Uptake of petroleum hydrocarbons by the Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis L.) after Experimental Oiling and High Pressure, Hot Water Shore cleaning

High pressure, hot water shore cleaning after an oil spill will release high concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons to ambient marine ecosystems. The immediate increase of hydrocarbons observed in blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, went from background concentrations of 40 μg/g to 657 μg/g and 533 μg/g at a distance of 3 and 8m respectively from the shore. After two weeks the accumulated oil had decreased by 20–45 %. In comparison natural surf and ice cleaning of shores will only produce a small increase in hydrocarbon concentrations. We recommend that high pressure, hot water cleaning is not used in areas where no special bird or wild life protection is needed.     

Effects of the MV Rena oil spill on intertidal rocky reefs in the Bay of Plenty,New Zealand

In the weeks following the 2011 Rena oil spill, a series of surveys was initiated on eight rocky intertidal reefs to describe the distribution of oil and to assess the impacts of oil on ecological communities. Consistent but relatively low cover of oil occurred at two sites (Mt Maunganui and Moturiki). The area covered by oil had decreased by c. 90% after 5 months due to natural weathering processes. There were immediate effects of oil fouling on the mussel Limnoperna pulex and its associated fauna, with reductions in the number of mussels and infaunal taxonomic richness. However, no ecological effects on any of the communities were detectable after 1 month. Overall, the ecological effects of the Rena oil spill on rocky shore intertidal communities were small and not long-lasting, but we stress that this does not consider potential sublethal effects and their consequences on organisms.     

Shore exposure affects mussel population structure and mediates the effect of epibiotic algae on mussel survival in SW Ireland

On rocky shores, the relative importance of abiotic and biotic processes that regulate community structure are thought to vary with levels of shore exposure. This can lead to characteristic features found on sheltered and exposed shores. This study identified differences in the population structure of mussels on exposed and sheltered rocky shores on Atlantic coasts of south-west Ireland. Direct interactions between epibiotic algae and their host mussels were also examined to test if potential effects varied with shore exposure. Mussel beds on sheltered shores were less dense and comprised larger mussels with greater rates of individual survival and growth than those on exposed shores. The results of a field experiment showed that algal epibionts had a negative effect on mussel survival on sheltered shores but not on exposed shores. Surprisingly, the presence of algal epibionts had no effect on mussel growth on either shore type. These findings contrast with those of previous studies. The effects of shore exposure and algal epibionts on mussels may be species-specific and may interact with other factors across different regions. This study shows that predictions of effects of exposure on mussel populations and their epibionts should only be based on specific experimental evidence and cannot be generalised across regions.     

Mapping oil spill environmental sensitivity in Cardoso Island State Park and surroundings areas, São Paulo, Brazil

This study presents an environmental oil spill sensitivity map of Cardoso Island State Park, located in São Paulo state, Brazil, including some of its surrounding areas. This map was designed following the procedures determined by the Brazilian Federal Environment Organ (Ministry of the Environment), which separates coastal habitats in different littoral sensitivity indexes (LSI) to oil spills. We have also analysed some seasonal variations in morphologic and textural parameters at the local marine beaches that could affect their sensitivity, having found that they are more sensitive during summer due to a wider foreshore zone during these periods. Local most sensitive habitats are estuarine mangroves (LSI 10) and estuarine mud banks (LSI 9). Marine beaches were ranked LSI 3, and littoral rocky shores were subdivided in exposed flat rocky shores (LSI 1), boulder rocky shores (LSI 6) and sheltered rocky shores (LSI 8). Due to the elevated sensitivity of an estuarine system in the area, we considered necessary the installation of an Environmental Emergency Centre and the design of an emergency plan for the region in case of an accident resulting in oil spills within its vicinities.     

