mortality jeopardizes the amount of energy mobilized by the food webs and simplifies the ecological interactions, which has implications for the resilience of marine ecosystems. The study shed light on the trophic networks structure and functioning of the ecosystems whenever exposed to distur-bances. Furthermore, these indicators might be adequate for whole ecosystem assessments of health and contribute to ecosystem management.

Description: Highlights • Oceanic nutrient supply from seabird guano is poorly constrained by field observations. • This was assessed for guano from caught-and-released North Atlantic seabirds. • Guano released nutrients and relieved in situ phytoplankton nutrient limitation. • Guano was modelled to potentially be a major nutrient supply term in summer. • Declining pelagic seabird populations will impact this function. Abstract Nutrients supplied via seabird guano increase primary production in some coastal ecosystems. A similar process may occur in the open ocean. To investigate this directly, we first measured bulk and leachable nutrient concentrations in guano sampled in the North Atlantic. We found that guano was strongly enriched in phosphorus, which was released as phosphate in solution. Nitrogen release was dominated by reduced forms (ammonium and urea) whilst release of nitrate was relatively low. A range of trace elements, including the micronutrient iron, were released. Using in-situ bioassays, we then showed that supply of fresh guano to ambient seawater increases phytoplankton biomass and photochemical efficiencies. Based on these results, modelled seabird distributions, and known defecation rates, we estimate that on annual scales guano is a minor source of nutrients for the surface North Atlantic. However, on shorter timescales in late spring/summer it could be much more important: Estimates of upper-level depositions of phosphorus by seabirds were three orders of magnitude higher than modelled aerosol deposition and comparable to diffusion from deeper waters.

Description: Precipitation chemistry data provide important information for environmental studies on large-scale element cycling and anthropogenic impacts on our atmosphere, but also for hydrochemical models and groundwater recharge estimations via the Chloride Mass Balance method. Such recharge data play a crucial role in groundwater management, particularly in (semi-)arid areas. Unfortunately, precipitation analyses are often scarce in such regions. This also applies to the Arabian Peninsula, including southern Oman. To overcome this lack of rain chemistry data, we developed a strategy for automatic weekly bulk precipitation sampling, using recently designed automatic rainwater samplers. The integral samples were gathered along an elevation gradient from the Salalah coast to the Dhofar mountains during the Indian Ocean Monsoon seasons 2017 and 2018. Our major ion analyses of the rainwater samples revealed considerable temporal and spatial heterogeneity, in terms of ion proportions and absolute concentrations. Samples from the coast were relatively salty (EC mostly 〉3000 μS cm−1) and rich in Na+ and Cl−, reflecting small rain amounts and a sea spray effect. Further inland, solute concentrations were lower, partly due to more precipitation, and ions such as Ca2+ and SO42− gained importance, probably due to calcite and gypsum dust. This pattern reflects the interplay between solute availability (influenced by regional geology, wind direction at different altitudes, and wind speed) and precipitation amounts. Cl−/Br− ratios were fairly uniform and scattered around the seawater value. Combining ion concentrations and rain amounts yielded bulk depositions that showed an erratic pattern along the elevation gradient, i.e., depositions did not decrease steadily in inland direction, as one may assume. This suggests that the occasionally reported approach of collecting a few opportunistic grab samples at a single site is unlikely to yield data that are representative for a larger coastal study area.

Description: Cold-water corals (CWCs) are considered vulnerable to environmental changes. However, previous studies have focused on adult CWCs and mainly investigated the short-term effects of single stressors. So far, the effects of environmental changes on different CWC life stages are unknown, both for single and multiple stressors and over long time periods. Therefore, we conducted a six-month aquarium experiment with three life stages of Caryophyllia huinayensis to study their physiological response (survival, somatic growth, calcification and respiration) to the interactive effects of aragonite saturation (0.8 and 2.5), temperature (11 and 15 °C) and food availability (8 and 87 μg C L−1). The response clearly differed between life stages and measured traits. Elevated temperature and reduced feeding had the greatest effects, pushing the corals to their physiological limits. Highest mortality was observed in adult corals, while calcification rates decreased the most in juveniles. We observed a three-month delay in response, presumably because energy reserves declined, suggesting that short-term experiments overestimate coral resilience. Elevated summer temperatures and reduced food supply are likely to have the greatest impact on live CWCs in the future, leading to reduced coral growth and population shifts due to delayed juvenile maturation and high adult mortality.

Description: Marine ecosystem dynamics in the context of climate change is a growing scientific, political and social concern requiring regular monitoring through appropriate observational technologies and studies. Thus, a wide range of tools comprising chemical, biogeochemical, physical, and biological sensors, as well as other platforms exists for marine monitoring. However, their high acquisition and maintenance costs are often a major obstacle, especially in low-income developing countries. We designed an advanced low-cost synoptic marine ecosystem observation system that operates at relatively high temporal frequencies, named PlasPi TDM. This instrument is an improved version of the camera system (PlasPI marine cameras) developed in 2020 by Autun Purser from the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (Germany), and collaborators. It incorporates several innovative developments such as multispectral (records the spectrum of any object photographed), temperature and pressure sensors. The PlasPi TDM operates to a depth of 200 m. The various field deployments demonstrate the operational capability of the PlasPi TDM for different applications and illustrate its considerable potential for in-situ observations and marine surveillance in Africa. This device is intended as an open-source project and its continued development is encouraged for a more integrated, sustainable and low-cost ocean observing system.

Description: Potential temporal and causal connections among various geologic events have long been discussed in the geological literature. More recently, signs of common periodicities in these episodes have been reported. In this study of correlation and cyclicity of geologic occurrences, we review and synthesize previous work, and utilize the newest data for various major events over the the last 260 My. These include, 1) high-quality radio-isotopic age determinations (U-Pb zircon and 40Ar/39Ar) for continental flood-basalt (CFB) eruptions; 2) the dates of widespread intervals of ocean anoxia; 3) the latest published dates of marine and non-marine extinction events, 4) hyper-thermal climate intervals and 5) the occurrences of stratigraphic Hg anomalies, and non-radiogenic Os-isotope anomalies as potential proxies for large-scale basaltic volcanism. Times of at least 13 of 17 intervals of anoxic oceans are marked by stratigraphic Hg-anomalies, pointing to contemporaneous LIP eruptions, and 5 anoxic intervals in the warm Cretaceous Period are correlated with marine Os-isotope ratios suggesting potential LIP hydrothermal activity. Nine of the ocean-anoxic intervals are thus far correlated with times of marine-extinction episodes, and 8 of those anoxia/extinction co-events are significantly correlated with the ages of the well-dated CFB eruptions. Seven of the marine-extinction events and associated CFB volcanism are coeval with extinctions of non-marine vertebrates, supporting global catastrophic volcano-climatic episodes devastating both marine and terrestrial environments. New digital circular spectral analyses revealed significant underlying cycles of ∼32.5 My and ∼ 26.2 My in the ages of the anoxic events and marine extinctions. Spectral analysis of the latest high-quality ages of the CFBs resulted in similar significant periodicities of 32.8 My and 12.9 My (∼26.2/2 My harmonic). High-frequency periods at various harmonics appear at ∼6.4 My, 8.4 My and 9.7 My in each of the three spectra. These findings support a multi-factor extinction scenario in which release of massive amounts of CO2 and perhaps CH4 mostly from CFB magmas (and in some cases sub-volcanic intrusions into carbon-rich deposits), led to very warm climate intervals with near-lethal to lethal hyper-thermal conditions on land and in the sea. Concurrent release of halogens from CFB eruptions could also have decimated the global ozone layer. In many cases, the warm oceans became acidic, and developed anoxic to euxinic conditions, even up to the ocean surface, contributing to the causes of the marine extinctions. Additionally, four extinction events (late Eocene, end-Cretaceous, end-Jurassic and mid-Norian) correlate closely with the ages of the 4 largest impacts (craters ≥100 km in diameter) over the same period, capable of producing severe climatic effects and extinctions. The potential dominant underlying ∼33-My and 26-My cycles, reported in these and other correlated tectonic, climatic, and biotic events over the last 260 My and beyond, are likely related to the Earth's tectonic-volcanic rhythms, but the similarities with known Milankovitch Earth orbital periods and their amplitude modulations, and with known Galactic cycles, suggest that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the geological events and cycles may be paced by astronomical factors.

