Kingston Harbour Research Articles

Spatial distribution of surficial sediments in part of the Kingston basin of northeastern Lake Ontario, Canada

The distribution of surficial sediments in the interisland area of northeastern Lake Ontario is characterized by a generally homogeneous composition of fine grained muds with some local exceptions at the gaps leading into Kingston basin and in parts of North Channel. This pattern reflects principally differing levels of wave energy from the exposed areas of outer Kingston basin and Upper and Lower gaps to the more protected interisland area. Additional processes responsible for the distribution are currents at the Upper and Lower gaps and local slumping. The observed deposition of surficial sediments in the northern Kingston basin shows generally good agreement with the wave base calculations employing wind speeds of 60 km·h-1. The study region consists of three sedimentary environments. Above the wave base related to winds of less than 60 km·h-1 continual erosion and transport of all grain sizes leads to a constant source of sediment to the deeper parts of the Kingston basin. Above the wave base related to infrequent strong winds of more than 60 km·h-1, episodic removal of the fine grain sizes leads to winnowing of the fines and their being transported into North Channel and Kingston Harbour while the sands are left in place. Below the wave base the sediments are undistributed. Thus, there is no proximal-distal differentiation outward from the coasts nor along the channels. The sediment is transported with currents moving through North Channel and Kingston Harbour with similarly low velocities across the entire section.

Organotins in Zebra Mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha) from the Saint Lawrence River

Toxic antifouling compounds such as organotins have been released in the aquatic ecosystems throughout the world and can be bioaccumulating in biota. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of zebra mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha) as a biomonitor for investigating the geographical variations of organotin bioavailability along the St. Lawrence River. The presence of organotins (tributyltins (TBT) and triphenyltins (TPT)) and their degradation products were measured in the soft tissues of zebra mussels collected from 11 sites along the St. Lawrence River (between Cornwall and Ile d’Orleans) in June 1996. TBT and TPT were generally low (< 0.001 to 0.030 μg/g wet weight) and were similar to those reported in Kingston Harbour, Ontario in Canada and Nieuwkoop and Brielse meer in the Netherlands. The highest concentration of TBT (1.44 μg/g wet weight) was found in mussels from Bassin Louise, a marina in Quebec City. This suggests that zebra mussels are effive biomonitors of organotin compounds and that residual levels in the sediment, or illegal use of antifouling paints still remain problematic in localized sectors of the river. A more detailed study on the availability of TBT in marinas and harbors along the freshwater part of the St. Lawrence River is recommended.

Pollution history of a tropical estuary revealed by combined hydrodynamic modelling and sediment geochemistry

Hydrodynamic modelling of water movement in Hunts Bay, a protected part of Kingston Harbour, Jamaica, shows that depth averaged tidal flows are very low. In the northeast corner of Hunts Bay, water is essentially stagnant. Even under high flow conditions, much of the Bay bottom water is `bypassed' by buoyant, lower salinity surface flows. The muddy sediments of Hunts Bay reflect these sluggish to stagnant conditions; sediment cores from the northeast corner of the Bay contain progressively higher amounts of organic matter in their upper parts (∼last 15–20 years sedimentation). Combined C/N ratios and stable carbon isotope compositions of this organic matter imply a sewage origin. Both lead and chromium metal concentrations and enrichment factors relative to average crustal shales show geographically related patterns that reflect hydrodynamic circulation predicted by modelling. In particular, metal concentrations and enrichment factors are highest at the northern end of the bay, especially in the northeast corner. Modelling confirms that stagnant conditions would occur in the northeast part of the bay even without the presence of a major causeway. The causeway may contribute to low flow conditions, but is not the principal cause of organic contamination, which is simply an excessive input of sewage.

