Assessment of carbon- and fluorescence-based primary productivity in Ariake Bay,southwestern Japan

A comparative account of primary productivity (PP), in the characteristically turbid and highly dynamic waters of Ariake Bay, measured by ¹³C uptake and fast repetition rate fluorometer (FRRF) was conducted to ensure compatibility between the two methods. Estimates from both methods depicted strong linearity for both short-term (r² > 0.90) and daily (r² = 0.42–0.93) measurements, except in the near-surface (∼0 m) layer. ¹³C-based short-term (1 h; in situ) PP estimates showed similar magnitudes and trend with the instantaneous PP measured by FRRF concurrently. Whereas, unlike short-term measurements, the daily PP estimates from both methods showed large difference, with FRRF-based time integrated daily PP resulting in 1.09–1.82 times higher than the carbon-based daily (24 h; simulated in situ) PP. This difference between daily PP estimates was mainly due to: (1) the temporal variation of water column chlorophyll a (Chl a) because of frequent moving of water mass, and (2) the dissimilarity in ambient light field conditions between the two methods. Results revealed that considering the above two environmental factors invariable over a daylength, fairly close approximation of daily PP, compared to ¹³C-based daily PP, could be obtained from FRRF. Hence, FRRF-based daily PP can be considered as more realistic in this highly dynamic water body like Ariake Bay where water column parameters are subjected to strong temporal variation. The relationship between Chl a-specific photosynthetic rate (P^B) and the corresponding photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the water column (PAR–P^B relationship) was found to be linear for FRRF and curvilinear for ¹³C-based measurements in the near-surface layer, for the same intensities of incident PAR, and this is thought to be the primary basis for the higher difference in PP estimates at the near-surface layer. Considering the minor variations in FRRF-based time series of PAR–P^B relationships, a combined and/or instantaneous PAR–P^B relationship in combination with incubation Chl a and light field condition was used to obtain fairly close estimates of daily water column integrated PP from FRRF.     

Trophic organisation and predator–prey interactions among commercially exploited demersal finfishes in the coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian Sea

Trophic interactions in commercially exploited demersal finfishes in the southeastern Arabian Sea of India were studied to understand trophic organization with emphasis on ontogenic diet shifts within the marine food web. In total, the contents of 4716 stomachs were examined from which 78 prey items were identified. Crustaceans and fishes were the major prey groups to most of the fishes. Based on cluster analysis of predator feeding similarities and ontogenic diet shift within each predator, four major trophic guilds and many sub-guilds were identified. The first guild ‘detritus feeders’ included all size groups of Cynoglossus macrostomus, Pampus argenteus, Leiognathus bindus and Priacanthus hamrur. Guild two, named ‘Shrimp feeders’, was the largest guild identified and included all size groups of Rhynchobatus djiddensis and Nemipterus mesoprion, medium and large Nemipterus japonicus, P. hamrur and Grammoplites suppositus, small and medium Otolithes cuvieri and small Lactarius lactarius. Guild three, named ‘crab and squilla feeders’, consisted of few predators. The fourth trophic guild, ‘piscivores’, was mainly made up of larger size groups of all predators and all size groups of Pseudorhombus arsius and Carcharhinus limbatus. The mean diet breadth and mean trophic level showed strong correlation with ontogenic diet shift. The mean trophic level varied from 2.2 ± 0.1 in large L. bindus to 4.6 ± 0.2 in large Epinephelus diacanthus and the diet breadth from 1.4 ± 0.3 in medium P. argenteus to 8.3 ± 0.2 in medium N. japonicus. Overall, the present study showed that predators in the ecosystem have a strong feeding preference for the sergestid shrimp Acetes indicus, penaeid shrimps, epibenthic crabs and detritus.     

