Horizontal spatial and temporal distribution patterns of nearshore larval fish assemblages at a temperate rocky shore

There have been no previous studies of the composition of nearshore larval fish assemblages along the coast of Portugal. We aimed to describe the composition and horizontal distribution patterns of larval fish assemblages and their temporal dynamics near a rocky reef at depths shallower than 13 m (inshore) and at two miles (3.70 km) from shore (offshore), as well as along transects perpendicular to the shoreline, from the reef to 10 miles offshore (18.52 km). Samples were taken using 5 min sub-surface trawls at the rocky shore of the Arrábida Marine Park (W Portugal). A total of 1021 larvae were collected, belonging to 61 taxa inshore and to 29 taxa offshore. Along transects, 626 larvae of 52 taxa were collected. Most larvae belonged to coastal species associated with rocky reefs. Total larval abundance and diversity were higher from May to July, which is consistent with the spawning activity of adults. Diversity and total larval abundance decreased significantly with increasing distance from shore, both in the inshore/offshore comparison and in the transects, where this decrease was evident at a very small spatial scale (within the first mile from the reef). Species assemblages differed in the pattern of distribution, with most species clearly associated to the extreme nearshore. The distribution patterns obtained were independent of the spawning mode of species. Results are discussed in the light of the possible physical mechanisms that can potentially act at the Arrábida Marine Park to facilitate larvae retention and the role of larval behaviour.     

秋季长江口水体颗粒有机碳年际变化及影响因素分析

根据2007—2012年长江口及其邻近海域4个航次(11月)调查资料,探讨了长江口秋季颗粒有机碳(POC)时空分布特征;结合长江口环境要素和陆源输入(径流、输沙),分析了秋季POC分布的主要影响因素。结果表明:(1)2007—2012年秋季长江口POC浓度范围为0.03—16.95mg/L,均值2.30mg/L,底层POC浓度高于表层。长江口表层POC浓度存在显著的年际变化特征。(2)长江口区POC分布呈现沿长江径流入海方向降低的趋势,高值区出现在口门附近偏南部水域。口门内和近岸水域POC显著高于近海水域。口门水域POC年际间相对稳定,近岸和近海水域年际变化显著。(3)长江口POC分布与盐度呈非保守性变化,悬浮物是POC分布的主要控制因素,多数年份POC与叶绿素a相关程度较弱。(4)河口来水来沙量对POC浓度具有较强的制约性,径流的主要影响区域在口门内和近岸区,输沙的主要影响区域在最大浑浊带和长江口北部水域。(5)入海输沙量与长江口水域POC相关性最强。咸淡水交汇引起的悬浮物沉积和沉积物的再悬浮强度决定口门内水域POC浓度,浑浊度较高的近岸水体POC对陆源输入泥沙的依赖性较强,长江口外侧海域初级生产力水平成为POC浓度的重要影响因素。     

Organic matter: size fraction relationships for recent sediments from the Orinoco Delta,Venezuela

Fifteen recent sediment samples from the offshore Orinoco Delta, Venezuela, were separated by sieving and pipette analysis into seven size fractions ranging from 4ø to 10ø, in 1 ø units. Total organic carbon was determined for each size fraction and the organic matter characterized by pyrolysis and pyrolysis-gas chromatography. The sediments average 0.98% organic matter with somewhat higher values nearshore. Nearshore sediments also had higher organic contents in the coarsest fractions and a decrease in organic matter from coarse to fine sediment fractions. Sediments from further offshore generally show the highest organic contents in the finer fractions. Pyrolysis showed a low bitumen content and confirmed that the kerogen was dominantly terrestrial and gas prone. The observed trends were attributed to sorting of organic matter by its physical characteristics, with the denser, coarse-grained material settling out nearshore and the Finer-grained material being carried further from shore and settling out with finer-grained sediments.     

Vertical Distributions of Larvae of the Clam <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ruditapes philippinarum</Emphasis> and the Striped Horse Mussel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Musculista senhousia</Emphasis> in Eastern Ariake Bay,Southern Japan

We have examined the vertical distributions of planktonic bivalve larvae, particularly the clam Ruditapes philippinarum and the mussel Musculista senhousia which are common and abundant on tidal flats of eastern Ariake Bay, southern Japan. Submersible pumping gear was used to take samples at 2 stations every 2 hours during the spring tide over a whole tidal cycle and/or through daytime and nighttime. Water samples were pumped up from 3 to 5 depths from the surface to sea bottom. Regardless of tidal cycles, D-shaped larvae were concentrated near the surface, while umbo larvae were found at the surface to intermediate depths. On average, these larval densities were significantly higher at the station close to the shore than the offshore station, with no significant difference between daytime and nighttime and between flood and ebb tides at each station. The velocity and direction of water movement at both stations revealed remarkable difference between the surface and bottom waters. The larvae at the surface may quickly disperse and be transported elsewhere, while those in water close to the sea bottom may tend to be retained.     

