Near-surface Waters Research Articles

CALIBRATION/VALIDATION OF LANDSAT-DERIVED OCEAN COLOUR PRODUCTS IN BOSTON HARBOUR

Abstract. The Landsat data archive provides a unique opportunity to investigate the long-term evolution of coastal ecosystems at fine spatial scales that cannot be resolved by ocean colour (OC) satellite sensors. Recognizing Landsat’s limitations in applications over coastal waters, we have launched a series of field campaigns in Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay (MA, USA) to validate OC products derived from Landsat-8. We will provide a preliminary demonstration on the calibration/validation of the existing OC algorithms (atmospheric correction and in-water optical properties) to enhance monitoring efforts in Boston Harbor. To do so, Landsat optical images were first compared against ocean colour products over high-latitude regions. The in situ cruise data, including optical data (remote sensing reflectance) and water samples were analyzed to obtain insights into the optical and biogeochemical properties of near-surface waters. Along with the cruise data, three buoys were deployed in three locations across the Harbor to complement our database of concentrations of chlorophyll a, total suspended solids (TSS), and absorption of colour dissolved organic matter (CDOM). The data collected during the first year of the project are used to develop and/or tune OC algorithms. The data will be combined with historic field data to map in-water constituents back to the early 1990’s. This paper presents preliminary analysis of some of the data collected under Landsat-8 overpasses.

Glider and remote sensing observations of the upper ocean response to an extended shallow coastal diversion of wastewater effluent

The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) diverted wastewater discharge (5.3 × 108 l d−1) from its primary deep (56 m) outfall 8 km offshore, to a secondary shallower (16 m) outfall 1.6 km offshore for a period of three weeks. It was anticipated that the low salinity and density of the effluent would cause it to rise to the surface with limited dilution, elevating nutrient concentrations in near-surface waters and stimulating phytoplankton blooms in the region. Three Teledyne Webb Slocum gliders and a Liquid Robotics surface wave glider were deployed on transects near the outfalls to acquire high spatial and temporal coverage of physical and chemical parameters before, during, and after the wastewater diversion. Combined autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and MODIS-Aqua satellite ocean color data indicated that phytoplankton biomass increased in the upper water column in response to the diversion, but that the magnitude of the response was spatially patchy and significantly less than expected. Little evidence of the plume or its effects was detectable 72 h following the diversion. The effluent plume exhibited high rates of dilution and mixed throughout the upper 20 m and occasionally throughout the upper 40 m during the diversion. Rapid plume advection and dilution appeared to contribute to the muted impact of the nutrient-rich effluent on the phytoplankton community in this coastal ecosystem.

Can CO2trigger a thermal geyser eruption?

Geyser eruptions are produced by a complex and poorly understood set of subsurface processes and conditions. They typically have an abundant supply of water, relatively permeable and competent subsurface material, a conduit to the surface, a driving mechanism (commonly believed to be the initiation of gas lift pumping by steam formation in the conduit), and a trigger. Here we present time series of dissolved CO 2 concentrations in near-surface discharge waters of a thermal geyser in Yellowstone National Park (northwestern United States) that vary systematically over several eruption cycles. Chemical geothermometry, combined with a temperature profile in a nearby well, suggests that the geyser water ascends from non-boiling conditions (∼153–171 °C at a depth of 57–65 m). When the time series of near-surface measured CO 2 concentrations are extrapolated to these subsurface conditions assuming dominantly adiabatic cooling, the additional gas pressure from dissolved CO 2 is large enough to cause the total dissolved gas pressure to exceed bubbling pressure, inducing bubble formation. We postulate that CO 2 is a necessary component to triggering eruptions in the geyser studied. Furthermore, unlike steam, CO 2 bubbles do not completely re-condense during cooling in the geyser conduit, hence providing better sustenance for gas lift pumping than pure H 2 O boiling.

Preferential depletion of zinc within Costa Rica upwelling dome creates conditions for zinc co-limitation of primary production.