Dissolved organic nitrogen dynamics in the North Sea: A time series analysis (1995–2005)

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) dynamics in the North Sea was explored by means of long-term time series of nitrogen parameters from the Dutch national monitoring program. Generally, the data quality was good with little missing data points. Different imputation methods were used to verify the robustness of the patterns against these missing data. No long-term trends in DON concentrations were found over the sampling period (1995–2005). Inter-annual variability in the different time series showed both common and station-specific behavior. The stations could be divided into two regions, based on absolute concentrations and the dominant times scales of variability. Average DON concentrations were 11 μmol l⁻¹ in the coastal region and 5 μmol l⁻¹ in the open sea. Organic fractions of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) averaged 38 and 71% in the coastal zone and open sea, respectively, but increased over time due to decreasing dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations. In both regions intra-annual variability dominated over inter-annual variability, but DON variation in the open sea was markedly shifted towards shorter time scales relative to coastal stations. In the coastal zone a consistent seasonal DON cycle existed with high values in spring–summer and low values in autumn–winter. In the open sea seasonality was weak. A marked shift in the seasonality was found at the Dogger Bank, with DON accumulation towards summer and low values in winter prior to 1999, and accumulation in spring and decline throughout summer after 1999. This study clearly shows that DON is a dynamic actor in the North Sea and should be monitored systematically to enable us to understand fully the functioning of this ecosystem.     

Importance of wave-induced bed liquefaction in the fine sediment budget of Cleveland Bay,Great Barrier Reef

Data from a three-year long field study of fine sediment dynamics in Cleveland Bay show that wave-induced liquefaction of the fine sediment bed on the seafloor in shallow water was the main process causing bed erosion under small waves during tradewinds, and that shear-induced erosion prevailed during cyclonic conditions. These data were used to verify a model of fine sediment dynamics that calculates sediment resuspension by both excess shear stress and wave-induced liquefaction of the bed. For present land-use conditions, the amount of riverine sediments settling on the bay may exceed by 50–75% the amount of sediment exported from the bay. Sediment is thus accumulating in the bay on an annual basis, which in turn may degrade the fringing coral reefs. For those years when a tropical cyclone impacted the bay there may be a net sediment outflow from the bay. During the dry, tradewind season, fine sediment was progressively winnowed out of the shallow, reefal waters.     

An Experi mental Study on Wave-Induced Dynamic Stresses in Seabed

1 .IntroductionEvery year ,Taiwanis subjectedtotwo or three typhoonintrusions in average which always causedisasters . Most of the disasters which occur around the coastal zone are due to seabed instability andcoastal structure destruction caused bytyphoo…     

Atypical size selection of captive school prawns,Metapenaeus macleayi,by three recreational fishing gears in south‐eastern Australia

Three manipulative experiments were done to estimate the selectivity of conventional and new sizes and configurations of mesh for school prawns, Metapenaeus macleayi, in three south‐eastern Australian recreational fishing gears (haul, push, and scoop nets). The treatment meshes examined were: (1) conventional‐sized, diamond‐shaped mesh used in all gears (20 mm in scoop nets and 30 mm in push and haul nets); (2) 30 mm in scoop nets; and (3) 40‐mm diamond‐ and (4) 23‐mm square‐shaped mesh in all gears. In all experiments, known quantities of school prawns (6–24 mm carapace length (CL)) were placed in purpose‐built enclosures, monitored to ensure no experimental‐induced stress (as measured by changes in L‐lactate in their haemolymph) and the replicate treatments of the various gear configurations deployed. Escapees from the various treatment nets were collected from the enclosures using fine‐meshed nets. Logistic selection curves were derived for all treatment nets and specific comparisons made within and among gears. All nets had 50% retention lengths (L₅₀) comparable to other penaeid‐catching gears with similar mesh sizes, but most had selection ranges (SRs) that were atypically inflated. The large SRs were attributed to a combination of factors that included the mesh geometry and towing speed of the gears and the behaviour of school prawns. The 20‐mm scoop net had the smallest selection parameters, retaining >99% of individuals larger than 13 mm CL. Mesh size in this gear would need to be increased to at least 30 mm to allow some maturing prawns (>18 mm CL) to escape.     

