Regional study of microplastics in surface waters and deep sea sediments south of the Algarve Coast

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 101488
Author(s):  
Simone Lechthaler ◽  
Jan Schwarzbauer ◽  
Klaus Reicherter ◽  
Georg Stauch ◽  
Holger Schüttrumpf
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Regional Study ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments

scholarly journals Trophic state of benthic deep-sea ecosystems from two different continental margins off Iberia

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 2945-2957 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Dell'Anno ◽  
A. Pusceddu ◽  
C. Corinaldesi ◽  
M. Canals ◽  
S. Heussner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Trophic State ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Continental Margins ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments

Abstract. The bioavailability of organic matter in benthic deep-sea ecosystems, commonly used to define their trophic state, can greatly influence key ecological processes such as biomass production and nutrient cycling. Here, we assess the trophic state of deep-sea sediments from open slopes and canyons of the Catalan (NW Mediterranean) and Portuguese (NE Atlantic) continental margins, offshore east and west Iberia, respectively, by using a biomimetic approach based on enzymatic digestion of protein and carbohydrate pools. Patterns of sediment trophic state were analyzed in relation to increasing water depth, including repeated samplings over a 3 yr period in the Catalan margin. Two out of the three sampling periods occurred a few months after dense shelf water cascading events. The benthic deep-sea ecosystems investigated in this study were characterized by high amounts of bioavailable organic matter when compared to other deep-sea sediments. Bioavailable organic matter and its nutritional value were significantly higher in the Portuguese margin than in the Catalan margin, thus reflecting differences in primary productivity of surface waters reported for the two regions. Similarly, sediments of the Catalan margin were characterized by significantly higher food quantity and quality in spring, when the phytoplankton bloom occurs in surface waters, than in summer and autumn. Differences in the benthic trophic state of canyons against open slopes were more evident in the Portuguese than in the Catalan margin. In both continental margins, bioavailable organic C concentrations did not vary or increase with increasing water depth. Overall, our findings suggest that the intensity of primary production processes along with the lateral transfer of organic particles, even amplified by episodic events, can have a role in controlling the quantity and distribution of bioavailable organic detritus and its nutritional value along these continental margin ecosystems.

scholarly journals The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 140317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy C. Woodall ◽  
Anna Sanchez-Vidal ◽  
Miquel Canals ◽  
Gordon L.J. Paterson ◽  
Rachel Coppock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Marine Debris ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Sea Floor ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Oceanic Gyres ◽  
Shallow Water Sediments

Marine debris, mostly consisting of plastic, is a global problem, negatively impacting wildlife, tourism and shipping. However, despite the durability of plastic, and the exponential increase in its production, monitoring data show limited evidence of concomitant increasing concentrations in marine habitats. There appears to be a considerable proportion of the manufactured plastic that is unaccounted for in surveys tracking the fate of environmental plastics. Even the discovery of widespread accumulation of microscopic fragments (microplastics) in oceanic gyres and shallow water sediments is unable to explain the missing fraction. Here, we show that deep-sea sediments are a likely sink for microplastics. Microplastic, in the form of fibres, was up to four orders of magnitude more abundant (per unit volume) in deep-sea sediments from the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean than in contaminated sea-surface waters. Our results show evidence for a large and hitherto unknown repository of microplastics. The dominance of microfibres points to a previously underreported and unsampled plastic fraction. Given the vastness of the deep sea and the prevalence of microplastics at all sites we investigated, the deep-sea floor appears to provide an answer to the question— where is all the plastic?

scholarly journals Trophic state of sediments from two deep continental margins off Iberia: a biomimetic approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 17619-17650 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Dell'Anno ◽  
A. Pusceddu ◽  
C. Corinaldesi ◽  
M. Canals ◽  
S. Heussner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Trophic State ◽  
Continental Margins ◽  
Organic Detritus ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments ◽  
Biomimetic Approach

Abstract. The trophic state of benthic deep-sea ecosystems can greatly influence key ecological processes (e.g. biomass production and nutrient cycling). Thus, assessing the trophic state of the sediment at different spatial and temporal scales is crucial for a better understanding of deep-sea ecosystem functioning. Here, using a biomimetic approach based on enzymatic digestion of protein and carbohydrate pools, we assess the bioavailability of organic detritus and its nutritional value in the uppermost layer of deep-sea sediments from open slopes and canyons of the Catalan (NW Mediterranean) and Portuguese (NE Atlantic) continental margins, offshore east and west Iberia, respectively. Patterns of sediment trophic state were analyzed in relation to increasing water depth, including repeated samplings over a 3 yr period in the Catalan margin. Bioavailable organic matter and its nutritional value were significantly higher in the Portuguese margin than in the Catalan margin, thus reflecting differences in primary productivity of surface waters reported for the two regions. Similarly, sediments of the Catalan margin were characterized by significantly higher food quantity and quality in spring, when higher primary production processes occur in surface waters, than in summer and autumn. In both continental margins, bioavailable organic C concentrations did not vary or increase with increasing water depth. Differences in the benthic trophic state of canyons against open slopes were more evident in the Portuguese than in the Catalan margin. Overall our findings indicate that deep-sea sediments are characterized by relatively high amounts of bioavailable organic matter. We suggest that the interactions between biological-related processes in surface waters and particle transport and deposition dynamics can play a crucial role in shaping the quantity and distribution of bioavailable organic detritus and its nutritional value along deep continental margins.

