Calcite supersaturation in some subtropical,Kashmir, Himalayan lakes

Results of a two year study of the detailed water chemistry of three productive, Kashmir, Himalayan lakes, Khanpur, Trigam and Tilwan (average alt. 1580 m), are used to provide an appreciation of the role of calcite precipitation. Two extreme behaviours are apparent. The least productive lake is close to saturation throughout the year, with the concentrations of calcium and alkalinity being controlled by temporary excursions in pH accompanying increased photosynthetic activity. The most productive lake is always greatly and uniformly supersaturated, the ion activity product being more than seven times the stability constant, and the concentrations of calcium and alkalinity are lowest at higher temperatures when calcite is less soluble. It appears that the saturation index has a critical level, above which precipitation proceeds more rapidly. The third lake shows behaviour intermediate between these two extremes.     

Ordovician meteoric carbon and oxygen isotopic values: implications for the latitudinal variations of ancient stable isotopic values

Columnar and clear blocky calcite cement from a Middle Ordovician carbonate succession in east Tennessee is interpreted as meteoric in origin. Columnar and clear blocky calcite from this succession does not show extremely large ¹³C depletions reported from meteoric phases of younger rocks. Meteoric fluid δ¹⁸O values calculated from clear blocky calcite are 2 to 3‰ more negative than approximately coeval sea water; a relationship typical of modern, low-latitude, coastal meteoric water. Comparison with meteoric δ¹⁸O values from Ordovician units elsewhere suggests that the geographic distribution of these values may be broadly similar to that observed today. Therefore, we tentatively suggest that geographic distribution of meteoric δ¹⁸O values during both icehouse and greenhouse eras are similar.     

Limnology and plankton periodicity of Jos Plateau water reservoir,Nigeria, West Africa

Limnological data (Dec. 1980–Jan. 1982) on the plankton and water chemistry of Lamingo Dam, located within the Jos biotite granite area of the Plateau State (Nigeria) are presented. The water-body falls in Beadle's (1981) category I of African lakes (conductivity < 40 µS cm^–1). Alkalinity (% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGak0Jf9crFfpeea0xh9v8qiW7rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGabmiEayaara% aaaa!3914!\[\bar x\] = 0.3 meq l^–1), principally composed of bicarbonates, dominated the anions % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGak0Jf9crFfpeea0xh9v8qiW7rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaaK4waiaajI% eacaqIdbGaaK4tamaaxababaGaeyOeI0caleaacaaIZaaabeaakiaa% b6dacaqIdbGaaKiBaiaaj2cacaqG+aGaaK4uaiaaj+eadaqhaaWcba% GaaKinaaqaaiaajkdacaqITaaaaOGaaKyxaaaa!4657!\[\user1{[HCO}\mathop -\limits_3 {\text{ > }}\user1{Cl - }{\text{ > }}\user1{SO}_\user1{4}^{\user1{2 - }} \user1{]}\]The plankton were characterized by a moderate standing crop of phytoplankton, and zooplankton were, generally, very limited in species and abundance. The order of dominance for the categories of phyto and zooplankton was: [Bacillariophyceae > Chlorophyceae > Dinophyceae] and [Rotifera > Crustacea] respectively. A diel cycle was characterized by nocturnal upward migration of the zooplankton, and the reverse behaviour in the phytoplankton.Interrelations between the biotic assemblages of plankters and various physical and chemical variables are discussed.     

Chemical limnology of two artificial lakes used for both stormwater management and recreation

The aims of this study were to document the mainly chemical behaviour of two linked artificial lakes used for both stormwater management and recreation in the new town of Craigavon. Further, the understanding of their behaviour should help in their management and the design of other similar lakes.The lake mean total phosphorus (73 µg P l^–1), nitrate (0.50 mg N l^–1) and chlorophyll a (25 µg l^–1) concentrations, Secchi depth (1.2 m) and the estimated total phosphorus loading (1.98 g m^–2 a^–1) all classify the main lake as eutrophic. An important source of the phosphorus load on the lakes is the urban area of Craigavon (52% of the total load). The interrelationships between total phosphorus, chlorophyll a and Secchi depth in the main lake are similar to those in natural ones. In addition, the lake follows the total phosphorus load — trophic state relationships (lake total phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations and Secchi depth) found to apply elsewhere. These two points indicate that the artificial lakes in Craigavon behave similarly to natural ones.     