Sodium fluoroacetate (1080) residues in longfin eels,Anguilla dieffenbachii,following exposure to contaminated water and food

Captive longfin eels (Anguilla dieffenbachii) were exposed to the vertebrate pesticide sodium fluoroacetate (1080) in the water column and through the ingestion of cereal pellet baits or possum muscle and gut tissue that contained 1080 residue. No mortality or unusual behaviour (in comparison with the controls) occurred in eels that were exposed to 1080. However, significantly greater weight loss occurred in eels exposed to 1080 compared with those eels that were not. No residue was detected in tissues of eels exposed to 1080 cereal baits through ingestion and direct (dermal and respiratory) absorption, or through direct absorption only. Low concentrations of 1080 were detected in muscle tissue of eels that consumed contaminated possum muscle (x = 0.0174 μg/g) or gut (x = 0.0306 μg/g) tissue. The primary factors affecting the concentration of 1080 detected in eel tissue included the dose of 1080 (mg/kg) that each eel" receiveddate="and number of days since the eel last fed on contaminated tissue. Based on the 1080 concentrations measured in eels in this study, the risk of acute poisoning to humans from eating contaminated eel flesh is considered extremely low. Even so, national and international perceptions and food safety standards have the potential to limit eel exports and/or close an eel fishery if 1080 residue was discovered in tissue.     

The genus Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) in New Zealand: analysis of the last decade's monitoring data

The diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia blooms throughout New Zealand's coastal waters. More than a decade of monitoring data were analysed in this study and seasonality was a significant factor in the appearance of Pseudo-nitzschia blooms. Austral spring and summer were the main bloom periods, although there were regional differences. Between January 2000 and August 2011, 8.4% of 29,000 seawater samples analysed for Pseudo-nitzschia exceeded the voluntary trigger level for biotoxin testing (10×10⁴ cells l^?1), and these were analysed by fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) assays. Pseudo-nitzschia fraudulenta and P. pseudodelicatissima (low domoic acid [DA] producers) were the dominant bloom formers throughout New Zealand (each contributing 25%) followed by the highly toxic P. australis (10%). Shellfish flesh testing for DA was triggered on 8477 occasions between 2000 and 2011, but no samples exceeded the regulatory limit (20 mg/kg); the maximum concentration was 13 mg/kg (Marlborough Sounds, mid-winter 2010).     

Sea Levels and Coastal Inundation Due to Tropical Cyclones in Indian Coastal Regions of Andhra and Orissa

Coastal inundation associated with extreme sea levels is the main factor which leads to the loss of life and property whenever a severe tropical cyclonic storm hits the Indian coasts. The Andhra and Orissa coasts are most vulnerable for coastal inundation due to extreme rise in sea levels associated with tropical cyclones. Loss of life may be minimized if extreme sea levels and associated coastal flooding is predicted well in advance. Keeping this in view, location specific coastal inundation models are developed and applied for the Andhra and Orissa coasts of India. Several numerical experiments are carried out using the data of past severe cyclones that struck these regions. The simulated inland inundation distances are found to be in general agreement with the reported flooding.     

Impact of Satellite Altimetry on Simulations of Sea Level Variability by an Indian Ocean Model

This article describes the impact of satellite altimeter data on the simulations of sea level variability (SLV) by a nonlinear reduced gravity model of the entire Indian Ocean. The model has been forced by 6-hourly analyzed wind stress data containing SSM/I observations and has been able to produce realistic circulation features. However, SLV values observed by Topex/Poseidon altimeter do not fit these simulations because of imperfect initial data. Hence an attempt has been made to initialize the model using altimeter data. The initialized model-generated SLVvalues have been compared with SLV derived by altimeter for monsoon as well as nonmonsoon months of 1996. Experimental runs have been performed for 10 days, 20 days, and one month. It has been found that the initialized model results on the final day of these experiments are in very good agreement with altimeter data of the same day. It is thus possible, in principle, to hindcast and forecast sea level variations in the time scale of 10 days to one month with the availability of good quality wind data for forcing the model and altimeter observations of sea level for initializing it.