Description: We analyse reflection seismic profiles across the outer accretionary wedge at the convergent New Zealand Hikurangi margin. We identify several, in some case stacked, bottom simulating reflections (BSRs). We interpret these multiple BSRs to record changes in gas hydrate stability. With the aid of gas hydrate systems modelling, we identify two geological drivers that affect gas hydrate stability: (1.) rapid sedimentation in trough basins and (2.) uplift and erosion of thrust ridges. Rapid sedimentation in trough basins buries gas hydrates that formed above the former base of gas hydrate stability (BGHS). Locally, we observe a remnant BSR from this process, likely due to residual gas and possibly gas hydrate. The combined effects of uplift and erosion, in contrast, result in the preservation of a remnant BSR within the gas hydrate stability zone, whilst a new BSR forms locally at the present-day BGHS. However, the limited occurrence of double BSRs in seismic data and the model both suggest that the formation of a deeper BSR is limited by gas supply. Formation of significant gas hydrate at this deeper level only occurs in areas of focused gas migration. This slow formation of gas hydrate also has implications for the response to glacio-eustatic sea-level rise: gas hydrates are more likely to accumulate above the BGHS corresponding to the last glacial maximum, whereas only small amounts formed above the deeper present-day BGHS. Hence, future bottom water warming will, at least initially, not lead to significant methane release from dissociating gas hydrates in deep water.

Description: The heterogenous magma supply at ultraslow spreading ridges creates diverse seafloor morphologies and lithospheric structures, which in turn generate a large variability in marine magnetic anomalies. The variability brings difficulties to interpret the evolution of oceanic lithosphere. On the other hand, different magnetic signatures of different seafloors provide an opportunity to identify the modes of seafloor spreading on the ultraslow spreading ridges. Here, we modeled several across-axis magnetic profiles selected from the Gakkel Ridge, Southwest Indian Ridge and Mid-Cayman Spreading Center to explore the lithospheric structure and seafloor spreading processes. Considering conjugate flanks, we observed three modes of seafloor spreading, Magmatic vs Magmatic, Magmatic vs Tectonic, and Tectonic vs Tectonic, on the three ultraslow spreading ridges. These three spreading modes reflect a strong, intermediate, and starved magma supply, respectively. Furthermore, four alternances of the different spreading modes were identified including the Magmatic vs Magmatic to Magmatic vs Tectonic, Magmatic vs Tectonic to Tectonic vs Magmatic, Tectonic vs Tectonic to Magmatic vs Magmatic, and Mixed. These alternances of spreading modes in across-axis direction suggest oscillations of the magma supply at different levels. Variation in the modes of seafloor spreading on four nearby profiles over the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center reveals the evolution of magma supply along the axis of this short ridge.

Description: Farming on hillslopes often affects the accumulation and loss of soil organic matter (SOM) depending on slope position and cropping patterns. Most hillslope studies focus on soil movement to characterize SOM turnover under erosive conditions. In this study, we trace erosion and characterize agronomic practices erosive impacts on SOM translocation and transformation along geomorphic positions. To achieve this, we assessed the horizontal distribution (upper 15 cm) and vertical distribution (to 100 cm profiles) of soil δ15N and δ13C isotope abundance individually. We mapped the spatial distribution of δ13C, δ15N, and SOM turnover indices as a novel approach to tracing erosion and degradation of SOM in the field. Except for tillage (conventional vs. reduced tillage), other individual agricultural practices (residue removal with no cover crop vs. retaining residuals, cover cropping, and fertilizer 0, 40, and 80 kg ha-1 nitrogen) caused no significant shifts in δ15N and δ13C values in topsoil (0–15 cm). Among the evaluated factors, topography and depth predicted soil δ15N and δ13C profiles. Trends in δ13C vs. δ15N showed a wider range of δ13C values in topsoil of upslope plots under reduced tillage, while in the depositional location, conventional tillage had the same effect. This suggests erosion under reduced tillage occurred. Erosion and accelerated decomposition gradually slowed δ13C enrichment with soil depth. Digital soil mapping approach depicted low continuity of δ13C vs. high continuity of δ15N with geomorphic position We attributed the intermediate δ13C values, and steeper slope of δ13C against logarithm of soil organic carbon (SOC) across the slope to erosion and high SOM turnover, particularly of recently added plant inputs. Current results support the prediction of intensive vs. conservation practices’ effects on upslope soil stability and the fate of SOM in both topsoil and at depth of sloping farmlands.

Description: Highlights • Closure of the Tethyan Seaway led to precipitation increase in South Asia but decrease in North Africa. • Closure of the Tethyan Seaway led to enhanced moisture transport from North Africa to South Asia. • Global cooling led to precipitation decrease in North Africa and South Asia during the MMCT. Abstract The Middle Miocene was a period of prominent climatic change, marked by the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO) and the subsequent global cooling due to a decline of the atmospheric CO2 concentrations (pCO2). In addition to this, the closure of the Tethyan Seaway driven by the Arab-Eurasia collision also had an important effect on the paleoclimatic changes during this period. In this study, we use the Community Earth System Model 1.2.2 (CESM 1.2.2) to simulate the effects of global cooling (i.e. pCO2 decline) and the closure of the Tethyan Seaway on the North African and South Asian climates. Our results show that the global cooling led to a precipitation decrease over both North Africa and South Asia, whereas the closure of the Tethyan Seaway resulted in a precipitation decrease over North Africa but an increase over South Asia. The opposite effects over North Africa and South Asia are due to an increased moisture transport from North Africa to South Asia induced by stronger summer atmospheric circulation when the Tethyan Seaway is closed. We further show that the reconstructed records of drying conditions over North Africa during the warming period from the late Early Miocene to the early Middle Miocene from previous studies can be partly explained by the narrowing of the Tethyan Seaway and its climatic continuing deterioration due to the subsequent final closure and global cooling. Both are precursory conditions for the formation of the Sahara desert. The stronger South Asian monsoon during the Middle Miocene transient cooling period found in previous studies can be partially attributed to the final closure of the Tethyan Seaway.

Description: The beginning of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) ~920 ka BP marked the expansion of northern hemisphere ice shields and caused a significant climate change in NW Europe. The MPT ended with the establishment of the 100 kyr ice age cyclicity at ~640 ka BP, due to orbital eccentricity changes. Previous studies explained the northern hemisphere cooling by cooling of sea-surface temperatures, increased sea-ice cover and/or changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) strength. We here discuss very-high resolution parametric echosounder (Parasound) imagery and sediment core analytics from a plastered drift at the eastern Campeche Bank (southern Gulf of Mexico), which was deposited under the influence of the Loop Current (LC). The LC transports warm tropical waters from the Caribbean into the Gulf via the Yucatan Channel. It is a key component of the Gulf Stream system, driving the ocean heat, salinity, and moisture transport towards the N Atlantic. The joint interpretation of reflection patterns, age constraints from color-scanning, foraminiferal stable oxygen isotopes, Sr isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) and core-seismic integration led to consistent conclusions about changes in LC strength across the MPT, thereby modulating the deep base level and the deposition of the plastered drift. The development of offlapping or onlapping plastered drifts, or the transition between the two termination patterns is best explained by changes in the depth of the relative deep base level and interpreted by changes in the flow regime.Initially, the Middle Miocene to Pliocene closure of the Central American Seaway caused the onset and intensification of the LC and hence a deep base level fall. The sedimentary deposits from this phase have an offlapping prograding clinoform configuration, resembling a forced regression systems tract as is known from shelf areas. The deep base level fall caused sediment truncation above 500 m present day water depth. Below 500-550 m, the offlapping succession is overlain by sigmoidal and onlapping, transgressive systems tract like clinoforms. The transition from deep base level fall prior to the MPT to deep base level rise documents the weakening of the LC during the early MPT. After the MPT, the LC continued to weaken. The related reduction of heat transport from the Western Atlantic Warm Water Pool into the North Atlantic contributes to the further cooling of the northern hemisphere. Generally, the development of offlapping or onlapping plastered drifts or the transition between the two termination patterns can be explained by changes in the depth of the relative deep base level and interpreted by changes in the flow regime.

