The formation and evolution of East Australian current warm-core eddies

Data on East Australian Current (EAC) warm-core eddies were obtained over the period 1976–1978 by the Department of Defence and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). In that time we have learned that warm eddies form by pinch-off of poleward EAC meanders, can coalesce with the EAC and appear generally similar to Gulf Stream, Kuroshio and other current system eddies. Two eddies were tracked over 1977–1978 with satellite buoys and one (eddy B) was repeatedly studied over eleven months. A deep winter core formed by winter convective cooling and the following summer a new surface mixed layer formed on top of the core. The seasonal changes have been analysed for heat content and changes in dynamic relief. The eddy decayed with a time constant of 650 ± 150 days, due to upwelling below the seasonal thermocline. Surface cooling had little effect on eddy lifetime. The eddy contracted horizontally, possibly after some interaction with the EAC, giving rise to eddy spin-up with increasing age. Surface currents increased after eleven months to 2.0 m s^?1. The dynamic relief during summer was also apparently boosted by contact with the EAC. Eddy B was observed to coalesce with a new meander of the EAC rather than drift away to the south. It is proposed that the formation of these eddies is governed by the westward propagation of the baroclinic Rossby wave known as the Tasman Front. Pinch-off of eddies adjacent to the coast and the variable flow of the EAC may be caused by the baroclinic wave ‘breaking’ on the coast. The eddy formation rate is about two per year and most eddies coalesce with the EAC and do not escape to the south. Eddies coalesce and re-separate, creating many subsurface isothermal layers from old cores south of 34°S.     

An oceanographic survey of the Tasman Front

Results of a detailed expendable bathythermograph survey in the northern Tasman Sea are presented. The Tasman Front, with its origin in the edge of an East Australian Current eddy, extended throughout the survey region. The front marked a coherent, meandering, zonal jet which crosses the Tasman Sea and hence links at least part of the East Australian Current to the other western boundary currents in the subtropical gyre. The frontal meandering derives from both the variability of the East Australian Current system and the topographic effects of the major ridge systems in the north Tasman Sea. The front is less distinct over the crests of these ridges. The flow field in the survey area contained a number of anticyclonic eddies, and current records show that the oceanic eddies are long‐lived features similar to the eddies in the East Australian Current.     

The strengthening East Australian Current, its eddies and biological effects — an introduction and overview

The poleward flowing East Australian Current (EAC) is characterised by its separation from the coast, 100-200 nautical miles north of Sydney, to form the eastward flowing Tasman Front and a southward flowing eddy field. The separation zone greatly influences coastal ecosystems for the relatively narrow continental shelf (only 15-50 km wide), particularly between 32-34°S. In this region the continental shelf has a marked shift in the seasonal temperature-salinity relationship and elevated surface nitrate concentrations. This current parallels the portion of the coast where Australia’s population is concentrated and has a long history of scientific research. However, understanding of physical and biological processes driven by the EAC, particularly in linking circulation to ecosystems, is limited. In this special issue of 16 papers on the EAC, we examine the effects of climatic wind-stress forced ocean dynamics on EAC transport variability and coastal sea level, from ENSO to multi-decadal time scales; eddy formation and structure; fine scale connectivity and larval retention. Comparisons with the poleward-flowing Leeuwin Current on Australia’s west coast show differences in ecosystem productivity that can be attributed to the underlying physics in each region. On average there is double the chlorophyll a concentration on the east coast than the west. In comparison to the Leeuwin, the EAC may have less local retention of larvae and act as a partial barrier to onshore transport, which may also be related to the local spawning and early life history of small pelagic fish on each coast. Inter-annual variations in the EAC transport produce a detectable sea-level signal in Sydney Harbour, which could provide a useful fisheries index as does the Fremantle sea level and Leeuwin Current relationship. The EAC’s eddy structure and formation by the EAC are examined. A particular cold-core eddy is shown to have a “tilt” towards the coast, and that during a rotation the flow of particles may rise up to the euphotic zone and then down beneath. In a warm-core eddy, surface flooding is shown to produce a new shallower surface mixed layer and promote algal growth. An assessment of plankton data from 1938-1942 showed that the local, synoptic conditions had to be incorporated before any comparison with the present. There are useful relationships of water mass characteristics in the Tasman Sea and separation zone with larval fish diversity and abundance, as well as with long-line fisheries. These fisheries-pelagic habitat relationships are invaluable for fisheries management, as well as for climate change assessments.There is further need to examine the EAC influence on rainfall, storm activity, dust deposition, and on the movements by fish, sharks and whales. The Australian Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) has provided new infrastructure to determine the changing behaviour of the EAC and its bio-physical interaction with the coasts and estuaries. The forecasting and hindcasting capability developed under the Bluelink project has provided a new tool for data synthesis and dynamical analysis. The impact of a strengthening EAC and how it influences the livelihoods of over half the Australian population, from Brisbane to Sydney, Hobart and Melbourne, is just being realised.     

