Intermediate Circulation in the Northwestern North Pacific Derived from Subsurface Floats

In order to examine the formation, distribution and synoptic scale circulation structure of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW), 21 subsurface floats were deployed in the sea east of Japan. A Eulerian image of the intermediate layer (density range: 26.6–27.0σ_θ) circulation in the northwestern North Pacific was obtained by the combined analysis of the movements of the subsurface floats in the period from May 1998 to November 2002 and historical hydrographic observations. The intermediate flow field derived from the floats showed stronger flow speeds in general than that of geostrophic flow field calculated from historical hydrographic observations. In the intermediate layer, 8 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 10⁶ m³s⁻¹) Oyashio and Kuroshio waters are found flowing into the sea east of Japan. Three strong eastward flows are seen in the region from 150°E to 170°E, the first two flows are considered as the Subarctic Current and the Kuroshio Extension or the North Pacific Current. Both volume transports are estimated as 5.5 Sv. The third one flows along the Subarctic Boundary with a volume transport of 5 Sv. Water mass analysis indicates that the intermediate flow of the Subarctic Current consists of 4 Sv Oyashio water and 1.5 Sv Kuroshio water. The intermediate North Pacific Current consists of 2 Sv Oyashio water and 3.5 Sv Kuroshio water. The intermediate flow along the Subarctic Boundary contains 2 Sv Oyashio water and 3 Sv Kuroshio water. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Light utilization efficiency of phytoplankton in the Western Subarctic Gyre of the North Pacific during summer

We investigated the water-column light utilization efficiency (Ψ) of phytoplankton photosynthesis in the Western Subarctic Gyre (WSG) of the North Pacific during summer 2008. The Ψ values (0.64–1.86 g C [g Chl a]^?1 [mol photon]^?1 m²) obtained were observed to increase significantly with decreasing daily photosynthetic available radiation (PAR) and were generally higher than those of previous studies, not only from the subarctic Pacific but also from the world’s oceans. To examine the effect of iron availability on Ψ in the WSG, Ψ values were estimated from the data of two in situ iron fertilization experiments: the Subarctic Pacific Iron Experiment for Ecosystem Dynamics Study I (SEEDS-I) and II (SEEDS-II). We found that iron availability did not affect Ψ values. Overall, this study revealed that Ψ values changed remarkably in the WSG during the summer, and that higher values were found at the stations where moderate PAR levels (ca. 10–30 mol photons m^?2 day^?1) were observed and where autotrophic flagellates predominated in the phytoplankton assemblages.     

The influence of ENSO on sea surface temperature variations in the China seas

Positive SST anomalies usually appear in remote ocean such as the China seas during an ENSO event.By analyzing the monthly data of HadISST from 1950 to 2007,it shows that the interannual component of SST anomalies peak approximately 10 months after SST anomalies peak in the eastern equatorial Pacific.As the ENSO event progresses,the positive SST anomalies spread throughout the China seas and eastward along the Kuroshio extension.Atmospheric reanalysis data demonstrate that changes in the net surface heat flux entering into the China seas are responsible for the SST variability.During El Ni o,the western north Pacific anticyclone is generated,with anomalous southwester lies prevailing along the East Asian coast.This anticyclone reduces the mean surface wind speed which decreases the surface heat flux and then increases the SST.The delays between the developing of this anticyclone and the south Indian Ocean anticyclone with approximately 3–6 months cause the 2–3 months lag of the surface heat flux between the China seas and the Indian Ocean.The northwestern Pacific anticyclone is the key process bridging the warming in the eastern equatorial Pacific and that in the China seas.     

Time-series observation of dissolved inorganic carbon and nutrients in the northwestern North Pacific

Time-series measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and nutrient concentrations were conducted in the northwestern North Pacific from October 2002 to August 2004. Assuming that data obtained in different years represented time-series seasonal data for a single year, vertical distributions of DIC and nutrients showed large seasonal variabilities in the surface layer (∼100 m). Seasonal variabilities in normalized DIC (nDIC) and nitrate concentrations at the sea surface were estimated to be 81–113 μmol kg⁻¹ and 12.7–15.7 μmol kg⁻¹, respectively, in the Western Subarctic Gyre. The variability in nutrients between May and July was generally at least double that in other seasons. In the Western Subarctic Gyre, estimations based on statistical analyses revealed that seasonal new production was 39–61 gC m⁻² and tended to be higher in the southwestern regions or coastal regions. The seasonal new productions in the northwestern North Pacific were two or more times higher than in the North Pacific subtropical gyre and the northeastern North Pacific. It is likely that this difference is due to spatial variations in the concentrations of trace metals and the species of phytoplankton present. In addition, from estimations of surface pCO₂ it was verified that the Western Subarctic Gyre is a source of atmospheric CO₂ between February and May and a sink for CO₂ between July and October.     

