Structural and Functional Investigation of White Sea Water and Bottom Sediments

Statistical analysis of dynamic indices of biopolymers enzymatic destruction in unstratified and stratified White Sea water has revealed specific properties of protease and amylase activities. We analyzed the component composition and hydrolytic enzymatic activities in the surface layer of the bottom sediments (0–2 cm). The relationship between protease and amylase enzymatic activities in the surface sediments with different content of pelite fraction is discussed.     

Impact of Bottom Trawling on Deep-Sea Sediment Properties along the Flanks of a Submarine Canyon

The offshore displacement of commercial bottom trawling has raised concerns about the impact of this destructive fishing practice on the deep seafloor, which is in general characterized by lower resilience than shallow water regions. This study focuses on the flanks of La Fonera (or Palamós) submarine canyon in the Northwestern Mediterranean, where an intensive bottom trawl fishery has been active during several decades in the 400–800 m depth range. To explore the degree of alteration of surface sediments (0–50 cm depth) caused by this industrial activity, fishing grounds and control (untrawled) sites were sampled along the canyon flanks with an interface multicorer. Sediment cores were analyzed to obtain vertical profiles of sediment grain-size, dry bulk density, organic carbon content and concentration of the radionuclide ²¹⁰Pb. At control sites, surface sediments presented sedimentological characteristics typical of slope depositional systems, including a topmost unit of unconsolidated and bioturbated material overlying sediments progressively compacted with depth, with consistently high ²¹⁰Pb inventories and exponential decaying profiles of ²¹⁰Pb concentrations. Sediment accumulation rates at these untrawled sites ranged from 0.3 to 1.0 cm y⁻¹. Sediment properties at most trawled sites departed from control sites and the sampled cores were characterized by denser sediments with lower ²¹⁰Pb surface concentrations and inventories that indicate widespread erosion of recent sediments caused by trawling gears. Other alterations of the physical sediment properties, including thorough mixing or grain-size sorting, as well as organic carbon impoverishment, were also visible at trawled sites. This work contributes to the growing realization of the capacity of bottom trawling to alter the physical properties of surface sediments and affect the seafloor integrity over large spatial scales of the deep-sea.     

Aerobic methanotrophic communities in the bottom sediments of Lake Baikal

The results of the first methodical investigation into the aerobic methanotrophic communities inhabiting the bottom sediments of Lake Baikal are reported. Use of the radioisotopic method revealed methane consumption in 12 10- to 50-cm-long sediment cores. The maximum methane consumption rates (495-737 microl/(dm3 day) were recorded in sediments in the regions of hydrothermal vents and oil and gas occurrence. Methane consumption was most active in the surface layers of the sediments (0-4 cm); it decreased with the sediment depth and became negligible or absent at depths below 20 cm. The number of methanotrophic bacteria usually ranged from 100 to 1000 cells/cm3 of sediment and reached 1 million cells/cm3 in the regions of oil and gas occurrence. The 17 enrichment cultures obtained were represented mainly by morphotype II methanotrophs. Phylogenetic analysis of the enrichment cultures in terms of the amino acid sequence of the alpha subunit of the membrane-bound methane monooxygenase revealed the predominance of methanotrophs of the genus Methylocystis. The results obtained suggest the presence of an active aerobic methanotrophic community in Lake Baikal.     

Laboratory experiments on the infaunal activity of intertidal nematodes

The impact of oxygen on the vertical distribution of an intertidal nematode community was investigated in a manipulation experiment with sediments collected from the Oosterschelde (The Netherlands). The vertical distribution of nematodes was examined in response to sediment inversion in perspex cores with or without the presence of an air-flushed silicone tube introducing oxygen to the bottom sediment layer. Following an incubation of 1 week, peak densities of nematodes were recorded in the deep layers of the sediment in cores with subsurface oxygenation. In contrast, this concentration of nematodes was absent in the cores that lacked bottom oxygenation and the majority of the total assemblage was still located in anoxic sediment layers. This suggests that oxidised sediments with traces of oxygen represent favourable conditions for nematodes and indicates that these nematodes are tolerant to short-term anoxia and burial. Observations on the species level suggest that oxygenation, primarily through its direct impact on geochemical properties of the sediment, may be an important factor governing the subsurface activity of nematodes.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of sediment and nutrient accumulation in shallow lakes of the Upper St. Johns River Basin,Florida

