Linkages between the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is a large, multiple-use marine protected area, including a network of fully protected marine zones, which was designated in 1990 to protect the coral reef ecosystem surrounding the Florida Keys. The South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER) Initiative was formed in 1993 to restore more natural flows to the ecosystem, restore and enhance the natural system, and transform the built environment. These two large-scale efforts at ecosystem-based management are tightly linked, albeit asymmetrically because of the importance of restored flows of pure fresh water across the Everglades and into the coastal ecosystem. The growing population of South Florida, combined with increasing development, agriculture, and other human activities, imperils the entire South Florida ecosystem, from the headwaters of Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Reef Tract. This paper presents the evolution and characteristics of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the SFER Initiative, which have both been tasked with addressing complex issues regarding ecosystem-based management. Key linkages between these programs involve connectivity, both physical and human, through circulation patterns and exchange processes in South Florida coastal waters and through the complex bureaucracy that has grown to manage human uses of natural resources.     

Perceptions and attitudes regarding marine reserves: a comparison of stakeholder groups in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) developed a zoning plan as part of its overall management plan, fully implemented as of 1997. The plan created several closed areas or harvest refugia in which consumptive activities are prohibited. This research reports results of surveys that we conducted with members of three stakeholder groups in the Florida Keys: commercial fishers, dive operators, and members of local environmental groups. Surveys requested responses regarding the information sources individuals tapped when learning of the zoning plan and the FKNMS; their degree of public participation; their perceptions and acceptance of the zoning strategy and the process of its design; and the expected outcomes of the zoning strategy. Many responses show significant differences among the three groups. Fishers felt highly alienated from the process of zone designation and displayed a sense of anger and powerlessness with respect to what they considered to be an attempt to exclude their group from the harvest refugia. Dive operators demonstrated the highest levels of participation in the designation process, but were concerned that refugia regulations could limit their activities in the future. Members of environmental groups were the strongest supporters of the harvest refugia concept and the FKNMS. This research suggests numerous ways in which marine resource managers could improve their public outreach and information dissemination strategies when developing future harvest refugia and marine protected areas.     

Sea-surface microlayer toxicity off the Florida Keys

A survey of sea-surface microlayer (SSML) toxicity was initiated off the Florida Keys in early 1993. Ex situ toxicity tests, based on the development of the sea urchin, Lytechinus variegatus, demonstrated that 59.2% of SSML samples taken from visibly slicked areas (n=27) were toxic compared to collected subsurface water. A random subset of samples tested a second time using a fish early life-stage test with embryos from the spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, confirmed the presence of the toxicant. Results from a partial toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) procedure indicated that an organic compound(s) containing a non-polar functional group was the primary determinant of toxicity in all of the SSML samples tested. While subsequent GC-MS analyses failed to identify a specific compound, they did tend to rule out common xenobiotics, such as organochlorine pesticides as potential toxicants. Preliminary tests, done by an outside laboratory, indicated that two of the most toxic SSML samples contained a brevetoxin, a biotoxin produced by Gymnodinium breve. This is the first report of natural toxins concentrating in the SSML; however, without a completed TIE, including a Phase III—toxicity confirmation procedure, the identification of any toxic agent remains speculative.     

Recreational boaters value biodiversity: The case of the California Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Marine ecosystems provide a range of valuable services, some of which come with market prices to quantify value and others for which markets have not set prices. Lacking perfect information, policy makers are at risk of undercounting non-priced values and services, leading to biases in policy decisions in favor of services valued through markets. Furthermore, understanding users’ valuation of specific site attributes, such as marine biodiversity, can contribute to effective policy decisions. This paper presents a non-market valuation of private recreational boaters (PRBs) in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary located in California, USA, using data from an intercept survey conducted in 2006 and 2007. A Random Utility Model is used to estimate PRBs’ daily trip values and the importance of specific site attributes. The average consumer surplus was estimated at $48.62 per trip, with a total non-market value of non-consumptive private recreational boating of $86,325 annually. PRBs show a preference for visiting locations with lower exposure to prevailing winds and greater species richness and abundance, which to the authors’ knowledge is the first time that PRBs have been found to value biological diversity in site choices. Furthermore, this suggests that improved biodiversity and productivity of marine ecosystems contribute to better recreational experiences. The results from this study reveal the importance of including non-market services and stakeholder's preferences into policy decisions.     