Predicting the East Australian Current

Results are presented from an ensemble prediction study (EPS) of the East Australian Current (EAC) with a specific focus on the examination of the role of dynamical instabilities and flow dependent growing errors. The region where the EAC separates from the coast, is characterized by significant mesoscale eddy variability, meandering and is dominated by nonlinear dynamics thereby representing a severe challenge for operational forecasting. Using analyses from OceanMAPS, the Australian operational ocean forecast system, we explore the structures of flow dependent forecast errors over 7 days and examine the role of dynamical instabilities. Forecast ensemble perturbations are generated using the method of bred vectors allowing the identification of those perturbations to a given initial state that grow most rapidly. We consider a 6 month period spanning the Austral summer that corresponds to the season of maximum eddy variability. We find that the bred vector (BV) structures occur in areas of instability where forecast errors are large and in particular in regions associated with the Tasman Front and EAC extension. We also find that very few BVs are required to identify these regions of large forecast error and on that basis we expect that even a small BV ensemble would prove useful for adaptive sampling and targeted observations. The results presented also suggest that it may be beneficial to supplement the static background error covariances typically used in operational ocean data assimilation systems with flow dependent background errors calculated using a relatively cheap EPS.     

Taiwan Current (Kuroshio) and Impinging Eddies

Considerable westward or nothwestward propagating eddies were found east of Taiwan that cross-explains the anomalies in the repeated hydrography, trajectory of drifting buoys and altimetric analyses. The sea level differences (SLD) across the Taiwan Current (Kuroshio) in the East Taiwan Channel (ETC) are utilized in order to examine the possible implication of eddies in the Taiwan Current transport. It is concluded that Taiwan is impinged by both cyclonic and anticyclonic mesoscale eddies at an interval of about 100 days. An approaching anticyclonic eddy will result in a higher SLD across the ETC and a larger mass transport of Taiwan Current, and, vice versa, a reduction of both SLD and the mass transport in the ETC as a cyclonic eddy arrives. The SLD-inferred northward transport in the ETC is highly coherent at the 100-day band with westward propagating eddies that originated in the interior ocean. The generation mechanism of these eddies are, however, still unclear. Leakage of the Kuroshio water to the east of the Ryukyu Islands is suggested due to the presence of cyclonic eddies. This 100-day rate of eddy-impingement invalidates any observation of 4 months or less, whether with direct or indirect measurements, because any conclusions depend on the presence or absence of eddies. To minimize the contamination from eddies, either long-term observations or eddy-removal procedures are required.     

