Winter counter-wind currents off the southeastern China coast: A review

This review covers the discovery and studies of the year-round northeastward currents off the southeastern China coast, paying special attention to its upwind characteristic in winter, mainly focusing on work by Chinese oceanographers. This current system is a prominent and unique phenomenon in the shelf circulation of the world ocean. The general features of the current system are summarized. The evidence for the existence and the variation of the three parts of the currents—the South China Sea Warm Current, the Taiwan Strait Warm Current and the Taiwan Warm Current—are separately elucidated. The formation mechanisms of the current as a whole are explained using dynamic analysis and numerical simulation results. Some suggestions for further studies are also made.     

A review of sediment dynamical processes in the west coast of Korea,eastern Yellow Sea

Sediment dynamical processes began to be systematically monitored in the west coast of Korea facing the eastern Yellow Sea in the 1990s. The early investigations were largely conducted aboard vessels that provided results where the resolution was highly restricted in both temporal and spatial aspects. However, full-fledged autonomous instruments introduced early in the 2000s allowed for a quantum leap in the level of this sub-field of sedimentology. The investigated sites include various environments such as estuaries, bays, tidal flats, beaches, and offshore deposits. Among them, a total of seven sites were selected for the review: Han estuary, Daeho tidal flats, Garolim Bay, Saemangeum Region, Byunsan Beach, Gomso Bay, and Huksan Mud Belt. The major results from each site were briefly summarized. The summary clearly demonstrates that wind-generated currents and waves particularly during winter should be carefully considered in interpreting sedimentary environments. This is because winter-season processes interrupt or actively displace much of the sediments worked by tidal currents in the remaining seasons. The summary hence suggests that seasonal investigations of sediment dynamics are necessary to understand shallow-water sedimentation in the west coast of Korea that is governed complicatedly by two major forcing agents: waves and tidal currents.     

Sea urchin overgrazing of seagrasses: A review of current knowledge on causes, consequences, and management

Sea urchins are one of the most common seagrass macro-grazers in contemporary seagrass systems. Occasionally their grazing rates exceed seagrass growth rates, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as overgrazing. Because of a reported increasing frequency of overgrazing events, concomitant with loss of seagrass-associated ecosystem services, it has been suggested that overgrazing is one of the key threats to tropical and subtropical seagrasses. In light of this, we review the current knowledge on causes, consequences, and management of sea urchin overgrazing of seagrasses. Initially we argue that the definition of overgrazing must include scale and impairment of ecosystem services, since this is the de facto definition used in the literature, and will highlight the potential societal costs of seagrass overgrazing. A review of 16 identified cases suggests that urchin overgrazing is a global phenomenon, ranging from temperate to tropical coastal waters and involving at least 11 seagrass and 7 urchin species. Even though most overgrazing events seem to affect areas of <0.5 km², and recovery often occurs within a few years, overgrazing can have a range of large, long-term indirect effects such as loss of associated fauna and decreased sediment stabilization. A range of drivers behind overgrazing have been suggested, including bottom-up (nutrient enrichment), top-down (reduced predation control due to e.g. overfishing), “side-in” mechanisms (e.g. changes in water temperature) and natural population fluctuations. Based on recent studies, there seems to be fairly strong support for the top-down and bottom-up hypotheses. However, many potential drivers often co-occur and interact, especially in areas with high anthropogenic pressure, suggesting that multiple disturbances—by simultaneously reducing predation control, increasing urchin recruitment and reducing the resistance of seagrasses—could pave the way for overgrazing. In management, the most common response to overgrazing has been to remove urchins, but limited knowledge of direct and indirect effects makes it difficult to assess the applicability and sustainability of this method. Based on the wide knowledge gaps, which severely limits management, we suggest that future research should focus on (1) identification and quantification of ecosystem and societal scale effects of overgrazing; (2) assessment of the relative importance and interactions of different drivers; and (3) development of a holistic proactive and reactive long-term management agenda.     