The Water Quality of Kingston Harbour: Evaluating the Use of the Planktonic Community and Traditional Water Quality Indices

Kingston Harbour has been experiencing increased levels of organic pollution since initial ecological assessments in 1971. to develop a new baseline of eutrophication in the Harbour 20 years later, and determine the most appropriate indices to be used in the continued monitoring the area, the water quality of Kingston Harbour was reassessed between December 1992 and 1993, by contemporaneous sampling of traditional water column parameters and planktonic communities at 28 stations within the Harbour. Indices used for water quality assessment were temperature, salinity, light penetration, dissolved oxygen, BOD and nutrients (nitrates-N, phosphate-P and ammonia-N). Results indicated that the planktonic community provided the most reliable index of increased eutrophication and changes in water quality. While physical variables indicated little change in Harbour waters and chemical variables indicated significant but erratic changes, the planktonic community displayed the classic characteristics of eutrophication. Phytoplankton biomass (a maximum of 148 mg m−3 chlorophyll a) was 5 to 10 times greater than in 1971 while zooplankton abundances (maximum of 80,000 animals m−3) were 4 times greater. in both cases the community composition had altered and there were fewer taxa than previously found.

Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Grazing by Marine Copepods and Cladocerans upon Phytoplankton and Cyanobacteria from Kingston Harbour, Jamaica

Abstract. Grazing by the copepods Temora turbinata and Acartia lilljeborgii and the marine cladoceran Penilia avirostris on natural phytoplankton and cyanobacteria assemblages from Kingston Harbour. Jamaica, was examined in summer 1992. Food assemblages were often dominated by an unidentified filamentous cyanobacterium. with abundances of up to 1.16 × 104 filaments. ml‐1. Other abundant phytoplankters included microflagellates and diatoms of the genus Niteschia. Mean clearance rates for the entire food assemblage ranged from 0.10 to 2.41 ml animal‐1. h‐1, although most mean clearance rates were between 0.5 and 1.5 ml. animal‐1 h‐1. Patterns of selection of different food items by various grazers on different dates were variable and inconsistent. Microscopic measurements revealed that cyanobacterial filament lengths were shorter in grazed than initial aliquots during a cyanobacterium bloom in August. This suggests that grazers reduced lengths of many filaments by biting off portions, in addition to consuming entire filaments. Such ‘filament clipping’ of cyanobacteria filaments has been recorded previously in freshwater studies and suggests that grazers impact a larger portion of the phytoplankton assemblage than is accounted for by ingestion and clearance rates based only upon removal of filaments. Grazers exhibited no adverse effects from consuming cyanobacteria. Cyanobacterkd are often considered to be toxic or of poor food quality for planktonic grazers. but due to the high abundance and dominance of filamentous cyanobacteria in Kingston Harbour. if these cyanobacteria were ungrazed. there would at times be little alternative phytoplankton food for copepods and cladocerans. Our results suggest that the trophic role of tilamentous cyanobacteria in pelagic food webs of the tropical ocean should be further investigated and possibly reconsidered.

Combined Carbon Isotope and C/N Ratios as Indicators of Source and Fate of Organic Matter in a Poorly Flushed, Tropical Estuary: Hunts Bay, Kingston Harbour, Jamaica

Stable carbon isotopes and C/N ratios of particulate organic matter (POM) in suspended solids, surficial sediments and sediment cores were used to define the spatial and temporal variability of POM in a poorly flushed, urbanized, eutrophic tropical estuary (Hunts Bay, Kingston Harbour, Jamaica). C/N variation in the sediment surface POM is a function of initial suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) (or other POM) type and the alteration of C/N ratios in the water column or on the sediment surface. The δ13CSPOM(−20 to −25‰) values suggest that this material is a mixture of: (1)in situphytoplankton organic matter; (2) terrestrial river-borne SPOM; (3) terrestrial river-borne bottom sediment POM; and (4) sewage. Downcore variation in organic carbon content, C/N and δ13Cis attributed mainly to change in the supply rate and type of organic matter. In the NE of Hunts Bay, down core variation in sedimentology and geochemistry are consistent with a change from fully marine to freshwater runoff-dominated sedimentation with increasing organic matter input from sewage in recent times. Despite large overlaps in the C/N and δ13Corg‘end-members’ pollutant POM, in this case sewage, was the only source which could account for the amount of POM deposited, the surface sediment C/N and δ13Corgvalues and the trajectories of evolution in C/N andδ13Corgvalues in cores. The data show that the combinedδ13C and C/N successfully identifies the source, fate and history of POM even in a poorly-mixed estuary.