卫星跟踪浮标和卫星遥感海面高度中的南海涡旋结构

选择4个南海卫星跟踪Argos漂流浮标及同期的TOPEX／Poseidon卫星遥感海面高度资料，研究了南海海域涡旋的活动及空间结构。这4个Argos漂流浮标的轨迹除了基本符合各季节海盆尺度环流趋势外，分别在菲律 宾以西、越南外海、南海中部等海域呈现出中尺度旋转轨迹。这些尺度涡旋现象在同期的TOPEX卫星遥感海面高度异常（SSHA）分布中得到了准确印证，并在诊断得到的地转流场中对应了一系列瞬变的中尺度涡旋运动。     

基于漂流浮标观测分析日本福岛以东表层海洋物质的散播轨迹

认识海洋中的物质如何散播对于理解海洋环境变化和人类活动污染在海洋中的扩散过程具有非常重要的意义。利用历史海表漂流浮标观测数据,对日本福岛以东海域的表层物质散播轨迹进行了拉格朗日示踪分析和观测模拟试验研究。结果发现,福岛以东海域海表浮标的散播路径主要分为东、南两支,其中速度较快的东支为主要通道,沿黑潮延伸体汇入北太平洋流,最短用时大约22个月即可到达北美西海岸;南支则沿黑潮延伸体以南的大范围南向流向西南方向运移,速度较慢且明显受涡旋活动影响,最快大约5个月即可到达吕宋海峡和中国台湾以东海域,进而进入南海和东海等中国近海海域。通过开展观测模拟试验,发现海表浮标散播的概率密度分布呈现以福岛附近海域为核心、向西南和正东方向递减扩展的形态,其中,到达中国近海的浮标主要通过吕宋海峡进入。文章详细讨论了研究结果的局限性、不足之处,以及因基于大量现场观测而具备的重要参考价值。     

Mesoscale structure of the mean East Australian Current System and its relationship with topography

We document the mean circulation of the East Australian Current (EAC) System, which is the major western boundary current in the southwest Pacific Ocean. A new high-resolution climatology of the region (CSIRO Atlas of Regional Seas, CARS) is used to produce regional fields of steric height and sections of geostrophic velocity. The realism of these fields has been enhanced by the high spatial resolution, allowance for bathymetric control and the influence of land barriers. The increased detail in the maps and sections reveal the major influence that the complex regional topography has on the circulation. The results also provide the appropriate resolution for comparison with recent model studies of the region. We have been able to both resolve well-known features with greater detail and identify previously unrecognized aspects of the circulation. Important results include: (1) The zonal inflow north of 30°S breaks into a series of individual jets after flowing through the island chains as suggested by recent model results. (2) The interaction of the zonal inflow with the local topography as it undergoes bifurcation is documented. (3) A detailed picture of the evolution of the EAC at the western boundary is presented, including surface currents and transports. (4) Separation and recirculation of the EAC within the Tasman Abyssal basin are shown to occur as a double cell structure constrained by bathymetry. (5) The EAC outflow is resolved as a series of eastward, and northeastward currents. (6) The path of the Tasman Front is defined as it interacts with the Tasman Ridge systems. (7) A quasi-permanent eddy is identified for the first time adjacent to the Norfolk Ridge, northwest of New Zealand.     

东海黑潮周边中尺度涡的分布、运动规律以及生成机制

为了探究东海黑潮周边涡旋分布、形成机理及运动规律,基于法国国家空间研究中心(CNES)卫星海洋学存档数据中心(AVISO)的中尺度涡旋数据集展开了研究。首先,统计了近27年东海黑潮周边的涡旋分布,发现在黑潮弯曲海域产生了650个涡旋,在黑潮中段海域产生了271个涡旋,其中直径100~150 km之间的涡旋数量最多,涡旋振幅主要集中在2~6 cm。其次,分析了东海黑潮的运动路径和涡运动过程,结果表明,黑潮气旋式弯曲海域内侧易产生气旋涡,且移动路径较长,如台湾东北海域黑潮流轴气旋式弯曲处产生的涡旋,其平均位移达到了87.6 km;当反气旋式弯曲海域内侧产生反气旋涡时,涡旋往往做徘徊运动。黑潮中段海域的涡旋呈现出气旋涡在黑潮主轴西侧、反气旋涡在黑潮主轴东侧的极性对称分布特征,两类涡都沿黑潮主轴向东北方向移动。最后,结合再分析的流场、海面高度数据,讨论了涡旋运动规律和生成机制。黑潮弯曲处涡旋的生成与黑潮流体边界层分离有关,奄美大岛南部到冲绳岛西侧的黑潮逆流对黑潮中段海域涡的极性对称分布起到了关键作用,涡旋在运动过程中通常经历生长、成熟和衰变三个阶段。     

