Integrity of benthic assemblages along the arctic estuarine-coastal system

Subject. This article analyzes the risks of natural and man-made origin induced in environmental management in the coastal system of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in the face of global climate change and ever-increasing anthropogenic impacts. Objectives. The article aims to classify the risks of Arctic coastal nature management, and determine their sources and factors of origin. Results. The article presents a phased system of risk structuring as a process of causing harm that is likely to be implemented. It identifies classification criteria and specific forms of structural elements of risk, and conducts an expert assessment of these relationships. Relevance. The results obtained help identify key elements of various scenarios of risk occurrence in the Russian Arctic coastal nature management, including the risk of cascading disasters.

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Exposure radius of a local coal mine in an Arctic coastal system; correlation between PAHs and mercury as a marker for a local mercury source

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment ◽

10.1007/s10661-021-09287-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 193 (8) ◽

Author(s):

Frits Steenhuisen ◽

Martine van den Heuvel-Greve

Keyword(s):

Coal Mine ◽

Reference Site ◽

The Arctic ◽

Molecular Diagnostic ◽

Marine Biota ◽

Close Monitoring ◽

Reference Sites ◽

Coastal System ◽

The Impact ◽

Biota Samples

AbstractMercury in the Arctic originates from emissions and releases at lower latitudes and, to a lesser extent, from local and regional sources. The relationship between mercury (Hg) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment can be applied as an indicator of the mercury source. This research examines the Hg contamination gradient from a land-based coal mine to the surrounding coastal environment to quantify the impact of local sources. Total mercury and PAH (Σ14PAH) were measured in terrestrial and marine sediments as well as in marine biota. Samples were collected at the mine and two reference sites. Mercury and Σ14PAH concentrations in samples collected at the mine site were significantly higher than those at the reference sites. This was also found in the biota samples, although less pronounced. This work addresses the complexities of interpreting data concerning very low contaminant levels in a relatively pristine environment. A clear correlation between PAH and Hg concentration in sediment was found, although a large number of samples had levels below detection limits. PAH profiles, hierarchical clustering, and molecular diagnostic ratios provided further insight into the origin of PAHs and Hg, showing that signatures in sediments from the nearest reference site were more similar to the mine, which was not the case for the other reference site. The observed exposure radius from the mine was small and diluted from land to water to marine biota. Due to low contamination levels and variable PAH profiles, marine biota was less suitable for tracing the exposure radius for this local land-based Hg source. With an expected increase in mobility and availability of contaminants in the warming Arctic, changes in input of PAHs and Hg from land-based sources to the marine system need close monitoring. Graphical abstract

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Microbial responses to the release of DOC by sea ice and glacier melting in the East Greenland System

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-10718 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alba Filella Lopez de Lamadrid ◽

Anja Engel

Keyword(s):

Ocean Circulation ◽

Atlantic Water ◽

The Arctic ◽

Coastal System ◽

East Greenland ◽

East Greenland Current ◽

Enhanced Production ◽

Denmark Strait ◽

Variable Environments ◽

Microbial Responses

Freshwater discharge around Greenland has more than doubled during the last decade. Understanding the associated physical and biogeochemical impacts in the ocean is of great importance for future predictions of ocean circulation, productivity and feedbacks within the Earth system. In summer 2019 we performed several cross-shore sections passing through the highly variable environments and physical regimes along the east Greenland coastline. Microbial communities showed distinct latitudinal and meridional distributions. Water mass characteristics played a major role in controlling the abundances of organisms with few groups appearing in significant numbers in coastal (colder and fresher) waters. Surface polar waters rich in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flow south in the East Greenland Current maintaining a high DOC signal in inshore waters. Further optical analyses on the DOC fraction will determine what fractions of this material originate from long scale transport out of the Arctic. Of particular interest was an enhanced production of gel particles rich in carbon in an area extending across Denmark Strait, from close to Scoresby Sund to north of Iceland. Significant concentrations (e.g. 80 &#181;g X.G. eq. L-1) of these transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) were even found deeper than 100m, which is highly unusual. Given the role of TEP as a binding agent for sinking particles, enhancing the sinking of carbon in the water column, it is of interest to know why such a TEP hotspot arises. We hypothesize that it could be either related to circulation through the Strait or the timing of bloom dynamics in this region prior to our cruise. &#160;Our main conclusion from preliminary data analysis is that the east Greenland coastal system is highly dynamic with mixed properties reflecting various degrees of mixing between southward flowing Polar Water and warmer Atlantic water masses.

