Assessment of the consecutive harmful dinoflagellate blooms during 2015 in the Izmit Bay (the Marmara Sea)

A series of red tides were observed during 2015 in the Izmit Bay(the Marmara Sea) which is located in the most industrialized and populated region of Turkey. Six samplings were carried out in this area following the red tides.Nitrite-N, nitrate-N, ammonia, silica and orthophosphate concentrations were analyzed spectrophotometrically.Physicochemical conditions were measured by CTD probe. Plankton quantification was performed using counting chambers under microscopes. Prorocentrum micans was the most abundant species, except on May 14,2015, when Noctiluca scintillans was dominant. The abundance of P. micans reached average 18×10~6 ind./L on May 3, 2015 in the Karamürsel station, simultaneously with elevated levels of NH_3 and o-PO_4~(3–). The sample was also abundant in dead amphipods((72±12) ind./L) that had been covered by mucilage aggregates produced by P.micans. The highest biomass(calculated by carbon) was recorded as(268±26.0) mg/L on May 14 in the Hereke station. Beside the anthropogenic wastewater discharges, unknown sources and resuspensions caused increases in nutrient levels. After long term northeaster gusts(35 km/h for 5 d) an upwelling occurred on November 6, 2015 after wind-induced sediment resuspension. Although nutrient discharges remarkably decreased over 30 years through established wastewater treatment plants, harmful phytoplankton blooms still occur. Comparing the present results with other studies in nearby Mediterranean seas reveals that the most intense harmful dinoflagellate bloom in recent years occurred in the Izmit Bay. Therefore, additional protection measures necessary for a cleaner Izmit Bay. These incidents also demonstrate that contaminants, accumulated in sediment,may have long-lasting effects on enclosed marine ecosystems.     

Late Pleistocene–Holocene evolution of the southern Marmara shelf and sub-basins: middle strand of the North Anatolian fault,southern Marmara Sea,Turkey

Although there are many research studies on the northern and southern branches of the North Anatolian fault, cutting through the deep basins of the Sea of Marmara in the north and creating a series of pull-apart basins on the southern mainland, little data is available about the geometrical and kinematical characteristics of the middle strand of the North Anatolian fault. The first detailed geometry of the middle strand of the North Anatolian fault along the southern Marmara shelf, including the Gemlik and Band?rma Bay, will be given in this study, by a combined interpretation of different seismic data sets. The characteristic features of its segments and their importance on the paleogeographic evolution of the southern shelf sub-basins were defined. The longest one of these faults, the Armutlu-Band?rma segment, is a 75-km long dextral strike-slip fault which connects the W–E trending Gençali segment in the east and NE–SW trending Kap?da?-Edincik segment in the west. In this context, the Gemlik Bay opened as a pull-apart basin under the control of the middle strand whilst a new fault segment developed during the late Pleistocene, cutting through the eastern rim of the bay. In this region, a delta front forming the paleoshoreline of the Gemlik paleolake was cut and shifted approximately 60 ± 5 m by the new segment. The same offset on this fault was also measured on a natural scarp of acoustic basement to the west and integrated with this paleoshoreline forming the slightly descending topset–foreset reflections of the delta front. Therefore the new segment is believed to be active at least for the last 30,000 years. The annual lateral slip rate representing this period of time will be 2 mm, which is quite consistent with modern GPS measurements. Towards the west, the Band?rma Bay is a rectangular transpressional basin whilst the Erdek Bay is a passive basin under the control of NW–SE trending faults. When the water level of the paleo-Marmara lake dropped down to ?90 m, the water levels of the suspended paleolakes of Band?rma and Gemlik on the southern shelf were ?50.3 (?3.3 Global Isostatic Adjustment—GIA) and ?60.5 (?3.3 GIA) m below the present mean sea level, respectively. As of today a similar example can be seen between the Sea of Marmara and the shallow freshwater lakes of Manyas and Uluabat. Similarly, the paleolakes of Gemlik and Bandirma were affected by the water level fluctuations at different time periods, even though both lakes were isolated from the Sea of Marmara during the glacial periods.     

