Benthic Water Research Articles

Assessing the influence of thermal structure variation on Fe and P mobility in sediments cores using Yellow Spring Instrument, diffusive gradient technology, and HR Peeper for sustainable water quality management.

The freshwater ecological characteristics in terms of the daily inventory of thermal stratification, spatial variation of O2 distribution, and the mobility of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) at the water sediment interface (WSI) are prudent freshwater assessment indices for water quality management protocol. The study conducted daily observations within a monsoon-influenced region, utilizing high-resolution techniques such as HR Peeper, Yellow Spring Instrument (YSI), and ZrO-Chelex diffusive gradient technology (DGT) to analyze PTEs, specifically phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe),within the water-sediment interface (WSI) under different temperatures and oxygen conditions. The 66-day field study showed that high thermal structure contributed significantly to production Fe ions and P from sediment under reductive dissolution of FeOOH. The study also revealed that P and Fe exhibited comparable spatial distribution patterns at the WSI, indicating a linked relationship between these PTEs. This correlation was reinforced by high Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from 0.7 to 0.9 (bilateral, p < 0.05) indicating that the concentrations of labile P were predominantly influenced by the release of phosphorus bound to iron. The fluxes of the PTEs were positive with a range of Fe, 3.3-81.5 mg/m2 day and P, 0.03-0.5 mg/m2 day showing the sediments liberated the PTEs into the benthic water. Again, high positive fluxes (Fe≈60 mg/m2 day, P≈0.5 mg/m2 day) for PTEs were obtained when stratification was high (anoxic conditions) and low (Fe≈5 mg/m2 day, P≈0.08 mg/m2 day) when stratification did not exist. This depicts that Fe/P dynamics were hinged mainly on hypoxic conditions in the benthic water under the reductive dissolution of FeOOH. The findings showed that organic materials (both solid and dissolved) correlated (> 0.7) significantly with (positive high values) Fe. This indicates that their interaction contributed to the reservoir water deterioration. However, Ca2⁺ and Mg2⁺ had little impact on the liberation of Fe-DOC-P from sediments due to their inability to compete with Fe for binding to DOC and P, as shown by their low correlation values. The research provides in-depth insights into the dynamics of PTEs on a daily timescale and offers valuable information for water management practices in inland reservoirs, particularly concerning the cycling of phosphorus (P) and its effects on ecosystem health.

Shifts in habitat use and demography of American lobsters in coastal Maine (USA) over the past quarter century

Some species are so linked to specific environments that their habitat association almost becomes a species-defining character and is used by managers and policymakers to direct their conservation. The American lobster Homarus americanus is among the most valuable fisheries species in North America and among the best studied benthic marine invertebrates in the world. Its populations and habitats have been studied and detailed in publications for over 35 yr. This lobster species was known to dwell in shelters, and their populations had historically been concentrated in shelter-providing boulder habitat. Our study revisited 20 long-term monitored sites at 10 m depth along more than 320 km of the Gulf of Maine. Surprisingly, we recorded fundamental changes in lobster abundance, habitat use, and distribution. Specifically, lobster population densities declined overall and occupancy in boulder habitats declined 60%, while densities on featureless ledge and sediment habitats increased 633 and 280%, respectively, from 2000 to 2019. Lobster rock shelter occupancy declined in recent years, but average body size increased, due in part to declines in smaller size classes. These demographic changes may result from both reduced recruitment and intraspecific competition resulting from the lower population densities. Habitat changes at our monitored sites included declines in kelp abundance, increases in diminutive algal turfs, and nearly 3°C warming of benthic water temperature in July (1995-2021), some of which may have contributed indirectly to those shifts. While these changes in shallow water habitat and demography have implications for the lobster fishery and stock assessments, it also illustrates previously undescribed behavioral plasticity.