Features of eddy kinetic energy and variations of upper circulation in the South China Sea

The features of eddy kinetic energy (EKE) and the variations of upper circulation in theSouth China Sea (SCS) are discussed in this paper using geostrophic currents estimated from Maps of Sea Level Anomalies of the TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry data. A high EKE center is identified in the southeast of Vietnam coast with the highest energy level 1 400 cm2 ·s~(-2) in both summer and autumn. This high EKE center is caused by the instability of the current axis leaving the coast of Vietnam in summer and the transition of seasonal circulation patterns in autumn. There exists another high EKE region in the northeastern SCS, southwest to Taiwan Island in winter. This high EKE region is generated from the eddy activities caused by the Kuroshio intrusion and accumulates more than one third of the annual EKE, which confirms that the eddies are most active in winter. The transition of upper circulation patterns is also evidenced by the directions of the major axises of velocity variance ellipses between 10°and 14.5°N     

基于卫星测高数据的海洋中尺度涡流动态特征检测

为了最终实现对海洋中尺度涡流(简称中尺度涡)的自动采样,首先应该发展中尺度涡动态特征识别技术。本文基于SLA(Sea Level Anomaly)数据,实现了对中尺度涡动态特征的检测算法。主要内容是制定了一个判别相邻两组SLA数据中的涡流,是否为同一涡流子在不同时刻的状态的标准,即判别下一时刻SLA数据中是否存在涡流是由上一时刻确定的被检测涡流演化而来的。通过确定这种进化关系,可以得到被检测涡流的一系列动态状态信息,例如:面积变化速率、中心移动情况以及其他情况。本算法的计算量不大,从而可以应用到实时涡流跟踪的环境中。值得注意的是,本文中的算法不仅仅局限于应用SLA数据,SSH(Sea Surface Height)等大部分反映海洋高度的数据也可以使用。     

中国近海现场海洋观测系统设计评估

中国科学院正在发展一个在中国近海(包括黄海、东海和南海)现场海洋观测系统。观测系统包括3个沿岸观测站点、4个近海离岸浮标和由观测船只按固定航线做的船舶观测断面。观测站点、浮标和断面的位置已经预先确定,这个计划在2008-2011实施。利用基于卡尔曼理论的样本集合方法对这样一个能够监测大尺度的季节和年季变率的观测系统设计进行了评估。根据卡尔曼滤波理论,用集合样本的方法能够给出经过同化这个观测系统位置的观测资料后能够减少多少分析误差和分析场的不确定性。用2个来自不同模式、不同分辨率的模式的结果作为集合样本来计算静态的背景误差协方差,这2套样本分别是来自分辨率是0.5°×0.5°的模式同化结果和高分辨0.125°×0.125°的模式结果。由这2个不同资料得到的结果是一致的。发现来自3个近岸和4个离岸浮标得到的观测能够有效地减少SST在渤海、黄海、东海和南海中部的分析误差。然而在越南东部和台湾东部海域,分析误差减少的百分比相对要小。最后,给出了中国近海最优的观测位置序列设计。     

