scholarly journals Occurrence, sources and transport pathways of natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons in deep-sea sediments of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 17999-18038 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Parinos ◽  
A. Gogou ◽  
I. Bouloubassi ◽  
R. Pedrosa-Pàmies ◽  
I. Hatzianestis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Petroleum Products ◽  
Aliphatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Abstract. Surface sediments collected from deep basins (22 stations, 1018–4087 m depth) of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) were analyzed for aliphatic, triterpenoid and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as tracers of natural and anthropogenic inputs. Concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbons (TAHC), n-alkanes (NA) and the Unresolved Complex Mixture (UCM) of aliphatic hydrocarbons ranged from 1.34 to 49.2 µg g−1, 145 to 4810 ng g−1 and 0.73 to 36.7 µg g−1, respectively, while total PAHs (TPAH25) concentrations ranged from 11.6 to 223 ng g−1. Molecular profiles of aliphatic hydrocarbons and PAHs reflect the contribution of both natural (epicuticular plant waxes) and anthropogenic (degraded petroleum products, unburned fossil fuels and combustion of petroleum, grass, wood and coal) compounds in deep EMS sediments, with hydrocarbon mixtures displaying significant regional variability. Hydrocarbon concentrations correlated significantly with the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content of sediments, indicating that organic carbon exerts an important control on their transport and fate in the study area, while strong sub-basin and mesoscale variability of water masses also impact their regional characteristics. Major findings of this study support that deep basins/canyons of the EMS could act as traps of both natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons.

scholarly journals Occurrence, sources and transport pathways of natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons in deep-sea sediments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 6069-6089 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Parinos ◽  
A. Gogou ◽  
I. Bouloubassi ◽  
R. Pedrosa-Pàmies ◽  
I. Hatzianestis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Aliphatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. Surface sediments collected from deep basins (1018–4087 m depth) of the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Ionian Sea, southern Aegean Sea and northwestern Levantine Sea) were analyzed for aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as tracers of natural and anthropogenic inputs. Concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbons, n-alkanes and the unresolved complex mixture (UCM) of aliphatic hydrocarbons varied significantly, ranging from 1.34 to 49.2 μg g−1, 145 to 4810 ng g−1 and 0.73 to 36.7 μg g−1, respectively, while concentrations of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ranged between 11.6 and 223 ng g−1. Molecular profiles of determined hydrocarbons reflect a mixed contribution from both natural and anthropogenic sources in deep-sea sediments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, i.e., terrestrial plant waxes, degraded petroleum products, unburned fossil fuels and combustion of grass, wood and coal. Hydrocarbon mixtures display significant variability amongst sub-regions, reflecting differences in the relative importance of inputs from various sources and phase associations/transport pathways of individual hydrocarbons that impact on their overall distribution and fate. Hydrocarbon concentrations correlated significantly with the organic carbon content of sediments, indicating that the latter exerts an important control on their transport and ultimate accumulation in deep basins. Additionally, water masses' circulation characteristics also seem to influence the regional features and distribution patterns of hydrocarbons. Our findings highlight the role of deep basins/canyons as repositories of both natural and anthropogenic chemical species.

scholarly journals Atmospheric and Oceanographic Forcing Impact Particle Flux Composition and Carbon Sequestration in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: A Three-Year Time-Series Study in the Deep Ierapetra Basin

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rut Pedrosa-Pamies ◽  
Constantine Parinos ◽  
Anna Sanchez-Vidal ◽  
Antoni Calafat ◽  
Miquel Canals ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Particle Flux ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Lipid Biomarkers ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sinking Particles

Sinking particles are a critical conduit for the export of organic material from surface waters to the deep ocean. Despite their importance in oceanic carbon cycling, little is known about the biotic composition and seasonal variability of sinking particles reaching abyssal depths. Herein, sinking particle flux data, collected in the deep Ierapetra Basin for a three-year period (June 2010 to June 2013), have been examined at the light of atmospheric and oceanographic parameters and main mass components (lithogenic, opal, carbonates, nitrogen, and organic carbon), stable isotopes of particulate organic carbon (POC) and source-specific lipid biomarkers. Our aim is to improve the current understanding of the dynamics of particle fluxes and the linkages between atmospheric dynamics and ocean biogeochemistry shaping the export of organic matter in the deep Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Overall, particle fluxes showed seasonality and interannual variability over the studied period. POC fluxes peaked in spring April–May 2012 (12.2 mg m−2 d−1) related with extreme atmospheric forcing. Summer export was approximately fourfold higher than mean wintertime, fall and springtime (except for the episodic event of spring 2012), fueling efficient organic carbon sequestration. Lipid biomarkers indicate a high relative contribution of natural and anthropogenic, marine- and land-derived POC during both spring (April–May) and summer (June–July) reaching the deep-sea floor. Moreover, our results highlight that both seasonal and episodic pulses are crucial for POC export, while the coupling of extreme weather events and atmospheric deposition can trigger the influx of both marine labile carbon and anthropogenic compounds to the deep Levantine Sea. Finally, the comparison of time series data of sinking particulate flux with the corresponding biogeochemical parameters data previously reported for surface sediment samples from the deep-sea shed light on the benthic–pelagic coupling in the study area. Thus, this study underscores that accounting the seasonal and episodic pulses of organic carbon into the deep sea is critical in modeling the depth and intensity of natural and anthropogenic POC sequestration, and for a better understanding of the global carbon cycle.

