Prospects for satellite imagery of insular features and surrounding marine habitats in the South China Sea

This paper investigates the extent to which remote sensing data can contribute to the management of two parallel crises in the South China Sea (SCS); first the ongoing disputes related to islands and related maritime boundaries and second the degradation of the marine environment and the decrease in fish stocks. It demonstrates that remote sensing surveys are the only means to lawfully collect independent and verifiable geographic data on the disputed features without the need to consult all the claimants and thereby add to regional frictions and tensions. These surveys can contribute to the determination of whether these features are submerged or above water at high tide and what their physical characteristics are. This would inform the application of the Law of the Sea and help determine entitlements to maritime zones and thus access to resources. The other category of uses for remote sensing surveys which is explored is the identification and classification of marine habitats and the building of a biogeographic platform. This paper shows the limits created by unavoidable uncertainties in the interpretation of satellite imagery. However, many benefits outweigh the downsides: the potential for national and regional marine spatial planning, for the prioritization of marine environments in need of management, for the implementation by the States bordering the SCS of the international treaties which they have ratified and for ecological monitoring.     

Analysis on the development trends of capture fisheries in North-East Asia and the policy and management implications for regional co-operation

The seas in North-East Asia, the Yellow/East China Sea and the East Sea, which are semi-enclosed seas constituting unitary ecosystems are now facing many problems such as depletion of fish stocks, poor fishery management policies, and large-scale deterioration of the marine environment. The fishery resources of the region have long been subject to heavy fishing pressures, and many stocks are now believed to be seriously depleted and may be in danger of extinction because of overfishing. In addition, poor fishery management policies have accelerated overfishing and the rapid depletion of fish stocks. Considering this rapidly deteriorating situation, regional co-operation based on the 1982 UN Convention among coastal states should be given top priority. Most fish stocks in the region migrate beyond the jurisdiction of any one country. Indeed, one state by itself can easily destroy fishery resources because semi-enclosed seas, particularly those such as the Yellow/East China Sea and the East Sea, cannot be managed effectively without close co-operation among the coastal states.     

区域性海洋环流数值模式研究及对南海环流与海峡流量的模拟

基于MOM模式的物理框架,妥善考虑了开边界的物理过程,改造和发展了一个区域海洋数值模式。本模式不仅可以方便地调整开边界条件,使之满足边界的特定物理条件,而且可以方便地做针对性修改,使模式更加可靠。改进后的模式具有MOM模式物理概念明确、公式便于理解、结果便于表达的全部特点,同时克服了MOM模式边界条件不完整、程序不易调整、参数难以改变的缺点。区域性模式比全球模式的计算速度快很多倍,可以成为区域性研究的有效工具。将此模式应用于南海,利用Hellerman＆Rosenstein气候态风应力驱动模式10a,得到与全球模式效果相当的结果。模式模拟结果展现了南海流场的季节特征,在模式分辨率下表现出了多涡结构。根据模拟的流场计算了南海与其它海域的水交换通量。在年平均意义下,外海水通过吕宋海峡进入南海,南海水通过台湾海峡、民都洛海峡和卡里马塔海峡流出南海。各海峡水通量具有明显的季节变化。     

Transboundary research in fisheries

Spatial boundaries have become an indispensable part of regimes and tools for regulating fisheries, with examples including marine protected areas, regional fisheries management organizations and Exclusive Economic Zones. Yet, it is also widely acknowledged that boundaries are a social construct, which may be resisted by both fishers and fish ecology. The ensuing spatial and institutional mismatches have been shown to frustrate management efforts, exacerbating issues of non-compliance and ultimately leading to conflicts and overfishing. Interestingly, the often static and rigid nature of these boundaries has also led to a concomitant research interest in ‘transboundary’. This paradoxical situation of more boundary-setting entailing more transboundary thinking warrants a deeper understanding about boundaries and the role of transboundary research in fisheries. The aims of this review article are twofold: (1) a theoretical clarification on the meanings and uses of spatial boundaries drawing on geographical “boundary studies” literature; and (2) a construction of a typology that outlines how transboundary research is being articulated and envisioned. Together, the study reveals that transboundary scholarship in fisheries are mostly related to resources, fleets, trade and governance aspects and that dealing with the “boundary paradox” encompasses re-incorporating, re-scaling and re-imagining of boundaries. This article provides a conceptual basis for reflecting upon boundaries in world's fisheries and opens up discussions for a more nuanced boundary application that can better cope with multi-level interactions and dynamicity.     

