基于同轴差距测量法的南海深水海底沉积物声衰减特性研究

通过分析沉积物声波测量过程能量损失的实质,阐述平行轴差距衰减测量法和垂直轴差距衰减测量法的研究基础——差动式衰减测量方法原理,并推导了其衰减系数公式。根据南海沉积物的柱状样品分装的特点,结合以上两种方法,提出了同轴差距衰减测量法,这种方法具有原理上的合理性并且其可操作性强;运用此方法测量了沉积物在常温和温度控制变化条件下的声波信号,计算了衰减系数,研究了温度对沉积物声波传播能量的影响,得出南海深水海底沉积物具有以下声衰减特性：沉积物含砂量高,声衰减系数大;随着温度的升高,沉积物的声衰减系数变化具有不均匀性,整体呈非线性减小趋势。以上研究将为声学遥测和反演海底沉积物的物理力学特性提供数据和方法支持。     

Onshore sandbar migration at Tairua Beach (New Zealand): Numerical simulations and field measurements

We observed the onshore migration (3.5 m/day) of a nearshore sandbar at Tairua Beach, New Zealand during 4 days of low-energy wave conditions. The morphological observations, together with concurrent measurements of waves and suspended sediment concentrations, were used to test a coupled, wave-averaged, cross-shore model. Because of the coarse bed material and the relatively low-energy conditions, the contribution of the suspended transport to the total transport was predicted and observed to be negligible. The model predicted the bar to move onshore because of the feedback between near-bed wave skewness, bedload, and the sandbar under weakly to non-breaking conditions at high tide. The predicted bathymetric evolution contrasts, however, with the observations that the bar migrated onshore predominantly at low tide. Also, the model flattened the bar, while in the observations the sandbar retained its steep landward-facing flank. A comparison between available observations and numerical simulations suggests that onshore propagating surf zone bores in very shallow water (< 0.25 m) may have been responsible for most of the observed bar behaviour. These processes are missing from the applied model and, given that the observed conditions can be considered typical of very shallow sandbars, highlight a priority for further field study and model development. The possibility that the excess water transported by the bores across the bar was channelled alongshore to near-by rip-channels further implies that traditional cross-shore measures to judge the applicability of a cross-shore morphodynamic model may be misleading.     

Profiling Planctomycetales diversity with reference to anammox‐related bacteria in a South China Sea,deep‐sea sediment

A systematic assessment of Planctomycetales diversity in a South China Sea, deep‐sea sediment (1657 m) was conducted using the 16S rRNA gene analysis approach. PCR amplification of the samples from seven sediment layers (0.1, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 m below the surface sediment) using the primer set Pla‐46‐F/1392‐R showed that the Planctomycetales existed within a limited range of sediment depths (≤ 5 m), and had a decreasing trend in diversity with increasing depth. The majority of the retrieved Pla‐46‐F/1392‐R sequences belonged to Pirellula‐related Planctomycetales, and two sequences retrieved from the 0.1‐m layer (GenBank accession numbers: DQ996944 and DQ996945 ) shared the same anammox‐related signature oligonucleotides and were closely related to commonly recognized anammox organisms. To identify new anammox‐related biomarkers, three primer sets were designed for amplifying the fragments of hydroxylamine oxidoreductase and S‐adenosylmethionine radical enzyme genes, but no related sequences were found. Our multiple 16S rRNA gene primer sets (Journal of Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology, 2008, in press) revealed even an higher diversity of Planctomycetales in the 0.1‐m layer of the sediment, especially at genus level. Our data profiled the distribution pattern of Planctomycetales diversity along sediment depths, and provided molecular evidence for the existence of anammox‐related bacteria in a new location, which broadens our understanding of Planctomycetales diversity in deep sea sediments.     

Heavy metals,polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides in the surface sediments of mangrove swamps from coastal sites along the Leizhou Peninsula, South China

