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Carbon accumulation in coastal wetlands is normally assessed by extracting a sediment core and estimating its carbon content and bulk density. Because carbon content and bulk density are functionally related, the latter can be estimated gravimetrically from a section of the core or, alternatively, from the carbon content in the sample using the mixing model equation from soil science. Using sediment samples from La Paz Bay, Mexico, we analyzed the effect that the choice of corer and the method used to estimate bulk density could have on the final estimates of carbon storage in the sediments. We validated the results using a larger dataset of tropical mangroves, and then by Monte Carlo simulation. The choice of corer did not have sizable influence on the final estimates of carbon density. The main factor in selecting a corer is the operational difficulties that each corer may have in different types of sediments. Because of the multiplication of errors in a product of two variables subject to random sampling error, when using gravimetric estimates of bulk density, the dispersion of the data points in the estimation of total carbon density rises rapidly as the amount of carbon in the sediment increases. In contrast, the estimation of total carbon density using only the carbon fraction as a predictor is very precise, especially in sediments rich in organic matter. This method, however, depends critically on the accurate estimation of the two parameters of the mixing model: the bulk density of pure peat and the bulk density of pure mineral sediment. The estimation of carbon densities in peaty sediments can be very imprecise when using gravimetric bulk densities. Estimating carbon density in peaty sediments using only the estimate of organic fraction can be much more precise, provided the model parameters are estimated with accuracy. These results open the door for simplified and precise estimates of carbon dynamics in mangroves and coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Analytical constraints complicate environmental monitoring campaigns of the herbicide glyphosate and its major degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA): their strong sorption to soil minerals requires harsh extraction conditions. Coextracted matrix compounds impair downstream analysis and must be removed before analysis. RESULTS: A new extraction method combined with subsequent capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry for derivatization‐free analysis of glyphosate and AMPA in soil and sediment was developed and applied to a suite of environmental samples. It was compared to three extraction methods from literature. We show that no extraction medium reaches 100% recovery. The new phosphate‐supported alkaline extraction method revealed (1) high recoveries of 70–90% for soils and aquatic sediments, (2) limits of detections below 20 μg kg−1, and (3) a high robustness, because impairing matrix components (trivalent cations and humic acids) were precipitated prior to the analysis. Soil and sediment samples collected around Tübingen, Germany, revealed maximum glyphosate and AMPA residues of 80 and 2100 μg kg−1, respectively, with residues observed along a core of lake sediments. Glyphosate and/or AMPA were found in 40% of arable soils and 57% of aquatic sediment samples. CONCLUSION: In this work, we discuss soil parameters that influence (de)sorption and thus extraction. From our results we conclude that residues of glyphosate in environmental samples are easily underestimated. With its possible high throughput, the method presented here can resolve current limitations in monitoring campaigns of glyphosate by addressing soil and aquatic sediment samples with critical sorption characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing mercury isotope ratios from pre‐industrial (1510–1850) to present‐day (1990–2014) in lake sediment cores have been suggested to be a global phenomenon. To assess factors leading to spatiotemporal changes, we compiled mercury concentration (THg) and mercury isotope ratios in 22 lake sediment cores located at various regions of the world. We find that the positive δ202Hg shifts together with THg increases from pre‐industrial to present‐day are a widespread phenomenon. This is caused by increased contribution of mercury from local to regional anthropogenic mercury emission sources, which lead to higher sediment δ202Hg (−1.07 ± 0.69‰, 1 SD) than pre‐industrial sediments (−1.55 ± 0.96‰, 1 SD). The positive Δ199Hg shifts were observed in 15 lake sediment cores, which have low pre‐industrial Δ199Hg (−0.20 ± 0.32‰) compared to the sediment cores with near‐zero to positive pre‐industrial Δ199Hg (0.08 ± 0.07‰). The magnitudes of δ202Hg (r2 = 0.09) and Δ199Hg (r2 = 0.20, both p > 0.05) changes from pre‐industrial to present‐day did not correlate with the