Estimating densities of small fishes and decapod crustaceans in shallow estuarine habitats: A review of sampling design with focus on gear selection

Shallow estuarine habitats often support large populations of small nekton (fishes and decapod crustaceans), but unique characteristics of these habitats make sampling these nekton populations difficult. We discuss development of sampling designs and evaluate some commonly used devices for quantitatively sampling nekton populations. Important considerations of the sampling design include the size and number of samples, their distribution in time and space, and control of tide level. High, stable catch efficiency should be the most important grear characteristic considered when selecting a sampling device to quantify nekton densities. However, the most commonly used gears in studies of estuarine habitats (trawls and seines) have low, variable catch efficiency. Problems with consistently low catch efficiency can be corrected, but large unpredictable variations in this gear characteristic pose a much more difficult challenge. Study results may be bised if the varibility in catch efficiency is related to the treatments or habitat characteristics being measured in the sampling design. Enclosure devices, such as throw traps and drop samplers, have fewer variables influencing catch efficiency than do towed nets (i.e., trawls and seines); and the catch efficiency of these enclosure samplers does not appear to vary substantially with habitat characteristics typical of shallow estuarine areas (e.g., presence of vegetation). The area enclosed by these samplers is often small, but increasing the sample number can generally compensate for this limitation. We recommend using enclosure samplers for estimating densities of small nekton in shallow estuarine habitats because these samplers provide the most reliable quantitative data, and the results of studies using these samplers should be comparable. Many kinds of enclosure samplers are now available, and specific requirements of a project will distate which gear should be selected.     

Selectivity and efficiency of two otter trawls used to assess estuarine fish and macroinvertebrate populations in North Carolina

Otter trawl surveys are frequently used to assess estuarine fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Although these surveys may have similar objectives and sampling areas and seasons may overlap, the sampling gear is usually unique to the agency conducting the survey. An example of this is the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) and Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program-Estuaries (EMAP) surveys in North Carolinian estuaries. We estimated experimentally the selectivity and efficiency of the trawls used for these surveys to determine the comparability of data used to estimate community structure and the abundance of dominant species. The catch percent similarity of the trawls was low (12.0%). The NCDMF net (3.2-m flat otter trawl, 6.4-mm mesh body, 3.2-mm cod-end, plus tickle chain) precisely (11.7%) and accurately (4.5%) sampled brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus, density but overestimated spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, densities (22.8% accuracy), possibly because these fishes had highly contagious distributions. The EMAP net (4.9-m high-rise otter trawl, 38.1-mm mesh body and cod-end) was precise (17.9–37.4%) but inaccurate (76.8–97.2%), probably because of the single large mesh size and the lack of a tickler chain. Our study suggests the EMAP and NCDMF surveys collect different subsamples of the same fish and macroinvertebrate estuarine populations, and therefore could deliver different results and conclusions.     

Acoustic studies of zooplankton in the Sea of Japan and Eastern Arctic

We present the results of sound scattering studies to estimate the distribution and dynamics of zooplankton in the upper sea layer under various conditions. The measurements of the sound scattering coefficients were carried out over different pathways during the ship motion and at individual stations at frequencies of 100–250 kHz. The studies were carried out in 2004–2014 in the Sea of Japan and in 2013 in the Eastern Arctic seas. The studies of sound scattering were performed simultaneously with net catches of plankton in situ. These data allowed us to study the details of correlation between the sound scattering coefficient and zooplankton concentration. The studies revealed significantly stronger sound scattering in the Eastern Arctic, which is related to the greater concentration of zooplankton, the migration of which differs strongly from the migration of plankton in the warm seas.     

