The diatom flora of the Salton Sea, California

We report on diatom species of the Salton Sea, a highly saline (43 g l^–1) inland lake in California. We identified and photographed all diatom taxa encountered in the phytoplankton and benthos of the Salton Sea and its immediate tributaries. Ninety-four taxa were distinguished based on their morphological features using light- and electron microscopy. In the Salton Sea, there are four general categories of diatom assemblages related to their habitats: (1) A planktonic assemblage composed of Chaetoceros muelleri var. subsalsum, Cyclotella choctawhatcheeana, Cyclotella sp., Cylindrotheca closterium, Pleurosigma ambrosianum, Thalassionema sp.; (2) a benthic assemblage with diatoms that live on the bottom (e.g. genera Caloneis, Diploneis, Entomoneis, Gyrosigma, Plagiotropis, Pleurosigma, Surirella and Tryblionella), or in algal mats (Proschkinia bulnheimii, several species of Navicula and Seminavis gracilenta); (3) an epiphytic community attached to the macroscopic green algae which grow on the rocks and other hard surfaces near shore (e.g. Achnanthes brevipes, Licmophora ehrenbergii, Tabularia parva); and (4) a freshwater assemblage composed of species that get washed in by the rivers and other inflows discharging into the Sea (e.g. Achnanthidium minutissimum, Cocconeis pediculus, Cyclotella atomus, C. scaldensis, Nitzschia elegantula, T. weissflogii). The most striking feature of the phytoplankton is the abundance of species formerly known only from marine environments; this is not surprising given the high salinity and the peculiar history of the lake.     

Transport and distribution of trace elements and other selected inorganic constituents by suspended particulates in the Salton Sea Basin, California, 2001

In order to examine the transport of contaminants associated with river-derived suspended particles in the Salton Sea, California, large volume water samples were collected in transects established along the three major rivers emptying into the Salton Sea in fall 2001. Rivers in this area carry significant aqueous and particulate contaminant loads derived from irrigation water associated with the extensive agricultural activity, as well as wastewater from small and large municipalities. A variety of inorganic constituents, including trace metals, nutrients, and organic carbon were analyzed on suspended material isolated from water samples collected at upriver, near-shore, and off-shore sites established on the Alamo, New, and Whitewater rivers. Concentration patterns showed expected trends, with river-borne metals becoming diluted by organic-rich algal particles of lacustrine origin in off-shore stations. More soluble metals, such as cadmium, copper, and zinc showed a more even distribution between sites in the rivers and off-shore in the lake basin. General distributional trends of trace elements between particulate and aqueous forms were discerned by combining metal concentration data for particulates from this study with historical aqueous metals data. Highly insoluble trace metals, such as iron and aluminum, occurred almost entirely in the particulate phase, while major cations and approximately 95% of selenium were transported in the soluble phase. Evidence for greater reducing conditions in the New compared to the Alamo River was provided by the greater proportion of reduced (soluble) manganese in the New River. Evidence of bioconcentration of selenium and arsenic within the lake by algae was provided by calculating “enrichment” concentration ratios from metal concentrations on the algal-derived particulate samples and the off-shore sites. Guest editor: S. H. Hurlbert The Salton Sea Centennial Symposium. Proceedings of a Symposium Celebrating a Century of Symbiosis Among Agriculture, Wildlife and People, 1905–2005, held in San Diego, California, USA, March 2005 Roy A. Schroeder—Retired.     

Summer movements of desert pupfish among habitats at the Salton Sea

Summer movement behavior of native desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius Baird and Girard) was evaluated among various habitats around the Salton Sea, located in southern California. Agricultural drains, shoreline pools, and Salt Creek were sampled six times between June 28 and September 16, 1999. Collected pupfish were marked using fluorescent elastomer implants. Unique marks were used at each site. Movements were detected from locations of recaptured pupfish. Desert pupfish were found in 10 of 12 sites sampled. Of 3239 pupfish captured during the study, 278 were recaptures, including 27 recaptures at areas different from where they were initially marked. The best evidence of pupfish movements was in the southwestern area of the Salton Sea between a drain and a connected shoreline pool. Movements were also observed from lower Salt Creek into a shoreline pool at the mouth of the creek as the water level dropped. The use of the Salton Sea as a migration corridor between habitats was not documented during this short study. The marking technique was successful and showed promise for future mark and recapture studies of desert pupfish.     