The status of research and utilisation on the subtidal kelp along the Chilean coast: A literature review

The most important marine coastal ecosystem in the Chilean coast are kelp forests. This review is based on ecological studies regarding different aspects of subtidal kelp ecosystems along the Chilean coast. It highlights the most interesting findings in (1) biology of subtidal kelp in Chile, with particular reference to (2) habitats formed by kelp, and considered the successful examples and promising results in the (3) kelp as an industrial resource (Biotechnological approach of kelps and aquaculture). The impact caused by (4) El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation is discussed as an important climatic event that could help to forecast the future of the kelp ecosystem. In addition, this literature review outlines the knowledge gaps on subtidal kelp along the Southeast Pacific Coast of Chile, so that research can be strengthened in the future.     

沙质海岸沿岸输沙率计算方法研究进展

准确预测波浪作用下沿岸输沙率是沙质海岸研究领域的重要科学问题。根据数十年来国内外沿岸输沙率公式的研究进展,按研究方法对各项成果进行分类,并兼顾时间逻辑,回顾了各研究方法的发展历程及其代表性成果。对各项成果的理论基础、考虑因素、资料来源等方面进行了探讨,并采用现场原型沙、室内原型沙和室内轻质沙等实测资料,对国内外常用公式的预测准确性进行了检验。结果表明,孙林云公式与各项实测资料的吻合程度最高,在众多沿岸输沙率公式中具有明显的先进性。在此基础上,对未来可进一步深化研究的方向作出了展望。     

Year-to-year variation of cold waters around the korea strait

Year-to-year variation of bottom cold waters around the Korea Strait was investigated based on bottom temperatures measured by submarine telephone cable between Pusan, Korea and Hamada, Japan from 1982 to 1992. The characteristics of bottom temperatures could be divided into three different groups: the Korean side, the middle, and the Japanese side. Temperature drops in summer appeared in all the three regions implying the intrusion of cold waters into the Korea Strait. Significant decreases in the Korean side were observed in 1983, 1986, 1990, 1991, and 1992 when bottom temperatures were high in the middle. In contrast, bottom temperatures significantly decreased in the middle in 1985, 1988, and 1989 when the temperature drops in the Korean side were relatively small. This tendency for a negative relationship was also shown in the second mode of an EOF analysis. In the years when bottom temperatures significantly decreased in the Korean side, the cold water along the east coast of Korea expanded offshore and its temperature was low. On the contrary, cold water in the southern region of the Ulleung Basin developed in the years when bottom temperatures decreased considerably in the middle.     

Spatial distribution patterns of the peppery furrow shell Scrobicularia plana (da Costa, 1778) along the European coast: A review

The bivalve Scrobicularia plana is an important species of shallow water benthic communities with a wide geographic distribution but also with a general patchy pattern, i.e. irregular in occurrence and in density. This review aims to determine the processes responsible for the species' spatial distribution pattern based on the available information on S. plana. Although several pre- and post-settlement processes are believed to influence spatial patterns of marine invertebrates, the general patchy distribution of S. plana seems to be determined by the existence of specific environmental conditions during settlement. Factors such as temperature, salinity, sediment type, hydrographic conditions and predation affect settlement and spat survival and not one but a combination of factors seems to explain the species distribution pattern. Future work should focus on determining the scale of patchiness, using hierarchical sampling, as well as the connectivity between populations by analysing the population genetic structure.     

Environmentally associated spatial changes of a macrozoobenthic community in the Saemangeum tidal flat,Korea

Estuarine tidal flats are both ecologically and economically important, hence developing methods to reliably measure ecosystem health is essential. Because benthic fauna play a central role in the food web of tidal flats, in this study we set out to quantitatively describe the intertidal zonation of macro-invertebrates and their associations with specific environmental parameters along three transects in the Saemangeum tidal flat, Korea. The abundance and biomass of intertidal fauna with respect to five environmental parameters (i.e., shore level, mud content, coarse sand content, water content, and organic content) were measured, to identify environmental factors that influence macrofaunal distribution in intertidal soft bottom habitats. A total of 75 species were identified, with dominant species showing distinct zones of distribution along all transects. The number of species recorded in each transect was found to be dependent on sediment characteristics and salinity. Cluster analysis classified the entire study area into three faunal assemblages (i.e., location groups), which were delineated by characteristic species, including (A) ‘Periserrula–Macrophthalmus’, (B) ‘Umbonium–Meretrix’, and (C) ‘Prionospio–Potamocorbula’. Four environmental variables (i.e., shore level, water content, mud content, and organic content) appeared to determine factors that distinguished the three faunal assemblages, based on the discriminant analysis. The faunal assemblage types of the sampled locations were accurately predicted from environmental variables in two discriminant functions, with a prediction accuracy of 98%. It should be noted that the zonation of benthos in the lower section (C) of Sandong had been affected by the construction of a nearby dike, while this parameter had remained essentially unchanged at the other two location groups (A–B). Overall, the zonation of benthos from the Saemangeum tidal flat was explained adequately by the measured environmental variables, implying that faunal assemblages are closely associated with certain combinations of abiotic factors. The identification of such reliable associations may facilitate the development of statistical models to predict faunal distributions based on environmental variables at both local and regional scales. The entire study area was embanked in 2006 (one year after this study), and an integrated plan was set into force to develop claimed land into industrial, residential and agricultural districts, which also included a partial restoration program of the tidal flats located near to the study area.     

