Effects of wave directionality on extreme response for a long end-anchored floating bridge

Reliable design codes are of great importance when constructing new civil engineering concepts such as floating bridges. Previously only a scarce number of floating bridges have been built in rough wave conditions and only limited knowledge of the extreme environmental conditions and the associated extreme response exists. To form a better design basis an increased understanding of the sensitivity in the structural response towards changes in short-crested sea parameters is needed. Furthermore, acquiring the necessary accuracy in simulated extreme response is often a computationally expensive endeavour and the number of simulations needed is often based on experience. The present study investigates the wave-induced short-term extreme response of a simplified end-anchored floating bridge concept for several wave environments with a return period of 100 years. The study includes convergence of the coefficient of variation for the extreme response for different realization lengths as well as number of realizations. The sensitivity in the structural response towards different main wave directions and spreading exponents is investigated and includes both transverse and vertical displacement response spectra and extreme Von Mises stress in the bridge girder cross-section. The extreme response is based on an accuracy of 2% in the coefficient of variation equivalent to 40 3-h realizations and a low sensitivity in the response is found for natural occurring spreading exponents and for main wave directions within 15° from beam sea.     

Dynamic metabolite alterations of Portunus trituberculatus during larval development

A mass mortality often occurs from molting to the megalopa stage during the larval development of the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus. Larvae with insuffcient nutrient accumulation during the zoeal stages are probably unable to develop into juvenile swimming crabs. However, the nutritional information such as the primary metabolites is scarce for P. trituberculatus larvae. The aim of this work is to obtain an insight into the metabolite traits of P. trituberculatus at early developmental stages. 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy coupled with multivariate data analysis was used to determine how the metabolite pro?les shift during larval development in P. trituberculatus. Our results show that the trend of total metabolites exhibited a rise from zoea 1 to zoea 3, followed by a drop from zoea 4 to megalopa and recovery during the ?rst juvenile stage. A large-scale depletion of total metabolites in the zoea 4 and megalopa stages suggests a deep depression of metabolic activity, which may be linked to the mass mortality from molting to the megalopa stage. These ?ndings provided essential metabolic information about the larval development of P. trituberculatus and important clues for understanding the nutritional requirements of P. trituberculatus in early developmental stages.     

Recreational fishing and boating: Are the determinants the same?

The research uses household survey data collected from 656 people in Townsville (adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia) within a hurdle model to investigate key factors influencing both the probability of participating and the frequency of (a) boating trips which involve fishing; (b) boating trips which do not involve fishing; and (c) land-based fishing trips. The findings suggest that there are differences in determinants, highlighting the importance of disaggregating the fishing/boating and boat/land-based experience (an uncommon practice in the literature) if wishing to obtain information for use in the design of monitoring programs, policy and/or for developing monitoring and enforcement strategies relating to fishing and boating.     

渤海盐度年代际变异对环流结构的影响

收集并利用1950年代~1990年代后共5个年代的渤海盐度统计资料,诊断计算了不同时期的渤海密度流分布及其变化。通过对比分析,揭示了冬、夏两季渤海盐度的年代际变异特征及其对环流结构的影响。结果显示,自1980年代以来,渤海的盐度格局发生了显著的变化,盐度的水平梯度减小,渤海内部盐度由明显低于海峡区向普遍高于海峡区转变。渤海密度流在冬季较弱,对总环流的贡献较小,而在夏季较强,并在总环流中占优。夏季,渤海密度流随盐度变异有所改变,在1990年代后环流系统在海区中部、渤海湾以及莱州湾呈现出局部的差异,原有流动明显减弱。夏季渤海重要断面的密度流流量和盐通量值整体上呈减小趋势,渤海与外海间的平均水及盐交换量由1950年代的7.85×104 m3/s、2.49×106kg/s降至1990年代后的7.09×104 m3/s、2.27×106 kg/s。     

北极秋季海冰密集度与中国初冬降雨之间的关系

本文通过对中国地区实测降水及北极海冰卫星数据的分析,研究了北极秋季海冰密集度与中国初冬降雨的关系。合成分析的研究结果表明2000年之前中国南方和北方冬季降水偏少,中部降水偏多,这之后中国南方和北方冬季降水增加,中部降水减少。SVD研究结果显示,北极海冰减少使得近三十年来中国南方和北方冬季降雨呈现逐渐增多,中部地区(从青藏高原向东北方向至日本)降雨逐步减少的趋势。随着北极海冰的进一步减少,如遇合适的气候条件,南方冻雨出现的概率会加大。北极秋季海冰异常的回复过程加之冬季海冰异常的延续信号在中国、蒙古及日本北部激发一个阻塞高压,以巴伦支海/卡拉海为中心激发一个异常低压。这使得来自北冰洋大西洋扇区的冷空气南下至欧洲大陆和亚洲北部,在阻塞高压的影响下,冷空气进一步南下,进入东亚地区。这不仅使得亚洲冬季温度降低,也为中国北部降水增加提供条件。     

海滩养护工程质量评价研究进展

由于自然因素和人类活动的影响等原因,世界很多海滩经受着侵蚀和破坏。而利用人工养护工程来保护和恢复海滩具有养护效果较明显、干滩面积明显增加以及不破坏环境景观的优点,目前得到越来越多国家的认可。国外由于养滩历史较久,养滩工程后的监测和质量评价不仅开展得早,而且已经成为工程的一个重要部分。评价指标已经比较完善,甚至有些国家已经将养滩效果评价列入法规框架之中。我国的海滩养护工程在十几年前才开始,虽然工程量逐年增长,但是对海滩养护工程施工后的工程监测和工程评价却较少涉及。本文对美国、荷兰、英国、丹麦以及我国等国家的海滩养护工程的工程评价工作进行总结,从而提出适用于我国工程特点的养滩工程质量评价因子和方法。     

