Marine macrophytes retain microplastics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Chubarenko ◽  
Elena Esiukova ◽  
Olga Lobchuk ◽  
Alexandra Volodina ◽  
Anastasiya Kupriyanova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Water ◽  
Free Water ◽  
Russian Science ◽  
Southeastern Part ◽  
Marine Litter ◽  
Hand Pump ◽  
Marine Macrophytes ◽  
Zone Depth ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Coccotylus Truncatus

<p>Plastic contamination of marine beaches, sediments, water is widely reported. It is known that lot of plastic debris appears on marine shores after storms together with natural marine litter, like ragged vegetation, pieces of wood, etc. The goal of our field campaign in the southeastern part of the Baltic Sea was to check whether growing macrophytes also concentrate and retain plastics, particularly that of microplastic (MP, 0.2-5 mm here) size range. Three summer expeditions were conducted (July 30, August 5 and 7, 2019) in sea coastal zone (depth down to 10 m), where communities of attached macroalgae (<em>Furcellaria lumbricalis, Coccotylus truncatus, Polysiphonia fucoides, Cladophora rupestris</em>) are developed on underwater boulders off the Cape Taran. Samples were collected at 8 stations, covering areas with filamentous algae (at depths of 3.2 and 4 m) and with perennial algae furcellaria (depths of 5.6 and 8.2 m). Along with sampling of growing algae (from area 25x25 cm2 in triplicate), a hand pump was used to sample 20-100 liters of sea water from both algae thicket and algae-free water in surrounding area.</p><p>The samples were processed and examined in laboratory. Microplastic particles were found in all the collected samples. Preliminary analysis shows 1.3-5.3 times higher microplastic contamination in water samples taken from algae thicket than in samples taken in free water nearby. The majority of microparticles are fibers, mainly colorless and blue, but also red, black, golden, and yellow.</p><p>Investigations are supported by the Russian Science Foundation, grant No. 19-17-00041.</p>

DISTRIBUTION OF DISSOLVED METHANE IN SURFACE COASTAL WATERS OF THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE BLACK SEA

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Kovaleva ◽  
Elena Kovaleva ◽  
Alexander Izhitskiy ◽  
Alexander Izhitskiy ◽  
Alexander Egorov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Sea ◽  
Natural Waters ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Methane Formation ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Russian Science ◽  
Southeastern Part ◽  
Dissolved Methane ◽  
Continental Runoff

Studying of methane formation and distribution in natural waters is important for understanding of biogeochemical processes of carbon cycle, searching for oil and gas sections and evaluation of CH4 emissions for investigations of greenhouse effect. The Black Sea is the largest methane water body on our planet. However, relatively low values of methane concentration (closed to equilibrium with the atmospheric air) are typical of the upper aerobic layer. At the same time, the distribution pattern of CH4 in surface waters of coastal areas is complicated by the influence of coastal biological productivity, continental runoff, bottom sources, hydrodynamic processes and anthropogenic effect. The investigation is focused on the spatial variability of dissolved methane in the surface layer of the sea in coastal regions affected by the continental runoff and anthropogenic pressure. Unique in situ data on methane concentrations were collected along the ship track on 2 sections between Sochi and Gelendzhik (2013, 2014) and 2 sections between Gelendzhik and Feodosia (2015). Overall 170 samples were obtained. Gas-chromatographic analysis of the samples revealed increase of CH4 saturation in the southeastern part of the Crimean shelf and the Kerch Strait area. Such a pattern was apparently caused by the influence of the Azov Sea water spread westward along the Crimean shore from the strait. This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project 14-50-00095 and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Project 16-35-00156 mol_a.

DISTRIBUTION OF DISSOLVED METHANE IN SURFACE COASTAL WATERS OF THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE BLACK SEA

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Kovaleva ◽  
Elena Kovaleva ◽  
Alexander Izhitskiy ◽  
Alexander Izhitskiy ◽  
Alexander Egorov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Sea ◽  
Natural Waters ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Methane Formation ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Russian Science ◽  
Southeastern Part ◽  
Dissolved Methane ◽  
Continental Runoff

