Interannual variability in the biochemical composition of newly hatched larvae of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla (Decapoda,Majidae)

The spider crab Maja brachydactyla is an important commercial species in Europe and supports intensive fisheries in the NE Atlantic. A field survey was performed to assess long‐term and consecutive interannual (2005–2010) variation of the biochemical composition of newly hatched larvae of M. brachydactyla. Larval biochemical profiles differed significantly among years, with pronounced differences being recorded in 2010. Differences among batches of newly hatched larvae were mainly explained by the contribution of triacylglycerols and, to a lesser degree, by protein and lipid content. The use of different nutrition indices is discussed. The biochemical composition of newly hatched larvae from M. brachydactyla was highly variable, even though surveyed broodstock was obtained from the same local population and was always sampled during the same season. The unpredictable biochemical profiles of newly hatched larvae may condition their survival and recruitment. This largely overlooked aspect of larval variability should be considered in future fisheries management strategies and captive production of marine organisms that still rely on wild seeds.     

Circulation on the north central Chukchi Sea shelf

Mooring and shipboard data collected between 1992 and 1995 delineate the circulation over the north central Chukchi shelf. Previous studies indicated that Pacific waters crossed the Chukchi shelf through Herald Valley (in the west) and Barrow Canyon (in the east). We find a third branch (through the Central Channel) onto the outer shelf. The Central Channel transport varies seasonally in phase with Bering Strait transport, and is 0.2 Sv on average, although some of this might include water entrained from the outflow through Herald Valley. A portion of the Central Channel outflow moves eastward and converges with the Alaskan Coastal Current at the head of Barrow Canyon. The remainder appears to continue northeastward over the central outer shelf toward the shelfbreak, joined by outflow from Herald Valley. The mean flow opposes the prevailing winds and is primarily forced by the sea-level slope between the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Current variations are mainly wind forced, but baroclinic forcing, associated with upstream dense-water formation in coastal polynyas might occasionally be important.Winter water-mass modification depends crucially on the fall and winter winds, which control seasonal ice development. An extensive fall ice cover delays cooling, limits new ice formation, and results in little salinization. In such years, Bering shelf waters cross the Chukchi shelf with little modification. In contrast, extensive open water in fall leads to early and rapid cooling, and if accompanied by vigorous ice production within coastal polynyas, results in the production of high-salinity (>33) shelf waters. Such interannual variability likely affects slope processes and the transport of Pacific waters into the Arctic Ocean interior.     

The Dynamics of Covering Behaviour in Dominant Echinoid Populations from American and European West Coasts

Abstract.  The so-called 'covering behaviour' of echinoids is known to vary with habitat according to the types of covering items available, but the full extent of the role played by habitat characteristics in this behaviour is not known. Moreover, whether or not different species inhabiting similar environmental conditions and habitats also show similar patterns of this particular behaviour has yet to be investigated. In this study, two prominent west coast echinoid species, Paracentrotus lividus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus , were examined with respect to covering behaviour and spatial organisation. Populations of both species are found in exposed intertidal zones, occupying boreholes within tidepools. Important similarities were found in the spatial organisation of both species' populations, with lowest densities in upper shore pools. However, the size distributions of the two populations differed significantly; P. lividus within upper shore pools were significantly larger than those in mid or lower shore pools, whereas S. purpuratus on the lower shore were significantly larger than those at other shore heights. We found significant between-species variability in covering item use, although the number of covering items available at both sites was not significantly different. For example, greater densities of covering items were used by P. lividus than by S. purpuratus . We also found that the percent of echinoid surface area covered varied significantly in space for both species. These data emphasise the complex and multifaceted nature of covering behaviour, but most importantly, they also strongly suggest that habitat characteristics can only partly explain the extent of this behavioural variability amongst echinoid species.     

Molecular ecological study of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Siganus spinus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. guttatus</Emphasis> from Okinawan waters based on mitochondrial DNA control region sequences

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region was sequenced to examine the genetic variability and gene flow of juvenile Siganus spinus and S. guttatus. In total, 461 nucleotide sequences were obtained from 69 specimens of juvenile S. spinus from Okinawa Island and Ishigaki Island, in which 17 variable sites and 22 haplotypes were identified. Haplotype diversity (h) was high (0.9244 in Okinawa and 0.8984 in Ishigaki), whereas nucleotide diversity (π) was low (0.0063 in Okinawa and 0.0059 in Ishigaki). The two populations were not genetically distinct. Siganus guttatus, which do not form large schools at recruitment, in contrast S. spinus, were also analyzed by studying 152 individuals collected off Okinawa Island, Miyako Island, and Ishigaki Island. Of 476 nucleotide sequences, 50 were variable, and 42 haplotypes were identified. Genetic variability values were high (h = 0.8766 and π = 0.0151 in Okinawa; h = 0.9640 and π = 0.0192 in Miyako; h = 0.9161 and π = 0.0199 in Ishigaki). The Okinawa population was genetically isolated from the Miyako and Ishigaki populations. As a result, genetic diversity was high for each of these siganid populations despite their being target species for fisheries; however, the degree of inter-population gene flow was higher for S. spinus than S. guttatus, suggesting that these species exhibit different dispersal strategies.     

