Research on intact marine ecosystems: a lost era

It is proposed that a new, fifth era should be added to the four historical phases of marine research identified by Rupert Riedl, specifically an era devoted to studying and ameliorating disturbed marine ecosystems. In an age of global environmental deterioration, many marine ecosystems and organisms are high on the list of threatened entities. This poor status prompts research that would otherwise have been unnecessary and hinders research that would normally have been conducted. I argue that research into intact marine ecosystems is becoming increasingly difficult, and that most of our future insights into marine habitats will stem from knowledge gained by examining various disfunctions of those systems rather than their functions. The new era will therefore differ from past research in its underlying aim, the range of topics studied, the selection and funding of those topics, the validity of its conclusions, and in its urgency. Sea turtles and cetaceans are cited as case studies at the organismic level, shallow-water benthic communities, including coral reefs, at the ecosystem level.     

Seagrass meadows in a globally changing environment

Seagrass meadows are valuable ecosystem service providers that are now being lost globally at an unprecedented rate, with water quality and other localised stressors putting their future viability in doubt. It is therefore critical that we learn more about the interactions between seagrass meadows and future environmental change in the anthropocene. This needs to be with particular reference to the consequences of poor water quality on ecosystem resilience and the effects of change on trophic interactions within the food web. Understanding and predicting the response of seagrass meadows to future environmental change requires an understanding of the natural long-term drivers of change and how these are currently influenced by anthropogenic stress. Conservation management of coastal and marine ecosystems now and in the future requires increased knowledge of how seagrass meadows respond to environmental change, and how they can be managed to be resilient to these changes. Finding solutions to such issues also requires recognising people as part of the social–ecological system. This special issue aims to further enhance this knowledge by bringing together global expertise across this field. The special issues considers issues such as ecosystem service delivery of seagrass meadows, the drivers of long-term seagrass change and the socio-economic consequences of environmental change to seagrass.     

Assessment of Management Options in Marine Fisheries by Qualitative Modelling Techniques

An effective management of the rapidly dwindling marine fish resources is of great ecological, economic and social importance for the future. An over-development of commercial fisheries has brought about a multitude of negative environmental impacts, such as an accelerated exploitation of stocks or a decrease of marine biodiversity, and furthermore, a profound structural change in fish industry. However, the main reason for the non-prosperous rationing of marine resources is the lack of knowledge about certain processes as well as the non-availability of adequate steering instruments. This paper addresses the lack of conceptualization in the case of uncertain knowledge. It proposes a model approach which can be used for weak but improved decision support under the premise of vague knowledge. The usage of qualitative differential equations illustrates general patterns of overcapitalization of fishing fleets. The extension of traditional model approaches by integration of additional socio-economic phenomena in this context supplies deeper insights in the dynamics of a coupled economic and ecological system. The approach provides a set of characteristic system behaviours which can be fruitfully used for the development of future management tasks.     

Identification, definition and quantification of goods and services provided by marine biodiversity: implications for the ecosystem approach

This paper identifies and defines ecosystem goods and services provided by marine biodiversity. Case studies have been used to provide an insight into the practical issues associated with the assessment of marine ecosystem goods and services at specific locations. The aim of this research was to validate the definitions of goods and services, and to identify knowledge gaps and likely difficulties of quantifying the goods and services. A validated theoretical framework for the assessment of goods and services is detailed, and examples of the goods and services at a variety of case study areas are documented. These results will enable future assessments of marine ecosystem goods and services. It is concluded that the utilisation of this goods and services approach has the capacity to play a fundamental role in the Ecosystem Approach, by enabling the pressures and demands of society, the economy and the environment to be integrated into environmental management.     

Toxic chemicals in Canadian fish-eating birds

Cross-country comparison of DDE and PCB residue levels in cormorant, gull and tern eggs in Canada reveal that bird populations at the Great Lakes are most contaminated with those pollutants. DDE levels have been correlated with reproductive failure in Double-crested Cormorants in the Great Lakes with eggshell thinning as a major factor. Low reproductive success in Herring Gull colonies at Lake Ontario is associated with high chlorinated hydrocarbon levels in eggs. Fish-eating birds in the Wabigoon River system, northwestern Ontario, are among the most known mercury contaminated birds. It is suggested that the effects of mercury on the reproduction of fish-eating birds should be further examined there.Fish-eating birds occupy the highest levels of the food web and magnification of toxic chemicals through prey organisms in this web makes those birds vulnerable to the effects of environmental contaminants. Since fish-eating birds are present everywhere in Canada's freshwater and marine habitats and occupy various niches there, they may serve as pollution indicators in various food chains of our aquatic environment. Colonial birds are especially valuable indicators as pollution effects on total bird populations can be studied. Baseline information on fish-eating bird populations should now be collected everywhere in Canada for measuring present and future effects of environmental pollutants, as well as other man-made disturbances on their populations.     