The Costa Rica Dome (CRD) is a wind-driven feature characterized by high primary production and an unusual cyanobacterial bloom in surface waters. It is not clear whether this bloom arises from top-down or bottom-up processes. Several studies have argued that trace metal geochemistry within the CRD contributes to the composition of the phytoplankton assemblages, since cyanobacteria and eukaryotic phytoplankton have different transition metal requirements. Here, we report that total dissolved zinc (Zn) is significantly depleted relative to phosphate (P) and silicate (Si) within the upper water column of the CRD compared with other oceanic systems, and this may create conditions favorable for cyanobacteria, which have lower Zn requirements than their eukaryotic competitors. Shipboard grow-out experiments revealed that while Si was a limiting factor under our experimental conditions, additions of Si and either iron (Fe) or Zn led to higher biomass than Si additions alone. The addition of Fe and Zn alone did not lead to significant enhancements. Our results suggest that the depletion of Zn relative to P in upwelled waters may create conditions in the near-surface waters that favor phytoplankton with low Zn requirements, including cyanobacteria.

Planktonic foraminiferal biogeography in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean: Contribution from CPR data

Within the framework of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Southern Ocean-Continuous Plankton Recorder (SO-CPR) Survey, the oceanic regions around Crozet and Kerguelen Islands were investigated in February–March 2013. Living planktonic Foraminifera (LPF) were collected in the upper mixed layer with a CPR along a 2160 nautical mile sea transect that crossed main hydrological fronts in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. In the SO-CPR database, mean total abundances of Foraminifera occurring during late austral summer are highly variable at an inter-annual scale, from 10 to 250 ind.m−3, representing 10–40% of the total zooplankton abundance, respectively. In the Southern Ocean, major inter-annual changes in zooplankton community structure were already reported. In this study, we describe the large scale distributional pattern of individual planktonic foraminiferal species living in near-surface waters of the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean, and we attempt to explain why major spatial variability in relative species abundances occurs during a late austral summer.In February–March 2013, LPF total abundances recorded between 42.86°S and 56.42°S ranged from 0 to a maximum of 258 ind.m−3. In the Open Ocean Zone, the LPF community was composed of four major species (Globigerinita uvula, Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, Neogloboquadrina incompta, Globigerina bulloides). Generally, LPF total abundances are supposed to mirror primary production induced by hydrological fronts or induced by topography near Crozet and Kerguelen Islands. However, during late austral summer 2013, high foraminiferal abundances in the upper mixed layer did not always match the pattern of near-surface primary production (high Chl-a concentration areas delineated from satellite imagery). Low LPF standing stocks in late austral summer in the Southern Ocean contrasted with the presence of high densities of heavily silicified diatoms. This suggests that the late bloom production is not a suitable resource for planktonic Foraminifera. Consequently, LPF regional distribution in the upper mixed layer cannot be directly reconstructed from Chl-a concentration maps derived from satellite imagery. Knowledge of phytoplankton community composition is needed to understand the impact of primary production on foraminiferal population dynamics. Our results also emphasize that the polar/subpolar foraminiferal assemblages are characterized by high abundances of G. uvula in the iron-enriched waters surrounding the French Sub-Antarctic Islands. This species might react either to coastal or late summer production in high latitudes.

Uncertainties of geochemical codes and thermodynamic databases for predicting the impact of carbon dioxide on geologic formations

