Subsurface control on seafloor erosional processes offshore of the Chandeleur Islands,Louisiana

The Chandeleur Islands lie on the eastern side of the modern Mississippi River delta plain, near the edge of the St. Bernard Delta complex. Since abandonment approximately 2,000 years b.p., this delta complex has undergone subsidence and ravinement as the shoreline has transgressed across it. High-resolution seismic-reflection, sidescan-sonar, and bathymetry data show that seafloor erosion is influenced by locally variable shallow stratigraphy. The data reveal two general populations of shallow erosional depressions, either linear or subcircular in shape. Linear depressions occur primarily where sandy distributary-channel deposits are exposed on the seafloor. The subcircular pits are concentrated in areas where delta-front deposits crop out, and occasional seismic blanking indicates that gas is present. The difference in erosional patterns suggests that delta-front and distributary-channel deposits respond uniquely to wave and current energy expended on the inner shelf, particularly during stormy periods. Linear depressions may be the result of the sandy distributary-channel deposits eroding more readily by waves and coastal currents than the surrounding delta-front deposits. Pits may develop as gas discharge or liquefaction occurs within fine-grained delta-front deposits, causing seafloor collapse. These detailed observations suggest that ravinement of this inner shelf surface may be ongoing, is controlled by the underlying stratigraphy, and has varied morphologic expression.     

Wave forecasting and longshore sediment transport gradients along a transgressive barrier island: Chandeleur Islands,Louisiana

Louisiana barrier islands, such as the chain surrounding the southeast region of the state, are experiencing rapid loss of land area, shoreline erosion, and landward migration due to transgression and in-place drowning, and the landfall of several major hurricanes in the last decade. Observations of migration rates and overall impacts to these barrier islands are poorly understood since they do not respond in a traditional way, such as barrier rollover. This paper aims to verify how wave energy and potential longshore sediment transport trends have influenced the recent evolution of the Chandeleur Islands, by direct comparison with recent observations of migration and erosion trends. The Chandeleur Islands are characterized by a bidirectional transport system, with material moving from the central arc to the flanks. The longshore sediment transport along the barrier islands was calculated after propagation and transformation of waves to breaking (generated using observed winds), and through the use of a common longshore sediment transport formula. Seasonal variations in wind climate produced changes in the transport trends and gradients that agree with migration and rotation patterns observed for this barrier island system. Results suggest that wind dominance produces seasonal oscillations that cause an imbalance in the resulting transport gradients that over time are responsible for higher rates of transport in the northward direction. These results and data from other works verify the evolutionary model previously suggested, and qualitatively confirm the recent observations in asymmetric shoreline erosion.     

Modelling analysis of the sensitivity of shoreline change to a wave farm

Change of shoreline wave climate caused by the installation of a wave farm is assessed using the SWAN wave model. The 30 MW-rated wave farm is called the ‘Wave Hub’ and will be located 20 km off the north coast of Cornwall, UK. Changes in significant wave height and mean wave period due to the presence of the Wave Hub are presented. The results suggest that the shoreline wave climate will be affected, although the magnitude of effects decreases linearly as wave energy transmitted increases. At probable wave energy transmission levels, the predicted change in shoreline wave climate is small.     

The impact of the 2005 hurricane season on the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program

The 2005 hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico was the worst in the history of offshore production, with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroying 110 oil and gas structures and eight mobile offshore drilling units. Infrastructure destroyed by accident or natural catastrophe are decommissioned according to the same federal regulations that guide normal decommissioning operations, but depending on the nature of the destruction and the market conditions in the months following the event, special conditions and delays may occur. Historically, offshore infrastructure destroyed by hurricanes or other unusual circumstances have been considered for inclusion in the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program (LARP) under the Special Artificial Reef Site (SARS) category. The purpose of this paper is to review the impact of the 2005 hurricane season on the LARP and the current status of the SARS program. We examine the criteria employed in project evaluation and approval as well as aggregate program statistics. The characteristics and risks associated with decommissioning destroyed infrastructure are also described. At the end of 2006, 10 projects representing 35 platforms destroyed in the 2005 hurricane season have been approved as SARS in the Gulf of Mexico, effectively doubling the number of sites and structures classified as SARS.     