Dealing with contaminated dredged materials with reference to the Oslo Convention 1972 and the new Paris Convention 1992

Protection of the sea has received much political attention—for example, at successive North Sea Conferences environmental ministers have formulated a stringent policy with the aim of reducing pollution in the north-east Atlantic. In the past this area received many substances from many sources, but gradually intergovernmental action since 1972 in the Oslo and Paris Conventions has succeeded in tracing the major sources and understanding the effects of these inputs on the marine environment. After long discussion, many dumpings and discharges have been ended because they were considered harmful to the marine environment. Dredging activities were included in the discussions but they may be regarded as being a special case compared with many other disposals.

In general, clean dredged material for sea disposal offers no problems, although restrictions may be caused by physical impacts, mainly to habitats for living organisms. However, this material also has positive, often even beneficial uses. In contrast, contaminated material disposal is restricted and the internationally accepted rule is that the material should not create hazards to human health, harm living resources and marine life or damage amenities or interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea. There are in principle three options for dealing with polluted sediments: doing nothing, remedial action in situ, removal of the contaminated material; occasionally treatment is a possibility. The distinction has been made between the disposal of industrial waste, sewage sludge or dredged material. Industrial waste disposal is now prohibited; sewage sludge may be dumped until 31 December 1998, although dredged material may still be stored at sea under certain conditions. The Oslo Convention 1972 decided with regard to dredged material: that pollution has to be tackled at the source; dumping at sea is forbidden, although dredged materials may be excluded from this; land disposal prevails, although in several countries there is a growing resistance to disposal on land; there should be a precautionary approach against marine disposal; a stand-still principle should be followed where the quantities disposed in a certain year should not be exceeded nor should the quality of the receiving water be reduced; marine disposal should be phased out and, where appropriate, time-limits set; and the polluter pays.

Dredged material is regarded as polluted and as a consequence may in general not be disposed of at sea when it contains substances listed in the Annexes of the Convention. Exceptions to this are indicated by the terms ‘a trace contaminant’, ‘rapidly rendered harmless’ or ‘significant amounts’. Therefore, to achieve uniformity in the application of the Convention, guidelines have been prepared by a joint London Dumping Convention/Oslo Commission working group of experts on dredged material. Several characteristics must be considered when choosing a site for marine disposal and interests such as beach recreation, sport and commercial fishing, nature, cultural or historical interests, navigation, military interests and cables and pipelines should be taken into account. Also the capacity of the area to assimilate disposed matter per time unit must not be exceeded, especially in low energy areas. It is considered that in discussions of the environmental aspects of dredging it is important that associations such as PIANC argue for safe and economic navigation.     

列车振动及其引起场地效应研究进展

列车已经成为交通运输的首选工具和主力,特别是高速列车对经济和社会的发展有着重要作用.由于高速列车和传统列车相比较最大的特点是速度高,因此所产生的环境振动越厉害,使得列车运输系统与人们的生产生活的矛盾越发激烈.因此,高速列车运行产生的环境振动问题成为国际研究热点和前沿课题.文中总结国内外研究现状和进展,重点从列车振动的理...     