Properties and distribution of sediment in the Salton Sea,California: an assessment of predictive models

The Salton Sea is the largest lake, on a surface area basis, in California (939 km²). Although saline (>44 g/l) and shallow (mean depth approximately 9.7 m), it provides valuable habitat for a number of endangered species. The distribution of sediments and their properties within the Salton Sea are thought to have significant influence on benthic ecology and water quality. Sediment properties and their distribution were quantified and compared with predicted distributions using several sediment distribution models. Sediment samples (n = 90) were collected using a regular staggered-start sampling grid and analyzed for water content, organic carbon (C), calcium carbonate, total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), organic phosphorus, and other properties. Water content, total N, and total and organic P concentrations were all highly correlated with organic C content. The organic C concentration showed a non-linear increase with depth, with low organic C contents (typically 1–2%) present in sediments found in depths up to 9 m, followed by a strong increase in organic C at greater depths (to about 12% at 15 m depth). The models of Hakanson, Rowan et al., Blais and Kalff, and Carper and Bachmann yielded very different predicted critical depths for accumulation (10.5–22.8 m) and areas of accumulation (0–49.5%). Hakanson’s dynamic ratio model more reasonably reproduced the observed zone of elevated organic C concentrations in the Salton Sea than either exposure- or slope-based equations. Wave theory calculations suggest that strong winds occurring less than 1% of the time are sufficient to minimize accumulation of organic matter in sediments that lie at depths less than 9 m in this system. Guest editor: S. H. Hurlbert The Salton Sea Centennial Symposium. Proceedings of a Symposium Celebrating a Century of Symbiosis Among Agriculture, Wildlife and People, 1905–2005, held in San Diego, California, USA, March 2005     

Chemical and physical characteristics of the Salton Sea, California

A 1-year sampling program was conducted to assess current chemical and physical conditions in the Salton Sea. Analyses included general physical conditions and a suite of water quality parameters, including nutrients, trophic state variables, major cations and anions, trace metals and organic compounds. Samples were collected from three locations in the main body of the lake and from the three major tributaries. Nutrient concentrations in the Salton Sea are high and lead to frequent algal blooms, which in turn contribute to low dissolved oxygen concentrations. The tributaries consist primarily of agricultural return flows with high nutrient levels. Concentrations of trace metals and organic compounds do not appear to be of major concern. Two geochemical models, PHRQPITZ and PHREEQC, were used to evaluate potential chemical reactions limiting the solubility of selected water quality variables. Modeling indicated that the Salton Sea is supersaturated with respect to calcite, gypsum, and other minerals. Precipitation of these minerals may serve as a sink for phosphorus and limit the rate of salt accumulation in the Salton Sea.     

Chemical evolution of the Salton Sea, California: nutrient and selenium dynamics

The Salton Sea is a 1000-km² terminal lake located in the desert area of southeastern California. This saline (44000 mg l^–1 dissolved solids) lake started as fresh water in 1905–07 by accidental flooding of the Colorado River, and it is maintained by agricultural runoff of irrigation water diverted from the Colorado River. The Salton Sea and surrounding wetlands have recently acquired substantial ecological importance because of the death of large numbers of birds and fish, and the establishment of a program to restore the health of the Sea. In this report, we present new data on the salinity and concentration of selected chemicals in the Salton Sea water, porewater and sediments, emphasizing the constituents of concern: nutrients (N and P), Se and salinity. Chemical profiles from a Salton Sea core estimated to have a sedimentation rate of 2.3 mm yr^–1 show increasing concentrations of OC, N, and P in younger sediment that are believed to reflect increasing eutrophication of the lake. Porewater profiles from two locations in the Sea show that diffusion from bottom sediment is only a minor source of nutrients to the overlying water as compared to irrigation water inputs. Although loss of N and Se by microbial-mediated volatilization is possible, comparison of selected element concentrations in river inputs and water and sediments from the Salton Sea indicates that most of the N (from fertilizer) and virtually all of the Se (delivered in irrigation water from the Colorado River) discharged to the Sea still reside within its bottom sediment. Laboratory simulation on mixtures of sediment and water from the Salton Sea suggest that sediment is a potential source of N and Se to the water column under aerobic conditions. Hence, it is important that any engineered changes made to the Salton Sea for remediation or for transfer of water out of the basin do not result in remobilization of nutrients and Se from the bottom sediment into the overlying water.     