Production of tropical copepods in Kingston Harbour, Jamaica: the importance of small species

The copepod community observed during an 18-month period at the mouth of eutrophic Kingston Harbour, Jamaica, was dominated by small species of Parvocalanus, Temora, Oithona, and Corycaeus. Mean copepod biomass was 22.1 mg AFDW m−3 (331 mg m−2). Annual production was 1679 kJ m−2, partitioned as 174 kJ m−2 naupliar, 936 kJ m−2 copepodite, 475 kJ m−2 egg and 93 kJ m−2 exuvial production. All nauplii, most copepodites and many adults, equivalent to half of the biomass and production, were missed by a standard 200-μm plankton net, emphasizing the importance of nauplii and small species in secondary production estimates. The evidence suggests that growth rates and production are generally not food limited, and we speculate that size-selective predation shapes the structure of the harbour community. Biomass and production are higher than previous estimates for tropical coastal waters, but comparable to other eutrophic tropical embayments and many productive temperate ecosystems. Far from being regions of low productivity, tropical zooplankton communities may have significant production and deserve greater research attention than they currently receive.

Production of tropical larvaceans in Kingston Harbour, Jamaica: are we ignoring an important secondary producer?

The larvacean community was observed during an 18 month period at the mouth of eutrophic Kingston Harbour, Jamaica. During this period, larvaceans averaged 3607 m~3 with a biomass of 2.2 mg ash-free dry weight m~3 (32.6 mg AFDW nr2) in a community dominated by Oiko- pleura longicauda. There were no relationships between larvacean biomass and any size fraction of chlorophyll, suggesting that other factors must normally regulate larvacean communities. The evidence indicates that this regulation is by predation. Annual production by larvaceans was 586 kJ nr2 year1 (29.3 g AFDW nr2 year1); production of houses could represent an added 300-600 kJ nr2 year1. While copepod biomass was 10 times higher than that of the larvaceans during the same period, copepod growth rates were only one-third those of larvaceans. Thus, larvacean annual production is at least 30% that of the copepods, due to their rapid growth rates, and at least 50% that of the copepods when house production is considered. The contribution of larvaceans to plankton produc- tion has been underappreciated historically when only their biomass is considered.

Zooplankton growth rates: the larvaceans Appendicularia, Fritillaria and Oikopleura in tropical waters

The growth rates of Appendicularia sicula, Fritillaria borealis sargassi, Fritillaria haplostoma, Oikopleura dioica and Oikopleura longicauda were determined from microcosms incubated in situ at 23°C in Jamaican waters. Experiments were conducted from oligotrophic offshore waters, through mesotrophic Lime Cay and eutrophic Kingston Harbour in both natural and nutrient-enhanced phytoplankton communities. Length-weight relationships were calculated for two of these species: O.longicauda log W =2.47 log TL −6.10 and F.haplostoma log W =2.44 log TL −7.37, where weight (W) is in micrograms and trunk length ( TL ) is in micrometres. Instantaneous growth rates averaged 1.7–2.5 day −1 for the five species and were observed as high as 3.3 day −1 These instantaneous rates are equivalent to daily specific growth rates averaging 4.6–11.4 and ranging up to 28. In larger genera, growth rates were related positively to picoplankton and nanoplankton concentration, and negatively to the biomass of larvaceans, but in the smallest species growth was unrelated to these factors. However, because the variability in these two factors within microcosms exceeded their natural range of variability, growth rates of larvaceans may normally be unlimited by resources or population density effects.

Insecticide contamination of the Jamaican environment

The most frequently detected residues in soils, well and spring water, and in water, sediment and fish/shrimp samples from rivers and sea coasts across Jamaica, are endosulfans > chlorpyrifos > diazinon > dieldrin; these often exceed LC 50 values for many fish species. Mussels, sediment and water of Kingston Harbour had residues of eight organochlorines.

