An annual cycle,at constant temperature,in a model sandy beach. II. Microbial biology

A model sandy beach successfully mimicking the natural environment has been operated under controlled conditions at a constant temperature (5°C, representative of British winter coastal sea-water temperatures) for a year. During this time the bacterial population of the sand and inundating sea water has been enumerated. Bacterial numbers were highest near the high and low water marks and had a minimum in between on the beach slope; they decreased with depth in the sand profile and showed little variation with time. A number of the bacteria were isolated from the sand system and a preliminary classification attempted. The results are discussed in relation to the meagre literature pertaining to the microbial biology of natural marine sandy beaches.     

Orientation of the sand-beach amphipod, Orchestoidea corniculata

Laboratory experiments demonstrated that Orchestoidea corniculata, a sand-beach amphipod, can orient to slopes of only 3°. Studies suggest they reach the upper interdial zone where they burrow by moving up a wet slope or down a dry slope. When they emerge from the sand at night, however, they either reverse this response or show no response to slope. This behaviour, enhanced by a preference for wet, surface sand, would account for the initial seaward movement observed in the field. Behavioural variations among differing segments of the population were investigated. Three additional beach inhabitants oriented to slope, thus indicating the mechanism of slope orientation as a possible generalization in the beach habitat.     

Climate change and sea turtles: a 150-year reconstruction of incubation temperatures at a major marine turtle rookery

Sea turtles show temperature dependent sex determination. Using an empirical relationship between sand and air temperature, we reconstructed the nest temperatures since 1855 at Ascension Island, a major green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookery. Our results show that inter‐beach thermal variations, previously ascribed to the albedo of the sand, which varies hugely from one beach to another, have persisted for the last century. Reconstructed nest temperatures varied by only 0.5 °C on individual beaches over the course of the nesting season, while the temperature difference between two key nesting beaches was always around 3 °C. Hence inter‐beach thermal variations are the main factor causing a large range of incubation temperatures at this rookery. There was a general warming trend for nests, with a mean increase in reconstructed nest temperatures for different months of between 0.36 and 0.49 °C for the last 100 years.     

海岸红树林地沙丘移动对林内大型底栖动物的影响

沙丘在广西北海大冠沙白骨壤红树林内的移动,破碎了原有的平滩,形成了埋没滩、过渡滩、侵蚀滩３种沙化滩涂生境。比较研究了不同滩涂生境间大型底栖动物群落的差异。结果表明：除藤壶外,研究地点共有大型底栖动物３１种。平滩跟其它滩涂生境间的动物群落相似度都小于０．５,表明沙丘移动使原有底栖动物群落异质化。沙化不仅使原有底栖动物群落的种类、密度和生物量分别下降了３５．１％,７４．６８％和８９．７６％,而且还降低     

Hierarchy of sun,beach slope,and landmarks as cues for Y-axis orientation of the supratidal amphipod Talorchestia longicornis (Say)

The semi-terrestrial amphipod Talorchestia longicornis (Say) undergoes Y-axis orientation and has a hierarchy among orientation cues. A previous study found that they used sun compass orientation and moved in the onshore direction of the home beach in both air and water. The present study determined whether this species could also use local landmarks and beach slope as orientation cues. They oriented upslope in simulated darkness in the laboratory on both dry and wet sand with threshold slopes of 2° and 4°, respectively. When tested outside in an arena in air on wet sand, they were disoriented when sun, slope, and landmarks were absent as cues. If presented with single cues, they moved upslope, toward landmarks and in the up-beach direction of the home beach during sun compass orientation. Using paired cues, sun was dominant over slope and landmarks, while slope was dominant over landmarks. In the presence of all three cues, amphipods displayed sun compass orientation in all test combinations except when slope and landmarks were paired together against the sun, which evoked a bimodal response. Thus, the hierarchy of cues for up-beach movement of T. longicornis during Y-axis orientation is the sun, then the slope, and finally the landmarks.     

