The influence of island generated eddies on the carbon dioxide system, south of the Canary Islands

Measurements of surface partial pressure of CO₂ and water column alkalinity, pH_T, nutrients, oxygen, fluorescence and hydrography were carried out, south of the Canary Islands during September 1998. Cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies were alternatively observed from the northwestern area to the central area of the Canary Islands. Nutrient pumping and vertical uplifting of the deep chlorophyll maximum by cyclonic eddies were also ascertained by upward displacement of dissolved inorganic carbon. A model was applied to determine the net inorganic carbon balance in the cyclonic eddy. The fluxes were determined considering both the diffusive and convective contributions from the upward pumping and the corresponding horizontal transport of water outside the area. An increase in the total inorganic carbon concentration in the upper layers inside the eddy field of 133 mmol C m^− 2 d^− 1 was determined. The upward flux of inorganic carbon decreased the effect of the increased primary production on the carbon dioxide chemistry. The reduced fCO₂ inside the cyclonic eddy, 15 μatm lower than that observed in non-affected surface water, was explained by thermodynamic aspects, biological activity, eddy upward pumping and diffusion and air–sea water exchange effects.     

Participatory artisanal fisheries management in islands: Application to the Canary Islands (Spain)

Socio-economic development of small-island fishing communities is greatly dependent on local coastal and marine resources. However, illegal fishing and aggressive practices in insular ecosystems lead to over-exploitation and environmental deterioration. Moreover, a lack of scientific data increases uncertainty and prevents the adequate monitoring of marine resources. This paper focuses on the integration of local fishing communities into decision-making processes with the aim of promoting artisanal fishing on the Island of Tenerife (the Canary Islands), as a way to preserve the marine ecosystem and socio-economic development of traditional cofradias (fishers' organisations). A qualitative methodological framework, based on participatory problem-solution trees and focus groups, was used to identify the main factors impeding the sustainable development of the artisanal fishing sector on the island and to elaborate collective proposals with policy implications. The fishing community involved identified four main issues that are maintaining an unsustainable island fishery: 1) Over-exploitation; 2) Poor self-management of cofradias and commercialisation problems; 3) Fisher individualism and low co-management strategies, and 4) Illegal fishing increase vs. artisanal fishing decline. Results show the required policy enhancements to tackle them and the need to adapt regulations to the local situation.     

Black band disease as a possible factor of the coral decline at the northern reef-flat of Yongxing Island,South China Sea

Black band disease(BBD),characterized by the Cyanobacterial dominated pathogenic consortium,is thought to play a key role in the global decline of the coral reef ecosystems.The present paper originally documents a case of BBD from Yongxing Island(Xisha Islands,South China Sea),and further probes the reasons of this abnormal phenomenon.Prior to 2007,corals at northern reef-flat of Yongxing Isand were in healthy growth.Catastrophic coral mortality occurred between 2007 and 2008.The 16S rRNA gene sequencing and PCR amplification,with universally conserved primers,were applied to detect the contagious bacterial community of the microbial mat.The results demonstrated that six bacterial divisions constituted the clone libraries derived from the BBD mat,and that Cyanobacteria are the most diversely represented group that inhabit BBD bacterial mats,despite the fact that species in five others divisions(α-Proteobacteria,γ-Proteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,Verrucomicrobia and Actinobacteria) are also consistently diverse within the BBD mats of diseased coral.Other factors such as coral bleaching,typhoons,ocean acidification and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks,are not primarily responsible for the coral mortality within such a short time interval.The disaster expansion of BBD associated with Cyanobacterial blooms is a more likely mechanism impacting these coral reefs.Excessive human activity enhances the eutrophication of the marine water of the reefal region and may result in occurrence of the BBD.     

Abergasilus amplexus Hewitt, 1978 (Ergasilidae: Copepoda) from New Zealand,with a description of the male

The male of Abergasilus amplexus Hewitt, 1978 is described for the first time. Previous records of A. amplexus are discussed and a new locality, Te Whanga Lagoon, Chatham Islands, is reported.     

