Stimulation of sulfate reduction rates in Mediterranean fish farm sediments inhabited by the seagrass <Emphasis Type="Italic">Posidonia oceanica</Emphasis>

Sulfate reduction rates and biogeochemical parameters of fish farm sediments across the Mediterranean were investigated in the order to evaluate the potential effects of organic matter inputs on habitat quality for the common seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Four study sites were selected in Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus to represent the Mediterranean basin. P. oceanica was found in immediate vicinity of all the farms, which were located at physically exposed sites about 1 km from the shore lines. Organic matter accumulation, sulfate reduction rates and sulfur pools were measured in depth profiles along transects from the farms in both bare and vegetated sediments. Results show that although the organic matter accumulation was minor at the sites (POC < 2.8% DW), the sulfate reduction rates were high, in particular at the largest farm in Italy (up to 212 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹), similar to rates found at shallower, temperate fish farm sites, where higher sedimentation rates can be expected. Sulfate reducing bacteria in these low-organic, carbonate-rich Mediterranean sediments respond strongly to organic matter loadings and cause habitat degradation. Sulfate reduction rates measured in the P. oceanica sediments were among the highest recorded (7.8–42.0 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹) similar to rates found in degrading meadows impacted by organic matter loadings. As sulfate reduction rates were correlated with the sedimentation rates along the transects rather than organic matter pools this suggests mineralization processes were controlled by organic matter loading in fish farm sediments. The vegetated sediments near the net cages were more reduced due to accumulation of sulfides compared to control sites, which is a possible contributing factor to the observed seagrass decline in the farm surroundings. It is recommended that Mediterranean fish farms are placed in areas with rapid dispersal of particulate waste products to minimize organic matter loading of the sediments and thereby preserve habitat quality for benthic fauna and flora.     

Consequences of Mediterranean warming events in seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) flowering records

Posidonia oceanica, a seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean forms extended and extremely persistent meadows. It is a clonal plant with an apparently irregular pattern of flowering events. An extensive bibliographic review allowed the reconstruction of past flowering events of this species around the Mediterranean, with a high degree of confidence for the last 30 years. The data series on annual flowering prevalence (FP, flowering records per total records) and flowering intensity (FI, fraction of flowering shoots) produced have been compared with four series on Sea Surface annual Temperature maxima (SST_max) obtained for the NW Mediterranean (averaged from the local data series of l'Estartit and Villefranche: 1957–2005) and for the Eastern, Western basin and the whole Mediterranean sea (extracted from NCEP Reynolds interpolated SST maps: 1982–2005). Significant warming trends are detected in the Mediterranean SST_max series, at a rate of (mean+SE) 0.04±0.01°C yr⁻¹ (R²=0.24, P<0.01, N=24 years), in the Eastern basin series (0.06±0.01°C yr⁻¹, R²=0.43, P<0.001, N=24 years) and in the long SST_max series of the NW Mediterranean (0.02±0.01 C yr⁻¹, R²=0.12, P<0.02, N=49 years). The magnitudes of the SST_max anomalies around the absolute warming trend do not increase with time in any SST_max series. Peaks of FP and FI in the Mediterranean seem to occur each 9–11 years, and coincide with peaks of annual SST_max. Annual FP and FI increase with the residuals of annual SST_max warming trend in all Mediterranean basins (FP_MED: R²=0.27, P<0.01, N=23; FP_NW: R²=0.34, P<0.01, N=31; FP_E: R²=0.20; P<0.10, N=23). An outstanding event of P. oceanica flowering across the Mediterranean has been registered in Autumn 2003; 1 month after the highest annual SST_max recorded in the series. The hypothesis of flowering induction by thermal stress as the possible cause of this relationship is discussed, as well as the potential use of P. oceanica flowering record as early indicator of biological change induced by global sea warming in Mediterranean marine ecosystems.     

