Plastic debris ingestion by marine catfish: an unexpected fisheries impact

Plastic marine debris is a pervasive type of pollution. River basins and estuaries are a source of plastics pollution for coastal waters and oceans. Estuarine fauna is therefore exposed to chronic plastic pollution. Three important catfish species [Cathorops spixii (N = 60), Cathorops agassizii (N = 60) and Sciades herzbergii (N = 62)] from South Western Atlantic estuaries were investigated in a tropical estuary of the Brazilian Northeast in relation to their accidental ingestion of plastic marine debris. Individuals from all three species had ingested plastics. In C. spixii and C. agassizii, 18% and 33% of individuals had plastic debris in their stomachs, respectively. S. herzbergii showed 18% of individuals were contaminated. All ontogenetic phases (juveniles, sub-adults and adults) were contaminated. Nylon fragments from cables used in fishery activities (subsistence, artisanal and commercial) played a major role in this contamination. These catfish spend their entire life cycles within the estuary and are an important feeding resource for larger, economically important, species. It is not yet possible to quantify the scale and depth of the consequences of this type of pollution. However, plastics are well known threat to living resources in this and other estuaries. Conservation actions will need to from now onto take plastics pollution into consideration.     

Ocean urea fertilization for carbon credits poses high ecological risks

The proposed plan for enrichment of the Sulu Sea, Philippines, a region of rich marine biodiversity, with thousands of tonnes of urea in order to stimulate algal blooms and sequester carbon is flawed for multiple reasons. Urea is preferentially used as a nitrogen source by some cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, many of which are neutrally or positively buoyant. Biological pumps to the deep sea are classically leaky, and the inefficient burial of new biomass makes the estimation of a net loss of carbon from the atmosphere questionable at best. The potential for growth of toxic dinoflagellates is also high, as many grow well on urea and some even increase their toxicity when grown on urea. Many toxic dinoflagellates form cysts which can settle to the sediment and germinate in subsequent years, forming new blooms even without further fertilization. If large-scale blooms do occur, it is likely that they will contribute to hypoxia in the bottom waters upon decomposition. Lastly, urea production requires fossil fuel usage, further limiting the potential for net carbon sequestration. The environmental and economic impacts are potentially great and need to be rigorously assessed.     

基于稀疏变换的地震数据重构方法

缺失地震数据重构恢复是后期地震资料处理取得良好效果的前提.笔者通过研究稀疏变换(F-K变换、Curvelet变换)与最近流行的压缩感知理论,将两者结合起来,建立基于稀疏变换的地震数据重构模型.F-K变换是将地震数据由时间—空间域变换到稀疏域频率—波数域,Curvelet变换由于其良好的方向性、局部性以及各向异性,能够将地震数据进行更优的稀疏表达.基于重构模型,分别采用这两种稀疏变换对地震数据进行重构,并且比较两者的重构效果,证实Curvelet变换重构效果优于F-K变换.最终通过Marmousi2模型以及实际地震资料处理分析,证明该重构模型的正确性和有效性.     

黄土−砂浆块界面剪切特性试验及本构模型研究

构筑物与土体接触面力学行为是岩土工程研究的热点之一。基于一系列直剪试验,研究不同法向压力、土体含水率条件下黄土?水泥砂浆块界面剪切特性。结果表明,(1) 在土体含水率为9.2和13.1%条件下,法向压力为50、100 kPa时黄土?沙浆块界面剪切应力?位移曲线表现为应变软化型,且可分为峰值前、峰值后及残余阶段三部分,在法向压力为200、300 kPa时表现为应变硬化型;在土体含水率为17.1、20.8%条件下,不同法向压力时黄土?砂浆块界面剪切应力?位移曲线均为应变硬化型;(2) 黄土?砂浆块界面的抗剪强度包络线符合摩尔?库仑准则,随着含水率的增大,界面黏聚强度降低显著,摩擦强度略有增加,整体抗剪强度降低。当土体含水率由9.2%增加至20.8%时,界面黏聚力由41.5 kPa下降至3.6 kPa,界面摩擦系数由0.50增大至0.58。用非线性模型对界面剪切应力?位移曲线关系进行拟合,结果表明非线性模型可较好反映黄土?砂浆块界面的剪切特性。     

多年冻土边坡的水热力耦合分析及软件开发

为了快速准确掌握多年冻土边坡的冻融反应规律,基于水热力耦合理论,依托MATLAB编制了能反应土体多场耦合机制的有限元程序,与经典试验对比吻合较好,验证了程序的可靠性。据此开发了一套可独立运行、操作简便的多年冻土边坡水热力耦合分析软件,介绍了软件的功能和开发过程。结合算例分析了冻融作用下冻土边坡的反应特性,结果表明:不同时刻边坡的温度、水分、应力和位移有明显差别,在坡面冻融交界面出现剪应力最大值条带,边坡水平位移在冻结完成时,沿坡面大小基本相同,融化期结束时为上小、下大,融化时边坡的水平位移、未冻水含量均比冻结时大,而剪应力最大值却小;暖季多年冻土稳定性较差,开发的软件对冻土边坡工程冻融计算有重要应用价值。