Aliasing due to sampling of the Adriatic temperature, salinity and density in space

High-resolution underway temperature and conductivity measurements collected by R/V Knorr during winter and spring 2003 are used to characterize errors associated with spatial aliasing in the northern and central Adriatic Sea. During winter, 99th percentile temperature, salinity and density errors were 0.62 °C, 0.25 and 0.12 kg/m³ (0.25 °C, 0.10 and 0.05 kg/m³) for sampling at 10 km (5 km) horizontal resolution, respectively. The corresponding values in spring were 1.31 °C, 0.50 and 0.40 kg/m³ (0.93 °C, 0.25 and 0.22 kg/m³) for the 10 km (5 km) sample spacing, respectively. The largest errors were associated with energetic regions over the shallow, western Adriatic, in front of the Po River mouth and off the tip of the Istrian peninsula. The deeper eastern basin exhibited smaller errors. The variability of errors in time and space reflected the variability of small-scale density features, characterized by wavelengths as small as 2 km in winter and 1 km in spring and being more pronounced in the western and northern parts of the Adriatic. As these results indicate that errors associated with undersampling can be considerable, they should be taken into account while planning future CTD measurements in the region.     

Benthic community and biological trait composition in respect to artificial coastal defence structures: A study case in the northern Adriatic Sea

Biological Traits Analysis (BTA) is a method for addressing ecological functioning based on traits exhibited by members of biological assemblages. This study explores and compares species and biological trait patterns on either side (landward and seaward) of coastal breakwater structures in northwestern Adriatic Sea (Italy), with the aim of giving insights and knowledge for management of sandy beach systems affected by coastal development. Eight ecological traits of 96 benthic species were considered. Taxon composition evidenced differences in benthic assemblages across time and exposure: landward and seaward communities shared less than 50% of the total number of species. BTA suggested a no-management effect in the functioning of benthic assemblages. Dominant traits modalities were deposit-feeding, short life, small body size, short life span, iteroparity, gonocorism, with plankto-planktotrophic larvae. The results of BTA highlighted similarities and stability in trait composition contrary to species composition, suggesting a possible persistence in benthic functioning despite the occurrence of species replacements. To best of my knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts to investigate the effects of a management measure (submerged shore-parallel barriers with groynes) in a shallow marine system by means of BTA.     

Recent sudden decrease of lead in Adriatic coastal seawater during the years 2000–2004 in parallel with the phasing out of leaded gasoline in Italy

In parallel with the process of lead removal from gasoline in Italy, a research programme was undertaken to study the lead content of Adriatic coastal seawater. In the period 2000–2004 seawater was collected systematically at three sites along the coast line close to the city of Ancona: (i) the mouth of the River Esino, (ii) an area close to the Api refinery and (iii) Portonovo beach, a less impacted zone located along the coast of Mt. Conero. All samples were analyzed by Square-Wave Anodic-Stripping Voltammetry (SWASV). The results show that dissolved Pb content in coastal seawater diminished from an overall median value of 0.25 nmol/L in 2000–2001 to 0.12 nmol/L in 2003–2004, with a decrease of about 50% (statistically significant at 95% significance level). This decrease has been correlated to the concurrent decrease of lead consumption in gasoline in Italy which led to a reduction of ~ 65% Pb emissions into the atmosphere in the same period (r = 0.8791, p < 0.05).     

Hydrological and biogeochemical features of the Northern Adriatic Sea in the period 2003–2006

This paper reports on the main biogeochemical properties of the Northern Adriatic Sea in the period May 2003–November 2006 within the framework of the European program INTERREG III Italy‐Slovenia. Spatial and temporal distributions of water density, dissolved oxygen, nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and silicon) and chlorophyll a are presented. Multivariate methods such as fuzzy k‐means, self‐organising maps and cluster analysis were used to identify the different water masses and to characterise the temporal and spatial variability of the main biogeochemical features present in the area. The results confirm that the Po River outflows and the meteorological forcing factors are the main components triggering the alternation of stratification and mixing of the water column and that strongly affect the trophic state of the basin. In general, oligotrophic conditions dominate, and were more pronounced offshore, but mesotrophy occurred episodically in May 2004 and July 2005, when phytoplankton blooms were observed concomitant with vertical stability of the water column. A marked interannual variability was also observed, supporting the importance of maintaining long‐term observations of the basin.     

