Observations of wave pump efficiency

Currently available data on wave pump efficiency is reviewed. The obtainable efficiency is an important consideration in the design of practical devices for the extraction of wave energy and the analysis of natural systems (e.g., coral flats and rip currents). We find that the peak efficiency is 0.5 for very steep (∼ 40–45°) ramps where the waves break over the top of the ramp. For flatter (< 30°) ramps, the breaking process is more gradual and the peak efficiency is less than 0.1. We have identified natural atoll lagoon systems where the flushing is wave driven and successfully modeled it as driven by a wave pump. The same is the case for rip currents. For both of these natural systems, the pump efficiency is around 0.035. In addition a numerical swash model is used to estimate wave pump efficiency and is seen to match the experimental results for natural systems or breaking wave scenario.     

Spatial and temporal variation in subtidal molluscan diversity amongst temperate estuarine habitats

Effective management of marine ecosystems is enhanced when detailed information on biodiversity is available. Key information to underpin management actions and conservation planning includes relationships between species assemblages and environmental gradients, and information on species distributions. We conducted a subtidal biodiversity assessment of surface‐dwelling subtidal molluscs in eight a priori defined habitat types using underwater visual censuses to quantitatively explore relationships between molluscan assemblages, and their correlation with benthic habitats and abiotic variables. In addition, variations in diversity were examined for two key habitat types (areas dominated by Dendronephthya australis and by filter feeders) over a period of 15 months to examine temporal change. We found that molluscs form distinct assemblages within subtidal habitats, but that assemblages within key habitats show inherent temporal variability. Regional (gamma) diversity of molluscs was found to result from a combination of: (i) within habitat alpha diversity, which increased with habitat complexity; (ii) between habitat beta diversity, with significant differences in molluscan assemblages amongst habitats with differing benthic growth, substrate type, and depth; and (iii) temporal beta diversity, with significant changes detected in molluscan assemblages over time. The results demonstrate how habitats and abiotic variables (principally depth and substrate type) combine to contribute to molluscan biodiversity in temperate estuaries, and illustrate the value of these factors as surrogates for surface‐dwelling subtidal molluscs in conservation planning.     

Simultaneous exposure of English sole (Parophrys vetulus) to sediment-associated xenobiotics: Part 1—uptake and disposition of 14C-polychlorinated biphenyls and 3H-benzo[a]pyrene

English sole (Parophrys vetulus) were exposed to environmentally realistic levels of sediment-associated ³H-benzo[a]pyrene (3 μg BaP/g sediment, dry weight) and ¹⁴C-Aroclor 1254 (1 μg PCBs/g), separately and together, for up to 10 days. BaP and its metabolites in tissues reached steady-state concentrations by the first day of the exposure, whereas PCBs did not approach steady-state concentrations until the tenth day of exposure. Simultaneous exposure of sole to BaP and PCBs, relative to separate exposure to the xenobiotics, significantly increased the concentrations of BaP-derived radioactivity and decreased the concentrations of PCB-derived radioactivity in some tissues and bile. Accumulation of PCB-derived radioactivity, estimated as the burden in tissues, was significantly greater (4- to 13-fold) than that of BaP-derived radioactivity throughout the experiments and regardless of the type of exposure. The rank of the concentrations of PCB-derived radioactivity in tissues and bile was: bile ～ liver > brain > kidney ～ gill > skin ～ blood ～ muscle and for BaP-derived radioactivity the order was: bile > liver > gill > kidney > skin ～ blood > muscle > brain. BaP-derived radioactivity in liver and bile was present primary (85–99%) as metabolites, whereas PCB-derived radioactivity was present equally as parent compounds and metabolites in bile and primarily (98 %) as parent compounds in liver. Hydrolysis of bile from PCB/BaP-exposed sole with β-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase released 35 % of the BaP-derived radioactivity and 32 % of the PCB-derived radioactivity as primary metabolites. A much higher proportion of the BaP-derived radioactivity (64 %) than the PCB-derived radioactivity (13 %) in bile was unaffected by the enzyme treatment, indicating differences in the conjugation of the primary metabolites of PCBs and BaP. The results suggest that in contaminated environments the tissue to sediment concentration ratios for PCBs would exceed that for BaP and its metabolites; however, BaP would be continually absorbed and metabolized by sole to potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds. In addition, the tissue levels of these toxic compounds may be increased by simultaneous exposure to PCBs.     

On the Dynamics of the Jovian Ionosphere and Thermosphere: III. The Modelling of Auroral Conductivity

Recent work has been concerned with calculating the three-dimensional ion concentrations and Pedersen and Hall conductivities within the auroral region of Jupiter for varying conditions of incident electron precipitation. Using the jovian ionospheric model, we present results that show the auroral ionospheric response to changing the incoming flux of precipitating electrons (for constant initial energy) and also the response to changing the initial energy (for both constant flux and constant energy flux). The results show that, for expected energy fluxes of precipitating particles, the average auroral integrated Pedersen conductivity attains values in excess of 1 mho. In addition, it is shown that electrons with an initial energy of around 60 keV are particularly effective at generating auroral conductivity: Particles of this energy penetrate most effectively to the layer of the jovian ionosphere at which the auroral conductivity is at a maximum.     

Ion winds in Saturn's southern auroral/polar region

We present profiles of the line-of-sight (l.o.s.) ionospheric wind velocities in the southern auroral/polar region of Saturn. Our velocities are derived from the measurement of Doppler shifting of the H₃⁺ν₂Q(1,0⁻) line at 3.953 microns. The data for this study were obtained using the facility high-resolution spectrometer CSHELL on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, during the night of February 6, 2003 (UT). The l.o.s. velocity profiles finally derived are consistent with an extended region of the upper atmosphere sub-corotating with the planet: the ion velocities in the inertial reference are only 1/3 of those expected for full planetary corotation. We discuss the results in the light of recent proposals for the kronian magnetosphere, and suggest that, in this region, Saturn's ion winds may be under solar wind control.     

Lower Tertiary volcanic rocks off Kristiansund — Mid Norway

Grab samples from the Norwegian continental shelf show that diapiric structures occurring within a sequence of Mesozoic and Tertiary sediments represent volcanic rocks consisting of porphyritic olivine-nephelinite. The KAr age of 55.7 ± 0.9 m.y. shows that the area affected by Lower Tertiary magmatism in the North Atlantic region also included the continental shelf off Mid Norway. The highly undersaturated nature of these volcanic rocks, however, indicates that they are unlikely to be closely related to the widespread tuff horizons of the same age known from the North Sea.     

The marine and coastal access act—A hornets' nest?

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 is now enacted into law. This paper looks at predictions made about new law by one of the authors, Peter Jones, in his paper The Marine Bill: Cornucopia or Pandora's Box [1] and assesses how successful the Act has been in turning aspirations into law. The paper focuses on the following areas: ecosystem protection, stakeholder engagement, marine spatial planning and the provision of a network of highly protected marine reserves, and raises concerns that the ecosystem approach has progressively been dropped in the drafting process of the legislation. Concerns are raised that the new Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities have similar inherent conflicts of interest to those exhibited by Sea Fisheries Committees, which they sought to replace. The effectiveness of marine planning is questioned, as there appear to be inbuilt loopholes for public authorities to avoid complying with the marine plans. The draft marine policy statement (MPS), published in July 2010, includes appropriate environmental safeguards, but the MPS has not yet been formally adopted. The absence of a concrete target for highly protected marine reserves means there is a danger that designations under the Act may have little effect on the ground. In conclusion the Act provides some new mechanisms for marine protection, but arguably does not yet provide a framework for implementing the ecosystem approach and is not an end in itself.