Phytoplankton and ice-algal communities in the seasonal ice zone during January (Southern Ocean,Indian sector)

Journal of Oceanography - In the seasonal ice zone (SIZ), sea-ice algae have been hypothesized to influence phytoplankton species composition in seawater after melting from sea ice. However,...     

Radium tracing of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and associated nutrient fluxes in a highly-permeable bed coastal zone, Korea

In order to estimate submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and SGD-driven nutrient fluxes, we measured the concentrations of nutrients, ²²⁴Ra, and ²²⁶Ra in seawater, river water, and coastal groundwater of Yeongil Bay (in the southeastern coast of Korea) in August 2004 and February 2005. The bottom sediments over the shallow areas of this bay are composed mainly of coarse sands. Large excess concentrations of ²²⁴Ra, ²²⁶Ra, and Si supplied from SGD were observed in August 2004, while these excess concentrations were not apparent in February 2005. Based on the mass balance for ²²⁴Ra, ²²⁶Ra, and Si, which showed conservative mixing behavior in seawater, SGD was estimated to be approximately 6 × 10⁶ m³ day^− 1 (seepage rate = 0.2 m day^− 1) in shallow areas (< 9 m water depth) in August 2004, which is much higher than the SGD level typically found in other coastal regions worldwide. During the summer period, SGD-driven nutrients in this bay contributed approximately 98%, 12%, and 76% of the total inputs for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phosphorus (DIP), and silicate (DSi), respectively. Our study implies that the ecosystem in this highly permeable bed coastal zone is influenced strongly by SGD during summer, while such influences are negligible in winter.     

Submerged reef terraces of the Maldives (Indian Ocean)

There is limited knowledge about the record of sea-level rise from the last glacial maximum (LGM) until the onset of Holocene reef growth in the Maldives archipelago. Multibeam data show that atoll slopes between 130 and 55 mbsl (meters below sea level) are characterized by a step-like morphology. In parts, these terraces show a raised rim and a crenate geometry. Atoll margin features can be interpreted as successive reef-growth and -drowning stages, which are attributable to changes in the rate of sea-level rise. These changes can tentatively be correlated to known records of global sea-level change since the LGM. In addition to terraces between 97 and 55 mbsl, which can be associated with the initiation of meltwater pulses MWP-1A and -1B, several reef-drowning stages between 94 and 68 mbsl are proposed. As the Maldives can be considered a tectonically stable, far-field site, the submerged reef terraces inferred from the first multibeam dataset for this region likely represent a valuable archive for global deglacial sea-level history in the Indian Ocean.     

Benthic foraminifera communities of the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean)

Eleven communities of benthic foraminifera were distinguished on the basis of the results of a qualitative analysis of the structure the population at 94 stations at sea depths down to 4180 m in the Andaman Sea. The habitats of the communities are formed under the influence of the environmental factors, which are determined by the latitudinal and bathymetric zonality of the basin, the water masses, the currents, the upwellings, the coastal runoff, and the contents of calcium carbonate and oxygen in the near-bottom waters and organic carbon in the sediments.     

Magmatism of the submarine Vityaz Ridge (Pacific slope of the Kuril Island Arc)

Original results of igneous rock studies are presented. The rocks were dredged during a marine expedition (cruise 37 of R/V Akademik M.A. Lavrent’ev in August–September, 2005) in the region of the submarine Vityaz Ridge and Kuril Arc outer slope. Several age complexes (Late Cretaceous, Eocene, Late Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene-Pleistocene) are recognizable on the Vityaz Ridge. These complexes are characterized by a number of common geochemical features since all of them represent the formations of island arc calc-alkali series. At the same time, they also have individual features reflecting different geodynamic settings. The outer slope of the Kuril Arc demonstrates submarine volcanism. The Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanic rocks dredged here are similar to the volcanites of the Kuril-Kamchatka Arc frontal zone.     

Temporal dynamics of shallow subtidal meiobenthos from a beach in Tenerife (Canary Islands, northeast Atlantic Ocean)

A shallow subtidal (3 m deep) meiofaunal assemblage in Los Abrigos Bay, Tenerife, Canary Islands was sampled during May 2000-April 2001. Themain aims were to (1) find temporal variations inmeiofaunal assemblage structure and overall abundance, as well as in the most abundant meiofaunal species throughout the study period, and (2) identify environmental variables (sedimentary composition, organic matter content, and total nitrogen) that better explain meiofaunal assemblage structure during the study year. The most abundant species were the nematodes Siphonolaimus sp. 2 and Catanema sp., which represented 46.2% of the overall meiofaunal abundances and varied significantly throughout the study duration. Overall meiofaunal abundance and the most abundant taxonomic groups (nematodes, copepods, and oligochaetes) showed significant temporal variations during the study period. Nematodes overwhelmingly dominated during the study period, ranging from 78% in May to 97.34% in February. Multivariate analyses showed seasonality inmeiofaunal community structure during the study year, with the lowest abundances in May.     