Benthic boundary layer processes in the Lower Florida Keys

 This special issue of Geo-Marine Letters, “Benthic Boundary Layer Processes in the Lower Florida Keys,” includes 12 papers that present preliminary results from the Key West Campaign. The Dry Tortugas and Marquesas Keys test sites were selected by a group of 115 scientists and technicians to study benthic boundary layer processes in a carbonate environment controlled by bioturbation and biogeochemical processes. Major activities included remote sediment classification; high-frequency acoustic scattering experiments; sediment sampling for radiological, geotechnical, biological, biogeochemical, physical, and geoacoustic studies; and hydrodynamic studies using an instrumented tetrapod. All these data are being used to improve our understanding of the effects of environmental processes on sediment structure and behavior.     

Geotechnical characterization of calcareous sediments from the Dry Tortugas Keys and Marquesas Keys CBBL SRP study sites, Lower Florida Keys

Geotechnical characteristics of carbonate sediments from two test sites (Dry Tortugas Keys and Marquesas Keys) in the Lower Florida Keys were investigated as part of the Coastal Benthic Boundary Layer Special Research Program, through an extensive field coring and laboratory testing program conducted by the Marine Geomechanics Laboratory of the University of Rhode Island. Based on results from physical measurements, water content and wet bulk density values for both sites generally showed large variations in the upper 25 cm and little variation below this depth. Sediment samples exhibited low plasticity or nonplastic characteristics. Constant-rate-of-deformation consolidation test results showed strong apparent overconsolidation (stress state ratio >7.5) in the surface sediments (upper 50 cm) at the Dry Tortugas Keys, and light overconsolidation (stress state ratio <1.5) below 50-cm depth at the Marquesas Keys site. In-situ permeability values were between 10^-4 and 10^-7 cm/s at both sites and showed no strong depth dependence in the upper 2 m. Undrained shear strength profiles for Dry Tortugas Keys sediments indicated a marked stiffening with depth, whereas the Marquesas Keys sediments showed a gradual increase with depth. Consolidated isotropically undrained triaxial shear strength test results indicate that the undisturbed sediments had an average effective angle of internal friction of 38°, which is not fully realized until large axial strains on the order of 11% have accumulated. Evidence of cementation was not found in triaxial compression or consolidation test results. The general behavior and characteristics of these sediments are similar to those of granular materials, which is primarily due to their high calcium carbonate contents and lack of cementation.     

Geoacoustic and physical properties of carbonate sediments of the Lower Florida Keys

 Near-surface sediment geoacoustic and physical properties were measured from a variety of unconsolidated carbonate sediments in the Lower Florida Keys. Surficial values of compressional and shear speed correlate with sediment physical properties and near-surface acoustic reflectivity. Highest speeds (shear 125–150 m s^-1; compressional 1670–1725 m s^-1) are from sandy sediments near Rebecca Shoal and lowest speeds (shear 40–65 m s^-1; compressional 1520–1570 m s^-1) are found in soft, silty sediments which collect in sediment ponds in the Southeast Channel of the Dry Tortugas. High compressional wave attenuation is attributed to scattering of acoustic waves from heterogeneity caused by accumulation of abundant shell material and other impedance discontinuities rather than high intrinsic attenuation. Compared to siliciclastic sediments, carbonate sediment shear wave speed is high for comparable values of sediment physical properties. Sediment fabric, rather than changes due to the effects of biogeochemical processes, is responsible for these differences.     

我国海洋管理中的协调机制探析

由于海洋管理客体的特殊性,以及海洋管理中各涉海主体矛盾的不断增多,协调问题日益受到重视,建立协调机制也就成为迫切的需求.海洋管理协调机制主要处理的关系有:各涉海行业间的关系、涉海的中央与地方政府间的关系、海洋综合管理部门与各涉海行业间的关系以及海洋管理部门与企业、公众的关系.从政府的角度看,健全组织机构和促进制度化建设,是建立健全海洋管理协调机制的前提和基础.     

爱我蓝色国土兴我如东海洋

如东县是海洋大县,全县海岸线长达106千米,占江苏省海岸线总长的11%,占南通市海岸线总长的52%;-2米以上潮间带滩涂6万多公顷,占江苏省的九分之一;沿海共7个镇,所辖海域6 000平方千米,是全县陆域面积的3倍多.如东县曾有"日出金牛"的说法,得天独厚的资源优势为如东沿海经济的振兴提供了极好的发展条件.     

