Sharksucker–shark interaction in two carcharhinid species

It is not known whether sharksuckers have positive or negative effects on their hosts, partly because this association is difficult to study in free‐ranging fish. I observed the behaviour of sharks with and without sharksuckers, to determine whether the hosts actively avoid sharksuckers. Wild blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus, took evasive actions when sharksuckers, Echeneis naucrates, attached to them, presumably to escape from skin irritation or hydrodynamical drag caused by the sharksuckers. Sharksuckers were most often attached to the belly or back of the shark, and sharks reacted most strongly to sharksuckers on their heads, sides, and dorsal fins. Observations of two captive bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, indicated that swimming speed increased when sharksuckers were attached. This paper supports the hypothesis that sharksucker attachment irritates sharks, and that the relationship between the two is best viewed as a subtle host–parasite interaction.     

Dynamic Response Analysis of Interaction System of R.C. Gravity Single-Leg Platform

In this paper, the responses of the interaction system of R.C. gravity single-leg platform to seismic excitation are mainly analysed. A set of nonlinear equations for the interaction system are established by using the wave, one is the soil-structure interaction and the other is the fluid-structure interaction. The seismic response of the interaction system is analysed for the influence of the asymmetric structure, fluid action, etc. with the input of seismic SH waves in any direction. The numerical results are given for a simple example.     

Nonlinear coupled dynamic response of offshore Spar platforms under regular sea waves

Many innovative floating offshore structures have been proposed for cost effectiveness of oil and gas exploration and production in water depths exceeding one thousand meters in recent years. One such type of platform is the offshore floating Spar platform. The Spar platform is modelled as a rigid body with six degrees-of-freedom, connected to the sea floor by multi-component catenary mooring lines, which are attached to the Spar platform at the fairleads. The response dependent stiffness matrix consists of two parts (a) the hydrostatics provide restoring force in heave, roll and pitch, (b) the mooring lines provide the restoring force which are represented here by nonlinear horizontal springs. A unidirectional regular wave model is used for computing the incident wave kinematics by Airy’s wave theory and force by Morison’s equation. The response analysis is performed in time domain to solve the dynamic behavior of the moored Spar platform as an integrated system using the iterative incremental Newmark’s Beta approach. Numerical studies are conducted for sea state conditions with and without coupling of degrees-of-freedom.     

Wave-Current Forces on Vertical Cylinders in Side-by-Side Arrangement for Irregular Waves Combined With Opposing Current

- The wave-current forces on vertical piles in side-by-side arrangement induced by irregular waves with opposing current are investigated experimentally in this paper. The characteristics in both time and frequency domain of in-line, lift and resultant forces are analyzed. The grouping effect coefficients of inline, lift and resultant forces on piles related to KC number and relative spacing parameters are given. These results are compared with those in the case of irregular waves combined with following currents. It is found that the results in these two cases are quite different. The range of KC number tested is 10- 60, the range of Reynolds number is (0.55-3.43) ×104.     

南极普里兹湾气旋的生消发展

利用1989～2000年现场观测的气象资料,特别是自1997年以来在南极考察船上接收的NOAA卫星极轨高分辨的卫星云图,研究了普里兹湾气旋的生消发展;提出了夏季绕极气旋进入普里兹湾内也会发展加强,在湾内东风带里也能生成气旋的新观点,修正了普里兹湾仅是气旋墓地的不全面说法,从而进一步完善了南极西风带绕极气旋和东风带上气旋生消发展的理论;研究了普里兹湾冰-气-海相互作用的机理,解释了气旋发生、发展的物理过程.用整体动力学输送法计算了进入普里兹湾980205号绕极气旋爆发性发展的能量交换,指出气旋在超过冰坝进入冰间湖可以获得巨大的热量,使气旋迅速发展成为具有南极特色的强风暴,风力达12级以上,平均风速为38m/s;瞬时最大风速达100m/s.     