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Dynamics of mercury species in surface sediments of a macrotidal estuarine–coastal system (Adour River, Bay of Biscay)

Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science ◽

10.1016/j.ecss.2003.10.007 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 59 (3) ◽

pp. 511-521 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

T Stoichev ◽

D Amouroux ◽

J.C Wasserman ◽

D Point ◽

A De Diego ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Sediments ◽

Mercury Species ◽

Bay Of Biscay ◽

Coastal System ◽

Estuarine Coastal

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Strengthening connections across disciplines and borders through an international permafrost coastal systems network (PerCS-Net)

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11935 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin Jones ◽

Keyword(s):

System Dynamics ◽

International Research ◽

Information Exchange ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Well Being ◽

The Arctic ◽

Coastal System ◽

Coastal Systems ◽

Decadal Scale ◽

The Us

Changes in the Arctic system have increased the vulnerability of permafrost coasts to erosion and altered coastal morphologies, ecosystems, biogeochemical cycling, infrastructure, cultural and heritage sites, community well-being, and human subsistence lifestyles. Better understanding the pace and nature of rapid changes occurring along permafrost coastlines is urgent, since a high proportion of Arctic residents live on or near coastlines, and many derive their livelihood from terrestrial and nearshore marine resourcesThe US National Science Foundation&#8217;s AccelNet and Arctic System Sciences Programs, recently awarded a collaborative grant funding the Permafrost Coastal Systems Network (PerCS-Net). PerCS-Net focuses on leveraging resources from existing national and international networks that have a common vision of better understanding permafrost coastal system dynamics and emerging transdisciplinary science, engineering, and societal issues in order to amplify the broader impacts by each individual network. PerCS-Net strengthens linkages between existing networks based in Germany, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Poland, and Canada with the activities of several active US NSF-funded networks as well as several local, state, and federally funded US-based networks.PerCS-Net will benefit the US and international research communities by (1) developing internationally recognized protocols for quantifying the multitude of changes and impacts occurring in Arctic coastal permafrost systems, (2) sustaining long-term observations from representative coastal key sites, (3) unifying annual and decadal-scale observations of circum-arctic permafrost-influenced coasts, (4) refining a circum-arctic coastal mapping classification system and web-based delivery of geospatial information for management planning purposes and readily accessible information exchange for vulnerability assessments, (5) engaging local communities and observers to capture impacts on&#160; subsistence and traditional livelihoods, and (6) promoting synergy across networks to foster the next generation of students, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career researchers faced with the known and unknown challenges of the future Arctic System.Ultimately, PerCS-Net will develop a circumpolar alliance for Arctic coastal community information exchange between stake-, rights- and knowledge holders, scientists, and land managers. There is increasingly diverse interest in permafrost coastal system issues and currently no unified source of information on the past, present, and potential future state of permafrost coastal systems that provide the level of detail needed to make decisions at scales relevant for indigenous communities across the Arctic. Such new engagement will inform intergovernmental agencies and international research and outreach programs in making science-based decisions and policies to adapt to changing permafrost coastal system dynamics. PerCS-Net will build a network of networks to assess risks posed by permafrost coastal system changes to local and global economies and well-being and facilitate knowledge transfer that will lead to circum-arctic adaptation strategies.

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