Investigating nearshore spatial and temporal trends in nutrient concentrations along an urban northern shoreline, Lake Ontario

The nearshore zone of the Laurentian Great Lakes is of significant ecological importance, providing critical biogeochemical processes supporting spatially diverse habitats for a variety of species. Extreme plant and algal growth are common due to excessive anthropogenic eutrophication, with exacerbations from dreissenid establishment and lake mixing (e.g., coastal upwelling events and nearshore-offshore water exchanges), resulting in nuisance algal blooms across the nearshore area adjacent to Western Durham, Ontario, Canada. Thus, our main goal was to characterize the trends in essential nutrients (i.e., phosphorus and nitrogen) within the nearshore by applying general additive models on irregular time-series from 2011 to 2022 and to identify plausible contributing factors using exploratory principal component analysis. Increasing trends for total phosphorus were observed in surface (0.5 m below the surface) and benthic (0.5 m above the bottom) waters despite decreases in point source loading to the area. Most notably, the local water pollution control plant (WPCP) outfall did not seem to drive lake phosphorus concentrations across the study area, depicted by an orthogonal relationship within the principal component analysis. While the WPCP is a point source to the nearshore, it does not appear to be the primary driver of temporal lake phosphorus trends. Our results suggest that weather, inertial forcings and lake hydrodynamics in combination with traditional point-sources across Western Durham are contributing to the increasing total phosphorus trends observed as the peak period of wave spectra, wave height, alongshore wind speeds, watershed loadings, and total phosphorus concentrations within Lake Ontario were positively associated.

Expression and Functional Analysis of AMT1 Gene Responding to High Ammonia Stress in Razor Clam (Sinonovacula constricta).

Ammonium transporter 1 (AMT1), a member of ammonia (NH3/NH4+) transport proteins, has been found to have ammonia transport activity in plants and microorganisms. However, the functional characteristics and molecular mechanisms of AMT1 in mollusks remain unclear. The razor clam (Sinonovacula constricta) is a suitable model species to explore the molecular mechanism of ammonia excretion because of the high concentration of ambient ammonia it is exposed to in the clam-fish-shrimp polyculture system. Here, the expression of AMT1 in S. constricta (Sc-AMT1) in response to high ammonia (12.85 mmol/L NH4Cl) stress was identified by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, RNA interference, and immunofluorescence analysis. Additionally, the association between the SNP_g.15211125A > T linked with Sc-AMT1 and ammonia tolerance was validated by kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP). A significant upregulated expression of Sc-AMT1 was observed during ammonia exposure, and Sc-AMT1 was found to be localized in the flat cells of gill. Moreover, the interference with Sc-AMT1 significantly upregulated the hemolymph ammonia levels, accompanied by the increased mRNA expression of Rhesus glycoprotein (Rh). Taken together, our findings imply that AMT1 may be a primary contributor to ammonia excretion in S. constricta, which is the basis of their ability to inhabit benthic water with high ammonia levels.

Potential response of dark carbon fixation to global warming in estuarine and coastal waters.

Dark carbon fixation (DCF), through which chemoautotrophs convert inorganic carbon to organic carbon, is recognized as a vital process of global carbon biogeochemical cycle. However, little is known about the response of DCF processes in estuarine and coastal waters to global warming. Using radiocarbon labelling method, the effects of temperature on the activity of chemoautotrophs were investigated in benthic water of the Yangtze estuarine and coastal areas. A dome-shaped thermal response pattern was observed for DCF rates (i.e., reduced rates at lower or higher temperatures), with the optimum temperature (Topt ) varying from about 21.9 to 32.0°C. Offshore sites showed lower Topt values and were more vulnerable to global warming compared with nearshore sites. Based on temperature seasonality of the study area, it was estimated that warming would accelerate DCF rate in winter and spring but inhibit DCF activity in summer and fall. However, at an annual scale, warming showed an overall promoting effect on DCF rates. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the dominant chemoautotrophic carbon fixation pathways in the nearshore area were Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle, while the offshore sites were co-dominated by CBB and 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate cycles, which may explain the differential temperature response of DCF along the estuarine and coastal gradients. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating DCF thermal response into biogeochemical models to accurately estimate the carbon sink potential of estuarine and coastal ecosystems in the context of global warming.

