Impact of protective shark nets on sea turtles in KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa, 1981–2008

Shark nets were established along the KwaZulu-Natal coast in 1952 to protect bathers against shark encounters. Sea turtle bycatch data for the period 1981–2008 in these shark nets indicated that loggerheads Caretta caretta were caught most frequently at 40.9 y^–1 or 1.11 km-net^–1 y^–1, followed by green turtles Chelonia mydas at 0.32 km-net^–1 y^–1 and leatherbacks Dermochelys coriacea at 0.14 km-net^–1 y^–1. Catch rate of loggerheads increased throughout the study period, and was positively correlated with the increase in the number of nesting females from the recovering population in Maputaland, South Africa (r = 0.52, p < 0.05, n = 28). This increase is ascribed to successful nest conservation. Leatherback bycatch remained stable, following their nesting trends, although they receive similar conservation efforts on nesting beaches as loggerheads. Bycatch of green turtles, although not a nesting species in South Africa, was stable over time. Mortality varied between species (from 53.2% to 70.6%) with loggerheads being the most hardy, followed by leatherbacks and green turtles. Few hawksbills Eretmochelys imbricata and olive ridleys Lepidochelys olivacea were caught in the shark nets. Fewer sea turtles are caught by shark nets than by longlines and because the nesting populations of loggerheads, green turtles and leatherbacks are either stable or increasing in the South-West Indian Ocean, shark net bycatch was considered negligible and sustainable.     

Reproductive biology of Parazoanthus axinellae (Schmidt, 1862) and Savalia savaglia (Bertoloni, 1819) (Cnidaria,Zoantharia) from the NW Mediterranean coast

Despite the wide distribution of zoanthids, little is known about their pattern of reproduction. Here we investigate the reproductive biology of two Mediterranean species, the common Parazoanthus axinellae (Schmidt) and the rare Savalia savaglia (Bertoloni). For both species, samples were collected during an annual cycle, from January to December 2005, in the Western Mediterranean (Ligurian Sea, Italy). Both species are gonochoric. In P. axinellae the sex‐ratio (n colonies = 30) showed a slight predominance of male colonies (M/F = 1.35), whereas in the population of S. savaglia (n colonies = 15) a predominance of females was found (M/F = 0.3). In P. axinellae the first gametocytes were visible in March, whereas in S. savaglia they became visible in May. Both species reproduce at the end of autumn when seawater temperature begins to decrease. Parazoanthus axinellae (10 m depth) spawns eggs and sperms in November, whereas S. savaglia (67 m depth) spawns in December. In P. axinellae sexes were segregated on a rocky wall, with males occurring deeper, whereas male and female colonies of S. savaglia were irregularly dispersed in the population. The maximum number of oocytes differed between the species, being higher in P. axinellae than in S. savaglia.     

Using triple oxygen isotopes and oxygen-argon ratio to quantify ecosystem production in the mixed layer of northern South China Sea slope region

Quantifying the gross and net production is an essential component of carbon cycling and marine ecosystem studies.Triple oxygen isotope measurements and the O_2/Ar ratio are powerful indices in quantifying the gross primary production and net community production of the mixed layer zone,respectively.Although there is a substantial advantage in refining the gas exchange term and water column vertical mixing calibration,application of mixed layer depth history to the gas exchange term and its contribution to reducing indices error are unclear.Therefore,two cruises were conducted in the slope regions of the northern South China Sea in October 2014(autumn) and June 2015(spring).Discrete water samples at Station L07 in the upper 150 m depth were collected for the determination of δ~(17)0,δ~(18)O,and the O_2/Ar ratio of dissolved gases.Gross oxygen production(GOP) was estimated using the triple oxygen isotopes of the dissolved O_2,and net oxygen production(NOP) was calculated using O_2/Ar ratio and O_2 concentration.The vertical mixing effect in NOP was calibrated via a N_2O based approach.GOP for autumn and spring was(169±23) mmol/(m~2·d)(by O_2) and(189±26) mmol/(m~2·d)(by O_2),respectively.While NOP was 1.5 mmol/(m~2·d)(by O_2) in autumn and 8.2 mmol/(m~2·d)(by O_2) in spring.Application of mixed layer depth history in the gas flux parametrization reduced up to 9.5% error in the GOP and NOP estimations.A comparison with an independent O_2 budget calculation in the diel observation indicated a26% overestimation in the current GOP,likely due to the vertical mixing effect.Both GOP and NOP in June were higher than those in October.Potential explanations for this include the occurrence of an eddy process in June,which may have exerted a submesoscale upwelling at the sampling station,and also the markedly higher terrestrial impact in June.     