We used paleolimnological methods to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of bulk sediment and nutrient (C, N, P) accumulation in Lakes Hell ‘n’ Blazes (A = 154 ha, zmax = 240 cm), Sawgrass (A = 195 ha, zmax = 157 cm) and Washington (A = 1766 ha, zmax = 322 cm), in the Upper St. Johns River Basin, Florida. The study was designed to evaluate long-term changes in sedimentation and nutrient storage in the basin, and was one component of a larger project addressing flood control, wetland restoration, and water quality improvement. These three study lakes are wide, shallow waterbodies in the upper reaches of the St. Johns River channel. Sediment mapping indicates soft, organic deposits are distributed uniformly throughout Lakes Hell ‘n’ Blazes and Sawgrass. In contrast, much of Lake Washington is characterized by sandy bottom, and organic sediment is largely restricted to the north end of the lake. Lakes Hell ‘n’ Blazes and Sawgrass are effective sediment traps because dense submersed macrophytes and their associated epiphytes reduce flow velocity, intercept suspended particles, and utilize dissolved nutrients. Abundant Hydrilla, combined with short fetch, prevents resuspension and downstream transport of sediments. Larger Lake Washington is probably wind-mixed and resuspended organic sediments are redeposited to downstream sites. 210Pb-dated sediment cores show that organic sediment accumulation began in all three lakes before 1900, but that bulk sediment and nutrient accumulation rates have generally increased since then. The increases are probably attributable, in part, to anthropogenic activities including 1) hydrologic modifications that reduced flow rates in the channel, 2) discharge of nutrient-rich waters from urban, agricultural and ranching areas, and, 3) introduction and periodic herbicide treatment of the exotic macrophytes Eichhornia and Hydrilla.     

砂质潮间带自由生活海洋线虫对缺氧的响应——微型受控生态系研究

以青岛砂质潮间带自由生活海洋线虫为研究对象,建立微型受控生态系,研究缺氧对海洋线虫群落结构和垂直分布的影响,以及环境复氧后海洋线虫群落的恢复能力。研究结果显示,海洋线虫是耐低氧的小型底栖动物类群,可通过垂直迁移来耐受缺氧造成的不利条件。但是,海洋线虫通过主动迁出而耐受缺氧条件的特性具有种的区别。研究中Pseudosteineria sp1、Rhynchonema sp1等海洋线虫通过向有氧环境的主动迁移耐受缺氧条件;Thalassironus sp1却可通过自身耐受机制抵御缺氧条件,在缺氧生境中仍能保持较高的丰度。此外,研究结果显示,当表层海洋线虫暴露于缺氧环境时,其总丰度显著降低,种类组成发生改变。Pseudosteineria sp1对缺氧环境较为敏感,可暂时性地离开沉积物进入水层;而沉积物溶解氧恢复正常后,该种可以重新回到沉积物中。Daptonema sp1成熟个体及其幼龄个体对缺氧均具有较高的耐受性,是缺氧群落的绝对优势种。D.sp3则表现出对缺氧环境较高的敏感性。环境恢复正常,线虫群落丰度及多样性增加,Neochromadora sp1和Spilophorella sp1等具有机会种的特点,首先表现出丰度和繁殖能力的增加。但是线虫群落种类组成在受测时间内并未能完全恢复,群落结构的恢复需要更长的时间。     

水丝蚓对太湖沉积物有机磷组成及垂向分布的影响

以太湖常见底栖动物——水丝蚓为研究对象,借助室内流动培养装置和31P核磁共振技术(phosphorus-31 nuclearmagnetic resonance spectroscopy)(31P-NMR),研究生物扰动对太湖沉积物有机磷组成及垂向分布的影响。结果表明:短时间内水丝蚓扰动对沉积物有机磷化合物种类组成影响并不显著,但会引起上层沉积物中稳定性较差的有机磷化合物磷脂和DNA含量出现显著降低,同时沉积物中总磷和有机磷的垂向分布亦发生明显改变。此外,水丝蚓扰动下沉积物含水率、孔隙率和碱性磷酸酶活性显著增加,使活性较高的有机磷化合物分解加速,最终导致表层沉积物中的磷脂与DNA含量降低。     