The effect of nutrient additions on bacterial activity in seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) sediments

The influence of nutrient additions on benthic bacterial activity under seagrass meadows was tested by enriching five seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadows with nutrients over one year. We found a highly significant response of benthic bacterial activity to nutrient additions, which was reflected in greater (about two-fold) ammonification rates and, to a smaller extent, a significant tendency for a greater exoenzymatic activity. Nutrient additions significantly raised bacterial activity, without altering the seasonal changes in bacterial activity. As a result of the increased bacterial activity, the organic content of the sediments declined significantly, by about 33%, after one year of nutrient addition. Hence, nutrient additions to the seagrass meadows enhance seagrass production but also accelerate bacterial decomposition of seagrass carbon, thereby reducing the capacity of the sediments to store organic carbon. These results demonstrate that sediment nutrient availability limits bacterial activity in these Posidonia oceanica meadows, and identify bacteria as important nutrient consumers in these systems.     

Biodiversity response to experimental induced hypoxic-anoxic conditions in seagrass sediments

The effects of induced hypoxic-anoxic conditions on the metazoan meiofaunal assemblages and nematode diversity were investigated with an in situ experiment in a Posidonia oceanica meadow. The experiment, of the duration of five months, was performed in three experimental sets of plots. Two of them were enriched with organic matter to induce anoxic conditions (1 set with sucrose and 1 set with sugar plus nutrients, i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus) whereas the last set of plots was kept undisturbed and used as Control. Metazoan meiofauna displayed a fast response to the induced anoxic conditions with an immediate reduction of the richness of taxa (only nematodes and copepods tolerated the hypoxic-anoxic conditions). Nematodes were the most tolerant organisms as their species richness did not change in hypoxic-anoxic conditions, but their species composition and trophic structure displayed significant changes. Some genera (Desmoscolex and Bolbolaimus) were replaced by other (Chromadorella, Sabatiera and Polysigma) more tolerant to the extreme conditions. No significant differences were observed in the Control plots, whereas in treated plots, selective deposit feeders and predators decreased significantly, being replaced by non-selective deposit feeders and epistrate feeders. These results indicate that, events causing a reduction in oxygen availability, can have an impact on the nematode beta-diversity and functional diversity with potential important implications on the benthic food web and functioning of the seagrass systems.     

Dissolved and particulate organic matter in contrasting Zostera marina (eelgrass) sediments

The influence of seagrass Zostera marina on sediment characteristics was examined in two contrasting sediments, one organic-rich and one organic-poor. The presence of plants leads to reduced sediment redox potential in both sediment types compared to bare sediment with the largest effects in the organic-poor sediment. Z. marina stimulated the sulfate reduction rates in organic-poor sediment with ∼50% and higher pools of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were found. In contrast, sulfate reduction rates were lower in vegetated compared to bare sites in the organic-rich sediment. Despite a low contribution of dissolved carbohydrate (DCHO) to the DOC pool (<5%), the seagrass vegetation was responsible for an increase of ∼50% in DCHO pools with a peak in the root zone suggesting that Z. marina supplied DCHO to the pore waters. The Z. marina meadows also enhanced the contribution of particulate carbohydrate (PCHO) to sedimentary particulate organic carbon (POC) pools by 6-14% compared to bare sediment. Although the PCHO pools were higher in organic-rich than organic-poor sediments, the analyses of carbohydrate composition revealed that three groups of neutral sugars including glucose, galactose and mannose+xylose were the major compounds of PCHO and contributed with >60% to sedimentary carbohydrate pools at both sites. Only glucose showed depletion with depth in the vegetated sediments, whereas the percentage of ribose and rhamnose increased indicating a selective degradation of labile carbohydrates in the meadows. Galactose and mannose+xylose appeared to represent a refractory part of carbohydrate that remained after degradation of the more labile components. The sugar content was rather constant with depth at the bare organic-rich sediment indicating that only recalcitrant carbohydrate pools were buried. There was less difference in the PCHO composition profiles between vegetated and bare organic-poor sediments.     