水深对超浅吃水拖轮系柱拖力的影响

超浅吃水拖轮在浅海对钻井平台进行拖带和井位定位时,必须了解超浅吃水拖轮浅水系柱拖力特性,才能充分利用海潮条件和自身能力完成钻井平台的拖带和定位任务。     

Isotopic,trace element and nutrient characterization of coastal waters from Ubatuba inner shelf area,south-eastern Brazil

Stable isotopes, tritium, radium isotopes, radon, trace elements and nutrients data were collected during two sampling campaigns in the Ubatuba coastal area (south-eastern Brazil) with the aim of investigating submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in the region. The isotopic composition (δD, δ¹⁸O, ³H) of submarine waters was characterised by significant variability and heavy isotope enrichment. The stable isotopes and tritium data showed good separation of groundwater and seawater groups. The contribution of groundwater in submarine waters varied from a few % to 17%. Spatial distribution of ²²²Rn activity concentration in surface seawater revealed changes between 50 and 200 Bq m⁻³ which were in opposite relationship with observed salinities. Time series measurements of ²²²Rn activity concentration in Flamengo Bay (from 1 to 5 kBq m⁻³), obtained by in situ underwater gamma-spectrometry showed a negative correlation between the ²²²Rn activity concentration and tide/salinity. This may be caused by sea level changes as tide effects induce variations of hydraulic gradients, which increase ²²²Rn concentration during lower sea level, and opposite, during high tides where the ²²²Rn activity concentration is smaller. The estimated SGD fluxes varied during 22–26 November between 8 and 40 cm d⁻¹, with an average value of 21 cm d⁻¹ (the unit is cm³/cm² per day). The radium isotopes and nutrient data showed scattered distributions with offshore distance and salinity, which implies that in a complex coast with many small bays and islands, the area has been influenced by local currents and groundwater–seawater mixing. SGD in the Ubatuba area is fed by coastal contaminated groundwater and re-circulated seawater (with small admixtures of groundwater), which claims for potential environmental concern with implications on the management of freshwater resources in the region.     

The oxygen isotope composition of water masses within the North Sea

Based on measurements of the ¹⁸O isotope composition of 247 samples collected over a 3-year period we have assessed the oxygen isotope composition of water masses in the North Sea. This is the first δ¹⁸O data set that covers the entire North Sea basin. The waters lie on a mixing line: δ¹⁸O (‰_VSMOW) = −9.300 + 0.274(S) with North Atlantic sub-polar mode water (SPMW) and surface waters, and Baltic Sea water representing the saline and freshwater end members respectively. Patterns exhibited in surface and bottom water δ¹⁸O distributions are representative of the general circulation of the North Sea. Oxygen-18 enriched waters from the North Atlantic enter the North Sea between Scotland and Norway and to a lesser extent through the English Channel. In contrast, oxygen-18 depleted waters mainly inflow from the Baltic Sea, the rivers Rhine and Elbe, and to a lesser degree, the Norwegian Fjords and other river sources. Locally the δ¹⁸O–salinity relationship will be controlled by the isotopic composition of the freshwater inputs. However, the range of local freshwater compositions around the North Sea basin is too narrow to characterise the relative contributions of individual sources to the overall seawater composition. This dataset provides important information for a number of related disciplines including biogeochemical research and oceanographic studies.     

饥饿对方斑东风螺形态和组织生化成分的影响

以室内实验测定了方斑东风螺（Babylonia areolata）在饥饿120d过程中形态、组织生化成分及RNA/DNA比值的连续变化.结果显示,饥饿前期幼螺体重变幅较小,肝体比与体壳比下降迅速,三者分别于饥饿80、40、20d时显著地低于对照组,至饥饿120d时其降幅分别为22.33%、44.02%、30.39%.方斑东风螺在饥饿过程中,螺足肌与肝胰脏的水分含量分别从80.19%、48.44%上升至89.68%、63.97%;灰分含量分别从11.35%、8.92%增加至22.80%、16.52%;肝胰脏蛋白质含量从53.18%上升至56.65%.饥饿40d时,其足肌、肝胰脏脂肪含量均显著低于对照组,糖原含量在其饥饿20、40d时也显著地下降.饥饿120d时,其足肌的脂肪和糖原含量相应降幅分别为32.22%、44.64%,而肝胰脏的脂肪和糖原含量相应降幅则分别为26.87%、47.17%.足肌蛋白质含量在其饥饿80d前较稳定,后期迅速下降,实验结束时降幅为8.61%.这2种组织的RNA/DNA比值也呈逐渐下降趋势.上述结果表明,在饥饿状态下幼螺主要消耗这2种组织中脂肪与糖原的供能,当禁食长达80d后则加大对足肌蛋白质的动用,而相对保留肝胰脏蛋白质.组织含水量、RNA/DNA比值均可作为方斑东风螺饥饿状态下的营养预测指标.     

Production of the Crab Elamenopsis kempiHymenosomatidae in the Garmat-Ali Region, Basrah, Iraq

Abstract. The production of the hymenosomatid crab Elamenopsis kempi was calculated for a period of 18 months from a subtidal area of the Garmat-Ali river, southern Iraq. The highest average individual somatic energy was attained in spring. Maximum population biomass and production were attained by the summer cohort and the minimum values were exhibited by the overwintering cohort. The fluctuations of the average population biomass were followed throughout the sampling period. Average total annual population production was 13.2 g DW · m^-2· a^-1 and the P/B ratio was 5.9. These values were compared with those of the most common crustaceans in the region.     

基于分布式检测与决策融合的海底油气管线检漏

利用多传感器的信息融合思想,提出分布式检测与决策融合方法进行长距离海底管线泄漏监测。试验水管和天然气／凝析油管线现场数据分析表明此算法不仅降低了误报警概率,且对流体在输送过程中动态变化具有稳健性。     

浅水波长计算问题

浅水波周期保持常值,而波长缩减时其计算需进行迭代。提出了两个精度较高的经验公式供计算应用。水深波长比差值ΔLD0的变化规律反映出浅水波长缩减为一复杂过程,并与波能密度加大相关。LD0≤0.14时,特别是LD0=0.056前后,其特征会更加显著,由此可探讨波长变化的内在机理。