Growth of juvenile round herring Etrumeus whiteheadi in the Benguela system

The clupeoid Etrumeus whiteheadi, known locally as the round herring, is an important component of the commercial purse-seine catch off South Africa. Three methods are employed to estimate the growth of juvenile round herring: examination of annual hyaline rings on fish otoliths, examination of daily growth increments on the otoliths, and analysis of length frequency distributions. The results show that fish smaller than 120 mm are less than one year old and that analysis of daily growth increments is unreliable for bigger fish. The problems of determining the age of fish on the basis of counts of the number of hyaline rings is also addressed by reference to a model which can be applied to any species with a protracted spawning period.     

黑潮延伸体区域脱落涡旋的三维合成结构研究

Using AVISO satellite altimeter observations during 1993–2015 and a manual eddy detection method, a total of 276 anticyclonic rings and 242 cyclonic rings shed from the Kuroshio Extension(KE) were identified, and their three-dimensional(3D) anomaly structures were further reconstructd based on the Argo float data and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology(JAMSTEC) cruise and buoy data through an interpolation method. It is found that the cyclonic(anticyclonic) rings presented consistent negative(positive) anomalies of potential temperature;meanwhile the relevant maximum anomaly center became increasingly shallow for the cyclonic rings whereas it went deeper for the anticyclonic rings as the potential temperature anomaly decreased from the west to the east. The above deepening or shoaling trend is associated with the zonal change of the depth of the main thermocline. Moreover, the composite cold ring between 140° and 150°E was found to exhibit a double-core vertical structure due to the existence of mode water with low potential vorticity. Specifically, a relatively large negative(positive) salinity anomaly and a small positive(negative) one appeared for the composite cyclonic(anticyclonic) ring at the depth above and below 600 m, respectively. The underlying driving force for the temperature and salinity anomaly of the composite rings was also attempted, which varies depending on the intensity of the background current and the temperature and salinity fields in different areas of the KE region, and the rings’ influences on the temperature and salinity could reach deeper than 1 000 m on average.     

Seasonal variation in the relationship between otolith radius and fish length in the pilchard off South West Africa

The relationship between otolith radius and fish length in the pilchard Sardinops ocellata off South West Africa is shown to vary seasonally. This phenomenon may explain the sinuous nature of the relationships between body part and fish length in other studies. The seasonal variation is too large to be accounted for solely by ingrowth of the hyaline ring by opaque material. The otolith radius: fish length ratio shows a weak negative correlation with fish growth rate (r = ?0,7547, p = 0,1–0,05).     

Thermal entanglement in molecular spin rings

The thermal entanglement in the triangular molecular spin ring with Dzyaloshinskii--Moriya interaction is studied. The concurrences of arbitrary two spins of the triangular molecular spin ring for various cases are evaluated. The tendency of the concurrence with Dzyaloshinskii--Moriya interaction and temperature is analysed and discussed. We note that the concurrence arrives at its maximum in the regime with the large Dzyaloshinskii--Moriya interaction and low temperature, and gradually decreases to zero with the increase of temperature. The concurrence has different features for the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic cases. For completeness, we also numerically calculate the concurrence of spin rings with N>3 spins and analyse their behaviours.     

The fine structure of check rings in the otolith of the New Zealand orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus)

Heating otoliths of the orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus; Trachichthyidae) by the break‐and‐burn method causes a crystal transformation from aragonite to calcite. However, the change does not affect the legibility of the check rings. Orange roughy otolith check rings fall into two classes: a diffuse deposit (that is not visible in the break‐and‐burn method, but may have an annual periodicity) and structural check rings (which appear as fine lines on the surface, but as dark bands in the body of the otolith). Structural check ring deposition is irregular, but fortuitous aggregations of structural check rings might be mistaken for conventional annual check rings.     