Considérations sur l'Anatomie dePosidonia oceanica (Zosteraceae)

The rhizome ofPosidonia oceanica shows an arrangement of vascular tissue not yet observed in other plants: a series of vascular cylinders all laid out in a single plane. There is a central cylinder, an atactostele, and six lateral cylinders, three on each side. These lateral cylinders are quite unusual too, each of them being formed by a single perixylematic bundle. For these structures the authors suggest the term haploendoleptostele; the whole arrangement might be called xestomeristele.

     

Lulwoana sp., a dark septate endophyte in roots of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile seagrass

Posidonia oceanica is the most common, widespread and important monocotyledon seagrass in the Mediterranean Basin, and hosts a large biodiversity of species, including microorganisms with key roles in the marine environment. In this study, we ascertain the presence of a fungal endophyte in the roots of P. oceanica growing on different substrata (rock, sand and matte) in two Sicilian marine meadows. Staining techniques on root fragments and sections, in combination with microscope observations, were used to visualise the fungal presence and determine the percentage of fungal colonisation (FC) in this tissue. In root fragments, statistical analysis of the FC showed a higher mean in roots anchored on rock than on matte and sand. In root sections, an inter‐ and intracellular septate mycelium, producing intracellular microsclerotia, was detected from the rhizodermis to the vascular cylinder. Using isolation techniques, we obtained, from both sampling sites, sterile, slow‐growing fungal colonies, dark in colour, with septate mycelium, belonging to the dark septate endophytes (DSEs). DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region identified these colonies as Lulwoana sp. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Lulwoana sp. as DSE in roots of P. oceanica. Moreover, the highest fungal colonisation, detected in P. oceanica roots growing on rock, suggests that the presence of the DSE may help the host in several ways, particularly in capturing mineral nutrients through lytic activity.     

Variations in the concentration of phenolic compounds in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica under conditions of competition

The concentration of phenolic compound was measured in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica when interacting with two Bryopsidophyceae, Caulerpa taxifolia and Caulerpa racemosa, between May 1999 and May 2000. These measurements were performed on adult and intermediate leaves and in sheaths of the seagrass. Sampling was carried out at three stations subject to increasing levels of interaction with Caulerpa. The number of tannin cells was also analysed. Five phenolic compounds were identified in P. oceanica, with a predominance of caffeic acid in the adult and intermediate leaves. For a given level of interaction (and for both caulerpa sp.), a significant seasonal variation in phenolic compounds was shown in the adult leaves (higher in November and lower in September and March for example for the interaction with C. taxifolia). Only for two compounds (corresponding to a mixture containing ferulic acid and the ester methyl 12-acetoxyricinoleate) were significant differences observed as a function of the level of interaction with C. taxifblia, and only in the adult leaves: higher concentrations of phenols were observed with increasing level of interaction. Thus,adult leaves gave values of 55.5 +/- 14.1 microg g(-1) dm without interaction (OCt) and 94.9 +/- 23.4 microg g(-l) dm with high interaction (2Ct),corresponding to an increase of 70%. No significant difference was observed with intermediate leaves and sheaths, or for interaction with C. racemosa. The number of tannin cells (supposed to produce the phenolic compounds) largely increased in the adult and intermediate leaves when the degree of interaction with C. taxifolia increased: 90 mm above the base of the sheath (in adult leaves), 16.7 +/- 10.6 tannin cells cm(-2) were found without interaction (OCt), and 57.8 + 21.2 tannin cells cm(-2) with high interaction (2Ct). No significant difference was found for C. racemosa interaction. It thus appears that when the seagrass P. oceanica is in interaction with C. taxifolia, it accelerates its production of secondary metabolites so as to limit invasion of the beds.     