Reproduction, diet and population structure of the mountain mullet, Agonostomus monticola, in Jamaica, West Indies

Reproduction, feeding and population structure were investigated in the mountain mullet, Agonostomus monticola, in eastern Jamaica between 1982 and 1986. Female fishes just outnumbered males 1.2 : 1. Minimum size at maturity for females was 123 mm fork length (FL) and 96 mm FL for males. Mean size at maturity for females was 165.8 mm FL (S.D.=1.61) and for males was 148.4 mm FL (S.D.=2.97). Fecundity was 340 000 eggs for a 25 g ovary. Fecundity (F) was related to size by the equation F=153.8 FL^1.36. Mean lengths of males and females captured by all methods were 129.4 mm (S.D.=5.56) and 160.4 mm FL (S.D.=0.70), respectively. A. monticola was found to be chiefly an insectivorous feeder. The major food items found in stomach contents in ranked sequence were insects, freshwater prawns, plant detritus and algae.     

Physical and chemical limnology of 34 ultra-oligotrophic lakes and ponds near Wynniatt Bay,Victoria Island,Arctic Canada

Thirty-four lakes and ponds on north-central Victoria Island (Arctic Canada) were examined in order to characterize the limnological conditions of these unstudied aquatic ecosystems, and to provide baseline data as part of a larger study monitoring future changes in climatically-sensitive high-latitude locations. Similar to several other arctic regions, the lakes and ponds were slightly alkaline (mean pH = 7.65), dilute (mean specific conductance = 96.4 S), and low in nutrients. What distinguished this limnological data set was the ultra-oligotrophic nature of the lakes and ponds, as mean phosphorus (1.3 g l^–1) and chlorophyll a (0.4 g l^–1) concentrations were amongst the lowest recorded in arctic environments. Also, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations (often <1 mg l^–1) were 2–3 times lower than those recorded for ponds at similar latitudes. Principal components analysis (PCA) separated sites primarily along a gradient of DOC and specific conductance, and along a secondary gradient of particulate nitrogen, likely reflecting differences in phyto- and zooplankton biomass. These ultra-oligotrophic lakes and ponds should show a marked response to global warming. As DOC acts as a natural UV radiation screen, the combination of ultra-oligotrophic conditions and low DOC levels suggests that the biota within these sites are representative of those adapted to living in highly stressful environments. Lakes and ponds in this region make ideal monitoring sites, as they should be especially responsive to future environmental changes.     

Foraminiferal paleoecology of the Montpelier and lower coastal groups (eocene-miocene), Jamaica,West Indies

Two domains of carbonate deposition characterized mid-Tertiary Jamaica. After latest Cretaceous to Paleocene orogeny, submergence of insular paleo-Jamaica accompanied the strike-slip or extensional faulting associated with the formation of the Cayman Trench to the north. Differential subsidence along a series of peripheral subsea escarpments (Duanvale-Wagwater escarpment) produced relief in excess of 2000 m by the Late Eocene. Shoalwater limestones covered the slowly subsiding Cornwall-Middlesex platform, thus ending the supply of clastics to deep-sea bottoms north and east of the escarpment where contemporaneous planktonic-foraminiferal pelagites accumulated. Middle Eocene to Middle Miocene carbonate rocks deposited in the deep-sea represent a distinctive lithogenetic unit termed the Montpelier Group.A preponderance of globigerinacean and radiolarian tests characterizes lower Montpelier microfossil assemblages. Dominant benthonic forms include Melonis pompilioides, Fontbotia wuellerstorfi and species of Stilostomella and Pleurostomella. Available faunal criteria including the assemblage composition, depth preferences of extant species and recurrent morphologic-ecologic patterns suggest abyssal (2000 m) paleo-depths at the site of accumulation on a sediment apron near the base of the Duanvale-Wagwater escarpment. Computed from inferred paleodepth and estimated sedimentary thickness, Middle Eocene to Lower Miocene subsidence totals 2800 m. Biostratigraphic and paleoecologic data do not support the prevalent concept of a regional unconformity within the Montpelier.In the Middle Miocene, regional uplift led to the emergence of the Cornwall-Middlesex platform and to pronounced shoaling of marginal sea bottoms. Here, hemipelagic sedimentation resumed during the later Middle Miocene after the carbonate veneer on the adjacent platform was sufficiently eroded so as to expose noncarbonate rocks. See NAPS document No. 02395 for 67 pages of faunal reference lists, maps of sample locations and tables of foraminiferal occurrences. Order from ASIS/NAPS, c/o Microfiche Publications, 305 East 46th St., New York, N.Y., U.S.A. 10017. Remit with order $9.05 for photocopies or $5.55 for microfiche. Make checks payable to Microfiche Publications.     

