Historical abundance of juvenile commercial fish in coastal habitats: Implications for fish habitat management in Canada

An important component of science-based fisheries policy is the provision of habitat adequate for population renewal. In Canada, the Fisheries Act pays little attention to managing fish habitat, and was further weakened by changes enacted in 2012. Specifically, determining the role of fish habitat in contributing to fisheries and fish stock recovery is challenging when many stocks have severely declined and no longer occupy former habitats. This study compared the abundance of juvenile fish in coastal vegetated habitats before and after collapse or decline of groundfish stocks in Atlantic Canada. This comparison was done by compiling past studies that surveyed juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and pollock (Pollachius virens) in vegetated habitats across three provinces. Two studies were repeated, and one that already had post-collapse data was analyzed to quantify long-term changes in juvenile abundance. In all three cases substantial reduction in juvenile abundance coincided with declines in adult stocks. However, juvenile fish still occur in coastal habitats and could aid in adult stock recovery. The current version of the Canadian Fisheries Act requires presence of an ongoing fishery to trigger habitat protection. This is problematic as low fish abundance may lead to lowered habitat protection and potentially habitat degradation, with less or lesser-quality habitat for fish in the future. Thus, recommendations are made to repeal the 2012 Fisheries Act changes and enhance current fish habitat legislation. Using a precautionary approach for coastal fish habitat management, particularly in valuing its potential for fish stock recovery, would strengthen Canadian fisheries management.     

新疆甜水海地块种羊场石炭纪火山岩年代学和地球化学:岩石成因和地质意义

甜水海地块西段的种羊场地区发育一套互层状产出的玄武岩-玄武安山岩-流纹岩,本文对其进行了岩石学、同位素年代学和地球化学研究。结果表明,流纹岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年获得三组年龄:343.5±4.1Ma表明火山岩的形成时代为早石炭纪,2439±26Ma和1988±36Ma说明甜水海地块存在前寒武纪结晶基底。其中玄武质岩石岩性从拉斑系列、钙碱性系列向碱性系列过渡,呈现出E-MORB(OIB)、大陆板内拉张和岛弧的混合特征,与典型弧后盆地Okinawa玄武岩有一定的差异,表明其可能是异常陆缘弧后盆地拉张裂解的产物。玄武质岩石和流纹岩的主量元素、稀土元素和微量元素比值对的差异表明它们不是同源岩浆演化的产物,玄武质岩石的源区为类似E-MORB(OIB)的岩石圈地幔,且发生了部分熔融,原始岩浆上升过程中经历了矿物分离结晶和地壳混染作用。流纹岩属于高硅高碱的钙碱性火山岩,是上地壳部分熔融的产物。种羊场早石炭纪火山岩可能代表了古特提洋西端早期扩张的记录,为西昆仑-喀喇昆仑地区晚古生代多岛洋格局提供了新的证据。     

Distribution and seasonal abundance of large cetaceans in the Durban whaling grounds off KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa, 1972–1975

Daily charts of the aerial search effort (432 206 nautical miles) of the Union Whaling Company and 1 099 sightings of 10 497 whales were available from 628 flights off Durban between 1972 and 1975. Densities of whales were analysed by month and water depth distribution over the four-year period. Low observed densities of blue Balaenoptera musculus, right Eubalaena australis, sei B. borealis and humpback Megaptera novaeangliae whales most likely resulted from earlier whaling pressure. Seasonality of blue, sei and humpback whales was bimodal, indicative of winter migrations to the north of the Durban whaling grounds, whereas the unimodal seasonality of fin whales B. physalus and minke whales B. bonaerensis or B. acutorostrata suggest the offshore region as the northern terminus of their migrations. Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus migrate northwards offshore of the KwaZulu-Natal coast in autumn/early winter and southwards in late winter/spring, with larger males migrating later than the smaller males and females. Killer whale Orcinus orca presence was coincident with that of offshore minke whales and the southward migrations of other baleen whales, whereas densities of animals deemed as bottlenose whale Hyperoodon planifrons suggest strong early and late summer seasonal abundance in the offshore region. Such extensive surveys offshore of the KwaZulu-Natal coast are unlikely to be repeated; hence, data-extraction of whaling records provides a valuable source of seasonal and distributional information for marine management.     