Regional Seas integrative studies,as a basis for an ecosystem-based approach to management: The case of the Bay of Biscay

Marine legislation world-wide has, as a recent final objective, the maintenance of a good environmental or ecological status for marine waters, habitats and resources. The concept of environmental status takes into account the structure, function and processes of marine ecosystems, bringing together physical, chemical, physiographic, geographic and climatic factors: subsequently, integrating such conditions, with anthropogenic impacts and activities undertaken in the area concerned. Such an approach is intended to permit an assessment of the environmental status at the ecosystem level, i.e. ‘ecosystem-based approach’, or ‘ecosystem-based management’.Such legislation emphasises the need for the development of methodologies, to assess environmental status. As such the knowledge acquired within Regional Seas, discussed at International Symposia and, finally, published as Special Issues, can serve as the basis for a regional ecosystem-based approach to management and the integrative assessment of marine systems. Hence, the Bay of Biscay is used in this contribution, as an example, to show past and present research, together with perspectives for the future. It is concluded that collaboration between institutions (marine research institutes, universities) and countries (France, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Ireland) could result in an interesting ‘case-study’, for the further implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, at the level of this particular Regional Sea. In this way, the experience gained in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive within the ecoregion, together with the information collated in the eleven International Symposia of Oceanography of the Bay of Biscay, celebrated until now, can be very useful, for an ecosystem-based management approach for this Regional Sea.     

Development of environmental monitoring satellite systems in China

With the increase in global environmental problems, the necessity and urgency of remote sensing technology being applied to environmental monitoring has been widely recognized around the world. China has launched the environment and disaster monitoring and forecasting small satellite constellation HJ-1A/B and the FY3 atmosphere and environmental satellite, but they still cannot fully satisfy requirements for environmental monitoring. This paper summarizes the current status of satellite environmental monitoring in China and the existing problems of inadequate load design and low data utilization efficiency, and discusses the demand for environmental monitoring satellites. Based on the development of foreign satellite systems for environmental monitoring, the future development and key tasks of the environmental monitoring satellite system in China is discussed, as are some related initiatives.     

Human health benefits supplied by Mediterranean marine biodiversity

This paper summarizes the overall benefits supplied by Mediterranean marine biodiversity to human health and highlights the anthropogenic and environmental causes that are threatening these benefits. First, the Mediterranean Sea is a valuable source of seafood, which is an important component of the so-called “Mediterranean diet”. This type of diet has several health benefits, including cardio and cancer protective effects, which are attributed to the high intake of seafood-derived n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids. Second, the Mediterranean marine organisms, particularly the benthic ones, have furnished a large variety of bioactive metabolites, some of which are being developed into new drugs to threat major human diseases such as cancer. Third, the Mediterranean coastal areas provide environments for practising maritime leisure activities that provide physical and psychological benefits to users. Despite all this, fishing, tourism, contamination and sea warming are deteriorating this rich marine ecosystem, which needs to be protected to assure human welfare.     

Design and analysis of the Sydney deepwater ocean outfall environmental monitoring programme: a critique

The Sydney Environmental Monitoring Programme (EMP) measured the environmental performance of Sydney's new deepwater sewage outfalls against a wide range of criteria related to impacts on marine ecosystems and on human use of marine resources. It consisted of a number of interacting studies conducted during the period 1989 to 1993. Given that all the studies have now been finalized and the data analysed and presented (see papers in this volume), it is appropriate to review the program as a whole and identify, with the benefit of hindsight, where things could have been done better. This paper focuses mainly on the experimental design and statistical treatment of the studies conducted, although management problems are also briefly addressed. Overall it is concluded that the studies making up the EMP contributed greatly to enhancing our understanding of the marine environment of the coastal shelf off Sydney, an area which had previously received only limited attention. Most of the studies, however, suffered from deficiencies in experimental design, which was difficult to overcome when analysing the data. It will be important, in designing future integrated monitoring studies, to draw on the experience of programs such as this to avoid some of the pitfalls which appear to be inherent in these types of large programs.     

Marine biosecurity: The importance of awareness, support and cooperation in managing a successful incursion response

Shipping is almost certainly the most prevalent human-mediated transport vector for non-indigenous species (NIS) within the marine environment. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has long acknowledged the importance of sound environmental management and in recent years has taken a proactive approach to addressing risks associated with marine biosecurity. primarily as a result of biofouling on Navy vessel returning from overseas operations. This paper describes two case studies that highlight the effectiveness of the RAN marine biosecurity management framework in identifying an unwanted marine species on Navy vessels, and the successful biosecurity management program that ensued. In particular, the early detection and identification of a suspect NIS, the quick response to the discovery and the collaborative approach adopted between the RAN and the Government regulatory agency (Western Australian Department of Fisheries) charged with coordinating the incursion response serves as a model for how future incursion responses should be reported and managed.     

Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: a review

Since the mass production of plastics began in the 1940s, microplastic contamination of the marine environment has been a growing problem. Here, a review of the literature has been conducted with the following objectives: (1) to summarise the properties, nomenclature and sources of microplastics; (2) to discuss the routes by which microplastics enter the marine environment; (3) to evaluate the methods by which microplastics are detected in the marine environment; (4) to assess spatial and temporal trends of microplastic abundance; and (5) to discuss the environmental impact of microplastics. Microplastics are both abundant and widespread within the marine environment, found in their highest concentrations along coastlines and within mid-ocean gyres. Ingestion of microplastics has been demonstrated in a range of marine organisms, a process which may facilitate the transfer of chemical additives or hydrophobic waterborne pollutants to biota. We conclude by highlighting key future research areas for scientists and policymakers.     

A UK perspective on the development of marine ecosystem indicators

This paper reviews the suite of marine ecosystem indicators currently in use or under development in the UK to support the major national and international biodiversity and ecosystem policies. Indicators apply to a range of different ecosystem components, and range from those that can only be used for high level environmental health monitoring, to those which actively support management. Assessment of indicators against a management framework of driving force, pressure, state, impact and response, has shown that there are many indicators of state for ecosystem components, but relatively few for pressure of human activities on the environment, or of the socio-economic response to those pressures. This outcome, a result of unplanned sectorally driven indicator development, is not a co-ordinated contribution to marine environmental management and must be addressed if we are to avoid high monitoring costs and duplication of effort.     

Towards a cleaner marine environment—European Community priorities for protection

The sea covers 70% of the Earth's surface and plays a fundamental role in the global ecosystem. In order to safeguard it effectively, action must be taken at many levels, by many users in many different areas. This paper will focus on the European Communities' policies for dealing with marine pollution. It discusses the case for joint action and describes how international, co-ordinated action can be most effectively enforced.

Protecting the marine environment by carefully regulating the activities of all users will require effective but realistic policies that can be monitored and enforced. It is necessary to consider shipping, the fishery industry, tourism and many other industries, to see where changes may be required. At the same time, it should be remembered that 80% of marine pollution derives from land-based sources. A holistic approach to environmental policy-making is therefore necessary in order to provide a cleaner marine environment.     

Impact of oceans on climate change in drylands

Drylands account for approximately 41% of the global total land area. Significant warming and rare precipitation in drylands result in a fragile ecology and deterioration of the living environment, making it more sensitive to global climate change. As an important regulator of the Earth's climate system, the oceans play a vital role in the process of climate change in drylands. In modern climate change in particular, the impact of marine activities on climate change in drylands cannot be neglected. This paper reviews the characteristics of climate change in drylands over the past 100 years, and summarizes the researches conducted on the impact of marine activities on these changes. The review focuses on the impact of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation(AMO), El Ni?o and La Ni?a on climate change in drylands, and introduces the mechanisms by which different oceanic oscillation factors synergistically affect climate change in drylands.Studies have shown that global drylands have experienced a significant intensification in warming in the past 100 years, which shows obvious characteristics of interdecadal dry/wet variations. The characteristics of these changes are closely related to the oscillatory factors of the oceanic interdecadal scale. Different phase combinations of oceanic oscillation factors significantly change the land-sea thermal contrast, which in turn affects the westerly jet, planetary wave and blocking frequency, resulting in changes in the temperature and dry/wet characteristics of drylands. With the intensification of climate change in drylands, the impact of marine activities on these regions will reveal new characteristics in the future, which will increase the uncertainty of future climate change in drylands and intensify the impact of these drylands on global climate.     

海洋天然气水合物的地球物理探测高新技术

海洋天然气水合物是一种潜在的巨大能源,在资源环境、灾害方面处于非常重要的地位。发展海洋天然气水合物的地球物理探测高新技术一蕴藏量估算技术、深水区高分辩率地震技术、井中地球物理技术、海洋电滋法探测技术,准确了解天然气水合物的分布与蕴藏量,对我国海洋天然气水合物产业的建立具有关键作用。     

Economic valuation for the conservation of marine biodiversity

Policy makers are increasingly recognising the role of environmental valuation to guide and support the management and conservation of biodiversity. This paper presents a goods and services approach to determine the economic value of marine biodiversity in the UK, with the aim of clarifying the role of valuation in the management of marine biodiversity. The goods and services resulting from UK marine biodiversity are detailed, and 8 of the 13 services are valued in monetary terms. It is found that a decline in UK marine biodiversity could result in a varying, and at present unpredictable, change in the provision of goods and services, including reduced resilience and resistance to change, declining marine environmental health, reduced fisheries potential, and loss of recreational opportunities. The results suggest that this approach can facilitate biodiversity management by enabling the optimal allocation of limited management resources and through raising awareness of the importance of marine biodiversity.     