Influence of winds and oceanographic conditions on the mucilage aggregation in the Northern Adriatic Sea in 2003–2006

Meteorological and oceanographic conditions in the Northern Adriatic Sea in a year notable for massive mucilage formation (2004) were compared with those in years where this phenomenon did not occur (2003, 2005 and 2006) to suggest possible links. The months preceding the mucilage event in 2004 were considered the ‘incubation period’ and were characterized by a strong freshet in May which increased the water column stability. Winter cooling and scarcity of freshwater inputs from the Po River triggered the dense water formation and intrusion in the northern basin. Weak southeasterly winds and an increase in surface seawater temperatures contributed to maintain and reinforce the water column stability, and at the same time an intense diatom spring bloom created the conditions for accumulation of organic matter. The interplay of climatological forcings and biological processes caused temporal variations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) in the basin, with POC playing an important role in the aggregation process, as suggested by its increase relative to DOC before massive mucilage formation. We therefore suggest that high POC/total particulate nitrogen ratios in the suspended particulate organic fraction, a steep increase of POC/Chlorphyll a, and the decreased DOC/POC ratios represent ‘early warning’ signals of the main processes that lead to mucilage events in the Northern Adriatic Sea.     

2006年9月南海北部表层温盐场的走航观测

通过2006年9月南海北部开放航次的走航观测,得到了该海区多个断面的表层温度、盐度分布曲线.QuikScat海面风场资料显示观测期间处于西南季风向东北季风的转换阶段,走航观测所得的温、盐资料显示出在这一季风转换的特殊阶段该海区表层的水文特征.珠江口冲淡水的扩散范围在季风转向前后有显著的变化,低盐的冲淡水在西南季风阶段向珠江口外海区的东南方延伸较远,而在东北季风阶段则受珠江径流量、南海北部表层环流等因素的影响收缩至珠江口附近.闽南近岸和台湾浅滩南部表层具有低温高盐特征,但CTD资料表明台湾浅滩区域存在上升流,结合风场资料,可证实观测期间此处的上升流由海流-地形因素所造成.     

Diversity and Distribution of the Bryozoa along Underwater Cliffs in the Adriatic Sea with Special Reference to Thermal Regime

Abstract.  The diversity and distribution of bryozoans have been surveyed at two localities, Cape Struga on Lastovo Island (South Adriatic) and Cape Šilo on Prvić Island near Senj (North Adriatic), with similar characteristics of topography and exposure but markedly different sea temperature conditions. Continuous measurements over one year have shown that temperature conditions differ in two aspects. First, the annual range of temperature is much larger in the North. Second, in the South during summer, marine life within the thermocline layer is exposed to large high-frequency temperature oscillations, partly due to an internal diurnal tide, a phenomenon recorded for the first time in the Adriatic. Altogether, 78 species have been recorded, 57 in Lastovo and 50 in Prvić, and 29 in both localities. The comparison of mean zooid lengths of 14 bryozoan species occurring at both localities indicates no consistent difference in zooid size between northern and southern sites. Seventeen bryozoan species have been recorded in the Eastern Adriatic Sea for the first time.     

Interannual salinity variations in the Tsushima Strait and its relation to the Changjiang discharge

Interannual salinity variations in the Tsushima Strait are investigated on the basis of historical hydrographic data. The EOF analysis revealed that the most dominant mode is the in-phase salinity variation between the eastern and western channels. The time coefficients of the EOF first mode in summer show a negative correlation with the Changjiang discharge, which indicates that salinity in the Tsushima Strait tends to decrease over summer, related to a large discharge of the Changjiang. The eigenvectors of the first mode are larger in the eastern channel than those in the western channel, though the low salinity water mainly flows through the western channel. This is because the low salinity water spreads into the eastern channel as well as the western channel over summers with a large discharge of the Changjiang. The out-of-phase salinity variation between the channels is extracted as the EOF second mode; this is the predominant variation in the western channel. The time coefficients of the second mode in summer show no significant correlations to the volume transports through the western channel and the transport differences between channels. A relationship between the EOF second mode and variations in the wind stress over the East China Sea is suggested.     

利用卫星遥感海面温度、高度联合反演南海北部三维温度场

利用历史观测得到的温度剖面数据,通过严格筛选和插值,建立了南海北部的气候态垂向温度剖面。随后,利用回归统计分析的方法构建了海面温度异常(SSTA)、海面高度异常(SSHA)联合扩展温度剖面的经验回归模型,并采用卫星遥感得到的SST和SSH数据扩展了南海北部的三维海洋温度场,其时间分辨率为天,空间分辨率为0.25°×0.25°。通过与观测数据的对比研究,扩展得到的温度场可以较为准确地反映南海北部温度剖面的结构特征,并且能有效地体现出一些中尺度变化过程。结果表明,本研究反演得到的三维温度扩展场是较为可靠的,它可以作为海洋数值模型的初始场,实现现场观测数据和卫星遥感数据的互补,有助于更好地分析南海北部温度场的三维结构及变化特征。     