Beach erosion and nest site selection by the leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea (Testudines: Dermochelyidae) and implications for management practices at Playa Gandoca, Costa Rica

Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) nest on dynamic, erosion-prone beaches. Erosive processes and resulting nest loss have long been presumed to be a hindrance to clutch survival. In order to better understand how leatherbacks cope with unstable nesting beaches, I investigated the role of beach erosion in leatherback nest site selection at Playa Gandoca, Costa Rica. I also examined the potential effect of nest relocation, a conservation strategy in place at Playa Gandoca to prevent nest loss to erosion, on the temperature of incubating clutches. I monitored changes in beach structure as a result of erosion at natural nest sites during the time the nest was laid, as well as in subsequent weeks. To investigate slope as a cue for nest site selection, I measured the slope of the beach where turtles ascended from the sea to nest, as well as the slopes at other random locations on the beach for comparison. I examined temperature differences between natural and relocated nest sites with thermocouples placed in the sand at depths typical of leatherback nests. Nests were distributed non-randomly in a clumped distribution along the length of the beach and laid at locations that were not undergoing erosion. The slope at nest sites was significantly different than at randomly chosen locations on the beach. The sand temperature at nest depths was significantly warmer at natural nest sites than at locations of relocated nests. The findings of this study suggest leatherbacks actively select nest sites that are not undergoing erosive processes, with slope potentially being used as a cue for site selection. The relocation of nests appears to be inadvertently cooling the nest environment. Due to the fact that leatherback clutches undergo temperature-dependent sex determination, the relocation of nests may be producing an unnatural male biasing of hatchlings. The results of this study suggest that the necessity of relocation practices, largely in place to protect nests from erosion, should be reevaluated to ensure the proper conservation of this critically endangered species.     

Zur Kenntnis vonDiurodrilus subterraneus (Polychaeta,Dinophilidae) aus dem Sandhang der Nordseeinsel Sylt

Diurodrilus subterraneus Remane, is a typical inhabitant of the zone of temporarily damp sand on the middle and upper beach slope. The organization of the species as observed in the intertidal sands of the Island of Sylt (North Sea) is redescribed.     

Microclimate modelling of beach sand temperatures reveals high spatial and temporal variation at sea turtle rookeries

The continual development of ecological models and availability of high-resolution gridded climate surfaces have stimulated studies that link climate variables to functional traits of organisms. A primary constraint of these studies is the ability to reliably predict the microclimate that an organism experiences using macroscale climate inputs. This is particularly important in regions where access to empirical information is limited. Here, we contrast correlative models based on both ambient and sea surface temperatures to mechanistic modelling approaches to predict beach sand temperatures at depths relevant to sea turtle nesting. We show that mechanistic models are congruent with correlative models at predicting sand temperatures. We used these predictions to explore thermal variation across 46 mainland and island beaches that span the geographical range of sea turtle nesting in Western Australia. Using high resolution gridded climate surfaces and site-specific soil reflectance, we predict almost 9 °C variation in average annual temperatures between beaches, and nearly 10 °C variation in average temperatures during turtle nesting seasons. Validation of models demonstrated that predictions were typically within 2 °C of observations and, although most sites had high correlations (r² > 0.7), predictive capacity varied between sites. An advantage of the mechanistic model demonstrated here is that it can be used to explore the impacts of climate change on sea turtle nesting beach temperatures as, unlike correlative models, it can be forced with novel combinations of environmental variables.     

江苏省海滩植被演替的研究

江苏省海滩植被可分为滨海盐土植被、盐沼植被及海滩沙生植被三个基本类型。本文论述了这些植被类型的演替规律。滨海盐土植被与盐沼植被的演替,外因于土壤盐分含量递减与有机质含量的递增;海滩沙生植被的演替,外因于土壤沙颗粒大小及其相应的土壤含水量的变化,所以海滩植被演替为外因动态演替。     

Shading and Watering as a Tool to Mitigate the Impacts of Climate Change in Sea Turtle Nests

Increasing sand temperatures resulting from climate change may negatively impact sea turtle nests by altering sex ratios and decreasing reproductive output. We analyzed the effect of nest shading and watering on sand temperatures as climate mitigation strategies in a beach hatchery at Playa Grande, Costa Rica. We set up plots and placed thermocouples at depths of 45cm and 75cm. Half of the plots were shaded and half were exposed to the sun. Within these exposure treatments, we applied three watering treatments over one month, replicating local climatic conditions experienced in this area. We also examined gravimetric water content of sand by collecting sand samples the day before watering began, the day after watering was complete, and one month after completion. Shading had the largest impact on sand temperature, followed by watering and depth. All watering treatments lowered sand temperature, but the effect varied with depth. Temperatures in plots that received water returned to control levels within 10 days after watering stopped. Water content increased at both depths in the two highest water treatments, and 30 days after the end of water application remained higher than plots with low water. While the impacts of watering on sand temperature dissipate rapidly after the end of application, the impacts on water content are much more lasting. Although less effective at lowering sand temperatures than shading, watering may benefit sea turtle clutches by offsetting negative impacts of low levels of rain in particularly dry areas. Prior to implementing such strategies, the natural conditions at the location of interest (e.g. clutch depth, environmental conditions, and beach characteristics) and natural hatchling sex ratios should be taken into consideration. These results provide insight into the effectiveness of nest shading and watering as climate mitigation techniques and illustrate important points of consideration in the crafting of such strategies.     