Numerical codes are applied to calculate chemical reactions following geologic carbon sequestration in deep formations and CO2 leakage in shallow formations. However, using different thermodynamic databases generates variations in the simulation results, which are referred to as the model uncertainty. The PHREEQC and The Geochemist's Workbench codes were used to simulate anorthite dissolution for storage, retention, transfer, and near-surface formation waters in the respective geological units. For each of the formation waters, a simple one-dimensional scenario was simulated using eight different thermodynamic databases. Groundwaters in shallow aquifers commonly exhibit low ionic strengths (<0.5 mol/kgw) and low temperatures, whereas storage formation waters are characterized by high ionic strength (>1.0 mol/kgw) and high temperatures. In storage formations, mineral trapping is the most efficient process for long-term CO2 storage. However, with respect to the geological formations and the time needed for anorthite dissolution, the model uncertainties associated with using different combinations of numerical codes and thermodynamic databases were largest (∼90%) for the storage formation waters at 58 °C and I = 6.5 mol/l. Conversely, in near-surface formation waters, the model uncertainty was less than 1%. Due to CO2 dissolution, the calculated pH of the formation waters decreased to a range between pH 4.0 and 5.5. In this pH range, the dissolution mechanism of anorthite switches from the slow neutral mechanism to the faster acid mechanism, causing dissolution time length variations. The calculated pH variation further increased with rising ionic strength. A detailed examination of the reasons revealed the activity coefficient calculation method of the main aquatic species to have the largest impact on the simulated model results. The calculation method of the CO2 activity coefficient had the second largest impact. Via calibration with the experimental data, a specific thermodynamic database can be chosen to represent these experimental results. However, the calibration of thermodynamic databases is not possible for all potential reactions in more complex geological systems at large ranges of temperature, ionic strength and pressure conditions. The uncertainties associated with using thermodynamic databases quantified in this study for CO2 storage systems will therefore persist independently from previously conducted calibrations of thermodynamic databases with experimental or field data. In view of these model uncertainties, the modeller is encouraged to include a routine in the simulations for quantification of the model uncertainty depending on the specific scenario or to assess the simulation results as a range of values that represent a soft outcome.

Adrift Upon a Salinity-Stratified Sea: A View of Upper-Ocean Processes in the Bay of Bengal During the Southwest Monsoon

The structure and variability of upper-ocean properties in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) modulate air-sea interactions, which profoundly influence the pattern and intensity of monsoonal precipitation across the Indian subcontinent. In turn, the bay receives a massive amount of freshwater through river input at its boundaries and from heavy local rainfall, leading to a salinity-stratified surface ocean and shallow mixed layers. Small-scale oceanographic processes that drive variability in near-surface BoB waters complicate the tight coupling between ocean and atmosphere implicit in this seasonal feedback. Unraveling these ocean dynamics and their impact on air-sea interactions is critical to improving the forecasting of intraseasonal variability in the southwest monsoon. To that end, we deployed a wave-powered, rapidly profiling system capable of measuring the structure and variability of the upper 100 m of the BoB. The evolution of upper-ocean structure along the trajectory of the instrument's roughly two-week drift, along with direct estimates of vertical fluxes of salt and heat, permit assessment of the contributions of various phenomena to temporal and spatial variability in the surface mixed layer depth. Further, these observations suggest that the particular ``barrier-layer'' stratification found in the BoB may decrease the influence of the wind on mixing processes in the interior, thus isolating the upper ocean from the interior below, and tightening its coupling to the atmosphere above.

Biostratigraphy and palaeoceanography of the early Turonian–early Maastrichtian planktonic foraminifera of NE Iraq

The Upper Cretaceous Kometan and Shiranish formations of the Kurdistan region, NE Iraq, yield diverse planktonic foraminiferal assemblages, with a total of 93 species, which enable recognition of nine biozones and two subzones spanning the early Turonian to late early Maastrichtian. Sequential changes in planktonic foraminiferal assemblages map discrete intervals within the Kometan and Shiranish formations that suggest dominantly warm, nutrient-poor marine surface and near-surface conditions during the mid-Turonian to late Coniacian, latest Santonian, and late Campanian, and cooler more nutrient-rich surface and near-surface waters in the early Turonian, early to late Santonian, early Campanian and early Maastrichtian. These intervals appear to correlate with changes in water masses from other regions of the Cretaceous palaeotropics, and with a phase of global, early Maastrichtian climate cooling. The major intra-Campanian truncation surface between the Kometan and Shiranish formations, recognized from the foraminiferal biostratigraphy, represents a lowstand that appears to equate with regional tectonics and ophiolite obduction across the NE margin of the Arabian Plate.