海岸冲淤动态的理论分析：物质收支、剖面形态、岸线进退

海岸线动态经常被作为海岸冲淤的判据,然而,由于未能涵盖物质收支和海岸剖面形态的双重因素影响,此判据具有局限性。基于沉积物收支方程性质和海滩-潮滩剖面形态的理论分析,认为将物质收支与岸线进退速率或海岸剖面形态相结合,才能准确判别海岸冲淤状态。沉积物收支方程含有沉积体系规模、冲淤强度、系统生长极限等信息;海滩剖面形态决定于物质粒径、波能大小,波能耗散最小原理决定了海滩均衡剖面的存在性,而潮滩剖面形态决定于沉积物供给、粒径组成和潮汐动力。根据沉积物收支方程和海岸剖面理论,融合极端事件（风暴等）和海面变化因素,可获取砂质海岸（以海滩为代表）、泥质海岸（以潮滩为代表）各种侵蚀现象的发生机制、速率和时间尺度信息,海岸线变化速率从低（＜100 m/a）到高（101～102 m/a）有数量级的差异,冲淤过程的时间尺度包括10−2 a（风暴事件）到103 a（海面变化）的范围。根据沉积物收支和海岸线进退的不同组合,可将海滩、潮滩海岸冲淤动态分为4类,其中第一类为堆积海岸,其余三类为侵蚀海岸,与不同的地貌演化方向和时间尺度相联系。高强度、长时间持续侵蚀主要与物质供给中断和海面上升相关,同时也有人为因素影响。     

Application of one-line model to the prediction of shoreline change

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Spatial and temporal variability of shoreline change in the Beaufort-Mackenzie region, northwest territories, Canada

Aerial photographs from 1972, 1985 and 2000 were analyzed to obtain measurements of coastal change in the Mackenzie Delta region of the Beaufort Sea. Changes from 1972 to 2000 are dominated by retreat of the shoreline with average annual retreat rates of –0.6 m a^–1, but ranging as high as –22.5 m a^–1. Rates vary significantly both between and within zones of similar exposure, morphology and coastal geology with the highest average rates located in areas that are most exposed to northwest winds. In general, decadal-scale rates of change have remained constant during the 28 years encompassed by this study.     

Economic impact of climate change and climate change adaptation strategies for fisheries sector in Solomon Islands: Implication for food security

Fisheries resources play a major role in the national economy and to food security in Solomon Islands. Climate change is likely to have a substantial impact on fish production that can lead to a fragile food security condition in the country. This paper assesses the potential economic impact of three important climate change adaptation strategies – natural resource management (NRM), fish aggregating devices (FAD) and aquaculture – in Solomon Islands. The study used a country-specific partial equilibrium economic model with six fish sub-sectors and analyzed potential impact of alternate climate change adaptation strategies for 2035 and 2050. The modeling and scenario analyses show that total fish demand is likely to surpass domestic fish production in 2050. Without appropriate climate adaptation strategy, per capita consumption of domestically produced fish will decline, which has serious negative food security implications for the country. The economic (welfare) analysis conducted based on modeling results show that the national level net economic gains due to climate change adaptation strategies are substantial. If cost and topographic conditions permit, low-cost inshore FADs are expected to be a good mechanism for augmenting domestic supplies of tuna and similar species in Solomon Islands.     

