水下打桩和船舶噪声对斑海豹听觉影响的初步分析

通过测定水下打桩和船舶噪声,利用Matlab软件对两类典型海洋噪声的时-频统计特性进行分析,结合斑海豹听阈和发声频域特性,分析水下打桩和船舶噪声对斑海豹的影响.结果表明:水下打桩及船舶噪声的主要能量分布频段(0～4.0 kHz)与斑海豹听阈敏感频段(0.1～ 100.0 kHz)及发声频段(0.4 ～ 1.5 kHz)相重叠;水下打桩噪声所产生的强噪声声源级(206 dB)会高于斑海豹可忍受的最高声源级(190 dB).由此推断,两类噪声会对斑海豹的生境产生严重干扰,轻者可能导致斑海豹的习性改变及感知和交流能力减弱,重者则会造成斑海豹的听阈丧失.本研究为斑海豹的声学保护提供声学参数依据,并为进一步深入研究提供参考.     

Heterogeneous distribution of organochlorine contaminants in the blubber of baleen whales: implications for sampling procedures

The concentration of DDTs and PCBs was determined in two strata (inner and outer) of the blubber of fin and sei whales from the eastern North Atlantic. In the two species residue levels of all organochlorines in the outer layer were significantly higher than in the inner one. The DDE/tDDT ratio did not show significant variation between strata, but the tDDT/PCB ratio was higher in the outer layer than in the inner one. Such differences between strata cannot be explained by variation in the quantity of lipids present in the blubber and probably indicate a constant organochlorine distribution pattern in the blubber of large whales. The differential role of the blubber strata in the fattening cycle, the heterogeneous lipid composition of blubber throughout its depth and the different turnover rates of pollutants in the layers are the probable factors responsible for these observed differences in pollutant distribution between blubber strata. Because of this heterogeneous distribution, blubber samples collected from cetaceans for pollutant analyses should include equal representation of all layers in order to be representative of the individual's pollutant load. This is especially important when sampling stranded specimens or taking biopsy samples from large free-ranging whales.     

Birth of Elephant seal (mirounga leonina) in New Zealand

The first recorded birth of a Southern Elephant seal Mirounga leonina on the New Zealand mainland occurred on 5 November 1967. Though less than half the weight of Macquarie I. neonates, the pup (a male) developed normally and left early in March 1968.     

Pleistocene Ross seal (ommatophoca Rossi) from New Zealand (note)

A fossil seal jaw from the Early Pleistocene (Wanganui Series; Hautawan Stage) of Napier, New Zealand, is identified as that of an Ommatophoca rossi juvenile of less than 1.8 m body length.     

Transport and accumulation of organochlorines in the ovaries of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus)

The role of vitellogenin in the transport of organochlorines was investigated in Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) by exposing them through the diet to o,p′-DDT at a concentration of 10.8 μg/100 g fish/day for 14 days or Aroclor 1254 (PCB) at a concentration of 0.5 mg/100 g fish/day for 30 days during gonadal recrudescence. Tissue samples were taken from the fish at various times after initial exposure, and o,p′-DDT and PCBs were extracted in acetonitrile and analyzed by gas chromatography. Analysis of the ovarian tissue collected 2 and 3 weeks from the start of exposure revealed that the o,p′-DDT concentration increases as the gonadosomatic index (GSI) increases (r² = 0.63), with accumulation ranging from less than 1% to as much as 8% of the total dosage. Interestingly, o,p′-DDT did not accumulate in the testes during the same exposure period. Accumulation of PCBs was found to be 40 times higher in the ovaries than in the testes. Gel filtration of plasma from exposed females showed that o,p′-DDT elutes in the low density lipoprotein and vitellogenin fractions. Control plasma incubated with o,p′-DDT at 4 °C for 16 h followed by chromatography on Sepharose 6B gave similar results with an o,p′-DDT concentration of 0.6μg/mg protein in the vitellogenin fraction. Furthermore, both o,p′-DDT and PCBs were found to bind to purified croaker vitellogenin. These results suggest that lipoproteins, including vitellogenin, are involved in the transport and accumulation of organochlorines in the ovaries of exposed fish.     

cDNA cloning of an aryl hydrocarbon receptor from Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica)

