Management and conservation at the International Whaling Commission: A dichotomy sandwiched within a shifting baseline

The International Whaling Commission's (IWC) Scientific Committee provides important advice to the IWC on a large variety of cetacean species, sub-species and populations and the issues affecting them. Cetaceans are facing increasing, non-whaling-related threats, and the Scientific Committee (SC), in accordance with the Commission's requests, has strengthened its conservation-oriented research work. A selection of the reports of the Scientific Committee from between 1986 and 2012 was assessed for its: (i) fundamental research; (ii) management; (iii) conservation; and (iv) administrative content, and to identify potential trends over time. Recommendations and their urgency were also examined, as implied from the language used by the SC in its reports. The analysis showed that the work of the Scientific Committee has increasingly been oriented towards conservation issues over the period reviewed, but at the same time this conservation work has received little funding. Increased support for conservation-related research projects is warranted to promote the long-term survival of cetaceans. Based on this review of the content and focus of the Committee reports, the analysis suggested that its issued advice be made clearer, whenever possible, and governments are urged to give due consideration to this science-based advice particularly when urgent conservation actions are needed. In addition, more consistent funding of the IWC's conservation-related research should be pursued to improve international conservation outputs regarding cetacean populations.     

Archipelagos and the law of the sea: Island straits states or island-studded sea space?

At first sight, the regime suggested for archipelagos at UNCLOS seems to recognize to a large extent the concept of the archipelago as a single unit of islands and water. The author examines closely whether in fact the archipelagic states' view of their maritime jurisdiction has been upheld, or whether the negotiations have led to a position based on traditional concepts of law of the sea. The archipelago doctrine and interests underlying it, opposition to it, and the considerations by the international legal community are discussed. Finally, developments on archipelagos in the Seabed Committee and UNCLOS III are traced in order to understand the language of the proposed archipelagic regime.     

Naming of undersea features

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), and the joint IOC/IHO Guiding Committee for the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) have expressed considerable concern about the indiscriminate and unregulated naming of undersea features which often go into print without any close scrutiny. An author may not realize that the feature has a name already, maybe in another language, or that his terminology conflicts with established definitions.Geo-Marine Letters wants to follow the IOC/IHO/GEBCO recommendations and requests that its authors follow the set forth guidelines. Examples of terms and definitions are given and addresses of national authorities provided.     

A Bayesian method for the estimation of return values of wave heights

Bayesian statistics offer a novel means of estimating return values of wave heights and hence of establishing design criteria for offshore structures. The Bayesian method has significant advantages over the classical method since it enables all types of uncertainty (physical, parameter, distribution) associated with the design wave prediction to be handled in a consistent manner in the same analysis.The basic principles of the Bayesian method for drawing inferences are outlined step-by-step. It is shown how Bayesian estimators of return values for wave heights are established by taking an expectation over all parameters and contending distributions. When the Bayesian procedure is applied to large data sets, such as wave data sets, computational difficulties could be encountered, making a “remedial” procedure necessary. However, the Bayesian procedure has been used successfully with wave data sets from the northern North Sea. Furthermore, the associated remedial procedure is such that the program can be made suitable for many existing computers, e.g. desk computers.     

面向海图生产的航海通告自动改正技术研究

航海通告自动改正技术是海图生产和自动化水平更新的一个重要标志.在分析目前航海通告改正技术的基础上,将自然语言技术应用到航海通告改正信息的分析和提取方面,并设计了航海通告模板库和语言词汇库,分析了航海通告语言分析处理的基本方法和步骤,最后对实验环境进行了构建.     

边远岛视频监测数据可视化模块的设计与实现

边远岛利用与监控综合数据处理系统是集信息发布、信息提取与分析模块集成、数据管理等功能集成的综合性系统.针对系统中视频监测数据不方便管理和显示的弊端,设计并实现了一种基于开放式、模块化、面向对象设计(OOD)思想,运用Visual C#语言编程,ADO.NET访问数据库的边远岛视频监测数据可视化功能模块.     