Upper ocean oxygenation dynamics from I/Ca ratios during the Cenomanian‐Turonian OAE 2

AbstractGlobal warming lowers the solubility of gases in the ocean and drives an enhanced hydrological cycle with increased nutrient loads delivered to the oceans, leading to increases in organic production, the degradation of which causes a further decrease in dissolved oxygen. In extreme cases in the geological past, this trajectory has led to catastrophic marine oxygen depletion during the so‐called oceanic anoxic events (OAEs). How the water column oscillated between generally oxic conditions and local/global anoxia remains a challenging question, exacerbated by a lack of sensitive redox proxies, especially for the suboxic window. To address this problem, we use bulk carbonate I/Ca to reconstruct subtle redox changes in the upper ocean water column at seven sites recording the Cretaceous OAE 2. In general, I/Ca ratios were relatively low preceding and during the OAE interval, indicating deep suboxic or anoxic waters exchanging directly with near‐surface waters. However, individual sites display a wide range of initial values and excursions in I/Ca through the OAE interval, reflecting the importance of local controls and suggesting a high spatial variability in redox state. Both I/Ca and an Earth System Model suggest that the northeast proto‐Atlantic had notably higher oxygen levels in the upper water column than the rest of the North Atlantic, indicating that anoxia was not global during OAE 2 and that important regional differences in redox conditions existed. A lack of correlation with calcium, lithium, and carbon isotope records suggests that neither enhanced global weathering nor carbon burial was a dominant control on the I/Ca proxy during OAE 2.

Oxygen and carbon isotope composition of modern planktic foraminifera and near-surface waters in the Fram Strait (Arctic Ocean) – a case study

Abstract. The upper 500 m of the water column and the sediment surface along an E–W transect in the Fram Strait were sampled for recent planktic foraminifera. The δ18O and δ13C values of the tests are compared to the stable isotope composition of the water samples taken from the same depths, and related to the characteristics of the water column. The polar species Neogloboquadrina pachyderma clearly dominates the species assemblage in the Fram Strait in the early summer, while the subpolar Turborotalita quinqueloba accounts only for 5–23%. In this area the average depth of calcification of N. pachyderma lies between 70–150 m water depth, T. quinqueloba shows a similar range with 50–120 m water depth. The δ18O values of N. pachyderma show an average vital effect of about −1.5‰ compared to calculated equilibrium calcite values. Except for the upper ∼75 m, the vertical profiles of δ13C of the net-sampled shells are nearly parallel to the values measured in the water column with an average offset of −1.6‰ and −3.6‰ for N. pachyderma and T. quinqueloba, respectively. The discrepancy found in the upper ~75 m might indicate an influence of the "carbonate ion effect" on the carbon isotope incorporation in the tests. Oxygen and carbon isotopes from the sediment surface yield higher values than those from the water column for both species. This may be because specimens from the water column reflect a modern snapshot only, while tests from surface sediments record environmental parameters from the past ~1000 years.

Distribution and abundance of teredinid recruits along the Swedish coast – are shipworms invading the Baltic Sea?

Shipworms (teredinids) are highly specialized marine bivalves that consume terrestrially derived wood. Changes in environmental variables may result in shipworms spreading into the Baltic Sea – which would have devastating consequences for maritime cultural heritage and submerged wooden structures. We investigated the distribution and abundance of the shipworms Teredo navalis and Psiloteredo megotara along the Swedish coast in 2006–2008, and compared our findings with data collected at partly the same locations in 1971–1973. Wooden test panels were submerged in near-surface waters at 18 harbours. The presence of shipworms was determined by X-ray radiography of each panel. Sea surface temperature and salinity data were analysed to investigate whether any changes in distribution were correlated to changes in environmental variables. We found that past and present distributions of T. navalis were similar – indicating that no range expansion of shipworms into the Baltic Sea has taken place the last 35 years. The abundance of T. navalis was similar between decades at all investigated sites except two (Arild and Barsebäckshamn), where abundances were higher in 2006–2008. The abundance of T. navalis varied along the coast and was positively correlated to mean sea surface salinity, but not to mean sea surface temperature (2006–2008 data). The distribution and abundance of P. megotara were similar during the two study periods with only single observations at a few sites. In conclusion, we found no evidence of range expansion of shipworms along the Swedish coast.