南海北部陆架表层沉积物重矿物分布特征及物源意义

该文根据2007～2010年间对南海北部陆架采集的292个表层沉积物样品0．063～0．125mm粒级矿物的鉴定和分析结果,研究了该海域表层沉积物重矿物的分布特征和物质来源．结果表明：该海域矿物组成以轻组分矿物为主,平均质量百分数高达98．49％,重组分矿物的含量较低,平均值为1．51％,最高质量百分数仅为10．38％,共发现了60种重矿物．影响南海北部陆架表层沉积物重矿物的含量和分布的首要因素是水动力条件,其次是物质来源,其他因素如沉积环境、矿物自身的变质程度等也在一定程度上影响其分布特征．根据因子分析的因子荷载分布及南海北部陆架的地形地貌,研究区可划分为4个主要矿物组合区和2个亚区．分析结果表明,华南沿海的众多河流特别是珠江的入海泥沙是南海北部陆架表层沉积物的主要物质来源．海南岛东南部海底峡谷区处于相对稳定的沉积环境,胶结于有孔虫壳内的海洋自生黄铁矿含量丰富．     

长江口水域春季鱼卵仔鱼分布及其与温度盐度的关系

利用2003年春季在长江口水域进行调查的数据,对该水域的鱼卵仔鱼的种类组成和数量分布、表层水温、盐度的分布特征以及它们之间的关系进行了研究。结果表明:共捕获鱼卵仔鱼13种,出现率为81.25%。鱼卵出现站位资源密度(CPUE)为1～760粒/网,平均每网采获鱼卵63.6粒;仔稚鱼出现站位CPUE为1～174尾/网,平均每网捕获仔稚鱼18.75尾。按照表层温度、盐度的变化,该水域可分为高温低盐、低温高盐、低温低盐三个区。鱼卵出现水域主要集中在高温低盐区;而仔稚鱼在长江口水域广有分布,但主要出现水域是高温低盐和低温低盐区控制的近岸水域,在远离海岸的低温高盐区仅有少量的分布。     

‘ Global Change ’ Impact of Inter-Annual Variation in Water Discharge as a Driving Factor to Dredging and Spoil Disposal in the River Rhine System and of Turbidity in the Wadden Sea

Between 1970 to 2000, the annual mean suspended matter (SPM) concentrations in the Vlie and Marsdiep tidal inlets of the Wadden Sea varied over five times. The present paper examines the possible relationship between SPM in the Wadden Sea and changing river Rhine discharges and dredging operations. The major short-term variations in annual mean SPM in part of the Wadden Sea appears to be a non-linear, exponential, function of river Rhine discharge and dredge spoil disposal (110 km to over 200 km from the area in front of the Dutch coast near the river Rhine outlet). Correlation coefficients (with SPM as the fixed and dredge disposal as the independent variable) ranged from R=0·8 (deep tidal inlet of Marsdiep) to R=0·2 (shallow inner area of Vlie) and weakened mainly as a function of distance to the disposal site. The best correlation with river discharge was for Marsdiep tidal inlet (r=0·45), indicating the superior effect of dredge disposal over river discharge-related processes. Taking the estimated regression equation as an explorative model, indicates that, without any disposal of dredge spoil, the expected SPM concentration levels in the tidal inlets of the Wadden Sea will be <15 g m⁻³ (comparable to the 1950s). The overall mean (and the highest mean) annual concentrations for the investigation period reached 42 (90) g m⁻³ at Marsdiep and 35 (75) g m⁻³ at Vlie. Assuming a 10% (220 m⁻³ s⁻¹) increase in river Rhine discharge over the next 50 years, and unchanged dredging policy and other circumstances, SPM concentrations would increase 5–15% for Marsdiep and Vlie. Compared with the calculated (12·4 g m⁻³ SPM in Marsdiep and 14·8 g m⁻³ SPM in Vlie) and measured (15 g m⁻³ SPM in Marsdiep) background SPM concentrations, the expected overall mean increase since 1950 is at least 250% of background. The natural variation in river Rhine discharge will cause further inter-annual variation. Changes in SPM concentrations, due to expected changes in wind climate, combined with river discharge are estimated to increase SPM concentrations 20% above the present situation. The possible implications of changes in land use in combination with further increasing river discharge, changed wind fields and increased temperature are discussed. An important management conclusion is that increasing mean river discharge will significantly increase the need for dredging and spoil disposal, and result in further elevated SPM concentrations in the Dutch coastal zone and the Wadden Sea. The presented relationships offer possibilities for developing new management strategies in relation to dredging and its effects.