渤海湾表层海水中浮游细菌群落随离岸距离的分布特征及其影响因素

为研究渤海湾近岸污染对远近岸海域微生态的影响,利用高通量测序技术,对渤海湾不同离岸距离的6个站位采集表层海水,进行浮游细菌群落结构分析,结合环境、空间因素探究影响其变化的主要因素。结果表明:研究区域存在环境因子的梯度变化,如氮营养盐在近岸高于远岸;细菌α-多样性在不同站位间差异不显著,但仍显示在近岸相对较高;细菌群落结构随离岸距离变化显著,γ-变形菌和拟杆菌在近岸显著富集,且与氮营养盐的含量有关;蓝细菌在远岸显著富集,且与氨氮、透明度、电导率有关;邻体矩阵主坐标单独解释部分对群落结构变异的贡献率最大(38.1%),说明可能存在尚未测量但具有空间结构的环境变量影响群落空间分布;结合功能预测的结果推测近岸区域的富营养与烃类污染等可能影响群落变化。本文从环境和空间影响两方面探讨了渤海湾不同离岸距离的海域浮游细菌群落结构变化,为研究渤海湾海洋生态及环境保护提供一定的参考。     

Contaminant concentrations and toxicity of sea-surface microlayer near Los Angeles, California

Sea-surface microlayer samples were collected from six nearshore areas receiving different amounts of anthropogenic inputs. The samples were analyzed for selected trace metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The relative toxicities of the samples were determined with fish embryo bioassays.Contaminant concentrations generally increased from offshore to the inshore stations. Contaminant concentrations were several orders of magnitude higher in microlayer samples from the highly industrialized Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors compared to samples from a site 15km offshore. Microlayer samples from the inshore stations were significantly more toxic, and induced significantly more developmental abnormalities and chromosome aberrations, than samples from the offshore stations.     

In situ evaluation of nearshore marine and fresh pore water transport into Flamengo Bay,Brazil

Transport between pore waters and overlying surface waters of Flamengo Bay near Ubatuba, Brazil, was quantified using natural and artificial geochemical tracers, ²²²Rn, Cl⁻, and SF₆, collected from multi-level piezometers installed along a transect perpendicular to the shore. Eight sampling ports positioned along the length of the piezometers allowed sampling of pore waters at discrete depth intervals from 10 to 230 cmbsf (centimeters below seafloor). Small volume samples were collected from the piezometers using a peristaltic pump to obtain pore water depth profiles. Pore water ²²²Rn is deficient in shallow sediments, allowing application of a diffusion-corrected ²²²Rn exchange rate. This model estimates the magnitude of pore water exchange rates to be about 130–419 cm/day. An SF₆-saturated fluorescein dye tracer was gently pumped into deep pore waters and exchange rates estimated from this method range from 29 to 185 cm/day. While absolute rates are higher using ²²²Rn than SF₆, rates are of similar magnitudes and the trends with distance from shore are the same – flow is greatest 6 m from shore and decreases by more than 50% further offshore. A Cl⁻ mass balance indicates the greatest fraction of fresh SGD occurs along an apparent preferential flow path in sediments within 5–7 m of the shoreline (87%). Recirculating bay waters through sediments dominate pore water advection at 10 m offshore where only 4% of the flow can be attributed to a freshwater source. Both fresh and marine sources combine to make up submarine groundwater discharge to coastal water bodies. The magnitude of fresh aquifer discharge is often a spatially variable and minor component of the total discharge.     

应用浮游植物监测与评价长江口水体营养状况

通过对长江河口浮游植物采样研究,应用浮游植物群落多样性指数和均匀度指数、浮游植物丰度以及生物学综合评价法对长江河口水体营养状况进行监测与评价.生物学综合评价结果显示:1999年枯水期,口门内的SX01～SX04样站表、底层水体为中营养水平,口门外近岸及近外海水域一般为贫营养水体.1999年丰水期,表、底层水质状况与枯水期不同,口门内的SX01～SX04样站水体为贫营养型,近口门、近外海水域为中营养型,近岸中部、东部表层一般达到富营养型水体,近岸底层东北部为富营养型,其余近岸水域为中营养型水体.2000年枯水期水质情况为:口门内表、底层水体为贫营养水体,近岸水域表层为中营养水体,底层为贫营养水体,近外海水域表、底层一般也为贫营养水体.     