黑海西北部涡旋与环流对跨陆架水交换的影响

涡旋对海洋中的能量传递和物质交换有重要作用。黑海西北部陆坡边缘是长生命周期涡旋经常发生的海域,但涡旋引起的陆架和海盆之间水交换通量的季节性特征,以及海盆边缘环流对跨陆架水交换的作用等方面的研究还不是很充分。本文对黑海西北部陆架区与深海盆区间的跨陆架水交换进行了研究,利用高分辨率三维原始方程模式模拟的温、盐、流等资料,结合涡旋自动探测方法,统计了黑海西北部海域的涡旋活动,研究了涡致跨陆架水交换的季节性特征,计算对比了2002年到2010年间海盆边缘环流与涡旋对跨陆架水交换通量的各自贡献。结果表明:黑海西北部地区海盆边缘环流强度与跨陆架进、出通量的相关系数分别为0.57和0.67,海盆边缘环流位置与跨陆架交换量的相关系数为0.52;海盆边缘环流强度与位置的季节性变化导致了黑海西北部跨陆架通量的季节性变化。黑海西北部地区表层3月到8月之间涡旋所引起跨陆架交换量约占了跨陆架交换总量的16%~31%;涡致跨陆架通量也具有季节性特征。文中对单个涡旋进行了详细研究:2005年5月5日到2005年7月20日之间在黑海西北部存在一个直径最大值时达到120 km的反气旋式涡旋,涡旋存在期间完成了从陆架区向深海区的水体传输,相当于黑海西北陆架区水体积的30.9%。     

中国物理海洋学研究70年:发展历程、学术成就概览

本文概略评述新中国成立70年来物理海洋学各分支研究领域的发展历程和若干学术成就。中国物理海洋学研究起步于海浪、潮汐、近海环流与水团,以及以风暴潮为主的海洋气象灾害的研究。随着国力的增强,研究领域不断拓展,涌现了大量具有广泛影响力的研究成果,其中包括:提出了被国际广泛采用的“普遍风浪谱”和“涌浪谱”,发展了第三代海浪数值模式;提出了“准调和分析方法”和“潮汐潮流永久预报”等潮汐潮流的分析和预报方法;发现并命名了“棉兰老潜流”,揭示了东海黑潮的多核结构及其多尺度变异机理等,系统描述了太平洋西边界流系;提出了印度尼西亚贯穿流的南海分支(或称南海贯穿流);不断完善了中国近海陆架环流系统,在南海环流、黑潮及其分支、台湾暖流、闽浙沿岸流、黄海冷水团环流、黄海暖流、渤海环流,以及陆架波方面均取得了深刻的认识;从大气桥和海洋桥两个方面对太平洋–印度洋–大西洋洋际相互作用进行了系统的总结;发展了浅海水团的研究方法,基本摸清了中国近海水团的分布和消长特征与机制,在大洋和极地水团分布及运动研究方面也做出了重要贡献;阐明了南海中尺度涡的宏观特征和生成机制,揭示了中尺度涡的三维结构,定量评估了其全球物质与能量输运能力;基本摸清了中国近海海洋锋的空间分布和季节变化特征,提出了地形、正压不稳定和斜压不稳定等锋面动力学机制;构建了“南海内波潜标观测网”,实现了对内波生成–演变–消亡全过程机理的系统认识;发展了湍流的剪切不稳定理论,提出了海流“边缘不稳定”的概念,开发了海洋湍流模式,提出了湍流混合参数化的新方法等;在海洋内部混合机制和能量来源方面取得了新的认识,并阐述了混合对海洋深层环流、营养物质输运等过程的影响;研发了全球浪–潮–流耦合模式,推出一系列海洋与气候模式;发展了可同化主要海洋观测数据的海洋数据同化系统和用于ENSO预报的耦合同化系统;建立了达到国际水准的非地转(水槽/水池)和地转(旋转平台)物理模 型实验平台;发展了ENSO预报的误差分析方法,建立了海洋和气候系统年代际变化的理论体系,揭示了中深层海洋对全球气候变化的响应;初步建成了中国近海海洋观测网;持续开展南北极调查研究;建立了台风、风暴潮、巨浪和海啸的业务化预报系统,为中国气象减灾提供保障;突破了国外的海洋技术封锁,研发了万米水深的深水水听器和海洋光学特性系列测量仪器;建立了溢油、危险化学品漂移扩散等预测模型,为伴随海洋资源开发所带来的风险事故的应急处理和预警预报提供科学支撑。文中引用的大量学术成果文献(每位第一作者优选不超过3篇)显示,经过70年的发展,中国物理海洋学研究培养了一支实力雄厚的科研队伍,这是最宝贵的成果。这支队伍必将成为中国物理海洋学研究攀登新高峰的主力军。     