Evolution and decay of a warm-core ring within the western subarctic gyre of the North Pacific,as observed by profiling floats

This study investigated temporal variations in the vertical structure and water properties of a warm-core ring that migrated into the western subarctic gyre of the North Pacific, based on analyses of temperature and salinity data derived from two profiling floats, together with shipboard and satellite observation data. The floats were initially deployed into cold and fresh Oyashio water in September 2003, and were entrained into a warm-core ring in October 2003, remaining within the ring until detrainment in December 2004. Drastic cooling and freshening of the upper core water of the ring were observed during the above entrainment of the floats with cold and fresh water into the ring, whereas moderate variations in structure and water properties were observed during a quasi-isolated phase from November 2003 to November 2004 when the ring did not experience major interactions with ambient hydrographic features. The upper part of the core water (upper core), with relatively warm/saline water above 26.6 σ _θ , was under the influence of the atmosphere in winter via the formation of a deep mixed layer exceeding 300 dB, and had a prominent pycnostad below the seasonal pycnocline from spring to autumn. In contrast, the lower core, with relatively cold and fresh water below 26.6 σ _θ , was not ventilated throughout the observation period. Isopycnal surfaces showed a shoaling trend of about 50 dB/year during the quasi-isolated phase, suggesting viscous decay over a timescale of several years. Markedly cold and thick water was also frequently observed within the ring, indicating the intrusion of water from the Sea of Okhotsk.     

Modulation of the inflow into the Caribbean Sea by North Brazil Current rings

A two-year long record from a triangular mooring array between the Lesser Antilles islands Tobago, Barbados, and St. Lucia is used to investigate the inflow into the Caribbean Sea, the amount of South Atlantic Water (SAW) carried with the inflow, and the role of North Brazil Current (NBC) rings in the observed variability. The data set consists of time series from temperature/conductivity recorders and current meters in the moorings, bottom-mounted inverted echo sounders at the Tobago and St. Lucia mooring positions, and supplementary shipboard measurements. The acoustic travel time measurements of the inverted echo sounders and the conductivity/temperature time series are used for continuous estimation of dynamic height profiles and geostrophic currents between the surface and 1000 dbar as well as the amount of SAW found at the mooring positions.The observations show a domination of intraseasonal variability between 0 and 15 Sv, superimposed on the long-term fluctuations. With time scales of one to three months, these represent the signature of the NBC rings. The baroclinic transport time series shows nine periods of increased variability, indicative of the rings interacting with the Lesser Antilles island arc; with the exception of one, these periods were associated with corresponding sea surface height anomalies. No marked seasonality was observed in the transport variability or the ring frequency.The arrival of individual rings leads to a weakening of the inflow into the Caribbean. Nevertheless, the rings carry large amounts of SAW into the area, and the immediate increase of the transport towards the end of a ring event suggests a subsequent flow of this SAW-rich water into the Caribbean. At St. Lucia, rings sometimes cause a short-term decrease of SAW content, indicative of an influx of northern hemispheric water and a blocking situation. The average transport of SAW into the Caribbean south of St. Lucia during the observations amounted to 5.5 Sv, with no significant seasonal cycle, but a small positive trend in SAW fraction as well as in transport of about 15% and 1 Sv, respectively; a corresponding trend in the baroclinic volume transport was not observed.     

Transport of South Atlantic water through the passages south of Guadeloupe and across 16°N, 2000–2004