新世纪大洋钻探"三角鼎立"中的欧洲联合体

欧洲为了与美国、日本在IODP中处于同等重要的地位，成立了由ODP成员参加的欧洲大洋钻探科学指导委员会（ESCOD）和JEODI组织，并开展了IODP之前的一系列准备活动。在其中的APLACON会议上，论证了IODP中第三类特定钻探平台的必要性，讨论了该类平台在某些研究范围内的重要作用，包括研究地球历史中的极端气候（北极海区）、重建白垩纪－第三纪的水文地理学、气候的快速变化、沉积盆地形成与过程以及固体地球过程等。     

东海赤潮遥感自动监测系统开发与应用

赤潮是最严重的海洋灾害之一,它不仅破坏海洋渔业生产、恶化海洋环境、影响滨海旅游业,而且还会影响人类健康。卫星遥感技术具有覆盖范围广、重复率高、成本低廉等优势,近年来已成为赤潮监测不可或缺的重要手段。本研究利用C++语言建立了一套赤潮遥感监测系统。该系统能自动接收和处理遥感数据,并利用赤潮水体的光谱和固有光学量特征自动提取赤潮信息。在实际业务化应用中,该系统被国家监测部门采用,在2013年4月至9月东海赤潮高发期间,该系统制作了55期赤潮遥感监测产品,用于指导船舶现场监测工作,取得了良好的应用效果。利用本系统对近年来东海发生的27次大型赤潮事件进行了发生位置和面积的提取,并与现场观测结果进行比较。结果显示,系统对大部分赤潮范围的识别有较好的效果,对赤潮识别准确度大概在80%左右。     

Measurement of volatile fatty acids in pore water from marine sediments by HPLC

Lower molecular weight volatile fatty acids are important intermediates in the anaerobic degradation of organic matter in marine sediments. The analysis of these compounds at the low in situ concentrations, however, still presents difficulties. A new derivatization procedure for the analysis of these compounds, coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography, has been modified for the analysis of volatile fatty acids in marine pore water to cover a linear calibration range from 0·5 μm to 10 mm. The modifications resulted in the detection of concentrations 40 times lower than in the original method and in good recoveries of fatty acid standards added to pore water (mean 101%). This modified procedure was then used to analyse fatty acids in pore water from sediments along a gradient of organic enrichment. The relative ratios of the individual acids were 1:0·1:0·02:0·01:0·02:0·01 for acetate, propionate, n-butyrate 2-methylbutyrate, iso-valerate and n-valerate. There was a tendency for the concentration of the more reduced acids to increase (propionate and n-butyrate) as organic enrichment increased. Several fatty acids were found that have not commonly been reported in marine pore water. These include 2-methylbutyrate, which is a specific anaerobic degradation product of iso-leucine, which, to the authors' knowledge, has not been previously found in marine pore water.     

The Convention on Biological Diversity's Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas: Origins,development, and current status

In 2008, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted seven criteria to identify Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) “…in need of protection, in open ocean waters and deep sea habitats”. This paper reviews the history of the development of the “EBSA process”, which was originally driven by the commitment to establish marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction, but which has since broadened to encompass the possibility of informing marine spatial planning and other activities, both within and beyond national jurisdiction. Additionally, the paper summarizes ongoing efforts through CBD regional workshops to describe EBSAs and the development of the EBSA Repository, where information on these areas is to be stored. The overlap between the EBSA criteria and biodiversity criteria suites used by various authorities in areas beyond national jurisdiction is illustrated. The EBSA process has reached a critical juncture, whereby a large percentage of the global ocean has been considered by the regional workshops, but the procedure by which these areas can be incorporated into formal management structures has not yet been fully developed. Emerging difficulties regarding the mandate to describe, identify, endorse, or adopt EBSAs, are discussed.     

A new type of Shipboard Meteorological Satellite Receiving-processing System

INTRODUCTIONTheSMSRPSisstalledontheshipnavigatingovertheseaandreceivessatellitecloudmapsatanytimetoprovidereliablereal-timedataofmeteorologyandocean.Itisanimportantequipmentforsafeguardofshipnavigation.Chinahasthousandsofoceanicships.Butalmostallships,withonlyveryfewexception,arenotstalledbySMSRPS.Thecausesareasfollows:1.Thetechniqueisverycomplicated.2.Thedevelopmentcostisveryhigh.3.Ifweintroduceforeignequipment,thecostistooexpensive.4.Foreignequipmentanditssoftwarearecompletelyclo…     

A process to design a network of marine no-take areas: Lessons from the Great Barrier Reef

In the absence of consensus on the quantity and level of zoning protection required for coral reef and lagoon ecosystems, which process can guide decision makers? The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) worked with experts in a collaborative process to develop a set of Biophysical Operational Principles to guide the design of a network of no-take areas. First, 82 expert scientists were asked to provide data and advice on the physical, biological and ecological dimensions of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. They recommended that an independent Scientific Steering Committee (the Committee) was set up. How this Committee worked successfully with the GBRMPA staff is detailed here in a manner to enable other resource managers to adopt the process if they are working in data-limited marine environments.     