Climate change-related warming reduces thermal sensitivity and modifies metabolic activity of coastal benthic bacterial communities

Besides long-term average temperature increases, climate change is projected to result in a higher frequency of marine heatwaves. Coastal zones are some of the most productive and vulnerable ecosystems, with many stretches already under anthropogenic pressure. Microorganisms in coastal areas are central to marine energy and nutrient cycling and therefore, it is important to understand how climate change will alter these ecosystems. Using a long-term heated bay (warmed for 50 years) in comparison with an unaffected adjacent control bay and an experimental short-term thermal (9 days at 6–35 °C) incubation experiment, this study provides new insights into how coastal benthic water and surface sediment bacterial communities respond to temperature change. Benthic bacterial communities in the two bays reacted differently to temperature increases with productivity in the heated bay having a broader thermal tolerance compared with that in the control bay. Furthermore, the transcriptional analysis showed that the heated bay benthic bacteria had higher transcript numbers related to energy metabolism and stress compared to the control bay, while short-term elevated temperatures in the control bay incubation experiment induced a transcript response resembling that observed in the heated bay field conditions. In contrast, a reciprocal response was not observed for the heated bay community RNA transcripts exposed to lower temperatures indicating a potential tipping point in community response may have been reached. In summary, long-term warming modulates the performance, productivity, and resilience of bacterial communities in response to warming.

Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic Sea

The Atlantic herring and Atlantic cod are two marine fish species that have successfully adapted to the brackish Baltic Sea, and the former is able to spawn in near-freshwater conditions in the inner Gulf of Bothnia. Here, we review the state of current knowledge concerning ecological adaptation in the two species and make an attempt to predict how they will be able to cope with future climate change. Previous whole genome sequencing studies in Atlantic herring have revealed hundreds of genetic loci underlying ecological adaptation, including several loci that show very strong associations to variation in salinity and temperature. These results suggest the existence of standing genetic variation available for adaptation to a changing environment. However, although Atlantic herring probably has the genetic potential to adapt, its future status also depends on how climate change will affect plankton production and competing species, such as sprat and three-spined stickleback. In cod, the situation is challenging, as there is only one true Baltic population, spawning east of Bornholm and then dispersing towards the east and north. This Baltic cod population is threatened by overfishing, low oxygen levels in benthic waters and generally bad physiological condition of individual fish, in addition to being completely isolated from gene flow from nearby cod populations at the entrance of the Baltic Sea.

Detection and impact of sewage pollution on South Kohala's coral reefs, Hawai‘i

Sewage pollution from on-site sewage disposal systems and injection wells is impacting coral reefs worldwide. Our study documented the presence and impact of sewage on South Kohala's coral reefs, on Hawai‘i Island, through benthic water quality and macroalgal sampling (fecal indicator bacteria, nutrients, δ15N macroalgal tissue), NO3− stable isotope mixing models, water motion measurements, and coral reef surveys. Sewage pollution was moderate on the offshore reef from benthic seeps, and water motion mixed and diluted it across the benthos. These conditions likely contribute to the dominance of turf algae cover, and the severity and prevalence of growth anomalies and algal overgrowth on corals. Use of multiple indicators and studying water motion was necessary to assess sewage pollution and identify environmental drivers associated with impaired coral health conditions. Methods used in this study can be utilized by natural resource managers to identify and reduce anthropogenic stressors to coral reefs.

Geochemistry and organic petrography of the Middle Permian Lucaogou alkaline lacustrine oil shale in the southern Junggar Basin, China: Implications for formation conditions and organic matter accumulation