Spatial and Temporal Variability in a Vertical Section Across the Alaskan Stream and Subarctic Current

In the central North Pacific Subarctic Gyre, CTD hydrographic measurements were carried out yearly in late June from 1990 to 1998 at 9 stations along 180° meridian from 48°N to 51.2°N. Vertical sections of 9-year means, anomalies for each year and others of potential temperature, salinity, potential density and geostrophic velocity (referred to 3000 m) were calculated based on this data set. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis was adopted in the investigation of spatial characteristics and its temporal variation in vertical sections. The spatial distribution of the 1st mode EOF of velocity shows the westward Alaskan Stream and the eastward Subarctic Current. This mode explains 37.6% of the total variance. Two positive maxims appear in its amplitude in 1991 and 1997, which is similar to the variation in volume transport of the eastward Subarctic Current. These variations are closely related to the vertical movement of Ridge Domain deep water.     

The ecology, distribution, and abundance of midwater fishes of the Subarctic Pacific gyres

We describe the distribution and abundance of the midwater fish community, between 200 m and 500 m, in the North Pacific. The main area of interest was the Subarctic Pacific gyres, but we include species from the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. There were 196 species identified in each gyre, 38 of which were common to both gyres. The most abundant species belong to the family Myctophidae and the most ecologically important myctophid probably is Stenobrachius leucopsarus. This species could have a biomass of approximately 21 million tonnes (t) in the Subarctic Pacific (including the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk). S. leucopsarus is a small (about 8 cm maximum length) fish that lives up to 7 years. It is prey for a variety of other fishes, birds and mammals and may migrate into the mixing layer each evening where it feeds mainly on euphausiids and copepods.The total abundance of midwater fishes appears to be large relative to total catches of other fish in the same areas. The vertical migratory behaviour of some of the residents provides a mechanism to transfer production out of the mixing layer. The movement into the surface layer by some fishes at night indicates that dynamic changes occur in the midwater community between the day and night, and the ecosystem dynamics in the surface layer are different in the day and in the night. This behaviour and the huge biomass relative to commercial species means that the dynamics of fish communities in the Subarctic Pacific are complex and need to be studied over a 24 hour period. The large biomasses may eventually attract commercial interest, thus it is important to establish international, cooperative programs now to learn more about the dynamics of these populations and the relationships with other species.     

Abrupt changes of intermediate-water oxygen in the northwestern Pacific during the last 27 kyr

An oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) currently exists at intermediate water depths on the northern Japanese margin in the northwestern Pacific. The OMZ results largely from a combination of high surface–water productivity and poor ventilation of intermediate waters. We investigated the late Quaternary history (last 27 kyr) of the intensity of this OMZ using changes in benthic foraminiferal carbon isotopes and assemblages in a sediment core taken on the continental slope off Shimokita Peninsula, northern Japan, at a water depth of 975 m. The core was located well within the region of the present-day OMZ and high surface–water productivity. The benthic foraminiferal δ¹³C values, which indicate millennial-scale fluctuations of nutrient contents at the sediment–water interface, were 0.48‰ lower during the last glacial maximum (LGM) than during the late Holocene. These results do not indicate the formation of glacial intermediate waters of subarctic Pacific origin, but rather the large contribution of high-nutrient water masses such as the Antarctic Intermediate Water, implying that the regional circulation pattern during the LGM was similar to that of modern times. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages underwent major changes in response to changes in dissolved oxygen concentrations in ocean floor sediments. The lowest oxygen and highest nutrient conditions, marked by dysoxic taxa and negative values of benthic foraminiferal δ¹³C, occurred during the Bølling/Allerød (B/A) and Pre-Boreal warming events. Dysoxic conditions in this region during these intervals were possibly caused by high surface–water productivity at times of reduced intermediate–water ventilation in the northwestern Pacific. The benthic assemblages show dysoxic events on approx. 100- to 200-year cycles during the B/A, reflecting centennial-scale productivity changes related to freshwater cycles and surface–water circulation in the North Pacific.     