Possible waterways between the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea in the late Quaternary: evidence from ostracod and foraminifer assemblages in lakes ?znik and Sapanca, Turkey

In this study, the fossil microfaunal composition of 28 Recent sediment samples from Lake İznik and 19 samples from Lake Sapanca was investigated. The presence of at least ten marine ostracod and 23 foraminifer species in the sediments of Lake İznik, and at least one marine ostracod and two foraminifer species in the sediments of Lake Sapanca confirm that these lakes must have been connected to the world ocean sometime during the late Quaternary. The most obvious former link between these lakes and the Mediterranean Sea would have been via the Marmara Sea with an eastward extension of the Gemlik and İzmit bays. The proximity of Lake Sapanca to the lower course of the Sakarya River, however, also supports earlier suggestions that there may have been a temporary connection with the Black Sea via this river valley. Whatever the case, the findings of this study clearly demonstrate that vertical tectonic movements need to be taken into account when reconstructing the late Quaternary sea-level history of this region.     

Diagnostic study of the summer thermocline depth in the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea

- In this paper, the depth of the summer thermocline of the South Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea is calculated with two kinds of one-dimentional models, and the formation reasons are explained for the summer thermocline depth distribution characteristics in the study area. It is proved that in the shelf area of the East China Sea, tidal mixing has an important impact on the thermocline depth. And a new explanation for certain phenomena of the so-called coastal upwelling in the East China Sea is proposed.     

Some numerical experiments of the dynamics of the wintertime circulation in the Northern Huanghai Sea and the Bohai Sea

Some numerical experiments have been developed to explain dynamically the mechanism of the formation of the wintertime circulation in the Northern Huanghai Sea and the Bohai Sea. From the results of the numerical experiments with Coriolis parameter having positive and negative values respectively, it is found that the current pattern characterized by flowing into the Bohai Sea in the northern part of the Bohai Straits and flowing out of the Bohai Sea in the southern part of the Bohai Straits is controlled basically by the bottom topography with "the deepness on the northern side and shallowness on the southern side'in the Bohai Straits, and is not related to Coriolis parameter having positive and negative values. It also shows that the Huanghai Warm Current regarded as the inllow condition passing through the in-ports at the water boundary of the numerical experiments only influences the region near the water boundary and the eastern region of the Northern Huanghai Sea. In addition, the mechanism of the     

Discussion: a critique of Possible waterways between the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea in the late Quaternary: evidence from ostracod and foraminifer assemblages in lakes ?znik and Sapanca, Turkey, Geo-Marine Letters, 2011

The identification of past connection routes between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, other than the traditional one through to the Bosphorus Strait, would be of considerable interest to the international scientific community. Nazik et al. (Geo-Mar Lett 31:75?C86 (2011) doi:10.1007/s00367-010-0216-9) suggest the possibility of two alternative waterway connections via lakes Sapanca and ?znik. Their Black Sea to Sea of Marmara multi-connection hypothesis, which is based on undated marine fossils collected in both lakes from surficial grab samples, conflicts with many earlier studies. In this contribution, the hypothesis and the underlying data are discussed in the light of previous tectonic, sedimentological and limnological findings showing that it is impossible to have had marine connections through lakes Sapanca and ?znik during the last 11.5?ka. Global sea-level trends and tectonic uplift rates would accommodate a connection between the Sea of Marmara and Lake ?znik in the middle Pleistocene. Uplift rates for the northern block of the North Anatolian Fault, when compared with the global sea-level curve, clearly indicate that there cannot have been a connection through the ?zmit Gulf?CLake Sapanca?CSakarya Valley for at least the past 500?ka. Moreover, borehole sediments along the western shores of Lake Sapanca, which reach down to the bedrock, do not contain any marine fossils.     

Sea surface temperature variations in the southwestern South China Sea over the past 160 ka

Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the southwestern South China Sea have been reconstructed for the past 160 ka using the Uk37 paleothermometer from the core MD01-2392. The temperature differences between glacial times (MISs 6 and 2) and interglacial times (MISs 5.5 and 1) are 2.2~2.5 ℃. Younger Dryas event during the last deglaciation was documented in both the planktonic foraminiferal δ18O and SST records. After MIS 5.5, SSTs displayed a progressive cooling from 28.6 to 24.5 ℃, culminating at the LGM. During this gradual cooling period, warm events such as MISs 5.3, 5.1 and 3 were also clearly documented. By comparison of SST between the study core and Core 17954, a pattern of low or no meridional SST gradients during the interglacial periods and high meridional SST gradients during the glacial periods was exhibited. This pattern indicates the much stronger East Asian winter monsoon at the glacial than at the interglacial periods. Spectral analysis gives two prominent cycles: 41 and 23 ka, with the former more pronounced, suggesting that SSTs in the southern SCS varied in concert with high-latitude processes through the connection of East Asian winter monsoon.     