CTD, vessel-mounted ADCP and LADCP measurements in the Caribbean passages south of Guadeloupe (three repeats) and along 16°N (five repeats) were carried out between December 2000 and July 2004. The CTD data were used to calculate the contribution of South Atlantic water (SAW) in the upper 1200 m between the isopycnals σ_θ=24.5 and 27.6. Northern and southern source water masses are defined and an isopycnal mixing approach is applied. The SAW fractions are then combined with the ADCP flow field to calculate the transport of SAW into the Caribbean and across 16°N. The SAW inflow into the Caribbean through the passages south of Guadeloupe ranges from 7.6 to 11.6 Sv, which is 50–75% of the total inflow. The mean (9.1±2.2 Sv) is in the range of previous estimates. Ambiguities in the northern and southern source water masses of the salinity maximum water permitted us only to calculate the contribution of SAW from the eastern source in this water mass. We estimated the additional SAW transport by the western source to be of the order of 1.9±0.7 Sv. The calculation of the SAW transport across 16°N was hampered by the presence of several anticyclonic rings from the North Brazil Current (NBC) retroflection region, some of the rings were subsurface intensified. Provided that the rings observed at 16°N are typical rings and that all rings which are annually produced in the NBC retroflection area (6.5–8.5 per year) reach 16°N, the SAW ring transport across 16°N is calculated to 5.3±0.7 Sv. From the 5 repeats at 16°N, only two showed a net northward flow, suggesting that the mean northward SAW transport is dominated by ring advection. The joint SAW transports of the Caribbean inflow (9.1 Sv) and the flow across 16°N (5.3 Sv) sum up to 14.4 Sv. The transport increases to 16.3 Sv if the additional SAW transport from the western source of SMW (1.9±0.7 Sv) is included. These transport estimates and the following implications depend strongly on the assumption that the surface water in the Caribbean inflow is of South Atlantic origin. The transport estimates are, however, in the range of the inverse model calculations for the net cross-hemispheric flow. About 30–40% of this transport is intermediate water from the South Atlantic, presumably supporting studies which found the contributions of intermediate and upper warm water to be of a comparable magnitude. For the upper warm water (σ_θ<27.1), the Caribbean inflow seems to be the major path (7.9±1.6 Sv), the ring induced transport across 16°N is about 30% of that value. The intermediate water transport across 16°N was calculated to be 2.3–3.6 Sv, the inflow into the Caribbean is slightly smaller (1.5–2.4 Sv).     

黑潮延伸体区域脱落涡旋的时空特征分析

本文利用1993-2015年AVISO卫星高度计融合数据,统计分析了从黑潮延伸体流轴脱落涡旋的空间分布特征、运动属性以及季节、年际和类年代际变化。研究结果表明,23年间共追踪到242个气旋涡,276个反气旋涡,脱落的涡旋主要分布在沙茨基海隆以西区域。从脱落涡旋的源地空间分布来看,气旋涡的形成区域有两个高值区,一个位于黑潮延伸体流轴稳定弯曲处,即144°~146°E之间的上游区域;另一个位于沙茨基海隆西侧156°E处。而反气旋涡的形成区域也有两个高值区,一个位于沙茨基海隆以西的下游区域,另一个位于148°E处。这些在上游和下游脱落的涡旋大多向西移动,其中有88%的涡旋再次被流轴吸收。脱落涡旋的数量显示出了明显的年际和类年代际变化。在流轴的上下游区域,类年代际和年际变化分别占主导地位。并且在上游区域,脱落涡旋的类年代际变化与黑潮延伸体的强度呈负相关。在季节变化上,夏季脱落形成的涡旋最多,冬季最少。     

Analysis of horizontal and vertical ring structure based on analytical model and satellite data: Application to the North Brazil Current Rings

A theoretical analysis of the principal oceanic ring parameters (tangential and angular velocities, shape function, horizontal and vertical scale of the ring) is described. The theoretical model consists of a reduced gravity model of the lens-like vortices with solid body rotation. The application of this approach is tested by comparison with data from the North Brazil Current Rings Experiment and remote sensing data. Specifically, we used the data corresponding to the surfaceintensified North Brazil Current ring (R-3) surveyed in February–March 1999, using direct velocity and hydrographical measurements. The theoretical model was used for evaluating the geometrical structure of the surface-intensified rings that produce remarkable signals in satellite data. The principal ring parameters from the model were compared with those from satellite data (altimetry and drifter information), which were estimated by using the method of minimization of the multivariable objective functions. Although the proposed model is linear in its conception, a good agreement was observed between the model and the primary characteristics of the observed rings. The model, however, allows for improvement in its assumptions, since its application is rather limited to intense ocean rings.     

