Ocean control of the breeding regime of the sooty tern in the southwest Indian Ocean

Food availability, which is often seasonal, is regarded as a key factor in the breeding success of seabirds. In oceanic tropical areas, the resources are mostly patchy and ephemeral at the surface, and the seasonality is less marked than at higher latitudes. Such a situation influences greatly the breeding strategies of the oceanic seabird species. We conducted a comparative study of the breeding phenology of the sooty tern (Sterna fuscata) in relation to the local and regional oceanographic conditions around the four major colonies (Europa, Juan de Nova, Lys and Bird Islands) of the southwest Indian Ocean. Over the 1997–2003 period, around all the studied locations, the sea-surface temperature (SST) and the chlorophyll concentration in the Mozambique Channel and the Seychelles area showed clear seasonal differences related to the southern climate and the monsoon phenomena. The breeding activity is synchronized at each studied colony, but the timings are very different. Seasonal reproduction occurs in austral winter at Europa and Bird Island and in austral summer at Juan de Nova; at Lys Island the reproduction is non-seasonal. For the seasonal colonies, there is a large monthly change in SST just before the beginning of reproduction, which is a proxy indicating the annual phytoplankton bloom. This variation is accompanied by the development of oceanic features such as fronts that favour aggregation of prey, and may also play an important role in the presence of schools of surface tuna, which are very important for the foraging success of sooty terns. Conversely, around Lys Island the seasonal variations of the marine environment do not lead to pronounced development of oceanic structures, and consequently, the longer-lasting phytoplankton bloom could explain the non-seasonal breeding regime there. Further studies will help discern the advantages and disadvantages of seasonal and non-seasonal reproduction regime in response to unpredictable fluctuations of the marine environment.     

Seismic characteristics of sediment drifts: An example from the Agulhas Plateau,southwest Indian Ocean

Sediment drifts provide information on the palaeoceanographic development of a region. Additionally, they may represent hydrocarbon reservoirs. Because of this, sediment drift investigation has increased over the last few years. Nevertheless, a number of problems remain regarding the processes controlling their shape, the characteristic lithological and seismic patterns and the diagnostic criteria. As an example, sediment drifts from the Agulhas Plateau, southwest Indian Ocean, are presented here. They show a variety of seismic features and facies including an asymmetric mounded geometry, changes in internal reflection pattern, truncation of internal reflectors at the seafloor and discontinuities. This collection of observations in combination with the local oceanography appears to comprise a diagnostic tool for sediment drifts.     

西南印度洋真光层海水中固氮细菌多样性

本文通过构建克隆文库和基因测序的方法研究了西南印度洋真光层海水中固氮细菌nifH基因的多样性。从构建的2个nifH基因克隆文库中共获得76条有效序列,其中46条来自CTD13-30 m文库,分属10个OTUs;30条来自CTD13-125 m文库,分属8个OTUs。系统发育分析结果显示,研究站位nifH基因序列主要分布于Cluster I和Cluster III两个分支,其中Cluster I中包含蓝细菌和变形菌两个分支,蓝细菌以Group B为优势类群,并未获得束毛藻和Group A的nifH基因序列。此外还有少数nifH基因序列分布于Cluster II。总体来看,西南印度洋固氮生物基因与大西洋的亲缘关系更近;固氮生物的多样性较为丰富,受环境条件的影响,群落结构与其它热带、亚热带寡营养海域具有明显的不同。     

Dianeutral mixing,transformation and transport of the deep water of the Indian Ocean