Nitrogen stable isotopic composition of leaves and soil: Tropical versus temperate forests

Several lines of evidence suggest that nitrogen in most tropical forests is relatively more available than N in most temperate forests, and even that it may function as an excess nutrient in many tropical forests. If this is correct, tropical forests should have more open N cycles than temperate forests, with both inputs and outputs of N large relative to N cycling within systems. Consequent differences in both the magnitude and the pathways of N loss imply that tropical forests should in general be more¹⁵N enriched than are most temperate forests. In order to test this hypothesis, we compared the nitrogen stable isotopic composition of tree leaves and soils from a variety of tropical and temperate forests. Foliar ¹⁵N values from tropical forests averaged 6.5 higher than from temperate forests. Within the tropics, ecosystems with relatively low N availability (montane forests, forests on sandy soils) were significantly more depleted in¹⁵N than other tropical forests. The average ¹⁵N values for tropical forest soils, either for surface or for depth samples, were almost 8 higher than temperate forest soils. These results provide another line of evidence that N is relatively abundant in many tropical forest ecosystems.     

Crayfish in lakes and streams: individual and population responses to predation, productivity and substratum availability

1. In a correlative study, we investigated the relative importance of fish predation, refuge availability and resource supply in determining the abundance and size distributions of the introduced and omnivorous signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in lakes and streams. Moreover, the biomass and food selection of predatory fish was estimated in each habitat type and stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were measured in perch (Perca fluviatilis), the dominant predator in the lakes, and in its potential food sources (crayfish, juvenile roach and isopods). 2. In lakes, crayfish were the most frequent prey in large perch (46%), followed by other macroinvertebrates (26%, including the isopod Asellus aquaticus) and small fish (25%). Crayfish and fish dominated the gut contents of large perch with respect to biomass. Nitrogen signatures showed that perch were one trophic level above crayfish (approx. 3.4‰) and a two‐source mixing model using nitrogen isotope values indicated that crayfish (81%) contributed significantly more to perch isotope values than did juvenile roach (19%). A positive correlation was found between the abundance of crayfish and the biomass of large perch. Crayfish abundance in lakes was also positively correlated with the proportion of cobbles in the littoral zone. Lake productivity (chlorophyll a) was positively correlated with crayfish size, but not with crayfish abundance. 3. In streams, brown trout (Salmo trutta) were the most abundant predatory fish. Gut contents of large trout in a forested stream showed that terrestrial insects were the most frequently found prey (60%), followed by small crayfish (27%) and isopods (27%). In contrast to lakes, the relative abundance of crayfish was negatively correlated with the total biomass of predatory fish and with total biomass of trout. However, abundance of crayfish at sites with a low biomass of predatory fish varied considerably and was related to substratum grain size, with fewer crayfish being caught when the substratum was sandy or dominated by large boulders. The mean size of crayfish was greater at stream sites with a high standing stock of periphyton, but neither predator biomass nor substratum grain size was correlated with crayfish size. 4. Our results suggest that bottom‐up processes influence crayfish size in lakes and streams independent of predator biomass and substratum availability. However, bottom‐up processes do not influence crayfish abundance. Instead, substratum availability (lakes) and interactions between predation and substratum grain size (streams) need to be considered in order to predict crayfish abundance.     