Reply to Discussion: a critique of Possible waterways between the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea in the late Quaternary: evidence from ostracod and foraminifer assemblages in lakes ?znik and Sapanca, Turkey, Geo-Marine Letters, 2011

In their discussion of our 2011 paper dealing with possible waterways between the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea in the ??late?? Quaternary, based on data from ostracod and foraminifer assemblages in lakes ?znik and Sapanca, Turkey, Yalt?rak et al. (Geo-Mar Lett 32:267?C274, 2012) essentially reject the idea of any links whatsoever, be they between the Marmara Sea and the lakes ?znik and Sapanca, or further to the Black Sea via the valley of the Sakarya River. The evidence they provide in support of their view, however, is essentially circumstantial, in part conjectural, and also inconclusive considering the findings in favour of linkage between the Marmara Sea and the lakes at the very least, while the proposed connection with the Sakarya River valley remains speculative because of the lack of unambiguous data. On the other hand, Yalt?rak et al. (Geo-Mar Lett 32:267?C274, 2012) do raise valid points of concern which deserve careful future investigation, the most important being the possibility of sample contamination from dumped marine sediment used for construction purposes along some parts of the shore of Lake ?znik. We agree that a concerted multidisciplinary effort is required to address the many unresolved issues in connection with the potential waterways proposed by us and others before us.     

Reanalysis of the Atmospheric Flux of Nutrient Elements to the Southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea

Based on the recent research results on dry and wet deposition of nutrient elements and sulphate,we estimate the atmospheric flux of nutrient elements and sulphate to the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea in each season.The results suggest that the concentrations of nutrient elements and sulphate in aerosol and precipitation show an apparent seasonal cycle with the maximum values in winter and the minimum values in summer.Depositions of nitrate and sulphate are dominated by wet deposition,while the deposition for phosphate is mainly dry deposition.Moreover,compared with the riverine inputs,the atmospheric deposition may be the main source of dissolved inorganic nutrients in the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.     

Analyses of the long-term salinity variability in the Bohai Sea and the northern Huanghai(Yellow) Sea

Based on the comprehensive collection of the field observed salinity of the Bohai Sea (BHS) and the northern Huanghai Sea (NHS) from the 1950s to the present,the patterns of 10-years-averaged salinity at the different layers in the recent five decades (the 1950s,the 1960s,the 1970s,the 1980s and the 1990s) are obtained by the spatial-temporal interpolation technique with the scrupulous data quality control in this study.Then,by combining the spatial-temporal interpolation technique with successive correction method,the annual distributions of salinity both in the BHS and in the NHS are obtained as well.The data analyses indicate that the overall salinity in the BHS and the NHS increases from the 1960s till the present,with the increase of annual mean salinity of 0.04 psu from the 1950s,and the maximum increase rate of salinity is about 0.14 psu/a in the Bohai Bay.The high salinity tongue extended significantly from the NHS into the BHS.The intensified eastern wind field is related to the western intrusion of the NHS warm current,which probably leads to the moving forward of the high salinity water mass into the BHS.However,it is rather different from the salinity distribution characteristics between the 1950s and the 1960s.The extensive precipitation in the 1960s could lead to an increase in the discharge of the Huanghe River,which might result in the decrease of salinity in the BHS.But the salinity isoline of 32 in the NHS still extended significantly into the BHS in the 1960s.Since the 1980s,the patterns of salinity distribution have changed thoroughly.The salinity in the central area of the BHS was low,while the salinity in the Bohai Bay and the Liaodong Bay was higher than the other regions with its horizontal salinity gradient decreasing in the 1980s.The Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis (EOF) is also conducted to study the interannual salinity variability of the BHS and the NHS.The correlation coefficient between the time coefficient series of the main mode and the Huanghe River discharge can reach -64.57%.It can be concluded that salinity variation of the BHS and the NHS has strong negative correlation with the Huanghe River discharge.     

