Habitat requirements for submerged aquatic vegetation in Chesapeake Bay: Water quality, light regime, and physical-chemical factors

We developed an algorithm for calculating habitat suitability for seagrasses and related submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) at coastal sites where monitoring data are available for five water quality variables that govern light availability at the leaf surface. We developed independent estimates of the minimum light required for SAV survival both as a percentage of surface light passing though the water column to the depth of SAV growth (PLW _min) and as a percentage of light reaching reaching leaves through the epiphyte layer (PLL _min). Value were computed by applying, as inputs to this algorithm, statistically dervived values for water quality variables that correspond to thresholds for SAV presence in Chesapeake Bay. These estimates ofPLW _min andPLL _min compared well with the values established from a literature review. Calcultations account for tidal range, and total light attenuation is partitioned into water column and epiphyte contributions. Water column attenuation is further partitioned into effects of chlorophylla (chla), total suspended solids (TSS) and other substances. We used this algorithm to predict potential SAV presence throughout the Bay where calculated light available at plant leaves exceededPLL _min. Predictions closely matched results of aerial photographic monitoring surveys of SAV distribution. Correspondence between predictions and observations was particularly strong in the mesohaline and polythaline regions, which contain 75–80% of all potential SAV sites in this estuary. The method also allows for independent assessment of effects of physical and chemical factors other than light in limiting SAV growth and survival. Although this algorithm was developed with data from Chesapeake Bay, its general structure allows it to be calibrated and used as a quantitative tool for applying water quality data to define suitability of specific sites as habitats for SAV survival in diverse coastal environments worldwide.     

Sumberged aquatic vegetation in the mesohaline region of the Patuxent estuary: Past,present, and future status

The loss of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) from the Patuxent estuary during the latter part of the 20th century was explored using diverse data sets that included historic SAV coverage and distribution data, SAV ground truth observations, water clarity and nutrient loading data, and epiphyte light attenuation measurements. Analysis of aerial photography from 1952 showed that SAV was abundant and widely distributed along the entire mesohaline region of the estuary; by the late 1960s rapid declines in SAV took place following large increases in nutrient loading to the estuary. An examination of water clarity and epiphyte data suggest that the processes that led to the loss of SAV varied in strength along the axis of the estuary. In the upper mesohaline region, Secchi depths were consistently less than established mesohaline SAV habitat requirements at 1-m water depth, suggesting that water clarity was responsible for SAV decline. In the lower mesohaline region, where water clarity was consistently above SAV requirements, high epiphyte fouling rates significantly reduced light available to SAV. Experimental results show that epiphyte fouling had the capacity to reduce available light to SAV blades from 30% to 7% of surface light within a week, and likely contributed to the local decline and near total loss of SAV during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The prognosis for near-term SAV recovery within the mesohaline portion of the estuary seems unlikely given existing water quality conditions.     

Magnitude and Patterns of Change in Submerged Aquatic Vegetation of the Tidal Freshwater Hudson River

Three aerial photography inventories were used to examine change in submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the tidal freshwater Hudson River over the interval 1997 to 2007. Overall, there was about a 30 % net decline in SAV coverage although there were also many individual areas of expansion. The invasive water chestnut (Trapa natans) did not change appreciably in net cover over the interval, and there was replacement of SAV by water chestnut along with slightly fewer cases of SAV replacing the exotic. A fine-scale (100 m by 100 m quadrats) analysis showed that about 30 % of quadrats that supported vegetation changed by more than 10 % in plant cover and overall SAV was quite dynamic. SAV in the Hudson is limited by light which is in turn controlled by suspended sediment. SAV was rarely found at depths >1 m below low water, and interannual differences in clarity affected the ability of SAV beds to maintain locally supersaturated levels of dissolved oxygen. We found that location within the River channel (proximity to shore) influenced the magnitude and variability in change in SAV between census periods. The physical nature of the adjacent shoreline also affected the magnitude of change with greater declines in cover in areas next to hard-engineered shore types. SAV in the Hudson is highly dynamic, apparently quite resilient, and the control of light by suspended sediment rather than phytoplankton growth offers a contrast to eutrophication-influenced changes in other estuaries. Management and protection of SAV habitat must recognize the highly variable nature of plant cover and that absence in any particular year does not preclude future appearance of submerged plants at that location.     

