Methods and procedures to determine the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles

This paper establishes techniques and methods to determine a variety of boundaries associated with 200 nautical miles beyond the continental shelf. The methods, based on topography, slope and second-deriv- ative profile integrated analysis, are now able to identify automatically the foot of the continental slope （FOS）. By analyzing the sedimentary profile, the points of 1% sediment thickness are recognized. Through the intersection, cut, deletion and mergence calculation of the extrapolated data set of fLxed-point series, the method succeeds in generating automatically the extrapolated boundaries, including the FOS＋60 M line, the 350 M line, and the 2500 m＋100 M line. In addition, based on the automatic analysis of the topographic profile, it can be applied to determine rapidly the points of maximum water depth. Taking the northern Okinawa Trough （OT） as an example, these methods are used to calculate and examine the boundaries in- cluded in the Submission by the People＇s Republic of China Concerning the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical miles in Part of the East China Sea （ECS）; the boundaries thus derived have a solid scientific and rational basis.     

The exclusive economic zone : State claims and the LOS convention

The rapid acceptance of the exclusive economic (EEZ) concept belies the broad differences among State claims beyond 12 nautical miles, and the wide gulf between State practice and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS Convention). This paper first examines the areas of contention between State practice and the LOS Convention. These differences are characterized and the author concludes that the EEZ regime within the Convention does not address the specific individual and regional needs of States that have resulted in the wide discrepancy among State claims. The author suggests a global authority under which the jurisdictional line would be redrawn along the practical level of coastal State to vessel, rather than the political plane of coastal State to flag State.     

Rheological boundaries of mud: Where are the limits?

“Mud” includes a rheological criterion that implies it exhibits a particular consistency state, the lower boundary of which can be specified through the use of the Atterberg plastic limit, but the upper boundary remains undefined. A relationship between the water content of a hindered settling suspension when its structure changes from fluid-supported to body-supported and its Atterberg liquid limit appears capable of predicting the physical conditions at the moment when the suspension acquires a rheological character sufficient to define the upper surface of mud. This relationship appears consistent and predictable within various marine and estuarine environments.     

Target strength: Some recent theoretical developments

Some recent developments in the theory of diffraction of transient wavefields with high or moderate, but not excessively low, frequency content are reviewed here. Examples are cited to demonstrate that combinations of wavefronts and resonances, which organize the wave process according to progressing and oscillatory events, respectively, can furnish building blocks for interpretation of transient scattering data, and thereby for classification of target features. Conversely, these same spectral elements hold promise as a basis for physically sound parameterization of scattering data to reconstruct target characteristics. The discussion includes impenetrable and penetrable targets, interior-exterior coupling, real and complex spectra, and suggested directions for future research.     

A strategy for monitoring of contaminant distributions resulting from proposed sewage sludge disposal at the 106-mile ocean disposal site

It has been proposed that future ocean disposal of sewage sludge from the US east coast be done at a site beyond the edge of the continental shelf. In anticipation of that, a monitoring strategy has been developed to determine the average spatial distribution of contamination. The strategy is an iterative series of measurements developed from models of sludge dispersion and settling which are based on characteristics of the disposal site and sewage sludge. Once disposal is initiated at the site, the strategy requires sampling the upper mixed layer at 36 stations, mostly within 100 km of the site, and deployment of near-bottom sediment traps along a line extending 300 km away from the site. Based on initial results, subsequent sampling locations will be selected to refine estimates of the detectable extent of sludge-derived contamination. The sludge constituents which can be used to detect sludge in water at a dilution of 10⁶ and sludge in sediment traps when diluted by 100 with natural material include zinc, PCBs, coprostanol and spores of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens. Other synthetic organic compounds, besides PCB, may prove to be useful tracers.     

High-frequency radars: physical limitations and recent developments

High-frequency (HF) radars based on ground-wave propagation are used for remotely sensing ocean surface currents and gravity waves. For some 20 years a number of systems have been developed taking advantage of improved electronics and computer techniques. However, the performance of these systems are limited by physical constraints, which are due to HF wave propagation and scattering as well as to the technical design of the measuring system. Attenuation of the HF ground-wave is strongly dependent on the radio frequency and sea-water conductivity. Experimental data confirm the predicted decrease of propagation range with decreasing conductivity. HF radar systems use different methods of spatial resolution both in range and azimuth. Range resolution by means of short pulses and frequency-modulated chirps is compared, as well as azimuthal resolution by means of beam forming and direction finding (phase comparison). The emphasis is placed on recent developments.     

Regulations for marine microalgal toxins: towards harmonization of methods and limits

Toxins produced by marine microalgae are harmful to humans and a serious threat to aquaculture and fisheries. Most seafood-producing countries have established monitoring programmes and regulations to protect public health from the risk of toxin exposure. However, there are disparities in current regulations regarding methods and applied limits for toxin control. Inconsistencies are especially evident for Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (OSP) toxins. Epidemiological and toxicological data are necessary to assess risk, and to establish safe limits for the different groups of toxins. The scarcity or absence of pure toxins and certified reference materials has hampered toxicological studies and the development of suitable analytical methods. The World Trade Organization and the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade encourage the harmonization of regulations on food safety requirements. The current policy on trade liberalization of seafood is presented, together with a review of the regulations for marine microalgal toxins. Activities on harmonization of methods and limits, particularly to OSP toxins, are discussed.     

