Drymaeus virgulatus, an extirpated land snail species on Saint Kitts and Tintamarre islands

The land snail species Drymaeus virgulatus (Férussac, 1821) is recorded in St. Kitts in the form of 21 complete or fragmented shells collected on the island in November 2019. The complete shells were collected on the backshores of South Frigate Bay and Majors Bay, while shell fragments come from naturally exposed sections of the North Frigate Bay sand ridge, where they date to the pre-Columbian period. This evidence therefore attests to the past presence of this species on the island. The absence of this taxon from recent malacological surveys points to it having been extirpated from St. Kitts. Apertural fragments of a large bulimulidae collected in the caves of Tintamarre Island, near St. Martin, are also related to this taxon, adding a second West Indian island from which this species apparently disappeared in recent centuries.

Distinguishing Late Holocene Storm Deposit From Shore-normal Beach Sediments From the Gulf of Thailand

Grain size, as one of sedimentological proxies, coupled with a detailed description of the sedimentary structures and luminescence dating were used to unveil the sediment sources and transport process of the Holocene ancient coastal storm events recorded in the beach ridge plain, wet swale and muddy environments at Prachuap Khiri Khan, in the Southern Peninsula of Thailand. In this study, a total of 141 sand samples were collected from the shore-normal ridge-swale topography and analyzed for layers of candidate storm deposits, revealing at least 21 candidate coastal storm events. The grain size distribution of beach sediments was, in general, unimodal, while the candidate storm sediments revealed a mixed combination of multimodal, bimodal and unimodal distributions. Plots of mean grain size against skewness and kurtosis and of skewness against kurtosis could differentiate storm deposits from shore-normal beach sediments. Sedimentary structures preserved in the ancient coastal storm deposits included parallel and inclined landward laminations, mud rip-up clasts, layers of shell fragments, a pebble grain, normal and reverse grading and sharp lower and upper contacts. Candidate storm layers overlain on a dry beach ridge intervened with mud in a swale showed a finer and thinner landward deposit. Marine shell fragments, smaller foraminifers, ostracod and scaphopod (tusk shell), were well preserved. Based on optically stimulated luminescence dating and a correlated accelerator mass spectrometry age, multiple layers of sand derived from different frequencies of coastal storms were deposited over the middle to late Holocene.

Renal Shell injuries with Retaining renal shell fragments due to improvised explosive devices. Acute conservative approach and long term follow-up

Introduction: Among penetrating injuries, renal shrapnel injuries consist of a rarity of renal gunshot injuries. Due to the paucity of cases reported in the literature, there is no consensus regarding the management of renal shrapnel injuries and retaining renal shell fragments. In this study we aimed to report our non-operative management experience of renal shrapnel injuries who had also retaining renal shell fragments.Material and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of renal shrapnel injuries that had also retaining renal shell fragments. All hemodynamically stable patients managed non-operatively and included to the study. The medical records of age, renal injury grade according to AAST, presenting pulse, systolic blood pressure, transfusion requirement, complications and need for adjuvant procedures, non-operative management success and mortality was reviewed. Complication rates due to retaining renal shell fragments were assessed by interviewing via telephone at the end of the first year of injury. The patients asked for plumbism symptoms and any surgical intervention for these foreign bodies.Results: A total of 8 patients with retaining renal shell fragments due to renal shrapnel injuries were included to the study. Mean patient age was 27,8 years. Mean follow-up period was 38.7±15.1 months. All patients were male. AAST renal injury scores were grade 1 one, grade 2 two, grade 3 four, grade 4 one patient. All patients were successfully managed non-operatively and discharged on the 7th day without any complication. No symptoms of plumbism and surgery necessity secondary to retaining renal shell fragments were seen in at least one year follow-up.Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that non-operative management of renal shrapnel injuries with retaining renal shell fragments lead low complication rates and high chance of renal preservation. However, we must keep in mind that this kind of management is safe in experienced trauma centers that have experienced staff.

An uncommon cause of soft tissue and knee infection after penetrating injury in a non-immunocompromised adolescent male

Non-cholerae Vibrio species and Shewanella species are organisms that rarely infect humans. Symptoms can range from gastroenteritis to wound infections to septicemia. In addition, these infections can lead to multiple poor outcomes ranging from amputations to death. We present a case of an 11-year-old male with prepatellar bursitis of the right knee due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Shewanella algae following an open wound in the Gulf of Mexico complicated by retained oyster shell fragments. He completely recovered after removal of the foreign bodies and organism-directed antimicrobial therapy with ciprofloxacin and doxycycline.

