Private rights,public benefits: Industry-driven seabed protection

New Zealand has a large exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that contains a variety of marine habitats and commercially-important species. The commercial fishing industry operating within New Zealand's EEZ is of significant value to the economy and fisheries resources are managed through the extensive use of Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs). One of the benefits of ITQs has been to better align some of the private incentives of quota owners with the public interest. These incentives contributed to an initiative proposed by the fishing industry to close large areas of New Zealand's EEZ to protect the seabed from trawling. These closed areas are termed benthic protection areas (BPAs) and protect the benthic biodiversity of about 1.1 million square kilometres of seabed—approximately 30% of New Zealand's EEZ. A significant proportion of New Zealand's known seamounts and active hydrothermal vents are protected by these closed areas. We describe and discuss the criteria used to select BPAs and some of the criticism of this marine protection initiative. We argue that the assignment of strong property rights in fishing resources was an important precondition to an industry initiative that has a significant public benefit. Where private and public interests are well aligned, government can adopt an enabling and facilitation role, ceding direct control of processes in order to get the results the align with the public interest.     

Stratigraphy and geochemistry of pillow basalts within the ophiolitic mélange of the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan suture zone: implications for the geotectonic character of the northern branch of Neotethys

The Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone of Turkey is a broad zone of ophiolitic mélange containing numerous fragmented blocks ranging in age from Triassic to Cretaceous. Stratigraphic sequences for various mélange units are compared, together with the geochemistry of associated basaltic pillow lavas of Cretaceous age. A review of geochemical data for the pillow lavas demonstrate: (a) a dominant group of alkalic basalts with enriched incompatible elements, variable Zr/Y and Zr/Nb ratios, and (b) a range of tholeiitic basalts with slightly depleted to mildly enriched (normalized) rare earth patterns, (La/Yb)_N 0.4-3.0, and generally low Zr/Y ratios. The alkalic basalts can be chemically matched to Pacific Ocean seamounts, although the close association of red radiolarites and cherts suggests that many basalts represent the margins of such structures, rather than the main seamount edifice. Nd-Sr isotope data are typical for ocean island basalts and represent an admixture of a dominant EM-1 source and a depleted MORB-like source. Enhanced δ¹⁸O compositions are a consequence of submarine alteration and not crustal contamination. Tholeiitic compositions have affinities with both N- and E-type MORB, although most are probably representative of tholeiitic ocean islands. Overall the basalts are mainly representative of structures built on the ocean floor, rather than the oceanic crust itself, being scraped off the subducting crust and preserved in the mélange of the accretionary wedge.     

太平洋海山富钴结壳铂族元素（PGE）和Os同位素地球化学及其成因意义

本文分析了中西太平洋海山富钴结壳及其各主要层圈(外层、疏松层、亮煤层)和玄武岩基岩的铂族元素(PGE)和Au 含量以及 Os 同位素组成,发现富钴结壳中 PGE 和 Au 含量均较高,且变化很大,∑PGE 为(70.09～629.26)×10~(-9),平均289.48×10~(-9),Au 为(0.60～26900)×10~(-9).具三层结构的富钴结壳中,疏松层(∑PGE=(339.37～545.82)×10~(-9))和亮煤层(∑PGE=(280.09～629.26)×10~(-9))的∑PGE 明显高于外层((70.09～133.27)×10~(-9).单层结壳的∑PGE 为(83.94～479.75)×10~(-9),Au 含量普遍高于具三层结构者.结壳的∑PGE 和 Au 含量远高于太平洋多金属结核(分别为(101.57～155.83)×10~(-9)和(1～4)×10~(-9)。沉积深度和海水氧逸度的不同是导致结壳和结核中 PGE 含量明显差异的主导因素。富钴结壳∑PGE 和 Pt 与 Mn(%)之间呈明显的正相关关系,而与 Fe(%)具负相关性,与多金属结核正好相反,显示结壳中的 PGE主要赋存在水羟锰矿(δ-MnO_2)等锰矿物相中,与针铁矿(FeOOH·nH_2O)等铁矿物相关系不大,而结核中的 PGE 主要赋存在铁矿物相中。PGE 球粒陨石标准化曲线和各项参数显示富钴结壳的 PGE 和 Au 主要来自海底玄武岩的蚀变释放,部分来自铁陨石微粒等地外物质,而与海底热水活动无关。计算显示西太平洋结壳距今42.5Ma 左右开始生长,生长过程中分别在8.0Ma 和21.8Ma 处出现间断,相应形成外层、疏松层和亮煤层,其各自沉积速率为2.64mm/Ma,1.45mm/Ma 和1.06mm/Ma,相应海水的~(187)Os/~(188)Os 分别为0.948～0.953,0.599～0.673和0.425～0.536,显示外层含有较多的大陆风化尘,而疏松层和亮煤层的沉积物主要来自海底洋壳蚀变和陨石碎屑或宇宙尘等地外物质。     

