Is there a need for a new governance model for regionalised Fisheries Management? Implications for science and advice

Over the years, the breadth and depth of EU marine policy has increased with revisions of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and new legislation like the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) and the Framework for Marine Spatial Planning Directive in Europe (FMSP). Not only do these different policies have different remits and hence scope, they also present a multitude of modes of implementation. Although the CFP and MSFD have many common goals when it comes to conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources, they differ substantially in governance set up and implementation modalities, including the underlying scientific advisory processes and structures. Regional cooperation and coordination is foreseen, but there is no governance model in place to coordinate requests for scientific advice, nor institutions coordinating the activities of advice providers, either across policies or across regions. This results in an increase in uncoordinated requests for scientific advice yet the pool of experts fuelling the advisory system is limited. As a result the European marine scientific advisory system is increasingly under pressure. In this paper the consequences of this problem are analysed and a redesign of the institutional governance setting to accommodate these challenges and make the science and advice system ready for the future is explored.     

Dynamic Load Analysis for Towlines

- Based on the curve equation of towline in towing, this paper introduces the new concepts of the coefficient of shape extension and comprehensive extension of towline, infers related calculation formulas, and then gives some quantitative analyses on the magnitude of dynamic loads acting on the towline and the measures to increase the capacity of towline against the dynamic loads.     

Asymptotic Analysis Methods for Structural Reliability

- Applying Laplace asymptotic approximation of integral, asymptotic analysis methods of structural reliability are proposed in generalized and orthogonal random space. Analytic results show that the proposed methods are simple in calculation and accurate enough for problems of continuous random variables.     

New Eulerian-Lagrangian Method for Salinity Calculation

A difference scheme in curvilinear coordinates is put forward for calculation of salinity in estuaries and coastal waters, which is based on Eulerian-Lagrangian method. It combines first-order and second-order Lagrangian interpolation to reduce numerical dispersion and oscillation. And the length of the curvilinear grid is also considered in the interpolation. Then the scheme is used in estuary, coast and ocean model, and several numerical experiments for the Yangtze Estuary and the Hangzhou Bay are conducted to test it. These experiments show that it is suitable for simulations of salinity in estuaries and coastal waters with the models using curvilinear coordinates.     

Can management effort be predicted for marine protected areas? New considerations for network design

This study examined the level of management complexity (simultaneously occurring licensed human activities) within the currently designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scottish waters and through modelling and statistical analysis determined which variables play an important role in defining the level of management effort required for each MPA. This study utilised surveyed distribution data for Priority Marine Features and modelled distribution data showing potential “Most Suitable” Priority Marine Feature habitat through the species distribution model, Maxent. Prediction indicators were developed through Spearman׳s Rank coefficients and a linear regression model. Results showed that, (1) there was a significant negative correlation between the management complexity score within 5 km of a MPA and the number of casework events (defined as any work or statutory consultation associated with an MPA, such as planning applications, discharges or new fisheries); and (2) a significant positive correlation between the number of casework events and location, number of features, and the type of features and most suitable scores. Calculations showed that Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh, Loch Sunart, Loch Sween and Loch Creran may potentially require most effort to manage once they are designated as MPAs. This study showed that it is possible to evaluate options within an MPA network to achieve cost effective options for the biodiversity and socio-economic objectives of MPA networks and that some MPAs are likely to be more efficient than others in terms of management time.     

Acceptance of the international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution – And its implications for China

The international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution has been successful in providing adequate and prompt compensation to pollution victims in its member states. Nevertheless, the attitudes of different countries toward acceptance of this regime have varied considerably. This paper aims to explain three main factors in the acceptance of the regime, including: (1) The level of economic development; (2) the risk of exposure to tanker oil spills; and (3) the financial burden associated with adherence to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC). Using both fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and an Ordered Probit model, this study found two patterns causing upper-middle and high income countries to have a high acceptance level: (a) Those facing a medium risk of oil spills and having a low financial burden; and (b) those facing a high risk of oil spills. The study reveals that, for a country with a high risk of exposure to tanker oil spills, such as China, with its improvement in economic status it is far better for it to join the IOPC Fund, so as to provide better protection both for potential pollution victims and for the marine environment. The results of this study can also be applied to other countries that are considering whether or not to accept the international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution.     