Description: Highlights: - Microbiota manipulation has been used to improve the health and performance of several eukaryotes (e.g., humans, agricultural plants, and aquaculture animals), yet until recently remained unexplored for seaweeds. - Seaweed cultivation is the largest aquaculture industry by volume and is rapidly expanding. Technological innovations are needed to improve productivity and meet future global demands. - Bacteria are known to promote growth, assist reproduction, and improve disease resistance in seaweeds. - Knowledge of seaweed–bacterial symbioses has recently been applied to manipulate host microbiota with demonstrated benefits to seaweeds at the laboratory scale. This provides a realistic and practical opportunity to use these at the scale required for seaweed aquaculture and environmental restoration. Eukaryotic hosts are associated with microbial communities that are critical to their function. Microbiota manipulation using beneficial microorganisms, for example, in the form of animal probiotics or plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs), can enhance host performance and health. Recently, seaweed beneficial microorganisms (SBMs) have been identified that promote the growth and development and/or improve disease resistance of seaweeds. This knowledge coincides with global initiatives seeking to expand and intensify seaweed aquaculture. Here, we provide a pathway with the potential to improve commercial cultivation of seaweeds through microbiota manipulation, highlighting that seaweed restoration practices can also benefit from further understanding SBMs and their modes of action. The challenges and opportunities of different approaches to identify and apply SBMs to seaweed aquaculture are discussed.

Description: The economics of biodiversity is gaining traction and with it the economic valuation of ecosystem services (ESS). Most current developments neglect microbial diversity, although microbial communities provide ecosystem services of great importance. Here we argue that microbial biodiversity (hereafter microbiodiversity) translates into considerable economic value which is usually not explicitly included in quantitative valuation of ecological functions to date. This omission may result in inaccurate values, potentially entailing substantial economic losses, both in private and in public decision-making, due to external effects that arise as microbiodiversity is horizontally and vertically transferred between hosts and natural environments. Microbiodiversity, an important part of biodiversity in general, occupies an irreplaceable position as a natural resource in ecosystems, because of option values derived from the evolutionary potential of microbes, especially if host-associated, and also because of their additional insurance value within changing environments. We illustrate our arguments with specific examples (microbiomes associated with humans, soil, and corals), all of which are jeopardized through anthropogenic pressure. We conclude that the consideration of microbiodiversity in economic valuation will help to find essential assets and guide decision-makers to conserve and protect the economic value of highly diverse microbial communities for future generations.

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

Description: Knowledge of temporal patterns of past explosive eruptions is necessary to understand possible future eruptive behavior. However, volcanic records based on geological reconstructions remain incomplete. This inference is true not only for remote and sparsely populated areas like the Aleutian or Kurile-Kamchatka arcs, but also for Europe, where past large explosive events are continuously recognized in the geological record. Here we report the first age and geochemical data on the violent middle to late Pleistocene explosive eruptions from the Elbrus volcanic center (Greater Caucasus), which towers over the densely populated regions in southern Russia and Georgia. We attribute six disparate ash deposits found in the terrestrial and marine sediments along the SE European margin to the Elbrus volcanic center based on major and trace element compositions of individual shards of volcanic glass and radiogenic Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions of bulk tephra. We suggest that these deposits represent products of five different eruptions that were dispersed over distances of more than 150–560 km from their source. Three of four eruptions are dated at 522 ± 36, 258 ± 13, and 84.6 ± 7.4 ka by a combined zircon U–Th–Pb and (U–Th)/He approach. One sample revealed an overdispersed spectrum of single crystal (U–Th)/He dates with an average of 176 ± 40 ka. Zircon characteristics and statistical deconvolution of the geochronology data suggest that this sample contains zircon crystals from two different eruptions tentatively dated at 156.5 ± 7.7 ka and 222.8 ± 13 ka. These eruption ages represent the first recognition of a suite of large pumiceous eruptions from the Elbrus volcanic center postdating the previously known explosive activity, documented by ∼800 ka old welded tuffs. These data also provide the first geochemical and geochronological characterization of both proximal and distal Elbrus tephra glasses and contribute to the global tephra database, permitting the identification of Elbrus tephras in distal terrestrial and marine paleoenvironmental archives and hence their use as paleoclimate and archaeological markers. We consider the significance of the identified tephras for paleoenvironmental research and show their potential for tephrochronological studies in the East European Plain and adjacent areas.

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

Description: Highlights: • The fate of PS microbeads in an exposure experiment was assessed over 50 h. • Targeted and realized MP concentrations can differ largely in controlled laboratory experiments. • Clearance rates of mussels were significantly decreased in the presence of MP. • Reduction of clearance rates was more pronounced in mussels that had recently spawned. Abstract: The fate of microplastic particles (MP) in exposure experiments is mostly unclear. We measured the recovery of polystyrene (PS) microbeads, which were applied in various concentrations from 0.07 to 47.47 beads/ml, from the different compartments of an experimental system with mussels (Mytilus spp.). At the end of the experiment, we detected a significant loss of MP indicating that the mussels were exposed to less particles than intended. If such a discrepancy remains un-recognized by the experimenter, observed effects are related to an inaccurate particle concentration. Additionally, we observed reduced clearance rates of the mussels in the presence of MP and the effect size increased with increasing particle concentration. This effect was more pronounced in mussels that had recently spawned than in mussels that still had mature gonads. This is a hint that effects of MP may depend on the reproductive status of an organism.

Description: Highlights • Zinc and copper isotope characterization of metalliferous sediments formed by brine pool deposition in the Atlantis II Deep. • Enrichments of light zinc and copper isotopes in sediments when compared to the hydrothermal inputs to the basin. • Isotopic data are consistent with metal sulfide precipitation and lesser adsorption of metals onto Si-Fe-OOH particles. • Increase of δ66Zn with increasing distance from hydrothermal metal release due to uptake of light isotopes by metal sulfides. • Zinc isotope patterns due to metal sulfide precipitation could be of interest in mineral exploration. Abstract This study provides a zinc and copper stable isotope characterization (δ66Zn, δ68Zn, and δ65Cu) of metalliferous seafloor sediments from the Atlantis II Deep, a hydrothermally influenced brine basin in the Red Sea. Samples collected from box cores that capture the entire stratigraphy in the Deep have δ66Zn and δ65Cu values of −0.31 to 0.34 ‰ (0.02 ‰ median) and − 1.81 to 1.02 ‰ (−0.34 ‰ median) relative to the JMC-Lyon and NIST SRM 976 standards, respectively. These results suggest enrichments of light stable isotopes in sediments compared to the hydrothermal inputs to the basin, which likely overlap the mantle-like isotopic signatures of basalts beneath the Deep. Such shifts to lower δ66Zn and δ65Cu values are consistent with widespread metal sulfide deposition from the brines because sulfide anions preferentially consume the light stable isotopes of zinc and copper. However, this interpretation contrasts with observations in the open ocean, where the fractionation of zinc and copper stable isotopes is strongly influenced by biological utilization and organic matter. Previous studies proposed that metal deposition in the Atlantis II Deep is also driven by adsorption onto iron oxides/hydroxides and their weakly crystalline (Si-)Fe-OOH precursor phases within the brines. However, because this process should accumulate heavy zinc and copper stable isotopes, its influence on isotopic fractionation is likely limited. Controls by metal sulfide precipitation are also indicated by spatial covariations between δ66Zn and concentrations of zinc and copper, that is, δ66Zn values increase whereas metal contents decrease with distance away from hydrothermal venting. Comparable trends are lacking for copper isotopes, perhaps because of additional influence by redox processes or, compared to zinc, a much stronger influence by adsorption onto (Si-)Fe-OOH phases, particularly in areas distal to hydrothermal venting where reduced sulfur could be scarce. Collectively, our results from the Atlantis II Deep indicate that zinc and copper stable isotopes could provide information about base and precious metals deposits from similar paleoenvironments. Firstly, zinc and copper stable isotopes shed light on metal sourcing and accumulation processes. Secondly, mineral precipitation in hydrothermally influenced brine pools produces zinc stable isotope patterns that, at least theoretically, could be of interest in mineral exploration at sub-basin and deposit scales.

