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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
USGS2016

Mercury accumulation and the mercury-PCB-sex interaction in summer flounder

Patterns in the relative differences in contaminant concentrations between the sexes of mature fish may reveal important behavioral and physiological differences between the sexes. We determined whole-fish total mercury (Hg) concentrations in 23 female summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) and 27 male summer flounder from New Jersey coastal waters. To estimate the change in Hg concentration due to release of eggs at spawning, Hg concentration in the somatic tissue and ovaries of 5 of the 23 female summer flounder were also determined. To ascertain whether most of the Hg in the summer flounder was methylmercury (MeHg), whole-fish MeHg concentrations were determined in all 50 summer flounder. Whole-fish Hg concentrations averaged 113 ng/g for females and 111 ng/g for males. Thus, females were 2% higher in Hg concentration than males, on average, but the difference was not statistically significant. Based on Hg determinations in the somatic tissue and ovaries, we predicted that Hg concentration of females would increase by 3.6%, on average, immediately after spawning due to release of eggs. On average, 92% of the Hg in the summer flounder was MeHg. To determine whether the effect of sex on Hg concentration was significantly different from the effect of sex on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentration, we paired our Hg determinations with PCB determinations from a previous study, and applied regression analysis. Sex significantly interacted with contaminant type (Hg or PCBs), as males were 43% higher in PCB concentration than females, whereas females were 2% higher in Hg concentration than males. Males eliminating Hg from their bodies at a faster rate than females was a likely explanation for this discrepancy between the two contaminant types. Overall, the Hg and PCB concentrations in the summer flounder were relatively low, and therefore our findings also had implications for continued operation of the summer flounder fishery.

Journal of Marine Science: Research & Development↗
USGS2006

Determination of the platinum - Group elements (PGE) and gold (Au) in manganese nodule reference samples by nickel sulfide fire-assay and Te coprecipitation with ICP-MS

Platinum group elements (PGE) and Au data in polymetallic oceanic ferromanganese nodule reference samples and crust samples obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), after separation and pre-concentration by nickel sulfide fire-assay and Te coprecipitation, are presented. By optimizing several critical parameters such as flux composition, matrix matching calibration, etc., best experimental conditions were established to develop a method suitable for routine analysis of manganese nodule samples for PGE and Au. Calibrations were performed using international PGE reference materials, WMG-1 and WMS-1. This improved procedure offers extremely low detection limits in the range of 0.004 to 0.016 ng/g. The results obtained in this study for the reference materials compare well with previously published data wherever available. New PGE data arc also provided on some international manganese nodule reference materials. The analytical methodology described here can be used for the routine analysis of manganese nodule and crust samples in marine geochemical studies.

Indian Journal of Marine Sciences↗
USGS2021

Interaction between sex and contaminant type attributable to males eliminating mercury at a faster rate

The observed interaction between sex and contaminant type (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or mercury (Hg)) in adult teleost fishes is most likely due to adult males having a substantially higher Hg-elimination rate than adult females. In contrast, long-term elimination of PCBs by teleost fishes has been characterized as negligible for both sexes. In addition, the variation in the differences between the PCB ratio (ratio of whole-fish PCB concentration in males to whole-fish PCB concentration in females) and Hg ratio (ratio of whole-fish Hg concentration in males to whole-fish Hg concentration in females) across species appears to be attributable, at least in part, to variation in Hg-elimination rates of adult males across species. According to this proposed relationship, the difference between the two ratios increases with increasing Hg-elimination rate of adult males. Further, the variation in Hg-elimination rates of adult males across species appears to be partly explained by levels of certain androgens in the males. In mammals, the key androgen enhancing Hg-elimination rate in males is testosterone. Hg-elimination rate increases with increasing testosterone level. In teleost fishes, testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone are the agents likely responsible for enhanced Hg-elimination rate in adult males. I uncovered new evidence to indicate that the variability in Hg-elimination rates of adult males across strains of laboratory mice (Mus musculus) is explained, at least in part, by variability in testosterone levels in adult males across strains. Specifically, Hg-elimination rate of the adult males tends to increase with increasing testosterone level. This new evidence supported the abovementioned hypotheses.

Great Lakes, New Jersey coast↗
USGS2002

Comparison of the Eastern and Western Kentucky coal fields (Pennsylvanian), USA-why are coal distribution patterns and sulfur contents so different in these coal fields?