Biology and migration of Eared Grebes at the Salton Sea

The Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis Brehm) is the North American bird species most closely associated with highly saline habitats, and in winter and early spring it is the most abundant waterbird at the Salton Sea. During the fall, the great majority of the North American population stages at hypersaline lakes in the Great Basin, departing in early winter for wintering areas in southern California and Mexico, principally in the central Gulf of California. On the northward return flight, nearly all the population passes through the Salton Sea, where concentrations of >1 million have been reported in February–March. After staging for several weeks, grebes leave in March–April and migrate toward breeding grounds in the northern United States and southern Canada. The Sea's development as the species' major spring staging area may be as recent as the 1960s, and presumably awaited the establishment of appropriate prey populations of marine worms. In the past decades, two major dieoffs at the Sea each resulted in the undiagnosed death of tens of thousands of birds. Whether the cause(s) are endemic to the Sea or involve the grebes' migration routes and stopover locations is unknown. Because of problems in estimating numbers, the significance of these mortality events is hard to evaluate. Population trends are better studied at fall staging areas, especially Mono Lake, where population turnover is inconsequential, grebes are virtually the only species present, and numbers can be ascertained by aerial photography.     

Evidence for salt diffusion from sediments contributing to increasing salinity in the Salton Sea, California

Geochemical investigations of interstitial waters from the Salton Sea, CA reveal evidence of concentrated brines in the sediments underlying the lakes two basins. The brines are likely caused by the gradual dissolution of evaporite deposits. The chemical composition of the brine in the northern basin is dominated by magnesium and sulfate and differs from the southern basin where the dominant components are sodium and chloride. Sediment depth distributions of major ions and porosity indicate diffusion of salts from the sediments into the overlying waters in both basins. Benthic fluxes have been calculated for the four most abundant ions: magnesium, sodium, sulfate and chloride. For the northern basin we calculate diffusive fluxes of 3.7 × 10^–2, 8.2 × 10^–2, 44 × 10^–2, and 5.4 × 10^–2 g cm^–2 yr^–1 for magnesium, sodium, sulfate and chloride, respectively. For the southern basin we calculate diffusive fluxes of 0.9 × 10^–2, 9.7 × 10^–2, 6.9 × 10^–2, and 25 × 10^–2 g cm^–2 yr^–1 for these same ions. By scaling up our results we estimate the salinity flux from the sediment to the water column to be between 3.6 × 10⁴ and 3.6 × 10⁵metric tons per year, equivalent to 1–10% of the riverine input. These results are important for developing strategies to combat rising salinity in the Salton Sea, CA.     

应用GPS与GIS技术进行暗针叶林生态系统样地分析

高海拔地区原始林调查一直难度较大 .采用GPS与GIS技术结合 ,不但便于设置与恢复样地 ,而且还能够比较精确地展现样地空间特征及其中乔木的空间分布格局 .将快速静态定位与局部皮尺检测相结合 ,除个别点偏差较大外 ,定位相对比较精确 ,RMS平均为 2 .84 ,平均三维系统误差分别为 :△B =1 .2m ,△L =1 .2m ,△H =4 .3m ,均方差分别是± 0 .6 ,± 1 .1 ,± 2 1 .1 ,能够满足于森林经营与管理的需要 .GIS分析表明 ,暗针叶林生态系统主林冠层的郁闭度不能完全刻画出树冠对降雨的再分配作用 .该方法充分展示了“2S”技术在小尺度森林生态系统管理中的应用潜力 ,尤其是在海拔较高 ,不便于进行航空、航天测量和常规测量的地区     