菲律宾海温跃层的区域性特征及其季节性变化

由于<海洋调查规范>规定的中国近海温跃层计算标准不适用于菲律宾海,本文通过统计分析得出了更合理的计算标准,并应用WOA01数据集对菲律宾海的温跃层进行了计算,得到了主温跃层和季节性跃层特征值的区域性分布和季节性变化.菲律宾海温跃层结构可分为热带型、亚热带型和温带型三个区域类型以及冬季和夏季两种季节性模态,总结了各种类型的典型剖面结构和特征值.应用Argo数据对WOA01数据的计算结果进行了验证,给出了各类型温跃层特征值的误差量级.     

Deep structures of the Palawan and Sulu Sea and their implications for opening of the South China Sea

Compared to the northern South China Sea continental margin, the deep structures and tectonic evolution of the Palawan and Sulu Sea and ambient regions are not well understood so far. However, this part of the southern continental margin and adjacent areas embed critical information on the opening of the South China Sea (SCS). In this paper, we carry out geophysical investigations using regional magnetic, gravity and reflection seismic data. Analytical signal amplitudes (ASA) of magnetic anomalies are calculated to depict the boundaries of different tectonic units. Curie-point depths are estimated from magnetic anomalies using a windowed wavenumber-domain algorithm. Application of the Parker–Oldenburg algorithm to Bouguer gravity anomalies yields a 3D Moho topography. The Palawan Continental Block (PCB) is defined by quiet magnetic anomalies, low ASA, moderate depths to the top and bottom of the magnetic layer, and its northern boundary is further constrained by reflection seismic data and Moho interpretation. The PCB is found to be a favorable area for hydrocarbon exploration. However, the continent–ocean transition zone between the PCB and the SCS is characterized by hyper-extended continental crust intruded with magmatic bodies. The NW Sulu Sea is interpreted as a relict oceanic slice and the geometry and position of extinct trench of the Proto South China Sea (PSCS) is further constrained. With additional age constraints from inverted Moho and Curie-point depths, we confirm that the spreading of the SE Sulu Sea started in the Early Oligocene/Late Eocene due to the subduction of the PSCS, and terminated in the Middle Miocene by the obduction of the NW Sulu Sea onto the PCB.     

Seismic facies analysis of Westphalian sequences of the southern North Sea

Differing seismic facies are observed from within the Westphalian sequences of the southern North Sea. A review of published synthetic seismograms and seismic data from known coal-bearing basins establishes seismic facies types and their relationships. Similar reflection character is recognized from Westphalian sequences in the southern North Sea and lithologies confirmed by borehole information. Probable sand/silt or clastic-prone Upper Coal Measures (Westphalian C/D) stages and coal-prone Lower and Middle Coal Measures (Westphalian A, B and part C) stages can be defined and mapped, providing information on the regional distribution of source and reservoir rocks and stratigraphic plays. It is suggested that sand-prone channel complexes or clastic dominated areas within the mainly A/B stages can be recognized and mapped, providing information on migration pathways and stratigraphic plays.     

南黄海灾害地质因素及分区

尝试性地将南黄海灾害地质因素分为4大类。同时参考地貌沉积界线和其他因素将南黄海分成4个灾害地质区：即海岸带、苏北浅滩、海州湾和南黄海东部灾害地质区，并时各灾害地质区进行了定性评价，苏北浅滩灾害地质区是研究区内灾害地质环境最不稳定的区域。     

The performance of the Black Sea Commission as a collaborative governance regime

It is often claimed that the Black Sea is one of the most degraded seas in the world. Management to rehabilitate the Black Sea requires cooperation between the coastal countries to be successful. However, regional cooperation in the Black Sea is poorly coordinated and lack concrete outcomes. This article analyses the performance of the Black Sea Commission in terms of enabling and fostering effective regional collaboration between the Black Sea coastal countries. The results indicate that the measures undertaken by the Black Sea Commission are effective in terms of enabling scientific and project based cooperation between the Black Sea countries. The cooperation around regional and national institutional reforms to tackle the Black Sea environmental problems is found to be weak. Despite the existing mechanisms and willingness of countries to cooperate, the implementation of the established strategic action plan for the environmental protection and rehabilitation of the Black Sea is limited. Most of the limitations of the Black Sea Commission's regime are found in its institutional and legal frameworks, which constrain the effectiveness of collaborative efforts of the Black Sea countries. To be fully functional, the collaborative governance regime of the Black Sea Commission has to be improved. Recommendations as to how these may be addressed to enhance the regime's capacity to ensure effective marine collaborative governance in the region are presented in this article.     