Species differences in sensitivity to related planar halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAH) add significant uncertainty in assessing the ecological risk to aquatic mammals. To investigate mechanisms of PHAH sensitivity in aquatic mammals, we cloned and sequenced the cDNA of Baikal seal aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), an intracellular protein that initiates PHAH-mediated effects. The Baikal seal AHR cDNA has an open reading frame of 843 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 94.6 kDa. Comparison of AHR amino acid sequences indicated a high degree of sequence conservation (98%) between Baikal and harbor seals. The high conservation of AHRs between Baikal and harbor seals indicates that these seals express AHR proteins closely related structurally. In our previous report (Kim & Hahn, 2002), the dioxin-binding affinity of the harbor seal AHR was at least as high as that of the AHR from a dioxin-sensitive strain of mice, suggesting that this seal species may be sensitive to PHAH effects. This implies that Baikal seal may also be sensitive to dioxin effects.     

Spatial distribution and general population characteristics of mysid shrimps in the Westerschelde estuary (SW Netherlands)

The distribution and general population characteristics of five mysid shrimps were investigated in the period 2003–2005 in the Westerschelde estuary, a tidal temperate estuary situated along the Dutch–Belgian border. Multivariate analyses revealed that salinity predominantly governs the spatial distribution of Neomysis integer, Gastrosaccus spinifer, Schistomysis kervillei and Schistomysis spiritus while temperature, and to a lesser extent turbidity, control the distribution of Mesopodopsis slabberi. N. integer is a resident species in the mesohaline zone of the estuary, i.e. all life stages of the species are present in the estuary throughout the year. For the first time since decades N. integer inhabits the oligohaline zone of the estuary supposedly as a consequence of improved oxygen conditions in the upstream reaches. M. slabberi, the most abundant mysid in the Westerschelde, dominates the hyperbenthos of the mesohaline zone of the estuary. The polyhaline zone of the estuary is, most abundantly inhabited by M. slabberi, G. spinifer, S. kervillei and to a lesser extent by S. spiritus. The abundance of the latter four species is low in winter, probably due to a migration towards coastal waters to avoid colder temperatures in the estuary combined with an increased mortality after breeding. The sex ratio of all the mysid populations corresponds to the expected 1:1 female:male ratio and no salinity governed segregation is found between the different life stages of each mysid population. A seasonal variation exists in brood size in the N. integer population regardless of the body size, with a larger number of broods during winter and spring compared to the summer. In the other mysid populations the brood sizes vary only with the length of the ovigerous females.     

Spatial distribution of the phytoplankton in the White Sea during atypical domination of dinoflagellates (July 2009)

The species composition and biomass of phytoplankton, concentrations of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and nutrients, and accompanying hydrophysical conditions have been studied in the White Sea on July 6–11, 2009. The temperature of the surface water layer was lower than the multiyear average in July. Dinoflagellates dominated in the entire studied area; this was not the typical event for July. We suggest that domination of dinoflagellates was caused by low water temperature, when the nutrient regeneration rate was insufficient to support diatom growth. The abundance of microalgae and the structure of the phytoplankton community depended on the water structure. Variations in the phytoplankton community structure were caused not by substitution of specific species but rather by variability of the abundance of a single species, Heterocapsa triquetra. The highest phytoplankton biomass has been recorded in weakly stratified waters, where tidal mixing supplied the income of inorganic nutrients. The income of nutrients to the photic layer was limited in the stratified waters of Dvina Bay during the summer low-water period, so the phytoplankton abundance was low. We suggest that the lens of surface desalinated water presumably originated from the outlet of the Dvina River was registered in the central part of the White Sea.     

Oceanological conditions and reproduction of the spotted seal (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoca larga</Emphasis>) in Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan

The long-term studying of the reproduction of the spotted seal Phoca larga and the analysis of the oceanological conditions in Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan have shown that the ice situation is not right for the successful parturition and breeding of pups due to the impossibility of synchronization of the reproduction processes with the dynamics and properties of the ice substratum. A major factor promoting the spotted seal’s coastal reproduction in this area is the existence of an archipelago of small islands with a specific geomorphological structure. Being the historical norm, the coastal reproduction has a number of advantages in comparison with ice reproduction and, as a whole, allows the existence in Peter the Great Bay of local groupings of the spotted seal with extremely small numbers of members.     