Dispersion and cycling of organic matter from the Sepik River outflow to the Papua New Guinea coast as determined from biomarkers

The Sepik River is a major contributor of water, sediment and associated organic loads to the coastal waters of northern New Guinea. With a narrow continental shelf and strong coastal currents, much of this exported material is available for long distance transport into the Bismarck Sea and beyond. CTD casts and associated instrument data showed that the river signature was visible in optical measurements of deep profiles from the Sepik Canyon. Discrete water samples were collected in clean Niskin bottles for organic analysis. Additional high volume samples for lipid classes were collected with Infiltrex samplers deployed on a floating mooring, along with two sediment trap arrays set at 100 and 260 m depth. The Infiltrex samplers were set at 55, 180, 200 and 220 m depth in an effort to target the surface layers and those of westward flowing water in the New Guinea Coastal Undercurrent (NGCUC). The samplers allowed analysis of lipid classes in both dissolved and particulate phases.Analyses of lignin phenols, hydrocarbons, fatty acids, sterols, and n-alcohols in the samples were used to estimate the cycling of the organic input from the river system to the coastal waters and possible entrainment in the NGCUC. The molecular biomarkers confirmed the Sepik River as a significant source of reduced carbon in the near coastal zone influenced by the plume. They indicated that ca. 90% of the organic carbon delivered to the coastal zone is dispersed or degraded, with only about 10% of terrestrial carbon being deposited on to the narrow shelf of coastal sediments. The dissolved lignin phenols provided evidence for desorption of organics from particles with increasing depth. However, this desorption process did not change the C/N ratio of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the deep water of the Sepik Canyon. The hydrocarbons, sterols and fatty acids showed the change from lipid content dominated by phytoplankton in surface layers to zooplankton and bacterial biomarkers in deeper waters. The organic biomarkers provided evidence that some of the dissolved organic input from the Sepik River was injected into fast moving undercurrents. However, concentrations of terrestrial biomarkers were diluted and/or degraded to non-detectable levels within 100 km of the source.     

基于Matlab/GUI的钻机动力头齿轮动态优化设计

煤矿用全液压钻机动力头主要采用液压驱动和齿轮传动相结合的方式,其中,齿轮传动的振动烈度直接影响着动力头的输出能力,成为了设计中必须考虑的重要问题。以ZYWL-2600R型松软煤层螺旋钻机为研究对象,在齿轮副的单自由度扭转振动模型基础上,以啮合线上的振动加速度为优化目标,建立了动力头齿轮副的动态优化设计模型,并借助Matlab优化工具箱和GUI工具开发了优化设计程序的图形界面,求解了齿轮振动最小的宏观设计参数,为钻机“高速”动力头的动态优化设计提供了参考。结果表明,优化后齿轮副的时变啮合刚度显著提高,有效改善了齿轮传动的振动特性。     

Validation and field application of tailor-made nitrogen dioxide passive samplers

This study describes the validation and field application of new tailor-made passive samplers for nitrogen dioxide measurements. These samplers consist of polypropylene diffusion tubes containing glass fiber filters impregnated with 20?% triethanolamine. The tube was constructed from locally made material. The sampler is simple, lightweight, cheap, easy to use and suitable for simultaneous and multipoint measurements. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations obtained from the passive samplers were strongly correlated with chemiluminescence analyzer (r?=?0.924). The nitrogen dioxide measurements by the passive samplers have been recorded at 20 sampling sites in Chiang Mai City, Thailand, once a month (3?days of exposure) from November 2007 to April 2008. The sampling sites were located across the city in alignment with the major wind direction. The highest nitrogen dioxide concentrations (28.1?C45.1?ppbv) were found in the urban areas with high level of traffic density and human activity. Meteorological conditions, i.e., wind direction/speed and precipitation, were considered for their influence on nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Due to a calm wind occurring during the sampling, its direction had, therefore, no significant effect on nitrogen dioxide concentrations collected from the different locations. However, the mean nitrogen dioxide concentrations were higher at the downwind sites than at the upwind locations. Unlike wind, rain precipitation obviously affected pollutant concentration levels. In regard to the spatial and temporal variations of nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the study sites, it was deduced that their levels were much more affected by local activities, such as traffic density and biomass burning, rather than meteorological factors.     