节理分布空间变异的地下洞室稳定性概率分析

以岩土材料力学参数空间变异性的"点估计-有限元"分析方法为基础,结合节理分析时自身存在几何模型、网格划分等特性,扩展了该方法在节理分布空间变异性分析方面的适用性,明确了具体的研究步骤与方法。以某抽水蓄能水电站为例,通过分析节理空间变异性对围岩变形与塑性区的影响,验证了扩展后该方法的准确性和合理性。对工程案例开挖揭露的1400余条节理进行概率统计,建立了节理空间变异性的有限元分析模型;采用扩展后的概率分析方法,研究了节理分布对地下洞室群围岩开挖稳定性的影响。研究结果表明:(1)对比概率分析得到的围岩变形概率分布与现场监测结果,发现剔除变形异常点后监测变形量值大部分位于得到的位移概率分布范围内,说明节理的空间变异性是导致监测变形波动的主要影响因素;(2)围岩变形概率分布的标准差能有效识别出围岩开挖变形受节理空间变异性的影响程度,对于所给出的案例依次为:机窝>边墙>顶拱;(3)围岩塑性区的概率分区能合理判断地下洞室群开挖时受节理影响较大的区域和范围,为工程施工的支护设计提供依据。     

中国西北地区降水的演变趋势和年际变化

将 PCA和 SSA相结合 ,分析了中国西北地区降水量的演变趋势和年际变化 ,结果表明 :西北地区的降水变化的主要趋势是 1 960年代初多雨 ,到 1 970年代初演变为少雨 ,1 980年代又多雨 ,1 990年代少雨。这种趋势在陇南和陕西中南部是最显著的 ,天山北麓区也是相对显著区。西北地区降水主要存在准 8.5a、准 3～ 4a和准 5.1 a的甚低频振荡。甚低频振荡在降水中的重要性依次为准 8.5a、准 3～ 4a和准 5.1 a。准 8.5a振荡的振幅要比准 3～ 4a和准5.1 a振荡的振幅变化大。振荡位相在空间的分布并不完全一致。     

因子克里格分析支持的重金属元素空间多尺度变化特征——以北部湾东北部海域为例

将因子克里格分析方法应用于海底沉积物重金属元素空间多尺度变化的研究中,分析了北部湾东北部表层沉积物中7种重金属元素,Ni、Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr、As和Cd的空间多尺度结构特征,识别并分离了重金属元素不同尺度的空间变化,并探讨了各个尺度上重金属的物源及控制因素。结果显示,研究区重金属存在块金效应、变程为30km的球状结构(短变程尺度)和变程为140km的球状结构(长变程尺度)等三种尺度的空间结构,并拟合了研究区7种重金属元素的线性协同区域化模型。短变程尺度上,7种重金属元素的空间分布表现为"点状"或"条带状"的局部尺度的空间变化特征;长变程尺度上,7种重金属元素的空间分布反映出"片状"的区域尺度的空间变化特征。局部尺度上,Zn、Cr、Ni、Cu、Pb和Cd等元素主要源于海南岛、雷州半岛、广西大陆等陆地母岩物质,其空间分布特征受到了沉积物粒度的控制作用;而As主要受到海南岛、雷州半岛的人为污染成分的影响。区域尺度上,Zn、Cr、Ni和Cu主要来源于雷州半岛、海南岛的母岩物质,其次为广西大陆;As主要来源于海南岛的母岩物质,其次为雷州半岛、广西大陆。这些重金属元素在北部湾终年逆时针大环流的控制下,进行搬运、迁移并沉积在"汇聚中心",形成了研究区重金属元素区域尺度上NWW-NNW向的分布格局;而As不同于其他元素的亲陆的NNW向分布特征,主要源于其不同的地球化学行为。     

Reliability of mooring lines and piles for a permanently manned vessel in a tropical cyclone environment

The factors of safety for stationkeeping systems in current standards (ISO, API) are not derived or validated using reliability analyses. As the oil and gas exploration and production is breaking new boundaries, deploying new floating systems and moving into regions with harsher environments, it is of paramount importance to understand what level of reliability these new marine structures are achieving. This paper presents a reliability analysis of the mooring system of a Floating LNG (FLNG) vessel permanently moored and permanently manned offshore North West Australia in a tropical cyclone environment. The reliability analysis addresses both the mooring chain and the pile foundation. The analysis accounts for the long term characteristics of the environment, including the short term variability, in response to a given sea state and the variability and uncertainty in strength of the mooring chain and the pile. The stationkeeping system was analysed using detailed time domain simulations, capturing system non-linearities and low frequency oscillations as well as wave frequency responses and, thereby, reducing modelling uncertainties to a minimum.It is found that for the conditions modelled, neither the chain nor the pile meet a target reliability of 10⁻⁴/annum using the factors of safety commonly used in design following current ISO and API standards. New factors of safety are proposed to achieve this target reliability. For the pile design, one complicating factor is that current design standards do not explicitly define the exceedance probability that should be associated with the characteristic value of the undrained shear strength to be used in the design. It is demonstrated that the required factor of safety is crucially dependent on the definition of this characteristic value and on the level and the type of uncertainty in the soil strength profile. A recommendation is made regarding the definition of this characteristic value and the associated factor of safety. Furthermore, it is found that designing the mooring system to an environmental condition with a return period of 10,000 yr (as an Abnormal Limit State event), and setting the factor of safety to unity, meets the target reliability of 10⁻⁴/annum for the pile, if the characteristic undrained shear strength is a lower bound, defined in this paper by the 10th percentile value. For the chain however, this target reliability is not achieved.     

印度洋dipole事件的年际变化与ENSO事件的联系

通过对nino3指数和DMI序列的分析，发现两种物理现象都有4a左右的主要周期，而且印度洋偶极子事件还存在有2a左右的振荡周期，而厄尔尼诺事件在2a时间尺度上周期性不明显；对nino3指数和DMI进行年际时间尺度滤波，结果表明，在年际时间尺度上，两者的相关性比未滤波时有了一定的提高；对年际滤波之后的偶极子事件和ELNINO事件的相关分析可以发现，ELNINO对于印度洋偶极子事件的影响要大于IOD对于太平洋ENSO事件，显示了两者物理现象的影响不对称。