Malthusian overfishing in Pulau Banggi?

We assess, based on fisheries and interview data collected on-site, whether Malthusian overfishing is occurring in Pulau Banggi, Sabah. Fisheries resources in Pulau Banggi have been perceived to be declining over the past 20 years, and characteristics of Malthusian overfishing are evident, although not at a magnitude comparable with other more heavily exploited artisanal fisheries in the Philippines. It appears that Pulau Banggi's reef fisheries are at an early stage of Malthusian overfishing, and this is therefore a critical time for addressing and mitigating drivers of overfishing to prevent inevitable and further decline of Pulau Banggi's reef fisheries.     

3,4-benzopyrene and perylene in mussels, Mytilus sp., from the Laguna Veneta,North-East Italy

From July, 1975 to November, 1976 mussels from the Laguna Veneta, north-east Italy, and the adjacent Adriatic Sea were collected bimonthly at ten stations and analysed for 3,4-benzopyrene (BaP) and perylene (Pe) content. Mean concentrations were in the range 12·0–135·1 μg/kg dry weight for BaP and 1·5–16·9 μg/kg for Pe, but values as high as 327 μg/kg for BaP and 71 μg/kg for Pe have been measured. The distribution of BaP and Pe closely matches previous results on petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in mussels from this area and indicates that the major portion of BaP and Pe in these bivalves is due principally to human activities.     

Persistent volcanic signature observed around Barren Island, Andaman Sea, India

This study delineates the formation of a warm pool (>34°C) of air to the west (downwind) of the active volcano of the Barren Island during October–November 2005. Barren Island is located in the Sumatra–Andaman region, about 135 km east of Port Blair, and lies within the Burma microplate, the southern tip of which experienced a submarine earthquake (M _w 9.3) causing a tsunami in December 2004. Barren Island is the only volcano, which has shown sustained eruptive activity since shortly after the Great Sumatran Earthquake of December 2004. Our observations require further corroboration to relate how submarine earthquakes activate volcanoes and how far these thermal emissions influence climate changes. Because it links global warming and climate changes to the frequent emissions from a volcano activated by submarine earthquakes, this case study is of special interest to the earth-ocean-atmosphere sciences community.     

Feeding Habits of Ocinebrina edwardsi (Mollusca: Prosobranchia) a Common Mussel Drill of the Italian Coasts

Abstract. The shell-boring gastropod Ocinebrina edwardsi (PAYR.) lives associated with Mytilus galloprovincialis LMK on which it preys. Predation is preferentially directed towards small (< 15 mm long) mussels. The predation rate (number of mussels eaten per gastropod per day) for medium sized mussels (16–25 mm long) during a year ranges from 0.03 to 0.11. The predation rate is directly influenced by the sea-water temperature. Predation follows a seasonal cycle reaching a maximum in July and a minimum in January. O. edwardsi drills selectively the median anterior region of the mussel valve, close to the dorsal edge.     

Study of a wave energy device for possible application in communication and spacecraft propulsion

A possible scheme for utilizing ocean wave energy to generate a high power laser is examined. Such a laser can be used (i) unguided communication under water or through the atmosphere, and (ii) in spacecraft propulsion. The natural frequencies and the frequency response of the proposed two degree-of-freedom primary energy converter are obtained by using Lagrange's equations. Further, it is shown that the basic principle used in primary energy conversion can be developed into a mechanism for roll stabilization of marine vessels.     

Exact Bianchi-type VIII and IX models in the presence of the self-creation theory of cosmology

Exact Bianchi-type VIII and IX models in the presence of Barber's second self-creation theory of cosmology are presented, when the source of the gravitational field is a perfect fluid withP=. Some physical and geometrical properties of the models are discussed.     

基于钻孔数据的三维地质建模与可视化研究

三维地质模型能够完整准确地表达复杂地质现象的边界条件及地质体内含的各种地质构造,直观地再现地质单元的空间展布及其相互关系,最大限度地提高地质分析的直观性和准确性,因此三维地质建模已引起地质、采矿、岩土工程等诸多领域的日益重视。笔者在综合考察多种建模方法的基础上,结合工程实践,提出了一种实用的工程地质三维建模实施方法。该方法以钻孔资料和地质剖面数据为三维地质建模的源数据,允许用户手工修正模型剖面地层分界线,从而实现对建模过程的干预和控制,克服了单纯依靠钻孔数据建模结果不精确且难以修正的问题。最后,通过一个研究实例展示了该方法的实际建模效果。     

新疆南天山库车坳陷区东秋里塔格断褶带构造特征及新活动性

库车坳陷是南天山中段新构造运动异常强烈的地区,内部发育有四排近EW向展布的逆断裂-背斜带,由南天山山前向塔里木方向依次为:山麓逆断裂-背斜带;喀桑托开逆断裂-背斜带;秋里塔格逆断裂-背斜带和亚肯盲逆断裂-背斜带.东秋里塔格背斜属秋里塔格逆断裂-背斜带东段部分,其构造运动尤为强烈.研究表明:东秋里塔格背斜是浅部滑脱面与其南翼逆冲断层共同形成的断层传播-滑脱混生褶皱,背斜南翼的浅层逆冲断层和深层的断坡构造是重要孕震场所.东秋里塔格浅部背斜核部的背冲式断裂和北翼的膝折属于派生的次级构造,断裂的规模、错动量有限.东秋里塔格背斜南翼逆断层最新活动错断Ⅱ级阶地砾石层,其活动年代至少为全新世早期,这次错动在地表留有3～4 km长的古地震破裂形迹,说明断裂具粘滑运动特征.     

Application of remote sensing technology for Impact Assessment of Watershed Development Programme

The current study was taken up to investigate the utility of remote sensing and GIS tools for evaluation of Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP) implemented during 1997–2001 in Katangidda Nala watershed, Chincholi taluk, Gulbarga district, Karnataka. The study was carried out using IRS 1C, LISS III data of December 11, 1997 (pre-treatment) and November 15, 2002 (post-treatment) covering the watershed to assess the changes in land use / land cover and biomass that have changed over a period of five years (1997–2002). The images were classified into different land use/land cover categories using supervised classification by maximum likelihood algorithm. They were also classified into different biomass levels using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) approach. The results indicated that the area under agriculture crops and forest land were increased by 671 ha (5.7%) and 1,414 ha (11.94%) respectively. This is due to the fact that parts of wastelands and fallow lands were brought into cultivation. This increase in the area may be attributed to better utilization of surface and ground waters, adoption of soil and water conservation practices and changes in cropping pattern. The area under waste lands and fallow lands decreased by 1,667 ha (14.07%) and 467 ha (3.94%), respectively. The vegetation vigour of the area was classified into three classes using NDVI. Substantial increase in the area under high and low biomass levels was observed (502 ha and 19 ha respectively). The benefit-cost analysis indicates that the use of remote sensing and GIS was 2.2 times cheaper than the conventional methods. Thus, the repetitive coverage of the satellite data provides an excellent opportunity to monitor the land resources and evaluate the land cover changes through comparison of images for the watershed at different periods.