The Larval Fish Assemblage in Nearshore Coastal Waters off the St Lucia Estuary, South Africa

This paper reports on the composition, abundance and distribution of the larval fish assemblage in the nearshore coastal waters off the St Lucia Estuary mouth, South Africa. Ichthyoplankton samples were collected over a 12 month period from five stations located along a transect up to 2·5 km offshore, and from two stations north and south of the estuary mouth, respectively. In all, 6126 fish larvae, representing 89 families and 186 species, were collected. Larvae in the families Myctophidae and Tripterygiidae comprised 21% and 16% of the total catch, respectively. The most abundant species were an unidentified triplefin, Tripterygiid 1 and the lanternfish Benthosema fibulatum, together which contributed nearly 18% of the total catch. Larvae of marine spawners independent of estuaries dominated the catch both in terms of density (90%) and in terms of number of taxa (89%). Some larvae of estuarine-associated species were present, in addition to a few specimens of estuarine resident species. Overall the dominant environmental variable affecting larval densities was temperature, particularly for Trypterygiid 1 where temperature contributed to 9% of the variance model. Densities of fish larvae peaked in November and December 1990 (late spring and early summer) and were lowest from January to June 1991 (summer, autumn an early winter). Different taxa dominated the catch each month with reef- and shelf-associated species accounting for the peak in August and September 1990, oceanic species in November 1990 and a mixture of the two groups in December. Overall larval densities were significantly higher in bottom samples with a trend of increasing densities offshore for reef and shelf taxa. The larvae of reef and shore taxa were predominantly preflexion larvae, whilst the few estuarine spawner species that were collected were mainly postflexion. Ontogenetic patterns related to depth and distance offshore were evident for the dominant species in each estuarine-association category.The present study has shown that temporal and spatial variations in the larval fish assemblage off St Lucia are related to environmental conditions and ontogenetic behavioural patterns of certain species. The origin of many of the larvae in the assemblages off the coast of St Lucia is probably from both local spawning populations in the shelf waters off KwaZulu-Natal and spawning populations farther north in shelf waters off Mozambique. Additional studies with more detailed oceanographic measurements will further our understanding of the physical processes that supply larvae to the St Lucia region.     

Upper-ocean thermal structure and heat content off the US West Coast during the 1997-1998 El Niño event based on AXBT and satellite altimetry data

During the 1997/1998 El Niño event, extensive oceanic temperature profiles were taken off the coast of California in January and February 1998 using Airborne Expendable Bathythermographs (AXBTs). These AXBT measurements are compared with altimetry-based upper-ocean temperature estimates using TOPEX and ERS satellite altimetry data. The altimetry-based temperature estimates are well correlated with the AXBT data, in particular when combining the two satellite data sets together to form a blended altimeter temperature estimate. Both the AXBT and altimetry data show that the nearshore coastal El Niño signal differed from that further offshore. The AXBT data show that near shore, the warm anomalies extended to much greater depths and had greater amplitude. A time series of the satellite-derived layer-averaged temperatures, averaged separately over the nearshore and offshore halves of the AXBT analysis domain, also shows a larger El Niño signal in the nearshore half. The role of local atmospheric forcing of the coastal oceanic temperature anomalies is analyzed using NCEP reanalysis and coastal upwelling data sets. The forcing terms include Ekman pumping, radiation, surface heat fluxes, precipitation, and alongshore wind stresses that drive coastal upwelling (expressed as a coastal downwelling index, CDI). The temperature forcing from all of the terms except the CDI anomalies are small. The CDI anomalies can explain most of the slowly varying temperature changes that occur near the coast during a two-year period spanning the El Niño event, as well as some of the larger amplitude, rapid (monthly) warming episodes that appear to be part of the El Niño signal. Several distinct rapid warming episodes, however, are not correlated with the CDI anomalies, and therefore we conclude that the nearshore El Niño signal originates from a combination of both a remote oceanic pathway and local atmospheric forcing.     

