Monitoring of coral communities in the inner Gulf of Thailand influenced by the elevated seawater temperature and flooding

There were two severe coral bleaching events at Ko Khang Khao, the inner Gulf of Thailand, occurred during the prolonged period of the elevated sea surface temperature (SST) in 2010 and low salinity as well as turbidity due to heavy flooding in 2011. The bleaching index (BI) and mortality index (MI) are calculated to compare the susceptibilities of coral species in the two bleaching events. The BI and MI vary significantly among the study sites and bleaching events. The most susceptible corals during both bleaching events are Acropora millepora, Pocillopora damicornis and Pavona decussate, while the most resistant species were Galaxea fascicularis, Fungia fungites, Pavona frondifera, Oulastrea crispate, and Symphyllia recta. The corals Favia favus, Goniopora columna, Platygyra pini, Symphyllia agaricia were relatively more tolerant to high SST but they are relatively more susceptible to low salinity. Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that the dissociation stress of the symbiotic relationship between zooxanthellae and their cnidarian host results in the reduction in photosynthetic pigment concentration. Among stressors, both prolonged exposure of high SST and low salinity, above and below their thresholds, respectively. The long-term resilience of coral communities at Ko Khang Khao and other coral communities close to the mouth of large rivers may depend on the frequency and duration of the exposure on the elevated SST due to atmospheric heating and low salinity due to river flooding.     

基于多源卫星遥感数据的安达曼海及其邻近海域内波分布特征分析

安达曼海是内波频繁发生的海区之一,对其内波的研究是当今海洋研究的热点。本文利用2013—2016年间覆盖整个安达曼海的3 000多幅Terra/Aqua MODIS、GF-1、Landsat-8、Sentinel-1 等卫星遥感图像,从中提取和解译了内波波列线和波向信息,得到安达曼海海洋内波的时间分布特征,并绘制了内波空间分布图。结果表明,安达曼海及其邻近海域内波主要出现在4个区域:苏门答腊岛以北海域、安达曼海中部海域、安达曼海北部海域以及尼科巴群岛以西海域,尺度较大的内波主要分布在苏门答腊岛以北海域和安达曼海中部海域。在时间分布上,2013—2016年间安达曼海内波的年发生次数相近;在热季、雨季及冬季遥感都能观测到内波的发生;2-4月遥感观测到的内波最多,其次为8、9月,7月遥感观测到的内波较少,这可能是由于雨季光学影像受云影响,安达曼海海域晴空影像过少造成,还需要借助更多的遥感影像进一步证明。在波向上,安达曼海多数内波向岸传播,在苏门答腊岛北部、安达曼海中部海域,内波向东或向东南传播;在安达曼群岛东部,内波向东传播,传播一定距离后与海底地形交互作用,一部分继续向前传播,一部分产生反射,向西南方向传播至安达曼群岛;在尼科巴群岛以西海域,内波由尼科巴群岛向孟加拉湾传播。     

Tidal influence on suspended sediment distribution and dispersal in the northern Andaman Sea and Gulf of Martaban

Surface and water column profiles of suspended matter collected during April-May 2002, and satellite images were used to study factors influencing suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) and dispersal in the northern Andaman Sea and Gulf of Martaban, one of the largest highly turbid areas of the world's oceans. Perennial high SSC in the Gulf of Martaban is due to a combination of factors including resuspension of sediments by strong tidal currents, shallow bathymetry and seasonal sediment influx from rivers. From satellite images, it was observed that in the central portion of the Gulf of Martaban, the turbidity front oscillates about 150 km in phase with spring-neap tidal cycles and the area covered by the turbid zone (SSC>15 mg l⁻¹) increases from less than 15 000 km² during neap tide to more than 45 000 km² during spring tide. The sediment discharged by the Ayeyarwady River is transported mainly eastward, along the coast, into the Gulf of Martaban. Occasionally, during the winter monsoon period, sediment plumes are seen heading westward into the Bay of Bengal. Turbidity profiles show that bottom nepheloid layers are actively transporting some of the sediments into the deep Andaman Sea via the Martaban canyon.     