浅海初至折射波法勘探干扰因素分析及校正方法

海上水文环境的复杂性给开展浅层初至折射波法地震勘探带来一定困难 ,主要体现在潮汐、海流、涌浪等对观测系统产生较大影响 ,是海上工作的主要干扰因素。本文针对排列弯曲、炮点偏移距大小、炮点与检波器不在同一深度以及时距曲线偏移等问题进行了讨论 ,并提出了校正和解决的方法。     

南海东北部剪切流场对内波影响的研究进展

南海东北部受黑潮入侵、季风等动力因素的影响,背景剪切流场复杂,涡旋众多,水体垂向层结季节性变化明显,同时又因吕宋海峡的复杂底地形和强潮流的影响,内潮、内孤立波现象显著。但是,以往关于内潮、内孤立波的研究很少考虑到背景剪切流场和涡旋对其影响,因而难以揭示内波的生成、传播和演变规律。主要概述了南海东北部的剪切流、涡旋和内波等多种中尺度物理现象及其之间的相互作用的研究进展,进而提出未来关于南海东北部剪切流场对内波生成、传播和演变影响研究中的一些问题和研究思路。     

美国阿巴拉契亚山脉芬卡苏地区奥陶纪海底水道中的内潮汐沉积

本文论述了在世界范围内首次鉴别出的新的沉积类型--内潮汐沉积,发现于美国弗吉尼亚州芬卡苏地区奥陶纪深水海底水道充填沉积中。已识别出两种相:①双向交错纹理极细砂岩相,以发育分别向古水道上方和下方倾斜的双向交错纹理为特征,被归因于内潮汐作用沉积的产物。②单向交错层和交错纹理中至细砂岩相,发育向古水道上方倾斜的低角度板状交错层和交错纹理,被解释为叠加有内波的内潮汐沉积物。据沉积相层序分析,内潮汐沉积形成于海平面上升、粗屑重力流受到抑制的时期。     

Impacts of a Wave Farm on Waves,Currents and Coastal Morphology in South West England

This study investigates impacts of a wave farm on waves, currents and coastal morphology adjacent to the wave farm, which is located in the Southwest of England (the Wave Hub). In this study, we focus on the interaction between waves and tides due to the presence of the wave farm and its effects on wave radiation stresses, bottom shear stresses and consequently on the sediment transport and the coast adjacent to the wave farm, using an integrated numerical modelling system. The modelling system consists of the near-shore wave model SWAN, the ocean circulation model ROMS and a sediment transport model for morphological evolution. The results show that tidal elevation and tidal currents can have a significant effect on waves and that tidal forcing and waves have a significant effect on bottom shear stresses. Waves can impact on the processes related to the bottom boundary layer and mixing intensity in the water column. The wave farm has an impact on the gradients of radiation shear stresses and bottom shear stresses that modify current speeds and wave heights, which in turn impact on the near-shore sediment transport and the resulting morphological changes. Bed load transport rates show a decrease when the wave farm is present, even during storm conditions. The results highlight the importance of the interactions between waves and tides when modelling coastal morphology with presence of wave energy devices.     

Residual Exchange Flows in Subtropical Estuaries

Observations of residual exchange flows at the entrance to four subtropical estuaries, two of them semiarid, indicate that these flows are mainly tidally driven, as they compare favorably with theoretical patterns of tidal residual flows. In every estuary examined, the tidal behavior was that of a standing or near-standing wave, i.e., tidal elevation and tidal currents were nearly in quadrature. The pattern of exchange flow that persisted at every estuary exhibited inflow in the channel and outflow over the shoals. Curiously, but also fortuitously, this pattern coincides with the exchange pattern driven by density gradients in other estuaries. The tidal stresses and the residual elevation slopes should be the dominant mechanisms that drive such tidal residual pattern because the Stokes transport mechanism is negligible for standing or near-standing waves. Time series measurements from the semiarid estuaries showed fortnightly modulation of the residual flow by tidal forcing in such a way that the strongest net exchange flows developed with the largest tidal distortions, i.e., during spring tides. This modulation is opposite to the modulation that typically results in temperate estuaries, where the strongest net exchange flows tend to develop during neap tides. The fortnightly modulation on tidal residual currents could be inferred from previous theoretical results because residual currents arise from tidal distortions but is made explicit in this study. The findings advanced herein should allow the drawing of generalities about exchange flow patterns in subtropical estuaries where residual flows are mainly driven by tides.     