Effects of Dredging Activities on Population Dynamics of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile in the Mediterranean Sea: The Case Study of Capo Feto (SW Sicily, Italy)

Between 1981 and 1993 a methane pipeline was deployed between Sicily (Italy) and Tunisia. This involved the construction of a pipeline trench, which damaged the Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile meadow at Capo Feto (SW Sicily, Italy) and disturbed the surrounding meadow. Seagrass growth and population dynamics were examined at different depth ranges and at increasing distances from the construction site outer limit (5, 15, 30, 50 m). Results showed significant differences between the shallow (10±3.3 m) and the deep (20±4.6 m) meadow as well as differences among distances. The age structure of P. oceanica varied along the distance gradient and with depth. The mortality rate decreased with distance from the trench at all depth ranges, showing that the plants close to the excavation suffered a higher level of disturbance. Turnover and annual gross shoot recruitment rate (R_gross) were higher in the shallow portion of the meadow than in the deep range. Forecast of future meadow development (R_net) close to the trench indicates that, if present conditions are maintained, shoot density will be reduced by 50% over the next 6 to 17 yrs.     

A meta‐analysis reveals a positive correlation between genetic diversity metrics and environmental status in the long‐lived seagrass Posidonia oceanica

The seagrass Posidonia oceanica is a key engineering species structuring coastal marine systems throughout much of the Mediterranean basin. Its decline is of concern, leading to the search for short‐ and long‐term indicators of seagrass health. Using ArcGIS maps from a recent, high‐resolution (1–4 km) modelling study of 18 disturbance factors affecting coastal marine systems across the Mediterranean (Micheli et al. 2013, http://globalmarine.nceas.ucsb.edu/mediterranean/ ), we tested for correlations with genetic diversity metrics (allelic diversity, genotypic/clonal diversity and heterozygosity) in a meta‐analysis of 56 meadows. Contrary to initial predictions, weak but significantly positive correlations were found for commercial shipping, organic pollution (pesticides) and cumulative impact. This counterintuitive finding suggests greater resistance and resilience of individuals with higher genetic and genotypic diversity under disturbance (at least for a time) and/or increased sexual reproduction under an intermediate disturbance model. We interpret the absence of low and medium levels of genetic variation at impacted locations as probable local extinctions of individuals that already exceeded their resistance capacity. Alternatively, high diversity at high‐impact sites is likely a temporal artefact, reflecting the mismatch with pre‐environmental impact conditions, especially because flowering and sexual recruitment are seldom observed. While genetic diversity metrics are a valuable tool for restoration and mitigation, caution must be exercised in the interpretation of correlative patterns as found in this study, because the exceptional longevity of individuals creates a temporal mismatch that may falsely suggest good meadow health status, while gradual deterioration of allelic diversity might go unnoticed.     

Oxidation of short-chain fatty acids by sulfate-reducing bacteria in freshwater and in marine sediments

Colony counts of acetate-, propionate- and l-lactate-oxidizing sulfate-reducing bacteria in marine sediments were made. The vertical distribution of these organisms were equal for the three types considered. The highest numbers were found just beneath the border of aerobic and anaerobic layers.Anaerobic mineralization of acetate, propionate and l-lactate was studied in the presence and in the absence of sulfate. In freshwater and in marine sediments, acetate and propionate were oxidized completely with concomitant reduction of sulfate. l-Lactate was always fermented. Lactate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacteria, belonging to the species Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, and lactate-fermenting bacteria were found in approximately equal amounts in the sediments. Acetate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacteria could only be isolated from marine sediments, they belonged to the genus Desulfobacter and oxidized only acetate and ethanol by sulfate reduction. Propionate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacteria belonged to the genus Desulfobulbus. They were isolated from freshwater as well as from marine sediments and showed a relatively large range of usable substrates: hydrogen, formate, propionate, l-lactate and ethanol were oxidized with concomitant sulfate reduction. l-Lactate and pyruvate could be fermented by most of the isolated strains.     