The realization of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) replacement in the deep northern Indian Ocean is crucial to the “conveyor belt” scheme. This was investigated with the updated 1994 Levitus climatological atlas. The study was performed on four selected neutral surfaces, encompassing the Indian deep water from 2000 to 3500 m. The Indian deep water comprises three major water masses: NADW, Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) and North Indian Deep Water (NIDW). Since NADW flowing into the southwest Indian Ocean is largely blocked by the ridges (the Madagascar Ridge in the east and Davie Ridge in the north in the Mozambique Channel) and NIDW is the only source in the northern Indian Ocean that cannot provide a large amount of volume transport, CDW has to be a major source for the Indian deep circulation and ventilation in the north. Thus the question of NADW replacement becomes that of how the advective flows of CDW from the south are changed to be upwelled flows in the north—a water-mass transformation scenario. This study considered various processes causing motion across neutral surfaces. It is found that dianeutral mixing is vital to achieve CDW transformation. Basin-wide uniform dianeutral upwelling is detected in the entire Indian deep water north of 32°S, somewhat concentrated in the eastern Indian Ocean on the lowest surface. However, the integrated dianeutral transport is quite low, about a net of 0.2 Sv (1 Sv=10⁶ m³ s^-1) across the lowermost neutral surface upward and 0.4 Sv across the uppermost surface upward north of 32°S with an error band of about 10–20% when an uncertainty of half-order change in diffusivities is assumed. Given about 10–15% of rough ridge area where dianeutral diffusivity could be about one order of magnitude higher (10^-4 m² s^-1) due to internal-wave breaking, the additional amount of increased net dianeutral transport across the lowest neutral surface is still within that error band. The averaged net upward transport in the north is matched with a net downward transport of 0.3 Sv integrated in the Southern Ocean south of 45°S across the lowermost surface. With the previous works of You (1996. Deep Sea Research 43, 291–320) in the thermocline and You (Journal of Geophysical Research) in the intermediate water combined, a schematic dianeutral circulation of the Indian Ocean emerges. The integrated net dianeutral upwelling transport shows a steady increase from the deep water to the upper thermocline (from 0.2 to 4.6) north of 32°S. The dianeutral upwelling transport is accumulated upward as the northward advective transport provided from the Southern Ocean increases. As a result, the dianeutral upwelling transport north of 32°S can provide at least 4.6 Sv to south of 32°S from the upper main thermocline, most likely to the Agulhas Current system. This amount of dianeutral upwelling transport does not include the top 150–200 m, which may contribute much more volume transport to the south.     

Vagrant birds ashore at the Prince Edward Islands,southern Indian Ocean,from 1987 to 2009

Vagrant birds recorded ashore at Marion Island and Prince Edward Island from 1987 to 2009 are documented. In total, 101 observations (including multiple sightings of potentially the same individual) of 29 species were made. Palaearctic and Holarctic migrants (17 species), African species (n = 6) and pelagic species with a predominantly Southern Ocean distribution (n = 6) were observed. The number of observations peaked during the austral autumn, which corresponded to both the northward migration of Palaearctic species and maximum observer effort. Ruddy turnstones Arenaria interpres, barn swallows Hirundo rustica, common house-martins Delichon urbicum and cattle egrets Bubulcus ibis were most frequently observed; ruddy turnstones and common house-martins apparently increasing in occurrence over the past two decades.     

Peculiarities of water circulation in the south-western Indian Ocean

In this paper observational data are used to compute drift and geostrophic current components and to evaluate water transport in the upper 0–800 m ocean layer. Water circulation in the south-western Indian Ocean has been shown to differ from the circulation in similar areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The West Australian current, closing the anticyclonic gyre, is an intervening flow. On the other hand, within the upper 200 m layer, the current flows southward along the West Australian coast, thereby producing specific hydrological conditions in that region. Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

Bottom water temperature measurements in the South China Sea,eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean

文章报道了一批新的海底底水温度(BWT)数据,其中南海(SCS)158个站位、东印度洋(EIO)30个站位及西太平洋(WPO)37个站位。基于这批新的BWT数据,获得南海和西太平洋海域底水温度与水深经验关系,可为地球物理和物理海洋提供准确、可靠的海底温度边界。这将有助于海底油气资源调查与评估。同时,这批实测数据表明:1)水深超过3500m的海域,其底水温度在南海约为2.47℃,比东印度洋(～1.34℃)和西太平洋(～1.60℃)稍微偏高。这与大洋传送带模式所预测的情况比较吻合。该模式认为:低温高盐的海水,从北大西洋格陵兰岛和冰岛附近海域下沉到深层,然后向南流动,再与南极洲周围海域的低温高盐海水一同向北进入印度洋和太平洋。而南海是一个相对比较封闭的热带边缘海,其内部海水与印度洋和菲律宾海交换有限,导致海水温度整体高于印度洋和太平洋。2)台西南盆地水深在2700～3000m的部分站位,其底水温高达约3.00℃,明显高于其周边同水深海域底水温度(平均值约为2.33℃)。这可能是台西南盆地海底水热活动导致的结果。3)在东印度洋和西太平洋水深超过4800m海域,底水温度随着水压增大稍有升高,其升高率分别为10.6mK·MPa~(-1)和12.0mK·MPa~(-1)。这与理论估算的深层底水绝热压力温度梯度范围较为吻合。这也意味着东印度洋和西太平洋深层底水,主要由绝热自压作用导致其温度随着深度的增大而升高。     

A preliminary study of habitat and resource partitioning among co-occurring tropical dolphins around Mayotte, southwest Indian Ocean

Mayotte in the southwest Indian Ocean is characterized by high dolphin diversity. They may coexist within a fairly small area around the island because they exploit neither the same preferential habitats nor the same resources. This preliminary study aimed to investigate ecological niche segregation among these delphinid communities: the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus, the pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata, the spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris, and the melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra. Two approaches were used. Habitat preferences were investigated by analysing dolphin sighting data and associated physiographical characteristics. Resource partitioning was explored by analysing C and N stable isotopes in skin and blubber biopsies. Only T. aduncus, which showed clear association with coastal habitats in the lagoon, differed from the others in terms of habitat preferences, characterised by shallow depth and slope, and proximity to the coast. All other species shared similar oceanic habitats immediately outside the lagoon, these being of higher depth and slope, greater distance from the coast and were not discernable by discriminant analysis. The two Stenella species and the melon-headed whale displayed very high overlap in habitat physiographic variables. The analysis of stable isotopes confirmed the ecological isolation of T. aduncus and revealed a clear segregation of P. electra compared to the two Stenella that was not apparent in the habitat analysis. This may reflect ecological differences that were not observable from diurnal surface observations.     

Cadmium,cobalt, copper,iron, lead,nickel and zinc in Indian Ocean water

Results of trace-metal analyses of water samples obtained during a cruise with the Soviet R.V. “Akademik Kurchatov” in the Indian Ocean are presented. The determinations were performed on board with atomic absorption spectrophotometry after a two-stage dithiocarbamate—Freon extraction procedure. Trace-metal concentrations found are in the same range as those found recently for similar open-ocean areas by other workers. The values for lead and zinc are probably high due to contamination. Vertical profiles indicate biogenic processes as controlling factors for the increase of cadmium, copper and nickel concentrations with depth. Iron shows an irregular depth distribution as a result of large random variations in concentration.     

北印度洋越赤道经向翻转环流的年际变化

利用50a(1950~1999)的SODA资料对北印度洋(7°S以北)越赤道的经向翻转环流及其年际变化进行了研究。结果表明,就年平均而言,上层向北的入流在越过赤道后最终通过Ekman层向南返回构成环流圈;在赤道附近的混合层,表层存在与Ekman流相反的流动。向北的入流主要通过西边界流实现,深度可达500m,向南的流动在西部较强。此环流有很明显的年际变化,周期约为4a;它的变化与海面风应力的变化是密切相关的。提出了反映此环流年际变化的2个指数。     

Annual cycle of the upper-ocean circulation and properties in the tropical western Indian Ocean