Age and Growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sillago aeolus</Emphasis> in Okinawa Island,Japan

In a study of the age and growth of Sillago aeolus, a total of 414 fish were collected from December 2000 to March 2002, around Okinawa Island. Ages of 403 specimens were determined by otoliths. Monthly changes in the percentage of otoliths with an opaque zone in the outer margin indicated that an opaque ring formed once a year, occurring between February and May. The rings can therefore be defined as annual rings. Ages of females were estimated to be 0+ to 4+, while those of males were 0+ to 2+. The von Bertalanffy growth curves were well fitted to age-standard length data of males and females, as follows: Male: L_t = 209.6 [1 − exp{−0.70 (t + 0.58)}]. Female: L_t = 297.7 [1 − exp{−0.42 (t + 0.61)}].     

Chemotaxonomic investigation of phytoplankton in the shelf ecosystem of the KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

Phytoplankton community structure was elucidated during summer and winter in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight using pigment and CHEMTAX analyses. The surface pattern in January 2010 indicated that diatoms, haptophytes and prasinophytes tended to be the most prominent groups inshore and in the southern sector of the bight, whereas Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus were more dominant in the north and towards the offshore region. At the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), diatoms were dominant in the inner bight and in the south, with prasinophytes being the prominent flagellates, but this changed to Prochlorococcus and pelagophytes being the important groups in the northern sector and outer part of the bight. A different pattern was observed at the surface in July 2010, where diatoms, haptophytes, prasinophytes and cryptophytes in varying proportions comprised most of the community in the inner half of the bight, whereas Synechococcus and haptophytes were the main groups in the outer sector. A similar pattern occurred at the DCM, except that Synechococcus was less prominent and pelagophytes were distributed across the bight in both the inshore and offshore zones. Observations and relationships between phytoplankton groups and environmental parameters indicated that the groups were most closely related to temperature, accounting for 24–64% of the deviance. The influence of nutrients on phytoplankton was less clear but nitrate and silicate seemed to account for some of the patchy distribution patterns.     

Regeneration of a warm anticyclonic ring by cold water masses within the western subarctic gyre of the North Pacific

Regeneration of a warm anticyclonic ring as a result of interaction with cold water masses was observed within the western subarctic gyre of the North Pacific. Satellite, profiling float, and shipboard observations revealed that a warm-core ring originated from the Kuroshio Extension, propagating northeastwards, entrained cold and fresh water masses from the coastal area of Hokkaido, which are typically recognized within the ring as water that is colder than 2.5 °C. The potential temperature and planetary contribution of potential vorticity of the cold water in the coastal area of Hokkaido were <2 °C and 15 × 10^?11 m^?1s^?1, respectively, suggesting that it originated from the Sea of Okhotsk. After the intrusion, the warm core of the ring cooled, freshened, and contracted, while the outer and lower parts became occupied by the cold and fresh water; however, even after the cooling, the positive surface elevation and downward depression of the main pycnocline, typical of an anticyclonic ring, were still evident. The ring continued to propagate northeastwards, with the main part of its structure occupied by the cold water, but changed its direction of travel from northwest to west-southwest 8 months after the cold-water event, and was finally absorbed into another warm-core ring. It is suggested that these anticyclonic rings, which transported and mixed warm and cold water masses, play important roles in the cross-gyre exchange of subtropical and subarctic waters in the North Pacific.     

Age and growth of bluenose,Hyperoglyphe antarctica (Pisces: Stromateoidei) from the lower east coast,North Island,New Zealand

Growth of the bluenose, Hyperoglyphe antarctica (Carmichael, 1818) from the lower east coast, North Island, was determined by counting growth check rings in otoliths. One growth check ring appeared to be laid down each year, so this technique is probably valid for aging bluenose. Female fish had a significantly higher growth rate than males. Comparisons of samples from three sites indicated no significant regional differences in growth. The von Bertalanffy parameters L8,K, and t0 fitted to back‐calculated fish lengths were, respectively, 81.1 cm, 0.308, ‐0.627 for males, and 86.1 cm, 0.308, ‐0.384 for females.     