福建沿海全新世相对海平面变化:地质记录与“冰川?水均衡调整”模拟对比

重建高质量的全新世相对海平面变化曲线,可为海岸带人类社会科学预测及应对未来海平面上升风险提供重要的地质历史依据和长时间尺度的数据参考。目前已发表了多条福建海岸带全新世相对海平面变化曲线,然而已有曲线反映的相对海平面变化历史存在较大差异,甚至是矛盾结果。同时,相对海平面长期变化机制及影响因素也不明确。本研究收集、整理了福建沿海已发表的全新世相对海平面数据,对已有数据的年代、高程、指示意义等属性信息进行重新检查和校正,根据国际方法体系,建立了该区域一个标准化的全新世“相对海平面数据库”,共包括海平面数据183个。在此基础上,采用“变量误差–综合高斯（EIV-IGP）”统计学模型,提出了一条新的福建沿海全新世相对海平面变化曲线。并应用“冰川–水均衡调整”（GIA）理论,开展了相对海平面变化GIA模拟。最后,综合相对海平面变化地质记录及GIA模拟结果,得出以下结论:（1）福建沿海距今11.28～7.08 cal ka,相对海平面由（–23.55±6.94）m快速连续上升至（–1.51±1.80）m;距今7.08～4.08 cal ka,相对海平面由（–1.51±1.80）m缓慢上升至约（1.09±1.38）m;距今3.48 cal ka前后,相对海平面高于现代海平面约（1.35±1.23）m;此后,波动下降并逐渐接近现代位置;（2）“冰川–水均衡调整”作用是福建全新世相对海平面变化的主要长期作用机制;距今11.28～7.00 cal ka,相对海平面变化主要受冰盖融水控制;距今7.00 cal ka以来,“水均衡调整”作用逐渐占据主导;（3）福建沿海中–晚全新世（距今6.75～0.16 cal ka）期间,存在高于现今海面位置的“高海平面”现象;不同于传统构造运动主导观点,研究认为GIA引起的“陆地掀斜”和“海洋虹吸”作用,可能是该区域“高海平面”现象产生的主要原因;（4）福建沿海全新世相对海平面变化,存在一定程度的空间差异。不同岸段之间的沉积物压实、差异性构造运动和潮差变化等非GIA因素,可能是这一现象产生的重要原因。     

Tidal modification and its effect on sluice-gate outflow after completion of the Saemangeum dike,South Korea

This study examined tidal modification and change in tidal currents caused by the construction of the Saemangeum dike, based on field observations and a numerical model. The Saemangeum dike was completed in April 2006, enclosing an estuarine area along the mid-western coast of South Korea. After closure of the dike, the tidal range outside the dike decreased slightly but significantly, while the inside tidal range decreased drastically. The numerical model results show that the dike construction has influenced tidal energy propagation and the tidal system in the Yellow Sea. The tidal current speed near the dike decreased abruptly following closure of the dike, except in front of the sluice gates. Since completion of the dike, outflow water discharged from the sluice gates has longer residence times due to the weakened tidal current; the change in the tidal current field has also caused greater northward expansion of outflow water. The sluice gates release fresher water, which spreads over the sea surface mainly by inertial momentum near the gate; this water is then gradually mixed with sea water farther from the gate. The less saline, possibly more contaminated outflow impacts the marine environment near the Saemangeum dike. Controlling the discharge and gate-opening timing can partially mitigate these impacts on the marine environment.     