南海西北部夏冬季浮游介形类的分布及其影响因素

海洋浮游介形类(Ostracods)是一类分布较广的小型甲壳动物, 在海洋碳循环中起重要作用。目前国内海洋浮游动物采样常使用505μm网目孔径的浮游生物网, 从而导致个体较小的介形类被忽略。文章根据2006年7—8月(夏季)和2006年12月—2007年1月(冬季)在南海西北部海域分别使用网目孔径为505μm和160μm浮游生物网采集的样品, 比较不同网目所获浮游介形类种类和丰度的差异, 分析介形类种类和丰度的分布特征, 探讨环境因素对其时空分布的影响。160μm网目采集的浮游介形类种类和丰度均高于505μm。基于160μm网目数据分析浮游介形类群落结构: 1) 鉴定浮游介形类32种, 其种数由近岸向外海递增, 等深线100m以浅海域的种数显著高于100m以深海域(p<0.01); 2) 夏季浮游介形类的丰度高于冬季, 夏季丰度高值区主要出现在雷州半岛东部和琼东近岸, 显著高于外海(p<0.05), 冬季介形类丰度分布较为均匀; 3) 优势种针刺真浮萤(Euconchoecia aculeata)是近岸高丰度的主要贡献种; 4) 介形类种数与温度和水深呈显著正相关, 丰度与叶绿素a浓度呈正相关, 而与温度和盐度呈负相关。夏季琼东沿岸上升流和粤西沿岸流有助于浮游介形类在雷州半岛和海南岛东部近岸海域形成较高的丰度, 最高达1252个·m^-3。同时, 建议今后研究浮游介形类采用网目孔径小的浮游生物网进行采集以便全面评估其群落结构特征。     

Interaction between Cape hake spawning and the circulation in the northern Benguela upwelling ecosystem

Cape hake in Namibian waters are demersal and mesopelagic spawners, spawning peaking offshore between 100 and 400 m deep, depending on local environmental conditions. The cross-shelf circulation, low-oxygen layers and mesoscale gyres are three important environmental factors influencing hake spawning behaviour and subsequent transport of the spawning products. Normally, hake spawn offshore near the bottom at depths of 150–400 m. However, during one cruise, spawning was concentrated below several subsurface mesoscale gyres, resulting in reduced dispersion of the eggs and larvae. When the low-oxygen layer above the bottom is pronounced, hake spawning has been observed close to the top of the layer at oxygen concentrations as low as 0.2–0.3 m? ?^?1. The relatively small size of the eggs and their high specific gravity make them ascend quite slowly from the spawning depths, 10–40 m per day. Consequently, hake eggs spawned deeper than 200 m hatch before they reach the upper mixed layer. The newly hatched larvae are relatively undeveloped, without functional eyes or mouth, and display little swimming activity during their first hours, but laboratory observations have revealed subsequent periods of downward swimming activity. Based on current field observations, on buoyancy measurements of eggs and larvae and on observed larval behaviour, it is concluded that hake eggs and larvae are transported onshore by features of the upwelling subsurface circulation that compensate for offshore movement of surface water. This may be the basic mechanism concentrating early juvenile hake nearshore. Spawning activity near the low-oxygen layer might be a behavioural adaptation to minimize egg predation, because few other species are expected to survive such low concentrations of oxygen.     

Abundance and distribution of ichthyoplankton in the upwelling zone off Oregon during anomalous El Niño conditions

The abundance and distribution patterns of nearshore ichthyoplankton were investigated during a year of anomalously high sea temperatures off Oregon. Samples collected from 2 to 18 km offshore from April through September of 1983 showed increased occurrences and higher abundances of taxa usually found at distances offshore of 37 km in other years. The dominant species collected, comprising more than half of the total larval fish abundance, was the northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax). Larval anchovy have rarely been collected inshore in previous studies. Many of the dominant taxa normally found inshore, especially osmerids, were present in reduced numbers in 1983. Changes in the hydrographic conditions associated with onshore surface drift and reduced summer upwelling during the 1983 El Niño could explain the distributional patterns observed. The warm inshore waters apparently provided a substantial spatial and temporal expansion of the spawning habitat for E. mordax.     

废黄河口海域潮流动力与悬沙输运特征

根据2006年废黄河口海域的悬沙、流速、流向的观测资料,应用短期资料的潮流准调和分析方法,对连续海流资料进行了分析,并结合悬沙资料,对悬沙质量浓度与潮流之间的动力关系进行了探讨.研究结果表明:该海域潮流属于正规半日潮流,潮流以往复流为主,离岸越远,旋转性越强;涨潮流流向以SSE为主,落潮流流向以NNW为主.悬沙质量浓度...     