Numerical study of the meridional overturning circulation with “mixing hotspots” in the Pacific Ocean

Using an idealized ocean general circulation model, we examine the effect of “mixing hotspots” (localized regions of intense diapycnal mixing) predicted based on internal wave-wave interaction theory (Hibiya et al., 2006) on the meridional overturning circulation of the Pacific Ocean. Although the assumed diapycnal diffusivity in the mixing hotspots is a little larger than the predicted value, the upwelling in the mixing hotspots is not sufficient to balance the deep-water production; out of 17 Sv of the downwelled water along the southern boundary, only 9.2 Sv is found to upwell in the mixing hotspots. The imbalance as much as 7.8 Sv is compensated by entrainment into the surface mixed layer in the vicinity of the downwelling region. As a result, the northward transport of the deep water crossing the equator is limited to 5.5 Sv, much less than estimated from previous current meter moorings and hydrographic surveys. One plausible explanation for this is that the magnitude of the meridional overturning circulation of the Pacific Ocean has been overestimated by these observations. We raise doubts about the validity of the previous ocean general circulation models where diapycnal diffusivity is assigned ad hoc to attain the current magnitude suggested from current meter moorings and hydrographic surveys.     

Determination of cadmium(II), copper(II), manganese(II) and nickel(II) species in Antarctic seawater with complexing resins

The strong species of cadmium(II), copper(II), manganese(II) and nickel(II) in an Antarctic seawater sample are investigated by a method based on the sorption of metal ions on complexing resins. The resins compete with the ligands present in the sample to combine with the metal ions. Two resins with different adsorbing strengths were used. Very stable metal complexes were investigated with the strong sorbent Chelex 100 and weaker species with the less strong resin, Amberlite CG-50. Strong species were detected for three of the considered metal ions, but not for Mn(II). Cu(II) is completely linked to species with a side reaction coefficient as high as log α_M(I) = 11.6 at pH = 7.3. The ligand concentration was found to be similar to that of the metal ion, and the conditional stability constant was around 10²⁰ M^− 1. In the considered sample, only a fraction of the metal ions Cd(II) and Ni(II) is bound to the strong ligands, with side reaction coefficients equal to log α_M(I) = 5.5 and 6.5 at pH = 7.3 for Cd(II) and Ni(II), respectively. These findings were confirmed by the test with the weaker sorbent Amberlite CG-50. It can be calculated from the sorption equilibria that neither Mn(II) nor Ni(II) is adsorbed on Amberlite CG-50 under the considered conditions and, in fact, only a negligible fraction of Mn(II) and Ni(II) was adsorbed. A noticeable fraction of Cd(II) was adsorbed on Amberlite CG-50, meaning that cadmium(II) is partially linked to weak ligands, possibly chloride, while no copper(II) was adsorbed on this resin, confirming that copper(II) is only combined in strong species. These results are similar, but not identical, to those obtained for other seawater samples examined in previous investigations.     

Flexible management of fishing rights and a sustainable fisheries industry in Europe

Although overexploitation of commercial fish stocks in European waters has been in the public debate now for more than 20 years, the European Union has so far failed to implement sustainable fisheries management. Millions in subsidies paid to the fishing industry have led to significant excess capacity in the fishing fleet. Various feeble attempts to stop overexploitation of marine resources have failed. The cause is that fishing policy is highly dominated by short-term socioeconomic interests. There is an urgent need for a new fisheries management system in Europe that supports reductions in the fishing fleet, increases responsibility among fishers and guarantees long-term conservation of natural marine resources.Transferable rights to fish have proved a reliable and effective means of creating incentives to conserve marine resources. By strengthening individual fishing rights under flexible quota management systems, the EU Member States could, within the Common Fisheries Policy, make a significant contribution to conserving fish stocks, to reducing excess capacity and to raising the profitability of the fisheries industry. A closer look at existing reservations against a flexible management system shows most of the objections to be overstated or capable of resolution.     

2010年5月与2013年6月黄、渤海大型底栖动物群落组成和结构的比较研究

基于2010年5月和2013年6月采集的黄、渤海海域的大型底栖动物数据,对该海域大型底栖动物的种类组成和群落结构等进行了研究,对该海域大型底栖动物群落结构的时间和空间差异进行了分析,并利用AMBI和m-AMBI生物指数对各站位的生态质量状况进行了评估。研究结果表明:在2010年5月和2013年6月所采站位的大型底栖动物共有131种,其中软体动物和甲壳动物占据了较大比例的物种数量,分别为51种和42种;其次为鱼类、多毛类和棘皮动物。该海域的优势物种为日本鼓虾 Alpheus japonicus、日本褐虾 Crangon hakodatei、司氏盖蛇尾Stegophiura sladeni和奇异指纹蛤Acila mirabilis,其中司氏盖蛇尾具有最大的丰度和优势度。生物指数(AMBI和m-AMBI)的结果显示黄、渤海区域底栖生态环境仍相对稳定,但与历史资料比较得知,该海域大型底栖动物生存环境整体趋于恶化。