Photo‐identification of short‐beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in north‐east New Zealand: A photo‐catalogue of recognisable individuals

Photo‐identification has been established as a helpful tool in cetacean research. However, no study to date has attempted to apply this method to short‐beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis L.). We present here the results of two studies that were conducted concurrently in Mercury Bay and the Hauraki Gulf on the north‐east coast of New Zealand's North Island. Methods for distinguishing between individual dolphins are discussed. Sighting records of recognisable individuals indicate that some common dolphins move between Mercury Bay and the Hauraki Gulf (100 km distance), as well as between Mercury Bay and Whakatane (200 km distance). Common dolphin abundance and site fidelity appeared to be greater in the Hauraki Gulf than in Mercury Bay. A selection of photographs of distinct individuals is presented to allow future studies to compare their sighting records to ours, which may help establish the extent of home ranges, site fidelity, and possibly even longevity for common dolphins.     

Distribution of maximum water levels due to the Japan Sea Tsunami on 26 May 1983

By measuring the maximum water level of the traces attained by the Japan Sea Tsunami on 26 May 1983, we obtained the distribution along the west coast of the northeast Japan. The level reaches a maximum at the coast eastward of the epicenter and decreases with the relationship 8.6e ^–0.017x (m) with distancex (km) measured from the coast nearest to the epicenter. A small increase of levels was observed at coasts to the south of the tsunami source having distance larger than 200 km. With the aid of tide gauge records we revealed an excitation of edge wave which brought about the small increase of levels at the southern coast. In comparison with the decrease with distance obtained on the coasts of the main islands of Japan, some noticeable peaks were observed at several small islands. It is suggested that the reason why a short period component is predominant for the initial wave motion of tsunami is that the source region has depth of 3, 000 meters. The feature of wave period is discussed in comparison with that of the 1964 Niigata Tsunami.     

Inversion of teleseismic waves at Shidao Seismographic Station

1 IntroductionThe temporary Shidao seismographic station,the farthest one from China s Mainland (except Tai-wan Province) supported by a national fundamentalresearch project for the study of the evolution ofcontinental margin, is located at Shidao island(…     

Deep structure of the transition zone from the Baltic shield to the Barents Sea basin based on seismic data

Results of the analysis and interpretation of the records of 17 ocean bottom seismometers designed at the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences (a three-component geophone and a hydrophone), installed with an interval of 10–20 km along a profile in the transition zone from the Baltic shield to the Barents Sea basin are presented. The studies were carried out in 1995 from R/V Professor Kurentsov. An air gun with a chamber volume of 80 1 was used as the source of seismic waves with a shooting interval of 250 m. The longest range of records of deep refracted and wide-angle reflected waves (up to 300 km) was reached with the hydrophones. Two-dimensional seismic modeling allowed us to refine the earlier versions of the seismic cross section of the earth’s crust and uppermost mantle in the study region. New data confirmed that, in the central area of the Barents Sea, the “granitic-metamorphic” layer of the crust with a seismic velocity of 6.2 km/s typical of the Baltic Shield is absent. In this region, a thin consolidated crust with a seismic velocity of 6.8 km/s is covered with a thick (more than 25 km) sedimentary layer. In this layer, a local low-velocity zone probably exists, which causes a strong attenuation of the “crustal” waves.     

Structure and variability of the Filchner overflow plume

Properties of the dense ice shelf water plume emerging from the Filchner Depression in the southwestern Weddell Sea are described, using available current meter records and CTD stations. A mean hydrography, based on more than 300 CTD stations gathered over 25 yr points to a cold, relatively thin and vertically well-defined plume east of the two ridges cross-cutting the continental slope about 60 km from the Filchner sill, whereas the dense bottom layer is warmer, more stratified and much thicker west of these ridges. The data partly confirm the three major pathways suggested earlier and agree with recent theories on topographic steering by submarine ridges. A surprisingly high mesoscale variability in the overflow region is documented and discussed. The variability is to a large extent due to three distinct oscillations (with periods of about 35 h, 3 and 6 d) seen in both temperature and velocity records on the slope. The oscillations are episodic, barotropic and have a horizontal scale of ∼20–40 km across the slope. They are partly geographically separated, with the longer period being stronger on the lower part of the slope and the shorter on the upper part of the slope. Energy levels are lower west of the ridges, and in the Filchner Depression. The observations are discussed in relation to existing theories on eddies, commonly generated in plumes, and continental shelf waves.     