Description: The subduction of seamounts and basement ridges affects the structure, morphology, and physical state of a convergent margin. To evaluate their impact on the seismo-tectonic setting of the subduction zone and the tectonic development of the lower subducting and upper overriding plate, it is essential to know the precise location of subducted topographic features under the marine forearc. Offshore Northern Chile, the Iquique Ridge represents a broad zone of complex and heterogeneous structure of variable width on the oceanic Nazca Plate, which complicates attempts to project it beneath the forearc of the Chilean subduction zone. Here we use a state-of-the-art seismic reflection data processing approach to map structures related to ridge subduction under the marine forearc with unprecedented accuracy and resolution and evaluate their impact on the deformation of both the plate boundary and the upper plate. We show that significant ridge-related topography is currently subducting south of 20.5 °S and that the combined effect of horst and graben subduction with subduction of Iquique ridge-related thickened and elevated crust causes an upward bulging of the entire upper plate from the plate interface up to the seafloor as well as the presence of kilometer-scale anticlinal structures observed in multibeam bathymetric data that are approximately aligned with horsts seaward of the trench. In the area affected by the subducting ridge, a frontal prism is absent, which may relate to frontal subduction erosion caused by the excess lower plate topography. In contrast farther towards the north, where only isolated seamounts subduct, a small frontal prism and a slope/apron sediment cover down to 3000 m water depth are found.

Description: Highlights • Probeebei mirabilis with or without anemone as indicator of changed environment. • 26 years after disturbance population densities changed significantly. • Possible delayed response to anthropogenic disturbance experiment. • Need for long-term (〉30 yrs) monitoring surveys post-disturbance in the abyss. The deep Peru Basin is characterised by a unique abyssal scavenging community featuring large numbers of hermit crabs (Probeebei mirabilis, Decapoda, Crustacea). These are atypical hermit crabs, not carrying a shell, but on some occasions carrying an anemone (Actiniaria). The reason why some hermit crabs carry or not carry anemones is thought to be indicative of a changed environment, outweighing the cost/benefit of their relationship. Here we present the temporal variation of abundances of P. mirabilis with and without anemones, spanning more than two decades, following a benthic impact experiment. An overall decrease in hermit crab densities was observed, most noticeable and significant after 26 years and characterised by a loss of Actiniaria on the Probeebei mirabilis' pleon. Whether this is a delayed response to the benthic impact experiment carried out 26 years’ prior or a natural variation in the population remains to be corroborated by an extension of the time-series. Attention is drawn to the limitations of our knowledge over time and space of the abyssal community dynamics and the urgent necessity to fill in these gaps prior to any type of deep-sea exploitation.

Description: Most continental arcs are built up over a long time (≥100 myr), and while subduction may be ongoing throughout this interval, magmatism appears to be highly episodic. This episodic behaviour is characterized by high-flux magmatic events but an overall low rate of magmatism. The causes of high-flux magmatic events (“flare-ups”) are enigmatic in many continental arcs. Bulk-rock Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes, as well as zircon O and Hf isotopes, imply that the mantle and the continental crust can be involved in magmatic flare-ups. However, the relative contributions of mantle vs. crust with changes in eruption rates can differ from arc to arc. The Cenozoic magmatic arcs of Iran, built on mature continental crust, are an excellent candidate for studying the geochemical-isotopic feedback of magmatic pulses to understand the triggers for a flare-up. Our new data constrain the timing of the flare-up in NE Iran to the Early to Middle Eocene (51–43 Ma). This flare-up is characterized by the outpouring of high-K calc-alkalic to shoshonitic magmas at ∼110 ± 8 km3/myr - km. Geochemical modelling using the “Arc Basalt Simulator version 3″ shows that the high-K trachybasalts, moderately to extremely depleted in high-field strength elements, can be derived from the shallower (3.0 GPa; 870 °C) to deeper parts (5.0–5.4 GPa; 965–980 °C) of a subducting slab with ∼1.0 to 5.5 % slab melt flux. Mixing modelling using Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope data indicates that the Torud mafic-intermediate magmatic rocks can be generated by adding ∼ 1% to 〈6% of slab components (50% AOC: 50% sediment) to an Indian MORB-like mantle. Our results suggest that the high magmatic fluxes in NE Iran were instigated mainly by Eocene slab steepening after Paleocene flat-slab subduction, resulting in enhanced upwelling and melting of a volatile-enriched asthenospheric mantle.

Description: A genetic link between the Georgia-Islas Orcadas and Meteor guyots on opposite sides of the South Atlantic was proposed based on seafloor morphology and tectonic reconstructions. Here we test this model with geochemistry. We present new major and trace element and Sr, Nd, Pb, Hf radiogenic isotope data from volcanic and sedimentary rocks from Meteor Rise (ODP Site 703) and Georgia-Islas Orcadas Rise (ODP Sites 698, 699, and 701). Site 698, 699 and 703 volcanic rocks have largely overlapping initial Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope ratios ((87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.70278–0.70660; (143Nd/144Nd)i = 0.51217–0.51283; (206Pb/204Pb)i = 18.09–18.75; (176Hf/177Hf)i = 0.28246–0.28299), extending from the Shona Hotspot track field (consisting of Richardson guyot, Agulhas Ridge and Meteor guyot samples) towards Proterozoic continental crust. Site 701 samples have slightly depleted isotopic compositions similar to southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) basalts, representing the upper mantle. These data support derivation from a common mantle plume, having formed contemporaneously as a single continuous hotspot track, which was subsequently divided by a ridge jump. Modelling of the isotope data show that binary mixing between an average Shona anomaly composition and an upper continental crustal component with a composition similar to the Site 698 sandstones can explain the data by 10–30% upper crustal assimilation to generate the composition of the Site 698, 699 and 703 volcanic rocks. Therefore, our geochemical data confirm the dismemberment of the Shona Hotspot track by a ridge jump and its subsequent seafloor spreading.

Description: Seaweed (macroalgae) has attracted attention globally given its potential for climate change mitigation. A topical and contentious question is: Can seaweeds' contribution to climate change mitigation be enhanced at globally meaningful scales? Here, we provide an overview of the pressing research needs surrounding the potential role of seaweed in climate change mitigation and current scientific consensus via eight key research challenges. There are four categories where seaweed has been suggested to be used for climate change mitigation: 1) protecting and restoring wild seaweed forests with potential climate change mitigation co-benefits; 2) expanding sustainable nearshore seaweed aquaculture with potential climate change mitigation co-benefits; 3) offsetting industrial CO2 emissions using seaweed products for emission abatement; and 4) sinking seaweed into the deep sea to sequester CO2. Uncertainties remain about quantification of the net impact of carbon export from seaweed restoration and seaweed farming sites on atmospheric CO2. Evidence suggests that nearshore seaweed farming contributes to carbon storage in sediments below farm sites, but how scalable is this process? Products from seaweed aquaculture, such as the livestock methane-reducing seaweed Asparagopsis or low carbon food resources show promise for climate change mitigation, yet the carbon footprint and emission abatement potential remains unquantified for most seaweed products. Similarly, purposely cultivating then sinking seaweed biomass in the open ocean raises ecological concerns and the climate change mitigation potential of this concept is poorly constrained. Improving the tracing of seaweed carbon export to ocean sinks is a critical step in seaweed carbon accounting. Despite carbon accounting uncertainties, seaweed provides many other ecosystem services that justify conservation and restoration and the uptake of seaweed aquaculture will contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, we caution that verified seaweed carbon accounting and associated sustainability thresholds are needed before large-scale investment into climate change mitigation from seaweed projects.

Description: Highlights: • The cold-water coral Desmophyllum pertusum from reefs off Angola showed the same respiration rates at hypoxic and normoxic oxygen concentration. • The respiration rates measured are in the same order of magnitude as those previously observed for the species under normoxic conditions in other areas. Abstract: Large, well-developed and flourishing reefs dominated by the cold-water coral Desmophyllum pertusum have recently been discovered along the Angola margin in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean living under very low oxygen concentrations (0.6–1.5 mL L−1). This study assessed the respiration rates of this coral in a short-term (10 days) aquarium experiment under naturally low oxygen concentrations (1.4 ± 0.5 mL L−1) as well as under saturated oxygen concentrations (6.1 ± 0.6 mL L−1). We found no significant difference in respiration rates between the two oxygen concentrations. Furthermore, the respiration rates of D. pertusum were in the same order of magnitude as those of the same species living under normoxic conditions in other areas. This work expands the current knowledge on the metabolic activity of cold-water corals under hypoxic conditions, evidencing that low oxygen conditions are not a general limiting factor for the overall distribution of D. pertusum.