Winter limnology: a comparison of physical,chemical and biological characteristics in two temperate lakes during ice cover

The winter dynamics of several chemical, physical, and biological variables of a shallow, polymictic lake (Opinicon) are compared to those of a deep, nearby dimictic lake (Upper Rock) during ice cover (January to early April) in 1990 and 1991. Both lakes were weakly inversely thermally stratified. Dissolved oxygen concentration was at saturation (11–15 mg l⁻¹) in the top 3 m layer, but declined to near anoxic levels near the sediments. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the deep lake were at saturation in most of the water column and approached anoxic levels near the sediments only. Nutrient concentrations in both lakes were fairly high, and similar in both lakes during ice cover. Total phosphorus concentrations generally ranged between 10–20 μg l⁻¹, NH₄-N between 16–100 μg l⁻¹, and DSi between 0.9–1.9 mg l⁻¹; these concentrations fell within summer ranges. NO₃-N concentrations were between 51–135 μg l⁻¹ during ice cover, but occurred at trace concentrations (<0.002 μg l⁻¹) during the summer. The winter phytoplankton community of both lakes was dominated by flagellates (cryptophytes, chrysophytes) and occasionally diatoms. Dinoflagellates, Cyanobacteria and green algae were poorly represented. Cryptophytes often occurred in fairly high proportions (20–80%) throughout the water column, whereas chrysophytes were more abundant just beneath the ice. Zooplankton population densities were extremely low during ice cover (compared to maximum densities measured in spring or summer) in both lakes, and were comprised largely of copepods.     

Limnological characteristics of lakes located across arctic treeline in northern Russia

Limnological data (e.g., water chemistry, lakewater temperature, vegetation zone and degree of human impact) were collected from lakes spanning the Russian arctic treeline in three regions: on the Taimyr Peninsula and near the mouth of the Lena River, both in central arctic Siberia, and near the mouth of the Pechora River, western arctic Russia. Pearson correlation and canonical variates analyses revealed similar environmental gradients in all three regions. Variables expressing ionic composition of the water (i.e., cations, anions, dissolved inorganic carbon and conductivity) were highly intercorrelated, as were nutrients, chlorophyll a, particulate organic matter and metal (i.e., Fe and Mn) concentrations. Lakewater transparency was related to water colour (i.e., Fe, Mn and dissolved organic carbon) and productivity. Regional differences among the lakes were strong and appeared to reflect differences in geology, hydrology and human impact. For example, Na and Cl concentrations were related to proximity to the ocean in the Lena and Pechora River regions but not in the more inland Taimyr region. Extensive mining and smelting at Norilsk, on the Taimyr Peninsula, has apparently resulted in elevated major ion and metal concentrations in lakes closer to the city. Surface water temperatures, nutrients, and related variables were particularly useful for distinguishing lakes in different vegetation biomes. Forest lakes were typically warmer, with slightly elevated concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Lakes in the forest–tundra zone often had higher concentrations of particulate organic matter, Fe and Mn. Tundra lakes were characterized by low nutrient and DOC concentrations. These data will facilitate the development of models that predict the outcome of future climatic change on arctic and subarctic aquatic ecosystems, as well as provide baseline data for future limnological studies in these remote regions.     

Upper Eocene to Middle Miocene ostracode faunas and paleo-oceanography of the North Coastal Belt,Jamaica, West Indies

The ostracode fauna of the Montpelier Group (Upper Eocene-Middle Miocene) exposed in the western part of the North Coastal Belt of Jamaica contains representatives of three paleo-environments. Allochthonous shelf and littoral species, characterized by abraded carapaces and eye tubercles, and a diverse group of archibenthal (slope) forms are present throughout. Species restricted to the World Ocean Psychrosphere (> 1000 m), notably Bradleya dictyon, Australoecia tipica, Agrenocythere hazelae and Macrocypris spp., first occur in sediments of earliest Miocene age (planktonic foraminiferal zone N4). Their presence establishes a minimum age for the entry into the Cayman Trench of frigid (<8–10°C) water masses drawn from the Atlantic thermohaline stratification.Upper Eocene and Oligocene assemblages are dominated by smooth, blind genera such as Krithe, Messinella and Bythocypris and lived in lower thermospheric conditions (10°C) at or near the base of the thermocline (700– 900 m). During the Early Miocene, downfaulting of the north island slope of Jamaica in response to southward tilting of the Nicaraguan Rise brought the Montpelier depositional site into contact with progressively deeper and colder water-masses. This subsidence culminated in the late Early Miocene; faunas of this age contain large numbers of Bradleya dictyon, Agrenocythere hazelae, Macrocypris sp. 1, Bairdia oarion and Bairdoppilata cassida. They suggest paleodepths of 1500–2000 m and the local presence of a 3–4° water-mass tentatively identified as the North Atlantic deep water. If this interpretation is correct, then the maximum sill-depth and water-mass configuration of the Miocene Cayman Trench have persisted to the present. Middle Miocene assemblages indicate a return to paleodepths of 1000–1500 m heralding the pronounced Upper Miocene to mid-Pleistocene tectonism which elevated Montpelier strata above sea level. An alternative view attributes the Miocene ostracode succession in the Montpelier to episodes in the development of the Atlantic circulation as recognized in the northeast Atlantic.Montpelier deposition took place either on a broad step intervening between the northern edge of the Clarendon Platform and the abyssal basins of the Cayman Trench or on a Tertiary analog of the existing north island slope. These results have emphasized the value of detailed taxonomic and morphologic studies of deep-sea ostracodes in geohistorical reconstruction.     