Recent variations in sediment organic carbon content in Lake Soyang (Korea)

Four gravity cores were taken from Lake Soyang, which was created by the construction of an artificial dam in 1973. The variation of organic carbon content of the bottom sediments since the construction was interpreted using a variety of sedimentological and geochemical measurements. Based on the textural properties of sediments and the total organic carbon (TOC) content, it is clear that sediment organic carbon has been deposited very consistently throughout the postconstruction period, except for local sudden inputs caused by summer flooding events near fish farms or farmland areas. The autochthonous input resulting from the enhanced primary production led by phytoplanktons each year is likely to become a major problem at downstream sites within Lake Soyang. The vertical variation of δ¹³C values of sediment organic matter also reflects the fact that the level of autochthonous supply of organic carbon becomes high downstream.An erratum to this article can be found at .     

Comparison of the Vertical Distribution of Nematodes from Two Contrasting Abyssal Sites in the Northeast Atlantic Subject to Different Seasonal Inputs of Phytodetritus

The vertical distribution of nematodes in the sediments of three cores from the phytodetritus-influenced Porcupine Abyssal Plain station is compared with three cores from the Madeira Abyssal Plain station in the DEEPSEAS programme. Nematode vertical distributions are compared with sediment organic chemistry data sampled at the same time from the same sites. The results support the two hypotheses erected by Thiel (1983) that the penetration of meiofauna into deep-sea sediments might be correlated with the input of organic matter and that a greater biological activity of larger organisms would increase the penetration of nematodes into the sediment through increase downward transport of food material.     

Aerobic Methanotrophic Communities in the Bottom Sediments of Lake Baikal

The results of the first systematical investigation into the aerobic methanotrophic communities inhabiting the bottom sediments of Lake Baikal have been reported. Use of the radioisotopic method revealed methane consumption in 12 10- to 50-cm-long sediment cores. The maximum methane consumption rates (495–737 µl/(dm³ day) were recorded in sediments in the regions of hydrothermal vents and oil and gas occurrence. Methane consumption was most active in the surface layers of the sediments (0–4 cm); it decreased with the sediment depth and became negligible or absent at depths below 20 cm. The number of methanotrophic bacteria usually ranged from 100 to 1000 cells/cm³ of sediment and reached 1 million cells/cm³ in the regions of oil and gas occurrence. The seventeen enrichment cultures obtained were represented mainly by morphotype II methanotrophs. Phylogenetic analysis of the enrichment cultures in terms of the amino acid sequence of the α subunit of the membrane-bound methane monooxygenase (MMO) revealed the predominance of methanotrophs of the genus Methylocystis. The results obtained suggest the presence of an active aerobic methanotrophic community in Lake Baikal.__________Translated from Mikrobiologiya, Vol. 74, No. 4, 2005, pp. 562–571.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Gainutdinova, Eshinimaev, Tsyrenzhapova, Dagurova, Suzina, Khmelenina, Namsaraev, Trotsenko.     

Internal wave-induced redox shifts affect biogeochemistry and microbial activity in sediments: a simulation experiment

Internal waves (seiches) are well-studied physical processes in stratified lakes, but their effects on sediment porewater chemistry and microbiology are still largely unexplored. Due to pycnocline oscillations, sediments are exposed to recurrent changes between epilimnetic and hypolimnetic water. This results in strong differences of environmental conditions, which should be reflected in the responses of redox-sensitive biogeochemical processes at both, the sediment–water interface and deeper sediment layers. We tested in a series of mesocosm experiments the influence of seiche-induced redox changes on porewater chemistry and bacterial activity in the sediments under well controlled conditions. Thereby, we excluded effects of changes in current and temperature regimes. For a period of 10 days, intact sediment cores from oligotrophic Lake Stechlin were incubated under constant (either oxic or anoxic) or alternating redox conditions. Solute concentrations were measured as porewater profiles in the sediment, while microbial activity was determined in the upper 0.5 cm of sediment. Oxic and alternating redox conditions resulted in similar ammonium, phosphate, and methane porewater concentrations, while concentrations of each analyte were considerably higher in anoxic cores. Microbial activity was clearly lower in the anoxic cores than in the oxic and the alternating cores. In conclusion, cores with intermittent anoxic phases of up to 24 hours do not differ in biogeochemistry and microbial activities from static oxic sediments. However, due to various physical processes seiches cause oxygen to penetrate deeper into sediment layers, which affects sediment redox gradients and increase microbial activity in seiche-influenced sediments.     