舟山岩相潮间带动物群落结构的研究

本文应用数理统计方法研究了舟山海区岩岸潮间带中26个测站的春季动物群落结构。根据26个站的位置分为近岸区、近外海区和外海区3个区域。各站均以软体动物和甲壳动物为群落主要组成成分,群落种类组成数从近岸到外海呈增长趋势,且优势种亦从低盐种类向高盐种类演替。近岸区群落主要优势种为短滨螺Littorina brevicula、粗糙滨螺L.scabra、僧帽牡蛎Ostrea cucullata、白脊藤壶Balanus albicostatus等;近外海区为短滨螺、粒结节滨螺Nodilittorinaexigua、僧帽牡蛎、鳞笠藤壶Tetraclita squamosa squamosa、白脊藤壶等;外海区为粒结节滨螺,疣荔枝螺Purpura clavigera、条纹隔贻贝Septifer virgatus、日本笠藤壶T.japonica及藻类等。但群落个体密度和生物量从近岸到外海呈减少趋势。从近岸到外海,群落的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数H和Pielou均匀度J均增加,而McNaughton优势度D减少。群落结构从近岸到外海渐趋复杂。但整体上,舟山海区岩岸春季动物群落结构是比较简单的(绝大多数断面H值小于2.50,J值小于0.5。而D值大于0.6)。近外海区的群落结构比较相似于外海区的群落。根据平均聚类分析,这26个群落可以分为三个生态类型,即隐蔽性岩岸群落,半隐蔽性岩岸群落及开敞性岩岸群落。     

渤海溢油污染高风险岸滩判别及清理技术研究

渤海海上油气的开发增大了沿岸岸滩环境的溢油污染风险,针对溢油污染岸滩采取高效的油污清理技术对岸滩环境保护具有重要意义。文章对岸滩类型及其常用清理技术进行介绍,在对渤海溢油污染高风险岸滩进行判别的基础上,针对性地提出各区段岸滩的溢油清理技术手段,如利用油污真空回收车、低压水冲洗和铺设天然吸附物、高低压冷热水冲洗、高压热水冲洗和喷洒消油剂或表面清洗剂等,为渤海沿岸岸滩可能发生的溢油污染的处置工作提供辅助决策。     

Low-crested coastal defence structures as artificial habitats for marine life: Using ecological criteria in design

Coastal defence structures to protect sedimentary coastlines from erosion and flooding are increasingly common throughout Europe. They will become more widespread over the next 10–30 years in response to rising and stormier seas and accelerating economic development of the coastal zone. Building coastal defences results in the loss and fragmentation of sedimentary habitats and their replacement by artificial rocky habitats that become colonised by algae and marine animals. The engineering design and construction of these structures have received considerable attention. However, the ecological consequences of coastal defences have been less extensively investigated. Furthermore, due to their rapid proliferation, there is a growing need to understand the role of these man-made habitats in the coastal ecosystems in order to implement impact minimisation and/or mitigation measures.As part of the DELOS project, targeted studies were carried out throughout Europe to assess the ecological similarity of low-crested coastal defence structures (LCS) to natural rocky shores and to investigate the influence of LCS design features on the colonising marine epibiota. LCSs can be considered as a relatively poor surrogate of natural rocky shores. Epibiotic communities were qualitatively similar to those on natural rocky shores as both habitats are regulated by the same physical and biological factors. However, there were quantitative differences in the diversity and abundance of epibiota on artificial structures. Typically, epibiotic assemblages were less diverse than rocky shore communities. Also, LCSs offered less structurally complex habitats for colonisation and in some locations experienced higher disturbance than natural shores. We propose several criteria that can be integrated into the design and construction of LCSs to minimise ecological impacts and allow targeted management of diversity and natural living resources.     

Variations in crab claw morphology and diet across contrasting inter‐tidal habitats

Crabs are important predators of inter‐tidal ecosystems, controlling the abundance and distribution of their prey populations. Often the same crab species occupies several habitats and, although their effects on prey have been quantified across habitats, crabs’ dietary and morphological responses to differing environmental influences have been overlooked. Here, we used the crabs Eriphia verrucosa and Pachygrapsus marmoratus as model species to examine differences in claw morphometry – size and wear – and diet between rocky shore and heterogeneous sand flat habitats. We predicted that, intra‐specifically, crabs from rocky shores would consume more hard‐shelled prey owing to their high availability and consequently, would display chelipeds with the following claw characteristics: a higher degree of claw damage, stronger musculature (higher propel height) and increased mechanical advantage (defined as the ratio of input lever length to output lever length) than crabs in the heterogeneous sand flat habitats. Sampling was performed in heterogeneous sand flat habitats and rocky shores of the Central Portuguese coast. For each crab species, carapace width, diet composition and several claw morphometric measures were recorded, revealing significant intra‐specific differences (using multivariate analysis) between shore types. We found that E. verrucosa and P. marmoratus consumed more hard prey on rocky shore than on sand flat habitats, which resulted in rocky shore crabs having more accentuated dentition wear and larger musculature than their sand flat habitat counterparts. We suggest that the strong response of crab claw morphometry to environmentally induced diet variations is an important mechanism in the successful adaptation of crab species to inhabit differing habitats. A major implication is that the impact of the same species on prey may vary largely with habitat type as a result of predation efficiency varying with claw condition.     