magnitude of THg changes. Instead, the magnitudes of δ202Hg and Δ199Hg changes decreased with increasing pre‐industrial δ202Hg and Δ199Hg values, suggesting that the baseline mercury isotope ratios play a more important role in determining the magnitude of mercury isotope changes compared to the degree of THg input. We suggest that the spatiotemporal assessments of δ202Hg in lake sediment cores can be used as an important proxy for monitoring changes in anthropogenic mercury sources for the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Key Points: Positive δ202Hg shifts together with mercury concentration in lake sediment cores from pre‐industrial to present‐day period are a widespread phenomenonMagnitudes of δ202Hg and Δ199Hg changes are determined by the pre‐industrial or baseline values in the sediment cores rather than the degree of mercury inputSediment δ202Hg can be used as a proxy for monitoring changes in anthropogenic mercury sources for the Minamata Convention on Mercury [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 20th century, many lakes in the Northern Hemisphere were affected by increasing human population and urbanization along their shorelines and catchment, resulting in aquatic eutrophication. Ecosystem monitoring commenced only after the changes became apparent, precluding any examination of timing and dynamics of initial community change in the past and comparison of pre‐ and postimpact communities. Peri‐Alpine Lake Constance (Germany) underwent a mid‐century period of eutrophication followed by re‐oligotrophication since the 1980s and is now experiencing warm temperatures. We extended the period for which monitoring data of indicator organisms exist by analysing historical environmental DNA (eDNA) from a sediment core dating back some 110 years. Using three metabarcoding markers—for microbial eukaryotes, diatoms and cyanobacteria—we revealed two major breakpoints of community change, in the 1930s and the mid‐1990s. In our core, the latest response was exhibited by diatoms, which are classically used as palaeo‐bioindicators for the trophic state of lakes. Following re‐oligotrophication, overall diversity values reverted to similar ones of the early 20th century, but multivariate analysis indicated that the present community is substantially dissimilar. Community changes of all three groups were strongly correlated to phosphorus concentration changes, whereas significant relationships to temperature were only observed when we did not account for temporal autocorrelation. Our results indicate that each microbial group analysed exhibited a unique response, highlighting the particular strength of multimarker analysis of eDNA, which is not limited to organisms with visible remains and can therefore discover yet unknown responses and abiotic–biotic relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levinson‐Lessing Lake in northern Central Siberia is a sedimentary archive characterized by continuous, widely constant sedimentation at high rates (0.7 m ka−1 for >32 ka). This study provides the first evidence of the suitability of the lake′s sediments for paleomagnetic analyses using the 46‐m‐long core Co1401. Although the lowermost 8 m are disturbed, the upper 38 m of Co1401 provide the preconditions for an exceptional, high‐resolution paleomagnetic record located within the tangent cylinder of the inner core. High‐resolution analyses of magnetic susceptibility, anhysteretic remanent magnetization, isothermal remanent magnetization, and hysteresis parameters show largely uniform mineral magnetic properties. First‐order reversal curves indicate magnetite particles in pseudo‐single domain state are the main remanence carrier, supplemented by single‐domain particles, originating likely from magnetotactic bacteria. Above 6.7 m, the bulk magnetic mineralogy is slightly harder than below and initial greigite formation occurs. However, the main remanence carriers are still of detrital origin. Plain Language Summary: Levinson‐Lessing Lake in northern Central Siberia is a sedimentary archive characterized by continuous, widely constant sedimentation at high rates (0.7 m ka−1 for >32 ka). Because lakes with such long‐term constant properties are extremely rare throughout the Arctic Circle, the 46‐m‐long sediment core Co1401 recovered in 2017 provides an exceptional archive for climate and environmental changes of the past, but also for recordings of the evolution of the Earth's magnetic field (EMF) in this region. This study tested the suitability of Co1401 for paleomagnetic analyses using hundreds of samples and various analytical approaches. Although the lowermost 8 m are shown to be disturbed, the upper 38 m of Co1401 provide an unusual homogeneous mineral‐magnetic composition and properties. In the uppermost 6.7 m, the magnetic mineralogy is slightly different with greigite as additional component. The presence