Helena L. Filipsson

Climate, hydrographic variations and marine benthic hypoxia in Koljö Fjord, Sweden

Abstract Since the late 1970s, Scandinavian waters have been extensively investigated for human-induced marine pollution, especially marine eutrophication, oxygen deficiency in bottom waters and subsequent benthic mortality. The most serious oxygen deficiencies are noted in the sill fjords along the Swedish west coast, in southern Norway and in large areas of the southern Kattegat and Baltic Sea. One of these sill fjords, Koljo Fjord, is located on the Swedish west coast. This fjord is characterised by frequently occurring episodes of hypoxia/anoxia which last for months or even years. Sediments are laminated and the fjord is generally regarded as seriously affected by human-induced eutrophication. We detail the environmental development of a well-documented fjord by combining high resolution sediment records with long hydrographical and meteorological instrumental data, and we present ultra high-resolution sediment information together with long-term instrumental records of air-temperatures, NAO indices and hydrography from Koljo Fjord. These data show, in contrast to the current opinion focusing on anthropogenic eutrophication, that natural causes are the most important factors controlling the marine environment in this sparsely populated area. Natural variables concerned are fjord physiography, weather and hydrography (including the macro-nutrients DIN and PO 4 -P), sediment laminations and organic carbon. Interactions between fjord physiography, weather and hydrography regulate the possibility for water exchange and deep-water renewals. The present study points to the importance of natural causes for the environmental status of sill basins and semi-enclosed areas along the west coast of Sweden.

The seasonal occurrence of dinoflagellate cysts in surface sediments from Koljö Fjord, west coast of Sweden – a note

The opportunistic collection of the flocculent layer, over the spring to late summer seasons, has provided information on the seasonal dinoflagellate cyst sedimentation in Koljo Fjord, on the west coast of Sweden. The dinoflagellate cyst assemblages within the flocculent layer can be both diverse and contain many cysts. The cyst assemblages do not remain constant over time but demonstrate seasonality. Our very limited dataset of six samples suggests that the spring bloom is characterised by round, brown Protoperidinium cysts together with subsidiary Pentapharsodinium dalei and Protoperidinium conicum. The early summer assemblage differs in containing higher proportions of P. dalei with fewer round, brown Protoperidinium cysts together with relatively minor amounts of Lingulodinium polyedrum and Polykrikos schwartzii. The late summer cyst flora is co-dominated by Lingulodinium polyedrum and round, brown Protoperidinium cysts, together with minor amounts of P. dalei and Spiniferites spp. including Spiniferites bentorii. Cyst production within the different species occurs at times of the year when the surface water conditions within the fjord are suitable. This probably reflects, all or in part, the stability of the upper water column, the relative availability of nutrients and the overall phytoplankton productivity.

A high-resolution dinoflagellate cyst record from latest Holocene sediments in Koljö Fjord, Sweden

A high-resolution dinoflagellate cyst record is detailed for the very latest Holocene sediments preserved in a silled fjord from western Sweden. Koljo Fjord is characterised by brackish water conditions together with intermittent deep-water renewal and oxygen depletion. The data provide information derived from the phytoplankton populations living in the surface waters, including possible changes to the nutrient availability and salinity regimes using an actualistic ecological approach. The cyst record provides evidence that the dinoflagellate populations within the surface waters of the fjord over the last 155 years or so have fluctuated markedly. The dinoflagellate cyst record from Core KG1A demonstrates a 10-fold increase in both total cyst numbers and Lingulodinium polyedrum since c. 1938, and a shift from assemblages with high Pentapharsodinium dalei to those with high L. polyedrum and Protoceratium reticulatum from about 1980. These fluctuations are singly and/or collectively indicative of possible cultural changes within the fjord; the effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation on both deep-water renewal and seasonality; nutrient enhancement (eutrophication?); and increased water column stability.

Climate variations, an overlooked factor influencing the recent marine environment. An example from Gullmar Fjord, Sweden, illustrated by benthic foraminifera and hydrographic data