Refining habitat requirements of submersed aquatic vegetation: Role of optical models

A model of the spectral diffuse attenuation coefficient of downwelling irradiance was constructed for Chincoteague Bay, Maryland, and the Rhode River, Maryland. The model is written in terms of absorption spectra of dissolved yellow substance, the chlorophyll-specific absorption of phytoplankton, and absorption and scattering by particulate matter (expressed as turbidity). Based on published light requirements for submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay, the model is used to calculate the range of water-quality conditions that permit survival of SAV at various depths. Because the model is spectrally based, it can be used to calculate the attenuation of either photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, equally weighted quanta from 400 nm to 700 nm) or photosyntheticallyusable radiation (PUR, the integral of the quantum spectrum weighted by the pigment absorption spectrum of SAV). PUR is a more accurate measurement of light that can be absorbed by SAV and it is more strongly affected by phytoplankton chlorophyll in the water column than is PAR. For estuaries in which light attenuation is dominated by turbidity and chlorophyll, the model delimits regions in which turbidity alone (chlorophyll <10 μg 1^?1), chlorophyll alone (turbidity <1 NTU) or both factors (chlorophyll >10 μg 1^?1, turbidity >1 NTU) must be reduced to improve survival depths for SAV.     

An evaluation of glass prisms in boat docks to reduce shading of submerged aquatic vegetation in the lower St. Johns River,Florida

The effectiveness of glass prisms in boat docks was assessed to determine if shading impacts to submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), primarilyVallisneria americana, were reduced. Six experimental docks, three with prisms and three without prisms, were constructed in the lower St. Johns River, Florida. SAV percent cover and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were monitored under each dock and in an adjacent control area with no experimental docks. Subsurface PAR during the growing season of the first year of the study was not significantly greater beneath docks having prisms than beneath docks without prisms. Postconstruction SAV monitoring (February 2000 to May 2002) revealed no significant differences in SAV percent cover between dock treatments, although coverage declined in both dock treatments and the control area. Declining water quality conditions at the study site clearly impacted the health of the SAV habitat as indicated by the decline in SAV coverage in the control area initially in the study. Given the subsequent resurgence of SAV in the control area, the additional light transmitted through the prisms did not appear to be biologically significant or adequate to counteract effects from larger-scale environmental stressors.     

Generalizing Ecological Effects of Shoreline Armoring Across Soft Sediment Environments

Despite its widespread use, the ecological effects of shoreline armoring are poorly synthesized and difficult to generalize across soft sediment environments and structure types. We developed a conceptual model that scales predicted ecological effects of shore-parallel armoring based on two axes: engineering purpose of structure (reduce/slow velocities or prevent/stop flow of waves and currents) and hydrodynamic energy (e.g., tides, currents, waves) of soft sediment environments. We predicted greater ecological impacts for structures intended to stop as opposed to slow water flow and with increasing hydrodynamic energy of the environment. We evaluated our predictions with a literature review of effects of shoreline armoring for six possible ecological responses (habitat distribution, species assemblages, trophic structure, nutrient cycling, productivity, and connectivity). The majority of studies were in low-energy environments (51 of 88), and a preponderance addressed changes in two ecological responses associated with armoring: habitat distribution and species assemblages. Across the 207 armoring effects studied, 71% were significantly negative, 22% were significantly positive, and 7% reported no significant difference. Ecological responses varied with engineering purpose of structures, with a higher frequency of negative responses for structures designed to stop water flow within a given hydrodynamic energy level. Comparisons across the hydrodynamic energy axis were less clear-cut, but negative responses prevailed (>78%) in high-energy environments. These results suggest that generalizations of ecological responses to armoring across a range of environmental contexts are possible and that the proposed conceptual model is useful for generating predictions of the direction and relative ecological impacts of shoreline armoring in soft sediment ecosystems.     

