Current Status of Scientific Deep-diving Investigations in Submarine Canyons

Submarine canyons represent one of the most important geomorphologic features in continental margins, act as one of the most important conduits of seafloor sediment transporting from shallow waters into the deep sea, and are also biodiversity hotspots. Submarine-canyon investigations are therefore significant for seafloor scientific research, submarine mineral and resource exploitation, and the construction and safety operation of submarine infrastructures. Deep-sea diving by manned submersibles and robot submersibles represented by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) provides an important approach to the investigation of modern submarine canyons. The biggest advantage of manned submersibles is that they can bring scientists to the deep sea for in-place observations and precise sampling, while the robot deep-sea diving has the advantages of low cost, high efficiency, no personnel safety concerns, and the ability to reach the extreme sea areas that are difficult for humans to reach. Deep-sea diving has found broad applications in the geo-scientific research of submarine canyons. These studies cover seafloor topography and geomorphology, seafloor sediments, erosional and depositional bedforms, mass transport processes and flow dynamics, cold springs, cold-water corals and other biological habitats, as well as seafloor biological erosion. The research experience and scientific findings in scientific diving investigation of submarine canyons accumulated by the developed countries in Europe and the United States over the past 70 years are of great reference and significance to the emerging scientific deep-sea diving in China.     

Risk formulation for the sonic effects of offshore wind farms on fish in the EU region

In 2007, European leaders agreed to source 20% of their energy needs from renewable energy; since that time, offshore wind farms have been receiving attention in the European Union (EU). In 2008, the European Community submitted a proposal to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in order to combat marine noise pollution. In consideration of these facts, the present paper aims to deduce a preliminary hypothesis and its formulation for the effect of offshore wind farm noise on fish. The following general picture is drawn: the short-term potential impact during pre-construction; the short-term intensive impact during construction; and the physiological and/or masking effects that may occur over a long period while the wind farm is in operation. The EU’s proposal to UNEP includes noise databases that list the origins of man-made sounds; it is advisable that offshore wind farms should be listed in the noise databases in order to promote rational environment management.     

Assessing impacts of invasive phytoplankton: The Baltic Sea case

There is an increasing understanding and requirement to take into account the effects of invasive alien species (IAS) in environmental quality assessments. While IAS are listed amongst the most important factors threatening marine biodiversity, information on their impacts remains unquantified, especially for phytoplankton species. This study attempts to assess the impacts of invasive alien phytoplankton in the Baltic Sea during 1980-2008. A bioinvasion impact assessment method (BPL - biopollution level index) was applied to phytoplankton monitoring data collected from eleven sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. BPL takes into account abundance and distribution range of an alien species and the magnitude of the impact on native communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning. Of the 12 alien/cryptogenic phytoplankton species recorded in the Baltic Sea only one (the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum) was categorized as an IAS, causing a recognizable environmental effect.     

Modeling the timing of spring phytoplankton bloom and biological production of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada): Effects of colored dissolved organic matter and temperature

The effects of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from freshwater runoff and seasonal cycle of temperature on the dynamic of phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass and production in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) are studied using a 3-D coupled physical-plankton ecosystem model. Three simulations are conducted: (1) the reference simulation based on Le Fouest et al. (2005), in which light attenuation by CDOM is not considered and maximum growth rate (_μmax${\mu }_{\max }$) of phytoplankton and zooplankton are not temperature-dependent (REF simulation); (2) light attenuation by CDOM is added to REF simulation (CDOM simulation); and (3) in addition to CDOM, the _μmax${\mu }_{\max }$ of phytoplankton and zooplankton are regulated by temperature (CDOM+TEMP simulation). CDOM simulation shows that CDOM substantially reduces phytoplankton biomass and production in the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (LSLE), but slightly reduces overall primary production in the GSL. In the LSLE, the spring phytoplankton bloom is delayed from mid-March to mid-April, resulted from light attenuation by CDOM. The CDOM+TEMP simulation shows that the spring phytoplankton bloom in the LSLE is further delayed to July, which is more consistent with observations. Annual primary production is reduced by 33% in CDOM+TEMP simulation from REF and CDOM simulations. Zooplankton production is the same in all three simulations, and export of organic matter to depth is reduced in CDOM+TEMP simulation, suggesting that temperature controlled growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton enhances the coupling between primary production and zooplankton production under the seasonal temperature cycle of the GSL.     