Dynamical evolution properties of debris flows controlled by different mesh-sized flexible net barriers

Because the flexible net barrier is a gradually developed open-type debris-flow counter-measure, there are still uncertainties in its design criterion. By using several small-scale experimental flume model tests, the dynamical evolution properties of debris flows controlled by large and small mesh-sized (equal to D₉₀ and D₅₀, respectively) flexible net barriers are studied, including the debris flow behaviors, segregation, and permeability of sediments, as well as the energy absorption rates and potential overtopping occurring when debris flows impact the small mesh-sized one. Experimental results reveal that (a) two sediment deposition patterns are observed depending on variations in debris flow textures and mesh sizes; (b) the aggregation against flexible net barriers is dominated by flow dynamics; (c) the segregation and permeable functions of the barrier are determined by the mesh size, concentration, and flow dynamics; and (d) the smaller mesh-sized flexible net barrier tends to be more efficient in restraining more turbulent debris flows and can absorb greater rate of kinematic energy, and finally, the great kinematic energy dissipation that occurs when secondary debris flows interact with the post-deposits in front of the small mesh-sized flexible net barrier is believed to cause the failure of overtopping phenomenon. The mesh size is concluded to be the decisive parameter that should be associated with debris flow textures to design the control functions of flexible net barriers.     

Zooplankton distribution and abundance in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta in relation to certain environmental factors

The dominant members of the freshwater zooplankton in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta were those typical of temperate zone rivers—Bosmina andCyclops among the crustaceans andKeratella, Polyarthra, Trichocerca andSynchaeta among the rotifers. The estuarine or brackish component of the plankton was represented by the copepodEurytemora affinis and the rotiferSynchaeta bicornis. Abundace of freshwater zooplankton was highest in the San Joaquin River near Stockton, the region with the highest chlorophylla concentrations and highest temperatures. This was also the region least affected by water project operations, which alter the normal river flow patterns and bring large volumes of zooplankton-deficient Sacramento River water into the San Joaquin River and south delta chanels. Over a seven-year period, abundance of most zooplankton genera was positively correlated with chlorophylla concentrations and temperature but not with net flow velocity. OnlyBosmina had a significant and negative correlation with abundance of a predacious shrimp,Neomysis mercedis. Extreme salinity intrusion in 1977 reduced freshwater zooplankton abundance throughout most of the delta to seven-year lows. All zooplankton groups showed a long-term abundance decline from 1972 to 1978. In the cases of rotifers and copepods, this deciline was significantly correlated with a decline in chlorophylla.     

The Role of Zooplankton Grazing and Nutrient Loading in the Occurrence of Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms in Florida Bay,USA

Florida Bay is Florida’s (USA) largest estuary and has experienced harmful picocyanobacteria blooms for nearly two decades. While nutrient loading is the most commonly cited cause of algal blooms in Florida Bay, the role of zooplankton grazing pressure in bloom occurrence has not been considered. For this study, the spatial and temporal dynamics of cyanobacteria blooms, the microbial food web, microzooplankton and mesozooplankton grazing rates of picoplankton, and the effects of nutrients on plankton groups in Florida Bay were quantified. During the study, cyanobacteria blooms (>3 × 10⁵ cells mL⁻¹) persisted in the eastern and central regions of Florida Bay for more than a year. Locations with elevated abundance of cyanobacteria hosted microzooplankton grazing rates on cyanobacteria that were significantly lower (p < 0.001) and less frequently detectable compared to sites without blooms. Consistent with this observation, cyanobacteria abundances were significantly correlated with ciliates and heterotrophic nanoflagellates at low cyanobacteria densities (p < 0.001) but were not correlated during bloom events. The experimental enrichment of mesozooplankton abundance during blooms yielded a significant decrease in the net growth rate of picoplankton but had the opposite effect when blooms were absent, suggesting that the cascading effect of mesozooplankton grazing on the microbial food web was also altered during blooms. While inorganic nutrient enrichment significantly increased the net growth rates of eukaryotic phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria, such nutrient loading had no effect on the net growth rates of cyanobacteria. Hence, this study demonstrates that low rates of zooplankton grazing and low rates of inorganic nutrient loading contribute to the persistence of cyanobacteria blooms in Florida Bay.     

Factors Determining the Location of the Chlorophyll Maximum and the Fate of Algal Production within the Tidal Freshwater James River

Longitudinal variation in factors affecting phytoplankton production were analyzed to better understand the mechanisms that cause the formation of a chlorophyll maximum within the tidal freshwater James River. Phytoplankton production was two- to threefold higher in the region where persistent elevated chlorophyll concentrations occurred. Near this site, the morphology of the James transitions from a narrow, deep channel to a broad expanse with shallow areas adjoining the main channel. Shallower depths resulted in greater average irradiance within the water column and suggest that release from light limitation was the principal factor accounting for the location of the chlorophyll maximum. Grazing rates were low indicating that little of the algal production was directly consumed by zooplankton. Low exploitation by zooplankton was attributed to poor food quality due to high concentrations of non-algal particulate matter and potential presence of cyanobacteria. Metabolism data suggest that two thirds of net primary production was respired in the vicinity of the chlorophyll maximum and one third was exported via fluvial and tidal advection. Comparison of water column and ecosystem metabolism indicates that the bulk of respiration occurred within the sediments and that sedimentation was the dominant loss process for phytoplankton.     