Oligoelements and isotopic geochemistry: a multidisciplinary approach to the reconstruction of the paleodiet

Man's biological evolution, state of health and lifestyle are closely associated with dietary changes. The methods for acquiring useful information on the diet of our ancestors are an important aspect of anthropological research; hence it was retained interesting to apply the oligoelement and isotopic techniques in parallel on the same sample, in order to compare the two methodologies, construct a complete nutritional picture, and compare the analytical results with the ancient literary sources and with the findings from archaeological excavations.     

Physical and Chemical Limnology of a Subsaline Athalassic Lake in West Greenland

Physical and chemical profiles of a shallow (c. 12-m-deep) subsaline (total dissolved solids 2.3-2.8 g l^–1) closed-basin lake in the continental area of southwestern Greenland are described for the first time. Watercolumn data for every 5th consecutive day between April 20 and October 6, 2001, and continuous recordings of lake water level and meteorological conditions are used to infer controls on contemporary lake functioning, sediment formation and climate-lake interactions. Limnological observations demonstrate the importance of lake-ice formation and its role in haline convection and the development of meromixis. Observed lake cycling suggest that the lake at present is in a state of near-meromixis where stagnant bottom waters de-stratify through deep penetration of weak haline convective cells by the end of June. From this study, the primary reasons the shallow Greenlandic low salinity lakes develop meromixis are:(i) lack of an outflow (ii) meltwater dilution and chemical stratification of surface waters, (iii) insubstantial wind mixing, (iv) a weak winter thermohaline convective cell forced by cryoconcentration, and (v) biogeochemically enhanced solute concentrations near the sediment bed. Throughout the open water period the hydrological balance is dominated by evaporative losses. Lake surface water conductivities change from 2110 to 2890 S cm^–1 due to the combined effects of open water evaporation, meltwater dilution, diffusive exchanges over the seasonal pycnocline, and boundary mixing. Freeze-out of salts and resulting deep haline convection increase overall water column salinity during winter. Owing to deep convective mixing, plant nutrients are relatively high in the upper watercolumn with a dominant internal source of phosphorous. Extreme productivity pulses of phytoplankton are observed as soon as sub-ice radiation levels increase and directly after ice-out when sufficient wind mixing can support an intense monospecific diatom bloom of Diatoma spp. leading to the rapid depletion of dissolved silica.     

Effects of spawning Pacific salmon on the isotopic composition of biota differ among southeast Alaska streams

1. Adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) transport marine nutrients to fresh waters and disturb sediments during spawning. The relative importance of nutrient fertilisation and benthic disturbance by salmon spawners can be modulated by environmental conditions (e.g. biological, chemical and physical conditions in the catchment, including human land use). 2. To determine the importance of the environmental context in modifying the uptake and incorporation of salmon‐derived material into stream biota, we measured the nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotopic composition of benthic algae (i.e. epilithon) and juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in seven streams across a timber‐harvest gradient (8–69% catchment area harvested), both before and during the salmon run. Conditional bootstrap modelling simulations were used to assess variability in the response of epilithon and juvenile coho salmon to spawning salmon. 3. In response to spawning salmon, epilithon exhibited enrichment in both δ¹⁵N (mean: 1.5‰) and δ¹³C (2.3‰). Juvenile coho were also enriched in both δ¹⁵N (0.7‰) and δ¹³C (1.4‰). Conditional bootstrap models indicate decreased variation in data as spatial replication increases, suggesting that the number of study sites can influence the results of Pacific salmon isotope studies. 4. Epilithon isotopic enrichment was predicted by environmental conditions, with δ¹⁵N enrichment predicted by stream temperature and timber harvest (R² = 0.87) and δ¹³C enrichment by discharge, sediment size, timber harvest and spawner density (R² = 0.96). Furthermore, we found evidence for a legacy effect of salmon spawners, with pre‐spawner δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C of both epilithon and juvenile coho predicted by salmon run size in the previous year. 5. Our results show that the degree of incorporation of salmon‐derived nitrogen and carbon differs among streams. Furthermore, the environmental context, including putative legacy effects of spawning salmon, can influence background isotopic concentrations and utilisation of salmon‐derived materials in southeast Alaska salmon streams. Future studies should consider the variation in isotopic composition of stream biota when deciding on the number of study sites and samples needed to generate meaningful results.     

Size-related isotopic trends in some Maastrichtian planktic foraminifera: methodological comparisons, intraspecific variability, and evidence for photosymbiosis

The serial test dissection and sieve fraction methods for determining the pattern of size-related change in oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios are compared using four Late Cretaceous planktic foraminifer species (Racemiguembelina fructicosa, Planoglobulina acervulinoides, Planoglobulina multicamerata, and Pseudoguembelina palpebra) from a subtropical site in the North Atlantic (DSDP Hole 390A). Despite the extra labor required, we identify several clear advantages of the dissection method, including: (1) it provides a means of obtaining size-dependent changes in isotopic signatures that are unequivocally ontogenetic, whereas isotopic variation observed from sieve-separated size fractions could be ontogenetic or ecotypic; (2) the taxonomic identity of smaller sized specimens using the dissection method is unequivocal, whereas species identification is increasingly ambiguous in smaller size fractions using the sieve method; (3) it reveals a greater total range and a greater complexity in the pattern of ontogenetic change in stable isotopic values, whereas the sieve method averages the isotopic signal across the entire ontogenetic range preserved within the whole tests that are used. Our results from serial dissections demonstrate that among the species analyzed, R. fructicosa and P. acervulinoides yield relatively negative adult δ¹⁸O values, a large size-related change in δ¹³C values (1.32 and 2.05‰, respectively), and virtually no correlation between size-related δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values. On this basis we suggest that these were photosymbiotic species that inhabited relatively shallow surface waters. Evidence for photosymbiosis is not as compelling for P. palpebra, as this species yields a 1.06‰ shift in δ¹³C and relatively negative δ¹⁸O values in adult chambers, but much stronger correlation between size-related δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values (r²=0.40) than in R. fructicosa and P. acervulinoides. Planoglobulina multicamerata yields the most positive adult δ¹⁸O values of the species studied, a strong covariance between size-related δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values (r²=0.77), and a 0.97‰ shift in δ¹³C composition during ontogeny. We conclude that this species lacked photosymbionts and migrated to a deeper surface water paleohabitat as it increased in size. Single specimen analyses of tightly constrained size fractions reveal a high degree of intraspecific variation. δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values vary by up to 0.70 and 0.28‰ in R. fructicosa, 1.41 and 0.80‰ in P. acervulinoides, 0.66 and 0.82‰ in P. palpebra, and 0.18 and 0.33‰ in P. multicamerata, respectively. Such a range of isotopic variation has been observed in modern day planktic foraminifer assemblages, and likely results from growth of individuals during different phases of the seasonal cycle and/or the kinetic effect of intraspecific variation in shell calcification rates. As suggested by other investigators, large sample sizes should be analyzed to provide the most reliable correlation of stable isotopic stratigraphic records.     