Diel variation of benthic respiration in a coral reef sediment (Reunion Island,Indian Ocean)

Oxygen and total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes at the water–sediment interface were measured using benthic chambers to assess the short-term variations of community respiration (CR) in the back reef sediments of Reunion Island (Indian Ocean). Benthic CR had a daily cycle of minimal (6:00 AM) and maximal values (6:00 PM), showing increases of oxygen and DIC fluxes of 2.8- and 3.8-fold, respectively. Average CR values were observed at midday and midnight. The evolution of fluxes was positively related to oxygen concentration in ambient water, but not to temperature changes. In the study area, high daytime primary production augments the amount of energy available for community metabolism and increases benthic respiration. The benthic communities are therefore subjected to short-term variable environmental conditions with oxygen supersaturation during the day, and moderately hypoxic conditions at the end of the night.     

Dolomitic concretions in the Eocene Sobrarbe delta (Spanish Pyrenees): Fluid circulation above a submarine slide scar infilling

Numerous dolomite concretions have been discovered in marls of the Eocene Sobrarbe deltaic complex as part of the Ainsa Basin (Spain). This paper presents the first analyses of the shapes, the spatial relationships, the mineralogical, chemical and isotopic compositions of these concretions.The concretions are located above a major fossil submarine slide scar. They are mainly perpendicular to the sedimentary layers. Four distinct shapes of concretions have been distinguished: horizontal flat, sub-vertical cylindrical or cylindrical-complex and stocky. Three main mineral phases are associated with most of the concretions: calcite, celestite and barite. Concretion shapes and mineral occurrences are organized vertically in the marls from bottom to top: (i) at the bottom, flat shapes with septarian cracks filled by calcite and celestite, (ii) in the middle and at the top, cylindrical and cylindrical-complex concretions associated with prismatic barite, calcite and celestite filling conduits related to bioturbations, and (iii) at the top, cylindrical and cylindrical-complex concretions associated with calcite and celestite filling conduits related to bioturbations, and stocky shape concretions.We postulate that concretions have formed by dolomite cementation of the surrounding marls during early diagenesis in the zone of methanogenesis. The high sedimentation rate of the infilling seems to be a factor controlling the mineralogical composition of the concretions. Brown calcite precipitated in voids and fractures of the concretions. Celestite precipitated during burial, completing the filling of voids and fractures. Barite precipitated before celestite, but its time of precipitation relative to brown calcite remains unknown.     

Phytoplankton, nutrients and hydrography in the frontal zone between the Southwest Indian Subtropical gyre and the Southern Ocean

A survey was made of the Southwest Indian Ocean frontal region between 30 and 50°E containing the Agulhas Return, Subtropical and Subantarctic Fronts. From CTD, SeaSoar and extracted samples the distribution of nitrate, silicate and chlorophyll a is shown to be strongly linked to the front and water mass structure, varying zonally and meridionally. Surface chlorophyll a concentrations were low to the north and south leaving a band of elevated chlorophyll between the Subtropical and Subantarctic Fronts. The low concentration of chlorophyll a to the north, in Subtropical Water, was clearly due to nitrate limitation. Between the Subtropical and Subantarctic Fronts, where the chlorophyll a concentrations were highest, the surface layer showed silicate depletion limiting diatom growth. South of the Subantarctic Front there were deep extending, low concentrations of chlorophyll a, but despite plentiful supplies of macro-nutrients and a well-stratified surface layer, high concentrations of chlorophyll a were absent. Changes from west to east were associated with the meandering of the Southern Ocean Fronts, especially the Subtropical Front, and their strength and proximity to each other. Concentrations of chlorophyll a peaked where the Agulhas Return, Subtropical and Subantarctic Fronts were in close proximity. Combined frontal structures appear to have particularly pronounced vertical stability and are associated with enhanced upwelling of nutrients and leakage of nutrients across the front. Light levels are high within the shallow stable layer. Such conditions are clearly favourable for biological growth and support the development of larger-celled phytoplankton communities.     