西沙群岛造礁石珊瑚主要疾病调查与初步研究

记录了2010年5-10月及2011年4-8月在西沙群岛海域开展珊瑚疾病调查的结果,发现普哥滨珊瑚(Porites pukoensis)、扁枝滨珊瑚(Porites andrewsi)、蔷薇珊瑚(Montipora spp.)、杯形珊瑚(Pocillopora spp.)、鹿角珊瑚(Acropora spp.) 、菊花珊瑚(Goniastrea spp.)、澄黄滨珊瑚(Porites lutea)和滨珊瑚(Porites spp.)等共14种珊瑚主要出现了白化、白斑病、黑化、黄色炎症样病症、粉红颗粒状综合症等9种不同症状的疾病,目前该海域为珊瑚疾病的频发区。其中,普哥滨珊瑚的黄色炎症样病症和扁枝滨珊瑚的白化最为常见。普哥滨珊瑚黄色炎症样病症主要出现在永兴岛附近海区,患病部位存在大量黄色脓样分泌物,患病部位水螅体生长正常、萎缩或缺失,有时骨骼部分缺失,患病部位面积一般为0.02~12.00 cm2;该疾病由机械损伤或其他原因引起,因机械损伤引起的伤口一般在2~3个月可以恢复,其中小面积伤口的黄色物质可在10~20d内消失、伤口基本恢复正常,而其他原因产生的黄色物质需1~3个月才能消失,有的甚至在观察期内无明显变化。扁枝滨珊瑚的白化出现在七连屿一带的扁枝滨珊瑚分布区,该病存在整枝完全白化、局部大面积白化、散布白色斑点3种情况,白化部位水螅体缺失。本文为我国西沙海域珊瑚疾病的首次报道,可为今后开展西沙珊瑚疾病研究提供参考。     

安达曼海泰国水域的立方水母Chiropsoides属分类辨析

采集于泰国西南部安达曼近岸海域的一种立方水母Chiropsoides buitendijki，伞部呈典型的箱式、触手单侧分支，并缺乏幅间沟。触手带型呈1–3–2–3–2–3–2–3–1（1-主带，2-粗副带，3-细副带）。18S核糖体基因序列分析证实了其分类地位。同时，16S线粒体基因序列揭示样品内存在一定的遗传分化，说明该种内可能存在不同的群体，值得进一步研究。     

The spreading of eutrophication in the eastern coast of the Gulf of Bothnia,northern Baltic Sea – An analysis in time and space

In the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia is the only sub-basin with only minor effects of eutrophication mainly due to physical factors. Most evaluations of the state of the Gulf of Bothnia are based on offshore investigations. In the present study the coastal zone of the eastern Gulf of Bothnia is analysed. Long-term data (1980–2007) of total nitrogen and phosphorus, turbidity and oxygen are analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) for spatial and temporal patterns in the trophic situation. The coastal zone is divided into six regions: inner and outer areas of the Bothnian Sea and the Quark, and the outer areas of the southern and northern Bothnian Bay. The results show a degradation of water quality from north to south, and from outer to inner coastal areas. Eutrophication changes from an almost non-existing problem in the Bothnian Bay in the north to clear signs of nutrient over-enrichment in the Bothnian Sea. This shows that even if eutrophication in the Gulf of Bothnia is not serious, the increasing trends in nutrient levels should be seen as warning signals for the future, and remedies to combat eutrophication should be taken rapidly.     

