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

Location of sampling stations

Sampling

18 surface sediment samples were collected in June 2000

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.