Variability of hydrodynamic load predictions for a tension leg platform

A survey of diffraction/radiation analyses has been performed on behalf of the International Ship and Offshore Structures Congress, Committee I.2. This paper presents the results from the survey, including data from 17 organisations plotted in a common format. The variability of the computed hydrodynamic loads and responses is discussed, and it is concluded that there is a degree of uncertainty in results predicted on the basis of commonly used idealisations. Even in long period waves the variability between the computed results is considerable. To obtain reliable results at the shorter periods associated with heave, pitch and roll resonances of a deep water TLP, much finer meshes than those used by most of the participating organisations would be required.     

海水印染在我国首次研究成功

印染工业是用水大户,居工业用水量的第2的情况下,淡水供需矛盾很突出。 海水是一种取之不尽,用之不竭的染色工业资源。由于海水的化学成分复杂,硬度很高,世界各国均不能以海水做为染色工业水源。海水印染成为当今世界上某些发达国家的印染科研攻关项目。 我所科技人员在青岛市科委的支持下,从     

海洋地质三维可视化数据模型的设计方法

随着海洋地质调查程度的日益深入,海洋地质调查数据越来越多。海洋地质调查地震勘探解释成果图是研究海洋地质构造,指导海洋油气勘探开发的重要资料。借助海洋地质调查地震勘探解释成果图数据,通过数据预处理、构建地层面和加入断层约束线处理,并根据三维可视化展示的需求,制定了一体化的三维可视化数据模型结构。基于一体化数据模型,利用三维图形软件开发包Open Inventor,在.Net平台上采用C#开发语言开发了海洋地质三维可视化软件,实现了地层数据、断层数据、井数据的综合展示和交互,通过实际资料的应用表明,一体化三维可视化数据模型具有一定的研究价值,可以很好地服务于地质研究人员。     

Multilingual crews on Norwegian fishing vessels: Implications for communication and safety on board

In the last few decades, use of foreign labor in the Norwegian fishing fleet has increased. As fishing is a high-risk occupation, this article investigates a prevalent question regarding how the increased share of foreigners affects communication and safety on Norwegian fishing vessels. The article shows that multilingual crews and varying language proficiencies are not perceived by the fisheries actors themselves as risk factors in terms of safety in everyday operations. Fishing experience, hybrid language and body language compensate for language challenges and contribute to fishers' feeling of safety.     

Russian investigations in atmospheric chemistry for 2007–2010

This is a brief review of Russian studies in atmospheric chemistry (including tropospheric chemistry, chemistry of the ozone layer, and the role of chemistry in climate change) conducted from 2007 to 2010. The review was prepared by the Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution of the Section of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science of the National Geophysical Committee.     

Development of an integrated fisheries co-management framework for new and emerging commercial fisheries in the Canadian Beaufort Sea

The Canadian Beaufort Sea is one of the last places on Earth that has not experienced large-scale commercial fisheries. The aboriginal people of the western Canadian Arctic, the Inuvialuit, have become increasingly concerned about the potential effects of large-scale commercial operations on key subsistence species of fish and marine mammals and the marine ecosystem upon which they depend. A 1984 comprehensive land settlement agreement (treaty) between Canada and the Inuvialuit established a co-management regime for limited aspects of fish and marine mammal resource management, and gave the Inuvialuit rights to subsistence fisheries and existing commercial fisheries but no preference for new commercial fisheries. The Fisheries Joint Management Committee (the fisheries co-management body), the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Inuvialuit Game Council have developed an integrated fisheries management framework agreement for the review and assessment of any proposed commercial fisheries within the Canadian Beaufort Sea. The agreement provides clarity and transparency for decision making and strengthens the protection of fish stocks. The development of the framework depended upon a history of cooperation between the parties and a bridging initiative by the Fisheries Joint Management Committee and an NGO that brought together the Inuvialuit and the government.     

Diagenetic modelling: an integrated approach using wireline logs and geological data

Diagenetic effects may be recognized by integrating wireline log measurements with other sources of geplogical data. Diagenetic features often give subtle changes in the log response that are difficult to interpret. Owing to these difficulties, a forward modelling procedure using computers is being developed to aid interpretation. A diagenetic model can be constructed with a knowledge of the controlling processes. The model can then be iteratively refined by confirming or denying the existence of modelled features and this is achieved by comparing synthetic logs with actual wireline logs. The diagenesis of the Rotliegend sandstone of the southern North Sea is well understood and there is extensive modern wireline log coverage. The Rotliegend provides suitable sequences in which to test the systems approach that is being developed and provides illustrative examples.