Ecology of Pinnidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) from the Gulf of Thailand

The ecology of the family Pinnidae was studied by sampling three pinnid species from 36 sampling sites across four different microhabitats in the Gulf of Thailand. The species spatial distributions were mostly uniform, with some populations having random distributions. Species abundances differed between sandy and coral habitats according to non-metric multi-dimension scaling analyses. Although the Gulf of Thailand is a relatively small geographic area, habitats are varied enough to provide variable shell densities. Small islands are important distribution areas, and coral reefs provide both direct and indirect shelter which support high abundances, densities and increased shell size. The highest density was recorded in sand beds within coral reefs. Low density and small shell size in sand beaches might be related to high mortality in shallow water or to adaptations for survival in shallow waters. A clear correlation between sediment composition and species abundance was found in Pinna atropurpurea; abundance increased with the sand content of the sediment. For P. deltodes, abundance increased as the rock fraction of the sediment increased. These results suggest that adaptations in Pinnidae, such as shell size, shell morphology, and the exposure of the shell above the sediment-water interface, are responses for survival in different habitats.     

基于光学遥感MODIS的安达曼海内波时空分布与传播特性研究

This paper describes investigations of the internal waves in the Andaman Sea using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) imagery over the period of June 2010 to May 2016. Results of the spatial and temporal distribution, generation sources and propagation characteristics of internal waves are presented. The statistical analysis shows that internal waves can be observed in almost the entire area of the Andaman Sea. Most internal waves are observed in the northern, central and southern regions of the Andaman Sea. A significant number of internal waves between 7°N and 9°N in the East Indian Ocean are also observed. Internal waves can be observed year-round in the Andaman Sea, while most of internal waves are observed between February and April, with a maximum frequency of 15.03% in March. The seasonal distribution of the internal waves shows that the internal waves have mostly been observed in the dry season(February to April), and fewer internal waves are observed in the rainy season(May to October). The double peak distribution for the occurrence frequency of internal waves is found. With respect to the lunar influence, more internal waves are observed after the spring tide, which implies the spring tide may play an important role in internal wave generation in the Andaman Sea. Generation sources of internal waves are explored based on the propagation characteristics of internal waves. The results indicate that six sources are located between the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands, and one is located in the northern Andaman Sea. Four regions with active internal wave phenomenon in the Andaman Sea were presented during the MODIS survey, and the propagation speed of internal waves calculated based on the semidiurnal generation period is smaller than the results acquired from pairs of the images with short time intervals.     

南海海啸在泰国湾海域的共振响应

马尼拉海沟具备引发地震海啸的条件,是南中国海主要的潜在海啸发生区。南中国海西南部泰国湾海域和纳土纳海域地形复杂、多独立的半封闭水域,海啸波极易在该区域形成水波共振,加剧其灾害影响。采用COMCOT海啸模型模拟了马尼拉海沟断裂带发生9.3级地震时引发海啸的长时间传播过程,并基于水波共振理论分析其在不同尺度下的共振特性。结果表明,海啸波在曼谷湾至邦加—勿里洞岛间引起了明显的纵向第一、二模态(3 360.0 min、1 440.0 min)水波共振,在泰国湾至邦加—勿里洞岛之间引起了明显的纵向第二、三、四模态(775.4 min、560.0 min、373.3 min)共振,而在泰国湾至印度尼西亚沿岸引起了明显的纵向第二、三、五、七模态(1 008.0 min、630.0 min、373.3 min、252.0 min)水波共振。此外,海啸波不仅在泰国湾引起了明显的纵向第一、三、四模态(560. 0 min、252. 0 min、179. 4 min)共振,还在其横向出现了明显的第一、二、三模态(480.0 min、252.0 min、179.4 min)共振。     

Growth modelling indicates hurricanes and severe storms are linked to low coral recruitment in the Caribbean