Studying of methane formation and distribution in natural waters is important for understanding of biogeochemical processes of carbon cycle, searching for oil and gas sections and evaluation of CH4 emissions for investigations of greenhouse effect. The Black Sea is the largest methane water body on our planet. However, relatively low values of methane concentration (closed to equilibrium with the atmospheric air) are typical of the upper aerobic layer. At the same time, the distribution pattern of CH4 in surface waters of coastal areas is complicated by the influence of coastal biological productivity, continental runoff, bottom sources, hydrodynamic processes and anthropogenic effect. The investigation is focused on the spatial variability of dissolved methane in the surface layer of the sea in coastal regions affected by the continental runoff and anthropogenic pressure. Unique in situ data on methane concentrations were collected along the ship track on 2 sections between Sochi and Gelendzhik (2013, 2014) and 2 sections between Gelendzhik and Feodosia (2015). Overall 170 samples were obtained. Gas-chromatographic analysis of the samples revealed increase of CH4 saturation in the southeastern part of the Crimean shelf and the Kerch Strait area. Such a pattern was apparently caused by the influence of the Azov Sea water spread westward along the Crimean shore from the strait. This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project 14-50-00095 and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Project 16-35-00156 mol_a.

COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTIC OF SEA RADIANCE COEFFICIENT SPECTRA MEASURED REMOTELY IN COASTAL WATERS OF FIVE SEAS

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Rostovtseva ◽  
Vera Rostovtseva ◽  
Igor Goncharenko ◽  
Igor Goncharenko ◽  
Dmitrii Khlebnikov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Water ◽  
Calibration Method ◽  
Aral Sea ◽  
Comparative Characteristic ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Water Constituents ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
The Baltic

Sea radiance coefficient, defined as the ratio of the sunlight reflected by the water bulk to the sunlight illuminating the water surface, is one of the most informative optical characteristics of the seawater that can be obtained by passive remote sensing. We got the sea radiance coefficient spectra by processing the data obtained in measurements from board a moving ship. Using sea radiance coefficient optical spectra it is possible to estimate water constituents concentration and their distribution over the aquatory of interest. However, thus obtained sea radiance coefficient spectra are strongly affected by weather and measurement conditions and needs some calibration. It was shown that practically all the spectra of sea radiance coefficient have some generic peculiarities regardless of the type of sea waters. These peculiarities can be explained by the spectrum of pure sea water absorption. Taking this into account a new calibration method was developed. The measurements were carried out with the portative spectroradiometers from board a ship in the five different seas: at the north-east coast of the Black Sea, in the Gdansk Bay of the Baltic Sea, in the west part of the Aral Sea, in the Kara Sea with the Ob’ Bay and in the Philippine Sea at the coast of Taiwan. The new method of calibration was applied to the obtained spectra of the sea radiance coefficient that enabled us to get the corresponding absorption spectra and estimate the water constituents concentration in every region. The obtained concentration estimates were compared to the values obtained in water samples taken during the same measurement cycle and available data from other investigations. The revealed peculiarities of the sea radiance coefficient spectra in the aquatories under exploration were compared to the corresponding water content and some characteristic features were discussed.

scholarly journals DNA Markers Reveal Genetic Associations among 11,000-Year-Old Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Found in the Baltic Sea with the Present-Day Gene Pools in Lithuania

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 317
Author(s):  
Darius Danusevičius ◽  
Jurata Buchovska ◽  
Vladas Žulkus ◽  
Linas Daugnora ◽  
Algirdas Girininkas
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Scots Pine ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Gene Pools ◽  
Genetic Associations ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Assignment Probability ◽  
The Baltic

We aimed to extract DNA and amplify PCR fragments at the mitochondrial DNA Nad7.1 locus and 11 nuclear microsatellite loci in nine circa 11,000-year-old individuals of Scots pine found at the bottom of the Baltic sea and test the genetic associations with the present-day gene pool of Scots pine in Lithuania. We followed a strict anticontamination protocol in the lab and, simultaneously with the aDNA specimens, tested DNA-free controls. The DNA was extracted by an ATMAB protocol from the ancient wood specimens sampled underwater from Scots pine stumps located circa 20–30 m deep and circa 12 km ashore in western Lithuania. As the references, we used 30 present-day Lithuanian populations of Scots pine with 25–50 individuals each. The aDNA yield was 11–41 ng/μL. The PCR amplification for the mtDNA Nad7.1 locus and the nDNA loci yielded reliable aDNA fragments for three and seven out of nine ancient pines, respectively. The electrophoresis profiles of all the PCR tested DNA-free controls contained the sizing standard only, indicating low likelihood for contamination. At the mtDNA Nad7.1 locus, all three ancient Scots pine individuals had the type A (300 bp) allele, indicating postglacial migration from the refugia in Balkan peninsula. The GENECLASS Bayesian assignment tests revealed relatively stringer and consistent genetic associations between the ancient Scots pine trees and the present-day southern Lithuanian populations (assignment probability 0.37–0.55) and several wetlands in Lithuania. Our study shows that salty sea water efficiently preserves ancient DNA in wood at the quality levels suitable for genetic testing of trees dated back as far as 11,000 years before present.