Effect of suspension and sedimentation on the amount of microbial colonization of salt marsh microdetritus

The relative density of bacterial colonization of small (5 to 40 μ diameter) suspended and sedimented detritus particles in salt marsh creeks was studied using an europium chelate-fluorescent brightener stain coupled with epifluorescent microscopy. Particles were obtained from four substations at each of three sites in salt marshes bordering the York River, Virginia. Coverage of detrital particles by bacteria was uniformly low, averaging 1.54%±1.83% of the particle surface area. Suspended particles larger than 10 μ diameter had lower bacterial densities than did sedimented particles in the same size ranges. It is speculated that microbial growth may be enhanced on sedimented particles both through lack of motion and access to greater nutrient concentrations.     

The ecological role of zooplankton in a Long Island salt marsh

The role of zooplankton in a salt marsh ecosystem was studied in Flax Pond, Old Field, N. Y., a 30-hectare tidal pond adjacent to Long Island Sound. Various marine crustaceans accounted for over 95% of the zooplankton caloric biomass in all but three months, in which ctenophores (Mnemiopsis leidyi) accounted for about 20%. Mass balance analysis of crustacean biomass showed a seasonal trend with increased “consumption” by the marsh from July to November. Analysis of groups (or species) for all months showed total numbers were reduced by passing through, or interacting with, the marsh. The most abundant group for each sample date also was significantly reduced from outflowing waters for all months, as were the group copepodids and miscellaneous calanoids from July to November. The energy requirements for the crustacean zooplankton community could have been supplied amply by the estimated standing crop of phytoplankton in the marsh. Phytoplankton net primary production was low, but it was ample to satisfy crustacean energy needs in all months. Crustaceans and phytoplankton alone were not enough to support estimated ctenophore nutrition requirements in summer. Therefore, detritus may also have been an important ctenophore food source.     

天然气水合物保真取心装置内部密封技术分析

摘要：在海底天然气水合物地层钻探中,利用压力岩心取样器(PCS)获取保压岩心对于后续相关的处理和分析非常重要。首先回顾了国内保压保温取心器相关研究现状,然后从PCS取样腔内部球阀和O型圈等密封结构的特点分析了其内部上、下两部分的密封技术。在综合分析国内两种取样器密封结构特点的基础上,结合岩心现场处理与分析的特点,对PCS与上述两种取样器的密封技术进行了探讨,为取样器的密封设计、岩心现场压力和温度的保持以及保压岩心的保真转移提出了几点建议。     

The geochemical role of phyto- and zooplankton in the extraction of chemical elements from water

This paper provides for the first time comparative assessment of the contents of 70 chemical elements occurring in the aquatic environment in water, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. The assessment was made using modern highly sensitive methods. The studies were performed at Beloyarskoe Reservoir, a manmade freshwater lake situated in the Middle Urals that has been studied in detail. The chemical elements were ranked in groups differing in the accumulation coefficient (AC) values for the phyto- and zooplankton. The comparison revealed that for the vast majority of chemical elements, the AC values were higher in zooplankton (53, or 76%) than in phytoplankton (17, or 24%). The average AC values for zooplankton (∼740 000) exceeded that for phytoplankton (∼68 000) by more than 10 times. It was found that some elements had very high AC values in zooplankton compared to phytoplankton. For instance for Nb, the ratio AC_zoo/AC_phyto was 1 200 000; for B, Ta, Sn, Lu, U, 300 000–500 000; for Sb and Y, 100 000–130 000; for La and Nd, 80 000–85 000; for Mo, Cd, Pr, Gd, Dy, Sc, Se, Bi, 20 000–30 000; and for Pd, Hf, Sm, Sb, Er, As, 10 000–20 000. It is concluded that zooplankton is sometimes more suitable for the biogeochemical indication of the pollution of natural water bodies, because the AC values for most elements are much higher in zooplankton than in phytoplankton and the total plankton. Considering the high assimilability of microelements and radionuclides, the plankton may serve not only as an indication but also as the mean of regulated purification of waterbodies from these elements.     