Like most sill fjords, Gullmar Fjord on the Swedish west coast, is subject to periods of stagnation. Deep water is usually renewed annually, but since the late 1970s several low-oxygen events have been documented in the deepest part of the fjord. These events occurred during a time when the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) was in a highly positive phase. We investigated how the benthic environment, in the deepest part of the fjord, has varied during the 20th century, using benthic foraminifera and an extensive history of instrumental hydrographic data. The foraminifera have undergone one major faunal change and two minor modifications during this time. The major faunal change occurred in the late 1970s to early 1980s, when the common Skagerrak-Kattegat fauna was replaced by one dominated by the opportunistic, low-oxygen-tolerant species,Stainforthia fusiformis. This major faunal change appears to be related to the severe low-oxygen event in 1979–1980. In the latter part of the 1990s the fauna changed again; the concentration ofS. fusiformis was still high, but other low-oxygen-tolerant species also became important. This minor faunal modification occurred in connection with the 2-yr stagnation period between 1996 and 1998 when a low-oxygenevent evolved, the most severe recorded in Gullmar Fjord. Between 1930 and 1980, there was little faunal variation, and a stable fjord environment is indicated. During this time, negative NAO indexes dominated and climate was more continental, with an increase in winds from the northeast and east. In connection with a climate transition indicated by the NAO index switching from positive to negative, a minor faunal change occurred in the late 1920s to early 1930s: the concentration of the Skagerrak-Kattegat fauna increased markedly in the fjord. The fauna characterizing the positive NAO phase between 1900 and the late 1920s is very different from the present positive NAO fauna. The foraminiferal record laid down between approximately 1914 and 2001 indicates that between 1930 and 1980 Gullmar Fjord was a stable fjord environment. During the last 20 yr, it experienced conditions that were more fluctuating and changing. For the most part, changes in the foraminiferal fauna are caused by changes in the deep-water renewal, their extent and frequency, which in turn are caused by climatic oscillations.

GH replacement in adults: interactions with other pituitary hormone deficiencies and replacement therapies

Severe GH deficiency (GHD) in adults has been described as a clinical entity. However, some of the features associated with GHD could be due to unphysiological and inadequate replacement of other pituitary hormone deficiencies. This may be true for glucocorticoid replacement that lacks a biomarker making dose titration and monitoring difficult. Moreover, oral estrogen replacement therapy decreases IGF1 levels compared with the transdermal route, which attenuates the responsiveness to GH replacement therapy in women. In addition, in untreated female hypogonadism, oral estrogen may augment the features associated with GHD in adult women. Important interactions between the hormones used for replacing pituitary hormone deficiency occur. Introducing GH replacement may unmask both an incipient adrenal insufficiency and central hypothyroidism. Therefore, awareness and proper monitoring of these hormonal interactions are important in order to reach an optimal replacement therapy. This review will focus on the complex hormonal interactions between GH and other pituitary hormones in GHD and in GH replacement.

A global multiproxy database for temperature reconstructions of the Common Era

Reproducible climate reconstructions of the Common Era (1 CE to present) are key to placing industrial-era warming into the context of natural climatic variability. Here we present a community-sourced database of temperature-sensitive proxy records from the PAGES2k initiative. The database gathers 692 records from 648 locations, including all continental regions and major ocean basins. The records are from trees, ice, sediment, corals, speleothems, documentary evidence, and other archives. They range in length from 50 to 2000 years, with a median of 547 years, while temporal resolution ranges from biweekly to centennial. Nearly half of the proxy time series are significantly correlated with HadCRUT4.2 surface temperature over the period 1850–2014. Global temperature composites show a remarkable degree of coherence between high- and low-resolution archives, with broadly similar patterns across archive types, terrestrial versus marine locations, and screening criteria. The database is suited to investigations of global and regional temperature variability over the Common Era, and is shared in the Linked Paleo Data (LiPD) format, including serializations in Matlab, R and Python.

A 200-YEAR ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD OF A LOW-OXYGEN FJORD, SWEDEN, ELUCIDATED BY BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA, SEDIMENT CHARACTERISTICS AND HYDROGRAPHIC DATA

In this study, we have detailed the benthic environment of a sill fjord on the Swedish west coast, which is characterized by brackish conditions, intermittent water exchanges, and periodic low oxygen. We have used three important tools�benthic foraminifera, sediment characteristics, and historical records of hydrographic data. Periods of low oxygen have resulted in sequences of laminated sediments in the fjord. The foraminiferal fauna present in the fjord is of low diversity and low abundance, mostly Elphidium species�an assemblage that has dominated the foraminiferal fauna for at least 170 years. During this time period, however, there have been events when normal marine species have been introduced, or foraminiferal abundance and faunal diversity have suddenly increased. These events are linked to short sequences of homogenous sediments within the laminated sequences that, in turn, suggest more oxic conditions. Since the late 1940s, we have a more-or-less continuous salinity record from the fjord, the product of an instrumental monitoring program. This record has been used, together with the foraminiferal distribution and sediment characteristics, to reconstruct the salinity variations that occurred prior to the instrumental monitoring program. The salinity in the fjord has alternated between periods of low salinity (26�28.5%), which correspond with non-laminated sediments, and periods of higher salinity (>28.5%), corresponding with laminated sequences. Despite a general low abundance of foraminiferal fauna, there was a significantly higher diversity during deposition of laminated sequences than non-laminated sequences. In the deepest part of the record, corresponding to the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, a different fauna occurs, where species in addition to Elphidium occur, suggesting generally higher salinities (29�31).