Contents of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PA Hs）, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes （DDTs） and hexachlorcy- clohexanes （HCHs） in surface sediments from mangrove areas of the Leizhou Peninsula were analyzed in July and November 2005. Risk assessment criteria applied by Long E R et al. （1995） and Long E D et al. （1995） （effects range low, ERL; effects range mean, ERM） of chemicals in sediments from the gulf or estuary were used to assess the potential ecological risks of heavy metals, PAHs, DDTs and HCHs to aquatic organisms in the studied area. The results indicated that the average contents of zinc, nickel, chromium, lead, copper, arsenic and mercury were （61.97 ± 55.87）, （59.99 ± 39.01 ）, （47.93 ± 28.37）, （26.64± 13.00） , （23.45 ± 41.96）, （9.32 ± 3.62）, （0.14 ± 0.18） mg/kg in dry weight in the sediment samples col- lected from five studied sites in the Leizhou Peninsula, respectively. Cadmium was not calculated due to its content being below the detection limit （ 〈 0.3 mg,/kg）. The average levels of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg exceed their background values. The average contents of Ni were higher than ERM. The contents of PAHs in the sediments from the five studied sites were （79.78 ± 43.70） ng/g in dry weight, far lower than ERL（4 022 ng/g）. The contents of DDE, DDD and DDTs in the sediments from five studied sites were （2.60 ± 4.68）, （ 17.52 ± 27.25 ）, （27.78 ± 46.64） ng/g in dry weight respectively, clearly higher than ERL, and the average contents of DDT were （7.66 ± 15.93） ng/g in dry weight, much higher than ERM. HCHs could be detected in the sediments only from Gaoqiao sampling site, with the average contents （0.07 ± 0.08） ng/g in dry weight.     

Spatial changes in a macrozoobenthic community along environmental gradients in a shallow brackish lagoon facing Sendai Bay, Japan

The spatial distribution, abundance, and assemblage structure of macrozoobenthos were examined at 45 stations in a brackish lagoon (Idoura Lagoon, Japan) to examine the animal–environmental relations in estuarine soft-bottom habitats. We found a total of 23 taxa; the polychaetes Heteromastus sp., Hediste spp., and Prionospio japonica and the isopod Cyathura muromiensis numerically dominated the community. Cluster analysis and one-way analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) identified seven groups of stations that had significantly different macrozoobenthic communities; these were subsequently consolidated into five habitat groups according to their association with environmental characteristics. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that salinity, silt-clay content, and the oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) of the sediment strongly affected the macrozoobenthos distribution pattern in the lagoon, whereas other factors (e.g., relative elevation of the habitat and sediment organic content) had much weaker effects. Similarity percentages (SIMPER) procedures indicated that the polychaete Notomastus sp. and the bivalve Macoma contabulata were specific to habitats with low salinity and reduced mud, whereas the bivalve Nuttallia olivacea was specific to sandy bottoms. Heteromastus sp. and Hediste spp. achieved their highest densities in rather oxidized sediments. The acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) content in the sediment was suggested as another possible factor affecting macrozoobenthic density. Our results clearly demonstrate that macrozoobenthic assemblages in estuarine soft-bottoms have high spatial heterogeneity on a small scale (e.g., hundreds of meters) related to physical and chemical environmental changes. Our data also suggested the importance of sediment redox condition (e.g., ORP and AVS content) and sediment grain size as structuring factors in estuarine soft-bottom communities as well as the salinity in the habitat.     

Detecting environmental change in estuaries: Nutrient and heavy metal distributions in sediment cores in estuaries from the Gulf of Finland,Baltic Sea

Historical sediment nutrient concentrations and heavy metal distributions were studied in four estuaries in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea to examine the response of these estuaries to temporal changes in human activities. Cores were collected using a 1-m Mackereth corer and dated using ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs. The cores were analyzed for total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), organic phosphorus (OP), inorganic phosphorus (IP), biogenic silica (BSi), loss-on-ignition (LOI), Cu, Zn, Al, Fe, Mn, K, Ca, Mg and Na. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to summarize the trends in the chemical variables and to compare the trends at the different sites. Applying the 1986 ¹³⁷Cs date as a reference point, ²¹⁰Pb chronologies were constructed for the sites using either the CRS model or a composite model (using both CIC and CRS). Significant increases were observed in sedimentation rates, TP and TN concentrations in all of the cores. Copper showed clear increases from 1850 towards present at all sites. Furthermore, redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to correlate environmental variables (catchment land use, catchment size, estuary surface area, depth and lake percentage) to sediment geochemistry. Based on redundancy analysis (RDA), the percentage of agriculture in the catchment was the most important factor affecting the sediment accumulation rate. Urban land-use types and industry correlate well with sediment Cu and Ca concentrations. Forest areas were related to high sediment BSi concentrations. Catchment land use was the most significant factor affecting sediment geochemical composition and sediment accumulation rates in these coastal embayments. Our results demonstrate that the coastal estuaries of the Gulf of Finland respond to the increased nutrient loading with the increased sedimentation and nutrient accumulation rates.     