Reproduction of the Florida Lancelet (Branchiostoma floridae): Spawning Patterns and Fluctuations in Gonad Indexes and Nutritional Reserves

The reproductive biology of the Florida lancelet (Branchiostoma floridae) is described from over 21,000 animals collected from early summer 1991 through late summer 1995. Collections were made daily during summer and less frequently during other seasons. Minimal length at sexual maturity was about 23 mm for both sexes. The ratio of males to females was 1:1 throughout the year, and no hermaphrodites were found. During the breeding season (late spring through late summer), the population spawned just after sunset at intervals of 1-15 days, with an average interval of roughly a week. The proportion of lancelets spawning on a given date ranged from a small fraction to about 90% of the adult population. Spawning dates were not significantly correlated with lunar phase or fluctuations in salinity or water temperature. Lancelets could be induced to spawn by electric shock in the laboratory, but only on dates when they spawned in the field. A daily determination of gonad indexes suggested that individual males and females could spawn and then ripen and spawn again in the same breeding season, possibly in as little as 1-2 weeks. Fin-ray indexes (assumed to be proportional to somatic nutritional reserves) were highest in winter, when the lancelets were apparently well nourished but not breeding, and consistently low during the summer breeding season, when the animals were repeatedly spawning and presumably draining their nutritional reserves. Additional key words: amphioxus, cephalochordate The subphylum Cephalochordata of phylum Chordata comprises about 25 species of lancelets (=amphioxus) living in shallow marine or estuarine habitats. Because of their phylogenetic ties to vertebrate chordates, lancelets have been extensively studied anatomically and embryologically for over a century. In contrast, much less is known of their ecology in general and reproductive biology in particular, partly due to the relative inaccessibility of large populations of lancelets. Although most lancelet species have a wide geographic distribution, they are typically rare through much of their range and occur at high densities in only a few scattered localities (e.g., Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria; Xiamen and Qingdao, China; Kingston Harbour, Jamaica; and Tampa Bay, Florida). Much of the work on lancelet reproduction (reviewed in Wickstead 1975) concerns temperate populations of Branchiostoma lanceolatum in Europe and B. belcheri in China. The reproduction of one tropical lancelet, B. nigeriense, has also been studied extenaCurrent address: Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove CA 93950, USA. sively, although for an estuarine population exterminated once a year by fresh water runoff and replenished after each rainy season by animals from the open sea. These studies may give a distorted picture of reproduction in cephalochordates as a whole, because most lancelets have sub-tropical and tropical distributions and maximal lifetimes of several years. The purpose of the present study is to describe the reproductive biology of Branchiostoma floridae HUBBS 1922. In contrast to lancelets previously studied in detail, B. floridae is sub-tropical and has a maximal lifetime of several years (Stokes 1996); therefore, the reproductive biology of this species may more fairly represent that of cephalochordates generally. The population studied lives in Tampa Bay, Florida, and, from a previous description of larval settlement patterns (Stokes 1996), its breeding season is known to last from late spring through late summer. Our results also help clarify the role of lancelet finrays, which lack any homology with vertebrate finrays (Azariah 1965) and comprise retroperitoneal accumulations of glycoprotein and lipid (Holland & Holland 1991 a). Here we assume that fin-ray volumes This content downloaded from 157.55.39.223 on Wed, 24 Aug 2016 05:51:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Insecticide contamination of Jamaican environment III. Baseline studies on the status of insecticidal pollution of Kingston Harbour