石门杨家坪下寒武统杷榔组三段内波和内潮汐沉积研究

湖南石门杨家坪下寒武统杷榔组第三段主要为一套深灰色、灰绿色页状至薄层含粉砂水云母泥(页)岩与泥质粉砂岩夹透镜状、条带状粉砂岩，其沉积环境为斜坡环境。中上部透镜状、条带状粉砂岩中交错层理极为发育，纹层倾向既有沿斜坡向上和向下双向倾斜的，也有沿斜坡向下或沿斜坡向上单向倾斜的，它们不应是等深流沉积或浊流沉积，而应为内波、内潮汐产生的沿斜坡上下交替流动所形成的。笔者对寒武系内波、内潮汐沉积做了首次研究。     

Young Students' Conceptions of the Marine Environment and Their Role in the Development of Aquaria Exhibits

Informal learning settings such as aquaria are well-placed to help young students understand the nature and importance of marine environments. In order to achieve this, it is important to incorporate pedagogical principles into exhibit design. Using a constructivist perspective, this paper explores young students' conceptions of the marine environment. The findings indicate that although students are interested in marine life and are familiar with terms such as currents, tides and waves, their understanding of these concepts is limited and confused. It is suggested that by addressing children's limited conceptions in their exhibits and educational programmes, aquaria can foster an understanding of the environmental processes that support marine life, thus contributing to habitat conservation and species survival. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Contributions respectives des courants et de la houle dans la mobilité sédimentaire d'une plate-forme interne estuarienne. Exemple : le seuil interinsulaire,au large du pertuis d'Antioche,France

This paper investigates the relative influence of waves, wind-induced current and tidal current on the sediment mobility of a macro-tidal environment belonging to the inner shelf seaward of the ‘pertuis Charentais’ (France). This study, mainly based on three-week hydrodynamic in-situ measurements, shows that, for a water depth of 23 m, the swell (rather than wind waves) orbital velocity is large enough to initiate the motion of medium sands that are then transported by currents. Estimations show that medium sand of 0.2 mm is transported during 92% of the measurements, whereas coarse sand and gravel move sporadically, during storm, synchronously with spring tides. Further more, bedload fluxes appear strongly larger when waves are taken into account (370 times larger for 0.2-mm sands). To cite this article: D. Idier et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

Calculating optical water quality targets to restore and protect submersed aquatic vegetation: Overcoming problems in partitioning the diffuse attenuation coefficient for photosynthetically active radiation

Submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) is an important component of shallow water estuarine systems that has declined drastically in recent decades. SAV has particularly high light requirements, and losses of SAV have, in many cases, been attributed to increased light attenuation in the water column, frequently due to coastal eutrophication. The desire to restore these valuable habitats to their historical levels has created the need for a simple but accurate management tool for translating light requirements into water quality targets capable of supporting SAV communities. A procedure for calculating water quality targets for concentrations of chlorophyll and total suspended solids (TSS) is derived, based on representing the diffuse attenuation coefficient for photosynthetically active radiation, K_d(PAR), as a linear function of contributions due to water plus colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), chlorophyll, and TSS. It is assumed that K_d(PAR) conforms to the Lambert-Beer law. Target concentrations are determined as the intersection of a line representing intended reduction of TSS and chlorophyll by management actions, with another line describing the dependence of TSS on chlorophyll at a constant value of K_d(PAR). The validity of applying the Lambert-Beer law to K_d(PAR) in estuarine waters was tested by comparing the performance of a linear model of K_d(PAR) with data simulated using a more realistic model of light attenuation. The linear regression model tended to underestimate K_d(PAR) at high light attenuation, resulting in erroneous predictions of target concentrations at shallow restoration depths. The errors result more from the wide spectral bandwidth of PAR, than from irrecoverable nonlinearities in the diffuse attenuation coefficient per se. In spite of the failure of the Lambert-Beer law applied to K_d(PAR), the variation of TSS with chlorophyll at constant K_d(PAR) determined by the more mechanistic attenuation model was, nevertheless, highly linear. Use of the management tool based on intersecting lines is still possible, but coefficients in the line describing the dependence of TSS on chlorophyll at constant K_d(PAR) must be determined empirically by application of an optical model suitably calibrated for the region of interest. An example application of the procedure to data from the Rhode River, Maryland, indicates that approximately 15% reduction in both TSS and chlorophyll concentrations, or 50% reduction in chlorophyll alone, will be needed to restore conditions for growth of SAV to levels that existed in the late 1960s.     

