Southern elephant seal trajectories, fronts and eddies in the Brazil/Malvinas Confluence

This study describes the association between transient, mesoscale hydrographic features along the axis of the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence, in the SW Atlantic, and the foraging behavior of 2–3-year-old (focal) juvenile southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, from Península Valdés, Argentina. Departing from the dominant pattern of foraging on predictable bathymetric fronts on the Patagonian shelf and slope, three females out of 12 satellite-tracked juveniles remained at the edge of young warm-core eddies and near the outer core of cold-core eddies, coinciding with the most productive areas of these temperature fronts. Seal trajectories along high-temperature gradients were always consistent with the speed and direction of surface currents inferred from the temperature distribution and confirmed by surface drifters. Movements of foraging seals were compared with those of surface drifters, coinciding in time and space and yielding independent and consistent data on regional water circulation parameters. The diving pattern recorded for one focal seal yielded shallower dives and a loose diel pattern in the eddy, and a marked diurnal cycle compatible with foraging on vertically migrating prey in the cold waters of the Malvinas Current. Pre-reproductive females that use the mesoscale fronts of the Argentine Basin as an alternative foraging area would benefit from lower competition with more experienced seals and with other top predators that reproduce along the coast of Patagonia.     

Aliasing due to sampling of the Adriatic temperature, salinity and density in space

High-resolution underway temperature and conductivity measurements collected by R/V Knorr during winter and spring 2003 are used to characterize errors associated with spatial aliasing in the northern and central Adriatic Sea. During winter, 99th percentile temperature, salinity and density errors were 0.62 °C, 0.25 and 0.12 kg/m³ (0.25 °C, 0.10 and 0.05 kg/m³) for sampling at 10 km (5 km) horizontal resolution, respectively. The corresponding values in spring were 1.31 °C, 0.50 and 0.40 kg/m³ (0.93 °C, 0.25 and 0.22 kg/m³) for the 10 km (5 km) sample spacing, respectively. The largest errors were associated with energetic regions over the shallow, western Adriatic, in front of the Po River mouth and off the tip of the Istrian peninsula. The deeper eastern basin exhibited smaller errors. The variability of errors in time and space reflected the variability of small-scale density features, characterized by wavelengths as small as 2 km in winter and 1 km in spring and being more pronounced in the western and northern parts of the Adriatic. As these results indicate that errors associated with undersampling can be considerable, they should be taken into account while planning future CTD measurements in the region.     

海岛旅游效率空间格局演变及影响因素研究 ——以中国12个海岛县(区)为例

旅游产业是海岛地区的重要产业之一，借助 DEA 模型测度 12 个海岛县 （区） 的旅游效率，采用组合方法对海岛旅游效率的空间特征演变进行刻画，并通过 EVIEWS 软件分析海岛旅游效率的影响因素。 （1） 海岛旅游综合效率总体不高，技术效率是海岛旅游效率发展的主要驱动力，规模效率水平较低，海岛旅游发展能力未得到全面发挥。 （2） 海岛县 （区） 之间旅游效率总体差异不大，相对差异明显。海岛旅游效率空间状态演变由不稳定趋向于稳定，可能存在“贫困陷阱”和“俱乐部趋同”现象。 （3） 经济发展水平、生态环境、科技信息对海岛旅游效率的发展起到积极的推动作用，产业结构、交通条件、城镇化是海岛旅游效率发展的约束性因素。     

Species and Distribution of Mangroves in the Fujian Coastal Area

On the basis of an investigation on the mangroves in Fujian from November 1998 to January 1999, the species composition, area, distribution, artificial afforestation of mangroves and the factors restricting the development of mangroves in Fujian are discussed in the paper. Some suggestions on how to develop mangroves in Fujian have been put forward.     

Hydrography and phytoplankton of waters off south-west Ireland

Distributions of physical, chemical and biological characteristics were recorded for coastal waters off south-west Ireland during the summers of 1985–1987. A number of thermal fronts were identified from both shipboard measurements and satellite imagery. Upwelling was shown to be an important process in the area and enhanced phytoplankton biomass and productivity were associated with areas of upwelling and the fronts. Phytoplankton species composition, although varying between cruises, was associated with differences in hydrographic features.     

Current trends of space occupation by encrusting excavating sponges on Colombian coral reefs

Some sponges of the genus Cliona (Porifera, Hadromerida, Clionidae) simultaneously excavate and encrust calcareous substratum, competing aggressively for illuminated space with corals and other organisms. To interpret current trends of reef space occupation, the patterns of distribution and size of three Caribbean species were examined at San Andrés Island and Islas del Rosario in Colombia. While Cliona aprica was ubiquitous, C. caribbaea (= C. langae) preferred deep and protected reef zones, and C. tenuis shallow and wave‐exposed settings. In contrast to the effect on other excavating sponges, chronic exposure to raw sewage did not significantly increase the abundance of the studied sponges. Substratum occupation/availability ratios showed a positive tendency of the sponges toward certain coral skeletons, and a negative or neutral tendency toward calcareous rock, indicating that establishment may be easier on clean, recently dead coral than on older, heavily incrusted substratum. High relief generally limits sponge size to that of the illuminated portions of the substratum. A generally lower proportion of small individuals than of larger ones indicates currently low recruitment rates and low subsequent mortality. Successful events of higher recruitment seem to have occurred for C. tenuis. These are related to the massive acroporid coral die‐off in the early 1980s and to asexual dispersion during storms, resulting in a current 10% substratum cover. Reefs with high coral mortality were and/or are thus more susceptible to colonization and subsequent space occupation by these sponges, although relief may prevent space monopolization.