The distribution and vertical flux of fecal pellets from large zooplankton in Monterey bay and coastal California

We sampled zooplankton and fecal pellets in the upper 200m of Monterey Bay and nearby coastal regions in California, USA. On several occasions, we observed high concentrations of large pellets that appeared to be produced during night-time by dielly migrating euphausiids. High concentrations of pellets were found in near-surface waters only when euphausiids co-occurred with high concentrations of large (>10μm) phytoplankton. Peak concentrations of pellets at mid-depth (100 or 150m) during the day were consistent with the calculated sinking speeds of pellets produced near the surface at night. At these high flux locations (HI group), pellet concentrations declined below mid-depth. In contrast, at locations where the phytoplankton assemblage was dominated by small phytoplankton cells (<10μm), pellet production and flux were low (LO group) whether or not euphausiid populations were high. Protozooplankton concentrations did not affect this pattern. We concluded that the day and night differences in pellet concentration and flux in the HI profiles were mostly due to sinking of dielly-pulsed inputs in the surface layer, and that small zooplankton (Oithona, Oncaea), heterotrophic dinoflagellates, and bacterial activity probably caused some pellet degradation or consumption below 100m. We estimated that consumption of sinking pellets by large copepods was insignificant. High fluxes of pellets were episodic because they required both high concentrations of large phytoplankton and large stocks of euphausiids. Under these conditions, flux events overwhelmed retention mechanisms, resulting in large exports of organic matter from the upper 200m.

Cyclonic entrainment? The ichthyoplankton attributes of three major water mass types generated by the separation of the East Australian Current

The relationship between larval fish assemblages and coastal oceanography is the basis for much of our understanding of connectivity and productivity of fish populations. Larval fish assemblages were sampled from the upper mixed layer (&lt;50 m depth) at three prominent circulation features [separation of the East Australian Current (EAC), anticyclonic eddy, and cyclonic eddy] off the southeast Australian coast across three bathymetric zones (shelf, slope and ocean) for each feature. The separation of the EAC from the coast at ∼32°S was characterized by warmer, less saline water compared with the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies further to the south (∼34 and ∼35°S, respectively), which were both characterized by cooler Tasman Sea water and greater fluorescence. The anticyclonic eddy had separated from the EAC three months prior to sampling, which facilitated the movement of a cyclonic eddy from the Tasman Sea westwards to the shelf at ∼34°S. The larval assemblage in the EAC had high numbers of fish of the families Labridae and Stomiidae. The cyclonic eddy was characterized by larval clupeids, carangids, scombrids and bothids, indicating recent entrainment of shelf waters and proximity to major spawning regions. In contrast, the anticyclonic eddy had fewer larval fish, with little evidence for entrainment of shelf assemblages into the near-surface waters. Myctophids were found in high abundance across all oceanographic features and bathymetric zones. The evidence of selective entrainment of coastal larval fish into the near-surface waters of a cyclonic eddy compared with a similar anticyclonic eddy indicates a potential offshore nursery ground.

Production of sulphate-rich vapour during the Chicxulub impact and implications for ocean acidification

Following the Chicxulub impact, many foraminifera in near-surface waters perished, but bottom-dwelling species survived. Impact experiments suggest that sulphate in Chicxulubs target rocks was released as predominantly sulphur trioxide, which would have been converted to sulphuric acid in the atmosphere and swept down swiftly by larger particles, acidifying the ocean surface.

Seasonal Carbonate Chemistry Covariation with Temperature, Oxygen, and Salinity in a Fjord Estuary: Implications for the Design of Ocean Acidification Experiments