Sulfur cycling in grassland and parkland soils

A conceptual diagram of the S cycle in grassland soils is presented as a framework for discussing S cycling process studies. Changes in the mineralization of S and in the redistribution of³⁵S-labeled sulfate among soil organic matter fractions were investigated during incubation of cropped and uncropped soils.Little mineralization or net immobilization of sulfur occurred in closed system incubations where the soils were left undisturbed throughout the incubations. Significantly more S was mineralized in open system incubations where the soils were leached periodically. Net mineralization was significantly greater in cropped soils compared with uncropped soils. The distribution of³⁵S was significantly affected by the addition of various substrates (sulfate, cellulose or a combination of both) and by the presence of plants. Under conditions of high solution sulfate, the majority of³⁵S incorporated was observed in the HI-reducible S fraction. When the solution sulfate concentrations were lower, there was a reduction in the proportion of³⁵S incorporated into the HI-reducible S fraction. The results of these experiment will be discussed in relation to the hypotheses presented by McGill and Cole (1981) and the conceptual diagram of the S cycle in grassland soils.Contribution from a symposium on the role of sulfur in ecosystem processes held August 10, 1983, at the annual meeting of the A.I.B.S., Grand Forks, ND; Myron Mitchell, convenor.Publication No. R 353 of the Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N OWO     

Natural rock roughness as a key parameter for optimizing seedling adhesion and restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in its native environment

Seagrasses provide various ecosystem functions in coastal areas of the world. In the Mediterranean Sea, Posidonia oceanica is an endemic species threatened by several activities despite being protected by national and international laws. Currently, several transplanting initiatives have been carried out using different methods, among which those including seeds and seedlings are considered the most ecological and low-cost ones. Beach-cast fruits and seeds can be found in spring and their appearance can easily be reported, through a citizen science approach, by the community. One of the obstacles in using these methods is identifying the best substrate in which to place P. oceanica seeds to facilitate root adhesion of the seedlings prior to their transplantation into the sea. In the present study, we analyzed, using a 3D surface optical microscope, the roughness of natural rocks to identify the availability of specific roughness ranges suitable for adhesion and root anchoring of P. oceanica seedlings. Conventional roughness parameters and roughness power spectral density were calculated for the inner and outer surfaces of 9 different rock samples. Among the rock samples examined, the calcarenitic ones and in particular marsala calcarenite, due to the presence of the “ideal roughness for seedlings” can be considered one of the best consolidated substrates to be used for the construction of ad hoc devices on which plantlet of P. oceanica can grow for the purpose of restoration.     

Against the odds: complete outcrossing in a monoecious clonal seagrass Posidonia australis (Posidoniaceae)

Background and Aims

Seagrasses are marine, flowering plants with a hydrophilous pollination strategy. In these plants, successful mating requires dispersal of filamentous pollen grains through the water column to receptive stigmas. Approximately 40 % of seagrass species are monoecious, and therefore little pollen movement is required if inbreeding is tolerated. Outcrossing in these species is further impacted by clonality, which is variable, but can be extensive in large, dense meadows. Despite this, little is known about the interaction between clonal structure, genetic diversity and mating systems in hydrophilous taxa.

Methods

Polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers were used to characterize genetic diversity, clonal structure, mating system and realized pollen dispersal in two meadows of the temperate, monoecious seagrass, Posidonia australis, in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia.

Key Results

Within the two sampled meadows, genetic diversity was moderate among the maternal shoots (R = 0·45 and 0·64) and extremely high in the embryos (R = 0·93–0·97). Both meadows exhibited a highly clumping (or phalanx) structure among clones, with spatial autocorrelation analysis showing significant genetic structure among shoots and embryos up to 10–15 m. Outcrossing rates were not significantly different from one. Pollen dispersal distances inferred from paternity assignment averaged 30·8 and 26·8 m, which was larger than the mean clone size (12·8 and 13·8 m).

Conclusions

These results suggest highly effective movement of pollen in the water column. Despite strong clonal structure and moderate genetic diversity within meadows, hydrophilous pollination is an effective vector for completely outcrossed offspring. The different localized water conditions at each site (highly exposed conditions vs. weak directional flow) appear to have little influence on the success and pattern of successful pollination in the two meadows.     