Distribution and Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter in Mangrove Sediment Pore Waters along the Coastline of French Guiana

Mangroves represent a major environment of tropical coasts. They are highly productive, and act both as a source and a sink of organic carbon. Concentrations and characteristics (fluorescence and hydrophobic–hydrophilic fractions) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were investigated in relation to the organic content of sediments and to the chemistry of pore waters along the coastline of French Guiana. The pore waters studied were extracted (centrifugation, soil moisture sampler) from sediments cored beneath A. germinans mangrove stands representative of development stages: pioneer, mature and senescent. In order to asses the effects of seasonal changes, two cores were performed in each location, just after dry and wet seasons, respectively. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in pore waters of the upper sediment were found to increase, from 0.7 mmol l⁻¹ under the pioneers to 9 under senescent mangroves. The evolution of sedimentary organic carbon (SedOC) in the same sediment paralleled that of DOC, increasing from 0.7 to 28%. On the contrary, in the lower parts of sediment cores SedOC and DOC displayed contrasting vertical trends: SedOC decreased sharply with depth while DOC increased, reaching concentrations up to 30 mmol l⁻¹ at 50 cm in the older, senescent mangroves. In addition, the Fluorescence/DOC ratios and the hydrophobic contents of DOC were higher at greater depths in most cores, expressing changes in the DOC composition. These results suggest that the DOC of the upper layers originated directly from the SedOC of the enclosing sediment, while the hydrophobic and fluorescent DOC accumulated in the anoxic bottom layer. The mechanisms responsible for this accumulation at depth requires additional research to be fully understood. However, the anoxic conditions and high pH values prevailing in the lower sediment, by lessening DOM sorption and enhancing SedOC dissolution, may be partly responsible for the high DOC concentrations and fluorescences at depth. In addition, seasonal variation may be involved. During the rainy season, water sources were mixed resulting in lower DOC concentrations in the upper sediment, whereas during the dry season, increased evapotranspiration concentrate salts and DOC, which are transported vertically with percolating water.     

The post-glacial sediments of Øvre Heimdalsvatn

Two sediment cores, 143 cm and 268 cm in length, have been investigated. The oldest dating is 8240 ± 500 radiocarbon years B.P. The variation in the composition of the sediments is probably caused solely by climatic changes. The organic fraction is small, never exceeding 20%, reflecting the low primary production and rapid decomposition of allochthonous organic matter within the lake. The proportions of inorganic constituents indicate that the mineral fraction consists of clay and silt particles flushed into the lake from the drainage area.     

Microarray-based characterization of microbial community functional structure and heterogeneity in marine sediments from the Gulf of Mexico

Marine sediments of coastal margins are important sites of carbon sequestration and nitrogen cycling. To determine the metabolic potential and structure of marine sediment microbial communities, two cores were collected each from the two stations (GMT at a depth of 200 m and GMS at 800 m) in the Gulf of Mexico, and six subsamples representing different depths were analyzed from each of these two cores using functional gene arrays containing approximately 2,000 probes targeting genes involved in carbon fixation; organic carbon degradation; contaminant degradation; metal resistance; and nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous cycling. The geochemistry was highly variable for the sediments based on both site and depth. A total of 930 (47.1%) probes belonging to various functional gene categories showed significant hybridization with at least 1 of the 12 samples. The overall functional gene diversity of the samples from shallow depths was in general lower than those from deep depths at both stations. Also high microbial heterogeneity existed in these marine sediments. In general, the microbial community structure was more similar when the samples were spatially closer. The number of unique genes at GMT increased with depth, from 1.7% at 0.75 cm to 18.9% at 25 cm. The same trend occurred at GMS, from 1.2% at 0.25 cm to 15.2% at 16 cm. In addition, a broad diversity of geochemically important metabolic functional genes related to carbon degradation, nitrification, denitrification, nitrogen fixation, sulfur reduction, phosphorus utilization, contaminant degradation, and metal resistance were observed, implying that marine sediments could play important roles in biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfate, and various metals. Finally, the Mantel test revealed significant positive correlations between various specific functional genes and functional processes, and canonical correspondence analysis suggested that sediment depth, PO(4)(3-), NH(4)(+), Mn(II), porosity, and Si(OH)(4) might play major roles in shaping the microbial community structure in the marine sediments.     