Kingston Harbour, a 50 km 2 bay connected to the Caribbean sea only through a 3.5 km channel, is contaminated with residues of at least seven insecticides, which are introduced by the Rio Cobre. Weekly sampling of the Harbour for a month in July 1992 revealed the following maximum and mean residue levels in water (μg l −1) and sediments (ng g −1; data in parentheses), respectively: α-endosulphan, 8.56 and 2.18 (1 and 0.52); β-endosulphan, 15.7 and 7.86 (0.76 and 0.4); endosulphan sulphate, 0.0003 and 0.0003 (0); p,p′-DDT, 7 and 7 (0.04 and 0.35); dieldrin, 3.75 and 1.88 (0.001 and 0.001); aldrin, 0 (36.7 and 9.2); endrin, 0.93 and 0.26 (0.006 and 0.006); lindane, 0 (0.8 and 0.5); and diazinon, 0.1 and 0.05 (0.007 and 0.045). Oysters and fish were also contaminated with α-endosulphan, diazinon and aldrin.

Strombidiid ciliates from coastal waters near Kingston Harbour, Jamaica (Ciliophora, Oligotrichia, Strombidiidae)

Fifteen marine strombidiid species were measured and identified after protargol staining of bottle-cast samples collected during an annual study of the ciliate microzooplankton in the Caribbean Sea. Nine of these are described herein as new species. One new species from the genus Tontonia, T. simplicidens sp. nov., is defined, based on the pattern of the girdle and ventral kinety. Six new species of Strombidium, S. bilobum sp. nov., S. eurystomum sp. nov., S. ioanum sp. nov., S. maedai sp. nov., S. pollostomum sp. nov. and S. sphaericum sp. nov. are defined, based on cell size and shape, the arrangement of the oral ciliature, and the nature of the macronucleus. One new strombidiid genus Cyrtostrombidium gen. nov., is defined by the presence of a unique oral ‘basket’ and the absence of the ventral polykinetidal zone. Two species of Cyrtostrombidium, C. longisomum sp. nov. and C. wailesi sp. nov., are distinguished, based on cell size and macronuclear structure. Assemblages of six previously-described strombidiid species, S. constrictum, S. dalum, S. epidemum, S. inclinatum, S. wulffi, and Laboea strobila are also briefly described.

The ascidian fauna of a Jamaican lagoon: Thirty years of change

The information on which this paper is based was obtained by visual surveys conducted by swimming along the shoreline, supplemented by collecting. The principal surveys were in April 1963, April 1966, April 1968, August 1977, Match 1984, Match 1987, May/June 1991 followed by regular monitoring from June 1991 to June 1992. Twenty-five species of ascidians have be recorded from the Fort Rocky Lagoon; three of these as follows are considered no further. Didemnum conchyliatum (Sluiter, 1898) is recorded from only the northern entrance to the lagoon over the entire period and is not considered as a component of the main lagoon. Polyandrocarpa tineta (Van Name, 1902) was recorded only once on a piece of floating bamboo carried into the lagoon as an adult colony. Styela plicata (Lesueur, 1823) was recorded once only (1963) as a single specimen and was not a normal component; at that time it was common elsewhere in Kingston Harbour. Of the remaining twenty-two (22) species eight (8) have disappeared since 1963 and two additional species have colonised; four other species have shown change in status. These changes are outlined below.

Effects of Flood Waters on the Planktonic Community of the Hellshire Coast, Southeast Jamaica

Between 24 May and 4 June 1986, the island of Jamaica experienced up to 635 mm of rainfall producing islandwide flooding. Planktonic communities along the south coast were studied before and after the flooding. Flood waters from Kingston Harbour flowed southwest along the Hellshire coast as far as Wreck Reef, but were confined within 4 km of the shore. Water in the bays along the lower Hellshire coast remained clear and unaffected by Harbour water, although planktonic communities there showed marked changes. The Port Royal Cays area and much of the shelf was unaffected (...)

Elemental concentrations in coastal sediments from Hellshire, Jamaica

Twenty-four elements in the coarse and fine fractions (<63 microns) of 37 coastal sediments have been determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The study was conducted in 50 km 2 of coastal area stretching south south-west from the mouth of Kingston Harbour and undertaken to assess the pollution status of the area. By considering the percentages of the fine components of the sediments and enrichment factors based on the average composition of representative carbonate sediments taken from the area, the sources of nonmarine sediments have been identified. By considering enrichment factors based on the average composition of a sedimentary shale it has been shown that the area has not been contaminated, for the elements under study, by sediments reaching the coastal area from the identified sources.