Maritime trade, biological invasions, and the properties of alternate inspection regimes

We analyze the problem of preventing biological invasions caused by ships transporting internationally traded goods between countries and continents. Specifically, we ask the following question: should a port manager have a small number of inspectors inspect arriving ships less stringently or should this manager have a large number of inspectors inspect the same ships more stringently? We use a simple queuing-theoretic framework and show that if decreasing the economic cost of regulation is very important then it makes more sense for the port manager to choose the less stringent inspection regime. In contrast, if reducing the damage from biological invasions is more salient then the port manager ought to pick the more stringent inspection regime.     

Assessing the performance of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in Brazil: a test using two regional-scale indices related to coastal and marine ecosystem conservation

One of the main challenges of international environmental agreements is improving relevant policy actions to promote adequate environmental responses. To support the work of decision makers, recent studies have used environmental and social indicators to construct global and regional-scale indices. This study aimed to use the Ocean Health Index and the Management Ranking for Brazilian States to assess Brazil’s performance regarding the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs) for coastal and marine ecosystems. Thus, six ABTs were matched and their performance was evaluated. These ABTs focused on the following topics: pollution, fish and invertebrate stocks, pressures on coral, threatened species and their conservation, the contribution of biodiversity to carbon stocks and the national biodiversity strategy and action plan. However, although the indices used showed many pathways to explore how Brazil is performing, it is still complex to evaluate ABTs’ performance regarding coastal and marine ecosystems at a global and regional scale.     

废弃砖瓦窑厂土地复垦及其生态学原理

废弃砖瓦窑厂土地复垦技术包括工程复垦和生物复垦,在具体实施复垦方案时,要遵循生态学原理。工程复垦阶段,除了使被破坏土地恢复到可供利用的物理状态,还要考虑改善生态环境和生物多样性;生物复垦阶段,要按照生物与环境协同进化原理、生态结构稳定性与功能协调性等原理,采用施肥法、绿肥法、微生物法、管理法恢复土壤肥力与生物生产能力。淮安市淮安区范集镇大花村在废弃砖瓦窑厂土地复垦项目中,依据生态学理论,因地制宜,采取适宜的方案进行土地复垦,实现了生态环境的良性循环及土地资源的可持续利用。     

青藏高原沙尘及其可能的气候意义

利用1961-2000年高原91个站的气象实测资料并结合高原沙区分布状况，分析了近40a青藏高原沙尘暴的时空分布特征。结果表明，高原具备发生沙尘暴的前提条件，大片的流动沙丘和大片荒漠化土地为沙尘暴的发生提供了充足的沙源，年沙尘暴发生频率非常高，大体有以羌塘高原为中心向东南逐渐减少的趋势。从12月至翌年4月，沙尘暴发生中心从藏南的雅鲁藏布江上游河谷地区依次逐渐向北扩展到羌塘高原南部、羌塘高原及塔里木盆地南部，这种季节性摆动与副热带西风急流的位置变化密切相关，加上高原海拔4000～5000m的高度，细粒物质被轻松地扬升到西风急流区，传往遥远的北太平洋地区，高原成为远程传输最高效的沙尘源地之一。沉降在北太平洋的沙尘，加强了海洋生物泵的效率，进而可能对全球气候产生影响。     

无瓣海桑造林是否造成九龙江口生物入侵的探讨

尽快恢复和发展红树林、营造防潮抗灾能力强、生产力高的红树护岸林体系,改造沿海滩涂生态环境,是沿海防护林体系建设的主要任务。无瓣海桑是从孟加拉国引进的速生红树树种,生长快,生产力高,在较短时间内能起到保护海堤和稳定海滩的作用,但无瓣海桑毕竟是外来种,是否造成生物入侵并给滨海滩涂带来生态灾害众说纷纭。本文从入侵种的生态影响入手进行分析,认为无瓣海桑造林目前尚未造成九龙江口生物入侵。     

Dissolved organic matter fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool to estimate biological activity in a coastal zone submitted to anthropogenic inputs

Here we report on an investigation of the three-dimensional excitation-emission-matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectra of unconcentrated water samples collected in 1996, 1998 and 1999 at a site particularly propitious for macro-algae development. The degradation of these macro-algae was studied to determine the influence of their exudates on natural water EEM fluorescence spectra. This work demonstrates that biological activity is one of the major factors involved in the formation of the blue-shifted fluorescence band observed in marine waters (β component Ex/Em=310–320 nm/380–410 nm); our study also shows that fluorescence can be used to evaluate the biological activity both quantitatively and to determine its different phases.