Influence of Land Use,Nutrients, and Geography on Microbial Communities and Fecal Indicator Abundance at Lake Michigan Beaches

Microbial communities within beach sand play a key role in nutrient cycling and are important to the nearshore ecosystem function. Escherichia coli and enterococci, two common indicators of fecal pollution, have been shown to persist in the beach sand, but little is known about how microbial community assemblages are related to these fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) reservoirs. We examined eight beaches across a geographic gradient and range of land use types and characterized the indigenous community structure in the water and the backshore, berm, and submerged sands. FIB were found at similar levels in sand at beaches adjacent to urban, forested, and agricultural land and in both the berm and backshore. However, there were striking differences in the berm and backshore microbial communities, even within the same beach, reflecting the very different environmental conditions in these beach zones in which FIB can survive. In contrast, the microbial communities in a particular beach zone were similar among beaches, including at beaches on opposite shores of Lake Michigan. The differences in the microbial communities that did exist within a beach zone correlated to nutrient levels, which varied among geographic locations. Total organic carbon and total phosphorus were higher in Wisconsin beach sand than in beach sand from Michigan. Within predominate genera, fine-scale sequence differences could be found that distinguished the populations from the two states, suggesting a biogeographic effect. This work demonstrates that microbial communities are reflective of environmental conditions at freshwater beaches and are able to provide useful information regarding long-term anthropogenic stress.     

Ooids from Turkey and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean and a love-story of Antony and Cleopatra

Summary Cleopatra’s beach is one of the most famous in Turkey for its distinctive white sand, composed largely of ooids. Legend has it that the Roman leader, Mark Antony, had this sand shipped from Alexandria in Egypt to create a beach for his lower Cleopatra, on Sedir Island in G?kova Bay, SE Aegean Sea. This study examines the reality of this leagend from a comparison of the oolitic sand from Cleopatra’s beach in Turkey with oolitic sand from the coast west of Alexandria in Egypt, the home city of Cleopatra, and only place in the Mediterranea where Holocene ooids occur in abundance. The ooids on Cleopatra’s beach gave a pale browncreamy colour and dull surface texture. Most grains are spherical, with nuclei of terrigenous grains, peloids and bioclasts. The Cleopatra ooids have all the features typical of high-energy, shallow-marine ‘classic” ooids, but they occur in a very low energy bay and shown evidence of being out place there (microborings, discolouration, dull surface). In terms of size, shape, cortex fabric and mineralogy, the Cleopatra ooids show great similarities to those from the northern coast of Egypt, west of Alexandria. The Alexandria ooids examined have a white-cream colour with a high polish, although there are fewer silicate nuclei compared to the Cleopatra ooids. On the basis of textures and microfabrics, the hydrographic conditions at G?kova bay, the relatively small quantity of oolitic sand in this tiny pocket beach and the absence of this type of sand any-where else in Turkey, it is concluded that the oolitic sand was brought to Cleopatra’s beach from somewhere else, and that the northern Egyptian coast was the most likely source. This lends credence to the Antony and Cleopatra story. Calculations suggest that some 15 Roman corn barges would have been required to transport the quantity of sand now present on the beach in Turkey.     

Fine-scale thermal adaptation in a green turtle nesting population

The effect of climate warming on the reproductive success of ectothermic animals is currently a subject of major conservation concern. However, for many threatened species, we still know surprisingly little about the extent of naturally occurring adaptive variation in heat-tolerance. Here, we show that the thermal tolerances of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) embryos in a single, island-breeding population have diverged in response to the contrasting incubation temperatures of nesting beaches just a few kilometres apart. In natural nests and in a common-garden rearing experiment, the offspring of females nesting on a naturally hot (black sand) beach survived better and grew larger at hot incubation temperatures compared with the offspring of females nesting on a cooler (pale sand) beach nearby. These differences were owing to shallower thermal reaction norms in the hot beach population, rather than shifts in thermal optima, and could not be explained by egg-mediated maternal effects. Our results suggest that marine turtle nesting behaviour can drive adaptive differentiation at remarkably fine spatial scales, and have important implications for how we define conservation units for protection. In particular, previous studies may have underestimated the extent of adaptive structuring in marine turtle populations that may significantly affect their capacity to respond to environmental change.     