Vicariance patterns in the Mediterranean Sea: east–west cleavage and low dispersal in the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica

Aim The seagrass, Posidonia oceanica is a clonal angiosperm endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. Previous studies have suggested that clonal growth is far greater than sexual recruitment and thus leads to low clonal diversity within meadows. However, recently developed microsatellite markers indicate that there are many different genotypes, and therefore many distinct clones present. The low resolution of markers used in the past limited our ability to estimate clonality and assess the individual level. New high‐resolution dinucleotide microsatellites now allow genetically distinct individuals to be identified, enabling more reliable estimation of population genetic parameters across the Mediterranean Basin. We investigated the biogeography and dispersal of P. oceanica at various spatial scales in order to assess the influence of different evolutionary factors shaping the distribution of genetic diversity in this species. Location The Mediterranean. Methods We used seven hypervariable microsatellite markers, in addition to the five previously existing markers, to describe the spatial distribution of genetic variability in 34 meadows spread throughout the Mediterranean, on the basis of an average of 35.6 (± 6.3) ramets sampled. Results At the scale of the Mediterranean Sea as a whole, a strong east–west cleavage was detected (amova) . These results are in line with those obtained using previous markers. The new results showed the presence of a putative secondary contact zone at the Siculo‐Tunisian Strait, which exhibited high allelic richness and shared alleles absent from the eastern and western basins. F statistics (pairwise θ ranges between 0.09 and 0.71) revealed high genetic structure between meadows, both at a small scale (about 2 to 200 km) and at a medium scale within the eastern and western basins, independent of geographical distance. At the intrameadow scale, significant spatial autocorrelation in six out of 15 locations revealed that dispersal can be restricted to the scale of a few metres. Main conclusions A stochastic pattern of effective migration due to low population size, turnover and seed survival is the most likely explanation for this pattern of highly restricted gene flow, despite the importance of an a priori seed dispersal potential. The east–west cleavage probably represents the outline of vicariance caused by the last Pleistocene ice age and maintained to this day by low gene flow. These results emphasize the diversity of evolutionary processes shaping the genetic structure at different spatial scales.     

Contrasting responses of seagrass transplants (Posidonia australis) to nitrogen, phosphorus and iron addition in an estuary and a coastal embayment

Addition of nutrients to sediments has been proposed as a means of enhancing transplantation success in seagrasses. The effects of nutrient and iron additions to natural sediments on the growth and morphology of Posidonia australis transplants were evaluated in underwater plots in two contrasting environments: a coastal embayment (Princess Royal Harbour) with sandy sediments and little riverine input, and an estuary (Oyster Harbour) with organic-rich sediments and subject to seasonal river flow from a large rural catchment. Sixty six planting units spaced 1 m apart were transplanted in situ in each location. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were added in a randomized factorial design using slow release fertilizer granules at the start of the experiment and repeated every 4-5 months for 2 years. In a concurrent experiment, chelated iron Fe EDTA was added to modify the sediment sulphur cycle.In Oyster Harbour, the addition of N significantly increased leaf N concentrations but reduced total biomass and biomass of leaves. Addition of P significantly increased leaf P concentrations and number of living leaves per transplant, leaf area, leaf length, length of longest rhizome axis and total rhizome length. Combined N + P addition resulted in a significant increase in leaf P concentrations and leaf area per plant only. In Princess Royal Harbour, addition of N produced significant increases in leaf variables (total and leaf biomass, number of shoots and living leaves, leaf area, and leaf length) but there were no significant differences observed in below ground plant parts (rhizomes). Addition of P had no significant effects on any growth measurements. Addition of N + P combined increased number of living leaves and leaf area significantly. δ¹⁵N in mature leaf tissue were significantly more negative for N and N + P treatments at both locations.Our results indicated that N limitation was occurring in the coastal embayment, Princess Royal Harbour whereas in the more estuarine Oyster Harbour, P was limiting plant growth. Addition of FeEDTA produced equivocal results at both sites and we suggest these results are confounded by the addition of N and C in the EDTA. We caution the use of nutrient addition to transplants of slow growing seagrasses such as P. australis without a thorough understanding of the nutrient status of the system, estuarine or coastal embayment, in which they are to be transplanted.     