Time-Domain Analysis for 3-D Moored Systems

In the paper, a comprehensive numerical study on the moored system is performed in time domain. The moored system, which is composed of the floating body sub-system and the mooring line sub-system, is calculated as a whole system by coupling. A time-domain method is applied to the analysis of the mooring line sub-system, and at the same time, an indirect time-domain method translated from frequency-domain to time-domain is developed to calculate the floating body sub-system. In the end, an FPSO vessel is calculated as a numerical example by the present method. A comparison of the result of the model test and that of the numerical method indicates that the present method is exact and effective.     

Application of Subbottom Profiler for Coastal Engineering

Experimental studies have been conducted on the acoustic effects of KLEIN-510 subbottom profiler for different sedimentary layers in estuary and bay areas. Sedimentary layer boundaries can be recorded clearly and continuously by this instrument and then compared with the results from drilling cores to reveal some variations of sedimentary environments. With this instrument, the average deposit rate can be determined and the bed-rock beneath the sea bottom can be found out.     

Efficient computation method for two-dimensional nonlinear waves

I~IOWNUmerics wave tank is a ~ tOOl by which variouS nonlinear wave - ac interactionpwhleln can be treated in time domain. As the face stage, we f~ our efforts on the devious of an effita saution tee~ of fully nofor waves. aam numtried of water - wavesconnected PwhlemS, es~ in a wave tank, is alwayS comas Of PartS: wave generation, P~ and a~. The effi~ Of a nUm~ wave tankdepends not Only on the qwhty Of the wave abotion tecboaue, which allowS the lOng times~ and keePS finite tank leng…     

Marine reserves—the need for networks

Meiofauna associated with bryophyte and gravel habitats in two small alpine streams was investigated to determine its potential importance to stream communities. These invertebrates are traditionally neglected in stream surveys and their ecological roles poorly understood. Twenty‐one operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found during the study, of which at least six were undescribed (two Copepoda and four Acarina). Meiofaunal densities were higher at the unshaded site than the shaded site, and higher within bryophyte than gravel habitats. Stepwise multiple regression analyses illustrated the importance of bryophytes to members of the meiofauna in each stream, and different meiofaunal communities were found associated with aquatic bryophytes and gravels. The high densities of Chironomidae, Nematoda, Copepoda, Tardigrada, and Rotifera associated with bryophytes may reflect the food value of the high periphyton biomass associated with these plants, and the shelter they offer from fast water currents. Although hyporheic meiofaunal taxa are known to move into interstices of mineral substratum for shelter, meiofauna associated with bryophytes dwell among stems and in leaf axils where they also find shelter. Because bryophyte‐dwelling meiofauna occur in very high densities, they probably play an important, if as yet unknown, role in energy transfer in streams.     

A Maximum-Entropy Method for Estimating the Spectrum

Based on the maximum-entropy(ME)principle,a new power spectral estimator for random waves is derived in the form of S～(ω)=a/8H~2(2π)~(d 1)ω~-~((d 2))exp[-b(2π/ω)~n],by solving a variational problem subject to some quite general constraints.This robust method is comprehensive enough to describe the wave spectra even in extreme wave conditions and is superior to periodogram method that is not suitable to process comparatively short or intensively unsteady signals for its tremendous boundary effect and some inherent defects of FFT.Fortunately,the newly derived method for spectral estimation works fairly well,even though the sample data sets are very short and unsteady,and the reliability and efficiency of this spectral estimator have been preliminarily proved.     

Underwater Explosion Technology for Offshore Engineering Applications

- This article briefs how to improve the holding power of a drilling vessel's anchor and to remove those unreasonable structures by such a technology - underwater-explosion technology. The article gives details of the structure, characteristics and applications of a rocket-launched anchor; as well as the principle, properties, applications of directional explosion cutting.