of this mineral can be a problem in paleomagnetic studies, as it overprints the primary information recorded in the archive. In this case, the formation is only initial and thus not an issue. Overall, Co1401 provide ideal preconditions for a paleomagnetic archive. Thus, an upcoming paleomagnetic‐based chronology will unlock this archive for future studies on paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and the evolution of the EMF. Key Points: Core Co1401 from Lake Levinson‐Lessing is with a length of 46 m, an exceptional lacustrine sediment record in the Russian ArcticCore Co1401 provides sediments with unusual homogenic magnetic mineralogy and mineral magnetic propertiesLake Levinson‐Lessing is expected to become a key record of paleomagnetic research on the Eurasian tangent cylinder [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siberian larch (Larix Mill.) forests dominate vast areas of northern Russia and contribute important ecosystem services to the world. It is important to understand the past dynamics of larches in order to predict their likely response to a changing climate in the future. Sedimentary ancient DNA extracted from lake sediment cores can serve as archives to study past vegetation. However, the traditional method of studying sedimentary ancient DNA—metabarcoding—focuses on small fragments, which cannot resolve Larix to species level nor allow a detailed study of population dynamics. Here, we use shotgun sequencing and hybridization capture with long‐range PCR‐generated baits covering the complete Larix chloroplast genome to study Larix populations from a sediment core reaching back to 6700 years from the Taymyr region in northern Siberia. In comparison with shotgun sequencing, hybridization capture results in an increase in taxonomically classified reads by several orders of magnitude and the recovery of complete chloroplast genomes of Larix. Variation in the chloroplast reads corroborates an invasion of Larix gmelinii into the range of Larix sibirica before 6700 years ago. Since then, both species have been present at the site, although larch populations have decreased with only a few trees remaining in what was once a forested area. This study demonstrates for the first time that hybridization capture applied directly to ancient DNA of plants extracted from lake sediments can provide genome‐scale information and is a viable tool for studying past genomic changes in populations of single species, irrespective of a preservation as macrofossil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical reservoirs are important for numerous socioeconomic and ecological reasons, including water supply, fishing and flood control. These functions are easily compromised, however, when reservoirs undergo accelerated sedimentation with increased inputs of chemical contaminants. The present study applied the concept of sediment core analysis to evaluate the sedimentation rate in Owabi Reservoir, which has served as a source of drinking water supply in Kumasi, Ghana, for nearly a century. The temporal variation of contamination from heavy metals was also assessed over this period. The sedimentation rate for Owabi Reservoir was estimated to be 6.82 mm/year, suggesting a relatively low rate of sedimentation, which is ecologically healthy in preventing a rapid loss of reservoir water volume. Heavy metal concentrations in the sediment cores taken from the reservoir reflected varying degree of contamination from the 1930s to 2010s. The concentration of iron (Fe) (1,560–1,770 mg/kg) was found to be the highest among the metals in the sediment core, while mercury (Hg) concentration (0.01–0.04 mg/kg) was the lowest. Lead (Pb) contamination peaked in the 1980s. Arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) contamination exhibited more recent peaks in the 2000s, coinciding with recent widespread issues of artisanal and small‐scale gold mining (ASGM) in Ghana. Thus, even though ASGM activities are known to occur in remote districts, releases from such activities might eventually contaminate reservoirs designated as urban drinking water supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychrotolerant yeast Rhodotorula sp. Y‐23 was isolated from the sediment core sub‐samples of Nella Lake, East Antarctica. Isolate was screened for lipase production using plate assay method followed by submerged fermentation. Production optimization revealed the maximum lipase production by using palmolein oil (5% v/v), pH 8.0 and inoculum size of 2.5% v/v at 15 °C. The potential inducers for lipase were 1% w/v of galactose and KNO3, and MnCl2 (0.1% w/v). Final productions with optimized conditions gave 5.47‐fold increase in lipase production. Dialyzed product gave a purification fold of 5.63 with specific activity of 26.83 U mg−1 and 15.67% yields. This lipase was more stable at pH 5.0 and −20 °C whereas more activity was