Carbonate chemistry variability is often poorly characterized in coastal regions and patterns of covariation with other biologically important variables such as temperature, oxygen concentration, and salinity are rarely evaluated. This absence of information hampers the design and interpretation of ocean acidification experiments that aim to characterize biological responses to future pCO2 levels relative to contemporary conditions. Here, we analyzed a large carbonate chemistry data set from Puget Sound, a fjord estuary on the U.S. west coast, and included measurements from three seasons (winter, summer, and fall). pCO2 exceeded the 2008–2011 mean atmospheric level (392 µatm) at all depths and seasons sampled except for the near-surface waters (< 10 m) in the summer. Further, undersaturated conditions with respect to the biogenic carbonate mineral aragonite were widespread (Ωar<1). We show that pCO2 values were relatively uniform throughout the water column and across regions in winter, enriched in subsurface waters in summer, and in the fall some values exceeded 2500 µatm in near-surface waters. Carbonate chemistry covaried to differing levels with temperature and oxygen depending primarily on season and secondarily on region. Salinity, which varied little (27 to 31), was weakly correlated with carbonate chemistry. We illustrate potential high-frequency changes in carbonate chemistry, temperature, and oxygen conditions experienced simultaneously by organisms in Puget Sound that undergo diel vertical migrations under present-day conditions. We used simple calculations to estimate future pCO2 and Ωar values experienced by diel vertical migrators based on an increase in atmospheric CO2. Given the potential for non-linear interactions between pCO2 and other abiotic variables on physiological and ecological processes, our results provide a basis for identifying control conditions in ocean acidification experiments for this region, but also highlight the wide range of carbonate chemistry conditions organisms may currently experience in this and similar coastal ecosystems.

Storage dynamics in hydropedological units control hillslope connectivity, runoff generation, and the evolution of catchment transit time distributions.

We examined the storage dynamics and isotopic composition of soil water over 12 months in three hydropedological units in order to understand runoff generation in a montane catchment. The units form classic catena sequences from freely draining podzols on steep upper hillslopes through peaty gleys in shallower lower slopes to deeper peats in the riparian zone. The peaty gleys and peats remained saturated throughout the year, while the podzols showed distinct wetting and drying cycles. In this region, most precipitation events are <10 mm in magnitude, and storm runoff is mainly generated from the peats and peaty gleys, with runoff coefficients (RCs) typically <10%. In larger events the podzolic soils become strongly connected to the saturated areas, and RCs can exceed 40%. Isotopic variations in precipitation are significantly damped in the organic-rich soil surface horizons due to mixing with larger volumes of stored water. This damping is accentuated in the deeper soil profile and groundwater. Consequently, the isotopic composition of stream water is also damped, but the dynamics strongly reflect those of the near-surface waters in the riparian peats. “pre-event” water typically accounts for >80% of flow, even in large events, reflecting the displacement of water from the riparian soils that has been stored in the catchment for >2 years. These riparian areas are the key zone where different source waters mix. Our study is novel in showing that they act as “isostats,” not only regulating the isotopic composition of stream water, but also integrating the transit time distribution for the catchment.Key PointsHillslope connectivity is controlled by small storage changes in soil unitsDifferent catchment source waters mix in large riparian wetland storageIsotopes show riparian wetlands set the catchment transit time distribution

Dissolved cadmium in the Southern Ocean: Distribution, speciation, and relation to phosphate

We report isotope dilution analyses of dissolved cadmium (Cd) and electrochemical Cd speciation measurements in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. Bioavailable inorganic Cd is &gt; 100 times higher in near‐surface waters south of the Polar Front compared to the Subantarctic Zone because of upwelling and reduced complexation by organic Cd ligands. To trace local changes in the relation between Cd and P, we examine the deviations from a linear deep‐water Cd vs. P relation (Cd*), and find that changes in Cd* coincide with the position of frontal systems and covary with primary productivity and total dissolved Mn and Fe concentrations. These covariations agree with potential local changes in phytoplankton Cd uptake rates, resulting from differences in the availability of Cd, Zn, Mn, and Fe. A band of negative Cd* values is associated with formation of Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). In contrast to SAMW, which may export low Cd : P ratios from the Southern Ocean, the Cd : P ratios in AAIW increase by mixing with underlying Upper Circumpolar Deep Water before being exported from the Southern Ocean. Deep waters show constant Cd : P ratios, and both elements behave conservatively with end‐member mixing between deep waters of the Weddell Gyre, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and inflowing North Atlantic Deep Water. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that the kink in the global Cd vs. P relation is largely caused by high Cd : P uptake ratios in the trace‐nutrient—limited Southern Ocean.

