Marine Pollution Ecology Program

A major program undertaken by the Pollution Ecology Group during the year was VERTEX (Vertical Transport and Exchange), a multi-institutional project that is examining vertical transport processes in the ocean. Our laboratory is estimating the vertical fluxes in the water column of several synthetic organics and of a group of biogenic hydrocarbons. It was our original intent to include also petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, but levels appeared to be below detection limits. The initial cruise was undertaken on R/V WECOMA off Central California coast in August-September 1980. In preparation for Year II of the program, the group is assembling new extraction equipment which will greatly increase the extractable volumes of seawater, permitting measurements to be made of a greater variety of compounds at lower concentrations. Development of the seawater sampling capability for VERTEX and related programs has been accomplished through the use of the Research Vessel INVINCIBLE of the Bodega Bay Institute, which has provided a sampling platform for the development and use of the extraction equipment. The measurements of trace levels of organic pollutants in seawater, under conditions that minimize sample contamination, are being used to construct mass balance equations for these pollutants in coastal marine waters. Such equations are permitting assessment of the assimilative capacity of the oceans to absorb this materials. The VERTEX program is funded by the International Decade of Ocean Exploration Program, National Science Foundation. The group began a three-year study of the distribution of hydrocarbons in marine food chains dependent upon krill in the Antarctic, with three persons participating in a cruise of R/V HERO in the Antarctic Peninsula area in February 1981. In this program measurements are being made of the levels of hydrocarbons in seawater and at various levels of the food chain. Particular attention is being paid to the food chains dependent upon krill, since expected commercial exploitation of this abundant species might alter ecological balances within Antarctic food webs.污染生态学小组本年度开展的一项重点项目为VERTEX（垂直输运与交换，Vertical Transport and Exchange），这是一项多机构合作研究计划，旨在探究海洋中的垂直输运过程。本实验室正针对数种合成有机物与一类生物成因烃类，估算其在水层中的垂直通量。我们最初计划将石油衍生烃类纳入研究范畴，但检测结果显示其浓度低于检出限。1980年8月至9月，首航任务在加利福尼亚中部沿岸海域的‘WECOMA’号研究船（R/V WECOMA）上完成。为推进该项目第二年度的研究工作，团队正组装新型萃取设备，该设备可大幅提升海水可萃取体积，从而能够对更多种类的低浓度化合物开展检测分析。VERTEX项目及相关计划的海水采样能力开发工作，依托博德加湾研究所（Bodega Bay Institute）的‘无敌号’研究船（R/V INVINCIBLE）完成，该船为萃取设备的研发与应用提供了采样作业平台。研究人员在最大限度降低样品污染的实验条件下，对海水中的痕量有机污染物进行检测，以此构建沿海海域这类污染物的质量平衡方程，借此评估海洋对这类物质的同化容纳能力。VERTEX项目由国际海洋勘探十年计划（International Decade of Ocean Exploration Program）与美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation）联合资助。团队还启动了一项为期三年的研究，聚焦南极依赖磷虾的海洋食物链中烃类的分布情况。1981年2月，三名研究人员搭乘‘HERO’号研究船（R/V HERO）前往南极半岛海域开展航次任务。本项目将检测海水及食物链各层级中的烃类浓度，其中重点关注依赖磷虾的食物链，因为该丰富物种的预期商业开发可能会改变南极食物网的生态平衡。