泰国湾表层沉积物陆源碎屑的粒度特征及其展现的沉积动力环境

海洋碎屑沉积物的粒度特征是海底沉积动力环境的直接体现,是用来研究海洋动力环境变化的重要手段,尤其是陆架海底表层沉积物的粒度分布,对于研究沿岸和水柱底边界层现今海洋动力环境可起到重要作用。该项研究通过调查遍布泰国湾至湄公河口海底表层沉积物陆源碎屑的粒度分布特征,以期获得影响现今特定海域沉积作用的海洋动力环境过程。粒度分析的结果显示,泰国湾表层沉积物的陆源碎屑以细砂-细粉砂为主,分选总体较差,频率分布以正偏为主。其中,细砂-极细砂组分主要分布在曼谷湾和柬埔寨沿岸。湄公河岸外沉积物为细砂,且分选比泰国湾区域的沉积物要好。这些表层沉积物的粒度特征具有良好的环境变化指示作用。湄公河岸外分选较好、近于正态分布的中砂沉积物指示了波浪作用下的沉积环境。曼谷湾和柬埔寨沿岸分选较差的中砂-细砂粗粒沉积物反映了潮汐和波浪的共同作用;泰国湾东西沿岸区域分选中等、呈正偏态的极细砂-中粉砂沉积物体现了潮汐的控制作用;而泰国湾中部分选较差的沉积物则指示了表层洋流作用。研究表明,泰国湾和湄公河岸外表层沉积物陆源碎屑的粒度分布特征可用于区分不同海洋动力因素的控制作用,揭示出泰国湾的沉积动力环境主要受潮汐、波浪和洋流的共同影响,湄公河岸外的沉积动力环境主要受波浪的影响。     

Influences of Salinity and Light Availability on Abundance and Distribution of Tidal Freshwater and Oligohaline Submersed Aquatic Vegetation

Submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities have undergone declines worldwide, exposing them to invasions from non-native species. Over the past decade, the invasive species Hydrilla verticillata has been documented in several tributaries of the lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. We used annual aerial mapping surveys from 1998 to 2007, integrated with spatial analyses of water quality data, to analyze the patterns and rates of change of a H. verticillata-dominated SAV community and relate them to varying salinity and light conditions. Periods of declining SAV coverage corresponded to periods where salinities exceeded 7 and early growing season (April to May) Secchi depths were <0.4 m. Increases were driven by the expansion of H. verticillata along with several other species into the upper estuary, where some areas experienced an 80% increase in cover. Field investigations revealed H. verticillata dominance to be limited to the upper estuary where total suspended solid concentrations during the early growing season were <15 mg l⁻¹ and salinity remained <3. The effect of poor early growing season water clarity on annual SAV growth highlights the importance of water quality during this critical life stage. Periods of low clarity combined with periodic salinity intrusions may limit the dominance of H. verticillata in these types of estuarine systems. This study shows the importance of the use of these types of biologically relevant episodic events to supplement seasonal habitat requirements and also provides evidence for the potential important role of invasive species in SAV community recovery.     