Rare Earth Elements and Sr-Nd-Pb Isotopic Analyses of the Arima Hot Spring Waters, Southwest Japan: Implications for Origin of the Arima-type Brine

Rare earth elements (REEs) and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compsotions of the Arima hot spring waters, a specific type of deep-seated brine (up to 6 wt.% NaCl) in the non-volcanic fore-arc region of southwest Japan, have been analyzed in order to discuss their source materials and origins. We have first examined the matrix effect associated with variable salinity (0 to 5 wt.% NaCl), and found that above 1 wt.% NaCl, the intensity of REE in ICP-MS measurement is drastically reduced due to the matrix effect. Accordingly, we have diluted the sample waters to contain ~0.6 wt.% NaCl, and then analyzed them by the standard addition method. The result shows that the abundance is appreciably high compared to near-surface waters, and exhibits almost a flat DMM-normalized pattern, which can be explained by mixing of a slab-derived fluid at relatively low temparature (400 to 500oC) and a near-surface water. The Sr-Nd- Pb isotopic compositions of the brineare consistent with the above interpretation on REEs, in that the deep brine is isotopically similar to a slab-derived fluid of the subducted Philippine Sea slab. These evidences suggest that the slabderived fluid is upwelling even in the non-volcanic region possibly through a fault zone along the tectonic line.

Interaction of dipole eddies with the western continental slope of the Mozambique Channel

Sea Level Anomaly (SLA) data were used to track a southward propagating eddy dipole along the western slope of the Mozambique Channel over some 6 months. In April 2005, this dipole (with the cyclone to the south) was close to the continental slope off southern Mozambique. The contact zone between the contra-rotating vortices and the slope was surveyed by ship using onboard (S-)ADCP and CTD lines. The data showed strong (>1.4ms−1) southward (geostrophic) currents over the slope adjacent to the anticyclone with horizontal divergence over the shelf edge. Significant slope upwelling between the dipole and the shelf was evident, concomitant with enhanced nutrient and chlorophyll levels enriching shelf near-surface waters. Satellite observations depicted a 300km long surface chlorophyll filament extending offshore in the frontal zone between the contra-rotating vortices. A satellite-tracked drifter deployed at the coastal base of this filament confirmed the offshore advection of chlorophyll-enriched shelf water, which ultimately wrapped around the cyclone and filling its centre. The slope upwelling was also clearly evident in hourly temperature data collected by a recorder deployed on a nearby reef (Zambia Reef) in a depth of 18m. According to the SLA data, the dipole took several weeks to pass Zambia Reef causing prolonged bouts of upwelling that finally ceased when it left the continental slope and moved southwards into the open ocean. Further analysis showed that lone anticyclones and cyclones against the Mozambique continental shelf also induce slope upwelling as a result of horizontal divergence created by the radial circulation of the vortex. In the case of cyclones, the divergence occurs north of the contact zone. Overall, this case study confirms that eddies moving southwards along the western side of the Mozambique Channel are the main mechanism for pumping nutrients into the otherwise oligotrophic surface waters, and moreover, provide a vigorous mechanism for shelf–open ocean exchange.

Vertical and horizontal distribution ofDesmophyllum dianthusin Comau Fjord, Chile: a cold-water coral thriving at low pH

Cold-water corals provide an important habitat for a rich fauna along the continental margins and slopes. Although these azooxanthellate corals are considered particularly sensitive to ocean acidification, their responses to natural variations in pH and aragonite saturation are largely unknown due to the difficulty of studying their ecology in deep waters. Previous SCUBA investigations have shown an exceptionally shallow population of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus in near-surface waters of Comau Fjord, a stratified 480 m deep basin in northern Chilean Patagonia with suboxic deep waters. Here, we use a remotely operated vehicle to quantitatively investigate the distribution of D. dianthus and its physico-chemical drivers in so far uncharted naturally acidified waters. Remarkably, D. dianthus was ubiquitous throughout the fjord, but particularly abundant between 20 and 280 m depth in a pH range of 8.4 to 7.4. The persistence of individuals in aragonite-undersaturated waters suggests that present-day D. dianthus in Comau Fjord may show pre-acclimation or pre-adaptation to conditions of ocean acidification predicted to reach over 70% of the known deep-sea coral locations by the end of the century.