Modeling Transit Flow Through Port Gates and Connecting Channel in Baltic Sea—Liepaja Port—Liepaja Lake System

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vilnis Frishfelds ◽  
Juris Sennikovs ◽  
Uldis Bethers ◽  
Jens Murawski ◽  
Andrejs Timuhins
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Lake System ◽  
The North ◽  
Transit Flow ◽  
Trade Channel ◽  
Calm Weather ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Baltic

This study investigates a water transport features by extending Copernicus Marine Environment Service (CMEMS) to the Liepaja coast-port-channel-lake system with a two-way nested model. The Liepaja lake and Liepaja port are connected by Trade channel. The Liepaja port has three gates—the openings in wave breakers connecting the port aquatory with the Baltic sea. Each of gates has a corresponding dredged channel for securing the navigation. A hydrodynamic model is set up to study the flow and water level in this system. The area of the port gates, port and Trade channel are resolved by 33 m grid. The model results are verified against currents and sea level observations inside/outside port, Trade channel and Liepaja lake. Results and observations show that strong currents occur in the Trade channel in case of rapid sea level change in Baltic sea despite the Trade channel is rather shallow at the connection with Liepaja lake. The northern part of the Liepaja lake gets filled with brackish water during storm surge events. The channel has notable alternating current also during a relatively calm weather due to the port seiches. Long and narrow shape of the channel implies the Helmholtz type oscillations between the lake and the port with a period in approximately semidiurnal range. Hydrodynamic simulations describe well these oscillations but the phase of hourly scale oscillations in the port may differ in case of weak external forcing. Water exchange is significantly increased by the transit (gate to gate) sea currents. This transit flow usually occurs between South or Central gate and the North gate carrying sea water into the port. Northward flow of the surface layer is more characteristic in the port aquatory due the prevailing south-western winds. There are intense morphological processes at the coastline and underwater slope near the Liepaja port due to a sandy western coastline of Latvia, long fetch of the waves and strong currents at the port gates. Liepaja port is one of the Latvian ports in HywasPort operational service of hydrodynamics, waves and siltation.

Starch in the Oceans

1968 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1269-1284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam S. Bursa
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Benthic Algae ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Starch Grains ◽  
The North ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Mass Mortalities ◽  
And Chemical Properties

Starch observed in arctic waters of Canada, in the Baltic and Mediterranean seas, in the North Atlantic and Indian oceans, and in the waters about Bermuda, the Virgin Islands, and Jamaica is formed mostly in Gymnodinioideae, benthic algae, and higher aquatic plants and rarely in planktonic Chlorophyceae. In these phytoflagellates the fragile pellicle breaks when there are critical changes in salinity, temperature, or pressure and is subsequently decomposed by bacteria. The starch retains its shape after destruction of the protoplast, and accumulates in large quantities in aquatic habitats. Standing crops of free starch grains mark past blooms and mass mortalities of phytoplankton. The largest potato-like starch grains found in the oceans appear to be derived from the ocellar lenses of Warnoviaceae.Though Protozoa and various herbivores may ingest free planktonic starch, they were not observed to digest it. Large standing crops of starch and monosaccharides derived from amylolysis may affect nutrition in some animals, and influence the optical and chemical properties of sea water. Amylogenesis in some dinoflagellates starts from chondriosomes which are specialized in this process. In Prorocentrideae starch is formed within the ectoplasmic reticulum.

scholarly journals Density and Absolute Salinity of the Baltic Sea 2006–2009

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1757-1817 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Feistel ◽  
S. Weinreben ◽  
H. Wolf ◽  
S. Seitz ◽  
P. Spitzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Equation Of State ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Decadal Variability ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Large Area ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Sulphate Content ◽  
Density Anomaly ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. The brackish water of the Baltic Sea is a mixture of ocean water from the Atlantic/North Sea with fresh water from various rivers draining a large area of lowlands and mountain ranges. The evaporation-precipitation balance results in an additional but minor excess of fresh water. The rivers carry different loads of salts washed out of the ground, in particular calcium carbonate, which cause a composition anomaly of the salt dissolved in the Baltic Sea in comparison to Standard Seawater. Directly measured seawater density shows a related anomaly when compared to the density computed from the equation of state as a function of Practical Salinity, temperature and pressure. Samples collected from different regions of the Baltic Sea during 2006–2009 were analysed for their density anomaly. The results obtained for the river load deviate significantly from similar measurements carried out forty years ago; the reasons for this decadal variability are not yet fully understood. An empirical formula is derived which estimates Absolute from Practical Salinity of Baltic Sea water, to be used in conjunction with the new Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10), endorsed by IOC/UNESCO in June 2009 as the substitute for the 1980 International Equation of State, EOS-80. Our routine measurements of the samples were accompanied by studies of additional selected properties which are reported here: conductivity, density, chloride, bromide and sulphate content, total CO2 and alkalinity.