Temporal and spatial changes of dunes in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary,China

The response of subaqueous dunes to the variation of riverine sediment supply in an estuary is rarely reported. Five sets of field measurements of bed sediments and topography were made in the Changjiang estuary, China during dry and flood seasons for the past 9 years. Results show that dunes were mainly three-dimensional (3D) during flood seasons and two-dimensional (2D) dunes during dry seasons. Dunes were also much larger in flood seasons. Dunes mainly occurred within the main channels of the estuary although they extended 11.7 km seaward of their normal extent in the South Channel during dry seasons from 2002 to 2006. This extension of the dune field is likely due to a sharp decline of sediment discharge caused by large reservoirs such as Three Gorges.     

The effect of bedform dynamics on computing suspended sediment fluxes using optical backscatter sensors and current meters

The sensitivity of the suspended sediment flux is tested with respect to rapid changes in bed-level across the surf zone of a sandy beach. The suspended flux was computed using a fixed instrument array, but bed-level changes due to ripple migration caused the instrument elevations to be significantly changed during the course of the experiment. The nominal elevations of the instruments were adjusted during data processing (using the MOBS array) to maintain a fixed elevation with respect to bed-level changes. The resultant suspended sediment concentrations and fluxes were significantly different from the unadjusted data, and for the present data set O(35%) less when averaged over the tide. The maximum difference between adjusted and unadjusted fluxes may be O(260%). The results indicate that changes in bed-level, particularly those due to bedform migration, must be accounted for when processing OBS data if reliable estimates of suspended sediment transport are to be obtained in the field.     

Lagrangian measurements and modelling of fluid advection in the inner surf and swash zones

New laboratory and field data are presented on fluid advection into the swash zone. The data illustrate the region of the inner surf zone from which sediment can be directly advected into the swash zone during a single uprush, which is termed the advection length. Experiments were conducted by particle tracking in a Lagrangian reference frame, and were performed for monochromatic breaking waves, solitary bores, non-breaking solitary waves and field conditions. The advection length is normalised by the run-up length to give an advection ratio, A, and different advection ratios are identified on the basis of the experimental data. The data show that fluid enters the swash zone from a region of the inner surf zone that can extend a distance seaward of the bore collapse location that is approximately equal to half of the run-up length. This region is about eight times wider than the region predicted by the classical swash solution of Shen and Meyer [Shen, M.C., Meyer, R.E., 1963. Climb of a bore on a beach. Part 3. Runup. Journal of Fluid Mechanics 16, 113–125], as illustrated by Pritchard and Hogg [Pritchard, D., Hogg, A.J., 2005. On the transport of suspended sediment by a swash event on a plane beach. Coastal Engineering 52, 1–23]. Measured advection ratios for periodic waves show no significant trend with Iribarren number, consistent with self-similarity in typical swash flows. The data are compared to recent characteristic solutions of the non-linear shallow water wave (NLSW) equations and both finite difference and finite volume solutions of the NLSW equations.     

Epibenthic megacrustaceans from the continental margin, slope and abyssal plain of the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico: Factors responsible for variability in species composition and diversity

The community structure of megacrustaceans (orders Lophogastrida, Isopoda, and Decapoda) collected in trawls on the continental margin, upper slope and abyssal plain of the southern Gulf of Mexico was studied to determine to what extent broad-scale variation in community composition and diversity was influenced by geographic regions environmental variability and depth. Trawls were collected in the Mexican Ridges, the Campeche Bank, and the Sigsbee abyssal plain. There was variability in species composition, density and diversity among geographic regions and along the depth gradient. A total of 106 species were identified and grouped in three orders; five infraorders, 40 families, and 70 genera. This study extends the known geographic ranges of the species Homolodromia monstrosa and Ephyrina benedicti. The largest number of species was recorded in the Mexican Ridges and on the upper continental shelf; lower values were found on the continental margin and in the abyssal plain. The largest densities were recorded on the continental margin in the Mexican Ridges. Megacrustaceans show in general low frequencies and low abundances in trawls, characterizing them as rare components of benthic assemblages. Contrary to an accepted paradigm about deep-sea biodiversity, the highest H′ diversity values were recorded in the Sigsbee abyssal plain, followed by values from the upper continental slope; diversity values were correlated with evenness. Canonical Redundancy analysis results showed a significant affinity to regions for 18 crustacean species; 33 species showed a significant affinity to both regions and depth zones within regions.