宁波海岛期间带生态学研究──Ⅱ．数量组成与分布

本文研究了宁波海岛潮间带的生物数量组成与分布规律。岩礁潮间带平均生物量（２５１２．９４ｇ／ｍ２）高于沙质潮间带（４７．６４ｇ／ｍ２）高于泥沙质潮间带（２２．３６ｇ／ｍ２），而密度为岩礁潮间带（９８７．２个／ｍ２）高于泥沙质潮间带（２８１．２个／ｍ２）高于沙质潮间带（２０．０个／ｍ２）。主要生物类群有甲壳动物、藻类及软体动物。岩礁潮间带生物量从近岸向外海增加。泥沙质潮间带的生物量和密度从北至南增加。     

Instruments for investigating shore and nearshore processes

Abstract

On shingle beaches, changes in foreshore elevation and sediment distribution landward of the break point are produced largely by variations in the uprush and backwash of waves. However, very little is known about the forces active in this zone.

A field instrument system which senses and records some of the parameters thought to influence beach erosion and deposition in this zone has been constructed. The equipment is also suitable for the investigation of a number of other shore and nearshore processes including erosion on sandy and rocky shores, and flow processes affecting littoral biological communities.

In the swash zone two sensing heads, a dynamometer and a depth recorder, sense variations in uprush and backwash velocities, energies, discharges, and depths of flow. Both devices are electromechanical and are coupled to a recording unit on land by PVC‐insulated cable. The dynamometer (two force plates mounted back‐to‐back on a compression spring and coupled to variable resistances) has been calibrated, statically and in a flume, to obtain velocity determinations accurate to within 10 cm . sec^?1 of true flow speed. Average swash zone velocities lie between 100 and 300 cm . sec^?1.

A parallel‐wire resistance gauge mounted an a stilling tube records flow depths. As water level rises and falls in the tube it alters resistance in a control circuit. The land unit, amplifiers and a strip‐chart recorder, receives the output from the dynamometer and flow depth gauge. The recorder is equipped with a trip‐pen so that analysis of wave periods or other variables is possible in the field. With poles at known spacings across the shore and the trip‐pen records, velocity distributions across the swash zone can be obtained. Measurements of velocity made near the bed with the dynamometer can then be related to the local surface velocity profile.

Problems with the instrument system include inability to record velocities at several points simultaneously, and unreliable records of backwash parameters with low breakers on shingle beaches because of the small volume of flow and rapid percolation of water into the beach face.     

Variability of shore and shoreline evolution

Shore and shoreline evolution both due to natural and human-induced causes or factors can be variable over a wide range of different temporal and/or spatial scales. Our capability to understand and especially predict this variability is still limited. This can lead to misinterpretation of coastal change information, which hampers informed decision making and the subsequent design and implementation of (soft) engineering interventions. Collecting and describing example observations of shore and shoreline variability is one way to support and improve such human intervention. This paper describes causes and factors for the variability and the resulting possible evolutions of wave-dominated shores and shorelines, which are illustrated by a number of case studies. The new element of this work is that the variability is described in terms of a range of different time and space scales, which helps to structure such analysis. However, it is difficult to generalise the results for arbitrary situations, especially on decadal time scales. Scientific and engineering improvements require more quantitative insight into the physical mechanisms behind the free and forced shore behaviour responsible for the variability.     

莱州湾环境污染遥感信息提取试验

采用Landsat 图像跨度40 多年数据, 利用遥感手段对莱州湾7 大排污口环境污染状况进行了遥感信息提取试验, 结果显示与多年来分析调查的结果一致, 即通过入海排放口水色变化以及像素分析发现自20 世纪90 年代以来, 莱州湾海水污染逐年加重; 通过MODI 数据和ENVISATASAR数据分析提取了莱州湾2011 年的海温变化、叶绿素浓度分布和海面溢油信息, 结果显示该区域近岸海温和叶绿素浓度偏高, 海上溢油风险加大。研究结果表明, 利用遥感技术能有效地提取海区环境污染信息, 可以作为监控海水污染的有效手段之一。     

The Dynamics of an Introduced: Balanus glandula Population in the Southwestern Atlantic Rocky Shores. The Consequences on the Intertidal Community*