Organic matter (OM) accumulation in terrestrial sediments shows not only a significant carbon sink in the Earth's carbon cycle but an important origin of fossil fuels, which is closely associated with the complex and diverse depositional environments and climate conditions. The Junggar Basin developed the most laterally extensive and thickest alkaline lacustrine sediments as well as the richest hydrocarbon source rock/oil shale interval of all the world during the deposition of the Lucaogou Formation and equivalent units. In this study, the sedimentary succession of 564 m with a mudstone and dolomite matrix of the Lucaogou oil shale from the Qi 1 well located in the southern Junggar Basin was investigated, which can be divided into two members based on lithology. This paper is a synthetic use of major element oxides, trace, and rare-earth elements as well as organic petrography data as proxies to evaluate the provenance, paleotectonic setting, paleoclimate and weathering conditions, paleoenvironment, and paleoproductivity as well as origin and accumulation of OM of the Lucaogou sediments.It is suggested that no recycling sediments in all the studied samples, based on parameters including the Th/Sc vs. Zr/Sc plot, the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) being linearly dependent on Weathering Index of Parker (WIP), and the high Index of Compositional Variability. The provenance mainly from intermediate-felsic volcanic rocks (e.g., granodiorite, andesite and dacite) is supported by the bivariate plots of Euanom vs. Th/Sc, La/Th vs. Hf, La/Sc vs. Co/Th, Cr/Th vs. Sc/Th, Y/Ni vs. Cr/V, and Nb/Y vs. Zr/TiO2 as well as triangular diagrams of mafic–felsic–weathering, M+–4Si–R2+ and Rb/V–Zr/Zn–Sc/Nb. The continental island arc is inferred from paleotectonic setting discrimination diagrams (i.e., the La–Th–Sc, Th–Co–Zr/10 and Th–Sc–Zr/10 ternary as well as Ti/Zr vs. La/Sc binary diagrams). The chemical weathering indices (i.e., the CIA, WIP, weathering index (W), Weathering Intensity Scale, Sodium Depletion Index, and Ga/Rb vs. K2O/Al2O3 binary diagram) indicate the paleoclimate conditions were cold/arid with weak chemical weathering in a warming and/or enhanced continental weathering episode. Besides, the Sr/Ba ratios and gallium concentrations indicate the paleosalinity was brackish to hypersaline and was higher in the lower member in relation to that in the upper member. However, the suboxic environment of the benthic water (inferred from the MoEF vs. UEF co-variations and Corg/P ratios as well as large sizes of framboidal pyrites) and the moderate paleoproductivity (evaluated via the Sibio, Babio, and Pbio values, as well as Ni/Al and Cu/Al ratios) caused by predominate algae and bacteria (inferred from the organic petrography) kept stable in the paleolake during this period. The OM accumulation was mainly controlled by the preservation conditions rather than the paleoproductivity and limited detrital inputs/low deposition rates, which was indicated by the plot of Co × Mn values vs. Cd/Mo ratios and the total organic carbon contents being negatively related to stable carbon isotope compositions of OM.

COVID-19 lockdown-driven changes in the Ganga River ecosystem in response to human perturbations.

We examined 10 subsurface water, 5 benthic water and 19 sediment (02 cm) samples along a 518 km of the middle segment of the Ganga River to assess the possible improvements that resulted from the industrial shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sites included the main stem river, tributary confluences, and two point sources, one of which releases metal-rich effluents and the other flushes municipal sewage. We found significant declines in the carbon, nutrient and metal concentrations in both the water and sediment. Even the most polluted zones did not show hypoxia (dissolve oxygen; DO < 2.0 mg L−1) that had been observed in the previous year. Despite a significant decline in carbon and nitrogen as substrates, the activities of extracellular enzymes (EEs), such as β-D-glucosidase, FDAase and protease in sediment (0–2 cm depth), increased significantly (p < 0.05) in response to the declining metal concentrations resulting from the industrial shutdown. We found strong negative correlations between EE activity and the concentrations of metal pollutants measured in 2019, but the correlations between these variables appeared poor in 2020 (lockdown period). Also, we found large variances (low stability coefficients) during the period of strong anthropogenic effects (2019). The study indicates that industrial sources are important contributors of metal pollution in the Ganga River and has relevance exploring river ecosystem recovery windows for management decisions.

