Changes in cetacean presence,relative abundance and distribution over 20 years along a trans‐regional fixed line transect in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea

From 1989 to 1992, systematic cetacean surveys were carried out twice weekly along a trans‐regional fixed transect in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea, utilising passenger ferries as research platforms. Using the same protocol and supervised by the same investigators, the research restarted in 2007, providing the opportunity to compare consistent data over a long 20‐year period. The monitored transect (Civitavecchia‐Golfo Aranci) runs along a strategic area just outside the southeastern border of the Pelagos Sanctuary. Over the last two decades, an increasing trend of temperature and salinity, in the deep and intermediate layers, has been documented in the region, as well as general changes over the Mediterranean basin. These changes, together with the increasing impact of some pressures (e.g. maritime traffic) may have led to changes in oceanographic and anthropogenic features and, subsequently, in cetacean presence and distribution. The research aimed to verify whether any changes occurred in the pattern of cetacean occurrence over the 20‐year period along the representative transect in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea. Data from 90 summer weekly runs undertaken in the 1990s were compared with data obtained from 95 runs undertaken in the 2000s. Each ferry run was considered an independent statistical unit: the encounter rate (ER = number of sightings per hour spent on effort) was calculated to compare relative abundance between periods, years and months. Spatial analysis was performed on geographical data using Kernel analysis to map the distribution of sightings. Logistic regression (GLM) was performed to compare habitat preference. Total encounter rate in the 1990s (ER = 0.59 ± CI 0.08) was significantly lower (P < 0.01) compared with the 2000s (ER = 0.94 ± CI 0.15). The same seven out of eight species known for their regular presence in the Mediterranean Sea were sighted in both the investigated periods. The most common species were striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Neither the pilot whale nor any other rare or occasional species were sighted during the 6 years of the study. Despite the time span, no dramatic changes were observed for any species, bar fin whale, in terms of distribution, relative abundance, group size or habitat preference. Sightings of fin whale have surprisingly increased (+300%, P< 0.001), and their spatial and temporal distribution and habitat preference showed a radical difference between the two periods. The 2000s surveys confirmed the existence of high density areas of cetaceans, especially of fin whale, and the consequent necessity of specific legislative acts for cetacean conservation.     

白令海北部陆坡全新世以来长链正构烷烃的古环境意义

本文对白令海北部陆坡B2-9站位沉积物岩芯开展了高分辨率的生物标志物分析,获得了研究区近一万年来陆源长链正构烷烃（简写为烷烃）的输入及其源区植被结构的变化等相关记录。结果表明,nC₂₇是烷烃中最高的主碳峰,对烷烃总量的贡献也最大,这可能与源区木本植物的丰度及其分布有关;nC₂₃的含量也较高,可能主要是来源于北半球沿海地区广泛分布的一类沉水植物。全新世期间,烷烃总量分别在7.8 ka B.P.,6.7 ka B.P.和5.4 ka B.P.经历了三次阶梯状的下降过程,呈现出四个相对稳定的阶段,可能主要受控于早全新世海平面上升以及源区气候环境和植被分布的变化。烷烃的分子组合特征各参数（如CPI、ACL以及nC₃₁/nC₂₇等）的变化则表明,烷烃主要来自陆生高等植物,且全新世期间植被结构较为稳定,木本植物占据优势。此外,在几个较短的时期内,烷烃总量及其分子组合特征等参数的变化具有同步性,表明在这些时期特殊的气候条件下,源区木本植物烷烃对烷烃总量的贡献率的增加可能低于草本植物烷烃和化石烷烃。     

Characteristics and origins of middle Miocene mounds and channels in the northern South China Sea

Numerous elongated mounds and channels were found at the top of the middle Miocene strata using 2D/3D seismic data in the Liwan Sag of Zhujiang River Mouth Basin(ZRMB) and the Beijiao Sag of Qiongdongnan Basin(QDNB). They occur at intervals and are rarely revealed by drilling wells in the deepwater areas. Origins of the mounds and channels are controversial and poorly understood. Based on an integrated analysis of the seismic attribute, palaeotectonics and palaeogeography, and drilling well enco...     

Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy of the Upper Albian to Lower Maastrichtian in the southwestern Barents Sea

The present study of five wells from Upper Albian to Lower Maastrichtian succession in the southwestern Barents Sea yields the first dinoflagellate cyst-based palynological event biostratigraphy for the area. The research focuses on the Upper Cretaceous Kveite and Kviting formations due to the lack of formal palynological documentation, and enables the formation of a biozonation of greater resolution than currently achievable by micropalaeontology. Four new interval zones and one abundance subzone are described, from base upward: Palaeohystrichophora infusorioides and Palaeohystrichophora palaeoinfusa Interval Zone (intra Early Cenomanian–intra Late Cenomanian), Dinopterygium alatum Interval Zone (?intra Early Coniacian–Late Santonian), Palaeoglenodinium cretaceum Interval Zone (Early Campanian), and the Chatangiella bondarenkoi Interval Zone (Late Campanian) encompassing the Heterosphaeridium bellii Abundance Subzone (intra-Late Campanian). The zones are well correlated to existing palynological zonations from the Norwegian–Greenland Sea, where the previously described Subtilisphaera kalaalliti Interval Zone (intra Late Albian–?intra Early Cenomanian), Heterosphaeridium difficile Interval Zone (Middle Turonian to ?intra Early Coniacian) and Cerodinium diebelii Interval Zone (Early Maastrichtian) are recognised. These data also reveal the presence of three significant unconformities of Late Cenomanian–Early Turonian, Middle Campanian and Late Maastrichtian–Paleocene age.     