found at pH 8.0 and 35 °C. Stability was more in 50 mM Fe3+, EDTA‐Na (20 mM), sodium deoxycholate (20 mM), H2O2 (1% v/v), and almost all organic solvents (50% v/v). Tolerance capacity at wider range of pH and temperature with having lower Km value i.e., 0.08 mg ml−1 and higher Vmax 385.68 U mg−1 at 15 °C make the studied lipase useful for industrial applications. Besides this, the lipase was compatible with commercially available detergents, and its addition to them increases lipid degradation performances making it a potential candidate in detergent formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of analyses of a shallow marine sediment vibrocore from the Atlantic seafloor just west of the Aran Islands, western Ireland, are presented. The sediments range from ~16,000 to younger than 9,000 cal BP in age, based on 14C dating of foraminifers and molluscs. One sample within the core is dated at 12804 ± 125 cal BP and lies a very short distance stratigraphically below a conspicuous horizon containing isolated pebbles and sand‐size clasts, in what is an otherwise fine‐grained sequence of sediment. These outsized clasts are interpreted to be ice‐rafted debris. Approximately coeval with this horizon, the diversity and abundance of foraminifers decrease significantly and the foraminifer Nonionellina labradorica makes its first appearance in the core sediment. Stable isotope analysis shows a significant increase in values of δ18O approaching the horizon containing ice‐rafted debris. These results show the effects of a relatively sudden cooling of this part of the Atlantic Ocean at middle latitudes coincident with, or just after, the onset of the Younger Dryas event and demonstrate the extent of floating icebergs and probable later pack ice as a result of this temperature decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The monitoring of fecal contamination (human and animal) is an incessant challenge. In this approach, microbiological methods play an important role, though with substantial limitations. Organic compounds, such as sterols, are often used to trace fecal contamination. Although the fecal sterols profiles of some animals are already known, capybara, a typical mammal from South America, is a significant contributor to aquatic fecal contamination because of its water dependence; and still there is no one way, scientifically speaking, to trace its fecal contribution. The aim of the present study was to provide a tool to measure the temporal fecal contribution of capybara in aquatic systems. We examined the sterol content of capybara feces and compared with another species (sheep, cow, horse, pig, hen, duck, cat, dog, opossum, and human). From numerical relationships among fecal sterols, 6 ratios were delineated and tested to assess their potential to identify the capybara feces contribution in contaminated environments. Statistical analysis showed that 3 ratios were able to differentiate capybara feces from other sources. Such ratios were applied in samples of a sediment core from an urban area in south Brazil with a large capybara population. The temporal trend showed a significant contribution of capybara feces in the last 100 yr. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:353–361. © 2017 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resurrection ecology ( RE) is a very powerful approach to address a wide range of question in ecology and evolution. This approach rests on using appropriate model systems, and only few are known to be available. In this study, we show that Artemia has multiple attractive features (short generation time, cyst bank and collections, well-documented phylogeography, and ecology) for a good RE model. We show in detail with a case study how cysts can be recovered from sediments to document the history and dynamics of a biological invasion. We finally discuss with precise examples the many RE possibilities with this model system: adaptation to climate change, to pollution, to parasites, to invaders and evolution of reproductive systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computed tomography (CT) of sediment cores allows for high-resolution images, three-dimensional volumes, and down core profiles. These quantitative data are generated through the attenuation of X-rays, which are sensitive to sediment density and atomic number, and are stored in pixels as relative gray scale values or Hounsfield units (HU). We present a suite of MATLAB™ tools specifically designed for routine sediment core analysis as a means to standardize and better quantify the products of CT data collected on medical CT scanners. SedCT uses a graphical interface to process Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files, stitch overlapping scanned intervals, and create down core HU profiles in a manner robust to normal coring imperfections. Utilizing a random sampling technique, SedCT