Weakly non-linear free oscillations in a basin of variable depth

Weakly non-linear free oscillations in a basin of variable depth filled with non-viscous fluid are investigated in terms of the long waves theory using the perturbation technique. Solutions to the initial two approximations for the horizontal velocity component and free surface departure are numerically derived. An attempt is made to determine the area of applicability of the linear theory by applying a parabolic bottom profile to the basin.Translated by V. Puchkin.     

Circannual Cycle and Oxygen Consumption in Eudendrium glomeratum (Cnidaria, Anthomedusae): Studies on a Shallow Water Population

Abstract. The oxygen consumption of Eudendrium glomeratum was measured monthly, throughout the period of active presence of the species in the field, to obtain indications on its physiological condition in the different phases of the cycle. Sets of one hundred polyps were assayed in the laboratory under normothermic (according to field temperature: 14–19°C) and hyperthermic conditions (22–25°C). The different response to identical temperatures at the extremes of the cycle, together with a differential ability to face stressful conditions in the same periods, suggests that other factors, besides temperature, regulate the seasonal cycle of Eudendrium glomeratum.     

Tide-induced residual currents with Stokes and Ekman layers over an undulatory sea floor

Residual currents induced by the tidal current flowing over a rotating ridge, which is infinitely elongated in they-direction and the width of which is so large that the nonlinear effect is weak enough, have been analysed theoretically. The currents are restrained by Stokes and Ekman layers which are given through a constant viscosity. This study shows that the direction of the cross-isobath residual current just above the sea floor varies with the value off ^*(=Coriolis parameter/tide frequency), that the along-isobath residual current forms a clockwise circulation around the rotating ridge and that it is stronger asf ^* grows larger.     

Linkages between Alaskan sockeye salmon abundance, growth at sea, and climate, 1955–2002

We tested the hypothesis that increased growth of salmon during early marine life contributed to greater survival and abundance of salmon following the 1976/1977 climate regime shift and that this, in turn, led to density-dependent reductions in growth during late marine stages. Annual measurements of Bristol Bay (Bering Sea) and Chignik (Gulf of Alaska) sockeye salmon scale growth from 1955 to 2002 were used as indices of body growth. During the first and second years at sea, growth of both stocks tended to be higher after the 1976–1977 climate shift, whereas growth during the third year and homeward migration was often below average. Multiple regression models indicated that return per spawner of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon and adult abundance of western and central Alaska sockeye salmon were positively correlated with growth during the first 2 years at sea and negatively correlated with growth during later life stages. After accounting for competition between Bristol Bay sockeye and Asian pink salmon, age-specific adult length of Bristol Bay salmon increased after the 1976–1977 regime shift, then decreased after the 1989 climate shift. Late marine growth and age-specific adult length of Bristol Bay salmon was exceptionally low after 1989, possibly reducing their reproductive potential. These findings support the hypothesis that greater marine growth during the first 2 years at sea contributed to greater salmon survival and abundance, which in turn led to density-dependent growth during later life stages when size-related mortality was likely lower. Our findings provide new evidence supporting the importance of bottom-up control in marine ecosystems and highlight the complex dynamics of species interactions that continually change as salmon grow and mature in the ocean.     

Egg production of Calanus finmarchicus—A basin-scale study

Egg production of Calanus finmarchicus was studied during joint basin-scale surveys in April–June 2003 in the Norwegian Sea. Surveys covered the whole Norwegian Sea and were conducted from Norwegian, Icelandic and Faroese research vessels. Stations were classified as being in pre-bloom, bloom or post-bloom phase according to levels of chlorophyll a and nitrate. Individual egg production rates and population egg production rates were calculated and compared between areas. Both individual egg production rates (eggs female⁻¹ day⁻¹) and population egg production rates (eggs m⁻² day⁻¹) were significantly higher in bloom areas compared with pre-bloom and post-bloom areas. However, when integrated over an estimated duration of the three phases, the time-integrated egg production (eggs m⁻²) in most years was highest in the pre-bloom phase, and this was explained by the longer duration of this phase compared with the two other phases.     