Invertebrates of the Salton Sea: a scanning electron microscopy portfolio

Scanning electron microphotographs of 16 Salton Sea invertebrate species are presented within this portfolio. A wide spectrum of invertebrates was investigated including foraminiferans, a flatworm, a rotifer, annelids, crustaceans and insects. Additional information is provided on the morphology and function of structures visible in the images.     

Salinity tolerance of the copepod Apocyclops dengizicus (Lepeschkin, 1900), a key food chain organism in the Salton Sea,California

The copepod Apocyclops dengizicus is a key item in the food chain of the Salton Sea where the salinity is currently 45 g 1^–1. The salinity of the Salton Sea may reach 90 g 1 ^–1 within the next 20 years. This study examined the salinity tolerance of this copepod.Large copepodite and adult A. dengizicus were introduced into various salinities with and without acclimation. The 96 h LC₅₀ without acclimation was 101 g 1^–1. Mortality (at 96 h) without acclimation was low at salinities of 90 g 1 ^–1 or less.Copepod cultures were maintained, with successful reproduction of at least one new generation, at salinities of from 0.5 to 68 g 1 ^–1 for at least 120 days. Copepods maintained at higher salinities, up to 79 g 1 ^–1, remained alive up to 90 days, but a new generation was not produced. In laboratory studies of larval production and survivorship, few nauplii were released at salinities of 68 g 1 ^–1 or higher, and none survived to the copepodite stage.     

Avian disease at the Salton Sea

A review of existing records and the scientific literature was conducted for occurrences of avian diseases affecting free-ranging avifauna within the Salton Sea ecosystem. The period for evaluation was 1907 through 1999. Records of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Biological Survey and the scientific literature were the data sources for the period of 1907–1939. The narrative reports of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the epizootic database of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center were the primary data sources for the remainder of the evaluation. The pattern of avian disease at the Salton Sea has changed greatly over time. Relative to past decades, there was a greater frequency of major outbreaks of avian disease at the Salton Sea during the 1990s than in previous decades, a greater variety of disease agents causing epizootics, and apparent chronic increases in the attrition of birds from disease. Avian mortality was high for about a decade beginning during the mid-1920s, diminished substantially by the 1940s and was at low to moderate levels until the 1990s when it reached the highest levels reported. Avian botulism (Clostridium botulinum type C) was the only major cause of avian disease until 1979 when the first major epizootic of avian cholera (Pasteurella multocidia) was documented. Waterfowl and shorebirds were the primary species affected by avian botulism. A broader spectrum of species have been killed by avian cholera but waterfowl have suffered the greatest losses. Avian cholera reappeared in 1983 and has joined avian botulism as a recurring cause of avian mortality. In 1989, avian salmonellosis (Salmonella typhimurium) was first diagnosed as a major cause of avian disease within the Salton Sea ecosystem and has since reappeared several times, primarily among cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis). The largest loss from a single epizootic occurred in 1992, when an estimated 155000 birds, primarily eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), died from an undiagnosed cause. Reoccurrences of that unknown malady have continued to kill substantial numbers of eared grebes throughout the 1990s. The first major epizootic of type C avian botulism in fish-eating birds occurred in 1996 and killed large numbers of pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis & P. erythrorhynchos). Avian botulism has remained as a major annual cause of disease in pelicans. In contrast, the chronic on-Sea occurrence of avian botulism in waterfowl and shorebirds of previous decades was seldom seen during the 1990s. Newcastle disease became the first viral disease to cause major bird losses at the Salton Sea when it appeared in the Mullet Island cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) breeding colony during 1997 and again during 1998.     