Delving into three-dimensional structure of the West Luzon Eddy in a regional ocean model

The three-dimensional structure and associated dynamics of the prominent cold (cyclonic) West Luzon Eddy (WLE) were investigated by a high-resolution regional ocean model. The WLE was horizontally and vertically heterogeneous, exhibiting asymmetric structures in the circulation, vorticity, vertical motion and energy distributions within the eddy. The asymmetry was mainly attributed to the existence of an eddy dipole formed by a coexisting warm (anti-cyclonic) eddy to the south of the WLE. Analysis of the momentum balance revealed that the coexistence of two eddies intensified barotropic pressure gradients in the southern WLE to locally enhance the eastward jet. The positive (negative) vorticity of the jet strengthened (weakened) the eddy in the southern sector (periphery), which, together with the formation of a subsurface density front, intensified (suppressed) the corresponding upward motion and cooling. The baroclinic pressure gradients opposed the dominant barotropic components and spun down the eddy at greater depths with stronger weakening in the southern sector near the front. Asymmetric energy distributions showed that larger mean kinetic energy (MKE) and eddy available potential energy (EAPE) were stored in the southern sector of the WLE. While the larger MKE was directly linked with the stronger barotropic currents, the larger EAPE in the southern WLE was formed by baroclinic energy conversions due to a strong density gradient at the front.     

东海太平洋褶柔鱼角质颚的形态学分析

依据2010年9月及2011年5月、9月东海渔业资源底拖网调查采集的139尾(雌性66尾,雄性73尾)太平洋褶柔鱼(Todarodes pacificus)样本的胴长、体重和角质颚各部分的长度数据,分析了东海太平洋褶柔鱼角质颚的形态学特征。结果表明:(1)太平洋褶柔鱼角质颚上、下颚的喙长(RL)、头盖长(HL)、脊突长(CL)、翼长(WL)、翼宽(WW)等长度差异较大;(2)伴随RL的增长,HL、CL、WL、WW呈现极显著的异速生长特征(P<0.001);(3)各长度指标随胴长、体重的增长呈显著的线性增长趋势;(4)RL/CL、HL/CL的比值非常稳定,随胴长、体重的变化很小,可作为东海太平洋褶柔鱼角质颚形态特征的稳定指标。     

南海海面高度变化及其与太平洋上涛动信号的关系

本文使用循环平稳经验正交函数(CSEOF)方法分析了南海海面高度(SCS-SSH)的时空变化模态,并对它们与太平洋海盆尺度振荡的关系进行了探讨分析。结果表明,SCS-SSH的第一个CSEOF模态是季节变化模态,其变化强度受到一个与厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(ENSO)有关的低频信号的调制,即在厄尔尼诺期间季节变化的幅度减弱(最大可降低30%,1997/98)而在拉尼娜期间季节变化增强。SCS-SSH的第二个CSEOF模态是年际-年代际尺度的低频变化模态,其空间模态的月与月之间的差异微弱,而时间模态和太平洋年代际振荡(PDO)指数高度相关。然后,我们使用独立成分分析(ICA)方法提取了太平洋中的五个主要振荡成分,并检验了它们对SCS-SSH变化的各自影响。分析表明,纯粹的ENSO模态(类似于太平洋东部型ENSO)对SCS-SSH的低频变化的影响比较微弱,而ENSO的红化模态(类似于太平洋中部型ENSO)对SCS-SSH的低频变化具有明显影响。由于ENSO的红化模态是PDO信号的一个主要成分,这一结果解释了为什么在影响SCS-SSH的低频变化上PDO比ENSO更重要。径向鞍型振荡模态、黑潮延伸体处的增温模态、以及赤道的降温模态也由ICA方法提取出来,但它们对SCS-SSH低频变异的影响微弱。进一步的分析表明,太平洋的涛动信号可能以不同的方式来影响南海海面高度变化和海表温度变化。     

Last glacial terrestrial vegetation record of leaf wax n-alkanols in the northern South China Sea: Contrast to scenarios from long-chain n-alkanes

Long-chain n-alkanols and n-alkanes in core sediments from the northern South China Sea (SCS) were measured to make a comparison during terrestrial vegetation reconstruction from ~42 ka to ~7 ka. The results showed that terrestrial vegetation record from long-chain n-alkanes matched well with previous studies in nearby cores, showing that more C₄ plants developed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and C₃ plants dominated in the interglacial period. However, these scenarios were not revealed by terrestrial vegetation reconstruction using long-chain n-alkanols, which showed C₃ plant expansion during the LGM. The discrepancy during the interglacial period could be attributed to the aerobic degradation of functionalized long-chain n-alkanols in the oxygen-rich bottom water, resulting in poor preservation of terrestrial vegetation signals. On the other hand, the different advantages of functionalized n-alkanols and non-functional n-alkanes to record local and distal vegetation signals, respectively, may offer a potential explanation for the contradiction during the LGM when the SCS was characterized by low-oxygen deep water. Nevertheless, large variations on n-alkyl lipid compositions in C₃/C₄ plants could play a part in modulating sedimentary long-chain n-alkanols and n-alkanes toward different vegetation signals, thereby suggesting that caution must be taken in respect to the terrestrial vegetation reconstruction using long-chain n-alkanes and long-chain n-alkanols.