Biogeochemical Assessment of Shallow Sea Environments
(White Sea, Russian Arctic)
S. Koukina, G. Korneeva, L. Ametistova and T. Bek
P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology
Russia
Russian Arctic
White seaWhite sea
Pechora seaPechora sea
Kara seaKara sea
Barents seaBarents sea
Laptev seaLaptev sea
RussiaRussiaRussiaRussia
The White sea of Russian Arctic
• the inner sub-Arctic sea
• extreme diversity of enclosed estuarine systems
• unique biota
The Kandalaksha Bay of the White sea
• wide estuary with evenly distributed fresh water discharge
• contains a continuum of shallow sea environments
Study parameters
• Geochemical TOC, TON, TS, TP,
TOC:TON total metals (Al, Fe,
Mn, Co, Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd, Li, Zn, Pb)
• Biochemical enzymatic (amylase
and protease) activities express enzymatic
test-systems
Russian Arctic
White seaWhite sea
Pechora seaPechora sea
Kara seaKara sea
Barents seaBarents sea
Laptev seaLaptev sea
Mean TOC and metal contents (to nearest gg –1) in the surficial fine-grained sediments from the Karelian shore and those found in the White sea and Russian Arctic sediments
Location n TOC%
Cu Ni Pb Zn Cr
Karelianshore
15 2,58 17 40 16 145 177
Chupaestuary
11 3-6 18 nd 21 85 nd
Dwina bay 13 1,01 21 42 20 76 84
Pechora sea 6 1,28 21 41 19 80 105
Kara sea 9 0,94 26 42 17 84 95
Laptev sea 51 1,06 26 46 21 111 92
ERM value - - 270 52 218 410 370
Elevated Zn and Cr levels in Karelian shore sediments: anthropogenic or natural?
• found values are below the threshold levels according to the sediment quality guidelines
• there is no major anthropogenic source of Zn and Cr
• some rock-building minerals of the area may concentrate Zn and Cr
found disparities are related to natural differences in sediment compositions
0
2
4
6
8
10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Sediment quality assessment by an express test with azocasein-trypsin
Ermolinskaya
Azo
case
in tu
rn-o
ver
peri
od (
h)
Griaznaya
Poyakonda
Rugozerskaya
Chernorechenskaya
Podvolochie
station number
10 h
Enzymatic activities in Karelian shore sediments
• dynamic index of organic matter decomposition rate• largely controlled by the sediment granulometry
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 180
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
amyl
olyt
i c a
cti v
ity,
EU
prot
eol y
tic
acti
vit y
, EU
Ermolinskaya
Rugozerskaya Podvolochie
Chernorechenskaya
Griaznaya
Poyakonda
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
0
1
2
3
4
5
Li Cu Ni Pb Zn Cr TOC
Trace element distribution in the Karelian shore sediments
Erm Rug
PoyGri Che Pod
TO
C c
onte
nt (
%)
elem
ent
cont
ent
(mg/
kg)
Conclusions
• The present study has shown that local hydrodynamic situation predisposes geochemical and biological patterns of the environment and thus possesses considerable ecological relevance.
• Comprehensive biogeochemical approach exercised in the current research provides valuable information on grounds state of health and can thus serve as a basis of objective environmental assessment of a region.