Rapid response of the nearshore round goby population to temperature declines associated with upwelling events in Lake Ontario

Upwellings occur in all the Great Lakes in response to prolonged wind events. Several studies have modeled or measured changes in abiotic conditions associated with upwellings, but few direct observations of fish responses have been documented. Video-capture techniques were used in conjunction with moored temperature loggers to link the disappearance of benthic round gobies to temperature declines during upwelling events along the southern Lake Ontario nearshore in summer of 2019. Benthic water temperatures declined by as much as 18 °C within 18 h over as many as nine events. Round goby density estimates were as high as 50/m2 prior to upwellings, but declined to as low as 0/m2 during the events. Using just nine observation dates, ARMA trend analysis suggested a relationship between benthic temperature and round goby abundance (AIC = 78.7, t = 2.21, P = 0.063). Although the actual response of gobies to rapidly declining temperatures was unknown, this population was unobservable in our sample area during upwellings, yet returned to pre-upwelling densities within days. Understanding the magnitude and frequency of fish responses to these events can improve our understanding of the potential for this non-native benthic fish to affect the nearshore environment.

Identifying and characterizing juvenile lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens , Rafinesque, 1817) occupancy hot spots within the St. Clair‐Detroit River System

Over the past two decades, extensive monitoring has been conducted in the St. Clair – Detroit River System to describe spatial and temporal patterns of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). To characterize spatial patterns in juvenile lake sturgeon (<1000 mm TL) based on survey collections, ‘hot spots’ were identified through optimized hot spot analysis (HSA). This HSA was then interpolated by inverse distance weighted analysis to determine extent of identified ‘hot spots’ and ‘cold spots’. Additionally, habitat variables (i.e., water depth, water velocity, and dominant substrate type) were investigated using a single season occupancy model to determine their influence on juvenile lake sturgeon occupancy probability. In total, 1203 juvenile lake sturgeon were captured across 4197 surveys. Three unique ‘hot spots’ were identified; western Lake Erie, Fighting Island in the Detroit River, and the North Channel in the St. Clair River. Interpolated ‘hot spots’ encompassed 73.1 km² in western Lake Erie, 4.7 km² near Fighting Island, and 6.6 km² in the North Channel. Detection probabilities within ‘hot spots’ ranged from 8.8%–43.4%. No habitat variables significantly predicted juvenile lake sturgeon occupancy. Juvenile lake sturgeon were captured in western Lake Erie where the water depth was >5.1 m and odds of occupancy increased with increased water velocity. Juvenile lake sturgeon in the Detroit and St. Clair River ‘hot spots’ were captured at sites with mean benthic water velocities ranging from 0.20–0.60 m/s and where water depth was >7.3 m. Irrespective of waterbody, 69% of all juveniles were detected over dominant sand and gravel substrates. These results provide valuable insight about juvenile habitat use that can help managers formulate effective conservation and restoration strategies supporting the continued recovery of Great Lakes lake sturgeon.

Isotopic reconstruction of iron oxidation-reduction process based on an Archean Ocean analogue

The chemical composition and redox conditions of the Precambrian ocean are key factors for reconstructing the temporal evolution of atmospheric oxygen through time. In particular, the isotopic composition of iron are useful proxies for reconstructing paleo-ocean environments. Yet, respective processes and related signatures are poorly constrained, hindering the reconstruction of iron redox mechanisms in the Archean ocean. This study centers on Sihailongwan Lake, a stratified water body with a euxinic lower water column considered as an Archean ocean analogue. Results show that the anaerobic oxidation layer is so different from other similar lakes in which dissolved Fe oxidation is present in redoxcline layer. And the fractionation factor between ferrous Fe and iron hydroxide observed in nature water body of Sihailongwan Lake reaches to 2.6‰, which would benefit the production of the oxidations of BIF in sediment. By the spatial distribution of Fe isotope, the benthic water in autumn and the hypolimnetic anoxic water in spring has been identified as iron sulfide zone, where iron isotopic fractionation factor during iron sulfide formation is 1.16‰, accounting for partial scavenging of dissolved Fe(II) with an associated isotopic fractionation. However, pyrite in the sediment records the iron isotopic signal from the redoxcline but not in the iron sulfide or oxide zones of the water column. Above findings indicate that neither the iron isotope fractionation during partial transfer of ferrous iron to iron sulfide nor the partial oxidation of ferrous iron are recorded as pyrite in sedimentary rock. Importantly, the signal of Fe isotopic fractionation in water was archived in the suspended particulate matter and transferred into the sediment, rather than via ferrous iron directly deposited in the sediment. This study reveals that Fe isotopes from modern natural environments are useful proxies for reconstructing iron oxidation-reduction process during Earth's early history.