Basic characteristics and forming mechanism of the sharp thermocline in the Bohai Sea, Huanghai Sea and northern East China Sea

- On the basis of the fact that the sharp thermocHne in the Bohai Sea and the northern Huanghai Sea is often distributed in the deep valley areas, it has been long thought that the reason of the formation of the sharp thermocHne is that the cold water can be easily kept in valleys. But recent investigations carried out in the southern Huanghai Sea in summer show that all of the sharp thermocHne areas were distributed in the shallow sloping-bottom areas but not in the deep valley areas. Only in autumn would the sharp thermoclines translate to the deep valley areas. In summer, they are characterized by shallow upper mixing layer and thin thickness in the southern Huanghai Sea. In addition to entrainment coming from lower boundary of upper mixing layer the entrainment from upper border of bottom homogeneous layer induced by tidal mixing also plays an important role in the growth and decay of thermoclines in these seas.     

Preliminary analysis of distribution and variation of perennial monthly mean water masses in the Bohai Sea,the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea

On the basis of perennial monthly mean temperature and salinity data, the classification of monthly water masses at the surface and the bottom in the Bohai Sea, the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea, has been made by using the method of fuzzy cluster from the modified characteristic of water masses in the shallow water area. In this paper, the basic features, growth and decline patterns of water masses in relation to fishing grounds in the whole shelves of the Bohai Sea, the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea are discussed with emphasis.     

Thermal fronts and cross-frontal heat flux in the southern Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea

Synoptic features in/around thermal fronts and cross-frontal heat fluxes in the southern Huanghai./Yellow Sea and East China Sea （HES） were examined using the data collected from four airborne expendable bathythermograph surveys with horizontal approxmately 35 km and vertical 1 m（from the surface to 400 m deep） spacings. Since the fronts are strongly affected by HES current system, the synoptic thermal features in/around them represent the interaction of currents with surrounding water masses. These features can not be obtained from climatological data. The identified thermal features are listed as follows ： （ 1 ） multiple boundaries of cold water, asymmetric thermocline intrusion, locally-split front by homogeneous water of approxmately 18 ℃, and mergence of the front by the Taiwan Warm Current in/around summertime southern Cheju - Changjiang/Yangtze front and Tsushima front; （2） springtime frontal eddy-like feature around Tsushima front; （3） year-round cyclonic meandering and summertime temperature-inversion at the bottom of the surface mixed layer in Cheju - Tsushima front; and （4） multistructure of Kuroshio front. In the Kuroshio front the mean variance of vertical temperature gradient is an order of degree smaller than that in other HES fronts. The southern Cheju- Changjiang front and Cheju -Tsushima front are connected with each other in the summer with comparable cross-frontal temperature gradient. However, cross-frontal heat flux and lateral eddy diffusivity are stronger in the southern Cheju - Changjiang front. The cross-frontal heat exchange is the largest in the mixing zone between the modified Huanghai Sea bottom cold water and the Tsushima Warm Current, which is attributable to enhanced thermocline intrusions.     

Modelling of the barotropic processes in the Bohai Sea

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Three-dimensional calculations of the currents in the Huanghai Sea and East China Sea during June of 1999