一株分离自太平洋卡罗琳深海海山水域NX-5T菌株的多相分类鉴定

黄杆菌种类多、分布广,但从深海海山环境中发现黄杆菌新物种的报道还没有。2017年我们从西太平洋卡罗琳深海海山水域分离到一株细菌XN-5^T,经16S rRNA基因序列测定表明,该菌与黄杆菌属(Flavobacterium)内系统发育关系最近模式菌株F.degerlachei LMG 21915^T、F.frigoris LMG 21922^T之间的相似性分别为97.5%和97.8%。本研究采用形态学观察、生理生化特征、遗传特征、脂肪酸和极性脂测定等方法,对该菌株进行了详细的多相分类鉴定。结果表明,XN-5^T菌株在16S rRNA基因系统发育、生长温度、淀粉、酪蛋白水解、硝酸盐还原,产α-半乳糖苷酶、α-葡萄糖苷酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶,同化L-阿拉伯糖、D-甘露醇、N-乙酰-氨基葡萄糖、葡萄糖酸钾,发酵蔗糖、阿拉伯糖,以及脂肪酸、极性脂组成等方面,均与相近模式菌株有所差异。综合多相分类鉴定数据,我们判定XN-5^T菌株为Flavobacterium属内的一个新种,命名为Flavobacterium pacifica sp. nov。     

Limited phylogeographic structure for five bathyal ophiuroids at continental scales

There have been comparatively few large-scale studies on spatial genetic structure of bathyal seafloor fauna, despite the importance of these data to the successful management of the world's oceans. We use a comparative analysis of mitochondrial DNA from five bathyal (200–3500 m) species of brittle-stars (Ophiuroidea) to assess phylogeographic structure along an extensive (8000 km) longitudinal gradient at temperate latitudes (28–56°S) from south-west Australia (113°E) to seamounts east of New Zealand (175°W). We found no evidence of a genetic discontinuity between Australia and New Zealand, either across the temperate Tasman Sea or across the Southern Ocean between the South Tasman Rise and the Macquarie Ridge. However, there were latitudinal phylogeographical breaks between tropical, temperate and polar regions; longitudinal breaks across the eastern Indian Ocean; and a bathymetric break at approximately 1700 m. Although there was limited regional structure in the frequency of haplotype distributions within the major clades, and no clade appeared to be strictly panmictic, the regional structure in general was not concordant with a simple isolation-by-distance model. Demographic structure varied with three clades having a simplified haplotype network, low effective population sizes and no evidence of significant population expansion, and two clades having a high diversity of haplotypes, relatively high effective population sizes and signs of recent population expansion. These results are discussed with respect to putative dispersal strategies. We hypothesise that the ‘brooding’ species produce both brooded young and pelagic larvae, allowing for both the maintenance of local populations and long-distance dispersal.     

西太平洋Kocebu海山铁锰结壳稀土元素地球化学特征

西太平洋麦哲伦海山区是全球重要的铁锰结壳资源分布区,具有丰富的稀土元素资源潜力。本文对采自麦哲伦海山区Kocebu海山的11个铁锰结壳表层样(<1 mm)进行稀土元素地球化学研究,探讨其含量特征、成因和影响稀土元素富集的环境因素。结果表明:Kocebu海山铁锰结壳表层样品ΣREY(Rare earth elements and yttrium)平均含量为1366 mg/kg,低于前人在麦哲伦海山区其他海山以及邻近的马尔库斯–威克海山区的分析结果;样品轻稀土富集和Ce正异常(平均值为1.45)特征以及稀土元素成因图解、配分曲线和分配系数曲线等均表明该海山结壳属于水成成因;海水中稀土元素含量和溶解氧含量是控制结壳生长的关键环境参数,二者在Kocebu海山所在海区的浅水环境中含量较低;结壳ΣREY含量偏低与采样点水深较浅导致的海水稀土元素含量和溶解氧含量较低密切相关,受碎屑矿物的稀释作用影响较小。在开展铁锰结壳地球化学特征研究和资源勘探评价时应充分考虑采样水深的分布范围,局部水深样品的分析结果可能导致研究结果出现较大偏差。     

Magnetic minerals in Mid-Pleistocene sediments on the Caiwei Guyot,Northwest Pacific and their response to the Mid-Brunhes climate event

Seamounts are ubiquitous topographic units in global oceans, and their influences on local oceanic circulation have attracted great attention in physical oceanography; however, previous efforts were less made in paleoclimatology and paleoceanography. The Caiwei Guyot in the Magellan Seamounts of the western Pacific is a typical seamount, and in this study, we investigate a well-dated sediment core by magnetic properties to reveal the relationship between deep-sea sedimentary processes and global climate changes. The principal results are as follows: (1) the dominant magnetic minerals in the sediments are low-coercivity magnetite in pseudo-single domain range, probably including a biogenic contribution; (2) the variabilities of magnetic parameters can be clustered into two sections at ～500 ka, and the differences between the two units are evident in amplitudes and means; (3) changes in the grainsize-dependent magnetic parameters can be well correlated to records of global ice volume and atmospheric CO2 in the middle Pleistocene. Based on these results, a close linkage was proposed between deep-sea sedimentary processes in the Caiwei Guyot and global climate changes. This linkage likely involves different roles of biogenic magnetite in the sediments between interglacial and glacial intervals, responding to changes in marine productivity and deep-sea circulation and displaying a major change in the Mid-Brunhes climate event. Therefore, we proposed that the sedimentary archives at the bottom of the Caiwei Guyot record some key signals of global climate changes, providing a unique window to observe interactions between various environmental systems on glacial-interglacial timescales.     