reduces data size and allows for quick processing on typical laptop computers. SedCTimage uses a graphical interface to create quality tiff files of CT slices that are scaled to a user-defined HU range, preserving the quantitative nature of CT images and easily allowing for comparison between sediment cores with different HU means and variance. These tools are presented along with examples from lacustrine and marine sediment cores to highlight the robustness and quantitative nature of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many marine protists form resting stages that can remain viable in coastal sediments for several decades. Their long-term survival offers the possibility to explore the impact of changes in environmental conditions on population dynamics over multidecadal time scales. Resting stages of the phototrophic dinoflagellate Pentapharsodinium dalei were isolated and germinated from five layers in dated sediment cores from Koljö fjord, Sweden, spanning ca. 1910-2006. This fjord has, during the last century, experienced environmental fluctuations linked to hydrographic variability mainly driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation. Population genetic analyses based on six microsatellite markers revealed high genetic diversity and suggested that samples belonged to two clusters of subpopulations that have persisted for nearly a century. We observed subpopulation shifts coinciding with changes in hydrographic conditions. The large degree of genetic diversity and the potential for both fluctuation and recovery over longer time scales documented here, may help to explain the long-term success of aquatic protists that form resting stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT There is growing interest in the integration of macroecology and palaeoecology towards a better understanding of past, present, and anticipated future biodiversity dynamics. However, the empirical basis for this integration has thus far been limited. Here we review prospects for a macroecology-palaeoecology integration in biodiversity analyses with a focus on marine microfossils [i.e. small (or small parts of) organisms with high fossilization potential, such as foraminifera, ostracodes, diatoms, radiolaria, coccolithophores, dinoflagellates, and ichthyoliths]. Marine microfossils represent a useful model system for such integrative research because of their high abundance, large spatiotemporal coverage, and good taxonomic and temporal resolution. The microfossil record allows for quantitative cross-scale research designs, which help in answering fundamental questions about marine biodiversity, including the causes behind similarities in patterns of latitudinal and longitudinal variation across taxa, the degree of constancy of observed gradients over time, and the relative importance of hypothesized drivers that may explain past or present biodiversity patterns. The inclusion of a deep-time perspective based on high-resolution microfossil records may be an important step for the further maturation of macroecology. An improved integration of macroecology and palaeoecology would aid in our understanding of the balance of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that have shaped the biosphere we inhabit today and affect how it may change in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1937, the US Army Corps of Engineers cut through the 'neck' of a large meander on the lower Mississippi River (below the confluence with the Ohio River) forming the Caulk Neck cutoff and creating Lake Whittington, a 26-km long oxbow lake, in northern Mississippi. Since 1938, seasonal flooding and a boat channel connecting the lake with the Mississippi River have led to sediment accumulation in the lake, resulting in an 80-year record of sediment quality in the river. On the basis of an age-dated sediment core from the lake, trends in trace metals and hydrophobic organic compounds (except polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) follow well-known patterns with upward trends from the 1930s to the ca 1970s, followed by downward trends to the present. Two factors contribute to these patterns: reservoir construction and changes in emissions. The construction of seven large reservoirs on the Missouri River, in particular the closure of the Fort Randall (1953) and Gavins Point (1955) Dams, greatly reduced the load of relatively clean sediment to the Mississippi River, likely contributing to downstream increases in contaminant concentrations in the Mississippi River. Increasing anthropogenic emissions also contributed to upward trends until ca 1970 when major environmental policy actions began resulting in broad decreases in emissions and downward trends in the concentrations of most of the contaminants monitored. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phosphorus are partial exceptions to this pattern, with increases to the 1960s and variable concentrations showing no clear trend since. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study on the evidence of green revolution and its preservation in sedimentary organic matter in North Africa. It mentions the environmental changes in lagoons and the deposition and accumulation of organic matter (OM). It also tackles the increasing use of fertilizers and the impact of agricultural intensification.