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in killer whales (Orcinus orca) from the Crozet Archipelago, southern Indian Ocean

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and dibenzofurans (PCDFs), are ubiquitous environmental contaminants of which significant concentrations are reported in upper trophic level animals. In 1998, we collected blubber biopsy samples (n = 11) from killer whales (Orcinus orca) inhabiting the coastal waters around Possession Island, Crozet Archipelago, southern Indian Ocean, for contaminant analyses. Despite inhabiting an isolated region far removed from industrial activities, these killer whales can presently be considered among the most PCB-contaminated cetaceans in the southern hemisphere, with concentrations ranging from 4.4 to 20.5 mg/kg lipid weight (lw). PCDD levels ranged from below the detection limit (5 ng/kg) to 77.1 ng/kg lw and PCDF levels from below the detection limit (7 ng/kg) to 36.1 ng/kg lw. Over 70% of our study animals had PCB concentrations which exceeded a 1.3 mg/kg PCB threshold established for endocrine disruption and immunotoxicity in free-ranging harbour seals, suggesting that organic contaminants cannot be ruled out as an additional threat to this declining population.     

The past,present and future use of drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the Indian Ocean

The use of drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs) has become the dominant practice in tropical tuna purse seine fishing. However, just as FADs can increase fishing efficiency, their use has been associated with several negative ecosystem impacts, and moves are being made to manage the use of FADs. In the evaluation of potential management options it is important to consider how fishers will respond to the introduction of control measures, which first requires an understanding of fishery and fleet dynamics. This paper addresses this need by characterising the past and present use of FADs in the Indian Ocean tropical tuna purse seine fishery. The paper describes historical trends in fishing practices, summarises spatiotemporal patterns in the use of FADs and establishes and attributes variation in FAD fishing strategies within the fleet. It also provides an overview of current FAD management policies in the Indian Ocean and examines the observed effects of existing measures on the behaviour of the purse seine fleet. Using this comprehensive understanding, the potential impact on the purse seine fleet of a number of plausible FAD management options are discussed and inferences are drawn for the future sustainability of tropical tuna purse seine fishing in the Indian Ocean.     

The evolution of the Tugela canyon and submarine fan: A complex interaction between margin erosion and bottom current sweeping,southwest Indian Ocean,South Africa

The transfer of sediment from the upper continental slope to rise is poorly documented along the southeast African passive margin. New swath bathymetric and sub-bottom data collected in the Natal Valley, southwest Indian Ocean, provide insight into the evolution of the Tugela canyon and fan system. Several distinct downslope changes in canyon morphology are noted. The canyon increases in relief and widens with depth. Basement outcrop is restricted to the head of the canyon becoming less prominent with depth. Step-like terracing of the canyon walls and floor becomes prominent in the mid-slope portions of the canyon and is related to a marked increase in the cross sectional asymmetry of the canyon profile. The contemporary Tugela canyon rests within a depression of the last phase of infilling. The canyon is the product of downslope erosion, and incision, caused by several phases of hinterland uplift in the mid Oligocene, mid Miocene and late Pliocene. Each phase was followed by pelagic infilling of the palaeo-canyon form. Downslope, the uplift phases are preserved in the cut-terraces and axial incisions within the main canyon thalweg. The contemporary canyon is a moribund feature, sediment starvation of the shelf area by current sweeping of the Agulhas current has decreased the material available for canyon incision and fan development. Additional current sweeping by the North Atlantic Deep Water current has stunted the development of the associated fan complex.     

Microbial assemblages associated with sinking particles in the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (NE Atlantic Ocean)

Downward fluxes of microbial assemblages associated with sinking particles sampled in sediment traps deployed at nominal depths of 1000 m (trap A), 3000 m (trap B) and 4700 m (trap C) were measured between October 1995 and August 1998 on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP, NE Atlantic). The goal of the study was to provide detailed information on the microbial contributions to the particulate organic carbon and DNA fluxes. Bacterial fluxes associated with settling particles in the PAP area were generally low and significantly lower than bacterial fluxes reported from the same area during 1989–90. Marked seasonal pulses in the microbial assemblages were observed in all years that were associated with particle flux maxima in April–June. No significant differences were found in microbial fluxes between 1000 and 4700 m depth, but both the bacterial biomass flux and the frequency of dividing bacteria increased with depth, suggesting that organic matter turnover and conversion into bacterial biomass increased in the deeper traps. The structure of microbial assemblages displayed clear changes with increasing depth; the ratios of bacteria to both flagellates and cyanobacteria increased up to 4-fold between 1000 and 4700 m, showing a marked increase in bacterial dominance in the deeper layers of the water column. A parallel increase of the bacterial contribution to particulate organic carbon (POC) and DNA fluxes was observed. Total microbial contribution to the POC flux in the PAP area was about 2%, whereas the contribution of cyanobacteria was negligible. Fluxes of microbial assemblages were significantly correlated with DNA fluxes and on average the bacteria accounted for 5% of DNA fluxes. Data reported here confirm that the “rain” of particulate bacterial DNA may represent an important source of nucleotides for deep-sea bacteria, but also suggests that a much larger pool of detrital DNA is potentially available to deep-sea micro-organisms.     