印尼贯穿流源区马鲁古海与哈马黑拉海水团来源的季节和年际变化

So far, large uncertainties of the Indonesian throughflow(ITF) reside in the eastern Indonesian seas, such as the Maluku Sea and the Halmahera Sea. In this study, the water sources of the Maluku Sea and the Halmahera Sea are diagnosed at seasonal and interannual timescales and at different vertical layers, using the state-of-the-art simulations of the Ocean General Circulation Model(OGCM) for Earth Simulator(OFES). Asian monsoon leaves clear seasonal footprints on the eastern Indonesian seas. Consequently, the subsurface waters(around 24.5σ_θ and at ～150 m) in both the Maluku Sea and the Halmahera Sea stem from the South Pacific(SP) during winter monsoon, but during summer monsoon the Maluku Sea is from the North Pacific(NP), and the Halmahera Sea is a mixture of waters originating from the NP and the SP. The monsoon impact decreases with depth, so that in the Maluku Sea, the intermediate water(around 26.8σ_θ and at ～480 m) is always from the northern Banda Sea and the Halmahera Sea water is mainly from the SP in winter and the Banda Sea in summer. The deep waters(around27.2σ_θ and at ～1 040 m) in both seas are from the SP, with weak seasonal variability. At the interannual timescale,the subsurface water in the Maluku Sea originates from the NP/SP during El Ni?o/La Ni?a, while the subsurface water in the Halmahera Sea always originates from the SP. Similar to the seasonal variability, the intermediate water in Maluku Sea mainly comes from the Banda Sea and the Halmahera Sea always originates from the SP. The deep waters in both seas are from the SP. Our findings are helpful for drawing a comprehensive picture of the water properties in the Indonesian seas and will contribute to a better understanding of the ocean-atmosphere interaction over the maritime continent.     

Standing Crops of Planktonic Ciliates and Copepod Nauplii in the Subarctic North Pacific and the Bering Sea in Summer

Abundances and biomasses of planktonic ciliates and copepod nauplii, major components of the microzooplankton community, were investigated in the subarctic North Pacific and the Bering Sea in summer of 1997. Their regional variation was illustrated by demarcating the entire area into five regions. Ciliates always predominated both in abundance (>94%) and biomass (>78%) over nauplii. Regional means of ciliates in the water column were higher in the Alaskan Gyre (120 × 10⁶ cells/m²) and the Western Subarctic Gyre (110 × 10⁶ cells/m²) in terms of abundance, and rich in the Bering Sea Gyre (360 mgC/m²) and the Western Subarctic Gyre (340 mgC/m²) in terms of biomass. By contrast, standing crops of ciliates were poor in the Oyashio Region (67 × 10⁶ cells/m²; 170 mgC/m²) and the Transition Region (64 × 10⁶ cells/m²; 160 mgC/m²). The values of biomass reported here are generally in agreement with the values reported previously from the Bering Sea Gyre and the Alaskan Gyre but are considerably higher than the previous value found in the Western Subarctic Gyre. No significant correlations could be found between chlorophyll a crop and standing crops of ciliates and copepod nauplii over the entire subarctic North Pacific and the Bering Sea during this summer.     

A study of the subarctic boundary region in the Western North Pacific

During autumn 1968 an oceanographic investigation was conducted in the region of the Subarctic boundary between 155°E and 180°. The geostrophic flow of the upper 500 m was remarkably similar in direction; hence the salinity-minimum, Intermediate water must have the same path of flow as water at the surface. A water mass analysis revealed a decrease in the percentage of Subarctic water to the south and east, plus an increase in the homogeneity of water to the east, which supports Reid's conclusions that the salinity minimum results mainly from lateral mixing in the pycnocline in this region. Salinity at the minimum increases toward the south and east, and the density at this level also increases slightly from the western to the central Pacific, perhaps as a result of unequal vertical mixing above and below the minimum.     