Scour around coastal structures: a summary of recent research

This paper summarizes the results of the European Union Marine Science and Technology (EU MAST) III project “Scour Around Coastal Structures” (SCARCOST). The summary is presented under three headings: (1) Introduction; (2) Flow and scour processes with the subheadings: flow and scour processes around vertical cylinders; flow and scour processes at detached breakwaters; flow and scour processes at submerged breakwaters; and the effect of turbulence on sediment transport; and (3) Sediment behaviour close to the structure with the subheadings: field measurement and analysis of wave-induced pore pressures and effective stresses around a bottom seated cylinder; non-linear soil modelling with respect to wave-induced pore pressures and gradients; wave-induced pressures on the bottom for non-linear coastal waves, including also wave kinematics; development of a numerical model (linear soil modelling) to calculate wave-induced pore pressures—the effect of liquefaction on sediment transport; penetration of blocks in non-consolidated fine soil; and cyclic stiffness of loose sand.The paper also includes a discussion of the role of scale effects in laboratory testing and the applicability of the results obtained in supporting engineering design.     

The Norwegian system and the distribution of claims to redfeed

Identifying competing interests and potential claims to a new marine resource, the plankton redfeed, which may be central as a solution to diminishing supplies of marine oils world wide, is critical prior to a commercial harvest thereof. The competing interests are found to be between those Norwegian fisheries organization taking an encompassing view of fisheries interests and those wanting more focus on the well-being of the coastal fishermen. Working within a corporatist setting, it is found, that interest organizations in Norway are included comprehensively by the national government in the decision-making process, but that the main group having the most power is Norges Fiskarlag, which will draw the quota distribution of a future redfeed harvest off shore and away from the coastal fishermen.     

Rockall and the limits of national jurisdiction of the UK: Part 2

Part 1 of this article, published in the July issue of Marine Policy, contained the first in a four-section examination of the Rockall question. Section I presented a survey of the law governing the delimitation of the continental shelf, the EEZ, and exclusive fishing zones, thus providing a background for sections II–IV, which constitute Part 2. In this Part, the author examines the geography and geology of the Rockall sector and the claims made by the UK, Ireland and Denmark, before drawing conclusions from the whole article.     

Water circulation and hydrological structure in the active layer of the 50-mile near-shore zone of the Russian sector of the black sea in August 2004

The water dynamics and hydrological structure in the active (oxygen-containing) layer are considered on the basis of the hydrological survey carried out in the 50-mile near-shore zone of the Russian sector of the Black Sea in August 2004 and over the permanent section from Gelendzhik to the central part of the sea. Five mesoscale eddy structures of different signs were observed in the Main Black Sea Current between Sochi and the Kerch Strait. Such a dynamic situation contributed to the intensive horizontal water exchange between the near-shore and open sea waters as well as to the redistribution of water masses over the vertical in the active sea layer, which is indicated by the deepening of the top boundary of the hydrogen sulfide zone in the Russian sector of the sea by 15–20 m.     