1998年夏季南海环流的三维结构

利用1998年6月12日至7月6日南海的调查资料,采用三维海流诊断模式,计算了夏季南海三维海流,结合卫星海表面高度距平资料,得到结果如下:(1)南海北部,在吕宋岛以西海域和东沙群岛附近海域,分别存在一个反气旋式涡和东沙群岛西南的气旋式涡.(2)南海中部,越南以东海域出现由暖涡W3和冷涡C3组成的一个准偶极子.在冷涡C3和暖涡W3以北分别存在一个暖涡W2和冷涡C2.(3)在越南近岸存在较强的、北向的西边界射流,此北向射流在14°N附近离岸转为东,并流入两涡W3和C3之间.(4)南海南部,在巴拉望岛的西南海域,100m以浅水层存在反气旋式涡,而在其较深水层,此处变为气旋式涡.(5)南海环流的动力机制有两个:最重要的动力因子为斜压场与地形相互作用项,其次为风应力与地形相互作用项.(6)讨论了夏季南海环流垂向速度w分布,例如在30m层,Ekman抽吸对垂向速度w分布起着重要作用.(7)与2000年夏季南海环流的比较,1998年夏季计算海域涡旋W3,C3,C2等的位置变化并不大.     

南海中尺度涡的形转、内转及平移运动研究

中尺度涡旋的运动整体可分为两部分：平移及转动。平移指涡旋在整个生命周期内的水平移动,而转动除了包括内转 （海表地转流引起的涡旋自身水体转动） 外,还包括形转 （涡旋实际边界最佳拟合椭圆的转动）。本文基于 1993—2018 年共计 26 年间的卫星高度计涡旋识别与追踪数据,首次对南海中尺度涡旋的完整运动形式,即形转、内转、平移展开了系统的研究。其中,对内转及平移的分析,可通过涡旋的识别追踪数据集直接进行;为研究涡旋形转,提出了一种基于涡旋识别追踪数据自动提取涡旋形转信息的算法,以此得到涡旋形转方向、每天形转的角度以及形转圈数等信息,获得涡旋形转数据集。通过对涡旋识别追踪数据以及形转数据集的统计分析发现：南海涡旋的平移方向多为西向,且其速率呈偏态分布,主要以南海南部偏高。同样,涡旋的内转速率也呈偏态分布,高速率内转的涡旋主要分布在吕宋海峡附近。涡旋的形转主要以南海南部速率偏高,且与涡旋的寿命及长轴有一定的关系,倾向于随着涡旋寿命的增长、涡旋长轴的增大而变慢。同时南海涡旋的这三种不同运动形式之间也存在一定的相关性。     

Diagnostic calculation of the circulation in the South China Sea during summer 1998

On the basis of hydrographic data obtained from 12 June to 6 July, 1998, the three-dimensional structure of circulation in the South China Sea (SCS) is computed using a three-dimensional diagnostic model. The combination of sea surface height anomaly from altimeter data and numerical results provides a consistent circulation pattern for the SCS, and the main circulation features can be summarized as follows: In the northern SCS there are a cyclonic eddy C1 near Dongsha Islands and an anti-cyclonic eddy W1 west of Luzon Island. In the central SCS a strong anti-cyclonic eddy W3 and a cyclonic eddy C3 compose a quasi-dipole southeast of Vietnam. A coastal northward jet is present at the western boundary near the Vietnam coast above 300 m level. This northward coastal jet flows northward and turns eastward at about 14°N, and then flows southeastward into the area between eddies W3 and C3. In the southern SCS the current is weaker. The most important dynamic mechanism underlying the circulation in the SCS is the joint effect of the baroclinicity and relief (JEBAR), and the second dynamical mechanism is the interaction between the wind stress and relief (IBWSR). Comparison of the characters of circulation in the SCS during summer 2000 with that during summer 1998 reveals no obvious variability of the main characteristics.     