Wave and tidal current sorting of shelf sediments southwest of England

The relative roles of waves and tidal currents in transporting bottom sediment on the continental shelf off Lands End, southwest England, are evaluated by study of (a) sediment grain size in relation to boundary layer measurements in tidal currents, (b) regional variation in sediment parameters in relation to peak tidal and wave-induced currents, and (c) visual observation of bedforms. (a) The sediments are mainly zoogenic sands. The average hydraulic equivalent median diameter is Mdφ=1.40φ (medium grade sand), and two-thirds of the median grain sizes fall between 0.97φ and 1.83φ. The linear bottom current which will just move this range of sizes is exceeded only slightly by the highest tidal drag velocities ū* measured in the area. Thus, sediment movement by tidal currents alone is restricted to areas of high bed roughness and strong peak tidal flows. In contrast, wave-induced oscillatory currents at 100 m depth (typical of the area) attain sufficient speed to disturb the same particle sizes over 3% of the time. This includes storm periods when much greater velocities occur. (b) The average Mdφ of the sediment decreases southwest and northeast from south of the Lizard. This correlates well with the pattern of maximum tidal current speeds, suggesting that tidal currents control the areal distribution of sediment median grain size. Most sediments are well sorted (mean σ_i=0.48φ). Sorting improves at shallower depths but does not improve in areas of faster tidal currents, suggesting that wave-induced currents exert the major control on sorting. Silt and clay proportions increase west of the Scilly Isles and are influenced by both wave and tidal currents. (c) Photographs and television pictures show that symmetrical bedforms due to wave action are dominant north and west of the western Channel. Asymmetric bedforms are more common in the western Channel itself, where tidal currents and bed roughness are both high. Results are used to construct a sediment transport model for the study area. Since medium grade well sorted sands occur in depths of over 100 m, many ancient, extensive, well sorted sand sheets may have been deposited at depths greater than previously suspected.     

鄂尔多斯盆地西缘上奥陶统拉什仲组内波和内潮汐沉积成因分析

虽然地层记录中的内波和内潮汐沉积研究已有30年的研究历史,但尚未涉及深水环境中内波和内潮汐成因研究,不利于对深水复杂水动力环境下各种流体交互作用的深入研究,同时由于已发现研究实例中缺乏生物化石和遗迹化石,从而在很大程度上限制了对内波和内潮汐沉积和油气生成及运移之间的关系研究。本文以鄂尔多斯盆地西缘北部桌子山地区上奥陶统拉什仲组深水沉积为研究对象,在详细的野外观察基础上,采用沉积地球化学和沉积学相结合的方法对该组中发育的内波和内潮汐沉积进行了综合研究。结果表明：拉什仲组中的双向交错层理和浪成波纹层理可相互伴生,多发育在完全或近于完全的鲍玛序列T_c段,其寄主岩性主要为灰绿色薄-中层细砂岩、粉砂岩、黏土质粉砂岩和粉砂质黏土岩;沉积时水体介质具有海水性质总体上不明显、氧化-还原分层、盐度倒置、不受热液影响和水动力较强等现象。结合拉什仲组存在的浊流反射现象认为：拉什仲组沉积于局限海深水斜坡至盆地环境,其内波和内潮汐的形成与低密度浊流反射形成的密度跃层密切相关,具有事件性作用特征,并伴生有大量的生物化石(笔石)及遗迹化石。这种新型内波和内潮汐沉积对于深水牵引流沉积油气勘探具有...     

Coastal flooding: impacts of coupled wave–surge–tide models

Wind waves and elevated water levels together can cause flooding in low-lying coastal areas, where the water level may be a combination of mean sea level, tides and surges generated by storm events. In areas with a wide continental shelf a travelling external surge may combine with the locally generated surge and waves and there can be significant interaction between the propagation of the tide and surge. Wave height at the coast is controlled largely by water depth. So the effect of tides and surges on waves must also be considered, while waves contribute to the total water level by means of wave setup through radiation stress. These processes are well understood and accurately predicted by models, assuming good bathymetry and wind forcing is available. Other interactions between surges and waves include the processes of surface wind-stress and bottom friction as well as depth and current refraction of waves by surge water levels and currents, and some of the details of these processes are still not well understood. The recent coastal flooding in Myanmar (May 2008) in the Irrawaddy River Delta is an example of the severity of such events, with a surge of over 3 m exacerbated by heavy precipitation. Here, we review the existing capability for combined modelling of tides, surges and waves, their interactions and the development of coupled models.