ENSO对中国近海海平面影响的区域特征研究

使用卫星测高、海表温度以及中国沿海台站水位等数据,分析研究了ENSO对中国近海海平面影响的区域特征。结果表明:（1）赤道东太平洋海表温度与我国近海海平面存在显著的遥相关关系。相关系数自北至南呈梯度递增,分为3个影响明显的区域,分别是渤、黄海、东海和南海海域。南海海平面异常与赤道东太平洋区域的海表温度异常相关性最强,大部分区域的相关系数超过了0.6;东海海域海平面异常与赤道东太平洋海表温度的遥相关系数弱于南海,强于渤、黄海,大部分海域的遥相关系数超过了0.4;渤、黄海海域海平面异常与赤道东太平洋海表温度的遥相关系数最弱,但是大部分海域的遥相关系数超过了0.3,通过了显著性检验。（2）中国沿海海平面的季节变化与ENSO有明显的相关关系,且影响范围具有明显的区域特征,以长江口和台湾海峡为分界线分为长江口以北、长江口到台湾海峡以及台湾海峡以南3个区域。海平面的年振幅在厄尔尼诺年均出现偏低的现象,并且年振幅的极小值均出现在厄尔尼诺年。另外,海平面的年振幅对厄尔尼诺事件的响应与其强弱有关,在强厄尔尼诺事件中,响应区域和幅度较大,弱事件中,响应区域和幅度偏小。（3）南海、东海和渤、黄海这3个区域沿海的海平面变化均存在4~7 a的显著振荡周期,说明这3个区域的海平面均受ENSO的影响。其中,南海7 a周期的振荡幅度最大,约为1.5 cm;东海7 a周期的振荡幅度次之,约为1.3 cm;渤、黄海6 a周期的振荡幅度最小,不到1 cm。     

Adaptive governance and the human dimensions of marine mammal management: Implications for policy in a changing North

As climate change has driven dramatic changes in Northern sea ice regimes, marine mammals have gained iconic status around the world reflecting the perils of global warming. There is a tension between policies that have international support like a ban on seal hunting or whaling, and the adoption of adaptive, flexible rules that are likely to work in Northern places. Whereas most wildlife policy focuses on biological information to inform policy strategy, this analysis focuses on the “human dimensions” of Northern marine mammal management. This research examines ways in which human relationships and modes of governance affect conservation success. Standard analyses of risk to animal populations focused on direct sources of take are inadequate to address multi-causal, complex problems such as climate-induced habitat loss or increased industrialization of the Arctic Ocean. Early conservation policy strategies focusing on the moratorium of take have eliminated or reduced such practices as commercialized hunting and high levels of fisheries bycatch, but may be less relevant in an era in which habitats and climate changes are key drivers of population dynamics. This paper argues that effective adaptive policy requires new ways of learning about and governing human interactions with marine mammals. Through an exploration of marine mammal management in three Northern regions (Alaska, Nunavut, and the Finnish Baltic Sea coast), the paper analyzes the extent to which these marine mammal management regimes are practicing adaptive governance, that is, building cross-scale (local to international) understanding while allowing actors at the local scale the flexibility to direct the creation of rules that are ecologically robust and likely to succeed. Lessons are taken from these examples and used to propose selected policy and research recommendations for the marine mammal policy community.     

Comparison of geosat and gravimetric geoid profiles in the North Sea

Sea surface height profiles derived from 2‐year, repeat track, Geosat altimeter data have been compared with a regional gravimetric geoid in the western North Sea, computed using a geopotential model and terrestrial gravity data. The comparison encompasses 18 Geosat profiles covering a 750 × 850 km area of the North Sea. After a second‐order polynomial was used to model the long‐wavelength differences which cannot be clearly separated over an area of this size, results show agreement to better than ±3 cm for wavelengths between approximately 20 and 750 km. In regions where terrestrial gravity data were not available to improve the geoid, similar comparisons with the OSU91A geopotential model alone show differences of up to ±6 cm. This illustrates the importance of incorporating local gravity data in regional geoid computations, and partly validates the regional gravimetric geoid solution and Geosat sea surface profiles in the western North Sea. It is concluded that, in marine areas where the sea surface topography is known to be small in magnitude, Geosat sea surface profiles can act as an independent control on gravimetric geoids in the medium‐wavelength range.     