Flagellate Cryptobia branchialis (Bodonida: Kinetoplastida), ectoparasite of tilapia from the Salton Sea

An infestation of young tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus Peters, by the flagellate Cryptobia branchialiswas observed at the Salton Sea, California, in September, 1997. This is the first report of C. branchialis in a highly saline water-body (43 g l^–1). Ultrastructure of C. branchialis as well as its effect on the gills of tilapia were studied using the scanning and transmission electron microscopy. No direct effect of C. branchialis on the epithelial cells of fish gills was observed. However, alterations of gill general structure, such as deposition of copious mucus on the gill surface, swelling of filaments, reduction of respiratory lamellae and their transformation into short club-shaped structures were found in infected fish. This suggests mortality of young tilapia may arise from decreased gill function in response to Cryptobia infestation.     

Salinity and fish effects on Salton Sea microecosystems: water chemistry and nutrient cycling

A 15 month long experiment was undertaken to document responses of the Salton Sea biota to experimentally manipulated salinity levels (30, 39, 48, 57, and 65 g l-1) in 312-liter fiberglass tanks maintained outdoors. At two salinities (39 and 57 g l-1) microcosms were set up each having one small tilapia ( Oreochromis mossambicus) in order to assess its influence on the system. To 28 tanks filled with Salton Sea water diluted to 30 g l-1, different salts (NaCl, Na2SO_4, MgSO4 · 7H2O, KCl) were added in constant proportions to produce the desired salinity levels. Salton Sea shoreline sediment was added to the bottom of each tank, and inocula of algae and invertebrates were added on several occasions. Invertebrate populations, phytoplankton, periphyton, and water chemistry were monitored at regular intervals. This article present the results concerning water chemistry and nutrient cycling. There was no apparent increase in salinity over time, though ∼ 1190 l of tapwater with a salinity of ∼ 0.65 g l-1 were added to each tank during the experiment. Ionic composition varied both among treatments and over time to some degree. Ca2 concentrations were the same at all salinities, while K1 concentrations were >3 times greater at the highest salinity than at the lowest. pH showed little consistent variation among salinities until the last few months when it was higher by ∼ 0.4 units at the two higher salinities than at the lower ones; it was unaffected by fish. Absolute oxygen concentrations were negatively correlated with salinity, and occasionally depressed by the presence of fish. PO3-4, dissolved organic phosphorus, and particulate phosphorus concentrations were often reduced by 30–80% at 65 g l-1 relative to lower salinities and by the presence of fish. Early in the experiment NO2-3 concentrations were >2 times higher at 57 and 65 g l-1 than at lower salinities, but otherwise effects of salinity on dissolved forms of nitrogen were not marked; particulate nitrogen was much lower at 65 g l-1 than at other salinities and also was reduced by up to 90% by the presence of fish. Silica concentrations increased over time at all salinities, but, relative to those at lower salinities, were reduced by 60–90% at 65 g l-1 by abundant periphytic diatoms. The TN:TP ratio (molar basis) was 24–30 initially and 35–110 at the end of the experiment; it was positively correlated with salinity and the presence of fish. Mechanisms accounting for the above patterns involve principally the biological activities of phytoplankton and periphyton, as modified by grazing by Artemia franciscana and Gammarus mucronatus, and the feeding and metabolic activities of the tilapia. The large reduction in water column TN and TP levels brought about by the fast-growing, phyto- and zooplanktivorous tilapia suggest that amelioration of the Salton Sea's hypereutrophic state might be assisted by a large scale, sustained yield fish harvesting operation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

GIS支持下青海湖地区草地蝗虫发生与月均温的相关性

为有效地进行草地蝗虫发生的预测预报,必须摸清其生长和繁殖与地理环境特征的关系,在青海湖地区,气温是影响草地蝗虫发生的主要因素,在Arc/Info和ArcView地理信息系统的支持下,选择了环湖地区邻近的16个气象站点,采用综合方法,在小尺度上模拟该区所需月份的月均温,建立了空间分布式气温信息数据库,然后,把野外调查的蝗虫密度在空间数据与相对应的月均温空间数据进行叠加,计算并分析月均温与草地蝗虫发生的关系。结果表明,月均温对草地蝗虫发生的影响是和该区蝗虫优势种的生命史密切相关的,即5、6月（孵化期）和7月（蝗蝻期）的月均温影响当年草地蝗虫发生;8、9月（交尾、产卵期）的月均温则影响次年草地蝗虫的发生,为该区草地蝗虫发生预报模型的建立提供依据。     