Redescription of free-living marine nematode, dracograllus filipjevi allen and noffsinger, 1978 (nematoda: draconematidae) from korea

A draconematid nematode species,Dracograllus filipjevi Allen and Noffsinger, 1978, is described from the washings of shallow littoral coralline algae at Guryongpo in the eastern coast of Korea. This species is recognized by the following characteristics: larger body size, number of posterior sublateral adhesion tubes (9 in male and 12-13 in female) and subventral adhesion tubes (8-9 in male and 9-10 in female), the absence of cephalic acanthiform setae on rostrum, the presence of longitudinally areolated body cuticle with dot-like punctations, the presence of some cuticular collar in swollen pharyngeal region, the shape of amphidial fovea (large, elongate, and loop-shaped in both sexes), the absence of preanal corniform setae, and the absence of lateral differentiation on narrow body region. Morphological features of the species using differential interference contrast photomicrographs are described in detail in the present work. This is the first report ofD. filipjevi in Korea.     

Application of longshore transport equations to the Andhra coast,east coast of India

Ship-reported waves published in the Indian Daily Weather Report are compiled for a period of 16 years and are used for the estimation of the longshore transport rate. Using the two well known longshore transport equations, viz., the Shore Protection Manual equation and the Komar and Inman equation, the longshore transport rate at Visakhapatnam beach is computed and the values are compared with earlier studies. Based on the inference that the Shore Protection Manual equation yields a better estimate for this region, the same equation is used for the estimation of the longshore transport rate along the Andhra coast. This study shows that the general direction of longshore transport is towards northeast during March to October and southwest during November to February. The longshore transport rate is high during the southwest monsoon period from June to September. A higher sediment transport rate is observed for the coastline oriented at 80 degrees east of north. The annual net transport is found to be quite low at the coastal segments near Ramaypatnam, Machilipatnam and Sacremento Light House, whereas it is found to be high near Nizampatnam, Gollapalem and Narasapur.     

A new species of Cymbasoma Thompson, 1888(Copepoda: Monstrilloida) from the Fujian coast,China

A new monstrilloid copepod species, Cymbasoma cheni sp. nov., from Meizhou Bay (an embayment in Fujian Province, southeastern China) is described and illustrated. The diagnostic character of the new species is the structure and armature of the fi fth leg, which is represented by a single lobe armed with three naked setae subequal in length. The new species closely resembles Cymbasoma bowmani Suárez- Morales and Gasca, 1998 in the structure of the fi fth legs, and the body proportions, including total body length, and relative lengths of the cephalothorax and the genital double somite. However, Cymbasoma cheni sp. nov. is distinguished by lack of cuticular ornamentation on the cephalothorax, the position of the oral papilla, and the structure of the fi fth leg with three naked setae. Although the structure of the fi fth legs is similar in Cymbasoma cheni sp. nov. and Cymbasoma quintanarooense (Suárez-Morales, 1994), the new species can be easily distinguished from Cymbasoma quintanarooense by the relative length of the antennule, diff erences in the genital double-somite and the ovigerous spines, and the shape of ocelli. This is the sixth record of this genus from China seas.     

黄河三角洲侵蚀性岸段水下岸坡地质灾害及其空间分布

黄河的高含沙量和尾闾的频繁摆动,形成了独具特色的黄河三角洲。利用精密的测深仪,高分辨率的浅地层剖面仪和侧扫声纳等设备同步扫测所获取的记录,研究了黄河三角洲侵蚀性岸段水下岸坡的地质灾害及其空间分布特征。探测研究表明,研究区发育的地质灾害主要有冲蚀构造、凹坑与洼地、海底滑坡、海底刺穿、不均匀地层(切蚀-填充构造、声学透明层)、埋藏冲沟和古河道。地质灾害在空间分布上呈现平行岸线的带状分布,按水深可划分为3个区域。6 m水深以浅区域,主要发育冲蚀构造,且冲沟、边缘陡坎和蚀余构造相间分布。6~14 m水深区域,主要发育凹坑与洼地、海底滑坡、海底刺穿和分布广泛的声学透明层。14 m水深以外区域,主要发育埋藏冲沟和古河道,其形成主要与海平面上升有关。     