Description: Highlights • Detailed analysis of temperature, salinity and oxygen variations in the Baltic Sea for the period 1950 to 2020. • Linear trend of SST of 0.4°C per decade. • Trend in SST follows closely the air temperature variation. • Accumulated river runoff explains 70% of the variability of the mean salinity. • Decreasing oxygen concentrations are anti-correlated with temperature development. Variations of temperature, salinity and oxygen of the Baltic Sea on interannual to decadal timescales were studied for the period from 1950 to 2020. Both observational data and the output of a numerical circulation model of the Baltic Sea were analyzed. In addition, we investigated the influence of atmospheric parameters and river runoff on the observed hydrographic variations. Variability of sea surface temperature (SST) closely follows that of air temperature in the Baltic on all timescales examined. Interannual variations of SST are significantly correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation in most parts of the sea in winter. The entire water column of the Baltic Sea has warmed over the period 1950 to 2020. The trend is strongest in the surface layer, which has warmed by 0.3–0.4°C decade−1, noticeably stronger since the mid-1980s. In the remaining water column, characterized by permanent salinity stratification in the Baltic Sea, warming trends are slightly weaker. A decadal variability is striking in surface salinity, which is highly correlated with river runoff into the Baltic Sea. Long-term trends over the period 1950–2020 show a noticeable freshening of the upper layer in the whole Baltic Sea and a significant salinity increase below the halocline in some regions. A decadal variability was also identified in the deep layer of the Baltic Sea. This can be associated with variations in saltwater import from the North Sea, which in turn are influenced by river runoff: fewer strong saltwater inflows were observed in periods of enhanced river runoff. Furthermore, our results suggest that changes in wind speed have an impact on water exchange with the North Sea. Interannual variations of surface oxygen are strongly anti-correlated with those of SST. Likewise, the positive SST trends are accompanied by a decrease in surface oxygen. In greater depths of the Baltic Sea, oxygen decrease is stronger, which is partly related to the observed increase of the vertical salinity gradient.

Description: Nutrients and nutrient-like dissolved trace metals (dTMs) are essential for the functioning of marine organisms and therefore form an important part of ocean biogeochemical cycles. Here, we report on the seasonal distributions of dissolved zinc (dZn), nickel (dNi), copper (dCu), cadmium (dCd), aluminum (dAl), and nutrients on the Northeast Atlantic continental margin (Celtic Sea), which is representative for temperate shelf seas globally. Variations in surface water dTM and nutrient concentrations were mainly regulated by seasonal changes in biological processes. The stoichiometry of dTMs (especially for dCu and dZn) and nutrients on the continental shelf was additionally affected by fluvial inputs. Nutrients and dTMs at depth on the continental slope were determined by water mass mixing driven by ocean circulation, without an important role for local remineralization processes. The Mediterranean Outflow Waters are especially important for delivering Mediterranean-sourced dTMs to the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and drive dTM:nutrient kinks at a depth of ~1000 m. These results highlight the importance of riverine inputs, seasonality of primary production and ocean circulation on the distributions of nutrients and nutrient-like dTMs in temperate continental margin seas. Future climate related changes in the forcing factors may impact the availability of nutrients and dTMs to marine organisms in highly productive continental shelf regions and consequently the regional carbon cycle.

Description: This study investigates the seasonal variability of the cloud radiative effects (CREs) over Congo Basin (CB) using 15-year observations from Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Energy Budget and Filled (EBAF) Ed4.1 level 3b dataset involving CERES and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on board Terra and Aqua satellites. The relationships between CREs and cloud properties such as total cloud fraction (TCF), cloud top height (CTH), cloud top temperature (CTT) and cloud optical thickness (COT) are checked. An evaluation of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) Phase 6 in capturing the seasonal cycle of CREs as well as the magnitudes of the CREs along the seasonal cycle is also performed. This study shows a net cloud cooling effect of −8.4 W/m2 and − 43.9 W/m2 respectively at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and at the surface, leading to a net warming effect of 35.67 W/m2 in the atmosphere. This value implies a large energy source over the Central Africa (CA) atmospheric column. The associated relationships between CREs and cloud properties show that the shortwave CRE is more sensitive to TCF and optical thickness whereas its longwave counterparts is more sensitive to CTH, CTT and COT at the TOA and in the atmosphere. All of the four CMIP6 models used in this study can capture the spatial pattern of CREs as well as their seasonal cycle but misrepresent intensity of CREs. Results also show that a better-simulated TCF considerably reduces the intensity of the annual mean underestimation in both longwave and shortwave CRE for some CMIP6 models, but not for models with overestimated shortwave CRE.

Description: The sources, distribution, and fate of particulate organic matter (POM) in estuaries are dynamic and complex, influenced by highly intensive human activities and high productivity. In this study, water samples were collected along the Changjiang Estuary salinity gradient and adjacent sea (CEAS) in February and May 2017. Particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen (PN), the δ13C isotope values and major biochemical constituent (total particulate amino acids, TPAA) were measured. The concentrations of POC, PN, and TPAA showed an overall decreasing trend from the river end-member to the open sea; however, their maximum always occurred around the turbidity maximum zone (TMZ). Concentrations of POC and TPAA showed a negative correlation with salinity and a positive correlation with chlorophyll a, indicating that the variation in POM concentrations and composition was mainly controlled by both terrigenous input and in situ phytoplankton production. The δ13C values gradually increased from the river mouth to the open sea in both winter and spring, in contrast to the molar C/N, reflecting the transition from terrestrial POC to phytoplankton-derived fresh POC with increasing salinity. Major biochemical indicators of TPAA/POC (%) and the degradation index (DI), showed a gradual shift towards more bioactive POM with increasing salinity in spring, although low TPAA/POC (%) values appeared within the TMZ. In spring, POC reactivity was higher than in winter. The proportions of glycine (Gly) and serine (Ser) were higher in winter, indicating that POM had suffered extensive degradation. Based on a two end-member mixing model, the contribution of marine POC in spring (53 ± 14%) was significantly greater than in winter (39 ± 19%), indicating that phytoplankton-derived POM was dominant in spring, associated with the increase in phytoplankton biomass from winter to spring. Based on mass balance, a box model showed evidence of a net POC sink over the Changjiang estuary and its adjacent East China Sea shelf in both winter and spring, with a net POC budget of 20.49 ± 7.01 and 15.87 ± 6.57 kmol s−1, respectively. Results illustrate that the spatio-temporal distribution of POM varies distinctively and will further affect the variability in its composition and reactivity in the CEAS.

Description: We present textural and chemical analyses of minerals from a 150 m thick sequence of submarine mid-ocean ridge basalts from the South China Sea in order to showcase the effect of variations in magma cooling rates on mineral texture and mineral composition. Groundmass plagioclase and clinopyroxene show gradual changes in texture and composition as flows grade from slowly cooled, meter-thick massive flows to more rapidly cooled dm-thick pillow lobes with quenched glassy margins. The corresponding change in cooling-rate is estimated to vary from 〈1 to ≥100 °C/h. With increasing cooling rate, plagioclase forms elongated, sector-zoned swallow-tail crystals. Sector zoning is associated with increasing FeO (up to 1.5 wt%) and MgO (up to 0.6 wt%) abundances at near-constant anorthite (An), related to a two orders of magnitude increase in growth rate. Sr, Ba, Li and Ti abundances remain constant and appear unaffected by kinetic factors at such growth rates. With increasing cooling rate clinopyroxene becomes dendritic, and its composition is sensitive to changes in crystallization conditions. Increasing cooling rate (〈1 to ≥100 °C/h) leads to increasing Al2O3 (average of 3.2 to 4.3 wt%), TiO2 (1.3 to 2.8 wt%) and Na2O (0.37 to 0.44 wt%) and a decrease in SiO2 (50.1 to 46.4 wt%) and Mg#Fetot, i.e., molar MgO/(MgO + FeOtot), from 71.3 to 53.1. Trace element abundances (Y, Zr, Ce, V, Sr) in clinopyroxene increase by up to an order of magnitude at cooling rates ≥100 °C/h and become more heterogeneous spatially. These results support experimental evidence that rapid crystal growth leads to significant departure of mineral compositions from equilibrium, in particular for clinopyroxene. Although plagioclase composition remains relatively insensitive to changes in growth conditions at the studied cooling rates, the sensitivity of clinopyroxene composition to growth rates imply that it should be used with caution as a tool to infer magmatic crystallization conditions.