North Brazil current rings viewed by TRMM Microwave Imager SST and the influence of the Amazon Plume

In the western equatorial Atlantic, 5 years of satellite Sea Surface Temperature (SST) measurements (1998–2002) from the cloud penetrating Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager reveal SST signatures of rings shedding from the North Brazil Current (NBC) as it separates from the South American coastline north of the Amazon River Delta and retroflects eastward between 5 and 10°N. By removing the spatial-mean SST from a 7° by 7° square of the nearly instantaneous measurements of each satellite pass, the 46.7 day aliasing period of the diurnal solar cycle is reduced, and seven to eight rings are observed per year with relatively warm (cold) SST anomalies of up to 1 °C in the first (second) half of the year. The sense of the SST anomalies carried by the NBC rings are determined by the contrast between the NBC SST and the regional SSTs that are influenced by the far-reaching seasonally varying Amazon River freshwater plume. Within a 1.6-year period, 12 of the SST anomalies are validated by in situ mooring array data confirming the predicted sense of the SST anomalies for each season. According to historical hydrographic data, during the first half of the year, the Amazon Plume is generally contained northwest along the coast, whereas during the second half of the year, the Amazon Plume surrounds the NBC retroflection on the west and the north, and from the surface down to 50 m, imposing a dramatic surface salinity contrast up to −4 and a surface temperature contrast up to +2 °C across the front. The surface layer characteristics of the rings shed from the NBC retroflection reveal varying influence of the Amazon Plume. Of the four rings surveyed in the NBCR experiment, Amazon Plume water is found only on the edges of three surface-intensified rings, whereas it completely covers the surface layer of the one thermocline-intensified ring. The maximum current cores of the NBC and retroflection are observed within tens-of-meters of the edges of the Amazon Plume. As the fresher and typically warmer surface waters associated with the Amazon Plume are buoyant relative to the saltier and typically colder surface waters carried by the NBC, the varying position of the Amazon Plume may seasonally influence the surface dynamics in the region.     

Satellite and ship observations of Kuroshio warm-core ring 93A off Sanriku, northwestern North Pacific, in spring 1997

Synoptic ship and satellite observations were performed of the Kuroshio warm-core ring (KWCR) 93A and its adjacent waters, off Sanriku, northwestern North Pacific, between early April and late June 1997. The temporal and spatial distribution of chlorophylla (Chl-a) and sea surface temperature in the study area were analyzed using data from ADEOS Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS) and NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). The objective of this study was to describe the temporal and spatial variability of the spring bloom and understand its relationship with the changes in the hydrographic structure of these waters in and around KWCR 93A. The maximum value of Chl-a concentration in the ring was less than 1 mg/m³ during April. The spring bloom in the ring occurred early in May and the relatively high maximum (>1.0 mg/m³) continued from early in May to mid-June. In late June, a ship-observed surface Chl-a concentration of less than 0.4 mg/m³ suggests that the spring bloom had already declined in and around KWCR 93A. Double spiral structures of warm and cold streamers appeared from late April to mid-May, which may have an influence on the occurrence of the spring bloom in and around the ring. In this episodic event, the warm streamer can maintain the available potential energy of the ring and the strength of upwelling around the ring. The cold streamer provided water with a high Chl-a concentration to the surface layer of the ring. In order to understand the temporal and spatial variability of Chl-a distribution in the ring, the behavior of the warm and cold streamers needs to be taken into consideration.     

Temporal changes in euphausiid distribution and abundance in North Atlantic cold-core rings in relation to the surrounding waters