The influence of lime and biological activity on sediment pH,redox and phosphorous dynamics

The addition of powdered limestone to intact sediment cores from oligotrophic, acid Lake Hovvatn caused pH to increase, redox potential (E₇) to drop, and permitted net precipitation of phosphorous (P) from the water column. Significant pH increase was found to a sediment depth of 6 cm and a maximum increase in pH from 4.9 to 6.5 was found at a depth of 0.5 cm when dosed with 36 g m^–2 of lime. Such pH increase creates important changes in sediment equilibrium chemistry and enhances habitat suitability. In the case of Hovvatn, however, sediments would consume only 5 kg of the 91 tons of applied limestone. Superficial sediments remained oxidized, but below 0.5 cm, E₇ in limed sediment declined significantly more than in unlimed sediments, with a maximum difference of 102 mV versus –66 mV at a depth of 6 cm in unlimed and limed cores, respectively. Abiotic reactions account for 82 ± 54% of this reduction and the remainder is due to the oxidation of organic matter by bacteria. Precipitation of CaSO₄, reduction of the sediments by organic compounds at elevated pH and inhibition of the downward diffusion of O₂ by the limestone powder are potential abiotic mechanisms which could drive E₇ down. Enhanced P release was not found at lowered E₇, and supernatent TP concentrations dropped from 11.7 to 4.4 µg P l^–1. More P was swept from solution in cores which recieved larger lime doses. The presence of chironomids caused sediment pH to increase by as much as 1.2 pH units, presumably due to NH₄ release, reduced sediment E₇ by as much as 171 mV and facilitated TP release during the first 17 d of core incubation. Field measurements of vertical distributions of sediment pH and E₇ before and after the liming of Hovvtn corroborated laboratory findings.     

Seasonal and spatial distribution of extracellular enzymatic activities and microbial incorporation of dissolved organic substrates in marine sediments

Seasonal and spatial distributions of extracellular enzymatic activities and microbial incorporations of dissolved organic substrates were followed in sediments of the brackish water Kiel Bight (Baltic Sea, Federal Republic of Germany). Enzymatic hydrolysis of polymeric organic compounds was determined by means of fluorogenic substrates (4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-d-glucoside, l-leucine-4-methylcoumarinyl-7-amide hydrochloride); incorporation of dissolved organic substrates into microbial biomass was measured by using tritiated substances (acetate, leucine, and thymidine). Based on a recently developed core injection technique, substrates were injected in microliter portions into undisturbed sediment cores. Enzymatic and incorporation activities underwent strong seasonal variations related to the enrichment of organic material in the sediment surface following sedimentation events. The input of the phytoplankton bloom during autumn caused stimulation of both enzymatic hydrolysis of polymeric organic compounds and microbial incorporation of dissolved organic substrates. Following input by spring phytoplankton bloom, mainly incorporation activities were stimulated. In late spring the development of the benthic fauna obviously greatly influenced microbial activities. During summer individual periods of high microbial activities were observed which might be traced back to short-term sedimentation events. The high microbial incorporation of leucine and thymidine during winter demonstrated that the nutrient supply rather than temperature is the dominating factor determining microbial production. Stimulation of microbial activities arose from the sediment surface and spread out relatively quickly into deeper horizons. Generally, the sediments were characterized by distinct patterns of interrelationships between the individual parameters of microbial activities measured.     