Description: Highlights: • The dust storm led to new record-low visibility observations in Chinese cities. • Taklamakan dust emissions linked to Mongolian cyclone via NLLJs for the first time. • Gobi dust affected most cities, while Taklamakan dust influenced the West of China. Abstract: In mid-March 2021, one of the strongest dust storms of the last decade hit East Asia with adverse impacts on socio-economic activities and loss of life. The aim of this study is to assess the atmospheric dynamics involved in the temporal evolution of the Mongolian extra-tropical cyclone driving the dust event in different dust source regions in East Asia and to quantify to what extent the event was unusual for the first time. To that end, we use observation and model data from different sources. We identify that dust aerosols of the event primarily originated in the Gobi Desert. The anomalously strong dust-emitting winds were here associated with the passage of a cold front and exceeded the 99th percentile of the near-surface wind climatology for March 1992–2021 by far. Over the Loess Plateau, the dust deposition mostly exceeded the regional dust emission, indicative of the region being a net sink for dust aerosols, even during a high-impact event like in mid-March 2021. The formed dust aerosol layer of thousands of kilometers in extent led to sharp decreases in the air quality across China with record-high urban particulate matter concentrations, poor air quality, and low atmospheric visibility. Our results highlight that also the Taklamakan Desert contributed to the dust outbreak in the Western part of China. The dust emissions in the Taklamakan Desert were associated with nocturnal low-level jets that were favored by the cold air intrusion. It provides the first evidence for a link between different dust-emission mechanisms across East Asian Deserts during synoptic-scale dust outbreaks.

Description: Calcium (Ca) isotopes (δ44/42Ca) in serum and urine have been suggested as novel sensitive markers of bone calcification. The response of δ44/42Ca to acute changes in Ca homeostasis, has not yet been demonstrated. We measured serum Ca and δ44/42Ca in rats maintained on a standard and a 50% Ca reduced diet for 4 weeks, and after injection of 1 mg/kg of the calcimimetic AMG-416, 24 h prior to sacrifice. AMG-416 decreased serum Ca by a maximum of 0.38 ± 0.10 and 0.53 ± 0.35 mmol/l after 12 and 6 h, respectively, in the standard and low-Ca diet groups (p = 0.0006/0.02), while serum δ44/42Ca did not change over 24 h in both groups. Urinary Ca concentrations were higher 24 h after AMG-416 injection in both groups (p = 0.03/0.06), urine δ44/42Ca was not different compared to the untreated control groups. Our data does not show acute changes in δ44/42Ca in response to a single dose of AMG-416 within 24 h after injection, possibly due to a lack of bone calcification.

Description: Stable barium (Ba) isotopes are emerging as tracers for the recycling of crustal material into the mantle. Small but significant Ba isotope variations have been found in global MORB (δ138/134Ba values of −0.04‰ to 0.15‰), but the processes causing these Ba isotope variations remain poorly understood. In addition, uncertainties still exist in the estimate of the Ba isotope composition of the depleted upper mantle. Here, we present a systematic study of Ba isotopes for well-characterized MORB glass samples from the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) between 5 and 11°S, which span a wide range of radiogenic isotope ratios and trace element contents. Our results show that the northernmost segment A0 basalts with highly depleted radiogenic isotope compositions have δ138/134Ba values ranging from −0.02 to 0.05‰. In comparison, the δ138/134Ba values of the isotopically enriched basalts from the A1-A4 segments vary from 0.02 to 0.11‰. Thus, while small, the enriched components involved can be observed to modify the Ba isotope composition of the mantle source beneath A1-A4 segments. Combining our new measurements with literature data, this study places new constraints on the Ba isotope composition of the depleted upper mantle, as well as the origin of Ba isotope heterogeneity in MORB. The Ba isotope composition of the depleted upper mantle in the absence of recycled components is estimated to have a δ138/134Ba value of 0.03 to 0.05‰, which can be adopted as the baseline for using Ba isotope ratios as a tracer of mass transfer processes between the crust and mantle. In comparison, global MORB have δ138/134Ba values ranging from −0.04‰ to 0.15‰. No global correlation is observed between Ba isotope ratios and geochemical parameters that record mantle enrichment, indicating that the Ba isotope variations in MORB cannot be simply ascribed to the addition of some single component, such as sediment. Models for melting and mixing between recycled materials and depleted mantle suggest that the variable Ba isotope compositions of the enriched MORB require a contribution from recycled altered oceanic crust and crustal sedimentary materials. Therefore, these recycled components both play important roles in the chemical budget of the convecting upper mantle, especially for incompatible elements such as Ba.

Description: Sedimentary molybdenum (Mo) and uranium (U) enrichments have been widely used as a proxy for redox conditions in oxygen-depleted marine paleo-environments. However, in a dynamic upwelling system the seasonal fluctuations from oxic to completely anoxic-sulfidic bottom waters and lateral sediment transport can modify the primary Mo and U signal of the sediment, which in turn may impact paleo-redox interpretations. In this study we present pore water and solid phase data collected at two cross shelf transects during the ‘more oxygenated’ austral winter and ‘anoxic’ austral summer to study the influence of spatially and seasonally contrasting redox conditions on the formation of authigenic Mo and U enrichments in organic carbon (TOC) rich mud belt sediments on the Namibian shelf. A mass balance was established for each element based on diffusive fluxes and element mass accumulation rates to evaluate the respective mechanisms of trace metal delivery, accumulation and recycling. Mo is delivered to the sediment in its dissolved form via diffusion across the sediment–water interface, especially during austral summer when bottom waters are anoxic and surface sediments are highly sulfidic. In the center of the inner shelf mud belt, the benthic Mo fluxes of up to 37 nmol cm−2 yr−1 into sulfidic surface sediments are the highest ever reported for reducing sulfidic systems and agree with the rate of Mo accumulation in the solid phase. Concurrently, high sedimentation rates and low terrigenous input limit solid phase Mo accumulation on the Namibian shelf. In ancient marine sediments, this mode of Mo cycling can be identified by low Mo/TOC ratios of ∼2 similar to those found in sediments deposited below the perennial oxygen minimum zone on the Peruvian shelf and to those found in deposits of the Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. Diffusive U fluxes into the sediment are generally too low to account for the sedimentary enrichment leading to the conclusion that U is delivered mainly in particulate form. In areas with anoxic bottom water, shallow dissolved U maxima directly below the sediment water interface and rather low sedimentary U content indicate that particulate U is recycled and largely released back into the bottom water. At sites where bottom water oxygen concentrations vary from anoxic to completely oxic on seasonal timescales, the depth at which Mo and U are removed from pore waters moves vertically within the sediment column thus defining a layer between the sediment surface and ∼20 cm depth, in which Mo and U accumulate in the solid phase. Our results emphasize the importance of short-term redox fluctuations in the bottom waters and underlying sediments, as well as lateral sediment transport for the authigenic enrichment of redox-sensitive trace metals in reducing shelf sediments. The relative enrichment patterns identified might be useful for the reconstruction of open marine anoxia in the geological past.

Description: Extensive and protracted volcanism in the Carpathian-Pannonian Region climaxed during the Early to Middle Miocene with series of major ignimbrite-forming eruptions with their products dispersed across the Alpine-Mediterranean Region. The spatial and temporal dispersion of these volcanic horizons make them potentially important stratigraphic markers throughout the region, allowing better understanding of temporal and spatial changes in depositional environments and paleoclimate. Several of these Middle Miocene volcaniclastic layers are preserved in stratigraphically and environmentally variable sedimentary facies on Mt. Medvednica, located in the North Croatian Basin. In order to decipher the age, depositional environment and provenance of two volcaniclastic horizons intercalated within Central Paratethys marine sediments on Mt. Medvednica, we applied an integrated approach of volcanological, geochronological, and paleontological analyses. New high-precision zircon geochronology and volcanic glass geochemistry data allow to distinguish two primary rhyolitic volcaniclastic horizons derived from distinct eruptions, “Plaz“, and the “Bidrovec“, dated at 14.937 ± 0.012 Ma and 14.835 ± 0.012 Ma. Distinguished mineralogical and geochemical data enabled the correlation of the older (“Plaz”) horizon on Mt. Medvednica with the Demjén eruption, one of the six major Early–Middle Miocene ignimbrite-forming eruptions of the Carpathian-Pannonian Region. However, a correlation of the younger (“Bidrovec“) horizon and assignment to a specific eruption could not be established due to a lack of compositional data from coeval eruption products throughout the region. The newly gathered data establishes both “Plaz” and “Bidrovec” pyroclastic deposits as valuable marker horizons for regional reconstructions, and enable a better understanding of the eruption chronology and tephrostratigraphy of the Carpathian-Pannonian Region.