Based on the wind and hydrographic data obtained by R/V Xiangyanghong 14 duringJune of 1999, the currents in the Huanghai Sea and East China Sea are computed by the three dimen-sional non-linear diagnostic, semidiagnostic models and prognostic in the σ coordinate. The computed re-sults show that the density and velocity fields and so on have been adjusted when time is about 3 days,namely the solution of semidiagnostic calculation is obtained. In the northwest part of the computed re-gion, the Huanghai coastal current flows southeastward, and then it flows out the computed region southof Cheju Island. In the west side of the southern part of the computed region, there is other current,which is mainly inshore branch of Taiwan Warm Current, and it flows cyclonically and turns to thenortheast. In the region north of the above two currents, there is a cyclonic eddy southwest of Cheju Is-land, and it has characteristics of high density and low temperature. There is an offshore branch of Tai-wan Warm Current in the west side of the Kuroshio, and it makes a cyclonic meander, then flows north-eastward. The Kuroshio in the East China Sea is stronger, and flows northeastward. Its maximum hori-zontal velocity is 108.5 cm/s at the sea surface, which is located at the northern boundary, and it is106.1 cm/s at 30 m level, 102.2 cm/s at 75 m level and 85.1 cm/s at 200 m level, respectively, whichare all located at the southern boundary. Comparing the results of diagnostic calculation with those ofsemidiagnostic and prognostic calculations indicates that the horizontal velocity field agrees qualitatively,and there is a little difference between them in quantity. The comparison between the computed veloci-ties and the obeered velocities at the mooring station show that they agree each other.     

The relationship between tidal current field and sediment transport in the Huanghai Sea and the Bohai Sea

-Based on a two-dimensional numerical M2 tidal model of the Huanghai and Bohai Seas, sediment transport of particles with different sizes in the computational area is given. It is concluded that tidal currents play an important role in sediment transport and deposition in the Huanghai and Bohai Seas.     

Sea ice characteristics between the middle Weddell Sea and the Prydz Bay, Antarctica during the austral summer of 2003

The antarctic sea ice was investigated upon five occasions between January 4 and February 15, 2003. The investigations included: (1) estimation of sea ice distribution by ship-based observations between the middle Weddell Sea and the Prydz Bay; (2) estimation of sea ice distribution by aerial photography in the Prydz Bay; (3) direct measurements of fast ice thickness and snow cover, as well as ice core sampling in Nella Fjord; (4) estimation of melting sea ice distribution near the Zhongshan Station; and (5) observation of sea ice early freeze near the Zhongshan Station. On average, sea ice covered 14.4% of the study area. The highest sea ice concentration (80%) was observed in the Weddell Sea. First-year ice was dominant (99.7%-99.8%). Sea ice distributions in the Prydz Bay were more variable due to complex inshore topography, proximity of the Larsemann Hills, and/or grounded icebergs. The average thickness of landfast ice in NeUa Fjord was 169.5 cm. Wind-blown snow redistribution plays an important role in affecting the ice thickness in Nella Fjord. Preliminary freezing of sea ice near the Zhongshan Station follows the first two phases of the pancake cycle.     

Interannual Sea Level Variations in the South China Sea Over 1950–2009

Spatial patterns of interannual sea level variations in the South China Sea (SCS) are investigated by analyzing an EOF-based 2-dimensional past sea level reconstruction from 1950 to 2009 and satellite altimetry data from 1993 to 2009. Long-term tide gauge records from 14 selected stations in this region are also used to assess the quality of reconstructed sea levels and determine the rate of sea level along the coastal area. We found that the rising rate of sea levels derived from merged satellite altimetry data during 1993–2009 and past sea level reconstruction over 1950–2009 is about 3.9 ± 0.6 mm/yr and 1.7 ± 0.1 mm/yr, respectively. For the longer period, this rate is not significantly different from the global mean rate (of 1.8 ± 0.3 mm/yr). The interannual mean sea level of the SCS region appears highly correlated with Niño 4 indices (a proxy of El Niño-Southern Oscillation/ENSO), suggesting that the interannual sea level variations over the SCS region is driven by ENSO events. Interpolation of the reconstructed sea level data for 1950–2009 at sites where tide gauge records are of poor quality (either short or gapped) show that sea level along the Chinese coastal area is rising faster than the global mean rate of 1.8 mm/yr. At some sites, the rate is up to 2.5 mm/yr.     

Ecological characteristics of Ostracoda in the South Huanghai Sea and East China Sea

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On a new Siphonophora from the East China Sea and South China Sea

In the course of identifying the samples of Siphonophora from the East China Sea and South China Sea, a new Siphonophora, Vogtia microsticella sp. nov. , was noted. The new species is distinguished from other five species in the genus in nectophore as follows: Parahorse-shoe shaped with five bluntly rounded projections, the two projections below the ostium, i. e. the basal projections, approach each other. The dorsal facet is smooth without any gelatinous prominence. Smaller are the nectosac and the ostium.