A bioindicator system for water quality on inshore coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef

Responses of bioindicator candidates for water quality were quantified in two studies on inshore coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). In Study 1, 33 of the 38 investigated candidate indicators (including coral physiology, benthos composition, coral recruitment, macrobioeroder densities and FORAM index) showed significant relationships with a composite index of 13 water quality variables. These relationships were confirmed in Study 2 along four other water quality gradients (turbidity and chlorophyll). Changes in water quality led to multi-faceted shifts from phototrophic to heterotrophic benthic communities, and from diverse coral dominated communities to low-diversity communities dominated by macroalgae. Turbidity was the best predictor of biota; hence turbidity measurements remain essential to directly monitor water quality on the GBR, potentially complemented by our final calibrated 12 bioindicators. In combination, this bioindicator system may be used to assess changes in water quality, especially where direct water quality data are unavailable.     

Overlap between Atlantic bluefin tuna spawning grounds and observed Deepwater Horizon surface oil in the northern Gulf of Mexico

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) during the spring spawning season of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). Overlap between BFT spawning habitat and surface oil in the northern GOM was examined using satellite-derived estimates of oil coverage, and spawning habitat models. Results suggested that although eggs and larvae were likely impacted by oil-contaminated waters in the eastern GOM, high abundances of larvae were located elsewhere, especially in the western GOM. Overall, less than 10% of BFT spawning habitat was predicted to have been covered by surface oil, and less than 12% of larval BFT were predicted to have been located within contaminated waters in the northern GOM, on a weekly basis. Our results provide preliminary but important initial estimates of the effects of the spill on larval BFT mortality, as concern continues over the appropriate management responses to impacts of the spill.     

Distribution and sources of organochlorine pesticides in sediments of the coastal East China Sea

Forty-two surface sediment samples collected from the southern coastal East China Sea (ECS) were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The results showed high concentrations of DDTs and parent DDT fractions in the nearshore area, suggesting that there is still a fresh input of these species from non-point sources, probably due to the recent usage of relevant products. However, for HCHs, the high concentrations with elevated β-HCH fraction were focused at the local major river estuaries, indicating that soils-released HCH input was mainly from the major river runoffs. The distribution and composition of OCPs in the coastal ECS could be more prominently controlled by the direct regional inputs rather than the general natural sorption process on particulate organic carbon. DDTs and chlordane are more important for their potential ecotoxicological risk on neighboring benthic community in the nearshore region and the local major river estuaries.     

帕克菲尔德地区圣安德烈斯断层强度变化的远距离影响因素

断层强度是反映孕震区状态的一个基本特性,其时间变化会增大或降低最终触发地震事件的可能性。虽然有人提出断层强度变化能解释各种不同现象,如地震活动的远距离影响,但实际中还没有现场监测这种重要特性的手段。     

深部颤动和慢震

过去的10年证实了所发现的不寻常的地震族,可称其为地震频谱的红外线部分。它们以在高频处有（如果有的话）微弱的地震波激发为特征,因为它们比平常的快速地震发生得慢。我们期望能通过这些慢地震更好地了解普通地震,但我们对慢地震的认识还处于初级阶段。     

圣安德烈斯断层帕克菲尔德段断层强度变化的远程触发

断层强度是孕震带的一个基本性质,它随时间的变化特性可以增加或减小断层破坏的可能性并最终触发地震。虽然断层强度变化可以用来解释诸如地震活动的远程触发（Hilland Prejean,2007）等多种现象,但至今还没有切实的方法对这个重要性质进行现场监测。文中我们认为,通过对圣安德烈斯断层帕克菲尔德地区近20年（1987～2008）的观测,揭示了一种监测断层强度的方法。     

天然气水合物发现区沉积物生气量的模拟实验

为了研究天然气水合物发现区沉积物的CH4生成量,对ODP204航次4个站位（1244,1245,1250和1251）58个沉积物样品进行了5个温度点（25,35,45,55和65℃）的生气量模拟．1244站位的模拟结果显示,气体产物主要为CH4和CO2,未检测到C2^＋以上的重烃;CH4生成量与模拟温度之间具有很好的相关性,通常在模拟温度35℃时,样品的cH。生成量最大;样品在低温阶段（25和35℃）,每克沉积物或有机碳的CH4生成量通常达到最大值．其他3个站位沉积物生气量与1244站位相似．根据4个站位的模拟结果,结合该区的地温梯度,推测海底之下1200m以内的沉积物仍在不断生成生物气,是目前生物成因的天然气水合物的重要气源地;而埋深超过1200m以上的沉积地层已经经过了生物作用大量产气阶段,目前所能产生的生物气的产量已微乎其微,但之前产生的大量生物气对该区水合物成藏贡献很大．而且1200m以上埋深的沉积物开始进入热成因气产气阶段,热解成因气的产生继续为该区水合物提供甲烷来源．     

Truncated plurigaussian simulations to characterize aquifer heterogeneity

Integrating geological concepts, such as relative positions and proportions of the different lithofacies, is of highest importance in order to render realistic geological patterns. The truncated plurigaussian simulation method provides a way of using both local and conceptual geological information to infer the distributions of the facies and then those of hydraulic parameters. The method ( Le Loc'h and Galli 1994 ) is based on the idea of truncating at least two underlying multi-Gaussian simulations in order to create maps of categorical variable. In this article, we show how this technique can be used to assess contaminant migration in highly heterogeneous media. We illustrate its application on the biggest contaminated site of Switzerland. It consists of a contaminant plume located in the lower fresh water Molasse on the western Swiss Plateau. The highly heterogeneous character of this formation calls for efficient stochastic methods in order to characterize transport processes.