Census survey approach to quantifying īnanga spawning habitat for conservation and management

Here, we describe a methodology for quantifying the spawning habitat of īnanga (Galaxias maculatus), a protected native fish species. Our approach is demonstrated with a survey of the Heathcote/ōpāwaho following the Canterbury earthquakes that produced unexpected findings. Spawning habitat was detected over a 2.5?km reach and the area occupied by spawning sites (75m²) was much larger than in previous records (ca.?21m²). Sites dominated by the invasive Phalaris arundinaceae were found to support high egg numbers. Spawning has not previously been recorded on this species and it is identified in the literature as a threat to spawning habitat. Considerable spatio-temporal variation was also detected in the location of spawning sites and pattern of egg production. Together, these aspects illustrate the need for a comprehensive survey methodology to reliably quantify spawning habitat. The Heathcote/ōpāwaho example shows the utility of our census approach for achieving this, and supporting habitat conservation objectives.     

First records of demersal fishes from the North Cape ‐ three kings area of New Zealand,with a record of a prespawning aggregation of ling,Genypterus blacodes (note)

Seventeen demersal fish species collected during a commercial line fishing trip off northern New Zealand are listed together with data on abundance, location, and habitat. These are the first records for the area; 15 are the most northerly records for the species and major range extensions are recorded for Centroscymnus owstoni, Deania calcea, Etmopterus lucifer, Pseudophycis barbata, and Hyperoglyphe antarctica. A prespawning aggregation of ling, Genypterus blacodes, is recorded for the first time from this region.     

Distribution and movement of scalloped hammerhead Sphryna lewini and smooth hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena sharks along the east coast of southern Africa

Knowledge of population distribution and movement is crucial for the conservation and management of shark species occurring in coastal waters. From 1984 to 2009, 641 scalloped hammerheads Sphyrna lewini, 1 342 smooth hammerheads Sphyrna zygaena and 1 352 unspecified hammerheads Sphyrna spp. were tagged and released along the east coast of South Africa, with recapture rates of 1.9%, 1.5%, and 0.7% respectively. Maximum and average distance moved was 629 km and 147.8 km (95% CI = 33.0–262.7 km) for S. lewini and 384 km and 141.8 km (95% CI = 99.1–184.5 km) for S. Zygaena respectively. The majority of sharks (68% S. lewini, 74.1% S. zygaena and 33.5% Spyrna spp.) were tagged in the Transkei region, with the largest number tagged in Port St Johns. Across regions, most tagged sharks were >50–100 cm precaudal length (PCL), except in Transkei where more sharks >100–150 cm PCL were tagged. In the Western Cape, Southern Cape and Eastern Cape, few sharks were tagged during the autumn/winter months, whereas in KwaZulu-Natal and Transkei sharks were tagged throughout the year. Large-scale directional movements observed may have been migrations in response to seasonal sea surface temperature changes. We identify coastal locations in Transkei that are of importance to juvenile and subadult hammerhead populations year-round.     

Long-range sonar mapping of the continental shelf

Recent experiments in the shallow waters of the continental shelf off the west coast of Scotland have shown that it is possible to obtain geologically useful sonographs from a towed low-frequency side-scan sonar (GLORIA project) out to long ranges. Frequency-modulated pulses of 2-sec duration, centred at 6.4 kHz, with an acoustic power of 10 kW were transmitted, and the received energy was processed by a linear correlator. A maximum range of 13 km was achieved under both isothermal and stratified water conditions; however the most even irradiation of the sea floor was obtained when the water was isothermal, and under stratified conditions the maximum range could be reduced to 5 km or less if the sonar array was towed at a depth which lay within any strong temperature gradient in the water column.Examples of isometric records are shown, and it is suggested that mosaics could be built up from such records, obtained at a coverage of 170 km²/hour.     

Photo-identification and habitat use of Atlantic humpback dolphins Sousa teuszii around the Río Nuñez Estuary in Guinea,West Africa

Ecological data for the Atlantic humpback dolphin Sousa teuszii are scant. Six on-effort Sousa teuszii sightings were recorded during 817.6?km of boat-based effort in the Río Nuñez region of Guinea during October and November 2013. Two incidental sightings were also reported. Groups comprised 1–25 animals. Photo-identification produced a minimum population estimate of 47 animals. Most sightings (n = 5) were located close (<1?km) to shore along a 5.7?km stretch of coast on the west side of Île de Taïdi, primarily over shallow, sand–mud habitat. Two very distinctive individuals were present in all four Taïdi photo-identification encounters, suggesting high site fidelity and stable associations. Two sightings occurred in the outer Río Nuñez Estuary much farther from the coast (5–12?km) but in relatively shallow water (≤15?m) over sand–mud sediment. Focal follows (n = 5: 0.2–3.8?h duration) produced 9.02?h of behavioural data. Travel (51%), foraging (39%) and feeding (9.2%) dominated, with Taïdi dolphins spending more time foraging and feeding than the outer estuary groups. Three individuals had linear-severed dorsal fins consistent with injuries from fishing line. Some management implications of variation in habitat, site fidelity and movements of Sousa teuszii groups are discussed.     