Abstract. This paper deals with the population dynamics of the introduced barnacle Balanus glandula in a port shelter and a rocky shore exposed of a southwestern Atlantic area. Replicated areas in both zones were denuded monthly and censused in both the high intertidal and the upper mid intertidal zone. The settlement pattern. recruitment, mortality and growth of B. glandula and a comparative successional pattern in both areas were recorded. Recruitment began in winter, i.e., July in the port and August in the rocky shore. In the port, green algae dominate up to a final community of Balanus glandula all along the intertidal, while in rocky shores the red encrusting alga Hildenbrandia lecanellieri establishes a cover that is replaced by the mytilid Brachidontes rodriguezi in the mid intertidal and by B. glandula in the high intertidal and upper mid intertidal. B. glandula densities were greater in the upper mid intertidal 19 600 and 5050 indiv. · m^-2 in the port and rocky shore, respectively than in the high intertidal 13600 and 1100 indiv.· m^-2, respectively. Mortality was greater in the port up to 62%, but heavy settlement allows a final density 4 times greater than in eulittoral rocky shores and 10 times greater than in the high intertidal. The winter reproduction of Balanus glandula, the absence of predators, the neutral or beneficial effect of algae. with spatial and temporal partitioning of substrate allows it to successfully outcompete mussels and other barnacle species from the intertidal community of both sheltered and exposed areas.     

Patterns of distribution and abundance of the stalked barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) in the central and southwest coast of continental Portugal

The stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes is a cirriped crustacean that lives on very exposed rocky shores. This barnacle is the most important economical resource on intertidal rocky shores of continental Portugal. It is highly prized as food and heavily exploited (professional and recreational fishery), but fishery data are scarce and do not estimate the real pressure upon this resource.Despite its socio-economic interest, specific regulations on this fishery are recent and different along the Portuguese coast. Four regions with different regulation can be identified: the marine reserve “Reserva Natural das Berlengas” (RNB) and the marine park “Parque Marinho Prof. Luiz Saldanha” (PMLS) (both in central Portugal); the natural park located in SW Portugal (“Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina”, PNSACV); and the rest of the coast.The main objective of the present study was to study the spatial patterns of percentage cover, biomass, density and size structure of P. pollicipes in areas with different exploitation regimes, including harvested areas and no-take areas. Additionally, variability between mid shore and low shore barnacles was also analysed.Seven areas were sampled with a variable number of sites (a total of 24) randomly sampled in each area during 2011. Photographs and image analysis (percentage cover) and destructive sampling (density, biomass and size) were used.In general, percentage cover, biomass and density were higher in mid shore when compared to low shore, namely in harvested areas. Low shore barnacles had a higher proportion of adults with moderate and high commercial value, while juveniles were relatively more abundant at mid shore.There were no consistent differences in the patterns of distribution and abundance of P. pollicipes among areas subject to different exploitation regimes. The most different area was the harvested area by professional fishers in RNB, where the highest biomass within the study was registered (mid shore, 7.7 kg·m^− 2). Barnacles within this area presented a higher proportion of adults with commercial value, while recruits and juveniles were relatively more abundant in other areas.The hypothesis of a highest percentage cover, density and biomass in the low shore of no-take sites was not supported.     

Field experiments on the effects of crude oil and dispersant on the common animals and plants of rocky sea shores

In experiments on the Somerset coast, Forties crude oil and BP 1100WD dispersant were sprayed on to small areas of the rocky shore over a period of several days to stimulate conditions following an oil spill. Detailed observations were made at monthly intervals of marked 0.1 m² quadrats within (and without) the treated areas. Some areas received oil only, others dispersant only, and the third set received oil followed by dispersant.The experiments were in two parts, the one to simulate a July incident and the other a January incident.Limpets and the small winkles living in and between empty barnacle shells were the most obviously affected organisms. The sites that received both oil and dispersant were most seriously upset, but the oil areas came next. The effect of BP 1100WD on its own as applied in this experiment was relatively slight.     