scholarly journals Mechanism and Influencing Factors of REY Enrichment in Deep-Sea Sediments

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Jiangbo Ren ◽  
Yan Liu ◽  
Fenlian Wang ◽  
Gaowen He ◽  
Xiguang Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Bottom Current ◽  
Knowledge Map ◽  
P2o5 Content ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments ◽  
Potential Resource ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Adsorption Desorption ◽  
Sediment Interface

Deep-sea sediments with high contents of rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY) are expected to serve as a potential resource for REY, which have recently been proved to be mainly contributed by phosphate component. Studies have shown that the carriers of REY in deep-sea sediments include aluminosilicate, Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides, and phosphate components. The ∑REY of the phosphate component is 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than those of the other two carriers, expressed as ∑REY = 0.001 × [Al2O3] − 0.002 × [MnO] + 0.056 × [P2O5] − 32. The sediment P2O5 content of 1.5% explains 89.1% of the total variance of the sediment ∑REY content. According to global data, P has a stronger positive correlation with ∑REY compared with Mn, Fe, Al, etc.; 45.5% of samples have a P2O5 content of less than 0.25%, and ∑REY of not higher than 400 ppm. The ∑REY of the phosphate component reaches n × 104 ppm, much higher than that of marine phosphorites and lower than that of REY-phosphate minerals, which are called REY-rich phosphates in this study. The results of microscopic observation and separation by grain size indicate that the REY-rich phosphate component is mainly composed of bioapatite. When ∑REY > 2000 ppm, the average CaO/P2O5 ratio of the samples is 1.55, indicating that the phosphate composition is between carbonate fluoroapatite and hydroxyfluorapatite. According to a knowledge map of sediment elements, the phosphate component is mainly composed of P, Ca, Sr, REY, Sc, U, and Th, and its chemical composition is relatively stable. The phosphate component has a negative Ce anomaly and positive Y anomaly, and a REY pattern similar to that of marine phosphorites and seawater. After the early diagenesis process (biogeochemistry, adsorption, desorption, transformation, and migration), the REY enrichment in the phosphate component is completed near the seawater/sediment interface. In the process of REY enrichment, the precipitation and enrichment of P is critical. According to current research progress, the REY enrichment is the result of comprehensive factors, including low sedimentation rate, high ∑REY of the bottom seawater, a non-carbonate depositional environment, oxidation conditions, and certain bottom current conditions.

The degradation activities for three seaweed polysaccharides of Shewanella sp. WPAGA9 isolated from deep‐sea sediments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dingquan Wang ◽  
Jianxin Wang ◽  
Runying Zeng ◽  
Jie Wu ◽  
Shijia V. Michael ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments

scholarly journals Primary Production in the Water Column as Major Structuring Element of the Biogeographical Distribution and Function of Archaea in Deep-Sea Sediments of the Central Pacific Ocean

Archaea ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziska Wemheuer ◽  
Avril Jean Elisabeth von Hoyningen-Huene ◽  
Marion Pohlner ◽  
Julius Degenhardt ◽  
Bert Engelen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Archaeal Community ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Central Pacific Ocean ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments ◽  
And Function ◽  
Functional Profiles ◽  
Archaeal Communities

Information on environmental conditions shaping archaeal communities thriving at the seafloor of the central Pacific Ocean is limited. The present study was conducted to investigate the diversity, composition, and function of both entire and potentially active archaeal communities within Pacific deep-sea sediments. For this purpose, sediment samples were taken along the 180° meridian of the central Pacific Ocean. Community composition and diversity were assessed by Illumina tag sequencing targeting archaeal 16S rRNA genes and transcripts. Archaeal communities were dominated by CandidatusNitrosopumilus(Thaumarchaeota) and other members of theNitrosopumilaceae(Thaumarchaeota), but higher relative abundances of the Marine Group II (Euryarchaeota) were observed in the active compared to the entire archaeal community. The composition of the entire and the active archaeal communities was strongly linked to primary production (chlorophyll content), explaining more than 40% of the variance. Furthermore, we found a strong correlation of the entire archaeal community composition to latitude and silicic acid content, while the active community was significantly correlated with primary production and ferric oxide content. We predicted functional profiles from 16S rRNA data to assess archaeal community functions. Latitude was significantly correlated with functional profiles of the entire community, whereas those of the active community were significantly correlated with nitrate and chlorophyll content. The results of the present study provide first insights into benthic archaeal communities in the Pacific Ocean and environmental conditions shaping their diversity, distribution, and function. Additionally, they might serve as a template for further studies investigating archaea colonizing deep-sea sediments.

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