The role of marine spatial planning in sea use management: The Belgian case

The expansion of offshore activities and the increasing need to meet international and national commitments to biodiversity conservation have led to an enhanced interest in marine spatial planning (MSP) as a tool for sea use management. Several European countries, on their own initiative or driven by European legislation and policy, have taken global leadership in implementing MSP. This article will discuss the Belgian experiences with MSP. It will give a short historical overview based on legal developments and review the implementation process of a ‘Master Plan’ as a spatial management policy for the Belgian Part of the North Sea. Additionally, this article will reflect on the research that has been done in Belgium to apply a land-use planning approach to the marine environment. The MSP process in Belgium shows that a spatial approach to sea use management is possible despite the lack of a legal zoning framework. However, it concludes that a legal basis for MSP, in addition to the current permit system, would provide a more strategic and integrated framework for ecosystem-based, sea use management.     

Field observations of waves generated by passing ships: A note

This short contribution reports the results of a field study on the nearshore characteristics of waves generated by both conventional and high speed passenger ferries. The field observations took place in the late summer of 2005, at a beach close to the port of Mytilene (Island of Lesbos, Greece), and involved the visual observation of ship waves, using digital video recordings and image processing techniques. The results showed that passage of the fast ferry was associated with a longer, more complex and energetic nearshore event; this event not only did include higher nearshore waves (up to 0.74 m) and was organised in different wave packets, but it was also an order of magnitude longer (∼ 680 s) than the conventional ferry event. Regarding the effects on beach sediment dynamics, the fast ferry waves were estimated to be very efficient in mobilising the nearshore sediments in contrast to those of the conventional ferry. The fast ferry service appears to generate daily prolonged nearshore events, which contain waves with higher energy than those expected from the normal summer wind wave regime of the area; these events also include some high and very steep waves, which can be particularly erosive. Therefore, fast ferry wakes may have considerable impacts on the seasonal beach sediment dynamics/morphodynamics and the nearshore benthic ecology, as well as they may pose significant risks to bathers, affecting the recreational use of the beaches exposed to fast ferry traffic. Finally, the study has shown that satisfactory field observations of the nearshore characteristics of ship-generated (and wind) waves can be obtained using inshore deployments of calibrated poles, digital video cameras and appropriate image processing algorithms.     

Spatial and temporal variability of the ratios between the nitrate and phosphate concentrations in the Sea of Okhotsk

The relation between the nitrate and phosphate concentrations in the Sea of Okhotsk and the bordering waters of the Pacific Ocean were studied. The surveys were carried out in the autumn, spring, and summer of 2001–2002. For the deepwater part of the sea, the relation [NO^? ₃] = ((14.88 ± 0.07) × [PO^3? ₄] ? 5.46 ± 0.17) was found. The coefficients in the equation given are statistically different from those in the similar equation for the Pacific waters: [NO^? ₃] = (16.05 ± 0.15) × [PO^3? ₄]-(7.23 ± 0.36). In the northern part of the sea; on the shelf; in the slope area; and, especially, in the deep waters of the TINRO Depression, the linear dependence between the phosphate and nitrate concentrations was distorted. This feature was described in terms of nitrate deficiency. The maximum values of this deficiency were found in the near-bottom waters. The principal processes that might cause the nitrate deficiency were considered: the difference in the oxidation rates of the nitrogen and phosphorus organic compounds, the matter transfer between the continent and the sea, the different efficiency of the biogenic burial of nitrogen and phosphorus in the bottom sediments, and the denitrification in the upper layer of the bottom sediments. It was shown that the most probable cause of the nitrate deficiency was the denitrification. The loss of inorganic nitrogen owing to the supply of the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk to the Pacific Ocean was estimated as ～2.5 × 10¹¹ mol N/year.     

Photochemical models of the atmosphere and their application in ozonosphere and climate studies: A review

This review is devoted to problems in the photochemical modeling of atmospheric processes. The physicochemical and mathematical foundations underlying the construction of photochemical models are described, a classification of the atmospheric reactions is presented, and the features of photochemical modeling are considered under various irradiance conditions for various atmospheric layers and geographical regions. Atmospheric processes that are important to photochemical models are discussed. Applications involving photochemical models are outlined. Some results are presented to illustrate the capabilities of photochemical models. Special attention is given to relatively recent directions in photochemical modeling, such as data assimilation and inverse problems. The review can be used by experts in areas related to atmospheric chemistry as a basic source of knowledge on the subject and for the development of photochemical modules for atmospheric models.