This study set out to test the hypothesis that hurricanes and tropical storms limit the recruitment and subsequent survival of massive non-branching corals on the barrier reef off the coast of Belize in the Gulf of Honduras. Overall, the surface areas of 523 individual coral specimens were measured, and recruitment dates were then modelled. There was no significant difference in coral cover or coral biodiversity between any of the sites studied (p > 0.1). There were significant differences in non-branching coral recruitment in years when hurricanes impacted the area (p < 0.05) compared with years when no hurricanes impacted the area. There were significantly more non-branching massive corals recruited in non-hurricane years (mean 7.7) than in hurricane years (mean 3.8; p = 0.011). When years with tropical storms are added to the years with hurricanes, there was significantly lower coral recruitment (mean 4.7) relative to non-storm or hurricane years (mean 7.4; p = 0.019). These results show that hurricanes and severe storms limited the recruitment and survival of massive non-branching corals of the Mesoamerican barrier reef and on patch reefs near the Belize coast in the Caribbean, and suggests that marine park managers may need to assist coral recruitment in years where there are hurricanes or severe storms.     

Clockwise phase propagation of semi-diurnal tides in the Gulf of Thailand

The phase of semi-diurnal tides (M₂ and S₂) propagates clockwise in the central part of the Gulf of Thailand, although that of the diurnal tides (K₁, O₁ and P₁) is counterclock-wise. The mechanism of clockwise phase propagation of semi-diurnal tides at the Gulf of Thailand in the northern hemisphere is examined using a simple numerical model. The natural oscillation period of the whole Gulf of Thailand is near the semi-diurnal period and the direction of its phase propagation is clockwise, mainly due to the propagation direction of the large amplitude part of the incoming semi-diurnal tidal wave from the South China Sea. A simplified basin model with bottom slope and Coriolis force well reproduces the co-tidal and co-range charts of M₂ tide in the Gulf of Thailand.     

Sediment texture,distribution and transport on the Ayeyarwady continental shelf,Andaman Sea

The Ayeyarwady continental shelf is a complex sedimentary system characterized by large sediment influx (> 360 million ton/yr), a wide shelf (> 170 km), a strong tidal regime (7 m maximum tidal range), and incised by the Martaban Canyon. Grain size distribution on the Ayeyarwady shelf reveals three distinct areas in terms of sediment texture (i) a near-shore mud belt in the Gulf of Martaban and adjacent inner shelf (ii) outer shelf relict sands and (iii) mixed sediments with varying proportions of relict sand and modern mud in the Martaban Canyon. The bulk of the terrigenous sediment discharged by the Ayeyarwady River is displaced eastwards by a combination of tidal currents and clockwise flowing SW monsoon current and deposited in the Gulf of Martaban resulting in shoaling of its water depths. Part of the sediment discharge reaches the deep Andaman Sea via the Martaban Canyon and the rest is transported westward into the Bay of Bengal by the counter-clockwise flowing NE monsoon currents.     

Temporal changes in benthic communities of seagrass beds impacted by a tsunami in the Andaman Sea,Thailand

Seagrass beds are susceptible to various natural and human-induced disturbances. Disturbances affect not only seagrasses, but also the abundance and diversity of associated macrofaunal communities. The Andaman Sea coast of Thailand was heavily affected by the tsunami of December 26, 2004. To examine its impact on seagrass macrofaunal communities, we compared the abundance, diversity and taxa composition by quantitative samplings in 2001 (before the tsunami) and in 2005 and 2006 (after the tsunami). Macrobenthic animals and sediments were collected from vegetated and nonvegetated areas of two sites that had received different levels of tsunami disturbances. A large decline in abundance and diversity was observed in the nonvegetated areas after the tsunami, whereas an increase was observed in the vegetated areas. The magnitude of decline and subsequent recovery of abundance and diversity of macrobenthic animals in nonvegetated areas were similar between the two sites, suggesting that their temporal changes were not solely related to the magnitude of the tsunami disturbance. Similarity of the benthic animals differed greatly between 2001 and 2005–2006 at the nonvegetated areas, whereas it varied less among the 3 years at the seagrass-vegetated areas. This study demonstrated that the presence of seagrass vegetation alters the patterns of temporal variation in macrofaunal assemblages and subsequent recovery processes following a tsunami.     