Mesoscale current fluctuations observed in the deep western North Pacific

A set of simultaneous long-term, deep current measurements was taken using a moored array in the mid-ocean of the western North Pacific near 30°N, 146°E. Five current meters at three stations provided good quality records over 84 days. Low-frequency current fluctuations with meridional dominance are clearly seen in the deep layer records. They are consistent with signals of a mesoscale current fluctuation which has a period of about 100 days, an east-west wave length of about 200 km, and a westward phase propagation with a speed of about 2 cm sec^–1. Bottom intensification of the east component of low-frequency current fluctuations is also observed.     

Continental shelf waves off the fukushima coast Part I: Observations

Current records obtained in the inshore region along the Fukushima coast are analyzed. The existence of periodical current fluctuations whose period is about 100 hours and whose amplitude is as large as 15–25cm s^–1 is recognized. Auto-spectral analyses are made also for sea level, atmospheric pressure and wind records. Each spectrum has significant peaks at the similar period to the current spectrum. The wind spectrum has a broad peak compared with the current. The periodical current fluctuations propagate southward with speed of 3–5 km h^–1. These propagation speeds seem to correspond to those of the second-and third-mode shelf waves.     

雷州半岛东部近海浮标大型固着生物污损特点

对布设在雷州半岛东部距岸约30—42km、浸海时间约24个月的3个近海浮标进行了大型固着污损生物分析研究。结果表明,污损浮标的大型固着生物共35种,优势种以侧花海葵(Anthopleura spp.)、变化短齿蛤(Brachidontes variabilis)、网纹藤壶(Balanus reticulatus)为主,其次为翡翠贻贝(Perna viridis)、刺巨藤壶(Megabalanus volcano)和钟巨藤壶(M.tintinnabulum tintinnabulum)。3个近海浮标均被固着生物严重污损,生物附着量变化范围为3994.20—8641.72g/m2,浮标各部位组间差异不显著。物种多样性指数介于1.49—2.99,丰富度指数1.34—2.68,均匀度指数0.38—0.64。在离岸距离约42km的1号浮标,固着生物种类组成已表现出外海性特点,有少量有柄蔓足类出现,而离岸距离分别约35km和30km的4号浮标和7号浮标,污损浮标的大型固着生物仍为沿岸性种类。离岸距离、采样季节、采样深度、光照强度、海流状况和水域的开阔与封闭程度可能是影响固着生物群落组成的因素。     

Dolphin noises recorded by echo‐sounder

The ultrasonic signals of dolphins show as “interference noise” on an echo‐sounder record. Some records obtained from Delphinus delphis in Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, suggest that these emissions were being used for echo‐ranging, a phenomenon well established by previous work. Possible uses of such records in studying dolphin behaviour are explained.     

Structure and Transport of the Agulhas Current and Its Temporal Variability

Using a year-long moored array of current meters and well-sampled synoptic sections, we define the variability and mean structure and transport of the Agulhas current. Nineteen current meter records indicate that time scales for the temporal variability in the alongshore and offshore velocities are 10.2 and 5.4 days, respectively. Good vertical correlation exists between the alongshore or onshore velocity fluctuations, excluding the Agulhas Undercurrent. The lateral scale for the thermocline Agulhas current is about 60 km and the onshore velocity correlations are positive throughout the Agulhas Current system. Mean velocities from the array determine that the offshore edge of the Agulhas Current lies at 203 km and the penetration depth is 2200 m offshore of the Undercurrent. Hence, daily averaged velocity sections, determined by interpolation and extrapolation of current meter locations, for a 267-day period, from the surface to 2400 m depth and from the coast out to 203 km offshore encompass the main features of the Agulhas Current system. The Agulhas current is generally found close to the continental slope, within 31 km of the coast for 211 of 267 days. There are only five days when the core of the current is found offshore at 150 km. Total transport is always poleward, varying from −121 to −9 Sv, with maximum transport occurring when the core is 62 km from the coast. Average total transport for the 267 day period is −69.7 Sv; the standard deviation in daily transport values is 21.5 Sv; and the mean transport has an estimated standard error of 4.3 Sv. The Agulhas Undercurrent, which hugs the continental slope below the zero velocity isotach, has an average equatorward transport of 4.2 Sv, standard deviation of 2.9 Sv and an estimated standard error of 0.4 Sv. Transports from the moored array are in reasonable agreement with transport results from synoptic sections. Based on time series measurements at about 30° latitude in each ocean basin, the Agulhas Current is the largest western boundary current in the world ocean.     