Organic carbon distribution and isotopic composition in three records from the eastern Mediterranean Sea during the Holocene

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 935-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Katsouras ◽  
Alexandra Gogou ◽  
Ioanna Bouloubassi ◽  
Kay-Christian Emeis ◽  
Maria Triantaphyllou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Carbon Distribution ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
The Holocene

scholarly journals Atmospheric and oceanographic forcing impact on particle flux composition and carbon sequestration in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: a three-year time-series study in the deep Ierapetra Basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rut Pedrosa-Pamies ◽  
Constantine Parinos ◽  
Anna Sanchez-Vidal ◽  
Antonio Calafat ◽  
Miquel Canals ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Particle Flux ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Lipid Biomarkers ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sinking Particles

<p>Sinking particles are a critical conduit for the export of organic material from surface waters to the deep ocean. Despite their importance in oceanic carbon cycling, little is known about the biotic composition and seasonal variability of sinking particles reaching abyssal depths. Herein, sinking particle flux data, collected in the deep Ierapetra Basin for a three-year period (June 2010 to June 2013), have been examined at the light of atmospheric and oceanographic parameters and main mass components (lithogenic, opal, carbonates, nitrogen, and organic carbon), stable isotopes of particulate organic carbon (POC) and source-specific lipid biomarkers. Our aim is to improve the current understanding of the dynamics of particle fluxes and the linkages between atmospheric dynamics and ocean biogeochemistry shaping the export of organic matter in the deep Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS). Overall, particle fluxes showed seasonality and interannual variability over the studied period. POC fluxes peaked in spring April-May 2012 (12.2 mg m<sup>−2</sup> d<sup>−1</sup>) related with extreme atmospheric forcing. Summer export was approximately fourfold higher than mean wintertime, fall and springtime (except for the episodic event of spring 2012), fueling efficient organic carbon sequestration. Lipid biomarkers indicate a high relative contribution of natural and anthropogenic, marine- and land-derived POC during both spring (April-May) and summer (June-July) reaching the deep-sea floor. Moreover, our results highlight that both seasonal and episodic pulses are crucial for POC export, while the coupling of extreme weather events and atmospheric deposition can trigger the influx of both marine labile carbon and anthropogenic compounds to the deep Levantine Sea. Finally, the comparison of time series data of sinking particulate flux with the corresponding biogeochemical parameters data previously reported for surface sediment samples from the deep-sea shed light on the benthic-pelagic coupling in the study area. Thus, this study underscores that accounting the seasonal and episodic pulses of organic carbon into the deep sea is critical in modeling the depth and intensity of natural and anthropogenic POC sequestration, and for a better understanding of the global carbon cycle.</p><p>Acknowledgments</p><p>We acknowledge support of this work by the project ‘PANhellenic infrastructure for Atmospheric Composition and climatE change – <strong>PANACEA’</strong> (MIS 5021516) which is implemented under the Action ‘Reinforcement of the Research and Innovation Infrastructure’, funded by the Operational Programme ‘Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ (NSRF 2014-2020) and co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund).</p>

scholarly journals Comparison of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Consortia from Surface and Deep Waters of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: Characterization and Degradation Potential

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2246
Author(s):  
Georgia Charalampous ◽  
Efsevia Fragkou ◽  
Konstantinos A. Kormas ◽  
Alexandre B. De Menezes ◽  
Paraskevi N. Polymenakou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Sole Source ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Deep Waters ◽  
Degradation Rates ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Set Up

The diversity and degradation capacity of hydrocarbon-degrading consortia from surface and deep waters of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea were studied in time-series experiments. Microcosms were set up in ONR7a medium at in situ temperatures of 25 °C and 14 °C for the Surface and Deep consortia, respectively, and crude oil as the sole source of carbon. The Deep consortium was additionally investigated at 25 °C to allow the direct comparison of the degradation rates to the Surface consortium. In total, ~50% of the alkanes and ~15% of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were degraded in all treatments by Day 24. Approximately ~95% of the total biodegradation by the Deep consortium took place within 6 days regardless of temperature, whereas comparable levels of degradation were reached on Day 12 by the Surface consortium. Both consortia were dominated by well-known hydrocarbon-degrading taxa. Temperature played a significant role in shaping the Deep consortia communities with Pseudomonas and Pseudoalteromonas dominating at 25 °C and Alcanivorax at 14 °C. Overall, the Deep consortium showed a higher efficiency for hydrocarbon degradation within the first week following contamination, which is critical in the case of oil spills, and thus merits further investigation for its exploitation in bioremediation technologies tailored to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

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