Sediment Carbon Variations in the Venice Lagoon and Other Transitional Water Systems of the Northern Adriatic Sea

The concentrations of inorganic, organic and total carbon, and some sedimentary parameters (sediment density, fines, pH, and shell fragments), have been analyzed in surface sediments of the Venice Lagoon since 1987. Environmental scenarios, characterized by different anthropogenic impacts, have been considered, especially in the central basin where more information is available. Data collected in 2009 in the lagoons and ponds of Po Delta, in Comacchio Valleys and Pialassa della Baiona have been also considered and analyzed together with those recorded in the whole Venice Lagoon in 2011. The results show a strong correlation of the inorganic carbon (Cinorg) with the carbonatic or siliceous origins of the sediments and changes of both Cinorg and organic carbon (Corg) according to different anthropogenic impacts, especially eutrophication and clam-fishing activities. Higher sediment density, grain-size, and pH were associated to good-high ecological conditions and the higher presence of inorganic carbon of biological origin (shell fragments and calcified macroalgal fragments). Conversely, Corg, which is associated to eutrophic conditions, was strongly affected by the sediment disturbance and the presence of high concentrations of bivalves which enhance its consumption.

Hydrothermal Activity at a Cretaceous Seamount, Canary Archipelago, Caused by Rejuvenated Volcanism

Our knowledge of venting at intraplate seamounts is limited. Almost nothing is known about past hydrothermal activity at seamounts, because indicators are soon blanketed by sediment. This study provides evidence for temporary hydrothermal circulation at Henry Seamount, a re-activated Cretaceous volcano near El Hierro island, close to the current locus of the Canary Island hotspot. In the summit area at around 3000–3200 m water depth, we found areas with dense coverage by shell fragments from vesicomyid clams, a few living chemosymbiotic bivalves, and evidence for sites of weak fluid venting. Our observations suggest pulses of hydrothermal activity since some thousands or tens of thousands years, which is now waning. We also recovered glassy heterolithologic tephra and dispersed basaltic rock fragments from the summit area. Their freshness suggests eruption during the Pleistocene to Holocene, implying minor rejuvenated volcanism at Henry Seamount probably related to the nearby Canary hotspot. Heat flow values determined on the surrounding seafloor (49 ± 7 mW/m2) are close to the expected background for conductively cooled 155 Ma old crust; the proximity to the hotspot did not result in elevated basal heat flow. A weak increase in heat flow toward the southwestern seamount flank likely reflects recent local fluid circulation. We propose that hydrothermal circulation at Henry Seamount was, and still is, driven by heat pulses from weak rejuvenated volcanic activity. Our results suggest that even single eruptions at submarine intraplate volcanoes may give rise to ephemeral hydrothermal systems and generate potentially habitable environments.

Material constitution of gem-quality ammonites – by-product of mining in the Saratov Region

Manufactured articles of ammonites have been in increasingly higher demand in the recent decades. Ammonites have appeal for the unique shapes, color and age. The top suppliers of ammonites to the world market are Madagascar, Morocco, Canada and Russia. In Russia, gem-quality ammonites occur in the Saratov Region, apart from other places. The regional open pit mine at the settlement Dubki situated 7.5 km northeastward of Saratov supplies ammonites both to the Russian and global markets. The submicroscopic and electron microprobe analyses presented details of mineral composition and structure of ammonite shells. The test shell fragments included walls and partitions with layers of pyrite. The pyrite layers lay symmetrically relative to the partitions and inside walls of ammonite, and feature pronounced structural zonality. The partitions and walls are adjoined with narrow zones of fine-crystal pyrite. Then, a zone of coarse-crystal pyrite lies, with fragments of colloform pyrite. The gem-quality ammonites have mostly pyrites in their composition (to 96 % by mass) and are connected with the Upper Jurassic deposits. Among other things, ammonites contain aragonite, calcite, apatite, jarosite, gypsum, ferrian carbonate and organic substance. The original aragonite is preserved in walls and partitions of shells. Morphologically, the large prismatic, fine-crystal, colloform and globular species of pyrite are distinguished. Pyrite is actively decomposed by bacteria. The Saratov Region ammonites possess high decorative and processing properties, can be widely used in manufacturing of jewelry and are by-produced in the course of large-scale mining.