Microbes in beach sands: integrating environment,ecology and public health

Beach sand is a habitat that supports many microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa (micropsammon). The apparently inhospitable conditions of beach sand environments belie the thriving communities found there. Physical factors, such as water availability and protection from insolation; biological factors, such as competition, predation, and biofilm formation; and nutrient availability all contribute to the characteristics of the micropsammon. Sand microbial communities include autochthonous species/phylotypes indigenous to the environment. Allochthonous microbes, including fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and waterborne pathogens, are deposited via waves, runoff, air, or animals. The fate of these microbes ranges from death, to transient persistence and/or replication, to establishment of thriving populations (naturalization) and integration in the autochthonous community. Transport of the micropsammon within the habitat occurs both horizontally across the beach, and vertically from the sand surface and ground water table, as well as at various scales including interstitial flow within sand pores, sediment transport for particle-associated microbes, and the large-scale processes of wave action and terrestrial runoff. The concept of beach sand as a microbial habitat and reservoir of FIB and pathogens has begun to influence our thinking about human health effects associated with sand exposure and recreational water use. A variety of pathogens have been reported from beach sands, and recent epidemiology studies have found some evidence of health risks associated with sand exposure. Persistent or replicating populations of FIB and enteric pathogens have consequences for watershed/beach management strategies and regulatory standards for safe beaches. This review summarizes our understanding of the community structure, ecology, fate, transport, and public health implications of microbes in beach sand. It concludes with recommendations for future work in this vastly under-studied area.     

不同立地类型和土壤类型对"裕丹参"生长和有效成分含量的影响

采用大田种植和盆栽方法,分别研究了不同的立地类型(平地、阳坡、阴坡和坡地)和土壤类型(砂土、壤土和黏土)对产自河南省方城县的"裕丹参"(Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge)生长和有效成分含量的影响效应.结果表明:在不同立地条件下,"裕丹参"的各项生长和根系产量指标以及根系中丹参酮ⅡA和丹酚酸B含量均有明显差异.随种植时间的延长,平地、阳坡和坡地种植的"裕丹参"单株地上部干质量均逐渐降低,而阴坡种植的单株地上部干质量先升高后逐渐降低;但在不同立地类型下,单株根系干质量和丹酚酸B含量均随种植时间的延长逐渐升高,而丹参酮ⅡA含量则先降低后升高.采收期,平地种植的"裕丹参"的单株地上部干质量、单株根系干质量和鲜质量以及根系鲜产量均最高,平地和坡地种植的"裕丹参"根直径较大,阳坡种植的"裕丹参"根长最长,阳坡和坡地种植的"裕丹参"单株根数、根系中丹参酮ⅡA和丹酚酸B含量也较高,而阴坡种植的"裕丹参"的各项生长和根系产量指标以及丹参酮ⅡA和丹酚酸B含量均最低.在不同类型土壤中,"裕丹参"的根系性状和根系中丹参酮ⅡA和丹酚酸B含量总体上差异显著,其中,用砂土种植的"裕丹参"的根直径、根长、单株根系鲜质量和干质量以及根系中丹参酮ⅡA和丹酚酸B含量均最高,但单株根数最少;用黏土种植的"裕丹参"根系生长总体最差,但单株根数最多;用壤土种植的"裕丹参"根系中丹参酮ⅡA和丹酚酸B含量则最低.综合研究结果显示:"裕丹参"适宜种植于砂土的坡地或阳坡.     

Sandblasting as a possible factor controlling the distribution of plants on a coastal dune system

Intensity of the abrasive effect of wind-borne sand – sandblasting – in addition to other environmental factors was measured at two vegetation zones on a sandy beach and one site at an inland area. One zone on the beach included foredunes sparsely vegetated by dune species such as Carex kobomugi and Calystegia soldanella. The other zone which was located ∼50 m inland from the first zone was flat grassland dominated by inland species such as Miscanthus sinensis and Imperata cylindrica var. Koenigii. The inland site consisted of short grassland located 3 km inland from the beach. Intensity of sandblasting was estimated by the whiteness of a transparent plastic sheet exposed to the air for 2 weeks. This sheet turned whitely opaque when it was abraded by wind-borne sand. The other environmental factors measured at the beach were intensity of salt spray, soil water content, soil salinity, and sand accumulation, while intensity of salt spray was the only additional factor measured at the inland site. Intensity of sandblasting was considerably higher at the foredune zone, while that at the grassland zone was as low as that at the inland site. Considerable salt spray was detected at the foredune and grassland zones. Differences in other environmental factors were small between the two zones on the beach. In order to compare the difference in tolerance to sandblasting, a jet of sand was applied to one ordinary species, C. kobomugi, from the foredune and two species, M. sinensis and I. cylindrica, from the grassland zone. The difference in tolerance was determined by the decrease in the area of green leaf after applying sandblasting with commercial sandblaster and/or spraying with sea water. M. sinensis and I. cylindrica lost much of the leaf area after sandblasting and salt spraying, while C. kobomugi lost little. These results indicated that one of the characteristic environmental factors of a foredune is the high intensity of sandblasting accompanied by salt spray, and that species found in the foredune are more tolerant to sandblasting than species distributing in more inland areas.     