Ionic Regulation of the Baltic and Fresh-Water Races of the Isopod Mesidotea (Saduria) Entomon (L.)

1968 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. CROGHAN ◽  
A. P. M. LOCKWOOD
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Sodium Concentration ◽  
Relative Volume ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Ionic Regulation ◽  
Sodium Influx ◽  
Active Uptake ◽  
Concentrated Solution ◽  
The Baltic

1. The isopod Mesidotea entomon has colonized the Baltic and certain Swedish lakes since the end of the last Ice Age. 2. The ionic regulation of Baltic animals and fresh-water animals (L. Mälaren) has been compared. 3. It has been possible to adapt Baltic animals to very dilute media, but 5% Askö sea water (5.5 mM/l. Na) appears to be the limit of adaptation. The haemolymph sodium concentration of Baltic animals from the very dilute media was considerably lowered. 4. The haemolymph sodium concentration in Mälaren animals is high (250 mM/l. Na) and comparable with that in Baltic animals in much more concentrated solution. The haemolymph ionic ratios of the Baltic and freshwater animals are similar. The Cl:Na ratio rises slightly in the more concentrated haemolymph samples. 5. From the concentration of ions in the haemolymph and in the total body water, the relative volume of the haemolymph was calculated. Mälaren animals appear to have a much larger haemolymph volume. 6. The permeability of the animals was determined from the rate of loss of sodium into de-ionized water. The permeability of the Mälaren animals is considerably reduced compared to the Baltic animals. Permeability is not related to the medium to which the animals had been adapted. 7. The sodium influx was determined using 22Na. The rate of active uptake was calculated from this. The maximal rate of active uptake was similar in Baltic and Mälaren animals. The sodium concentration of the medium at which active uptake was half maximum (KM) was considerably lower in Malaren animals than in Baltic animals. 8. The evolution of Mesidotea as a fresh-water animal is interpreted as a result of a reduction in permeability of the external surfaces to NaCl and an increase in the affinity of the active transport mechanism enabling the animal to maintain the haemolymph NaCl concentration in a steady state in fresh water.

The Effects of Ions and Drugs on Neuromuscular Preparations of Sea Anemones

1960 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 732-752
Author(s):  
D. M. ROSS
Keyword(s):  
Water Activity ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Free Water ◽  
Sea Anemones ◽  
Blocking Agents ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Extended Length ◽  
Other Substances ◽  
Adrenergic Blocking ◽  
Related Compounds

1. Isolated preparations of the columns of Calliactis and Metridium take up a basic extended length and show repeated contractions at intervals of a few minutes to half an hour. The preparations respond to stimuli with slow movements whose latencies range from about 20 sec. to 2 min. 2. Direct contractions and higher tonus of the preparations are caused by excess K+ and by Mg2+-free sea water; excess -Ca2+ raises tone slightly. 3. Activity is greatly enhanced by Mg2+-free water, and moderately enhanced by excess K+ and excess Ca2+. It is abolished by excess Mg2+ and Ca2+-free sea water, but not by sea water free of both Ca2+ and Mg2+. In K+-free sea water and in Na+-free sea water activity declines slowly and responses to stimuli still occur for at least 1 hr. 4. Except for some enhancement by excess Ca2+ and the depression with excess Mg2+ and Ca2+-free sea water, responses to stimuli are not much affected by ions. 5. Acetylcholine and associated drugs, and also histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and many other substances, have no significant effects on the tone, activity, or responses of column preparations. 6. Adrenaline raises tonus at a concentration of 1 x 10-6; at 1 x 10-5 and above; it causes direct contractions, enhanced activity and high tonus, but it has no effect on responses to stimuli. Noradrenaline, dopamine, tyramine, and other related compounds, as well as various adrenergic blocking agents, are totally inactive. 7. Tryptamine, at concentrations of 1 x 10-4, causes direct contractions, high tonus and enhanced responses to stimulation. 5-Methoxytryptamine has similar effects. 8. To be effective, treatments must be applied directly to the contractile part of the preparation. Applying the active ions and drugs to attached strips of column has no effect. 9. Some comparative and functional aspects of the results are discussed.

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