Acoustic mapping as an environmental management tool: I. Detection of barrels of low-level radioactive waste, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, California

The oceans have been and will continue to be disposal sites for a wide variety of waste products. Often these wastes are not dumped at the designated sites or transport occurs during or after dumping, and, subsequent attempts to monitor the effects the waste products have on the environment are inadequate because the actual location of the waste is not known. Acoustic mapping of the seafloor with sidescan sonar is a very effective technique for locating and monitoring dredge-spoil material and other debris. Sidescan sonar provides an acoustic image or sonograph of the sea floor that is similar to a satellite image of the Earth's land surface. In effect sidescan sonar allows the water column to be stripped from the sea floor, thereby providing a clear, unobstructed view of the sea bed.An example of the potential of this technique is summarized herein for the Gulf of the Farallones region. More than 47 800 drums (55 gallon) and other containers of low-level radioactive waste were dumped on the continental margin offshore the San Francisco Bay between 1946 and 1970. These drums now litter a large area (1200 km²) of the sea floor within the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS). The exact location of the drums and the potential hazard the drums pose to the environment are unknown. To evaluate the risk, samples of the sediment, biota and water must be collected near and distant from the concentrations of barrels. To do this the exact location of the barrels must be known prior to sampling. The USGS, through a cooperative research agreement with GFNMS, used sidescan sonar to map two areas within the sanctuary. Total sea-floor coverage was obtained and computer-processed sonographic mosaics were constructed on board ship. Many small nongeologic targets were distributed throughout the survey areas that covered about 70 km² on the shelf and 120 km² on the slope. Analysis of the sidescan data suggests that the targets are 55-gallon drums. This interpretation was confirmed at one site with an underwater video and 35-mm camera system. Data were collected with both a 30-kHz and a 120-kHz sidescan system within a 15-km² area on the shelf. We found that the barrels were more easily detected with the mid-range 30-kHz system than with the higher resolution 120-kHz system. Maps of barrel distribution derived from the sonographs are being used to design sampling schemes to evaluate the risk that the radioactivity may have on the biota and environment.     

海洋国家利益战略思考

本文提出了海洋国家利益的命题,从海洋文明的性质、价值取向和对海洋的认知等方面对我国的海洋国家利益作了反思,对我国21世纪的海洋国家利益作了再定位,并提出了具体建议。     

Factors affecting spatial and temporal variability in material exchange between the Southern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay (USA)

Physical and biological processes controlling spatial and temporal variations in material concentration and exchange between the Southern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay were studied for 2.5 years in three of the five major creek systems draining the watershed. Daily total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) fluxes were measured for 2 years in Taylor River, and ten 10-day intensive studies were conducted in this creek to estimate the seasonal flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), total organic carbon (TOC), and suspended matter. Four 10-day studies were conducted simultaneously in Taylor, McCormick, and Trout Creeks to study the spatial variation in concentration and flux. The annual fluxes of TOC, TN, and TP from the Southern Everglades were estimated from regression equations. The Southern Everglades watershed, a 460-km² area that includes Taylor Slough and the area south of the C-111 canal, exported 7.1 g C m⁻², 0.46 g N m⁻², and 0.007 g P m⁻², annually. Everglades P flux is three to four orders of magnitude lower than published flux estimates from wetlands influenced by terrigenous sedimentary inputs. These low P flux values reflect both the inherently low P content of Everglades surface water and the efficiency of Everglades carbonate sediments and biota in conserving and recycling this limiting nutrient. The seasonal variation of freshwater input to the watershed was responsible for major temporal variations in N, P, and C export to Florida Bay; approximately 99% of the export occurred during the rainy season. Wind-driven forcing was most important during the later stages of the dry season when low freshwater head coincided with southerly winds, resulting in a net import of water and materials into the wetlands. We also observed an east to west decrease in TN:TP ratio from 212:1 to 127:1. Major spatial gradients in N:P ratios and nutrient concentration and flux among the creek were consistent with the westward decrease in surface water runoff from the P-limited Everglades and increased advection of relatively P-rich Gulf of Mexico (GOM) waters into Florida Bay. Comparison of measured nutrient flux from Everglades surface water inputs from this study with published estimates of other sources of nutrients to Florida Bay (i.e. atmospheric deposition, anthropogenic inputs from the Florida Keys, advection from the GOM) show that Everglades runoff represents only 2% of N inputs and 0.5% of P input to Florida Bay.     