基于MATLAB的液压钻机减速器多目标优化设计

介绍了利用MATLAB计算软件对液压钻机减速器优化设计的方法,即在保证其总传动比和承载能力下,以其齿轮中心距最小、齿宽最小为多目标,得到合理的液压钻机减速器参数。经优化后的齿轮比原设计目标值减少4．56％,中心距减少5．94％。     

Numerical study of retention efficiency of a flexible barrier in mitigating granular flow comparing with large-scale physical modeling test data

Retention behavior of a flexible barrier in mitigating a granular flow is still an open problem not fully understood, especially due to the complexity of the granular material and the flexible barrier. Understanding the retention mechanism and quantifying the influencing factors of retention efficiency are desirable for optimizing the design and minimizing the maintenance cost of a debris-resisting flexible barrier. In this paper, a numerical model, based on the discrete element method, is presented, calibrated, and validated to analyze the interaction between a granular flow and a flexible net. A full-scale numerical simulation is first performed to compare with a large-scale physical modeling test in the literature and validate the applied parameters in the simulation. The interaction and deposition characteristics of the granular flow interacting with a flexible net are revealed. Afterward, parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of the internal friction angle (φ) of debris material and the relative mesh size of flexible net on the retention efficiency and clogging mechanism of a flexible barrier. The simulation results illustrate that the particle passing ratio (P) increases with increment of the friction angle of particles and enlargement of the mesh size of a flexible net. Both parameters have critical effects on the retention efficiency of a flexible barrier in intercepting a granular flow. Therefore, the friction angle and the particle size distribution characteristics of the debris material are suggested being used for optimization of the mesh size and more efficient design of debris-resisting flexible barriers.

     

Hydroacoustics as a tool for assessing fish biomass and size distribution associated with discrete shallow water estuarine habitats in Louisiana

We developed a relative index of fish biomass and size distribution in ultra-shallow waters (< 2 m) of Barataria Bay, Louisiana, based on the comparison of horizontal hydroacoustic data with gill net and push trawl catches in an effort to understand the role that habitat plays in both fish biomass and distribution. Exclosure net experiments indicated that the contribution of acoustic backscattering from sources other than fishes were negligible. Split-beam transducer, gill net, and push trawl sampling were conducted concurrently in Barataria Bay to provide information on fish composition and length distributions and for comparisons among gear types. Results suggest that acoustic fish biomass was generally higher in the low salinity stations and lower at the high salinity stations, at least in March 2004. We observed a greater mean length of fishes associated with oyster shell habitats when compared to adjacent sand-mud habitats. This paper demonstrates the utility of hydroacoustics as a tool to quantify relative acoustic fish biomass and size distribution associated with common estuarine habitats in ultra-shallow waters. This study also illustrates the potential of using acoustics for augmenting traditional sampling procedures.     

Spatial and temporal variability of mesozooplankton and tintinnid ciliates in a seasonally hypersaline estuary

The zooplankton community of Mission Bay, San Diego, California, was monitored over two years, to study spatial and temporal patterns and the response of zooplankton species composition to environmental variation. Data were collected every two weeks from six stations and included hydrographic parameters, dissolved nutrient concentrations, and phytoplankton and zooplankton species composition. Hydrography varied seasonally, along a spatial gradient from the mouth to the back of the bay, and between the two years around the influence of rainfall. Spatially, Mission Bay could be divided into three regions during this study based on hydrography and zooplankton species composition. Zooplankton species composition followed a predictable seasonal progression, with different groups of species being characteristic to particular times of the year. Variability in zooplankton species composition was also evident between years, as certain species were more common in one or the other year of the study. Spatial patterns were more consistent than temporal ones, and related to distance from the mouth of the bay during much of the year and distance from freshwater inlets during the relatively short rainy season. Multivariate analysis revealed that variation in zooplankton species composition was best related to measured abiotic factors (temperature, salinity, rainfall, and tidal velocity).