国际海洋观测技术发展趋势与中国深海台站建设实践

20世纪80年代以来,海洋观测呈现"多元化、立体化、实时化"的发展趋势,地区和国家的海洋观测系统在关键海域发挥着重要作用。随着技术的发展和理念的创新,区域海洋观测系统被广泛应用并得到不断完善。国际海洋观测台站如英国爱尔兰海区域、美国卡罗来纳州海区和加拿大维多利亚海底实验观测网的多元化观测系统(VENUS)都是值得借鉴的例子,他们把多元化、立体化的实时测量数据与海洋物理、生态和生物化学模式紧密结合起来,实现了海洋环境的可预报性。同时,美国、英德法等国和日本实施的一系列海底观测系统,使海洋观测更加完备化。在这种国际大背景下,我国积极推进的海洋观测研究网络工程中的第一个深海台站——西沙海洋观测研究站在2008年已经建设完成并投入运行,该台站实现了长时效的多参数海洋环境实时监控。西沙观测系统主要包括自动气象站、岛屿外缘坐底式海底和海底边界层观测子系统、生物捕获器、西沙上层海洋环境观测子系统和海洋光学监测子系统等。由于海洋环境结构复杂、工作环境恶劣以及资源缺乏等因素的影响,海洋观测一直是高风险的工作。最后希望通过比较国内外观测系统,中国海洋观测事业能够学习国外先进的思路和技术,自身取得更大进步。     

Fishing for opinions: Stakeholder views on MSFD implementation in European Seas

Stakeholder participation is vital when introducing and implementing ecosystem-based management (EBM) at any scale. This paper presents the results of a survey covering four European Regional Seas (Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and North-East Atlantic Ocean) aimed to collect stakeholders׳ perspectives on their Regional Sea governance to implement the European Union (EU) Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). In this survey, drivers of good governance including stakeholder involvement, willingness and capacity to cooperate, efficiency, institutional ambiguity and decision-making were explored. The results indicate a clear gap in perception between the current, the ideal and the foreseen situation regarding the implementation of the MSFD. The preferences for the future governance structures vary between stakeholders and across seas although some similarities can be found. Based on the results of the survey, this paper concludes that tailor-made rather than off-the-shelf solutions will be needed to accommodate regional cooperation in the European marine environment for implementing ecosystem-based management under the MSFD.     

Politics and independent scientific advice in RFMO processes: A case study of crossing boundaries

Provision of independent scientific advice is central to the operation of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) even though RFMOs are largely policy (and political) instruments. Political pressures and intervention in science and crossing of the boundaries between scientific and political processes, however, appear to be relatively common. A case study is presented to illustrate some ways in which this occurs. It involves a paper that was withdrawn from scientific meetings of two RFMOs as a result of largely political (rather than scientific) concerns. The details involved in this incident are important for understanding the ways in which political intervention in independent scientific process can and does occur. Moreover, unless one is directly involved in actions of this kind, it is impossible from the reports of RFMOs' scientific bodies to assess whether, and the extent to which, there has been political intervention in the scientific process. It is argued that the nature of the working arrangements in these scientific committees can engender deliberate or inadvertent crossing of the boundaries between scientific independence and the political processes of RFMOs, both of which are important components of RFMO operation. Further, there is very little documentation or assessment of the generic extent of such problems. No simple solutions or reforms exist for isolating scientific advice from political agenda in the processes of RFMOs but it is suggested that increased discussion of the problem along with better understanding and clarity of the role of science in the management process may lead to improved recognition of the importance of independent scientific analyses and advice.     