Phenolics in aquatic ecosystems: A selected review of recent literature

This review surveys the pertinent literature on phenolics in the aquatic ecosystem. Approximately 2% of the total organics manufactured in the US were phenols. Of the total phenolics produced in the US, 96% were synthetic and 4% were naturally occurring. Synthetic phenols arise from coking of coal, gas works and oil refineries, chemical plants, pesticide plants, wood preserving plants and dye manufacturing plants. Natural phenolics occur from aquatic and terrestrial vegetation and much of this is released by the pulp and paper industry.Toxicity of phenolics has been studied on selected microbes (e.g. protozoa, yeast and bacteria), algae, duckweed, and numerous invertebrates and vertebrates. Depending on the organism tested, the acute toxicity of phenol varies from 6·5 to 1840 mg/litre phenol. For other phenolics toxicity ranges from 0·084 to 555 mg/litre. The toxicity of phenolics varies with the type, position and number of substitutions on the parent molecule. Environmental factors affect the toxicity of phenolics and these include photolytic action, microbial degradation, pH, water hardness and temperature. Based on limited data, toxicity of phenolics may be less in continuous flow tests than in their sensitivity to phenolics as does the presence of oxygen. A seasonal factor may also affect the sensitivity of various fish. Starvation and lack of suitable substrate for bottom fauna increases organism sensitivity to phenol. The source of test animals may affect their sensitivity to phenolics and this effect may be due to short-term physiological acclimation and genetic selection.Studies on the biological effects of phenolics are limited and varied. Fish development and embryo survival were not affected by phenol levels less than 25 mg/litre. Amphibian embryos were sensitive to 0·5 mg/litre phenol. Pentachlorophenols inhibited fish growth at levels down to 1·74, μg/litre.Exposure of fish to phenol in concentrations as low as 4 mg/litre caused haemorrhaging at the base of the fins. Two hour exposure to 6·5 mg/litre phenol caused disruption of blood vessel walls and gill epithelium. Oedema and blood infiltration was a common effect observed in most major tissues studied from fishes exposed to phenol. Phenol, at 12·5 mg/litre, reduces the levels of neurohormones in fish exposed for 10 days. The effects of pentachlorophenol on blood glucose and blood lactate levels, and in vivo and in vitro activity levels of seven liver enzymes of eels are discussed. Pentachlorophenol, at 1·8 μg/litre, decreased assimilation conversion efficiency in underyearling salmon. Phenol also affects immunoglobin levels, blood protein levels and tissue micro-element levels. Feeding rates are affected by phenolics. Phenolics affect oxygen consumption rates and the effect may be on uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation with a subsequent reduction of ATP formation.Many aspects of behaviour are affected by phenolics and the phases of ‘intoxication’ leading to death have been described for fish and invertebrates.Fish detoxify phenolics by forming conjugate glucuronides and sulphates. Body burdens of phenolics varied with exposure time and exposure concentration. When fish pre-exposed to phenol are transferred to clean water, body burdens drop up to 90% after three to four hours. Depuration rates for other phenolics took longer; up to 30 days for pentachlorophenol.Little research has been done on the cycling of phenol and phenolics (other than pesticides) in aquatic ecosystems. Microbial degradation will decompose phenolics rapidly if suitable bacteria are present. Other factors affecting the loss of phenolics from aquatic ecosystems include photolysis, adsorption and dilution. Phenol entering subterranean aquifers may not dilute or degrade very quickly. In one documented case well-water levels up to 200 mg/litre were measured 18 months after a spill.     

The Pechora Sea: Past,recent, and future

The main stages in the development of the Pechora Sea are discussed. It is established that, during the high sea level stand corresponding to the warmest epoch of the Mikulino Interglacial, the Pechora Sea represented a more spacious, as compared with its present-day size, basin owing to the flooded valleys of river lower reaches. No sea in its present-day configuration existed during the last (Valdai) glaciation. At that time, the sea could have occupied only a narrow area along the southern coast of Novaya Zemlya, where marine sedimentation was in progress during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. During the glaciation and postglacial time, the dried bottom of the former Pechora Sea accumulated large volumes of sand that are now concentrated largely in the accretion structures along its southern coast. In the current century, changes will occur mainly in the coastal zone of the Russkii Zavorot Peninsula, Pesyakov Island, the Varandei Settlement area, and the Medynskii Zavorot Peninsula, where a shoreline retreat for a distance of 0.5 km is expected.     

Submarine groundwater discharge: an outlook of recent advances and current knowledge

Driven by the hydraulic gradient, terrestrial groundwater can be discharged directly into the coastal ocean where heads are above sea level, a phenomenon known as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Although long overlooked, in recent years SGD has received increasing attention due largely to its potential importance in the transport of chemical constituents to the sea. Indeed, SGD occurrence and control mechanisms are still poorly understood. Submarine discharge often represents only a minor component of regional total water budgets, but because estimated fluxes are highly variable and quantification remains challenging, the process deserves to be carefully evaluated when investigating marine ecosystems and/or the safety of geological repositories in coastal areas, notably for the underground storage of CO₂. In view of the focus the topic is gaining, reflected in the large amount of information continuously being published in this field, here we present a selected review of our current knowledge of key mechanisms determining submarine groundwater discharge, and an updated compilation of most recent advances in research both in Japan and other regions of the world. In addition, we identify some potential pitfalls that need to be borne in mind in future work on SGD. Particularly in view of globally increasing urbanization and climate change, this contribution should prove useful also to local governmental authorities and scientists involved in groundwater coastal ecosystem management.     

Bioprospection of marine actinomycetes: recent advances, challenges and future perspectives

In exploring new sources for economically important products, marine environment draws particular attention because of its remarkable diversity and extreme conditions; it is known to produce metabolic products of great value. It represents untapped source for the discovery of novel secondary metabolites with varying potential such as antibiotic, anti-tumor, antifouling and cytotoxic properties. Marine actinomycetes distributed throughout the marine environment from shallow to deep sea sediments have proved to be a finest source for this discovery. Secondary metabolites derived from marine actinomycetes have proved their worth in industries based on the research on their properties and wide range applications. Spotlight of the review is range of marine based actinomycetes products and significant research in this field. This shows the capability of marine actinomycetes as bioactive metabolite producers. Additionally, the present review addresses some effective and novel approaches of procuring marine microbial compounds utilizing the latest screening strategies of drug discovery from which traditional resources such as marine actinobacteria has decreased due to declining yields. The aim is in the context of promoting fruitful and profitable results in the near future. The recent surfacing of new technologies for bioprospection of marine actinomycetes are very promising, resulting in high quality value added products, and will be de? ning a new era for bioactive compounds with medical and biotechnological applications.