Establishing the relationship between benthic macroinvertebrates and water level fluctuation in subtropical shallow wetlands.

Wetland water level fluctuations often influence benthic macroinvertebrate communities through changes in water quality, substrate, and macrophytes and, hence, affect the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. However, there is lack of understanding on how water level fluctuations affect the structure and composition of benthic macroinvertebrates in subtropical shallow wetlands in Nepal. Here, we assessed the changes in benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in response to water level fluctuations and identified indicator taxa sensitive to such fluctuations. A study was conducted over 4 seasons covering one annual cycle of water level fluctuation in 4 wetlands of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. The study revealed that benthic macroinvertebrate composition significantly differed across water levels. Dissimilarities in macroinvertebrate community composition were mainly attributed by families Atyidae, Dytiscidae, Baetidae, Planorbidae, Chironomidae, Bithyniidae, Sphaeriidae, and Thiaridae. Taxon specific richness, densities, and biomass varied across the water levels while no difference was documented for overall family richness, density, and biomass. Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera richness decreasedwhen water levels were low while Coleoptera and Diptera richness increased. Medium water level supported high benthic macroinvertebrate diversity. Indicator taxa analysis identified Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae and Dytiscidae, Hemiptera: Pleidae, Diptera: Muscidae and Mollusca: Sphaeriidae, Viviparidae, and Thiaridae, as indicators of low water level. Similarly, Coleoptera: Scirtidae, Hemiptera: Micronectidae and Oligochaeta: Tubificidae as indicators of medium water level, and Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae and Ephemeroptera: Caenidae as indicators of high water level. Redundancy analysis identified water level as one of the most influencing factors in benthic macroinvertebrate community variation. Considering the significant response of benthic macroinvertebrates to water level fluctuations, theyare important as ecological indicators in research aimed at developing environmental flow frameworks. Indicator speciesare likely to be a vital tool in environmental impact assessment and monitoring in relation to hydrological development. The outcomesof this research have important implications to conservation and management of wetlands to preserve the valuable ecosystem functions provided by wetlands.

Redox fluctuation and δ13Corg-δ34S perturbations recorded in the 1.9 Ga Nuvilik Formation of the Cape Smith belt, Canada

Earth’s surface environment underwent the first major step-change in atmospheric oxygen levels during the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation and Lomagundi–Jatuli events. A decrease in atmospheric oxygen levels after the Lomagundi–Jatuli Event has previously been suggested, but details of the environmental transitions at 2.0–1.8 Ga are still debated. Here we report major- and trace-element compositions and δ13Corg and δ34S values for shale samples from a 50-m-thick section of drill-core from the ca. 1.9 Ga Nuvilik Formation of the uppermost Povungnituk Group, Cape Smith belt, Canada. The section comprises a turbiditic sedimentary sequence of well-bedded sandstone–shale alternations accumulated on the continental margin of the Archean Superior Craton. Stratigraphically, the section comprises 4-m-thick graded beds, a fining-upward sequence of predominantly coarse-sandstone to black-shale alternations, and a fine-grained sandstone-dominated sequence. Shale samples in the studied section contain quartz, white mica, pyrite, and pyrrhotite.Mo and U enrichment factors (MoEF and UEF) display increasing trends in the lower part of the section, reaching values of 11.9 and 2.4, respectively, suggesting development of sulfidic (euxinic) benthic water. Subsequent decreases in MoEF and UEF values represent restoration to suboxic states. This redox fluctuation is accompanied by δ13Corg and δ34S perturbations. Concurrent decreases of δ13Corg (−30.6‰ to −33.2‰) and δ34S values (+11‰ to −5‰) suggest isotopically light inorganic carbon and sulfur were supplied to the ocean–atmosphere system. δ34S values increased to +14‰ after the decrease, interpreted as being due to isotopic distillation through enhanced microbial sulfate reduction. The δ13Corg and δ34S perturbations and the overlying ultramafic volcanic sequence of the Chukotat Group (part of the Circum-Superior large igneous province; LIP) suggest that the redox fluctuation recorded in the Nuvilik Formation might be related to the onset of LIP magmatism.