Description: For the first time we used lab and wind-wave tank experiments to prove the concept of using Mg(OH)2 for the ocean alkalinity enhancement and carbon dioxide removal approach (OAE-CDR). Experiment results showed up to 370 μmol kg−1 seawater total alkalinity (TA) increase without precipitation, stable enhanced TA, and OAE-CDR efficiency (ΔDIC/ΔTA) consistent with theoretical calculation. Based on the experimental results, we calculated the global Mg(OH)2 OAE-CDR efficiency and CO2 sink from this approach. The efficiency is in favor of lower initial DIC to TA ratio, lower temperature, and higher atmospheric CO2, and therefore is the lowest at the equator (0.7–0.8) and increases with latitude (1.0–1.2 above 70 N/S). However, factoring in the ocean's surface area, low latitude regions can absorb more atmospheric CO2. We conservatively estimate that 44. 4 × 109 ton of CO2 (∼ 3.3 times of current annual CO2 sink in the ocean) could be removed from the atmosphere with 175 μmol kg−1 Mg(OH)2 (equivalent to 350 μmol kg−1 of TA) added to the top 10 m of the ocean.

Description: The presence of gas hydrates is well known in the marine realm southwest off Taiwan due to the widespread distribution of bottom simulating reflectors in seismic records. To learn more about gas hydrate systems and their dynamics at passive and active margins, we drilled boreholes with MARUM-MeBo200 seafloor drill rig at areas where geophysical indications for gas hydrates have been detected in the past. Several gas hydrate proxies like negative chloride anomalies in the pore water, cold spots detected by infrared thermal scans on cores, increased resistivity, and lithological parameters clearly showed the presence of hydrates in the drilled sections. However, gas hydrate was not recovered by MeBo most likely because of small crystal sizes which dissociated during recovery from the seafloor. Three holes were drilled at southern summit of Formosa Ridge down to 126 m below seafloor (mbsf) and recovered sediments from which in situ hydrate saturation values were estimated between 1 and 10% at 15–42 mbsf and even higher values of up to 38% below 100 mbsf. The latter are probably related to the sealing effect of carbonate precipitation which occur at 85–95 mbsf directly above the hydrate-enriched layer. Four holes were drilled at Four-Way Closure Ridge where a maximum drilling depth of 143.90 m was reached. Hydrate presence starts in 65 mbsf continuing down-core with a range of 1–29% gas hydrate saturation in fine-grained homogenous clay. An abrupt change to higher gas hydrate saturation values of up to 80% occurs below 109 mbsf where silty and sandy turbidite layers are often intercalated. Such high gas hydrate contents only occur in the sand layers and not in the fine-grained sediments intercalated to the sand deposits.

Description: Disposal of munitions at dumpsites in coastal seas was conducted after WW I and II. Also, large amounts of unexploded munitions from wartime activities litter the seafloor. Corrosion of munition shells causes release of toxic munition compounds (MCs). Furthermore, explosion risks increase due to large-scale economic developments in coastal waters. Seafloor munition clearance by commercial and military entities form an ongoing task to eliminate environmental and security risks. Munition detection primarily relies on geophysical techniques. However, these methods do not provide unequivocal signatures for ordnance and suffer from false positives. Here we assess chemical approaches using spectroscopic and spectrometric methods for ordnance detection in seawater with a primary focus on MCs, but also including chemical warfare agents. We discuss novel analytical techniques suitable for near real-time munition detection at sea, incorporating pre-concentration and matrix removal steps of seawater samples. We also describe emerging real-time technologies for on-site MC detection in coastal waters.

Description: Highlights: • Riverine DOC and POC dynamics reflect sub-basin land use and climate conditions. • Semi-distributed mass balance models show spatial and temporal changes. • An open source QGIS plug-in allows for scenario analysis of alternative land uses. • Future climate scenarios show major reductions of riverine DOC and POC export. Abstract: Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) play a fundamental role in biogeochemical cycles of freshwater ecosystems. However, the lack of readily available distributed models for carbon export has limited the effective management of organic carbon fluxes from soils, through river networks and to receiving marine waters. We develop a spatially semi-distributed mass balance modeling approach to estimate organic carbon flux at a sub-basin and basin scales, using commonly available data, to allow stakeholders to explore the impacts of alternative river basin management scenarios and climate change on riverine DOC and POC dynamics. Data requirements, related to hydrological, land-use, soil and precipitation characteristics are easily retrievable from international and national databases, making it appropriate for data-scarce basins. The model is built as an open-source plugin for QGIS and can be easily integrated with other basin scale decision support models on nutrient and sediment export. We tested the model in Piave river basin, in northeast Italy. Results show that the model reproduces spatial and temporal changes in DOC and POC fluxes in relation to changes in precipitation, basin morphology and land use across different sub-basins. For example, the highest DOC export were associated with both urban and forest land use classes and during months of elevated precipitation. We used the model to evaluate alternative land use scenarios and the impact of climate on basin level carbon export to Mediterranean.

Description: Highlights • A fiber optic strain cable is used to monitor a fault offshore Catania, Sicily. • Brillouin laser reflectometry detects 2.5 cm of cable elongation on the seafloor. • The cable elongation may be caused by fault slip or by seabottom currents. • Submarine telecom cables are likely suitable to detect deformation on the seafloor. Abstract Oceans cover more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface making it difficult and costly to deploy modern seismological instruments here. The rapidly expanding global network of submarine telecom cables offers tremendous possibilities for seismological monitoring using laser light. Recent pioneer studies have demonstrated earthquake detection using lasers in onland and submarine fiber optic cables. However, permanent strain at the seafloor has never before been measured directly as it happens. With this aim, we deployed a dedicated 6-km-long fiber optic strain cable, offshore Catania Sicily, in 2000 m water depth, and connected it to a 29-km long electro-optical cable for science use. We report here that deformation of the cable equivalent to a total elongation of 2.5 cm was observed over a 21-month period (from Oct. 2020 to Jul. 2022). Brillouin laser reflectometry observations over the first 10 months indicate significant strain (+25 to +40 microstrain) at two locations where the cable crosses an active strike-slip fault on the seafloor, with most of the change occurring between 19 and 21 Nov. 2020. The cause of the strain could be fault slip or seabottom currents. During the following 11 months, the strain amplitude increased to +45 to +55 microstrain, affecting a longer portion of the cable up to 500 m to either side of the first fault crossing. A sandbag experiment performed on the distal portion of the cable (3.2–6.0 km) starting Sept. 2021 demonstrates how the fiber optic cable deforms in response to an applied load and how the deformation signal partially dissipates over time due to the elastic properties of the cable. These preliminary results are highly encouraging for the use of BOTDR (Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) laser reflectometry as a technique to detect strain at the seafloor in near real time and to monitor the structural health of submarine cables.

Description: Growing demands for high-tech uses of rare earth elements (REE) result in their releases into the aquatic environment, but local anthropogenic sources and water chemistry reactions may vary in aquatic systems. In this study, we quantified the yttrium and REEs (REY) in the surface waters of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), Southern China, and investigated their sources and processes controlling the dissolved REY distributions from rivers towards the sea. Spatial variations of dissolved REY concentrations (〈0.4 μm) were observed in the surface water due to both natural and anthropogenic sources. Salt-induced flocculation removed colloidal REY from water during estuarine mixing, particularly at low salinity. In contrast, a significant increase of dissolved REY concentration with salinity suggested the occurrence of REY desorption from particles during estuarine mixing. The PAAS-normalized REE patterns (i.e., filtrates 〈0.4 μm and 〈3 kDa) showed a significant light REE (LREE) depletion relative to heavy REE (HREE) in dissolved fractions, indicating reactive LREE adsorption onto particles. Positive Gd anomalies in most waters revealed significant impacts from human activities, such as effluents from wastewater treatment plants in the PRD. In particular, the anthropogenic Gd contributed 90 % of the total dissolved Gd along the Pearl River and was conservatively mixed with saltwater in the estuary via the Humen outlet. Positive Sm anomalies were also observed in the PRD, indicating other point sources related to industrial activity. With the increase of urbanization and high demand for green technology, the REY anomalies could be a good indicator of human activities on assessing their fluxes and impacts on the aquatic systems.