The Southwest Indian Ocean thermocline dome in CMIP5 models: Historical simulation and future projection

Using 20 models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), the simulation of the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO) thermocline dome is evaluated and its role in shaping the Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) mode following El Niño investigated. In most of the CMIP5 models, due to an easterly wind bias along the equator, the simulated SWIO thermocline is too deep, which could further influence the amplitude of the interannual IOB mode. A model with a shallow (deep) thermocline dome tends to simulate a strong (weak) IOB mode, including key attributes such as the SWIO SST warming, antisymmetric pattern during boreal spring, and second North Indian Ocean warming during boreal summer. Under global warming, the thermocline dome deepens with the easterly wind trend along the equator in most of the models. However, the IOB amplitude does not follow such a change of the SWIO thermocline among the models; rather, it follows future changes in both ENSO forcing and local convection feedback, suggesting a decreasing effect of the deepening SWIO thermocline dome on the change in the IOB mode in the future.     

2012年夏季北极浮冰生物群落结构及垂直分布特征研究

海冰生物群落是北极生态系统的重要组成部分,在北冰洋初级生产和碳循环中扮演着重要角色。本文利用荧光显微分析技术对2012年度夏季采集于北冰洋中心区的浮冰生物群落进行了分析,结果显示：柱总生物量平均为105.85±53.41 mgC •m^-2,其中细菌占生物量的47.2%,而后依次是硅藻（26.7%）,鞭毛虫（18.2%）,鞭毛藻（6.9%）和纤毛虫（1.0%）。最高纬站位（123°43.454′E 87°39.598′N）出现冰底鞭毛藻藻华现象,生物量可达329.6 μg C•L^-1,该站位生物群落处于硅藻藻华后期,海冰上层存在较大程度的融冰作用,底部冰芯营养盐N/P比较高,可能形成有利于鞭毛藻生长的小生境。与已有研究结果的对比表明,近年来夏季北极海冰的快速融化对浮冰生物群落结构产生了明显影响,异养类群生物量升高,细菌取代硅藻成为优势类群。     

基于水位控制的黄河三角洲退化滨海湿地恢复及其短期效应

针对黄河三角洲滨海湿地严重退化盐碱化问题,于2015年5月设计实施了微地形改造营造和水位控制相结合的生态恢复方案,并评估了恢复工程的初步效果。结果表明:生态工程实施3个月后,恢复区植被、水域和裸地面积发生显著变化,植被比例从18.8%上升到30.5%,水域比例从7.4%上升到53.2%,裸地面积从73.8%降低到16.3%,湿地的改善为鸟类提供了多样化的生境。底栖动物从无到有开始拓殖,至2015年9月已发现大型底栖动物14种。自2015年9月至2016年3月,共有35种鸟类,包括13种重点保护鸟类在该区域栖息觅食。相对于简单围封补充淡水的传统恢复方式,本研究设计的生态恢复方案效果更为显著,在该区的生态恢复和重建中具有一定的推广价值。     

南大洋表层海水酸化研究进展

海洋酸化是全球变化的一个关注点,南大洋CO2吸收量占海洋对人为CO2的吸收量的30%—40%,同时,南大洋是缓冲能力较低、生态系统脆弱的高纬海域,所以,理解南大洋海水酸化过程及其控制因素就显得尤为重要。海水酸化引起海水中碳酸根离子(CO2-3)的浓度、碳酸钙饱和度(Ω)降低,这对成钙类生物碳酸钙(包括文石和方解石)的形成有害,最终可能对生态系统造成危害。了解海洋酸化的影响、预测酸化对海水碳酸盐体系和生态系统的影响具有重要意义。因此,本文对目前南大洋的开阔大洋区以及两个具有代表性的边缘海和海湾的酸化研究概况进行了梳理,试图对南大洋表层海水酸化的研究进行概述、展望未来南大洋海洋酸化研究趋势并提出一些亟须解决的问题。     