More than 130 Mt of Pennsylvanian coal is produced annually from two coal fields in Kentucky. The Western Kentucky Coal Field occurs in part of the Illinois Basin, an intercratonic basin, and the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field occurs in the Central Appalachian Basin, a foreland basin. The basins are only separated by 140 km, but mined western Kentucky coal beds exhibit significantly higher sulfur values than eastern Kentucky coals. Higher-sulfur coal beds in western Kentucky have generally been inferred to be caused by more marine influences than for eastern Kentucky coals. Comparison of strata in the two coal fields shows that more strata and more coal beds accumulated in the Eastern than Western Kentucky Coal Field in the Early and Middle Pennsylvanian, inferred to represent greater generation of tectonic accommodation in the foreland basin. Eastern Kentucky coal beds exhibit a greater tendency toward splitting and occurring in zones than time-equivalent western Kentucky coal beds, which is also inferred to represent foreland accommodation influences, overprinted by autogenic sedimentation effects. Western Kentucky coal beds exhibit higher sulfur values than their eastern counterparts, but western Kentucky coals occurring in Langsettian through Bolsovian strata can be low in sulfur content. Eastern Kentucky coal beds may increase in sulfur content beneath marine zones, but generally are still lower in sulfur than mined Western Kentucky coal beds, indicating that controls other than purely marine influences must have influenced coal quality. The bulk of production in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field is from Duckmantian and Bolsovian coal beds, whereas production in the Western Kentucky Coal Field is from Westphalian D coals. Langsettian through Bolsovian paleoclimates in eastern Kentucky were favorable for peat doming, so numerous low-sulfur coals accumulated. These coals tend to occur in zones and are prone to lateral splitting because of foreland tectonic and sedimentation influences. In contrast, Westphalian D coal beds of western Kentucky accumulated during low differential tectonic accommodation, and therefore tend to be widespread and uniform in characteristics, but exhibit higher sulfur values because they accumulated in seasonally drier paleoclimates that were unfavorable for peat doming. Hence, basin analyses indicate that many differences between the mined coals of Kentucky's two coal fields are related to temporal changes in paleoclimate and tectonic accommodation, rather than solely being a function of marine influences. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗
USGS2011

Rapid growth in the early marine period improves the marine survival of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in Puget Sound, Washington

We examined the effect of early marine entry timing and body size on the marine (smolt-to-adult) survival of Puget Sound Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ). We used data from coded wire tag release groups of hatchery Chinook salmon to test whether hatchery release date, release size, and size in offshore waters in July and September influenced marine survival. Marine survival was most strongly related to the average body size in July, with larger sizes associated with higher survivals. This relationship was consistent over multiple years (1997–2002), suggesting that mortality after July is strongly size-dependent. Release size and date only slightly improved this relationship, whereas size in September showed little relationship to marine survival. Specifically, fish that experienced the highest marine survivals were released before 25 May and were larger than 17 g (or 120 mm fork length) by July. Our findings highlight the importance of local conditions in Puget Sound (Washington, USA) during the spring and summer, and suggest that declines in marine survival since the 1980s may have been caused by reductions in the quality of feeding and growing conditions during early marine life.

Washington↗
USGS2003

Effects of episodic acidification on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts

The effect of episodic acidification on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolt physiology and survival in fresh water (FW) and seawater (SW) was investigated. Smolts were held in either ambient (control, pH 6.0-6.6), acidified (chronic, pH 4.4-6.1), or episodically acidified (episodic, pH reduction from control levels to pH ???5.2 for 48 h once weekly) river water for 31 days and then transferred to 34??? SW. Smolts fed little while in acidified conditions and chronic smolts did not grow in length or weight. In FW, chronic smolts experienced increases in hematocrit and plasma potassium and reductions in plasma sodium and chloride. Upon transfer to SW, chronic and episodic smolts experienced reductions in hematocrit, increases in plasma sodium, chloride, and potassium levels, and suffered mortalities. Gill Na+,K+-ATPase and citrate synthase activities were reduced by exposure to acid. For most parameters, the effect of episodic acid exposure was less than that of chronic acidification. Exposure to acidic conditions, even when short in duration and followed by a 30-h recovery period in suitable water (pH 6.5), led to a 35% mortality of smolts upon transfer to SW. This study highlights the importance of measuring and assessing sublethal stresses in FW and their ultimate effects in marine ecosystems.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗
USGS2021

A paradoxical knowledge gap in science for critically endangered fishes and game fishes during the sixth mass extinction

Despite unprecedented scientific productivity, Earth is undergoing a sixth mass extinction. The disconnect between scientific output and species conservation may be related to scientists studying the wrong species. Given fishes have a high extinction rate, we assessed the paradox between scientific productivity and science needed for conservation by comparing scientific output created for critically endangered fishes and game fishes. We searched 197,866 articles (1964 – 2018) in 112 journals for articles on 460 critically endangered fishes, 297 game fishes, and 35 fishes classified as critically endangered and game fish — our analysis included freshwater and marine species. Only 3% of the articles in the final database were on critically endangered fishes; 82% of critically endangered fishes had zero articles. The difference between the number of articles on game fishes and critically endangered fishes increased temporally with more articles on game fishes during the extinction crisis. Countries with 10 or more critically endangered fishes averaged only 17 articles from 1964 through 2018. Countries with the most critically endangered fishes are most in need of science. More scientific knowledge is needed on critically endangered fishes to meet the challenges of conserving fishes during the sixth mass extinction.

