Das Projekt "Vergleichende Untersuchung der Schwermetallbelastung in ausgewaehlten Regionen europaeischer Meere" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH durchgeführt. Objective: Assessment of levels, fate, behaviour and mass balance of toxic trace metals in coastal and estuarine ecosystems. General Information: Applying suitable Volta metric methods the speciation of dissolved toxic trace metals, particularly Cd, by the chelation with dissolved organic material (DOM) will be clarified under sea water and estuarine water conditions taking into account he decreasing salinity gradient. Particularly the contribution of humic and fulvic material to metal speciation will be assessed. In collaboration with the delta-institute, Yerseke, (Netherlands), the levels, fate, behaviour and mass balance of trace metals in the ooster-and wester scheldt estuary will be studied taking into account seasonal and tidal influences. The atmospheric metal input by precipitation will be measured as well. Additionally, the uptake of Cd and Hg and other toxic metals from soil by certain types of salt marsh plants will be measured to complete an ongoing study which is included in the Dutch delta plan. Already started research on the content, fate, behaviour and mass balance of trace metals in estuaries and coastal waters of the ligurian and tyrrhenian coast will be continued, including a study on the toxic metal burden on risk groups, e.g. fishermen. Also here the trace metal input from the atmoshere with precipitation will be determined.
Das Projekt "Mittelmeerprojekt MATER" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Kiel, Institut für Meereskunde, Abteilung Regionale Ozeanographie durchgeführt. The objectives of the project are: - To determine the CFC distribution in the Western Mediterranean Sea to estimate the volume of newly formed deep water and study its spreading. - To search for new areas of deep water formation -Estimation of vertical fluxes - To provide information on spreading pathways and mixing. - Additional tracer measurements (including CFCs) are to be carried out in the Sardinia Channel area to investigate the modification of LIW effected by the Thyrrhenian. - Long-term monitoring of the basin-wide circulation of the deep water and specific aspects of the intermediate water circulation in the western basin. - Long-term monitoring of deep/intermediate water flow through the Sardinia-Tunisia Channel. - Observation of deep/intermediate circulation features in the various basins, in particular the Alboran and Algerian Sea. - Estimation of horizontal mass fluxes. - Basin-wide search for new areas of deep water formation. Prime Contractor: Sabinet d'Etudes Techniques Industrielles et d'Innovations Scientifiques SA; Aix-en-Provence; France.