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The effects of metals and petroleum hydrocarbons on benthic marine diatom communities were assessed using a manipulative field experiment at Casey Station, Antarctica. Uncontaminated, metal contaminated, and petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sediments were deployed for 11 weeks during the 1999 austral summer. The treatments were deployed at three different locations: Brown Bay, which has elevated levels of anthropogenic contaminants, and two uncontaminated reference locations, O'Brien Bay and Sparkes Bay, the latter of which has naturally occurring high concentrations of some heavy metals. At each location, significant differences between the composition of diatom communities recruiting to control and petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated treatments were observed. Navicula directa (Smith) Ralfs occurred at lower abundances in the petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated treatments than in the control treatments. In contrast, Navicula cancellata Donkin occurred at higher relative abundances in both contaminated treatments relative to the control treatment. Interactions between treatment and location were also observed for several species, including Navicula glaciei Van Heurck. Significant differences in the overall community composition of diatom communities between control and metal contaminated treatments and metal contaminated and petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated treatments were only observed within Brown Bay. The location of deployment also had a significant influence on the composition of diatom communities. Brown Bay had higher abundances of Achnanthes brevipes Agardh but lower abundances of Navicula aff. cincta (Ehrenberg) Van Heurck than either reference locations. This experiment demonstrated that benthic diatom communities are sensitive to sediment contamination and would be suitable for future monitoring work within this and other areas of Antarctica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Here we present δ18Odiatom data from two high-latitude lakes; one has short residence time and a water isotopic composition (δ18Olake) that fluctuate due to seasonal variations in precipitation and temperature, and the other has δ18Olake that is influenced by longer lake water residence times and evaporation. The δ18Odiatom records reveal common responses to precipitation forcing over the past millennium. Relatively wet summers are inferred from δ18Odiatom between 1000 and 1080 AD, 1300 and 1440 AD, and during the early 19th century, coincided with periods of high cloud cover inferred from tree-ring carbon isotopes, and other data for high Arctic Oscillation index. While relatively dry summers with increasing influence of winter snow are indicated between 1600 and 1750 AD. The co-response between carbon isotopes in trees and oxygen isotopes in diatoms strengthens the relationship between cloud cover and precipitation and the hypothesis that these changes were the result of significant regional shifts in atmospheric circulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]