Differences in physiological response to increased seawater temperature in nearshore and offshore corals in northern Vietnam

Effects of elevated seawater temperature show high spatial heterogeneity and variation within and among coral species. The objective of this study was to investigate how two coral species, Porites lutea and Galaxea fascicularis, from two high latitude reefs differently exposed to chronic disturbance, respond to elevated seawater temperatures. Corals were collected from reefs nearshore (i.e. subjected to high sediment load, higher chlorophyll α concentrations, turbidity etc.) and offshore (i.e. less exposed). The corals were exposed in the lab to gradually increasing temperatures (25.5-33.5?°C) for 72?h after which they were allowed to recover to ambient temperature (25.5?°C) for 24?h. Production and respiration were measured after 24, 48, 72 and 96?h. The results show that P. lutea from nearshore reefs suffered an initial decrease in gross primary production/respiration (GP/R) ratio after 24?h, after only a moderate temperature increase (+2?°C, from 25.5 to 27.5?°C), while there was no difference in GP/R ratio between heat-exposed and controls the other days, indicating that the chronic disturbance in the nearshore reef had no effect on their thermotolerance. Furthermore, P. lutea from the offshore reef showed a decrease in GP/R ratio both after 24?h and 72?h (33.5?°C) of exposure. In comparison, G. fascicularis showed a decrease in GP/R ratio after 48?h, 72?h and 96?h of exposure for the nearshore corals. Also, after 72?h these corals had withdrawn their polyps. There were no differences between heat-treated and controls for the offshore G. fascicularis. This implies that the chronically disturbed G. fascicularis had lower thermotolerance when exposed to a temperature increase. This study, hence, shows that the response of corals to elevated seawater temperature varies with species and environmental background history.     

Reactive mercury on the Scotian Shelf and in the adjacent northwest Atlantic Ocean

Depth profiles of reactive Hg were measured at four stations, two on the Scotian Shelf and two in the adjacent waters of the NW Atlantic. The average concentration of Hg from the Shelf stations (2.2 pM) was similar to the levels found at two deep stations offshore (2.3 pM) and previously in the Sargasso Sea. No major water column features were evident in any of the profiles.A series of surface samples were collected on a transect from the mouth of Halifax harbour to a station 400 km offshore. This transect showed a rapid decrease in Hg with increased distance from shore, with most of the gradient at the inshore end of the transect.     

Offshore sand sources for beach replenishment: Potential borrows on the continental shelf of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Erosion of sandy beaches is a worldwide problem that elicits innovative geoengineer‐ing techniques to reduce adverse impacts of shoreline retreat. Beach replenishment has emerged as the “soft”; shore‐stabilization technique of choice for mitigating beach erosion. This method of shore protection involves the addition of sand to the littoral sediment budget for sacrificial purposes. Because inland sand sources are often uneconomical or impractical to use, and known nearshore sources are limited, finding adequate quantities of suitable sand on the inner continental shelf is often vital to beach replenishment projects. The technical studies of survey and materials analysis that identify and delineate usable sand sources are sometimes almost as expensive as small‐project dredging, pumping, and placing the sand on the beach as fill. Inadequate quantity or substandard quality of shelf sand, as well as often‐prohibitive overhead expenses, thus compel shoreline managers to seek suitable sand sources offshore.

In the study area off the central‐west coast of Florida, offshore potential borrow areas (PBAs) were identified on the basis of studies conducted in reconnoitory and detailed phases. Sophisticated state‐of‐the‐art equipment used in this investigation provided more detailed subbottom mapping information than is normally obtained with conventional seismic equipment. An example of sand exploration studies was incorporated in a 215‐km² survey of offshore areas by conducting bathymetric surveys and subbottom seismic profiling, collecting jet probes, grab samples, and vibrocores, and analyzing sediment grading in subsamples from vibrocores. These combined analyses indicated that at least 8.8 ×10⁶ m³ of sand is available in potential borrow areas from 7.0 to 12 km offshore in water depths of 8.0 to 11.5 m. In the PBAs, mean grain size of sand falls into the range 0.13–0.53 mm, sorting averages 0.65–1.31ø, and the overall silt content varies from 3.9–8.5%. High silt contents (13–19%) mapped in some areas make these sedimentary deposits unsuitable as fill for artificial beach renourishment.     