Description: The Mahoney Seamount is a recently discovered volcanic edifice located 4 km north of the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). The SWIR is one of the slowest spreading ridges worldwide with a full spreading rate of ∼14 mm/year and low magmatic productivity. We report that highly vesicular basalts from the Mahoney Seamount have unradiogenic Nd-Hf together with radiogenic Sr isotopic compositions. Their distinct low 206Pb/204Pb isotope signature combined with high 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb is best explained by melting of a mantle that has been strongly influenced by stranded lower continental crust. The geographic distribution of the isotopic variability favors the idea of shallow recycling of lower continental crust isolated for a longer period contributing to melts forming Mahoney Seamount through off-axis fault systems. The isotopic composition of Mahoney Seamount lavas shares many characteristics with EM-1 sources and the DUPAL signature. Previous isotopic studies of the SWIR basalts proposed recycling of ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) or pelagic sediments with oceanic crust to be responsible for this enriched isotopic signature. Lu/Hf and Sm/Nd ratios of pelagic sediments would result in decoupled 143Nd/144Nd and 176Hf/177Hf ratios. This decoupling is also observed in Ejeda-Bekily dikes from Madagascar, but those are believed to sample the SCLM dispersed in the Indian Ocean. However, Mahoney Seamount shows no decoupling in those isotopic systems and the restricted occurrence of the extreme lower continental crustal signature at Mahoney Seamount implies that the enriched isotopic signature has a different origin.

Description: In this study, we highlight the importance of permeability anisotropy on the hydrogeological regime of a ridge-flank hydrothermal system. Our study site, North Pond, is a marine sediment pond on ∼8 Ma seafloor in the North Atlantic, and represents a low-temperature, end-member ridge-flank hydrothermal system. Previous simulations of North Pond elucidated long-standing hypotheses concerning hydrothermal fluid and heat transport in the upper volcanic crust but failed to fully explain observed patterns of seafloor heat flux in this area. Here we use variography, a geostatistical method, to quantify relations between seafloor heat-flux measurements, and coupled numerical simulations of fluid and heat flow to simulate the hydrogeologic regime. Directional variography shows that heat-flux observations are correlated along-strike of the regional crustal fabric. Three-dimensional simulations that include permeability anisotropy are able to replicate seafloor heat-flux patterns across North Pond. The simulations that result in the best match to thermal data incorporate permeability anisotropy in the horizontal plane. We find that the feedback between permeability anisotropy and the asymmetric geometry of North Pond combine to promote advective removal of heat and mass within the crustal aquifer. These findings suggest that permeability anisotropy in the oceanic crust may influence ridge-flank hydrothermal circulation more broadly.

Description: Highlights • Submarine basaltic glasses from Pitcairn Island are uniformly high in δ98/95Mo. • Proterozoic pelagic sediments can explain radiogenic EM-1 and heavy Mo signatures. • Enriched “anoxic” signature found in both large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). • Anoxic sediments buffer Precambrian subduction zone fluids to reducing conditions. • Subduction cycling of some redox sensitive metals to the mantle wedge was limited. Abstract Subduction redistributes elements between Earth's principal geochemical reservoirs, modifying the chemical composition of Earth's mantle, crust, atmosphere, and hydrosphere, and consequently having an impact on the evolution of life itself. Subduction of surface material that has been geochemically modified by low-temperature processes leads to mineralogical and chemical heterogeneities in mantle reservoirs over time and is recorded in modern ocean island basalts. One of the principal geochemical end members of the heterogeneous deep mantle, the enriched mantle 1 (EM-1) source of Pitcairn Island, has been attributed to the contribution of crustal material with vastly different chemical compositions and ages. The Mo isotope composition of lavas from Pitcairn Island constrains the nature of this recycled crustal component. Pitcairn lavas have elevated δ98/95Mo relative to the depleted mantle. The high δ98/95Mo is associated with high time-integrated 232Th/238U and 87Rb/86Sr, and low time-integrated 147Sm/144Nd and 238U/204Pb. These characteristics can be attributed to the recycling of nearly pristine pelagic sediments that were deposited in a Proterozoic anoxic deep-ocean into the sources of the Pitcairn Island lavas. The isotope composition of these lavas is similar to that of EM-1 hotspots from the South Atlantic, indicating the addition of reduced sediments in both of Earth's large low shear wave velocity provinces (LLSVPs). Consistent data from both locations imply that the subduction cycling of sedimentary redox-sensitive elements such as Mo, S, Se, and U into arc magmas was in these cases inefficient in the Precambrian and the chemical and isotopic signature of reduced sediments is preserved in the source of ocean island basalts bearing the EM-1 characteristics.

Description: he present study was undertaken to explore the effects of sulfamethazine (SMZ) dietary exposure on the enrichment of the intestine microbial structure, and antibiotic resistance gene (ARGs) transmission in marine medaka, with respect to antibiotic dose, duration, and sex. In male fish, a dietary exposure of 10 μg/L SMZ led to a heightened SMZ enrichment in the intestine, whereas metabolite (N-SMZ) levels were elevated at a higher exposure concentration (100 μg/L). Conversely, female fish exhibited stable levels of accumulation and metabolic rates across the exposure period. The composition of intestinal microorganisms revealed that exposure duration exerted a greater impact on the abundance and diversity of gut microbes, and microbial responses to SMZ varied across exposure time points. The expansion of Bacteroidetes and Ruegeria likely stimulated SMZ metabolism and contributed to the more balanced level of SMZ and N-SMZ observed in females. In males, short-term SMZ stress resulted in a disruption of intestinal homeostasis, while the rise in the abundance of the Fusobacteria and Propionigeniuma suggested a potential enhancement in intestinal anti-inflammatory capacity over time. Overall, female medaka exhibited greater adaptability to SMZ, and males appear to experience prolonged effects due to SMZ. A total of 11 ARGs and 5 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were identified. Ruegeria is the main carrier of two types of MGEs (IS1247, ISSm2-Xanthob), and may serve as an indicator of ARG transmission. Therefore, it is rational to consider some fish breeding areas in natural waters as potential "reservoirs" of antibiotic resistance. This research will provide a valuable reference for the transmission of drug resistance along the food chain.

Description: Critical to the survival of island-based human societies is their resilience and adaptation to volcanic hazards. We here evaluate pre-Hispanic (before 15th century AD) land use patterns on the volcanic island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain using obsidian hydration dating (OHD). The samples studied include archaeological artifacts and natural rock chips from multiple sites of different elevation and micro-climate settings. We systematically collected samples from the southern dry area around Barranco de las Monjas in the Bandas del Sur. These include a total of 28 isolated artifact scatters (here, a scatter is defined as a minimum spatial unit of artifacts distributed spatially limited range on the surveyed surface), one dwelling, and several pyroclastic deposits containing obsidian clasts. We also collected several artifacts adjacent to a large obsidian flow of Tabonal Negro in the Las Cañadas Caldera. Unsystematic surveys in north of Mt. Teide identified large obsidian outcrops located at Tabonal de los Guanches and Charco del Viento. Size differences among surface-derived obsidian artifacts (i.e., Bandas del Sur, Las Cañadas Caldera, Icod Valley) suggest that pre-Hispanic groups utilized obsidian from multiple outcrops over wide areas. Hydration analysis on 136 obsidian flakes collected from both surface and buried contexts showed only minor obsidian hydration rims (5% of total samples) and varied mean rim thicknesses (0.6–3.5μ). The low percentage of hydration rim formation may be caused by environmental factors such as wind erosion, thermal effects from volcanic or natural ground fires, or due to obsidian geochemistry (low SiO2 and water content of phonolitic obsidian). Surface-collected obsidian flakes from the southern dry area do contain hydration rims along internal fissure. The estimated hydration rates from these samples can provide an approximate age when compared to buried obsidian artifacts with associated radiocarbon dates.