A dated sediment core collected from Tokyo Bay, Japan, was used to assess the historical inputs of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) from multiple sources. The levels, patterns, and profiles of these compounds in the core were congener-specifically investigated, and the results show that the PCDD and PCDF (PCDD/F) and the Co-PCB inputs increased abruptly from the late 1950s and peaked during the period 1967 to 1972. From 1972 to 1981, the inputs decreased continuously and then generally leveled off. Using principal component analysis, two herbicides widely used in the past, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and chloronitrofen (CNP), as well as combustion processes were identified as the major dioxin sources in Tokyo Bay. The PCB formulations and combustion processes were estimated to be the major sources of Co-PCBs. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was performed for dioxin-source apportioning, and it was found that the herbicides PCP and CNP have mainly contributed to the PCDD/F burdens since the late 1950s. This study suggests that herbicide-derived PCDD/Fs remaining in agricultural land will continue to run off and pollute the aquatic environment in Japan for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. A sediment core from the shallow, hypertrophic Lake Søbygaard (mean depth ∼1 m; [TP] 310 μg P L-1) was analysed for subfossil remains to reconstruct chironomid community changes in relation to the succession and disappearance of aquatic macrophytes. 2. Species composition in the 1.10 m core indicates a succession from a ‘naturally’ eutrophic state to a hypertrophic state during recent centuries. Radiometric dating (210Pb) of the uppermost 20 cm of the sediment core (∼1932–93) indicates that sediment accumulation rate had doubled in recent decades. 3. Changes in chironomid assemblages were in close agreement with changes in both diatoms and macrophyte remains in the same core. Distinct changes in chironomid communities reflect the eutrophication process and macrophyte succession through Chara, Ceratophyllum and Potamogeton dominance to the present state, with complete loss of submerged vegetation and dominance by phytoplankton. 4. The co-occurrence and relationship between aquatic macrophyte diversity and recent subfossil chironomid assemblages were assessed from an additional 25 Danish lakes. There was good agreement between the macrophyte and chironomid-based lake groupings. Overall, a significant difference (P<0.001) was found in chironomid assemblages among lakes in different macrophyte classes. In a pair-wise comparison, the poorly buffered mesotrophic lakes and the alkaline eutrophic lakes had significantly different chironomid assemblages. 5. Chironomid taxa commonly reported to be associated with macrophytes (Cricotopus, Endochironomus and Glyptotendipes) were shown also to be indicators of highly productive lakes lacking abundant submerged vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major sources of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in two sediment cores from Tokyo Bay and Lake Shinji (both in Japan) were identified and their source contributions estimated using two receptor models. The first was a nonnegative constrained factor analysis (FA) model, and the second was a nonnegative constrained chemical mass balance model combined with Monte Carlo techniques (CMB-MC) to take into account the variability and uncertainty in both PCB congener profiles of sources and environmental samples. According to the FA model, variations in the concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs in each sediment core were accounted for almost entirely by two factors, which were considered to correspond to Kanechlors (KCs; Japanese PCB products) and incineration. The CMB-MC model investigated the trends of the burdens from four types of KCs and incineration to the concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs in each sediment core. The results for both sediment cores obtained by both models indicated that the burden from KCs increased gradually beginning in the 1950s, peaked around 1970, and declined thereafter, whereas the burden from incineration increased gradually from the 1950s to the early 1990s. The estimated contribution from incineration to the toxic equivalent concentration of dioxin-like PCBs was comparable to that from KCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]