The effect of Kingston Harbour outflow on the zooplankton populations of Hellshire, south-east coast, Jamaica

Zooplankton sampling was conducted at 16 stations located at the mouth of Kingston Harbour and throughout the Hellshire area from November 1985 to March 1987. Parameters examined included total biomass, total numbers and numbers of numerically important zooplankton species. Maximum values were recorded west of the Harbour mouth (station 1) and these gradually decreased with distance from the Harbour especially at the ‘offshore’ stations, producing a gradient effect in this area. Mean biomass and abundance for the period sampled ranged from 14 g m −3 and 16 313 individuals m −3 at the western side of the Harbour mouth to 0·4 g m −3 and 172 individuals m −3 at Wreck Reef. Stations within the bays of Hellshire occasionally had values similar to those recorded at the mouth of Kingston Harbour and here there was less evidence of a gradual decline. Considerable monthly fluctuation occurred in these parameters but there was no discernible seasonal pattern. Copepods dominated the population at most stations and the sergestid Lucifer faxoni also proved an important member at the western Harbour mouth station.

Beach tar contamination in Jamaica

The quantity of stranded beach tar on Jamaican beaches was measured by collecting beach tar residues from twenty-nine beach stations around the Jamaican coast on monthly visits for 13 months. Stranded beach tar was found to be very persistent. The east coast and Kingston Harbour Area are subjected to constant relatively large amounts of fresh tar; the north coast, although receiving small amounts of fresh tar, appeared to have been impacted by a particular incident about two years ago giving highly skewed distributions; the west coast is virtually clean and the south coast (with the exception of the Kingston Harbour Area) showed no evidence of stranded beach tar pollution at any time during the study.

Estimates of in situ population growth rates of four tintinnine ciliate species near Kingston Harbour, Jamaica

Population growth rates of four tintinnine species were estimated in situ by incubating predator-excluded, 201 seawater samples in plastic carboys. Initial ( t=0) and final ( t=24 h) abundances were enumerated from 20 μm meshfiltered, Bouin's fixed subsamples. Assuming exponential growth, estimates of population growth rate averaged 0·80 day −1 or approximately one doubling per day. These estimates were lower than both those estimated for tintinnines from temperate regions and those predicted using a relationship that considers temperature and cell volume. Comparisons of temperate and tropical chlorophyll a concentrations suggest that food availability may limit growth rate in this tropical ecosystem.

Fiddler Crabs of Jamaica (Decapoda, Brachyura, Ocypodidae, Genus Uca)

Review of recent collections and older material in the U.S. National Museum of Natural History and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia has confirmed the occurrence of six species of fiddler crabs on the island of Jamaica. The discovery of a colony of Uca major in Kingston Harbor has suggested that it was this species rather than the South American form, U. m. maracoani, that formed the basis of a disputed 18th-century identification by Sir Hans Sloane. At the same time another South American species, U. cumulanta, was found to be well represented on the mud flats around Kingston Harbor. The remaining four species are typical of the Caribbean. U. rapax and U. t. thayeri occur in muds associated with mangrove swamps, U. leptodactyla was found on sand, and U. burgersi occupied habitats on both sandy and muddy substrates ranging in salinity from brackish to seasonally hypersaline. U. v. vocator has yet to be reported from Jamaica although it is known from estuaries and mud flats on other islands of the Caribbean. Evidence of female reproductive activity was found in samples of all species, except U. rapax and U. burgersi, collected one to three days before new moon in late March, 1982. Past habitats of fiddler crabs in Kingston Harbor have been extensively modified by pollution, dredging, and filling. A growing body of literature has demonstrated the sensitivity of fiddler crabs to such environmental stresses and pointed to the usefulness of the animals as bioindicators of alterations of local intertidal habitats.