Seasonal dynamics of meiofauna in a South African temporarily open/closed estuary (Mdloti Estuary,Indian Ocean)

One hundred and eighty-four of the 250 estuaries in South Africa are currently classified as temporarily open/closed and close off from the sea during the dry season, under low river inflow. The subtropical Mdloti Estuary, on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, is one of these systems and hardly any information is available on its meiofauna. The abundance, biomass, composition, and grazing impact of meiofauna, as well as the key environmental factors that affect these variables, were investigated with emphasis on the contrast between open and closed phases of the estuary. Microphytobenthic chlorophyll a concentrations varied between 1.4 to 480 mg m⁻². Meiofauna were composed of nematodes, harpacticoid copepods, crustacean nauplii, mites, turbellarians, polychaetes, oligochaetes, ostracods and chironomids. Total abundance of meiofauna showed large variability both spatially and temporally and ranged from 0.4 to 88×10⁴ ind. m⁻². Nematodes, mites and harpacticoid copepods occurred more often than other groups in the sediment. Total meiofauna carbon biomass exhibited similar temporal as well as spatial patterns as abundance and varied from 0.5 to 440 mg C m⁻². A carbon-based grazing model, applied to the total meiofauna, provided estimates of potential daily ingestion rates ranging from 1.8 to 857 mg C m⁻². Nematodes, mites and harpacticoid copepods contributed the most to the total potential daily ingestion rate of meiofauna in the Mdloti Estuary. Potential ingestion rates, determined using allometric equations, showed that meiofauna consumed from 0.1 to 254% of the microphytobenthic standing stock. Overall, meiofauna were likely not food limited and grazing on microphytobenthos was low, averaging 11% for the whole survey. A principal component analysis, applied to the whole study area and sampling period, indicated that major variations in meiofaunal community are mainly controlled by temperature and the state of the estuary's mouth (i.e. open/closed). Typically, meiofauna abundance in the estuary peaked after periods of prolonged mouth closure and decreased dramatically after the breaching of the estuary at the mouth.     

Composition of Volcanic Tuffs,Neotectonics, and Structure of the Upper Sedimentary Cover of the Osborn Plateau (Indian Ocean)

Oceanology - The Osborn Plateau is a large intraplate elevation in the eastern Indian Ocean, which has been poorly studied by geological and geophysical methods. On cruise SO258/1 aboard the R/V...     

应用Catch-MSY模型评估印度洋蓝枪鱼资源

Catch-MSY模型可仅依靠渔获量数据进行渔业资源评估,在数据缺乏状况下能暂时替代标准资源评估模型。本研究以印度洋蓝枪鱼(Makaira nigricans)为例,根据有、无信息的内禀增长率r和环境容纳量K的先验分布,设立15组情景进行模型灵敏度分析、资源评估和预测。结果表明,参数r和K呈强烈的负相关,而最大可持续产量(Maximum Sustainable Yield,MSY)与参数r呈正相关;数据时间序列长度对评估结果影响有限,而模型对起止年渔获量较为敏感。资源状况评估表明,印度洋蓝枪鱼资源生物量状况良好,即B₂₀₁₅/B_MSY大于1;而开发状况除其中两种情景外,均为过度捕捞,即F₂₀₁₅/F_MSY大于1。资源预测表明,为使未来10年内B/B_MSY>1的概率超过50%,需将渔获量缩减至当前渔获量的90%(13.86 kt);考虑到该模型在数据缺乏状况下会更加保守,若将当前渔获量的100%～110%(15.40～16.94 kt)设为管理目标,则未来5年内B/B_MSY >1的概率超过50%。     

Constraining the propagation of bomb-radiocarbon through the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool in the northeast Pacific Ocean

This study extends the 1991-1995 records of marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and Δ¹⁴C values at hydrographic Station M (34°50′N, 123°00′W) with new measurements from a frozen (-20 °C) archive of samples collected between April 1998 and October 2004. The magnitudes and synchronicity of major Δ¹⁴C anomalies throughout the time-series imply transport of DOC from the surface ocean to depths of at least 450 m on the timescale of months. Keeling plots of all measurements at Station M predict a continuum of possible background DOC compositions containing at least 21 μM of -1000‰ (i.e., ≥57,000 ¹⁴C years) DOC, but are more consistent with mean deep DOC (38 μM, -549‰; i.e., 6,400 ¹⁴C years). These results and coral records of surface dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) Δ¹⁴C were used to estimate pre-bomb DOC Δ¹⁴C depth profiles. The combined results indicate that bomb-¹⁴C has penetrated the DOC pool to depths of ≥450 m, though the signal at that depth is obscured by short-term variability.