Formation of Equilibrium Beach Profile of the Abandoned Yellow River Delta Coast in North Jiangsu

The abandoned Yellow River Delta coast is a typical erodible silty and muddy coast in China. The paper analyses the marine dynamic characteristics and the mechanism of beach erosion of this area. Analysis and calculation show that in this sea area wave and tidal current action should be considered. Based on the above analysis, an equilibrium beach profile calculation model is developed, in which the wave-current interaction is considered while sediment supply and sediment re-deposition are neglected. The model consists of four parts: (1) calculation of wave parameters, (2) calculation of velocity due to wave-current interaction at different water depth, (3) calculation of friction velocity and shear stress at different water depths, and (4) calculation of the amount of sediment erosion, erosion intensity and variation of beach profile. Calculated results are in good agreement with observed data. Finally, the evolution tendency is discussed and the equilibrium beach profile of this coast is calculated. B     

Distribution of As, Cr and V species in the Po-Adriatic mixing area, (Italy)

The distribution of dissolved and participate concentrations of As, Cr and V was investigated in the mixing area of the Po river in five surveys over the period March 1992-March 1995. The data obtained indicate noticeable contamination of coastal waters of the northern Adriatic with Cr but not As or V. Total dissolved concentrations for As and V were comparable with oceanic levels but were higher by a factor of 4 for Cr. These results suggest either low anthropogenic inputs of As and V, from terrigenous and atmospheric sources, or efficient removal mechanisms. The investigated metals had low reactivity during freshwater-seawater mixing and the distribution of concentrations in the dissolved and solid phases suggests that the dilution process is the main factor controlling the transport of these metals to the sea in low-to-medium solid transport conditions. Further investigations are required to elucidate the behavior of these metals during high solid transport conditions. Significant changes in the speciation of As occurred during the transition between the two end-member matrices. In the coastal waters of the northern Adriatic, the arsenite fraction in winter, and the arsenite and dimethylarsinate fractions in summer increased with respect to riverine waters. Changes in the speciation of chromium were minor, but also showed a small increase in reduced species in marine waters.     

Upstream dams and downstream clams: growth rates of bivalve mollusks unveil impact of river management on estuarine ecosystems (Colorado River Delta, Mexico)

We studied how the extensive diversion of Colorado River water, induced by dams and agricultural activities of the last 70 years, affected the growth rates of two abundant bivalve mollusk species (Chione cortezi and Chione fluctifraga) in the northern Gulf of California. Shells alive on the delta today (‘Post-dam’ shells) grow 5.8–27.9% faster than shells alive prior to the construction of dams (‘Pre-dam’ shells). This increase in annual shell production is linked to the currently sharply reduced freshwater influx to the Colorado River estuary. Before the upstream river management, lower salinity retarded growth rates in these bivalves. Intra-annual growth rates were 50% lower during spring and early summer, when river flow was at its maximum. Growth rates in Chione today are largely controlled by temperature and nutrients; prior to the construction of dams and the diversion of the Colorado River flow, seasonal changes in salinity played an important role in regulating calcification rates.Our study employs sclerochronological (growth increment analysis) and geochemical techniques to assess the impact of reduced freshwater influx on bivalve growth rates in the Colorado River estuary. A combination of both techniques provides an excellent tool to evaluate the impact of river management in areas where no pre-impact studies were made.     

Cyclone formation and development in the Antarctic Prydz Bay

Using meteorological data of field observation in 1990 - 2000, especially polar orbit high-resolution NOAA satellite cloud maps received from the Antarctic expedition vessel since 1997, the formation and development of the Prydz Bay cyclone are studied in this paper. Some new viewpoints are suggested such as: when surround-polar cyclone enters the Prydz Bay, it can also intensify and develop in summer; cyclone can also develop in the easterlies in this bay. These view points revise old uncom-plete view point that the Prydz Bay is a burial ground of cyclone, and also further consummate formation-development theory of surround-cyclone in the Antarctic westerlies and cyclone in the Antarctic easterlies. In this paper, the mechanism of ice-air-sea interaction in the Prydz Bay is studied, and the physical process of cyclone formation-development is explained. By use of wholly dynamic transportation method, an energy exchange case of a cyclone, which explosively developed after entering the Prydz Bay, is calcu