Regional co-development and security:: a comprehensive approach

Concepts of security are no longer limited to the military form, but other potential, economic, ecological, social aspects are becoming included.Emphasis needs to be put on integration of all dimensions of security. Many environmental problems present threats to human health and welfare and hence to the well-being of nations. The environmental issues cannot be ignored in context of any comprehensive security concept, but environmental security should not be treated in isolation.Integration of sustainable development and regional security may address many of the current maritime issues. Such integration may best be handled jointly and at regional levels.With this in mind and the realization that there is now a clear awareness and understanding that issues such as poverty, underdevelopment, population growth, environmental quality and sustainable resource use, are interrelated and interdependent and must be dealt with as such, the paper aims to highlight some aspects of regional security and sustainable development issues with reference to the Mediterranean basin. The aim is to initiate a process to pursue integration of sustainable development and comprehensive regional security with focus on the Mediterranean.The approach is based on the concept of the Common Heritage of Mankind as proposed by Arvid Pardo in 1967. It has 4 dimensions: economic; ethical; environmental; peace and security. In dealing with the proposal of Arvid Pardo the United Nations General Assembly decided to split up the concept: the Conference on the Law of the Sea was to deal with the peaceful uses of oceans and sea-beds; the Conference on Disarmament with the security aspects, then considered as military. UNCED 92 maintained the separation in addressing only environment and development, with management also included. However, peace and security were not included. It is time now to include these elements, and also consider the enforcement issue. The paper aims at illustrating this need through some examples from the Mediterranean basin.     

‘The Hare and the Tortoise’: Lessons from Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Sea governance

Commonly, the Baltic Sea is pictured as a proactive region with a long-standing tradition for cooperation and surrounded by the “greenest” EU countries. In contrast, southern countries often suffer from the “Mediterranean Syndrome” in which the heterogenous socio political situation is given as the “proof” that cooperation would not work. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive adopted by European Union in 2008 is an important step towards ecosystem-based marine management and provides a legal document suggesting marine regions as a scale for cooperation. In this paper, we aim to explore stakeholders׳ perspectives on key factors for good governance at the regional sea level covering the Eastern Baltic States and the south of France. We targeted a broad panel of professionals from different sectors with a political, economic or societal importance in the respective seas. We suggest that Baltic and Mediterranean stakeholders are going through very different stages of governance adjustment fitting the purpose of ecosystem-based marine management. Baltic institutions are well established, which in some way prevents structural analysis of whether the current governance model is the most appropriate reaching GES. In the Mediterranean, the EU strategies faces institutional challenges, which is leading stakeholders to think “out of the box” about what is really needed for implementing ecosystem-based marine management for this sea. It is suggested that a golden opportunity exists at present in the Mediterranean to create a regional platform of cooperation, not only to fit the MSFD implementation, but also to improve governance of the Mediterranean Sea and its environmental status.     

Dinoflagellate cysts in the surface sediments of the White Sea

Dinoflagellate cysts were studied in 42 samples from the surface sediments of the White Sea. The total concentration of dinocysts varies from single cysts to 25 000 cyst/g of dry sediments, which reflects the biological productivity in the White Sea waters and the regional particular features of the sedimentation processes. The highest concentrations are observed in silts; they are related to the regions of propagation of the highly productive Barents Sea waters in the White Sea. Generally, the spatial distribution of dinocysts species in the surface sediments corresponds to the distribution of the major types of water masses in the White Sea. The cysts of the relatively warm-water species (Operculodinium centrocarpum, Spiniferites sp.) of North Atlantic origin that dominate in the sediments indicate an intensive intrusion of the Barents Sea water masses to the White Sea along with hydrological dwelling conditions in the White Sea favorable for the development of these species during their vegetation period. The cold-water dinocyst assemblage (Islandinium minutum, Polykrikos sp.) is rather strictly confined to the inner parts of shallow-water bays, firstly, those adjacent to the Onega and Severnaya Dvina river mouths.     

Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to habitat assessment and marine resource management

Marine scientists often assess habitats to understand the distribution and relative abundance of marine resources. Due to the spatial nature of habitats and associated temporal changes, however, assimilating data using traditional analytical methods is often difficult. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are proving to be effective tools to help address problems inherent in the analysis of spatial data, GIS can be used to effectively collate, archive, display, analyze, and model spatial and temporal data. Additionally, by combining dissimilar data types, such as socio-political boundaries, bottom types, and fish distributions, for example, resource managers can use GIS to make informed management decisions. In this way, GIS provides resource managers with a means to integrate scientific data with prevailing cultural values and traditions. We have developed a working GIS for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary that allows interpretation of many terrestrial and marine data sets, including inter-tidal monitoring data, permit locations, seabird strandings, fisheries catch data, habitat types, marine political boundaries, as well as land cover classification from satellite imagery, watersheds, streams, roads, and political boundaries. We have linked terrestrial and marine data to create a broad spatial and temporal database that will be used in a variety of ways such as evaluating natural processes, permitting and monitoring coastal development and assessing environmental impacts (e.g. oil spills).