Long-term changes in rocky intertidal macrobenthos during the five years after the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hebei Spirit</Emphasis> oil spill,Taean, Korea

The Hebei Spirit oil spill reached the west coast of Taean County, Korea, on December 7, 2007. At that time, this was the largest oil spill that had occurred in the country. The incident devastated local marine ecosystems. In this study, we examined changes in these ecosystems and the recovery pattern on impacted rocky shores. Macrobenthos monitoring of polluted and control sites was performed seasonally from January 2008 through October 2013. At polluted sites, ecological indices increased gradually from 2009, thereby providing evidence of recovery. However, the mean density of macrobenthos was still less than 50% of the level at the control site, indicating that the ecological status of the polluted sites has still not recovered to that which prevailed before the oil spill. Although densities of the most dominant species were higher in the control site than in polluted sites, the densities of Lottia spp. and Odostomia aomori were higher in polluted sites. These two taxa were found in lower numbers at the control site, where they were out-competed by Chthamalus challengeri. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination divided the macrobenthic community structure into three clusters according to differences in the abundance of dominant species over the 6 years after the oil spill. An ANOSIM test detected significant differences between the polluted and control sites. Consistent long-term differences indicate that complete recovery had not occurred during the duration of our study.     

Spatial variability of intertidal rocky shore assemblages in the northwest coast of Portugal

The spatial variability of rocky shore assemblages of the northwest Portuguese coast was studied in a total of 12 transects, visited twice between March and August 2003. Each transect was positioned from the upper to the lower shore and four replicate samples (50 × 50 cm) were taken at each visually identified assemblage. Multivariate analysis was used to test the null hypothesis of no significant differences among assemblages located on different heights along the transect and among assemblages located at the same height on different transects. The distribution pattern of organisms along the height was not consistent across transects and significant variability could be found in assemblages located at the same height on the shore. Globally, the variability from the lower to the upper shore (vertical axis) was larger than from transect to transect (horizontal axis) but the distribution pattern along height was clearer in sheltered transects than in exposed ones. The heterogeneity in composition between the visually identified assemblages, within the same transect, was, however, the major source of variability in the study area. In the rocky intertidal northwest coast of Portugal, where tidal amplitude is broad and extremely wave-exposed sites are scarce, height above chart datum was the most important factor determining the distribution and species composition of the assemblages. However, variability along the horizontal axis was also significant and should be considered in studies of spatial patterns of distribution of organisms within this area.     

Macroalgal turfs in the Azores

Studies on macroalgal communities of the Azores report algal turfs as one of the most conspicuous ecological entities occurring on the rocky shores of these islands. The present study investigates the influence of shore height and substratum on turf composition. Data were analysed using the software PRIMER and results confirmed the previous distinction between calcareous, dominated by articulated coralline algae, and non-calcareous turfs, characterized mainly by small red algae. However, no differences in species composition were found in either type of turf occurring on different substrata or at different shore levels.     

Habitat provision of barnacle tests for overcrowded periwinkles

In habitats where competition for space is a shaping force of animal distribution such as in the intertidal rocky ecosystem, new habitats are readily taken by colonising species. We examined the importance of empty Chthamalus spp. tests as a habitat for the intertidal common periwinkle Melaraphe neritoides on Portuguese rocky shores. The role played by the space between neighbouring barnacles as a habitat for other species has been largely studied with regard to how an ecosystem functions, whereas the equivalent role of empty barnacle tests remains largely unknown. The small periwinkle is one of the most abundant snails in European rocky shores and is an important prey for key mobile predators. Biological facilitation is common in the rocky intertidal zone, where biological structures often potentiate the abundance of other species. The role played by barnacles as biological facilitators through habitat provision is not fully understood. In this study, the abundance and morphometric features of empty barnacle tests and their occupants were examined across shore levels and shores with differing exposures, as these are important gradients explaining barnacle distribution. The availability of empty barnacle tests was also experimentally manipulated to examine the percentage, time and length of occupation. Empty barnacles were more abundant on the midshore of sheltered shores and barnacle tests were wider on the upper shore but taller on the midshore. The minimum barnacle test occupation rate by the periwinkle was 70%. Barnacle shell height was an important factor determining snail occupation, where taller barnacles harboured significantly more, but not necessarily larger, snails. Snails outside the barnacle tests were significantly larger than those found within, suggesting that this crustacean group has an increased importance as a habitat for juvenile snails, thus potentially influencing the population dynamics of M. neritoides. We found that occupation of experimentally created empty barnacles was extremely high (70%) on the day after, and remained at 100% after 3 months of monitoring. Our study is the first of its kind to focus on the features of barnacle tests that snails occupy and their occupying snail traits. According to our results, it is clear that barnacles have an important role in providing additional habitat for young gastropods. The small periwinkle is an important grazer and prey for intertidal and subtidal foraging predators; hence, the potential refuge role of barnacle tests for juvenile M. neritoides may be important in the dynamics of intertidal communities.