基于地统计学南海北部近海竹荚鱼空间分布特征

竹荚鱼(Trachurus japonicus)是我国南海北部近海主要渔获物之一。根据2014—2017年对南海北部开展的8个航次近海渔业资源和环境调查数据, 采用地统计学方法分析竹荚鱼时空分布特征和相关生态动力过程。结果表明, 竹荚鱼总体布局以低密度为主, 高密度海域较少, 季节性集聚特征明显, 依次为夏季>春季>秋季>冬季。竹荚鱼空间分布具有极强的空间异质性, 空间结构性比例均在75%以上, 变异模型以高斯模型为主, 空间相关距离(变程)大约在0.52°左右, 且季节性特征明显。对地统计参数值和单位捕捞努力量(catch per unit effort, CPUE)的相关关系研究发现, 竹荚鱼资源密度越大, 空间异质性特征越明显。通过统计各向分维值分析竹荚鱼各向异质性特征, 发现西北—东南向的空间异质性较为显著, 表明该方向的海洋动力过程将对竹荚鱼洄游分布产生重要影响。此外, 基于克里格插值分析, 发现竹荚鱼呈西南—东北向洄游分布规律, 空间布局呈片状和斑块状, 且易受极端气候(厄尔尼诺和拉尼娜等事件)影响。     

渤海海洋环境对斑海豹生存影响研究

渤海是斑海豹在我国唯一的繁殖地。研究结果表明,半个多世纪以来,渤海的斑海豹数量减少了80%。尽管我国20世纪末已将斑海豹列为国家Ⅱ级保护野生动物,采取了建立自然保护区等一系列措施,但在海洋生态环境持续恶化的情况下,其数量仍不断减少。近年来,随着海洋环境的改善,斑海豹的数量有了明显回升。本文从海冰面积、鱼类资源以及水质污染等方面分析了渤海海洋环境的状况,探讨了斑海豹数量变化的原因。本文研究可为我国有关部门在制定渤海环境保护政策时提供参考。     

Spatial and ecologic distribution of neglected microinvertebrate communities across endangered ecosystems: meiofauna in Bali (Indonesia)

Biodiversity estimations, particularly in vulnerable tropical regions, are essential to understanding ecosystem structure, function and conservation. While threats to marine and terrestrial ecosystems have fueled increased interest in biodiversity research, information on meiofauna, a key trophic and ecologic community of microscopic organisms that lives within sediments, is still lacking. Here we report the results of a faunistic investigation conducted in Bali, Indonesia. The results reveal that the biodiversity of marine meiofauna in Bali is very high. Meiofauna from coral reefs, sand flats and seagrass beds differed significantly in abundance and diversity. Nonetheless, overall community compositions show that meiofauna communities are affected by environmental variables. The high meiofaunal diversity observed in Bali, a low diversity region of the Coral Triangle, indicates the importance of further meiofaunal research across this region and across a broader diversity of habitats. The data presented provide an important baseline for future studies on biodiversity conservation in the face of environmental changes due to anthropogenic impacts and/or natural events.     

Spatial spring distribution of the copepod Eurytemora affinis (Copepoda,Calanoida) in a restoring estuary,the Scheldt (Belgium)

The spatial spring distribution of Eurytemora affinis (adults and C5) in the Scheldt estuary (Belgium) brackish and freshwater reaches was studied in between 1996 and 2007. The bulk of the E. affinis population being generally situated in the brackish water reach (salinity > 0.5); we studied which environmental factors are responsible for its recent sporadic occurrence in the freshwater estuarine reach. Using PLS analysis, it is shown that its presence upstream is limited by a sufficient oxygen concentration (>4 mg l⁻¹) that is associated with temperature. Not only are the environmental conditions in the upstream zone important, but also the frequent presence of an O₂ minimum zone in the mid-estuary (O₂ min < 1.3 mg l⁻¹) seems to block the movement of the downstream E. affinis population in an upstream direction. Occasionally, the bulk of the population is however situated upstream. During these periods, high E. affinis abundance was also observed in the Durme tributary. Our findings suggest the possibility to use E. affinis as an “indicator” species of water quality, but also lead us to stress the necessity to consider conditions over the entire estuary when studying restoration effects, not exclusively in the zone of interest.