Fish assemblages of small estuaries of the Portuguese coast: A functional approach

The importance of estuaries for coastal environments is widely acknowledged but their role, structure and ecological status have been the focus of recent scientific efforts mainly concerning large estuarine areas. In this work we used fish assemblages to establish, for the first time, the functional and ecological role of five small estuarine systems along the Portuguese south and southwest coasts. Our results showed that, at a functional approach, fish communities did not differ between estuaries, and that all systems presented a seasonal pattern in diversity values, ecological and feeding guilds. These small estuaries contribute to the support of coastal fish populations by providing temporary habitats to the critical life stages of marine species, shelter and feeding grounds, and should be considered in an ecological and conservation perspective.     

The relationship between depth,substrate and ecology: A drop video study from the southeastern Australian coast

The relationship between hard substrate type, depth and ecology has not been widely investigated in Bass Strait, which separates mainland Australia from Tasmania. As this water body is important to the State, a study along the Victorian coastline using an inexpensive Along Track Video (ATV) system, along with equipment to record depths and locations, was implemented. A better understanding of the correlation between hard substrate, depth and ecology was thought to be valuable to enable researchers to determine to what extent the benthic biological communities depend on physical factors. This understanding should improve procedures to predict the seafloor ecology on the basis of geological and oceanographic data. The dominant species assemblages and geomorphology, among other characteristics, were observed and recorded for each transect. In the sites investigated, depth appears to have a greater influence on dominant assemblages than does the type of hard substrate. The study also served to show that inexpensive ATV systems can be successfully used to study macro-sessile marine resources.     

南极Dome A至普里兹湾沿岸下降风特征

本文利用我国极地数值天气预报系统和美国南极中尺度预报系统的存档数据,分析了Dome A至普里兹湾沿岸地区下降风风场的时空分布和大气质量通量,给出了该地区下降风的基本特点。该地区下降风受南极冰盖地形影响强烈,艾默里冰架西侧等陡峭地区风速总体较大;下降风随季节变化较大,冬季的下降风较强。强下降风在前进过程中有绝热增温现象,并给艾默里冰架西部带来近表层升温。下降风风速最大处位于地面以上约100～200 m高度,风速较大地区的下降风在垂直方向上分布较为深厚。下降风在普里兹湾沿岸的表层大气质量通量在时空分布上极不均匀,艾默里冰架西侧的下降风气流较强时,普里兹湾海域有较多的中尺度气旋活动。下降风引发普里兹湾中尺度气旋旋生的过程值得关注,需进一步研究下降风引发中尺度气旋的机理。     

Sea-level, sediment supply and coastal changes: Examples from the coast of Ireland

Sediment supply and pre-existing shoreline morphology are crucial factors in controlling coastal changes due to sea-level rise. Using examples from both southeast and northeast Ireland, it can be shown that sea-level change may trigger a sequence of events which leads to both static and dynamic shoreline equilibrium. Cliff erosion and longshore sediment movement in east Co. Wexford has led to injection of sediment onto the shelf, and the growth, under both wave and tide regimes, of linear offshore shoals. These shoals now control the pattern of shoreline erosion and provide a template for possible stepwise evolution of the coast under any future sea-level rise. In contrast, the nearby coast of south Co. Wexford comprises a series of coarse clastic barriers moving monotonously onshore, via overwash processes. Here the behavior of the barrier is conditioned by the antecedent morphology of both the beach face and stream outlet bedforms. Finally, the rock platform coast of Co. Antrim presents a far more resistant shoreline to incident marine processes, yet even here there is strong evidence of present process control over so-called ‘raised’ platforms and embayments. It is concluded that coastal sediment supply and dynamics, together with coastal morphology and its interaction with waves, present a far more complex variety of sea-level indicators than is normally acknowledged.     

Interviewing people about the coast on the coast: Appraising the wider adoption of ICZM in North East England

This paper tests the hypothesis that Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is the best strategy for achieving good coastal governance on the North East coast of England using two geographically adjacent case studies: the East Riding coast, which has an ICZM framework in place and the Northumberland coast, which does not. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for face-to-face interviews with local representatives at each study site to underpin a common context and understanding between the interviewer and interviewee. Postal surveys were used to solicit responses from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and governmental representatives.