Gravity measurements over Burdwood Bank

Gravity measurements in the South Atlantic Ocean over Burdwood Bank show a large negative gravity anomaly extending along its northern edge. An interpretation of the gravity data has been made based on the seismic refraction measurements of Ludwig et al. (1968) and shows that the negative gravity anomaly can be largely attributed to a basin containing low density sediments about 8 km thick. The crustal sections constructed also indicate that the crust increases in thickness from about 20 km under Burdwood Bank to about 30 km under the Falkland Islands platform.     

2015年9月16日智利Mw 8.3级地震:海啸波从近场到远场的特征分析

On September 16, 2015, an earthquake with magnitude of M_w 8.3 occurred 46 km offshore from Illapel, Chile,generating a 4.4-m local tsunami measured at Coquimbo. In this study, the characteristics of tsunami are presented by a combination of analysis of observations and numerical simulation based on sources of USGS and NOAA. The records of 16 DART buoys in deep water, ten tidal gauges along coasts of near-field, and ten coastal gauges in the far-field are studied by applying Fourier analyses. The numerical simulation based on nonlinear shallow water equations and nested grids is carried out to provide overall tsunami propagation scenarios, and the results match well with the observations in deep water and but not well in coasts closed to the epicenter. Due to the short distance to the epicenter and the shelf resonance of southern Peru and Chile, the maximum amplitude ranged from 0.1 m to 2 m, except for Coquimbo. In deep water, the maximum amplitude of buoys decayed from9.8 cm to 0.8 cm, suggesting a centimeter-scale Pacific-wide tsunami, while the governing period was 13–17 min and 32 min. Whereas in the far-field coastal region, the tsunami wave amplified to be around 0.2 m to 0.8 m,mostly as a result of run-up effect and resonance from coast reflection. Although the tsunami was relatively moderate in deep water, it still produced non-negligible tsunami hazards in local region and the coasts of farfield.     

Records of subantarctic fur seals in New Zealand (Note)

Subantarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus tropicalis) appear as stragglers on New Zealand coasts. Four records are noted, the most recent at Antipodes Island in December 1989.     

Structure of the Northern Symmetrical Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

A seismic refraction profile was shot along the axis of the Northern Symmetrical Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge system. Three models of the along-axis crustal structure fit the observed data equally well. One model includes a low-velocity zone, the top of which is at a depth below the seafloor of approximately 3 km, that is continuous along-axis for at least 30 km. A second model includes a low-Q layer, the top of which is also at a depth of approximately 3 km below the seafloor and is continuous along-axis for at least 30 km. Both the low-Q layer and low-velocity zone can be explained geologically by a region of elevated temperatures. The third model is characterized by a homogeneous seismic layer 3. All models contain an ~1 km s^–1 discontinuity at the seismic layer 2/3 boundary; a wide-angle reflection from this boundary is seen on all record sections. Kappel and Ryan (1986) had previously proposed that the Northern Symmetrical Segment was in a stage of volcanic inactivity, and this theory is supported by the seismic observations. Two-dimensional modelling of travel times to ocean bottom hydrophone instruments shows that the amplitude variations in the along-axis depth to intracrustal seismic layers (a few hundred meters) is on the order of the lateral changes in topographic relief. It is suggested that the crustal emplacement processes reflect the deeper style of 3-D mantle upwelling beneath the ridge.     

Ionospheric response to Kuril undersea earthquakes according to GPS satellite data

The effects that the two Kuril undersea earthquakes of November 15, 2006, and January 13, 2007, had on the ionosphere are considered on the basis of the results of measurements of variations in the ionosphere’s total electron content obtained from the network of Russian GPS stations. Owing to a favorable location of the stations, the ionosphere’s response to these earthquakes is studied in the vicinity of and far (up to distances on the order of 1000 km) from their epicenters. It is found that the apparent velocity of propagation of ionospheric disturbances (1–3 km/s) significantly exceeds the velocity of propagation of tsunami waves caused by earthquakes; this fact can be used in forecasting tsunamis. It is shown that, in parallel with the known type of ionospheric response to earthquakes in the form of an N-wave, there is also its response in the form of an inverted N-wave in the vicinity of and far from their epicenters. The causes of occurrence of the response in the form of an inverted N-wave are interpreted.