北祁连早古生代花岗质岩浆作用及构造演化

北祁连山中段花岗岩锆石SHRIMP定年结果表明,柯柯里岩体的斜长花岗岩和石英闪长岩的年龄分别为512Ma和501 Ma,野马咀和金佛寺花岗岩的年龄分别为508Ma和424Ma。结合区内其它花岗岩体的定年资料,根据花岗岩的岩石地球化学特征及岩体产出的构造位置、区域地质资料等,我们认为,早古生代北祁连洋板块向南俯冲,至少引发了两期花岗质岩浆作用,第一次岩浆作用形成柯柯里斜长花岗岩(512Ma)、野马咀花岗岩(508Ma)和柯柯里石英闪长岩(501 Ma),第二次花岗质岩浆作用形成牛心山花岗岩(477Ma)。由于往南俯冲的板块受到柴达木板块向北俯冲的影响,俯冲受阻,继而俯冲极性发生变化,转向北俯冲,形成了民乐窑沟(463Ma)等花岗岩侵入体。大约440Ma之后,洋盆闭合,柴达木陆块和阿拉善陆块对接碰撞,形成北祁连造山带。由于造山带根部岩石圈发生折沉作用,造山带上不同的块体伸展、滑塌,形成一系列碰撞后花岗岩如金佛寺花岗岩(424Ma)及牛心山岩体的石英闪长岩(435Ma)等。     

Biophysical models of larval dispersal in the Benguela Current ecosystem

We synthesise and update results from the suite of biophysical, larval-dispersal models developed in the Benguela Current ecosystem. Biophysical models of larval dispersal use outputs of physical hydrodynamic models as inputs to individual-based models in which biological processes acting during the larval life are included. In the Benguela, such models were first applied to simulate the dispersal of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and sardine Sardinops sagax ichthyoplankton, and more recently of the early life stages of chokka-squid Loligo reynaudii and Cape hakes Merluccius spp. We identify how the models have helped advance understanding of key processes for these species. We then discuss which aspects of the early life of marine species in the Benguela Current ecosystem are still not well understood and could benefit from new modelling studies.     

Turbulent mixing in a stratified estuarine tidal channel: Hikapu Reach,Pelorus Sound,New Zealand

Channel constrictions within an estuary can influence overall estuary-sea exchange of salt or suspended/dissolved material. The exchange is modulated by turbulent mixing through its effect on density stratification. Here we quantify turbulent mixing in Hikapu Reach, an estuarine channel in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. The focus is on a period of relatively low freshwater input but where density stratification still persists throughout the tidal cycle, although the strength of stratification and its vertical structure vary substantially. The density stratification increases through the ebb tide, and decreases through the flood tide. During the spring tides observed here, ebb tidal flow speeds reached 0.7?m?s^?1 and the buoyancy frequency squared was in the range 10^?5 to 10^?3?s^?2. Turbulence parameters were estimated using both shear microstructure and velocimeter-derived inertial dissipation which compared favourably. The rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy reached 1?×?10^?6?m²?s^?3 late in the ebb tide, and estimates of the gradient Richardson number (the ratio of stability to shear) fell as low as 0.1 (i.e. unstable) although the results show that bottom-boundary driven turbulence can dominate for periods. The implication, based on scaling, is that the mixing within the channel does not homogenise the water column within a tidal cycle. Scaling, developed to characterise the tidal advection relative to the channel length, shows how riverine-driven buoyancy fluxes can pass through the tidal channel section and the stratification can remain partially intact.     

Lost in translation? Standardising the terminology used in marine invasion biology and updating South African alien species lists

Confusion between terms and ambiguities among definitions have long plagued the field of invasion biology. One result is disruption in flow of information from researchers to policy-makers and managers who rely on science to inform regulatory frameworks and management actions. We reviewed the South African marine biology literature to quantify the current usage of terminology describing marine invasions and found a variety of terms in use, few of which are defined when used. In response, we propose standard terminology that aligns with international practice. We then interpreted the Blackburn unified framework for biological invasions within the marine context and used this as a transparent way to apply the standardised terms to an updated list of marine alien species for the country. This resulted in the recognition of 36 alien and 53 invasive species within South Africa. Most notably, follow-up research is required to confirm the status of at least 11 listed species, the majority of which have been recorded only once, or not in the past 25 years. It is hoped that by standardising terminology, marine science in South Africa will better support authorities charged with managing the threat posed by marine alien species.     

Spatial variability in branchial basket meristics and morphology of southern African sardine Sardinops sagax

We examined spatial variability in meristic and morphological characteristics of the branchial basket of sardine Sardinops sagax collected from four geographical regions around the southern African coast, namely Namibia and the South African west, south and east coasts. Our analysis tested the hypothesis of three putative sardine stocks off South Africa, one in each of the three geographical regions. We therefore collected fish data from Namibia to compare with South Africa, because sardine from the two countries are considered to be separate stocks. Morphometric measurements (gill arch length and gill raker spacing) and meristic data (number of gill rakers) were collected from the left side of the first gill arch from a total of 377 sardine, approximately equally divided between the regions. A multivariate general linear model with caudal length as covariate was used to assess differences among fish from the four regions and significant differences were observed, although not always consistently across all fish size classes. Small South Coast sardine had shorter gill arches than small West Coast sardine, but adults had gill arches of similar length, longer than those from Namibia and the East Coast. Small sardine from the South Coast had fewer gill rakers than small sardine from the West Coast, but larger fish had similar numbers of gill rakers, significantly more than sardine from Namibia and the East Coast. Sardine from the West and South coasts had similar gill raker spacings, which were smaller than those of fish from the East Coast and Namibia. Despite spatially and particularly temporally unbalanced sampling, we consider that these differences provide evidence of spatial variation in Benguela sardine phenotype and that it would support the hypothesis of discrete sardine stocks off Namibia and South Africa. The results are consistent with the hypothesis of three sardine stocks within the southern Benguela.     

Mixing and transport near the shallow-crested Rumble III seamount and the implications for plankton distribution

Vessel-based observations of water column structure and flow near a shallow-crested seamount are used to quantify the physical disturbance induced by that seamount. The implications of this disturbance on the ‘feeding hole’ hypothesis are then examined based on data from moored thermistors and acoustic current profilers, as well as vessel-based acoustic sounding-derived biomass estimates, currents, and conductivity-temperature-depth profiles from a 55 km square grid of stations around the crest. Mean currents in the region of 0.2 m s^?1 are comparable to observations from surface drifters whereas the semidiurnal tidal flow amplitude was one third of this. Thorpe Scale-based estimates of energy dissipation rate were in the range 10^?9 to 2.10^?8 W kg^?1 and vertical diffusivities K_z were in the range 10^?4 to 10^?3 m² s^?1. Turbulence levels were higher upstream of the seamount–likely due to the influence of nearby seamounts Rumble IV and V. There was no evidence of a Taylor Cap in the Rumble III velocity field. The sounder data provide some evidence of a feeding hole and analysis based on diffusivities suggests that this might persist downstream of the seamount for as much as 7 days.