Effect of the East Siberian barrier on the echinoderm dispersal in the Arctic Ocean

The distributional patterns were analyzed for 43 species and 33 genera of echinoderms in the Laptev and East Siberian seas and for 59 species and 35 genera of the asteroid species in the Arctic Ocean. The probable colonization route through the Arctic was suggested for each species based on (1) the distributional patterns of the Arctic species, (2) the distributional patterns of the closely related species, and (3) the location of the center of the diversity of the species belonging to a certain genus. The species of the Pacific origin prevailed in the asteroid fauna of the Arctic seas. The asteroid species diversity and the ratio of the species of Pacific origin decreased from the Barents towards the Laptev Sea and increased, respectively, in the East Siberian and the Chukchee seas. The species range limits were found for 19 species in the East Siberian Sea compared to only 3 species in the Laptev Sea. The East Siberian Sea was a limiting area for the dispersal of four species groups: (1) invaders from the North Pacific dispersing along the Asian coast of the Arctic (shallow-water stenobathic species), (2) invaders from the North Pacific dispersing along the American coast of the Arctic and further on back into the Arctic along the Eurasian coast (secondarily Atlantic species); (3) originally invaders from the Northern Atlantic; (4) representatives of the Arctic autochthonous fauna. A great width of the biotic boundaries (i.e., the zones of the species range boundaries crowding) was typical for the Arctic Basin, which was a sign of their young geological age.     

基于栖息地指数的西北太平洋日本鲭渔情预报模型构建

根据2014-2017年5-11月西北太平洋公海灯光围网日本鲭(Scomber japonicus)生产数据,结合同期的环境遥感数据,分别基于捕捞量和作业次数,构建日本鲭栖息地适宜性指数(Habitat Suitability Index,HSI)模型。选取海表水温、海面高度异常和叶绿素a浓度,采用一元指数回归拟合,建立各个环境变量的适应性指数模型,并利用线性规划方法确定各环境因子的权重,从而提高日本鲭HSI模型对渔场的预报精度。利用2018年5-11月的实际捕捞数据对模型进行预报准确率验证,在基于渔获量和作业次数构建的HSI模型中,HSI大于0.7的海域,渔获量平均占比分别为77.29%、76.79%,这表明基于不同权重环境因子的HSI模型能够较好地预测西北太平洋公海日本鲭中心渔场。     

HNLC海区间现场加铁实验的比较

综述了在赤道太平洋、南大洋和亚北极太平洋3个典型的高硝酸盐、低叶绿素a(high-nitrateandlow-chlorophylla,HNLC)海区不同研究小组现场加铁实验的结果,并阐述了铁限制与光限制、硅限制以及浮游动物摄食等其它限制因素之间的关系。加铁后,各海区的浮游植物生物量都增加了,但不同海区的浮游植物生物量、种群结构、颗粒有机碳通量等方面却有不同的响应,因而通过对大洋施铁以缓解大气中CO2增加的设想的可行性还需作进一步验证。     

Study on the oceanic environments relating to the marine living resources

This is a review of the study on the oceanic environments relating to the marine living resources carried out since 1947, during more than 35 years which are the period of the authors oceanographic research life for fisheries. Its content consists of describing the outlines of, (1) the oceanographic study of the Subarctic Region of the Northwestern Pacific as the salmon living waters, (2) the study on dilution processes of the effluent in the coastal waters in relation to marine pollution, (3) the oceanographic study on transportation and diffusion of fish eggs and larvae in relation to the recruitment of living resources and (4) the study on forecasting of the fisheries and oceanographic conditions, and a short note on direction of fisheries oceanography expected to be studied in the future.     

Comparison of atmospheric forcing in four sub-arctic seas

A comparative analysis was conducted on climate variability in four sub-arctic seas: the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea shelf, the Labrador Sea, and the Barents Sea. Based on data from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, the focus was on air–sea interactions, which influence ice cover, ocean currents, mixing, and stratification on sub-seasonal to decadal time scales. The seasonal cycles of the area-weighted averages of sea-level pressure (SLP), surface air temperature (SAT) and heat fluxes show remarkable similarity among the four sub-arctic seas. With respect to variation in climate, all four seas experience changes of comparable magnitude on interannual to interdecadal time scales, but with different timing. Since 2000 warm SAT anomalies were found during most of the year in three of the four sub-arctic seas, with the exception of the Sea of Okhotsk. A seesaw (out of phase) pattern in winter SAT anomalies between the Labrador and the Barents Sea in the Atlantic sector is observed during the past 50 years before 2000; a similar type of co-variability between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea shelf in the Pacific is only evident since 1970s. Recent positive anomalies of net heat flux are more prominent in winter and spring in the Pacific sectors, and in summer in the Atlantic sectors. There is a reduced magnitude in wind mixing in the Sea of Okhotsk since 1980, in the Barents Sea since 2000, and in early spring/late winter in the Bering Sea shelf since 1995. Reduced sea-ice areas are seen over three out of four (except the Sea of Okhotsk) sub-arctic seas in recent decades, particularly after 2000 based on combined in situ and satellite observations (HadISST). This analysis provides context for the pan-regional synthesis of the linkages between climate and marine ecosystems.     