全球海山玄武岩数据挖掘研究

海山是一个地貌术语,通常分为出露于海平面以上和淹没于以下的两类。海山具有复杂的成因,可产于各种不同的构造环境,其出露的岩性主要有：洋岛玄武岩（OIB）、大洋中脊玄武岩（MORB）、弧后盆地玄武岩（BABB）、岛弧玄武岩（IAB）和大陆边缘玄武岩（CMB）等。本文的研究表明,CMB 和OIB 的地球化学性质大体相似,但是,二者的成因可能既有相似性,也存在某些差异性。OIB 产于板块内部,属于板内岩浆活动的产物,通常认为与“热点”或“地幔柱”有关;而CMB 则可能是古大陆岩石圈与年轻洋壳发生浅部再循环的结果。所以,除“热点”理论外,古大陆岩石圈和年轻洋壳的浅部再循环在海山和洋岛火山形成过程中也扮演了重要的角色。来自IAB 的样品明显亏损Nb、Ta和富集K、Pb、Cs、Rb等大离子亲石元素,表明IAB 的形成与俯冲作用有关。研究表明,全球可能存在3 种类型的热点：第一类是原生的热点,来自深部地幔;第二类是次生的热点,可能形成在地幔柱的浅部,来自超级地幔柱的上部;第三类来自上地幔,可能是大洋岩石圈伸展的产物。因此,海山的成因不可能用地幔柱一种模式予以解释,还应当考虑板块活动中其他各种因素（洋壳再循环、古老陆壳再循环、消减带物质以及水的加入,部分熔融程度、岩浆混合作用、不同地幔端元混合等）的影响。     

The biological oceanography of the East Australian Current and surrounding waters in relation to tuna and billfish catches off eastern Australia

The surface and sub-surface biological oceanography of tuna fishing grounds within the East Australian Current (EAC) was compared in 2004 with two other fishing areas further offshore. Our aim was to determine whether the biological oceanography of the region could explain the distribution and intensity of pelagic fishery catches inside and outside the EAC at that time. The EAC fishing area was noticeably warmer, less saline and lower in nutrients than waters in the other fishing areas. The EAC waters were dominated by large diatoms, the biomass of which was significantly higher than in the seamount and offshore areas, apparently the result of a cold core eddy beneath the EAC surface filament. Over the seamount and offshore more typical Tasman Sea waters prevailed, although the presence of a relatively deeper oxygen minimum layer over the seamount suggested topographically induced mixing in the area. Notably, sub-surface zooplankton and micronekton biomass was significantly higher around the seamount than in the two other areas. The offshore region was characterised by frontal activity associated with the Tasman front. Micronekton net biomass was generally highest in surface waters in this region. Examination of tuna catch records at that time showed yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) dominated the catches of the EAC, whereas swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) were the main species caught offshore. We suggest the yellowfin tuna concentrate in waters that are not only warmer but where prey species are concentrated near the surface. Offshore, deeper living species such as swordfish and bigeye tuna (T. obesus) can take advantage of prey species that are distributed deeper in the water column and along the flanks of the many seamounts in the region, or that are concentrated at fronts associated with the Tasman Front. Although only a snapshot of the region, relatively consistent catch data over time suggests the underlying biological oceanography may persist over longer time periods, particularly during the Austral spring.     

The global distribution of seamounts based on 30 arc seconds bathymetry data

Seamounts and knolls are ‘undersea mountains’, the former rising more than 1000 m from the seafloor. These features provide important habitats for aquatic predators, demersal deep-sea fish and benthic invertebrates. However most seamounts have not been surveyed and their numbers and locations are not well known. Previous efforts to locate and quantify seamounts have used relatively coarse bathymetry grids. Here we use global bathymetric data at 30 arc-sec resolution to identify seamounts and knolls. We identify 33,452 seamounts and 138,412 knolls, representing the largest global set of identified seamounts and knolls to date. We compare estimated seamount numbers, locations, and depths with validation sets of seamount data from New Zealand and Azores. This comparison indicates the method we apply finds 94% of seamounts, but may overestimate seamount numbers along ridges and in areas where faulting and seafloor spreading creates highly complex topography. The seamounts and knolls identified herein are significantly geographically biased towards areas surveyed with ship-based soundings. As only 6.5% of the ocean floor has been surveyed with soundings it is likely that new seamounts will be uncovered as surveying improves. Seamount habitats constitute approximately 4.7% of the ocean floor, whilst knolls cover 16.3%. Regional distribution of these features is examined, and we find a disproportionate number of productive knolls, with a summit depth of <1.5 km, located in the Southern Ocean. Less than 2% of seamounts are within marine protected areas and the majority of these are located within exclusive economic zones with few on the High Seas. The database of seamounts and knolls resulting from this study will be a useful resource for researchers and conservation planners.