Whisker isotopic signature depicts migration patterns and multi-year intra- and inter-individual foraging strategies in fur seals

The movement and dietary history of individuals can be studied using stable isotope records in archival keratinous tissues. Here, we present a chronology of temporally fine-scale data on the trophic niche of otariid seals by measuring the isotopic signature of serially sampled whiskers. Whiskers of male Antarctic fur seals breeding at the Crozet Islands showed synchronous and regular oscillations in both their δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values that are likely to represent their annual migrations over the long term (mean 4.8 years). At the population level, male Antarctic fur seals showed substantial variation in both δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values, occupying nearly all the ‘isotopic space’ created by the diversity of potential oceanic habitats (from high Antarctica to the subtropics) and prey (from Antarctic krill to subantarctic and subtropical mesopelagic fishes). At the individual level, whisker isotopic signatures depict a large diversity of foraging strategies. Some seals remained in either subantarctic or Antarctic waters, while the migratory cycle of most animals encompassed a wide latitudinal gradient where they fed on different prey. The isotopic signature of whiskers, therefore, revealed new multi-year foraging strategies of male Antarctic fur seals and is a powerful tool for investigating the ecological niche during cryptic stages of mammals'' life.     

Microbial control of dissolved organic carbon in lakes: research for the future

The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of lakes dominates any budget of organic carbon in these systems. Limnologists are still limited by techniques and particularly by the lack of measurements of rates of microbial transformation and use of this DOC. There are now four different approaches to the study of the microbial control of DOC in lakes. The first is through measurements of the total DOC. Recent advances in measurement with high temperature combustion will likely lead to higher and more consistent measurements in freshwaters than previously. It is possible that a biologically active fraction may be identified. The second approach is through measurements of microbial incorporation and respiration of ¹⁴C-labeled organic matter. The kinetics of this process are well known but advances in measurement of the size of the substrate pool are still being made. The third approach is to use bacterial growth in batch or continuous flow experiments in order to understand how much of the total DOC can be decomposed by microbes. The assay in this approach may be microbial growth (thymidine incorporation, biomass changes) or change in the DOC (total concentrations, specific compounds, or fractions of the DOC by molecular weight). These methods are promising but are not developed enough for routine use. For example, growth measurements in the laboratory are all subject to experimental artifacts caused by changes in the DOC and in the bacterial populations. Finally, the fourth approach is through the use of isotopes of the natural DOC. In the sea this approach has given the age of the bulk DOC (¹⁴C data). In freshwaters it has great potential for differentiating between bacterial use of terrestrial DOC vs. use of algal-derived DOC (13C data). Stable isotopes are also useful for experimentally labeling DOC produced by algae and following the use of this material by bacteria.     

Mongolian salt lakes: some features of their geography,thermal patterns,chemistry and biology

There are >3500 lakes of area >0.1 km² in Mongolia. Most have salinities >1 g 1^–1 Of these saline lakes, 12 have areas > 50 km² each, 10, areas > 100 km², and 2, areas > 1000 km². Limnological investigations of salt lakes include morphometric studies, and investigations of bottom sediments, thermal regimes, chemical features, and biological (including fish) characteristics. Data from these investigations now provide a much clearer picture of the limnology of saline lakes in central Asia.     

Sources and fates of dissolved organic carbon in lakes as determined by whole-lake carbon isotope additions

Four whole-lake inorganic ¹³C addition experiments were conducted in lakes of differing trophic status. Inorganic ¹³C addition enriched algal carbon in ¹³C and changed the C-DOC by +1.5‰ to +9.5‰, depending on the specific lake. This change in C-DOC represented a significant input of algal DOC that was not completely consumed by bacteria. We modeled the dynamics in C-DOC to estimate the fluxes of algal and terrestrial carbon to and from the DOC pool, and determine the composition of the standing stock. Two experiments in lightly stained, oligotrophic lakes indicated that algal production was the source of about 20% of the DOC pool. In the following year, the experiment was repeated in one of these lakes under conditions of nutrient enrichment, and in a third, more humic lake. Algal contributions to the DOC pool were 40% in the nutrient enriched lake and 5% in the more humic lake. Spectroscopic and elemental analyses corroborated the presence of increased algal DOC in the nutrient enriched lake. Natural abundance measurements of the C of DOC in 32 lakes also revealed the dual contributions of both terrestrial and algal carbon to DOC. From these results, we suggest an approach for inferring the contribution of algal and terrestrial DOC using easily measurable parameters.