The species composition of euphausiids was investigated in relationship to the hydrographic conditions in the North Atlantic cold-core rings (CCR) and adjacent waters to elucidate species succession in evolving water masses. Using data, dating back to the 1970s, from as many CCRs as possible and selecting typical cases where no major physical perturbations occurred, a general pattern of euphausiid succession and change in vertical distribution in rings with time was obtained. This pattern was related to the general distribution of euphausiids in the northwestern North Atlantic Ocean, aiming at providing basic information on probable response of North Atlantic marine ecosystem to global warming. Of the 34 euphausiid species identified, 5 were cold-water species, 17 were warm-water species, 6 were wide-ranging warm-water species, 1 was transitional, 4 were cosmopolitan and the remaining was Thysanoessa parva. Among cold-water species, Euphausia krohni and Nematoscelis megalops were dominant in CCRs. E. krohni became rare in rings older than 6 months, whereas N. megalops survived longer, being abundant in some rings of 9 months or older, by staying within its preferred temperature range as the CCR elevated isotherms sank to depths where they are normally found in the Sargasso Sea and because it is an omnivore–carnivore. Among warm-water species, epipelagic species appeared first in rings, corresponding to the physical change occurring most rapidly in the surface layers. Mesopelagic species appeared later. Cold-water species made up 65–85% of the total euphausiid population in number in younger rings (1–5 months old), while warm-water species contributed only 2–7%. Wide-ranging warm-water species made up about up to one fourth of the total in rings 5 and 7 months old. Warm-water species, mainly E. brevis, increased in older rings (9 months old or older) and made up 50% of the total in the oldest ring. The contribution of cold-water species decreased to 14% in older rings. T. parva made up 26–38% of the total in rings 6 months or older. CCR populations can be characterized by high species number, but intermediate evenness between the Slope Water and northern Sargasso Sea. In CCRs, only a limited number of species were dominant even if there were more species present in rings as old as 9–12 months than in the northern Sargasso Sea. In rings older than 9 months, euphausiids showed two peaks in their vertical distribution: a shallow daytime peak at about 400 m and a nighttime peak in the upper 100 m consisting of warm-water species (mainly E. brevis) and a deeper persistent peak at 800 m or deeper consisting of the species N. megalops and T. parva. This shallow peak in CCRs is shallower than that in the surrounding northern Sargasso Sea, and the deep peak is rarely observed in these waters.     

Morphology and distribution of Pronoctiluca (Dinoflagellata, incertae sedis) in the Pacific Ocean

The diversity and distribution of Pronoctiluca, a marine dinoflagellate of enigmatic systematic position, was studied in the vicinity of the Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents, the Philippines, Celebes, Sulu and South China Seas, western and central equatorial and southeast Pacific Ocean. The abundance of Pronoctiluca was higher, with a wide vertical distribution, in eutrophic temperate regions, whereas it was nearly absent in surface waters of oligotrophic tropical regions. Most of the specimens corresponded to P. spinifera. Pronoctiluca pelagica, covered by hyaline layers and with no flagella, is considered as an encysted form. The bipartition was only observed in P. acuta-P. spinifera forms, that together with the occurrence of intermediate forms between P. spinifera and P. pelagica suggest that they may correspond to developmental stages of a single species. Pronoctiluca is essential to understanding the evolutionary history of the alveolates.     

Routes of Agulhas rings in the southeastern Cape Basin

Using weekly sea surface height data, Agulhas rings from the period October 1992 to December 2006 are detected and tracked, from their formation dates and throughout the Cape Basin. While 102 of them formed at the Agulhas Current retroflection, their subsequent subdivisions and junctions led to 199 trajectories. The rings geographical probability of presence shows two maxima. One, related to numerous ring passages, lies in the submarine bight formed by the Erica seamount, the Schmitt-Ott seamount, and the northeastern tip of the Agulhas Ridge. The other one, to be ascribed to topographic blocking of the eddies, is southeast of the latter obstacle. On the basis of topographic effects three routes for Agulhas rings are distinguished, a Northern route for rings that enter the south-Atlantic northeast of the Erica seamount, a Central one for those passing westward between this seamount and the tip of the Agulhas Ridge, and a Southern one farther south. Despite its bathymetric obstacles, the central route is the dominant one, both in terms of percentage of eddy crossings at its definition segment, and in terms of conveyed volume transport. Specific behaviours of rings along each route are described, referring to observations in previous studies. Some rings from the Northern route interact with the flow regime of the South African continental slope. The southernmost trajectories of the Central route are thought to settle the location of the climatological Subtropical Front in that region. The rings of the Southern route experience important core property alteration as they transit through the subantarctic domain.