Models to predict changes in serum IGF1 and body composition in response to GH replacement therapy in GH-deficient adults

OBJECTIVE Clinical response to GH therapy in GH-deficient (GHD) adults varies widely. Good predictors of treatment response are lacking. The aim of the study was to develop mathematical models to predict changes in serum IGF1 and body composition (BC) in response to GH therapy in GHD adults. DESIGN AND METHODS One hundred and sixty-seven GHD patients (103 men, median age 50 years) were studied before and after 12 months of GH treatment. GH dose was tailored according to serum IGF1 concentrations. Good responders (GR) and poor responders (PR) to GH therapy were defined as patients with a response >60th and <40th percentile respectively, for changes in serum IGF1 levels (adjusted for GH cumulative dose) and in BC (lean body mass (LBM) and body fat determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). A logistic regression model was used to predict the probability of being a GR or PR. RESULTS In the IGF1 prediction model, men (odds ratio (OR) 5.62: 95% confidence interval 2.59-12.18) and patients with higher insulin levels (OR 1.06: 1.00-1.12) were more likely to be GR. The accuracy of the prediction model was 70%. In the BC model, men (OR 10.72: 1.36-84.18) and GHD patients with lower LBM (OR 0.82: 0.73-0.92) and greater height (OR 1.23: 1.08-1.40) at baseline were more likely to be GR. The accuracy of the prediction model was 80%. CONCLUSION Accurate mathematical models to predict GH responsiveness in GHD adults were developed using gender, body height, baseline LBM, and serum insulin levels as the major clinical predictors.

Variations in organic carbon flux and stagnation periods during the last 2400 years in a Skagerrak fjord basin, inferred from benthic foraminiferal δ13C

Abstract A well-dated high-resolution δ13C record of the last 2400 a, based on the benthic foraminifer Cassidulina laevigata, is presented for Gullmar Fjord, Sweden. The time interval covers the Roman Warm Period (RWP), the Viking Age/Medieval Warm Period (VA/MWP), the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the most recent warming. There is little variation in the δ13C record until the early Viking Age (AD 800), when the δ13C signal becomes significantly more negative and continues to decrease throughout the VA/MWP. The δ13C signal increases both at the beginning and at the end of the LIA but is marked by more negative values during the larger part of the period. Since about 1970, the δ13C values are more negative than the long-term average. This general negativity of the record may result from a higher flux of organic matter, possibly of terrestrial origin due to land-use changes together with moderate changes in stagnation periods since the VA/MWP. In most recent times, the oceanic Suess effect together with increased number of extended stagnation periods are probably the main causes of the shift towards more negative δ13C values.

Calibration of the carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of benthic foraminifera

The carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of seawater provides valuable insight on ocean circulation, air-sea exchange, the biological pump, and the global carbon cycle and is reflected by the δ13C of foraminifera tests. Here more than 1700 δ13C observations of the benthic foraminifera genus Cibicides from late Holocene sediments (δ13CCibnat) are compiled and compared with newly updated estimates of the natural (preindustrial) water column δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDICnat) as part of the international Ocean Circulation and Carbon Cycling (OC3) project. Using selection criteria based on the spatial distance between samples, we find high correlation between δ13CCibnat and δ13CDICnat, confirming earlier work. Regression analyses indicate significant carbonate ion (−2.6 ± 0.4) × 10−3‰/(μmol kg−1) [CO32−] and pressure (−4.9 ± 1.7) × 10−5‰ m−1 (depth) effects, which we use to propose a new global calibration for predicting δ13CDICnat from δ13CCibnat. This calibration is shown to remove some systematic regional biases and decrease errors compared with the one-to-one relationship (δ13CDICnat = δ13CCibnat). However, these effects and the error reductions are relatively small, which suggests that most conclusions from previous studies using a one-to-one relationship remain robust. The remaining standard error of the regression is generally σ ≅ 0.25‰, with larger values found in the southeast Atlantic and Antarctic (σ ≅ 0.4‰) and for species other than Cibicides wuellerstorfi. Discussion of species effects and possible sources of the remaining errors may aid future attempts to improve the use of the benthic δ13C record.