Scientific Reports↗
USGS2004

New U-series dates at the Caune de l'Arago, France

In the beginning of the 1980s, the Caune de l'Arago was the focus of an interdisciplinary effort to establish the chronology of the Homo heidelbergensis (Preneandertals) fossils using a variety of techniques on bones and on speleothems. The result was a very large spread of dates particularly on bone samples. Amid the large spread of results, some radiometric data on speleothems showed a convergence in agreement with inferences from faunal studies. We present new U-series results on the stalagmitic formation located at the bottom of Unit IV (at the base of the Upper Stratigraphic Complex). Samples and splits were collaboratively analyzed in the four different laboratories with excellent interlaboratory agreement. Results show the complex sequence of this stalagmitic formation. The most ancient part is systematically at internal isotopic equilibrium (>350 ka) suggesting growth during or before isotopic stage 9, representing a minimum age for the human remains found in Unit III of the Middle Stratigraphical Complex which is stratigraphically under the basis of the studied stalagmitic formation. Overlaying parts of the speleothem date to the beginning of marine isotope stages 7 and 5. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Caune de l'Arago↗
USGS1988

Pyrite formation in the Lower Cretaceous Mowry Shale: Effect of organic matter type and reactive iron content

Geochemical analysis of the Lower Cretaceous Mowry Shale in Wyoming and Montana shows that organic matter type and reactive iron content limited pyrite formation during early diagenesis. Consequently, direct interpretation of paleosalinity cannot be made from a carbon/sulfur plot. Mowry Shale samples with hydrogen index (HI) less than 150 (mg hydrocarbon/ organic carbon) contain low amounts of sulfur. In these samples, bacterial reduction of sulfate may have been inhabited by low nutritive content of the organic matter. For Mowry samples with HI greater than 150 there is a range of sulfur values and a positive correlation between iron and sulfur. The iron sulfur regression is approximately parallel to the stoichiometric pyrite line and intersects the iron axis at 0.5 percent. On average, 60 percent of the iron present was nonreactive; the remaining iron reacted with sulfide to form pyrite. For samples with HI greater than 150, pyrite formation was limited by sulfide or organic carbon content but by reactive iron content. In one modern setting, where salinity is greater than one-half normal seawater, sulfate content does not limit pyrite formation (Berner and Raiswell, 1984). From this analysis then, it can be estimated that the Mowry Sea was not a fresh water body but was either of normal marine salinity or contained brackish water with greater than one-half normal salinity.

Wyoming↗
USGS2001

Climate regimes and water temperature changes in the Columbia River: bioenergetic implications for predators of juvenile salmon

We examined how climatic regime shifts may have affected predation rates on juvenile Pacific salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) by northern squawfish (Ptychocheilus oregonensis, also called northern pikeminnow), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) in the Columbia River. During 1933-1996, oceanic, coastal, and freshwater indices of climate were highly correlated, and an index for the Columbia River Basin suggested that climate shifts may have occurred about 1946, 1958, 1969, and 1977. Summer water temperature varied as much as 2??C between climate periods. We used a bioenergetics model for northern squawfish, the most important piscivore, to predict that predation on salmonids would have been 26-31% higher during two periods with relatively warm spring-summer water temperatures (1933-1946, 1978-1996) than during an extremely cold period (1947-1958). Predicted predation rates of northern squawfish were 68-96% higher in the warmest year compared with the coldest year. Predation rates of smallmouth bass and walleye on juvenile salmonids varied among climate periods similar to rates predicted for northern squawfish. Climatic effects need to be understood in both freshwater and nearshore marine habitats, since growth rates of salmon populations are especially sensitive to mortality during early life stages.