Deep-Sea Eukaryote Ecology of the Semi-Isolated Basins Off Japan

The Japanese archipelago is surrounded by the Pacific to the east, the Okhotsk Sea to the north, the Sea of Japan to the west and the Okinawa Trough to the south. The last three seas form semi-isolated deep basins, all with potentially tectonic origin but a different primary energy source as well as hydrographic and faunistic history. The Okhotsk Sea is connected to the Pacific through the deep straits between the Kurile Islands. As a result much of the fauna has links with that fauna found at similar depths in the Pacific. By contrast, the Sea of Japan was isolated from the main Pacific during the last ice age and became anoxic. Even today the link is only through narrow shallow straits. As a result the fauna is impoverished and is believed to be composed of cold-adapted eurybathic species rather than true deep-sea species. The deep-water fauna of both these seas derive their energy from sinking surface primary production. The Okinawa Trough has a much younger tectonic history than the Okhotsk Sea or the Sea of Japan. In the Okinawa Trough the most noticeable fauna is associated with hydrothermal activity and chemosynthesis forms the base of the food chain for the bathyal community. The variable nature of these three basins offers excellent opportunities for comparative studies of species diversity, biomass and production in relation to their ambient environment. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Northwest Pacific—the UNEP action plan facing the sub-polar Asian seas

The countries surrounding the Northwest Pacific marginal seas have different levels of economic development and different political systems. With the rapid economic development in the region, the marine environment received high pressure, which requires high attention of the governments concerned, and urgent actions.As the Northwest Pacific marginal seas shared by several countries, regional co-operation and co-ordination are the effective means to address the marine environmental problems in the region. The Northwest Pacific Action Plan, the Northeast Asian Regional GOOS are providing the intergovernmental mechanism to facilitate the regional co-operation and co-ordination. Effective implementation of these projects is a critical task facing to all countries in the region.     

Difference of planktonic ciliate communities of the tropical West Pacific, the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean

Ciliates are important components in planktonic food webs,but our understanding of their community structures in different oceanic water masses is limited.We report pelagic ciliate community characteristics in three seas:the tropical West Pacific,the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean.Planktonic ciliate abundance had"bimodal-peak","surface-peak"and"DCM(deep chlorophyll a maximum layer)-peak"vertical distribution patterns in the tropical West Pacific,the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean,respectively.The abundance proportion of tintinnid to total ciliate in the Bering Sea(42.6%)was higher than both the tropical West Pacific(7.8%)and the Arctic Ocean(2.0%).The abundance proportion of small aloricate ciliates(10–20μm size-fraction)in the tropical West Pacific was highest in these three seas.The Arctic Ocean had higher abundance proportion of tintinnids in larger LOD(lorica oral diameter)size-class.Proportion of redundant species increased from the Arctic Ocean to the tropical West Pacific.Our result provided useful data to further understand ecology roles of planktonic ciliates in different marine habitats.     

New type of pycnostad in the western subtropical-subarctic transition region of the North Pacific: Transition Region Mode Water

A new type of pycnostad has been identified in the western subtropical-subarctic transition region of the North Pacific, based on the intensive hydrographic survey carried out in July, 2002. The potential density, temperature and salinity of the pycnostad were found to be 26.5–26.7 σ _θ , 5°–7°C and 33.5–33.9 psu respectively. The pycnostad is denser, colder and fresher than those of the North Pacific Central Mode Water and different from those of other known mode waters in the North Pacific. The thickness of the pycnostad is comparable to that of other mode waters, spreading over an area of at least 650 × 500 km around 43°N and 160°E in the western transition region. Hence, we refer to the pycnostad as Transition Region Mode Water (TRMW). Oxygen data, geostrophic current speed and climatology of mixed layer depth in the winter suggest that the TRMW is formed regularly in the deep winter mixed layer near the region where it was observed. Analysis of surface heat flux also supports the idea and suggests that there is significant interannual variability in the property of the TRMW. The TRMW is consistently distributed between the Subarctic Boundary and the Subarctic Front. It is also characterized by a wide T-S range with similar density, which is the characteristic of such a transition region between subtropical and subarctic water masses, which forms a density-compensating temperature and salinity front. The frontal nature also tends to cause isopycnal intrusions within the pycnostad of the TRMW.