A regional ocean model was used to simulate the annual cycle of the upper-ocean dynamics and its influence on ocean properties in the tropical western Indian Ocean. Surface winds and heat fluxes from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis forced the model (Model_NCEP) with initial and lateral boundary conditions derived from the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA). The model findings were in good agreement with previous research, satellite and observational data as well as another model configuration forced by Comprehensive Ocean and Atmosphere Data Sets (COADS). The initial and lateral boundary conditions for Model_COADS were extracted from World Ocean Atlas 2001. Anticyclonic wind stress curl occurred to the north of Madagascar, and extended towards the Tanzanian coast throughout the year, leading to Ekman convergence and downwelling in that region. The lowest sea-surface height values during the year occurred between 5° and 12° S with an elongated and contracted shape. The East African Coastal Current (EACC) was in phase with the westward North-East Madagascar Current (NEMC) throughout the year with volume transports peaking in June through July in the model forced by NCEP reanalysis. The variability of the volume transport, ocean currents, temperature and salinity to the north of Madagascar on the path of the NEMC mirrored those in the middle Tanzanian shelf on the path of the EACC throughout the year. The NEMC seemed to influence the water masses on the Tanzanian shelf, with cooler and lower-salinity water in the South-West Monsoon, and warmer and saltier water during the North-East Monsoon.     

热带西南印度洋上升流区季节和年际变化研究及与印太系统海气相互作用

用59年Ishii再分析温度资料,讨论了热带西南印度洋(SWTIO)上升流区的季节和年际变化以及与上升流区有关的温度距平的变化,同时分析了其与热带印太海气系统的关系,结果显示SWTIO 上升流在南半球冬、夏季比较强,春季最弱。它的范围在5°~1°S,在东西向从50°E可以伸展到90°E。该上升流区的变化与温跃层的温度距平有密切的关系,并存在明显的5 a振荡周期。SWTIO上升流区温度距平的5 a周期振荡是由热带东印度洋温度距平在最大垂直温度距平曲面(MTAL)上向西沿着11.5°~6.5°S传播过来的,它与热带太平洋的温度距平传播方式不同。SWTIO上升流是热带印太海气系统的一个重要组成部分,印度洋偶极子 超前SWTIO上升流区温度变化5个月,最大相关系数达到0.57,NINO3区指数超前SWTIO上升流区指数2个月达到0.49。当热带印太区域的大气风场改变,影响热带太平洋和印度洋表层SSTA,出现ENSO和DIPOLE,进一步向西传播到SWTIO次表层,导致SWTIO上升流区出现改变。     

The Indian Ocean HydroBase: A high-quality climatological dataset for the Indian Ocean

The present study developed a high-quality climatological dataset for the Indian Ocean - the Indian Ocean HydroBase (IOHB) - from a combined dataset including the World Ocean Database 1998 version 2 (WOD98v2). Methods are similar to those used by previous studies for other oceans. Japanese data for the IOHB originated from the Japanese datasets MIRC (Marine Information Research Center) Ocean Dataset 2001 and Far Seas Collection; these datasets contain more Japanese observations than WOD98v2. Water mass properties in the IOHB climatology are consistent with previous studies. Seasonal patterns of properties near the sea surface are well reproduced, and deep-layer properties are consistent with the Reid-Mantyla climatology that is derived from high-quality observations. The isopycnal climatology of the IOHB differs from the World Ocean Atlas 2001 (WOA01) along the fronts associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). The WOA01 shows a warm and saline intermediate water intrusion from South Africa to the east along the northern edge of the front. Such an intrusion is absent in IOHB where less saline intermediate water extends continuously northward from the southern ocean. The WOA01 shows a continuous belt of low potential vorticity along the ACC. This feature is less distinct in the IOHB climatology and in the Reid-Mantyla climatology. The IOHB consists of a 1° × 1° gridded climatology and the datasets of raw and quality-controlled hydrographic stations. The latter is valuable for quality control of the Argo float salinity data as climatological reference. These datasets are available freely via the Internet.     

Geophysical investigations over a segment of the Central Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean

 Swath bathymetric, gravity, and magnetic studies were carried out over a 55 km long segment of the Central Indian Ridge. The ridge is characterized by 12 to 15 km wide rift valley bounded by steep walls and prominent volcanic constructional ridges on either side of the central rift valley. A transform fault at 7°45′S displaces the ridge axis. A mantle Bouguer anomaly low of −14 mGals and shallowing of rift valley over the middle of the ridge segment indicate along axis crustal thickness variations. A poorly developed neovolcanic zone on the inner rift valley floor indicate dominance of tectonic extension. The off-axis volcanic ridgs suggest enhanced magmatic activity during the recent past. Received: 24 May 1996 / Rivision received: 13 January 1997     