Columbia River Basin↗
USGS2000

Colonization and development of stream communities across a 200-year gradient in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

In May 1997, physical and biological variables were studied in 16 streams of different ages and contrasting stages of development following glacial recession in Glacier Bay National Park, southeast Alaska. The number of microcrustacean and macroinvertebrate taxa and juvenile fish abundance and diversity were significantly greater in older streams. Microcrustacean diversity was related to the amount of instream wood and percent pool habitat, while the number of macroinvertebrate taxa was related to bed stability, amount of instream wood, and percent pool habitat. The percent contribution of Ephemeroptera to stream benthic communities increased significantly with stream age and the amount of coarse benthic organic matter. Juvenile Dolly Varden ( Salvelinus malma ) were dominant in the younger streams, but juvenile coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) abundance was greater in older streams associated with increased pool habitat. Upstream lakes significantly influenced channel stability, percent Chironomidae, total macroinvertebrate and meiofaunal abundance, and percent fish cover. Stable isotope analyses indicated nitrogen enrichment from marine sources in macroinvertebrates and juvenile fish in older streams with established salmon runs. The findings are encapsulated in a conceptual summary of stream development that proposes stream assemblages to be determined by direct interactions with the terrestrial, marine, and lake ecosystems.

Alaska↗
USGS2013

Physiological and endocrine changes in Atlantic salmon smolts during hatchery rearing, downstream migration and ocean entry

Billions of hatchery salmon smolts are released annually in an attempt to mitigate anthropogenic impacts on freshwater habitats, often with limited success. Mortality of wild and hatchery fish is high during downstream and early ocean migration. To understand changes that occur during migration, we examined physiological and endocrine changes in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts during hatchery rearing, downstream migration, and early ocean entry in two successive years. Gill Na + /K + -ATPase activity increased in the hatchery during spring, increased further after river release, and was slightly lower after recapture in the ocean. Plasma growth hormone levels increased in the hatchery, were higher in the river, and increased further in the ocean. Plasma IGF-I remained relatively constant in the hatchery, increased in the river, then decreased in the ocean. Plasma thyroid hormones were variable in the hatchery, but increased in both river- and ocean-captured smolts. Naturally reared fish had lower condition factor, gill NKA activity, and plasma thyroxine than hatchery fish in the river but were similar in the ocean. This novel data set provides a vital first step in understanding the role and norms of endocrine function in smolts and the metrics of successful marine entry.

Maine↗
USGS1997

A geologic history of the north-central Appalachians, part 2: The Appalachian basin from the Silurian through the Carboniferous

The north-central Appalachians occupy a critical position within the 3000+ km-long Appalachian orogen, lying southwest of the boundary between the central and northern Appalachians (CNAB). The one-billion-year-long history of tectonic activity in the north-central Appalachians includes the assembly and breakup of a late Proterozoic supercontinent, the creation and evolution of the Appalachian orogen during the Paleozoic, and the Mesozoic transformation of the active orogen into a passive margin during Pangea's disassembly. An important part of the Middle and Late Paleozoic history is the formation and growth of the Appalachian basin, an enormous, elongate continental basin lying cratonward of the active Appalachian internides along Laurentia's eastern margin. The Appalachian basin developed out of the Taconic orogeny, the second of the four orogenies that formed and modified the character of the Appalachian orogen. Prior to the Taconic orogeny, the eastern margin of Laurentia consisted of a broad carbonate shelf facing the Theic Ocean. The Taconic orogeny obduced various Theic components, including microcontinents, magmatic arcs, and accretionary prisms, onto the carbonate shelf. The resulting Taconic highlands formed a topographic barrier between Theia and the craton's interior. Because tectonic activity in the internides continued more or less throughout the remainder of the Paleozoic, the Appalachian basin never had a direct connection with Theia. The coarse-grained molasse from the newly uplifted Taconic highland spread westward over most of the basin during the Early Silurian. Carbonate deposition gradually encroached eastward over the basin as the siliciclastic input from the southeast waned. A resurgence in the earliest Late Silurian, perhaps related to orogenesis in Newfoundland and the Maritimes, expanded the clastic wedge somewhat. Before long, however, carbonate deposition once again dominated most of the north-central basin for the remainder of the Silurian and into the Early Devonian. The Early-to-Middle Devonian Acadian orogeny began introducing siliciclastic material into the eastern part of the Appalachian basin, thereby ending the largely paralic environment that persisted from the Late Silurian. A number of deltas formed around local sediment-input centers during the Middle Devonian. Continued uplift and/or orogenesis must have continued into the Late Devonian because a vast amount of terrigenous sediment was introduced into the Appalachian basin to form the vast Upper Devonian Catskill delta. Although the principal tectonic activity appears to have centered in New England, the large volume of sediment input suggests that orogenesis may have extended southward to the north-central Appalachians. However, direct evidence of actual Acadian deformation and metamorphism is lacking at this latitude. The north-central Appalachian basin underwent a significant change during the Carboniferous. Prior to this time, the shoreline shifted laterally through transgressions and regressions largely as a function of sediment input and regional subsidence. In the Carboniferous, vertical movements in the basin became more important. During the Early Carboniferous, much of the Mauch Chunk delta was eroded in the central and western parts of the basin. At the end of the Early Carboniferous, an unconformity truncated progressively older rocks to the north toward New York. New sediment transport patterns and depositional environments within the basin during the Late Carboniferous probably reflect significant topographic and tectonic changes, not only in the hinterland, but in the basin itself, perhaps in conjunction with climatic changes. Extensive interfluvial swamps on a lower delta plain accumulated thick organic deposits which would become coal. This delta plain graded southwestward into tidal and marine environments. The Alleghany orogeny in the Early Permian interrupted deposition in much of the north-central Appalachian basin and profoundly altered its structure.

