A flood-dominated mesotidal inlet

Tidal inlets along the mesotidal coast of Maine contrast with those from other parts of the world by being dominated by flood-tidal currents. Analysis of the factors responsible for flood or ebb dominance indicates factors external to the backbarrier environment. We suggest that the flood dominance is caused by both a steepening of the tidal wave in the Gulf of Maine and the shallow depth of the ebb-tidal delta and spit platform. Flood currents are typically 10–20 cm/sec stronger than the ebb at the inlet throat. The flood dominance results in a significant net landward transport of sediment into the backbarrier.     

Ocean in peril: Reforming the management of global ocean living resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction

This article presents the outcome of research aimed at assisting governments in meeting their commitments and legal obligations for sustainable fisheries, based on increasing evidence that global fisheries are in crisis. The article assesses the effectiveness of the existing legal and institutional framework for high seas living resources. It focuses on: (1) the role of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs); (2) tools for compliance and enforcement to stem illegal fishing; and (3) mechanisms for habitat protection. The article further highlights a variety of options for addressing key weaknesses and gaps in current ocean governance, including United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, reforms at the regional level, as well as a possible new legal instrument, with a view to informing international discussions on ways to ensure the sustainable use of high seas resources without compromising the health of the marine environment.     

How Reliable are Citizen‐Derived Scientific Data? Assessing the Quality of Contrail Observations Made by the General Public

Citizen science projects encourage the general public to participate in scientific research. Participants can contribute large volumes of data over broad spatial and temporal frames; however, the challenge is to generate data of sufficient quality to be useable in scientific research. Most observations made by citizen‐scientists can be independently verified by “experts”. However, verification is more problematic when the phenomena being recorded are short‐lived. This article uses a GIS methodology to verify the quality of contrail observations made by the general public as part of the OPAL Climate Survey. We verify observations using datasets derived from a variety of different sources (experts, models and amateur enthusiasts) with different spatial and temporal properties which reflect the complex 3D nature of the atmosphere. Our results suggest that ～70% of citizen observations are plausible, based on favorable atmospheric conditions and the presence or absence of aircraft; a finding which is in keeping with other, more conventional citizen science projects. However, questions remain as to why the quality of the citizen‐based observations was so high. Given the lack of supporting data on observers, it is impossible to determine whether the dataset was generated by the activities of many participants or a small but dedicated number of individual observers.     

Using DNA‐Stable Isotope Probing to Identify MTBE‐ and TBA‐Degrading Microorganisms in Contaminated Groundwater

Although the anaerobic biodegradation of methyl tert‐butyl ether (MTBE) and tert‐butyl alcohol (TBA) has been documented in the laboratory and the field, knowledge of the microorganisms and mechanisms involved is still lacking. In this study, DNA‐stable isotope probing (SIP) was used to identify microorganisms involved in anaerobic fuel oxygenate biodegradation in a sulfate‐reducing MTBE and TBA plume. Microorganisms were collected in the field using Bio‐Sep® beads amended with ¹³C₅‐MTBE, ¹³C₁‐MTBE (only methoxy carbon labeled), or ¹³C₄‐TBA. ¹³C‐DNA and ¹²C‐DNA extracted from the Bio‐Sep beads were cloned and 16S rRNA gene sequences were used to identify the indigenous microorganisms involved in degrading the methoxy group of MTBE and the tert‐butyl group of MTBE and TBA. Results indicated that microorganisms were actively degrading ¹³C‐labeled MTBE and TBA in situ and the ¹³C was incorporated into their DNA. Several sequences related to known MTBE‐ and TBA‐degraders in the Burkholderiales and the Sphingomonadales orders were detected in all three ¹³C clone libraries and were likely to be primary degraders at the site. Sequences related to sulfate‐reducing bacteria and iron‐reducers, such as Geobacter and Geothrix, were only detected in the clone libraries where MTBE and TBA were fully labeled with ¹³C, suggesting that they were involved in processing carbon from the tert‐butyl group. Sequences similar to the Pseudomonas genus predominated in the clone library where only the methoxy carbon of MTBE was labeled with ¹³C. It is likely that members of this genus were secondary degraders cross‐feeding on ¹³C‐labeled metabolites such as acetate.     

The function of freshwater crayfish gastroliths and their occurrence in perch,trout, and shag stomachs

It is considered that the function of the gastroliths is to provide a readily available store of calcium for rapid initial hardening of the exoskeleton. The presence of crayfish gastroliths in stomachs of trout, perch, and shags is noted and it is suggested that while small crayfish are taken at any stage of the moult cycle, larger crayfish are taken after ecdysis while the exoskeleton is soft.     

COMPARISON OF LINEAR AND NONLINEAR WAVES ASSOCIATED WITH STEADY-STATE FORCING SOURCES

Low-frequency phenomena in the atmosphere are intimately related to stationary waves and, in a sense, the former may even be viewed as the time-varying part of the quasi-stationary waves themselves, Much attention has been focused on nonlinear interactions in the conceptual study on stationary waves. Linear and nonlinear primitive-equation baroclinic spectral models are adopted to investigate the response of stationary waves to largescale mechanical forcing and steady-state thermal forcing, both idealized and realistic, followed by calculations of the EP fluxes and three-dimensional wave activity fluxes(Plumb, 1985) for both the linear and nonlinear solutions. Results show that when the forcing source grows intense enough to be comparable to the real one, non-linear interaction becomes very important, especially for the maintenance of tropical and polar stationary waves. Care should be taken, however, in using the EP flux and Plumb's 3-D flux for diagnostic analysis of observational data as they are highly sensitive to nonlinear interaction.     

The hydrography and biology of a bloom of the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi in the northern North Sea

In June/July 1994 a study was made of a small bloom of the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi in an area of the North Sea to the east of the Shetland Islands. Observations on the hydrography of the study area indicated the bloom was associated with Atlantic water and was confined to an area in which a stable shallow mixed layer had formed. There was no evidence to suggest association of horizontal physical structure with the bloom development. High cell densities of >1– cells dm⁻³, together with low concentrations of PIC (<50 μg dm⁻³) and detached liths (2– liths cm⁻³) indicated that the bloom was studied at an early stage of development. Biochemical and physiological observations indicated active growth was taking place. The results presented are discussed in comparison with previous studies carried out in both oceanic and shelf seas.