中国近海潮汐响应峰值估算的数值模拟

A numerical method is designed to examine the response properties of real sea areas to open ocean forcing. The application of this method to modeling the China’s adjacent seas shows that the Bohai Sea has a highest peak response frequency(PRF) of 1.52 d-1; the northern Yellow Sea has a PRF of 1.69 d-1; the Gyeonggi Bay has a high amplitude gain plateau in the frequency band roughly from 1.7 to 2.7 d-1; the Yellow Sea(including the Gyeonggi Bay), the East China Sea shelf and the Taiwan Strait have a common high amplitude gain band with frequencies around 1.76 to 1.78 d-1 and are shown to be a system that responds to the open ocean forcing in favor of amplifying the waves with frequencies in this band; the Beibu Gulf, the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea deep basin have PRFs of 0.91, 1.01 and 0.98 d-1 respectively. In addition, the East China Sea has a Poincare mode PRF of 3.91 d-1. The PRFs of the Bohai Sea, the northern Yellow Sea, the Beibu Gulf and the South China Sea can be explained by a classical quarter(half for the Bohai Sea) wavelength resonance theory. The results show that further investigations are needed for the response dynamics of the Yellow Sea-East China Sea-Taiwan Strait system, the East China Sea Poincare mode, the Taiwan Strait, and the Gulf of Thailand.     

安达曼海内孤立波的潜标观测分析研究

安达曼海是内孤立波生成最多的海域之一,目前对其研究大多基于卫星遥感,缺乏基于现场观测资料的相关研究。本文通过2016年至2017年布放在安达曼海中部的锚系潜标对该海域内孤立波的方向和强度进行研究,结果表明在研究区域内孤立波主要向东北方向传播,最大振幅可达100 m。应用彻体力理论预测了研究海域内孤立波波源的分布,与遥感统计结果基本一致,并且波源位置更精确,可直观地给出不同波源激发内孤立波的能力。本文分别用浅水方程、深水方程和有限深方程对安达曼海中部内孤立波相速度进行模拟,结合卫星遥感分析发现该海域内孤立波的产生符合Lee波机制,在三种方程中有限深方程的模拟效果与潜标观测最相符。     

Characteristics of Sea Surface Circulation and Eddy Field in the South China Sea Revealed by Satellite Altimetric Data

Temporal and spatial variations of sea surface circulation in the South China Sea were revealed with use of altimetric data provided by TOPEX/POSEIDON from December 1992 to October 1997. The estimated distribution of sea surface dynamic heights from altimetric data coincide well with the results of observation by Soong et al. (1995) and Chu et al. (1998). The RMS variability of sea surface dynamic height, which is obtained after tidal correction based on Yanagi et al. (1997), is high in the central part of the South China Sea, the Gulf of Tongking, the Sunda Shelf and the Gulf of Thailand. The high RMS variability in the Gulf of Tongking, the Sunda Shelf and the Gulf of Thailand is due to set up and set down of sea water by the East Asian monsoon, which is northeasterly during winter and southwesterly during summer. Also, the high RMS variability in the central part of the South China Sea is due to the variations of basin-wide circulation. The circulations are dominant in the central part of the South China Sea during summer and winter, an anticyclonic circulation during summer and a cyclonic circulation during winter. It is suggested that these circulations are controlled by the East Asian monsoon. Hence, there is an interannual variability of the basin-wide circulation associated with the variation of the East Asian monsoon.     