Atmospheric forcing of fine-sand transport on a low-energy inner shelf: south-central Louisiana,USA

Hydrodynamic and sediment transport measurements from instrumentation deployed during a 54-day winter period at two sites on the Louisiana inner shelf are presented. Strong extratropical storms, with wind speeds of 7.8 to 15.1 m s^-1, were the dominant forcing mechanism during the study. These typically caused mean oscillatory flows and shear velocities about 33% higher than fair weather (averaging 12.3 and 3.2 cm s^-1 at the landward site, and 11.4 and 2.7 cm s^-1 at the seaward site, respectively). These responses were coupled with mean near-bottom currents more than twice as strong as during fair weather (10.3 and 7.5 cm s^-1 at the landward and seaward sites, respectively). These flowed in approximately the same direction as the veering wind, causing a net offshore transport of fine sand. Weak storms were responsible for little sediment transport whereas during fair weather, onshore sand transport of approximately 25-75% of the storm values appears to have occurred. This contradicts previous predictions of negligible fair-weather sediment movement on this inner shelf.     

拉格朗日拟序结构分析渤海湾岸线变化对物质输运的影响

科学评估围填海对海洋中物质输运的影响,对海洋环境保护和管理具有重要的意义。本文采用非结构网格有限体积海洋模型 （FVCOM） 模拟渤海湾 2004 年和 2018 年岸线变化前后水动力场,通过拉格朗日拟序结构的方法,评估岸线变化 对物质输运的影响。结果表明：岸线变化后,物质自近岸向湾内的扩散加强,且物质的输运通道和聚集区发生改变。曹妃甸附近原有清晰输运和聚集区域消失,物质向湾内输运;黄骅港阻碍了西部水体沿岸的南下路径,并在防沙堤顶部形成新的聚集区;渤海湾东南区域的物质输运通道向东延伸,输运能力加强,且聚集面积减小。     

Long-term recovery of a Louisiana brackish marsh plant community from oil-spill impact: vegetation response and mitigating effects of marsh surface elevation

Oil spills can have significant, short-term, negative impacts on coastal marshes, but the long-term effects and eventual recovery are not well documented, particularly in brackish marshes. The goals of this investigation were to: (1) document the long-term recovery of a Louisiana brackish marsh plant community impacted by a 1985 oil spill; (2) separate the effect of the oil spill on marsh deterioration from ambient rates of marsh deterioration; and (3) assess the relative importance of residual oil in the sediment and decreased marsh surface elevation in the failure of certain areas to recover. A total of 68 permanent plots previously established in 1985 were re-surveyed for plant and soil recovery in the fall of 1989. Although substantial (and near total) vegetative recovery was evident by significant increases in live and total vegetative cover, many of the plots that were initially heavily impacted by oil still displayed elevated levels of total saturated hydrocarbons in the soil. August 1990 measurements of plant photosynthetic response and edaphic variables revealed no significant differences between control plots and plots heavily impacted by oil that displayed vegetative regrowth. Rates of wetland land loss in the oiled marsh during an 8-year period that bracketed the time of the spill were within the historical range measured for this site and similar to the land loss rates of adjacent reference marshes. Results from a manipulative field transplant experiment indicated that the long-term failure of certain small areas to revegetate was primarily due to a decrease of marsh surface elevation (increased flooding stress), not a residual oil effect.     

基于底质类型变化监测的2005—2018年西沙永乐群岛珊瑚礁白化分析

在海洋环境变化和人类活动的双重影响下,我国珊瑚礁白化现象日趋严重,珊瑚礁健康状况、珊瑚种群数量和丰富度呈逐年下降的趋势。本文基于2005-2007年QuickBird卫星影像、2011-2012年QuickBird/WorldView-2卫星影像和2016-2018年GF-1/2卫星影像等3期高分辨率遥感数据,以西沙永乐群岛羚羊礁、中建岛等14个岛礁为研究区（以下统称永乐群岛）,利用支持向量机（support vector machine,SVM）分类方法结合人机交互信息提取方法完成了3期永乐群岛的珊瑚礁底质类型分类,并通过珊瑚礁底质类型变化分析了永乐群岛珊瑚礁白化特征。主要结论包括：（1）提出了一种珊瑚礁白化程度分级的方法,将永乐群岛白化状况分为轻度、中度、重度和严重白化4个等级,通过分析发现在监测时段内14个岛礁中有13个发生了不同程度的白化,其中10个发生了重度白化（白化率20%以上）,1个严重白化（羚羊礁,白化率为33.36%）;（2）根据监测数据统计,上述珊瑚岛礁的白化主要是由珊瑚丛生区白化引起的,2005-2018年永乐群岛珊瑚丛生区白化面积占总的发生白化区域面积的70.55%;（3）14个岛礁中只有甘泉岛的活珊瑚覆盖在逐渐增加,活珊瑚覆盖面积由2006年5月10日的87.13 hm²增加到2018年3月7日的107.80 hm²。     