热带印度洋偶极子事件和副热带印度洋偶极子事件的联系

分别对热带印度洋偶极子事件和副热带印度洋偶极子事件的时间序列进行了周期分析。结果表明,热带印度洋偶极子事件的主要振荡周期为2 a和4 a,而副热带偶极子事件的主要振荡周期为8 a;对整个印度洋海区的海表温度距平进行2~8 a的带通滤波,发现未滤波之前,2个事件的相关性很低,而在进行了滤波之后,2个事件的相关性有很大的提高,并且当副热带印度洋偶极子事件超前热带印度洋偶极子事件9个月时,二者具有很强的相关性。通过对温度场和风场的分析,从物理上解释了2个事件之间的相互联系。     

The evolution of the Tugela canyon and submarine fan: A complex interaction between margin erosion and bottom current sweeping,southwest Indian Ocean,South Africa

The transfer of sediment from the upper continental slope to rise is poorly documented along the southeast African passive margin. New swath bathymetric and sub-bottom data collected in the Natal Valley, southwest Indian Ocean, provide insight into the evolution of the Tugela canyon and fan system. Several distinct downslope changes in canyon morphology are noted. The canyon increases in relief and widens with depth. Basement outcrop is restricted to the head of the canyon becoming less prominent with depth. Step-like terracing of the canyon walls and floor becomes prominent in the mid-slope portions of the canyon and is related to a marked increase in the cross sectional asymmetry of the canyon profile. The contemporary Tugela canyon rests within a depression of the last phase of infilling. The canyon is the product of downslope erosion, and incision, caused by several phases of hinterland uplift in the mid Oligocene, mid Miocene and late Pliocene. Each phase was followed by pelagic infilling of the palaeo-canyon form. Downslope, the uplift phases are preserved in the cut-terraces and axial incisions within the main canyon thalweg. The contemporary canyon is a moribund feature, sediment starvation of the shelf area by current sweeping of the Agulhas current has decreased the material available for canyon incision and fan development. Additional current sweeping by the North Atlantic Deep Water current has stunted the development of the associated fan complex.     

Coral reefs of the Glorieuses Islands,western Indian Ocean

The benthic fauna on reefs around the Glorieuses Islands, a small and protected Indian Ocean archipelago northwest of Madagascar, was surveyed in November 2015, focusing particularly on the orders Alcyonacea (soft corals and gorgonians) and Scleractinia (stony corals). The species richness of both groups was rather low for a protected, relatively pristine environment in the region. Though certain soft ‘fugitive’ alcyonacean species were noticeably abundant, other soft corals were rare. Sediment-tolerant faviid corals were abundant among the scleractinians. The sediment around the reefs was fine-grained and white, and appeared to be derived from abundant green macroalgae Halimeda and coralline seaweeds. The abundance of these, in turn, might have been attributable to nutrient enrichment from guano deposited on one of the islands by migratory seabirds, causing the aforementioned anomalies in coral biodiversity and abundance.     

Surface water carbon dioxide in the southwest Indian sector of the Southern Ocean: a highly variable CO2 source/sink region in summer

Measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO₂), total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO₂), total alkalinity (TA) and chlorophyll a (Chl a) have been made in surface water in the southwestern Indian sector of the Southern Ocean (20–85°E) in the austral summer (INDIVAT V cruise, January-February 1987). Between Antarctica and Africa, pCO₂ distribution was linked to the oceanic frontal zones and Chi a variations. The pCO₂ spatial structure was very close to that explored in summer 1967 in the same region but the pCO₂ differences between the ocean and the atmosphere were smaller in 1987 than 20 years ago. At all latitudes we found strongly contrasting surface pCO₂ characteristics between eastern (around 80°E) and western (around 25°E) regions; C02 sources were mainly in the west and CO₂ sinks in the east. South of 60°S, the contrast could be due to biological activity. Between 60°S and the Antarctic Polar Front, intensification of upwelling might be responsible for the higher _pCO₂ values in the west.