Vertical distribution and abundance of gymnamoebae (Rhizopoda) in bottom sediments of the brackish water Nivå Bay (Baltic Sea,The Sound)

The sandy sediments of Niv? Bay (Baltic Sea, The Sound, Denmark) are often covered with the mats of sulphur bacteria and are temporarily anoxic. The vertical distribution and abundance of naked amoebae species in three sediment cores from this bay were studied. Amoebae were most abundant and diverse in the upper 1 cm of sediment, and their number and diversity decreased with increasing depth into the sediment. Amoebae were recovered from both upper oxygenated and deep anoxic layers of sediments. The species composition and abundance of amoebae was very heterogeneous, even at spatial scales of several centimeters, suggesting the existence of microhabitats selectively occupied by particular species. All species found were recorded from aerobic cultures and some of these amoebae occur in both the aerobic and anaerobic layers of the sediment. Minimal possible number of amoebae in the sediments, estimated for the first time as areal abundance integrated for depth was: core 1 -597 cm(-2); core 2 -1,110 cm(-2); core 3 -1,430 cm(-2). These abundances are probably best regarded as "potential" abundances of amoebae hidden in the sediments, as the question of the ratio between active and resting amoebae remains open.     

A comparison of marine planktonic and sediment core diatoms in Hong Kong with emphasis on Pseudo-nitzschia

Potentially toxic diatoms belonging to the genus Pseudo-nitzschia were observed for the first time in plankton samples from Hong Kong collected in 1996. To determine whether potentially toxic diatoms had become more common during the last six decades, three gravity cores were taken from the anaerobic sediments of Kowloon Bay in Victoria Harbour. Anaerobic sediments are thought to be ideal for palaeoecological reconstructions because their vertical stratigraphy is undisturbed by bioturbidation. Analysis of the Kowloon Bay sediment cores indicated that very few individual diatoms belonged to the genus Pseudo-nitzschia, even though Pseudo-nitzschia was found in abundance in many of the plankton samples taken from a nearby site. The relative absence of Pseudo-nitzschia frustules was interpreted as indicating that these thin walled, poorly silicified, planktonic diatoms failed to preserve in the saline (32–34‰), slightly alkaline (pH 7.6–7.8), anaerobic sediments of Kowloon Bay. Dissolution of thinly silicified diatoms rather than predation was believed to be the reason for their virtual absence in the core. The anaerobic conditions near the bottom of Kowloon Bay and the shallowness of the Bay, 12 m, makes predation an unlikely explanation. Diatom abundance declined in the sediment cores below a depth of 15 cm (ca 1955). This was attributed to the decrease in nutrient loading to Victoria Harbour prior to 1955 rather than enhance diatom dissolution in the deeper sediments. Benthic diatoms became proportionately more abundant below the15 cm core depth. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Methane content in bottom sediments and water mass of the Black Sea

The methane content in bottom sediments and water column of the Black Sea was determined using various methods of desorption and analysis of gases and various methods of calculating their concentrations. The head-space method with the use of salting out and calculation by internal standard proved to be the most accurate procedure for the analysis of methane concentration in bottom sediments. The methane content in bottom sediments increased with the depth of sediment sampling. In the upper 50-70 cm of shelf sediments, two minimums of methane concentration were revealed; in deep-sea sediments, only one minimum was recorded (in the 20-50 cm horizons). In the water column, methane concentrations slowly grew from the surface to a depth of 150-200 m and abruptly increased to a depth of 700-1200 m, remaining virtually constant in underlying layers. In certain deep-sea regions, peaks of methane content in the 1000-1200 m horizons of the water column were revealed, which were most probably due to local influx of abyssal waters enriched with this gas.     

Sediment resuspension effects on alkaline phosphatase activity

Sediment cores, including the associated lake water, were collected from a shallow hypereutrophic lake located in central Florida. Alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) was measured as an indicator of potential organic P mineralization. In both the sediment and water columns, APA was mainly associated with particulate matter; < 10% of APA was within the soluble phase. This suggests that for enzymatic hydrolysis to occur the hydrolyzable organic compounds must be in close proximity to the particle-bound enzyme complex. Both total P (TP) and APA decreased with depth in the sediment, whereas soluble reactive P increased in the 20–40 cm fraction. Resuspension of surficial sediments resulted in an immediate increase in APA, total suspended solids, TP, total Kjeldahl N, and total organic C within the overlying water column. However, these concentrations decreased rapidly following cessation of turbulence and settling of the sediments, emphasizing the close association of these parameters with the sediment.