Ocean governance and maritime security in a placeful environment: The case of the European Union

Adopting a critical geopolitics approach that accounts for the mutually reinforcing link between geo-informed narratives and projection practices, this article proposes that ocean governance and maritime security have translated into states' and regional organisations' increasing control over maritime spaces. This leads to a certain territorialisation of the sea, not so much from a sovereignty and jurisdictional perspective but from a functional and normative perspective. The article starts by discussing the ways oceans have been represented and shows that they are far from a placeless void, both in practice and in discourse. The article then frames the analysis of ocean governance and maritime security within critical geopolitics, and elaborates on the case of the European Union's narrative and practice. It concludes on the mutually reinforcing link between discourse and practice in the field of ocean governance and maritime security in general, and on the consequences for the EU in particular. Scholars working on ocean governance and maritime security are encouraged to challenge the traditional view that oceans are placeless.     

Missing the boat: Critical threats to coral reefs are neglected at global scale

Coral reefs have experienced a global decline due to overfishing, pollution, and warming oceans that are becoming increasingly acidic. To help halt and reverse this decline, interventions should be aimed at those threats reef experts and managers identify as most severe. The survey included responses from 170 managers, representing organizations from 50 countries and territories, and found that respondents generally agreed on the two major threats: overfishing and coastal development. However, resource allocation did not match this consensus on major threats. In particular, while overfishing receives much attention, coastal development and its attendant pollution are largely neglected and underfunded. These results call for a re-examination of how resources are allocated in coral reef conservation, with more attention given to aligning how money is spent with what are perceived to be the primary threats.     

基于耳石微结构的西北太平洋秋刀鱼(Cololabis saira)年龄与生长研究

根据2014年6月和10-11月在西北太平洋公海采集的168尾秋刀鱼样本,基于耳石微结构并结合基础生物学数据,鉴定了秋刀鱼的日龄,推算了孵化日期,并建立了生长模型和生长率。研究发现:耳石微结构从核心到透明区边缘,轮纹宽度由宽至窄,亮度由暗至明,标记轮多分布在透明区。日龄范围为204~549 d,优势日龄组为231~290 d和381~470 d,日龄最小个体体长207 mm,体质量39 g,日龄最大个体体长291 mm,体质量131 g。孵化日期为2012年12月至2014年4月,孵化高峰期出现在1-3月和8-10月,初步推算秋刀鱼主要分为春生群和秋生群产卵群体。体长和体质量生长模型符合Logistic生长模型。体长平均绝对生长率和相对生长率别为0.224 mm/d和0.000 88,绝对生长率随着日龄增加而减小。体质量平均绝对生长率和相对生长率别为0.293 g/d和0.003 25,最大绝对生长率（0.504 mm/d）和最大相对生长率（0.004 86）出现在351~400 d。     

大连市滨海湿地现状及加强管护工作对策研究

文章利用遥感技术获取了大连市2016年滨海湿地基本状况信息,通过实地调查和查阅资料基本摸清了研究区水鸟及栖息地概况,收集整理了研究区开展滨海湿地管理与保护工作情况,简要阐释了当前滨海湿地管护工作中存在的功能退化等问题,辨识性分析了引发问题的填海造地、建设力度与保护经费不足等驱动力因素,提出了应从健全滨海湿地管理与保护制度机制、加大新建保护区与已建保护区管护工作力度、开展生态修复工作、开展滨海湿地生态补偿工作、严格自然滨海湿地开发利用管理和加强滨海湿地调查监测6个方面加强滨海湿地管护工作的对策及建设性意见。     

Distribution of calcareous nannoplankton in surface sediments along the northern KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

The coccolith assemblages from seafloor sediments over the inner shelf in the northern region of the KwaZulu- Natal Bight on the east coast of South Africa were identified and their distribution determined. In all, 29 Recent species and taxonomic groups, as well as 29 reworked species were recorded. The distribution of the Recent species appears to be governed by environmental features that have been documented in other studies: temperature, salinity, nutrient concentration and water circulation pattern, which reveals the long-term existence of a circulation cell in the sector between Durban Bay and the Thukela River. The outer edge of the cell consists of nutrient-enriched mixed layers and is characterised by an enhanced abundance of Gephyrocapsa oceanica, whereas the central region consists of a stratified nutrient-depleted water mass with elevated abundance of Umbilicosphaera sibogae, Florisphaera profunda, and a group of umbelliform species. The elevated levels of G. oceanica, coupled with the rarity of U. sibogae, F. profunda and the umbelliform species, confirm the presence of a permanent upwelling cell off Richards Bay. The maximum abundance of F. profunda found between Richards Bay and Lake Nhlabane indicates a region of nutrient-depleted (except for nitrite) conditions.     