Assessing health of the Bay of Fundy--concepts and framework

A discussion of health and ecosystem health (EH) concepts and a conceptual framework for assessing health of the Bay of Fundy are presented. The framework includes:Concepts--What is health? What is EH and marine ecosystem health (MEH)? How does EH relate to other closely related concepts and principles i.e. environmental quality (especially marine or MEQ), ecosystem integrity, and ecosystem sustainability?Importance--Why is EH important, and what are the linkages to people i.e. human health?Approaches and techniques--How do we monitor and measure EH, and in that context, ecosystem or ecological change? i.e. What are the monitoring approaches and tools? What is an appropriate set of EH indicators and indices for the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine? At the present time, can we make unequivocal statements about the status and trends in EH measures of the Bay of Fundy? Do we have adequate guidelines, objectives and standards for assessing environmental quality and EH?Connecting with management needs--Do we have adequate mechanisms in place to address MEH, marine environmental quality (MEQ), and environmental sustainability in the Bay of Fundy? What is the role of periodic marine assessments (state of the marine environment reports) in this activity? What kinds of new directions and new ecosystem science should be given priority? What kinds of other new activities should be pursued?For the Bay of Fundy Coastal Forum at the recent 5th BOFEP Bay of Fundy Science Workshop (May 2002), five core questions flowing from the health framework served to initiate and focus the discussions:Current state--What is the present health or condition of the Bay of Fundy?Changes--Are conditions improving or deteriorating?Indicators--What kinds of indicators do we consider most useful in trying to answer these questions?Existing resources--Are there adequate resources (e.g. institutional, financial, scientific, regulatory) to protect or restore the health of the Bay?Needs--What kinds of new information and approaches do we need to protect the health of the Bay?The background information and ideas of this paper were intended to assist discussion at the Fundy workshop, and to help identify the next steps, both individual and collective, for assessing the health of the Bay of Fundy.     

Using EUNIS habitat classification for benthic mapping in European seas: Present concerns and future needs

The EUNIS (European Union Nature Information System) habitat classification system aims to provide a common European reference set of habitat types within a hierarchical classification, and to cover all terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats of Europe. The classification facilitates reporting of habitat data in a comparable manner, for use in nature conservation (e.g. inventories, monitoring and assessments), habitat mapping and environmental management. For the marine environment the importance of a univocal habitat classification system is confirmed by the fact that many European initiatives, aimed at marine mapping, assessment and reporting, are increasingly using EUNIS habitat categories and respective codes. For this reason substantial efforts have been made to include information on marine benthic habitats from different regions, aiming to provide a comprehensive geographical coverage of European seas. However, there still remain many concerns on its applicability as only a small fraction of Europe’s seas are fully mapped and increasing knowledge and application raise further issues to be resolved.This paper presents an overview of the main discussion and conclusions of a workshop, organised by the MeshAtlantic project, focusing upon the experience in using the EUNIS habitats classification across different countries and seas, together with case studies. The aims of the meeting were to: (i) bring together scientists with experience in the use of the EUNIS marine classification and representatives from the European Environment Agency (EEA); (ii) agree on enhancements to EUNIS that ensure an improved representation of the European marine habitats; and (iii) establish practices that make marine habitat maps produced by scientists more consistent with the needs of managers and decision-makers. During the workshop challenges for the future development of EUNIS were identified, which have been classified into five categories: (1) structure and hierarchy; (2) biology; (3) terminology; (4) mapping; and (5) future development. The workshop ended with a declaration from the attendees, with recommendations to the EEA and European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity, to take into account the outputs of the workshop, which identify weaknesses in the current classification and include proposals for its modification, and to devise a process to further develop the marine component of the EUNIS habitat classification.