Moonshine worms (Diopatra aciculata: Onuphidae, Annelida) in the Knysna Estuary, South Africa; taxonomy and distribution

Moonshine worms are a popular bait species used for fishing. The taxon was not detected during surveys of the macrobenthos conducted in Knysna in the 1940s and 1990s, and was first reported as a harvested bait species in the mid-2000s, suggesting that it appeared for the first time in the estuary in the last three decades. A previous molecular analysis identified the worms as Diopatra aciculata, a species first described from Australia. This study provides an updated detailed morphological description of D. aciculata in South Africa to facilitate future identifications and also investigates the species' distribution and population size in the Knysna Estuary. Specimens were examined by scanning electron, stereo- and compound microscopes. Diopatra aciculata has tubes that protrude from the sediment in sandy areas, often decorated with algae and shell fragments; a large body size, up to 600 mm long and 11.5 mm wide. It has 10–18 rings on ceratophores; 5–10 teeth on pectinate chaetae; uni- and bidentate pseudo-compound falcigers and dorsal cirri approximately as long as branchiae. Diopatra aciculata was detected up to 12 km from the mouth of the Knysna Estuary with densities measured at 18 sampled sites. Statistical analysis retrieved high and low density groups that were significantly different from one another (Kruskal-Wallis H(14, 800) = 376.55; P = 0.01), but distribution of high density sites was patchy. We estimate that the population comprises 20–24 million individuals. Given the size of individual worms and the population estimate, this species can be expected to have significant ecological impacts in the estuary.

Population Density, Size Structure, and Reproductive Cycle of the Comestible Sea Urchin Sphaerechinus granularis (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) in the Pagasitikos Gulf (Aegean Sea)

Sphaerechinus granularis is a common grazer that lives in various sublittoral habitats, displaying typical covering behavior; i.e., putts shell-fragments, pebbles, and algae on its test. It is an edible species of increasing commercial importance due to the depletion of the common urchin’s, Paracentrotus lividus, stocks. Its biology, however, is not adequately studied over its distributional range. The present study examines population density, size structure, and reproductive biology of S. granularis in the Aegean Sea. Samplings were made with SCUBA-diving (8–10 m) and included: (i) visual census along transects to estimate density, and (ii) random collection of specimens at monthly intervals to assess biometry and gametogenesis. Population density had moderate values that almost doubled when inputted to Distance software. S. granularis had larger dimensions in the sheltered site; size-structures were unimodal (65–70 mm and 70–75 mm, in exposed and sheltered site, respectively). An annual reproductive cycle was evident, according to GSI and gonads’ histology, with a clear spawning peak in early spring. This pattern conforms to previous reports from the Atlantic, but precedes those from the Mediterranean (reproduction in summer). The provided baseline knowledge on the biology of S. granularis is important for the viable management of its developing fishery.

Unusual Components Within a Fine-Grained Contourite Deposit: Significance for Interpretation of Provenance and the Contourite Budget

Deep-water contourite muds are an important component of many continental margin systems and are currently the focus of much interest amongst deep-water researchers. One outstanding gap in our knowledge of these systems is to understand and quantify a contourite budget, both at the small (facies) scale and at the larger drift scale. A second problem concerns the establishing of robust criteria for discriminating between contourites and associated deepwater facies—turbidites and hemipelagites. This paper contributes to these topics by detailed examination of sediment composition, with a particular focus on potentially diagnostic components, within contourites and hemipelagites from the same depositional basin. Samples were selected from Pliocene to Quaternary muddy contourites from the Gulf of Cadiz (IODP 339) and examined by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of tunicate spicules, micro-bored shell fragments, and a particular species of coccolithophore, Braarudosphaera biglowii, all indicate derivation from shallow waters and hence lateral off-shelf supply. In contrast, micro-mudclasts and fragmented bioclasts are indicative of alongslope transport in bottom currents. A normal planktic component of the contourite muds shows a significant vertical input from pelagic settling. Such diagnostic components can also help in the discrimination between contourites, turbidites and hemipelagites.