中太平洋深海沉积物中元素组合特征及地质意义

深海沉积物中稀土(REY,包括Y)是继多金属结核、富钴结壳和热液硫化物之后又一有潜力的深海矿产资源。对中太平洋46个富稀土的沉积物样品(∑REY=(730~1 596)×10-6)和53个相对贫稀土的沉积物样品(∑REY=(324~487)×10-6)进行主微量和稀土地球化学分析,利用聚类分析和因子分析法,对元素组合特征进行了分析,划分元素组合和4个主因子。综合特征表明,2类沉积物REY的富集均与磷酸盐有关,REY含量高低取决于磷酸盐含量,但沉积物的形成具有多源多期的特点,富REY沉积物中铝硅酸岩(黏土矿物和沸石)对沉积物中磷酸盐富集REY的过程具有重要的促进作用,而在贫REY沉积物中铝硅酸岩对REY的富集意义不明显。     

Contrasting hydrography and phytoplankton distribution in the upper layers of cyclonic eddies in the Mozambique Basin and Mozambique Channel

Hydrographic data collected in cyclonic eddies in the Mozambique Channel and Basin revealed notable differences in temperature and salinity at a depth of 100 m, the upper mixed layer, the nitracline depths, and vertical distribution of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). Differences in temperature and salinity did not show any consistent patterns. In contrast, the differences in the upper mixed layer, nitracline depths and the vertical Chl-a profile appeared to be driven by combined effects of eddy dynamics (i.e. shoaling of isopleths) and the seasonal variation in light availability and mixing conditions in the upper layers. Cyclonic eddies studied during austral spring and summer in the Mozambique Channel exhibited shallower upper mixed layers and nitracline depths, and deeper euphotic zones. Distinct subsurface Chl-a maxima (SCM) were associated with the stratified conditions in the upper layers of these eddies. In contrast, a cyclonic eddy studied during mid-austral winter in the Mozambique Basin had a shallower euphotic zone, deeper upper mixed layer and uniform Chl-a profiles. Another eddy sampled in the Mozambique Basin toward the end of winter showed a less pronounced SCM and roughly equal euphotic zone and upper mixed layer depths, suggestive of a transition from a well-mixed upper layer during winter to stratified conditions in summer.     

Spatio‐temporal variation in density and size structure of the endangered sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus in Huatulco National Park,Mexico

The brown sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus (Ludwig, 1875) has been subjected to strong fishing pressure and is currently considered an endangered species by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Spatial and temporal variations in density were analysed and population parameters of I. fuscus were estimated in three localities of the Southern Mexican Pacific. Density was estimated using circular transects covering a 300 m² area in each locality. Body length and weight were also measured. The mean density was 0.018 ± 0.013 individuals·m^?2, and was statistically significantly lower during summer. The mean length and weight were 22.4 ± 3.8 cm and 396 ± 130 g, respectively, and statistically significant differences were found among localities. The weight–length relationship was W = 0.28·L^1.32 and the mean relative condition index (Kn) = 1.04 ± 0.31. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was L_t = 38.7·(1–exp^(?0.4·t)). The lowest values of length, weight and age were found at Dos Hermanas, suggesting that this locality could be favorable for the settlement of larvae and recruitment and growth of juveniles. The present study is the second to estimate densities of I. fuscus and the first one to publish data on size structure and growth for the population at Bahias de Huatulco. The densities were so low in the three sampled localities that none of them would be able to support a fishery, even under a sustainable management scheme. The information collected in the present study could be helpful for management programs of the Huatulco National Park, as all the data used for these currently come mainly from the populations of I. fuscus in the Gulf of California.     

Heterogeneous Gravity Data Fusion and Gravimetric Quasigeoid Computation in the Coastal Area of China

ABSTRACT

Different types of gravity observations are available over coastal areas. The main challenge for coastal geoid determination is the proper fusion of heterogeneous gravity data including land, shipborne, airborne, and altimetry-derived gravity data. This paper describes the gravity data fusion and the computation of the gravimetric quasigeoid in the coastal area of mainland China. An iterative procedure of the weighted least-squares prediction based on rectangular harmonic functions is used for merging the land, altimetric, shipborne, and airborne gravity data. Applying the analytical continuation method in Molodensky's theoretic frame, the merged gravity data are then used to determine the gravimetric quasigeoid model by using the generalized Stokes' integral in a remove-compute-restore fashion. The gravimetric quasigeoid model is compared with the height anomalies determined at 662 GPS leveling points over the coastal region of mainland China, where both the geodetic height and the normal height are known. The standard deviations of the differences in the coastal provinces range from 1.8 to 4.4 cm. For the entire computation area, the mean and standard deviation of the differences are 27.9 and 3.9 cm, respectively.     

东太平洋CC区西区表层沉积物黏土矿物和地球化学特征

本文以太平洋CC区西区12个表层沉积物样品作为研究对象,对其粒度、化学组分和矿物成分进行分析,讨论其沉积环境和物质来源。研究区地处深海,主要以深海黏土和硅钙质黏土为主,含有少量的硅质黏土、黏土质硅质软泥和黏土质钙质软泥。黏土矿物成分主要是蒙皂石和伊利石,含有部分的高岭石和绿泥石。黏土矿物组成表明,区内沉积物主要是陆源,由高空气流携带而来,南极底流和热液活动对其物源的来源有一定影响。沉积物地球化学特征也表明,物源以陆源为主,稀土元素分布曲线和北太平洋表层海水稀土曲线类似,且表现出强的Ce亏损,表明生物活动导致的生物沉降对表层沉积物也有一定的影响。