近三十年来曹妃甸岸线岛体时空演变特征分析

在对1979年、1987年、1991年、1997年、2002年-2005年、2008年、2012年十个时期曹妃甸遥感影像图解译的基础上,从自然地理学角度对岸线和岛体历史演变趋势进行系统分析,得到曹妃甸岸线和岛体动态变化。研究结果显示,曹妃甸岛体面积在近半个世纪发生了较大的变化,由0.34 km2增加为227.34 km2;岸线整体表现为向海推进,1979年曹妃甸陆域岸线25.21%为自然岸线,之后自然岸线比例逐渐减少,自2002年起人工岸线占据了曹妃甸陆域岸线的全部,2012年岛体整体人工岸线长度较1989年自然岸线增长10倍之多;岛体在自然演变时期呈现中部侵蚀、两端淤积、端点延长、西向漂移且中心点逐步向大陆靠拢的变化特征,自2005年起自然状态岛体已不复存在。     

Assessment and prediction of shoreline change using multi-temporal satellite images and statistics: Case study of Damietta coast,Egypt

The shoreline trajectory of Damietta city, locates at the Northern coast of Egypt, is dramatically subjected to kinematic changes. These variations mainly occur based on the incessant duel hydrodynamic impacts of both wave action and coastal currents. Several types of coastal measures have been applied substantially along the coastal stretch of Damietta to protect shoreline such as detached breakwaters, Jetties, groins, and seawalls. This study is essentially focused on the assessment of shoreline kinematics response due to the existence of these structures during the period from 1990 to 2015. In addition, the future changes of the shoreline at 2020, 2025 and 2035 are predicted using satellite images, Geo-spatial tools and Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) by the meaning of End Point Rate (EPR) and Linear Regression Rate (LRR) methods. Four Landsat images at different periods; TM1990, TM 1999, ETM 2003 and ETM 2015 are used to detect shoreline changes. Three semi-automatic extraction techniques are initially tempted for Landsat ETM 2003 imagery namely; Iso cluster technique, threshold method, and onscreen digitizing method to select the optimal one. Iso cluster technique is used as the optimal technique which achieves the least errors with the corresponding field data in 2003 by value of 0.34. Furthermore, the extraction shoreline change for Damietta coast is extensively measured for three zones: zone (1) the western sector encompassing Damietta port with two jetties; zone (2) the central sector including detached breakwaters; zone (3) the eastern portion of Damietta estuary passing through a seawall. Verification analysis shows that the EPR is the optimum method for shoreline detection with a value of RMSE by 0.27. The results show that, for zone (1), the western shoreline of Damietta port is progressed by a rate of +10.0 m/year. On the other hand, the shoreline on the down drift side at zone (2) has retreated by a rate of -5.0 m/year. While the shoreline behind the detached breakwaters in the central sector has advanced by +12.0 m/year from 1999 to 2003, then decreased gradually until become stable in 2015. For zone (3), alongshore currents have derived the disassembled sandy soil from west to east leaving a highly eroded area by average rate of -78m/year. The results of this study give indication to shoreline trend of near future which should be under consideration in planning of Damietta coastal zone.     