Relationship between Cd and PO4 in the Subtropical Sea near the Ryukyu Islands

The relationship between dissolved cadmium (Cd) and phosphate (PO₄) was examined at three stations in the subtropical area near the Ryukyu Islands in May 1999. Preformed PO₄ was obtained using the Redfield ratio in order to separate the surface water and the other layers in this study area. Almost 0 μM (−0.043 μM to 0.094 μM) was estimated in the layers above 300 m and 250 m at Sts. 1 and 3 and at St. 2, respectively. Up to these depths, water was considered to be uniform, and these layers were defined as the surface water in this study area. In the surface water, the slopes of the regression lines of the Cd-PO₄ plot were 0.162, 0.156, and 0.226 (nM/μM) at Sts. 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and these values were much closer to the estimated regenerated ratio of Cd to PO₄ from the Apparent Oxygen Utilization (AOU)-Cd/PO₄ plots, which was 0.197 (nM/μM) in this study area. Below surface layers, the slopes of the Cd-PO₄ plot changed to 0.371, 0.352, and 0.362 (nM//μM) at Sts. 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In the relationships between Cd and PO₄, clear deviations or kinks were observed at three stations at a PO₄ concentration of approximately 0.2 μM in the plot, which was attributable to the discontinuity of surface water and the other layers across the North Pacific subtropical mode water. In studies of the interaction between surface water and biogenic particles concerning the Cd/PO₄ ratio, separate analyses of seawater (surface water and the other layers) should be carried out to obtain the individual surface water ratio because the Cd/PO₄ ratio in the surface water is expected to differ from that of the underlying water. Furthermore, the biological fractionation of these constituents is based on the surface water ratio. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Are assemblages of the fireworm Hermodice carunculata enhanced in sediments beneath offshore fish cages?

Abundances of the fireworm Hermodice carunculata were counted through a monitoring assessment study of fish cages in Barranco Hondo（NE Tenerife）. Seven campaigns were conducted from November 2007 to June 2010 and temporal variations were found, as well as differences among sampling stations. The polychaete H. carunculata obtained its highest abundance in sediments beneath fish cages throughout the study period. Thus, the assemblages of this omnivorous species were favoured by the presence of fish cages.     

Reproductive pattern and egg development of the deep-sea crab Paromola cuvieri (Brachyura,Homolidae) around the Canary Islands (NE Atlantic)

This work investigated the biology of Paromola cuvieri in the Atlantic Ocean, including reproductive patterns, sex structure, depth distribution and egg development. Females were more abundant than males, mainly at depths greater than 600 m. Males were dominant in size classes larger than 110 mm carapace width (CW), especially over 120 mm, for which only males were observed. The mean length of both sexes decreased with depth. P. cuvieri appears to have continuous reproduction throughout the year. Large females tend to spawn mainly between summer and winter, but smaller females spawn during the summer. Four maturity categories were identified based on the ovary colour, and these categories were histologically validated. Three categories of testes were identified according to their colour and morphology. Sexual maturity was estimated at sizes between 71.6 and 74.0 mm CW for females and at 91.0 mm CW for males. The relative growth showed changes along the ontogeny, at 73.6 mm CW (females) and 91.3–92.2 mm CW (males). Egg development appears to not be completely synchronous, and two colour patterns can be observed simultaneously. Four stages of egg development were found: eggs undivided and fully filled with yolk in orange egg masses; eggs with a free region of yolk visible in orange or red egg masses; embryos with slightly pigmented, crescent-shaped eyes in brown egg masses; and embryos with visible pigmented structures, enlarged eyes, segmented appendages and abdomen in brown egg masses. The mean number of external eggs carried by females in stage I was estimated to be 315,753±19,267. Three species of barnacle were observed on the exoskeleton: Poecilasma aurantia, Poecilasma crassa and Heteralepas microstoma (Cirripedia, Thoracica).     