Clay mineral distribution in sediments of the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea

The 25 sediment samples collected from the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea were analyzed for clay mineral investigation. Results showed the presence of 35% montmorillonite, 13% chlorite, 30% illite, and 22% kaolinite in sediments of the Gulf and also 16% montmorillonite, 21% chlorite, 41% illite, and 22% kaolinite in sediments of the South China Sea. The relatively high concentration of montmorillonite in sediments of the Gulf as compared with that in sediments of the South China Sea may suggest that montmorillonite in these area has been largely derived from soil formation of the bordering land areas of the Gulf, particularly from the northern part of Malay Peninsula. On the contrary, the content of illite in sediments of the South China Sea is higher than that in the Gulf. This mineral appears to have been supplied from Borneo as well as the Mekong Delta. However, chlorite which shows a similar distribution to that of illite in sediments of the Gulf and the South China Sea has not indicated Borneo Isl. as a principal source area for chlorite. Greater resemblance in amount of kaolinite in both sediments of the Gulf and the South China Sea is due to the prevailing distribution of kaolinite as low latitude clay mineral on the bordering land areas. The distribution of clay minerals in sediments of the study area appears to be closely related to the soil formation and geology of the adjacent land areas.This work was carried out at Geological and Mineralogical Institute, Tokyo University of Education.     

A method of determining proximity of marginal seas to an ocean

On any area of continental shelf the foraminiferal assemblage in the bottom sediment is likely to be composed of an indigenous benthic component and an allochthonous planktonic component sedimented from the water column above. Planktonic forminiferids are essentially oceanic and it seems clear that their presence in shelf sediments is often due to transport from an oceanic source. Evidence from the Celtic Sea, northwestern Gulf of Mexico, Persian Gulf and Andaman Sea shows that with passage away from the ocean there is a reduction in the planktonic—benthic ratio in the bottom sediment, a progressive decrease in size of the planktonic tests and a reduction in diversity of the planktonic assemblage. Thus a study of the relationships between the planktonic and benthic foraminiferids in these areas gives a measure of proximity to or isolation from the ocean. It is suggested that these relationships are useful tools in the interpretation of palaeoecology and in the reconstruction of former patterns of water circulation.     

Biochemical and histological responses in mussel (Mytilus edulis) exposed to North Sea oil and to a mixture of North Sea oil and alkylphenols

Several environmental chemicals are suspected to be responsible for adverse health effects on the reproductive system in various organisms. During this work, environmentally relevant concentrations of North Sea oil were used alone or in combination with alkylphenols and additional PAH to study the effect on vitellogenin-like protein expression and gonadal development in mussels. North Sea oil (0.5 ppm) induced the expression of phospho-proteins in both sexes indicating that some compounds are oestrogen-mimics. This induction was not seen in samples dosed with the mixture but signs of toxic effects were observed in the gonads. Indeed, numerous degenerating ovarian follicles in females and foci, similar to vertebrate melanomacrophage centres, were observed in testes.     

Possible impact of dam reservoirs and river diversions on material fluxes to the Gulf of Thailand

Thai people have always been agricultural-based, although rainwater is not enough to sustain year-round agricultural practice. The first earth-filled dam was built across a valley near Sukhothai over 700 years ago. Now, there are six major multipurposed dam reservoirs, among which the largest is the Sri Nakarind (SN) built across the Kwae Yai River, the main branch of the Mae Klong River in the western part of Thailand. The first multipurposed dam reservoir built on the Chao Phraya (largest) River System is the Bhumibhol Dam on the Ping River. In this paper, the two Mae Klong River Dam Reservoirs and their biology and chemistry are discussed. Also investigated are the historical records of material fluxes to the Gulf of Thailand in down-core sediment profiles and in 40-year bands of coral, Porites lutea, taken from the Upper Gulf of Thailand near Si Chang Island. Sediment cores studied did not show clear decreases in the biogenic silica concentration in the Upper Gulf area after the building of dams. Part of the reasons might be the higher rate of dissolution of silica in tropical waters bioturbation of surface layers or the constant disturbance of the bottom sediment by fishermen using bottom trawls. The record in the coral bands seems to be more promising in reflecting the material flux change due to dam construction. An attempt to detect changes in diatom population with time due to the expected decrease in siliceous material discharge was not possible because there was a change from the use of 70 μm mesh size to 20 μm mesh size resulting in the increase of species and biomass, although the diatom percentage remained above 80% in all estuarine samples.