潮汐混合对大西洋经圈翻转环流(AMOC)模拟影响的数值模拟研究

海洋中的潮汐混合对大西洋经圈翻转环流AMOC(Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation)模拟的影响是海洋环流模式研究的热点问题之一。本文采用IAP/LASG发展的气候系统海洋模式LICOM(LASG/IAP Climate system Ocean Model)及与海冰耦合模式进行了有无潮汐混合方案的试验,重点探讨了潮汐混合对AMOC强度模拟的影响。结果显示,引入潮汐混合后模拟的AMOC强度极大值比对照试验增加约1倍,更接近RAPID(Rapid Climate Change Programme)观测。而且,潮汐混合试验中模拟的AMOC上层环流深度(3200 m)比对照试验加深1000 m左右,同样更接近RAPID观测。海洋底部的垂直混合增强,使海洋层结变得更加不稳定,加强了北大西洋高纬地区,特别是拉布拉多海等地区的深对流,这是AMOC加强的直接原因。同时,潮汐混合试验中上层海洋环流也加强,增加了中低纬副热带高盐海水向高纬输送,使表层增密,海洋层结更加不稳定,也可以进一步增强AMOC。     

南印度洋热带气旋生成频数气候变率对海温异常模响应的研究

基于1980—2014年的哈德莱中心海冰及海温的月平均SST资料,美国联合台风警报中心(JTWC)的best-track资料以及NCEP/NCAR再分析月平均资料,利用广义平衡反馈方法(GEFA)研究南印度洋热带气旋(TC)生成频数对海表温度异常的响应特征。研究表明:(1)南印度TC生成频数对北太平洋第一模态(NP1)和热带大西洋第二模态(TA2)有显著响应,分别通过了置信度为99%和96%的Monte-Carlo检验,对应的响应振幅分别为0.67和0.49。(2)局地环境要素对关键SSTA模的GEFA响应结果显示:当NP1出现类似于太平洋年代际振荡(PDO)的正位相时,850 h Pa相对涡度在15°S附近的印度洋海域上都有一个自西向东的显著正响应带,垂直风切变在马达加斯加以东的大部分海域都表现为显著的负响应,600 h Pa相对湿度在马达加斯加以东的部分海域表现为显著的正响应;当TA2对应的时间系数为正异常时,850 h Pa相对涡度和600 h Pa相对湿度在澳大利亚的西北部印度洋海域表现为显著的正响应,垂直风切变在澳大利亚的西北部印度洋海域表现为显著的负响应。     

North-East monsoon rainfall extremes over the southern peninsular India and their association with El Niño

The present study investigates the relationship between extreme north-east (NE) monsoon rainfall (NEMR) over the Indian peninsula region and El Niño forcing. This turns out to be a critical science issue especially after the 2015 Chennai flood. The puzzle being while most El Niños favour good NE monsoon, some don’t. In fact some El Niño years witnessed deficit NE monsoon. Therefore two different cases (or classes) of El Niños are considered for analysis based on standardized NEMR index and Niño 3.4 index with case-1 being both Niño-3.4 and NEMR indices greater than +1 and case-2 being Niño-3.4 index greater than +1 and NEMR index less than −1. Composite analysis suggests that SST anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific are strong in both cases but large differences are noted in the spatial distribution of SST over the Indo-western Pacific region. This questions our understanding of NEMR as mirror image of El Niño conditions in the Pacific. It is noted that the favourable excess NEMR in case-1 is due to anomalous moisture transport from Bay of Bengal and equatorial Indian Ocean to southern peninsular India. Strong SST gradient between warm western Indian Ocean (and Bay of Bengal) and cool western Pacific induced strong easterly wind anomalies during NE monsoon season favour moisture transport towards the core NE monsoon region. Further anomalous moisture convergence and convection over the core NE monsoon region supported positive rainfall anomalies in case-1. While in case-2, weak SST gradients over the Indo-western Pacific and absence of local low level convergence over NE monsoon region are mainly responsible for deficit rainfall. The ocean dynamics in the Indian Ocean displayed large differences during case-1 and case-2, suggesting the key role of Rossby wave dynamics in the Indian Ocean on NE monsoon extremes. Apart from the large scale circulation differences the number of cyclonic systems land fall for case-1 and case-2 have also contributed for variations in NE monsoon rainfall extremes during El Niño years. This study indicates that despite having strong warming in the central and eastern Pacific, NE monsoon rainfall variations over the southern peninsular India is mostly determined by SST gradient over the Indo-western Pacific region and number of systems formation in the Bay of Bengal and their land fall. The paper concludes that though the favourable large scale circulation induced by Pacific is important in modulating the NE monsoon rainfall the local air sea interaction plays a key role in modulating or driving rainfall extremes associated with El Niño.