American Journal of Science↗
USGS2021

Scale growth rates and scale circulus deposition rates of marine-stage Atlantic salmon Salmo salar raised under semi-natural conditions

Scale circuli yield valuable information about the life history, age, and growth of a fish. However, because circuli formation is influenced by somatic growth, the rate at which circuli are formed and the factors influencing these rates must be taken into account for the given life stage of the study species. Scales were collected from Atlantic salmon raised in marine net pens off of the coast of Maine in order to characterize the formation of scale circuli and the growth of scales during the ocean phase, and to relate circulus deposition and scale growth rate to water temperature. Fish were sampled 13 times over a period of 25 months. Neither circulus deposition rate nor growth rate were constant through time and the same trend held when circulus deposition and growth were related to thermal experience. Both rates decreased over the course of the study, presumably related to the fish reaching sexual maturity. The results of this study indicate that the pattern of circulus deposition and scale growth of Atlantic salmon vary greatly during the early marine phase, and this dynamic should be taken into account when assessing growth, especially over short time periods.

Newfoundland↗
USGS1998

Ecological relationship between freshwater sculpins (Genus cottus) and beach-spawning sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in Iliamna Lake, Alaska

The interaction between two sculpin species, Cottus cognatus and Cottus aleuticus, and island beach spawning sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) was examined in Iliamna Lake, Alaska. We conclude that sculpins actively move to specific spawning beaches and that the initiation of their movements precedes the start of spawning. Sculpin predation on sockeye eggs is positively dependent on sculpin size and on the state of the eggs (fresh versus water hardened), with the largest sculpins able to consume nearly 50 fresh eggs at a single feeding and 130 over a 7-day period. The number of sculpins in sockeye nests is greatest at the beginning of the spawning run, lowest in the middle, and high again at the end, with peak numbers of over 100 sculpins per nest (1 m2). We discuss the results in terms of energy flow of marine-derived nutrients into an oligotrophic system and in terms of the coevolution of sockeye spawning behavior and the predatory behavior of sculpins.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗
USGS2003

Influence of salinity and temperature on the physiology of Limia melanonotata (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae): A search for abiotic factors limiting insular distribution in Hispaniola

We investigated salinity and temperature effects on routine metabolic rate (RMR), temperature tolerance (CTMax, critical thermal maximum), and salinity tolerance of Limia melanonotata, a poecliid fish that occurs in west-central inland waters of Hispaniola. Routine metabolic rate and CTMax were measured in fish acclimated to three salinities (0, 30, and 60 ppt) and temperatures (25??, 30??, and 35??C) for nine temperature-salinity combinations. Salinity and temperature did not significantly interact in their effect on RMR. For combined salinity acclimations, adjusted RMR (ANCOVA) was significantly lower at 25??C than either 30?? or 35??C. For combined temperature acclimations, mean RMR was significantly lower at 60 ppt than either 0 or 30 ppt. Salinity and temperature had a significant interactive effect on temperature tolerance. Mean CTMax was significantly higher at 30?? than 25??C at all salinities, but at 35??C was significantly higher than at 25?? or 30??C only among fish acclimated in fresh water. Fish exposed to a chronic increase in salinity experienced most mortality in a salinity range of 70-107 ppt, with females exhibiting greater salinity tolerance than males. Limia melanonotata approaches the upper extreme in salinity and temperature tolerances known for poeciliids. Our results also suggest that L. melanonotata may reduce energy expenditures at environmental extremes to tolerate harsh conditions for extended periods. Despite its curythermal and euryhaline adaptations, L. melanonotata has a relatively restricted inland range in Hispaniola and is unknown from inshore brackish or marine habitats. The present distribution of this species and congeners may be the result of a combination of factors that include historical zoogeography and ecological requirements.

Caribbean Journal of Science↗