Anthesis effects on Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile phenology in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica,Mediterranean Sea)

In Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, anthesis induces a decrease in the number of juvenile leaves resulting in a significant reduction in the number of leaves on the flowering shoots. All the leaves of the flowering shoots are narrower than the leaves of nonflowering shoots. A modification of the leaf growth also appears in flowering shoots: the oldest leaves are longer and the leaves induced during or after anthesis are shorter. At 10 m depth, in the Bay of Calvi, anthesis lasts roughly 3 months and the flowering is induced 7 months before anthesis.     

C, N, P concentrations and requirements of flowering Posidonia oceanica

The carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents in flowering and nonflowering shoots were compared after an important flowering event occurred in the Posidonia meadow of the Bay of Calvi. The flower formation caused a significant increase of C and a significant decrease of N concentrations in intermediate and adult leaves. Minimum daily requirements in mgshoot^-1day^-1 of 3.4 and 4.8 of C, 0.09 and 0.09 N, 0.01 and 0.02 of P respectively for nonflowering and flowering shoots were calculated. It shows that additional quantities of C and P are required for the inflorescence elaboration. The unchanged quantity of N required by the shoot for the inflorescence elaboration and the significant modification of N concentration in intermediate and adult leaves suggests that N is limited in the environment and that an efficient resorption of N occurs from leaves to ensure the inflorescence formation.     

Impact of sampling methods on sulfate reduction rates and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in vegetated salt marsh sediments

The impact of sediment coring on measured rates of sulfate reduction(SRR) by the whole core ³⁵S-injection technique was assessed inmarshsediment vegetated by Spartina anglica. Simultaneously,therole of extraction method (centrifugation vs. sippers) for determination ofporewater DOC in vegetated sediment was evaluated. SRR was measuredinsitu with radiotracer injected directly into the sediment and in atime series from 1 to 24 h after coring. SRR incubations carriedout within 6 h (June) or 12 h (August) of coringyielded up to an order of magnitude higher rates than measured insitu. The enhancement of SRR was instantaneous but temporary andcorrelated with measured porewater DOC concentrations. Cores sampled fromrootedsediments should therefore not be used for sulfate reduction incubations withinthe first 12 h due to the effect of DOC leaching from roots cutduring the coring procedure. The labile fraction of leached DOC appears to beexhausted after a pre-incubation period of at least 12 h.Measurement of porewater DOC is also problematic in vegetated sediment.Porewater extraction by centrifugation of sediment may result in up to oneorderof magnitude higher DOC concentrations than in porewater obtained by anondestructive sipper technique. DOC is probably forced out of roots duringcentrifugation resulting in erroneously high porewater DOC concentrations.     

Modern sediments and Pleistocene reefs from isolated carbonate platforms (Iles Eparses,SW Indian Ocean): A preliminary study

Isolated carbonate platforms occur throughout the geologic record, from Archean to present. Although the respective roles of tectonics, sediment supply and sea-level changes in the stratigraphical architecture of these systems are relatively well constrained, the details of the nature and controls on the variability of sedimentological patterns between and within individual geomorphologic units on platforms have been barely investigated. This study aims at describing and comparing geomorphological and sedimentological features of surficial sediments and fossil reefs from three isolated carbonate platforms located in the SW Indian Ocean (Glorieuses, Juan de Nova and Europa). These carbonate platforms are relatively small and lack continuous reef margins, which have developed only on windward sides. Field observations, petrographic characterization and grain-size analyses are used to illustrate the spatial patterns of sediment accumulation on these platforms. The internal parts of both Glorieuses and Juan de Nova platforms are blanketed by sand dunes with medium to coarse sands with numerous reef pinnacles. Skeletal components including coral, green algae, and benthic foraminifera fragments prevail in these sediments. Europa platform exhibits a similar skeletal assemblage dominated by coral fragments, with the absence of wave-driven sedimentary bodies. Fossil reefs from the Last interglacial (125,000 years BP) occur on the three platforms. At Glorieuses, a succession of drowned terraces detected on seismic lines is interpreted as reflecting the last deglacial sea-level rise initiated 20,000 years ago. These findings highlight the high potential of these platforms to study past sea-level changes and the related reef response, which remain poorly documented in the SW Indian Ocean.