Spatial and Temporal Variation in Enterococcal Abundance and Its Relationship to the Microbial Community in Hawaii Beach Sand and Water

Recent studies have reported high levels of fecal indicator enterococci in marine beach sand. This study aimed to determine the spatial and temporal variation of enterococcal abundance and to evaluate its relationships with microbial community parameters in Hawaii beach sand and water. Sampling at 23 beaches on the Island of Oahu detected higher levels of enterococci in beach foreshore sand than in beach water on a mass unit basis. Subsequent 8-week consecutive samplings at two selected beaches (Waialae and Kualoa) consistently detected significantly higher levels of enterococci in backshore sand than in foreshore/nearshore sand and beach water. Comparison between the abundance of enterococci and the microbial communities showed that enterococci correlated significantly with total Vibrio in all beach zones but less significantly with total bacterial density and Escherichia coli. Samples from the different zones of Waialae beach were sequenced by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing to determine the microbial community structure and diversity. The backshore sand had a significantly more diverse community and contained different major bacterial populations than the other beach zones, which corresponded to the spatial distribution pattern of enterococcal abundance. Taken together, multiple lines of evidence support the possibility of enterococci as autochthonous members of the microbial community in Hawaii beach sand.     

Rocky shore-gravelly beach transition, and storm/post-storm changes of a holocene gravelly beach (Kos island, Aegean sea): Stratigraphic significance

Summary  On Kos island, Greece, along an investigated coastal segment 3 km in length, four adjacent sectors were distinguished, (1) Empros beach, a rocky shore with plunging cliffs and a steeply dipping, submarine talus, (2) Thermi beach, a „coarse-clastic beach” with a subaerial cliff fringed by a bouldery to coarse gravelly beach with poorly developed zonation, (3) Dimitra beach, a gravelly beach with well-developed zonation, and (4) Phokas beach, a gravelly beach characterized by finer mean grain size. The lateral variation in Holocene coastal morphology would lead to different transgressive records: „rapid” sea-level rise that may be suggested by transgression of the rocky shore is contemporaneous with „gradual” rise recorded by transgression of the gravelly beaches. Dimitra beach is an about 500 m long, cuspate, microtidal, wave-dominated gravelly beach. From land offshore, in its fairweather configuration it shows

The geological effects of hurricanes on coral reefs and the interpretation of storm deposits

Hurricanes occur in belts 7° to 25° north and south of the equator. Reefs growing in these belts suffer periodic damage from hurricane-generated waves and storm surge. Corals down to 20m depth may be broken and removed, branching colonies being much more susceptible to breakage than upright massive forms. Sand cays may be washed away and former storm ridges may migrate to leeward across reef flats to link with islands. Reef crest and reef front coral debris accumulate as talus at the foot of the fore-reef slope, on submarine terraces and grooves, on the intertidal reef flat as storm ridges of shingle or boulders and isolated blocks of reef framework, as accreting beach ridges of leeward migrating shingle, as lobes and wedges of debris in back-reef lagoons, as drapes of carbonate sand and mud in deep off-reef locations in the fore-reef and lagoonal areas. In addition to the coarse debris deposited, other features may aid the recognition of former hurricane events, including the assemblage of reef biota, its species composition and the structure of the skeletons; graded internal sediments in framework cavities; characteristic sequences of encrusting organisms; characteristic shapes of reef flat microatoll corals; and submarine cement crusts over truncated reef surfaces. The abundance of reef flat storm deposits whose ages cluster around 3000–4000 y BP in certain parts of the world most likely relate to a slight fall in relative sea level rather than an increase in storminess during that period. A higher frequency of storms need not result in more reef flat storm deposits. The violence of the storm relative to normal fair-weather conditions influences the extent of damage; the length of time since the previous major storm influences the amount of coral debris created; the length of time after the hurricane, and before a subsequent storm influences the degree of stabilization of reef-top storm deposits and hence their chances of preservation.