Improved environmental DNA sampling scheme for Alabama sturgeon provides new insight into a species once presumed extinct

Detection of rare species can be challenging and time-consuming using conventional methods, but environmental DNA (eDNA) is becoming a commonly used tool for detection in conservation and management of species. This study demonstrates the utility of the precipitation method (precipitated and preserved in 3 M sodium acetate and 95% ethanol) for collection of eDNA to detect the seasonal distribution of the critically endangered Alabama sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi). Surface and benthic water samples were collected across a wider geographic area than previously published for Alabama sturgeon eDNA. Surface and benthic samples both yielded detections and resulted in a similar proportion of positive detections to previous work. However, by sampling a greater portion of the distribution of the Alabama sturgeon, further insight was provided on potential sturgeon movement. The results of the precipitation method show that Alabama sturgeon detections increase during spawning months, and that the fish may be overwintering in the Tombigbee River. High detections from winter benthic samples suggest that habitat choice may play a role in detectability and highlight the need to consider natural history when designing environmental DNA studies. When designing environmental DNA collection for rare species, sampling design should factor in species ecology, habitat use, site characteristics, and specific questions driving the research.

Cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K) in Bottom Sediment of the Lower Silesian Dam Reservoir

The study was conducted on the Słup reservoir and the Nysa Szalona river (Poland). The material was benthic water and sediments. The aim of the study was to evaluate accumulation of Ca, Mg, Na and K in the sediments. The assessment of studied elements accumulation was based on calculations of the cumulation factor in the sediment. On this basis, an attempt was made to assess the possible impact of the compounds deposited in the sediment on the organisms living in the reservoir and on the change in the composition of water which constitutes the basis for drinking water. It was found that the studied sediments are rich in Ca, Mg and K compounds but relatively poor in sodium compounds. The level of the studied elements in the sediment and water in the annual cycle does not show strong changes and in the relatively stable conditions existing in the reservoir it does not pose a threat to organisms living there. Moreover, it does not adversely affect the composition of water which is obtained for water supply purposes.

Paleoceanography of the Late Cretaceous northwestern Tethys Ocean: Seasonal upwelling or steady thermocline?

In this study we attempted to assess whether seasonal upwelling or a steady thermocline persisted at the western margin of the Tethys Ocean during the late Turonian–early Coniacian interval. For this scope, we employed novel and published stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) data of various organisms (bivalves, bivalves, brachiopods, fish and belemnites). New seasonally resolved temperature estimates were based on the δ18O record of sequentially sampled inoceramid (Inoceramus sp.) and rudist (Hippurites resectus) shells from the Scaglia Rossa and Gosau deposits of northern Italy and western Austria, respectively. Diagenetic screening was performed using reflected light, cathodoluminescence (CL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and stable isotope analysis. Originally preserved δ13C and δ18O values were used to characterize the lifestyle of the bivalves and detect vital effects that could have biased oxygen isotope-based temperature reconstructions. Inoceramid δ18O values provide–for the first time–information on temperatures of Tethyan benthic waters, which were, on average, 14.4 ± 0.6 °C and fluctuated seasonally within a range of less than 2 °C. Such a thermal regime is in line with the temperatures postulated for late Turonian boreal water masses and support the existence of a cold water supply from the North Atlantic to the Tethyan bottom. Bottom cooling, however, did not affect the shallow water environment. In fact, the rudist-based temperature estimates for shallow water environment revealed a mean annual range of 11 °C, between 24 and 35 °C (assuming a seasonally constant δ18Ow = 1.0 ‰), which are among the warmest temperatures recorded over the entire Late Cretaceous. Our findings, thus, suggest a strong thermal and food web decoupling between the two environments. The absence of a seasonal vertical homogenization of different water bodies suggests the existence of a steady thermocline and, therefore, contrasts with the presence of an active coastal upwelling in the region as hypothesized by previous authors.