Adaptation behavior in the face of global climate change: Survey responses from experts and decision makers serving the Florida Keys

We conduct a survey to elicit responses from experts and decision makers serving the Florida Keys regarding vulnerability to global climate change. Study findings reveal deep concern among federal, state and local experts and decision makers about adverse impacts at the local level. A large majority of respondents recognize the increasing likelihood of dynamic, potentially irreversible, socioeconomic and ecological repercussions for the Florida Keys. However, very few experts and decision makers report that their respective agencies have developed formal adaptation plans. Respondents identify significant institutional and social barriers to adaptation and convey their support for a host of strategic measures to facilitate adaptation on an urgent basis. The implications of our findings are discussed in the context of enhancing adaptive capacity and resilience in the Florida Keys and beyond. Information generated from this study can provide functional guidance for improving decision-support systems and promoting adaptation policies.     

海洋灾害与海洋经济影响关系研究进展

文章在系统梳理海洋灾害研究进展的基础上,综述海洋灾害与海洋经济影响关系研究现状,并分析今后研究方向。现有研究大多将海洋灾害或海洋经济进行独立探讨,基础理论支撑与定量化研究都很不完善;结合灾害经济学的研究,以海洋作为研究对象,研究海洋灾害经济问题意义重大;研究角度可侧重于海洋灾害与海洋宏观经济(包括短期经济和长期经济)、海洋灾害与海洋微观经济以及构建海洋灾害经济数理模型等,具体研究内容可从海洋灾害与海洋经济相互关系的计量检验、海洋灾害对海洋经济系统影响的实证检验、海洋灾害经济的影响模型等方面展开。     

A multi-trial diagnostic tool in fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) skin biopsies of the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea) and the Gulf of California (Mexico)

The main objective of this study was to apply a set of sensitive non-lethal biomarkers in skin biopsies of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) to evaluate the toxicological status of this mysticete in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea) and in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez-Mexico). We developed a “multi-trial diagnostic tool” (based on field and in vitro studies), combining molecular biomarkers (western blot of CYP1A1, CYP2B) and gene expression (qRT-PCR of HSP70, ERα, AHR, E2F-1) with the analysis of OCs, PAHs and PBDEs. The study revealed a higher level of toxicological stress in the Mediterranean fin whales.     

广饶县全面提升海洋数字化、信息化管理工作

<正>近日,广饶县海域动态监控室终端完成,标志着广饶县科学用海、依法管海水平跃上一个新的台阶,广饶县海洋管理数字化、规范化、科学化、信息化水平进一步提高,促进了海洋的合理开发和海域     

Environmental influences on the formation of sedimentary fabric in a fine-grained carbonate-shelf environment: Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys

 Sedimentological studies were undertaken in the Dry Tortugas to examine environmental influences on the formation of sedimentary fabric. ²³⁴Th, ²¹⁰Pb, grain size, porosity, and fabric analyses reveal the presence of a soft, fine-grained, well mixed surface layer underlain by compact, shelly, intensely bioturbated carbonate muds. Vertical zonation of biogenic structures indicates that deep bioturbation is advective and results in transport of fine material to the seabed surface. The impact of physical oceanographic processes appears to be restricted to the surface layer; however, potential for preservation of this layer in the sediment record is low due to intense mixing in deeper sediments. Thus, preserved sediments retain an incomplete record of the dominant benthic processes at the study area.     

基于大数据架构的国家海洋创新指标及其预测方法研究

基于国家创新体系理论和大数据思想,探讨国家海洋创新体系定义和范围;根据国家海洋创新体系的具体内容,选取对外海洋技术依存度、海洋仪器设备国有化率、海洋关键技术自主化率、海洋科技进步贡献率、海洋科技成果转化率等作为国家海洋创新预测指标;在Bigtable+MapReduce框架内讨论适用于海洋创新指标的预测方法,探索国家海洋创新指标预测技术思路,为建立支撑海洋创新战略制定的预测体系做了有益尝试。     

Impacts of the tsunami on a Marine National Park area—Case study of Lanta Islands (Thailand)

Lanta Islands are located in the province of Krabi: here, even though the impact of the tsunami had not been as tragic as in some other areas of Thailand, several villages have been affected and the biological destruction is still in the process of being assessed. These islands include the Marine National Park (MNP) of Ko Lanta, 62nd National Park of the country, established in 1990. Three field trips were carried out in the area: in October and December 2004, and in March 2005. The aim of this article is to present a geographical point of view of Ko Lanta MNP and its surrounding area through a comparative analysis of natural and human conditions before and after the tsunami waves.