Evidence from the Lake Champlain Valley for a later onset of the Champlain Sea and implications for late glacial meltwater routing to the North Atlantic

Ocean circulation models indicate that freshwater runoff from the North American continent during the last deglaciation may have had an effect on North Atlantic Ocean circulation, and thereby have altered regional climate. One such example is a flood from Lake Agassiz, which has been proposed by previous workers to have caused the onset of the Younger Dryas at around 12,850 calibrated years B.P. by entering the North Atlantic through the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We present two radiocarbon ages from terrestrial organic sources in the Champlain Valley that we associate with the pre-Champlain Sea proglacial lake phases; a musk-ox bone with an AMS age of 11,362 ± 115 ¹⁴C years B.P. (13,438-13,020 calibrated years B.P.), and a wood fragment with an AMS age of 10,901 ± 76 ¹⁴C years B.P. (12,995-12,793 calibrated years B.P.). These ages together with a glacial lacustrine varve estimate suggest that the initiation of the Champlain Sea may not have occurred until after the onset of the Younger Dryas. If the Lake Agassiz flood event occurred before the opening of the Champlain Sea then the floodwaters would have been diverted down the Champlain and Hudson valleys to the North Atlantic. Another possibility is that the Agassiz flood may have been contemporaneous with the opening of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is also possible that there may have been a large enough flood produced by meltwater originating in the Champlain Valley and St. Lawrence Lowlands at the inception of the Champlain Sea to have affected ocean circulation without the influence of Lake Agassiz.     

Geochemistry of iron in the Salton Sea,California

The Salton Sea is a large, saline, closed-basin lake in southern California. The Sea receives agricultural runoff and, to a lesser extent, municipal wastewater that is high in nutrients, salt, and suspended solids. High sulfate concentrations (4× higher than that of the ocean), coupled with warm temperatures and low-redox potentials present during much of the year, result in extensive sulfate reduction and hydrogen sulfide production. Hydrogen sulfide formation may have a dramatic effect on the iron (Fe) geochemistry in the Sea. We hypothesized that the Fe(II)-sulfide minerals should dominate the iron mineralogy of the sediments, and plans to increase hypolimnetic aeration would increase the amount of Fe(III)-oxides, which are strong adsorbers of phosphate. Sequential chemical extractions were used to differentiate iron mineralogy in the lake sediments and suspended solids from the tributary rivers. Iron in the river-borne suspended solids was mainly associated with structural iron within silicate clays (70%) and ferric oxides (30%). The iron in the bottom sediments of the lake was associated with silicate minerals (71% of the total iron in the sediments), framboidal pyrite (10%), greigite (11%), and amorphous FeS (5%). The ferric oxide fraction was <4% of the total iron in these anaerobic sediments. The morphological characteristics of the framboidal pyrite as determined using SEM suggest that it formed within the water column and experiences some changes in local redox conditions, probably associated with alternating summer anoxia and the well-mixed and generally well-aerated conditions found during the winter. The prevalence of Fe(II)-sulfide minerals in the sediments and the lack of Fe(III)-oxide minerals suggest that the classic model of P-retention by Fe(III)-oxides would not be operating in this lake, at least during anoxic summer conditions. Aeration of the hypolimnion could affect the internal loading of P by changing the relative amounts of Fe(II)-sulfides and Fe(III)-oxides at the sediment/water interface. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editor: S. H. Hurlbert The Salton Sea Centennial Symposium. Proceedings of a Symposium Celebrating a Century of Symbiosis Among Agriculture, Wildlife and People, 1905–2005, held in San Diego, California, USA, March 2005     