Morphological and Developmental Traits of the Binucleation of Male Accessory Gland Cells in the Benthic Water Bug, Aphelocheirus vittatus (Hemiptera: Aphelochiridae).

The male accessory glands (MAGs) in insects are pair(s) of internal reproductive organs that produce and secrete the plasma component of seminal fluid. In various insects, MAG size is important for male reproductive success because the fluid provides physiologically active substances and/or nutrients to females to control sperm as well as female reproductive behaviors. Although the MAG epithelial cells in most insect species are standard mononucleate cells, those in some insect taxa are binucleate due to incomplete cytokinesis (e.g., Drosophila [Fallén] [Diptera: Drosophilidae]) or cell fusion (e.g., Cimex [Linnaeus] [Hemiptera: Cimicidae]). In the case of Drosophila, the apicobasal position of the two nuclei relative to the epithelial plane changes from vertical to horizontal after nutrient intake, which allows the volume of the MAG cavity to expand effectively. On the other hand, in the case of Cimex, the positions of the two nuclei do not change apicobasally in response to feeding, but their position relative to the proximodistal axis varies depending on the tubular/spherical organ morphology. Here, we report that the MAG of the benthic water bug Aphelocheirus vittatus (Matsumura) (Hemiptera: Aphelochiridae) shows binucleation in all epithelial cells. Despite the phylogenetically close relationship between Aphelocheirus and Cimex, the MAG cells in Aphelocheirus showed a Drosophila-like apicobasal change in the position of the two nuclei in response to feeding. Furthermore, the cytological processes during binucleation are more similar to those in Drosophila (incomplete cytokinesis) than to those in Cimex (cell fusion). These results indicate that the physiological role and mechanism of binucleation in MAG cells changed during the evolution of Hemiptera.

Oceanic anoxia through the late Permian Changhsingian Stage in the Lower Yangtze region, South China: Evidence from sulfur isotopes and trace elements

The late Permian oceanic anoxic event is suggested to have had a causal relationship with the Latest Permian Mass Extinction (LPME); however, the nature of spatio-temporal variations in the anoxic event prior to the LPME remains poorly known. Here we provided new constraints on this issue based on high-resolution geochemical analyses of sulfur isotopes and trace elements in the Niushan section (nearby the Meishan section) of the Lower Yangtze region, South China. Results show that the entire Upper Permian Changhsingian in the study area can be divided into five intervals according to organic carbon isotope evolutionary trend. From the bottom to top, the water was oxic (interval I) to anoxic with sporadically euxinic condition (interval II) to primarily suboxic (interval III) to anoxic with frequently euxinic condition (interval IV), to a transient euxinic event (interval VEH) under dysoxic/oxic conditions (interval V). Multiple productivity proxies (total organic carbon, Cuxs, and Znxs) suggest that the primary productivity may have experienced a stable low (interval I), then was enhanced but with strong fluctuations (interval II), followed by a transient sharp decline (interval III), and was then subsequently relatively high with small fluctuations (interval IV), and finally experienced a gradual decline with occasional peaks (interval V) through the time interval represented by the Niushan section. The relationship between redox changes and paleoproductivity supports that a redox-stratified late Permian Ocean was present in the eastern Tethys region. Combined with previous results in South China, we propose that all the deep-water sections in the northern marginal basin of the Yangtze Platform (NMBY) might display similar trends, indicating that the NMBY was part of a single paleo-ocean system during the Changhsingian, although the Niushan section records more severely euxinic benthic water. The transient euxinic event during interval extinction horizon (VEH) can be well correlated with other sections worldwide, suggesting that the end-Permian marine anoxia in the Niushan section represents a global signal. The extinction horizon accompanied by a single euxinic episode in this study provides further evidence for the LPME having been caused by widespread anoxia. The bio-environmental evolutionary history of this continuous deep-water section will help us to better evaluate the data for the nearby shallow-water Meishan section.