基于数字化海岸分析系统(DSAS)的海岸线变迁速率研究:以黄河三角洲和莱州湾海岸线为例

海岸线变化对海岸带生态环境改变、滨海土地侵蚀有着极其重要的影响,海岸线的提取和监测对海岸带生态系统的保护和管理具有重要意义。本研究基于数字化海岸线分析系统(DSAS,Digital Shoreline Analysis System),研究了黄河三角洲和莱州湾的海岸线时空变化规律。研究结果表明:通过提取1985-2015年6期的Landsat影像,发现近30年来黄河三角洲和莱州湾地区海岸线均呈现显著的向海方向扩张的趋势,且增长速率逐渐加快。黄河三角洲的终点变化速率(EPR,End Point Rate)约为73.0 m/a、线性回归速率(LRR,Linear Regression Rate)约为75.5 m/a,黄河港-大咀沟增长速度最快(129.2 m/a),受黄河泥沙输送的影响,黄河口和老黄河口岸线的几何形态呈现平滑的变化趋势;莱州湾岸线的EPR和LRR约为139.5 m/a和144.3 m/a,淄脉河河口-白浪河河口段增长速度最快(197.6 m/a),岸线变化较为显著的区域主要集中在港口、圈海堤坝、海水养殖等的地方。DSAS模型在海岸线定量化分析中具有显著优势,利用EPR和LRR指标能够科学有效地模拟岸线在时间和空间上的变化速率。     

Construction and analysis of a coral reef trophic network for Qilianyu Islands,Xisha Islands

Qilianyu Islands coral reefs (QICR), located in the northeastern part of the South China Sea, has been affected by human activities and natural disturbance. To characterize the trophic structure, ecosystem properties and keystone species of this region, a food-web model for the QICR is developed using methods involving a mass-balance approach with Ecopath with Ecosim software. Trophic levels range from 1.00 for detritus and primary producers to 3.80 for chondrichthyes. The mean trophic transfer efficiency for the entire ecosystem is 13.15%, with 55% of total energy flow originating from primary producers. A mixed trophic impact analysis indicates that coral strongly impacts most components of this ecosystem. A comparison of our QICR model with that for other coral reef ecosystems suggests that the QICR ecosystem is immature and/or is degraded.     

Management responses to the problem of incidental catch in fishing: A comparative analysis of the EU,Norway, and the Faeroe Islands

The article addresses incidental catch as a two-level management problem for systems that regulate fish catches. The first level is legal and concerns the problem of establishing clear and legitimate criteria for criminal liability. The second level is environmental and concerns the efficacy of chosen liability criteria in resource conservation. The article compares and explains the solutions chosen by Norway, the Faeroe Islands, and the EU. Each solution constitutes a distinct form of fisheries management. It is argued that national choices are determined by administrative capacity for implementation and political autonomy in the distribution of fishing rights.     

Environmental impact of the powerful eruption of Sarychev Peak volcano (Kuril Islands, 2009) according to satellite imagery

The powerful Sarychev Peak eruption (Matua Island, Central Kuril Islands) in June 2009 is analyzed on the basis of remote sensing data (satellite images) and ground-based observations carried out in summer 2009. The nature of the eruption and catastrophic impact on ecosystems of the island is described.     

Integrating Indian remote sensing multi-spectral satellite and field data to estimate seagrass cover change in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Environmental resource managers and policy makers require a reliable tool to quickly assess the spatial extent of any natural resources, including seagrasses, in order to develop management plans. Even small natural or anthropogenic disturbances can cause severe changes in the distributional pattern of seagrass meadows. Satellite imageries provide a suitable means to detect and assess such changes in space and time in remote and inaccessible areas. Present study aims to understand the distribution pattern of seagrasses after the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 with the help of Indian Remote Sensing satellite data and in situ ground surveys with hand held GPS. As no geospatial data bases were available for the pre-tsunami period, the changes in seagrass cover were compared with the ground estimates available in the literature and also using pre-tsunami satellite data sets. The study found severe loss of seagrasses in the northern Andaman particularly in the Interview and North reef islands and in the Nicobar group of islands including Great Nicobar and Trinket islands. The investigation revealed the presence of 2,943.38 ha of seagrass covering the entire Andaman and Nicobar islands, and that 1,619.41 ha of seagrasses had been denuded during this period. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2004 was the major reason for the loss of seagrasses in these islands. The seagrass spatial map generated in the present study can be used for the development of conservation and management plans and also to restore the denuded seagrasses of this region.