Diatoms in surface sediments of the Gotland Basin in the Baltic Sea

A sediment core, 55 cm long, from station F81 in the Gotland Basin of the Baltic Sea was analysed for diatoms and ebridians. Chrysophyte stomatocysts found in the core were also counted but not identified. The aim was to trace environmental changes, e.g. eutrophication and salinity variations. There is evidence that eutrophication has been increasing in the Baltic Sea in recent decades.Brackish-marine plankton diatoms dominate the entire core and reflect the local planktonic taxa rather well. The dominant taxon is the polyhalobous Actinocyclus octonarius. The main biostratigraphical change within the core analysed takes place at a depth of about 22 cm, where the abundance of diatoms, and especially of Chaetoceros spp., Thalassiosira hyberborea var. pelagica and T. baltica start to increase. This may reflect eutrophication which can be estimated to have started c. 200 years ago.     

Benthic zonation of the Eastern Gotland Basin, Baltic Sea

In this paper recent benthic biological studies in the Eastern Gotland Basin area of the Baltic Sea are summarised. A general pattern of vertical distribution of macrofauna is presented and special reference is made to sharp temporal changes in macrofauna of deeper, subhalocline areas of the basin. Information on faunal sediment reworking ability is compiled. The environmental factors driving benthic zonation are discussed and the vertical benthic zones are defined on the basis of their major biological and abiotic features. This analysis shows that due to sharp gradients in environment and clear differences in composition of macrofauna, the ecological functioning of the Eastern Gotland Basin benthic zones is clearly different. Therefore, in the biogeochemical models of benthic-pelagic interaction, these zones (together with water layers they underlie) should be treated separately, as different sub-systems.     

Possible importance of algal toxins in the Salton Sea, California

In response to wildlife mortality including unexplained eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) die-off events in 1992 and 1994 and other mortality events including large fish kills, a survey was conducted for the presence of algal toxins in the Salton Sea. Goals of this survey were to determine if and when algal toxins are present in the Salton Sea and to describe the phytoplankton composition during those times. A total of 29 samples was collected for toxicity analysis from both nearshore and midlake sites visited biweekly from January to December 1999. Dinoflagellates and diatoms dominated most samples, but some were dominated by a prymnesiophyte (Pleurochrysis pseudoroscoffensis) or a raphidophyte (Chattonella marina). Several types of blooms were observed and sampled. The dinoflagellate Gyrodinium uncatenum formed an extensive, dense (up to 310000 cells ml^–1) and long-lasting bloom during the winter in 1999. A coccolithophorid, Pleurochrysis pseudoroscoffensis, occurred at high densities in surface films and nearshore areas during the spring and summer of 1999. These surface films also contained high densities of one or two other species (an unidentified scrippsielloid, Heterocapsa niei, Chattonella marina). Localized blooms were also observed in the Salton Sea. An unknown small dinoflagellate reached high densities (110000 cells ml^–1) inside Varner Harbor, and an unidentified species of Gymnodinium formed a dense (270000 cells ml^–1) band along part of the southern shoreline during the summer. Three species known to produce toxins in other systems were found. Protoceratium reticulatum (=Gonyaulax grindleyi) and Chattonella marina were found in several samples taken during summer months, and Prorocentrum minimum was found in low densities in several samples. Extracts of most samples, including those containing known toxic species, showed a low level (<10% mortality across all concentrations) of activity in the brine shrimp lethality assay and were not considered toxic. All sample extracts tested in the mouse bioassay showed no activity. One sample extract taken from the bloom of the small dinoflagellate was highly active (100% mortality across all concentrations) in the brine shrimp lethality assay, but the active material could not be isolated. While dense algal blooms are common at the Salton Sea, no evidence gathered in this study suggests that algal toxins are present within phytoplankton cells; however, toxins actively excreted by cells may have been missed. Blooms of phytoplankton likely contribute to wildlife mortality at the Salton Sea. Possible mechanisms including intoxication due to ingestion of feathers in grebes and waterlogging caused by changes in surface tension are discussed.