Abstract The organic matter (OM) of surface sediments (0–2 cm) from the Santos Basin was characterized by employing elemental (C, N, P), isotopic (δ 13C and δ 15N), biochemical (total carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids), and pigment (chlorophyll-a and phaeopigments) proxies, as part of the Santos Project – The Santos Basin Regional Environmental Characterization (PCR-BS) – coordinated by PETROBRAS. Samples were collected in a regional scale throughout the entire basin, including 11 isobaths from eight cross-margin transects ranging from 25 to 2,400 m water depths, and 12 additional samples obtained from the São Paulo Plateau. The aims of this study were two-fold, namely, to identify the major oceanographic and depositional processes driving OM transport and accumulation and to provide information on OM origin and availability to benthic secondary producers. The multiple employed proxies and the use of machine learning allowed to categorize distinct OM accumulation provinces displaying two major regional features: shallow sediments (< 50-m isobaths) are OM-poor (TOC < 2.0 mg g -1) but the available amount is readily hydrolysable, and mid-shelf deposits (75-m and 100-m isobaths) throughout the entire basin present muddy and OM-rich sediments (TOC ranging from 7.0 to 14.0 mg g-1) seemingly available to heterotrophs. Similarly, relatively OM-rich deposits are found at depths ranging from 700 to 1,300-m isobaths throughout the basin, but their composition and nutritional value (as suggested by biochemical indicators) are not related to mid-shelf deposits. The general overview of OM accumulation and composition provided herein validated the selected organic geochemical proxies for benthic ecology studies at the shelf and deep ocean sectors of the studied region.

Abstract A scientific cruise between November 15 and December 18, 2019 aboard R/V Vital de Oliveira collected offshore seawater samples at 59 stations between the states of Ceará and Bahia. The objective was to identify hydrocarbon levels potentially associated with the mysterious oil spill that reached the northeastern coast of Brazil. Median concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs, 0.79 µg L-1) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, 5.39 ng L-1) do not indicate contamination by crude oil and are comparable to baseline levels previously found in other areas of the Brazilian continental margin. The detailed composition of both groups of hydrocarbons revealed that some samples were contaminated during sampling and/or handling on-board. The data set presented herein highlights the difficulty in tracking small oil patches spread over a huge ocean area and, more importantly, the need for improving protocols of national research vessels used to collect seawater samples for trace organic analyses.

The aim of this research was the replacement of conventional sample extraction techniques for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in tissue samples for a reliable, fast and eco-friendly procedure. The method was developed using a pressurized solvent extraction method and assessing two different standard reference materials (fish and mussel) and freeze-dried and fortified sardine samples (Sardinella sp.). Five different extraction procedures were evaluated and the best performance comprised 1 g of lyophilized tissue, 5 g of deactivated (5%) silica, a dichloromethane:methanol (4:1 v/v) mixture, a temperature of 80 °C, three cycles, 10 min of static time and 90 s of purge time. The method selected following these tests was further validated through the analysis of nine replicates of the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) reference material No. 2976, resulting in an effective recovery of 83 ± 14%. The means and uncertainties attained for each PAH were equivalent to those of the reference material, corroborating the reliability of the developed method. A shorter processing time, less use of solvents and reagents and lower extract manipulation produced an effective method aligned with green-chemistry guidelines.

SUMMARY: Nitrogen (N) is an element with a high influence in seedling growth in the nursery. Nevertheless, absolute levels of nutrient concentration are irrelevant if the relationship among the major elements is not examined. In this work we studied the incidence of several N concentrations in two proportional relationships with potassium (K), keeping the relationship with phosphate (P) constant (i.e. 3:2:1 and 3:2:3 for N:P:K), during the rapid growing phase in the fertigation production of Austrocedrus chilensis seedlings. Seedling height, stem diameter at the collar level, total biomass, aboveground/underground biomass ratio (PSA/PSR), nutritional status and root growth potential (RGP) were measured at the end of the growing season. The two treatments combining lower concentration of N with a relationship 3:2:3 produced the highest effect on all morphological parameters assessed. The PSA/PSR was more equilibrated in the treatments with the relationship 3:2:3. The N concentration in the leaves was proportional to its concentration in the nutrient solution. The P content did not show differences among treatments, whereas the K level was higher for the treatment of lower N concentration with relationship 3:2:1. The RGP was low in all treatments. Our observations showed that the 3:2:3 relationship produced larger seedlings with a better balance of biomass partition, evidencing that the management of K in the nutrient solution has higher influence in the seedlings growth of Austrocedrus chilensis.

RESUMEN: El nitrógeno es uno de los nutrientes más influyentes sobre el crecimiento de los plantines en un vivero. Sin embargo, la concentración de cada nutriente carece de importancia si no se la analiza en relación al conjunto de ellos. En este trabajo sobre la producción bajo fertirriego de plantines de ciprés de la cordillera, se estudió la incidencia de distintos niveles de concentración de nitrógeno (50, 100, 150 y 200 mg L-1) en dos relaciones proporcionales con el potasio, manteniendo invariable la relación con el fósforo (i.e. 3:2:1 y 3:2:3 para N:P:K), durante la etapa de crecimiento rápido. Se evaluaron la altura, el diámetro al cuello del plantín, la biomasa total, la asignación entre la parte aérea y radical (PSA/PSR), el estado nutricional y el potencial de crecimiento radical (PCR). Los tratamientos con menor concentración de nitrógeno y de proporciones 3:2:3 produjeron el mayor incremento en los parámetros morfológicos analizados. La PSA/PSR fue más equilibrada en los tratamientos con relación 3:2:3. La concentración foliar de nitrógeno fue proporcional a su concentración en la solución nutritiva. La concentración foliar de fósforo no mostró diferencias, mientras que se observó una mayor concentración foliar de potasio en el tratamiento de menor concentración de nitrógeno y relación 3:2:1. El PCR mostró valores bajos en todos los tratamientos. Las observaciones indican que la relación 3:2:3 produjo plantines de mayor tamaño y con asignaciones de biomasa más balanceadas, evidenciando que el manejo del potasio tuvo gran influencia en el crecimiento del ciprés de la cordillera en vivero.