A synthesis of the Levantine Basin circulation and hydrography, 1985–1990

The Levantine Basin circulation derived from recent data consists of a series of sub-basin-scale to mesoscale eddies interconnected by jets. The basin-scale circulation is masked by eddy variability that modulates and modifies it on seasonal and interannual time scales. Long-term qualitative changes in the circulation are reflected in the bifurcation pattterns of ther mid-basin jets, relative strengths of eddies and the hydrographic properties at the core of these eddies. Confinement within the Basin geometry strongly influences the co-evolution of the circulation features.Surface measurements, satellite images and the mass field indicate an entire range of scales of dynamical features in the region. The complexity of the circulation is consistent with the basin-wide and mesoscale heterogeneity of the hydrographic properties. The interannual variability of LIW (Levantine Intermediate Water) formation in the region appears correlated with the changes in the circulation. Wintertime convective overturning of water masses reach intermediate depths and constitute a dominant mechanism of LIW formation, especially in anticyclonic eddies and along the coasts of the northern Levantine Basin.     

Mesoscale distribution of larval Euphausia similis in various water masses of the East Australian Current

Larval Euphausia similis were collected off temperate eastern Australia in spring 2004 and 2006 to evaluate the relationships between larval populations, mesoscale oceanographic variability, and the wider planktonic community. Larval E. similis were present in greater numbers in the East Australian Current (EAC) relative to productive coastal waters. Larval E. similis density was homogenous across the EAC—Tasman Sea frontal region, but larvae were smaller in the Tasman Sea. Larval E. similis density was not enhanced within a cold core eddy relative to the surrounding EAC. We observed a negative correlation between larval E. similis density and larval fish density, and a weak positive correlation with fluorescence. Evaluation of a significant fish density×fluorescence interaction term showed that the effect of fish density was reduced at high fluorescence values. Analysis of normalized biomass size spectrum (NBSS) provided evidence for potential competitive exclusion of copepods by krill. Data presented in this study suggest a predatory influence on surface E. similis populations by mesopelagic larval fish. The degree of predation appears to be dependent on food availability, potentially mediated by changes in the physiological condition of krill.     

Anticyclonic eddies in the northeastern South China Sea during winter 2003/2004

The origins and evolutions of two anticyclonic eddies in the northeastern South China Sea (SCS) were examined using multi-satellite remote sensing data, trajectory data of surface drifting buoys, and in-situ hydrographic data during winter 2003/2004. The results showed that buoy 22918 tracked an anti-cyclonic warm-core eddy (AE1) for about 20 days (December 4–23, 2003) in the northeastern SCS, and then escaped from AE1 eventually. Subsequently to that, buoy 22517 remained within a different anti-cyclonic warm-core eddy (AE2) for about 78 days (from January 28 to April 14, 2004) in the same area. It drifted southwestward for about 540 km, and finally entered into the so-called “Luzon Gyre”. Using inference from sea level anomaly (SLA), sea surface temperature (SST), geostrophic currents and the buoys’ trajectories, it is shown that both eddies propagated southwestward along the continental slope of the northern SCS. The mean speeds of AE1 and AE2 movements were 9.7 cm/s and 10.5 cm/s, respectively, which are similar to the phase speed of Rossby waves in the northern SCS. The variation of instantaneous speeds of the eddy movement and intensity of anticyclonic eddy may suggest complex interactions between an anticyclonic eddy and its ambient fluids in the northern SCS, where the eddy propagated southwestward with Rossby waves. Furthermore, SLA and SST images in combination with the temperature and salinity profiles obtained during a cruise suggested that AE1 was generated in the interior SCS and AE2 was shed from the “Kuroshio meander”.