Crustal contamination and fluid/rock interaction in the carbonatites of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain): a C, O, H isotope study

Fuerteventura—the second largest of the Canary Islands consists of Mesozoic sediments, submarine volcanic rocks, dike swarms and plutons of the Basal Complex, and younger subaerial basaltic and trachytic series. Carbonatites are found in two Basal Complex exposures: the Betancuria Massif in the central part of the island and the Esquinzo area in the north. values of the carbonatites increase progressively from south to north of the island. This phenomenon is attributed to different degrees of assimilation of sedimentary carbonate. Homogeneous, typically magmatic values for carbonatites which have preserved primary igneous textures and minerals suggest a well-mixed reservoir where changes in values result from the storage of carbonate magmas at different structural levels. The magma storage allowed assimilation of sediment to varying degrees before final emplacement of carbonatites. Shifts in towards more positive and negative values from presumed primary compositions are observed in the carbonatites. On the basis of the oxygen isotope compositions of calcite, mica and K-feldspar, and the hydrogen isotope compositions of micas, the changes in the values of the carbonatites can be related to fluid/rock interactions.     

Strontium and neodymium isotopic compositions of detrital sediment of NS90-103 from South China Sea: Variations and their paleoclimate implication

Strontium, neodymium isotopic compositions and trace elements of the detrital sediments of Core NS90-103 from South China Sea were analyzed. The results show that the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the detritus during the last glacial range from 0.722 4 to 0.723 0. They are significantly higher than those during the Holocene and the maximum of the last interglacial, which range from 0.721 0 to 0.721 7. This indicates stronger continental weathering during the last glacial. On the other hand, the¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios of these detritus are higher during the last glacial too, similar to the variation of the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. The trace element geochemistry of these detritus indicates that more authigenic sediments, such as ferromanganese, during the last glacial may partly contribute to the increase of¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios. Furthermore, much more detritus from continent of South China to the north of the South China Sea may probably contribute to¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios increase during the last glacial, which was the result of the enhancement of northeast monsoon.     

南沙群岛海域长腹剑水蚤(Oithona spp.)的种类组成、数量分布及其与环境因子的关系

中小型桡足类是海洋食物网中重要的中间环节,在碳循环里细菌碳和藻类碳向高营养级转化的过程中扮演重要角色。本文通过分析2013年3—4月、6—7月、9—10月和11—12月南沙群岛海域(111°30′E—112°30′E,4°30′N—11°30′N)的生态环境调查数据,对长腹剑水蚤属(Oithona)的种类组成、数量分布及其与环境因子的关系进行了研究。结果表明:(1)南沙群岛海域共出现长腹剑水蚤15种(包括1个未定种),其中线长腹水蚤(Oithona linearis)、粗长腹剑水蚤(O.robusta)和长刺长腹剑水蚤(O.longispina)为南沙群岛海域首次记录,长腹剑水蚤属种类组成沿水深变化的现象较为明显,该属虽然在南沙群岛海域广泛分布,但单种的出现频率较低,其种类出现的季节性较强;(2)南沙群岛海域的长腹剑水蚤可以划分为常见广布组群Ⅰ和低频组群Ⅱ;(3)长腹剑水蚤年均栖息密度为30ind./m3,季节变化呈单峰型,秋季最高、冬季最低,高数量区主要出现在受南沙西部沿岸流和东部沿岸流影响的近岸海域;(4)在0—750m水深范围内,长腹剑水蚤数量沿水深梯度的垂直变化明显,呈现由浅至深数量明显减少的趋势,长腹剑水蚤主要集中分布在0—75m的水层中,75—500m数量急剧降低至最低后,在500—750m基本维持不变;(5)GAM分析表明,纬度、海水温度、盐度和叶绿素a浓度对长腹剑水蚤数量均有影响,以纬度的影响最为显著,其中长腹剑水蚤属最适温度为28.6—29.2℃,最适盐度为32.6—33.2,最适叶绿素a浓度为5—10μg/L;(6)长腹剑水蚤属更适栖息于低温和低盐,且受沿岸流影响的环境中。因此,其数量分布的季节变化与季风驱动的沿岸流势力强弱密切相关。