Kinematics of breaking tsunami wavefronts: A data set from large scale laboratory experiments

This paper provides an overview of a new large scale laboratory data set on the kinematics of breaking tsunami wavefronts. The aim of the experiments was to provide an open access data set for model testing, calibration and verification, with particular emphasis on fluid kinematics in the wave breaking and run-up (swash) zones. The experiments were performed over a composite slope in the tsunami wave basin at the O. H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University. Data for ten different wave conditions were collected, including non-breaking and breaking waves, and both shore breaks and fully developed long bores.Surface elevation and fluid kinematics were measured with a closely spaced array of surface piercing wave gauges, non-contact ultrasonic wave gauges and four 3-D side-looking Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters. The array was traversed from the nearshore (depth = 0.2 m) to the middle and upper run-up zone, providing kinematic data at 30 cross-shore locations. Video was also recorded from 4 cameras covering the propagation, breaking and run-up zones. Surface elevation, flow velocities and the wave maker displacement were also recorded to provide offshore boundary conditions.The experiments include conditions with wave heights up to 0.55 m, notional wave periods up to 20 s and run-up lengths of up to 15.2 m on a 1/30 slope. In terms of the slope in the shoaling and breaker zones, the data correspond to Iribarren numbers in the range of 0.26–5.6. Raw, calibrated and processed data are stored with open access within the OSU Tsunami Wave Basin Experiment Notebook, which provides full access to all the wave maker control signals, data, instrument coordinates, and processing and plotting software. This paper serves as an introduction to the data set, demonstrates data quality and provides an initial analysis of some key parameters that govern the impact of tsunami events, including run-up versus offshore wave conditions and nearshore bore height, the maximum inundation depths at the original shoreline position, and the time to maximum inundation depth and flow reversal. Examples of temporal and convective accelerations and turbulent flow components are also presented to illustrate further details of the kinematics.     

Hydroid assemblages from Mar del Plata,Argentina, at depths between 0 and 500 m. Distribution and biological substrata

The first studies on hydroids of the subantarctic region (SW Atlantic Ocean) were based on samples from expeditions to the Antarctic at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. In spite of these works, hydroids from the northern Argentine continental shelf remained unknown until the 1960s. In coastal waters off Mar del Plata, studies on hydroids have been few in number and limited to species described from preserved material. Even rudimentary ecological information is lacking in these reports. Over the past few decades, samples from oceanographic expeditions, and specimens collected directly from the intertidal rocky shore or by means of scuba diving and snorkeling, have provided heretofore unpublished information on hydropolyps of the Mar del Plata region. The goal of this work is to analyze the hydroid fauna of the Mar del Plata coast, including bathymetric distributions, frequencies of occurrence, and biological substrata. A total of 36 species were included. Most were found at depths shallower than 8 m, where hard substrates predominated. Numbers of species decreased markedly below 80 m. The shallow-water hydroid fauna of Mar del Plata comprises a large number of cosmopolitan or widely distributed species. In deeper zones, species with subantarctic or south hemisphere distributions predominated. Hard bottom outcrops were surrounded by extensive areas of sand. Although such substrata are unfavorable for most hydroids, many species were found in soft bottom areas on polychaete tubes. Stems of hydroids provided the greatest number of epizoic species (18), followed by polychaete tubes (16 species) and sponges (15 species). Hydroids, bivalve mollusks, and sponges were the most frequent substrates. Colonies grew less frequently on bryozoans and tunicates. This general scheme changed at greater depths, where the most frequent substrates were polychaete tubes and sponges.     

Abundance and distribution of avian and marine mammal predators of sardine observed during the 2005 KwaZulu-Natal sardine run survey

Opportunistic observations to determine the relative abundance and distribution of marine mammal and seabird predators of sardine Sardinops sagax were carried out during a dedicated multidisciplinary research survey off the South African east coast in June and July of 2005 that was timed to coincide with the annual sardine run. Associations between different predator species, between predators and clupeoids, and between predators and oceanographic variables, were examined. Species’ distributions were primarily separated by latitude and distance from shore. Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni, African penguin Spheniscus demersus, Cape cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis and West Coast round herring Etrumeus whiteheadi were predominantly found in the cool southern part of the survey region. Peak sardine run activity occurred within 4 km of shore at the northward limit of a strip of cool water (<21 °C) stretching along the East Coast. The principal predators associated with this activity were common dolphins Delphinus capensis and Cape gannets Morus capensis, and their nearshore distribution was associated with sardine and East Coast round herring E. teres. Few clupeoids were encountered along the KwaZulu-Natal continental shelf, although patches of high sardine abundance were recorded near the shore immediately south of Durban. It is clear that during the 2005 survey the sardine run terminated in this region, probably as a result of the nearshore intrusion of warm water from the Agulhas Current.