Ferromanganese Nodules and Crusts from the Christmas Island Region,Indian Ocean

A sampling expedition has shown that largely hydrogenetic marine ferromanganese deposits occur in the Christmas Island region south of Java (~10°S), as small nodules on seamount slopes and abyssal plains (red clay), and as thick crusts on volcanic ridges and seamounts. Vernadite is dominant, with birnessite, jacobsite and todorokite common. Nodules were recovered in 25% of free-fall grab stations in water 4600-5900 m deep, and are not abundant where present. The nodules average 9.6% Fe, 19.7% Mn, 0.51% Ni, 0.49% Cu, and 0.12% Co. Crusts are common in water 1450-3700 m deep, with average deposition rates of 1-1.5 mm / m.y. The crusts average 13.9% Fe, 16.2% Mn, 0.35% Ni, 0.11% Cu, and 0.44% Co. Cobalt grades are higher (~0.8%) in shallower water ( < 2500 m), so future exploration should concentrate on depths of 500-1500 m near the oxygen minimum zone.     

Two New Hydrothermal Fields at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Two new major hydrothermal fields have been discovered in the rift valley of the MAR at 13°N (Ashadze) and l6°38′N (Krasnov). The Ashadze field consists of a cluster of active hydrothermal sites associated with ultramafic rocks and located at the greatest depth in the ocean (4,200 m). By contrast, the Krasnov field consists of inactive sulfide mounds hosted in basalts. The Krasnov is the largest hydrothermal deposit on the MAR (17.4 Mt) so far discovered with iron sulfide as the principal mineral type. By contrast, Cu-Zn sulfides are the major minerals in the Ashadze deposits, which are also enriched in gold and several other metals.     

Hydrolytic enzymes of the paua Haliotis iris,a marine gastropod (note).

Extracts of the viscera of Haliotis iris (Martyn, 1784) were shown to hydrolyse 2‐hydroxy‐5‐nitrophenyl sulphate at pH 5.5, and the p‐nitrophenyl derivatives of α‐ and β‐D‐galactose, α‐ and β‐D‐mannose, α‐L‐lucose, β‐D‐glucuronic acid, β‐N‐acetyl glucosamine and phosphate at pH 4.0 and 5.5: p‐nitrophenyl‐β‐L‐fucose was not hydrolysed.     

西南印度洋真光层海水中固氮细菌多样性

本文通过构建克隆文库和基因测序的方法研究了西南印度洋真光层海水中固氮细菌nifH基因的多样性。从构建的2个nifH基因克隆文库中共获得76条有效序列,其中46条来自CTD13-30 m文库,分属10个OTUs;30条来自CTD13-125 m文库,分属8个OTUs。系统发育分析结果显示,研究站位nifH基因序列主要分布于Cluster I和Cluster III两个分支,其中Cluster I中包含蓝细菌和变形菌两个分支,蓝细菌以Group B为优势类群,并未获得束毛藻和Group A的nifH基因序列。此外还有少数nifH基因序列分布于Cluster II。总体来看,西南印度洋固氮生物基因与大西洋的亲缘关系更近;固氮生物的多样性较为丰富,受环境条件的影响,群落结构与其它热带、亚热带寡营养海域具有明显的不同。     

南大西洋沉积物中多环芳香化合物的组成特征研究

10 samples of sediments obtained from the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge were measured for the abundances and distributions of polycyclic aromatic compounds(PAHs). The total concentrations of PAHs(∑PAHs) ranged from 2.768 to 9.826 μg/g dry sediment. The ∑PAHs was higher in sample 22V-TVG10 and sample 26V-TVG05 which were close to hydrothermal fields, with the lowest value in sample 22V-TVG14 which was farthest from hydrothermal fields, suggesting a probable hydrothermal origin of ∑PAHs of samples. Approximately nine kinds of PAHs were identified, and low molecular mass tricyclic and tetracyclic aromatic compounds were predominant in the samples. The concentrations of fluoranthene which were typical as hydrothermal alteration compounds were the highest among PAHs with dry weight between 0.913–3.157 μg/g. The phenanthrene homologue was most abundant in the samples, and the ratios between parent phenanthrene and methylphenanthrene which probably reflected the degree of hydrothermal alteration ranged from 0.097 to 1.602. The sample 22V-TVG10 possessing a maximum ratio value showed the intense influence of the hydrothermal alteration on this sample, which might further imply that PAHs in sediments were mainly derived from the hydrothermal alteration.     

热带东北印度洋海域毛颚类的群落结构特征

毛颚类(Chaetognaths)是海洋浮游动物中的一个特殊类群,其种类和数量分布对探索海流和水团变化以及海洋食物链中能量传递具有重要意义。文章根据2011年4~5月在印度洋东北海域(80°E~98.5°E,5°S~6°N)29个站的调查资料,分析了毛颚类种类组成、丰度分布和群落结构特征。共鉴定毛颚类14种,以暖水大洋广布种为主,其中肥胖箭虫Sagitta enflata、太平洋箭虫Sagitta pacifica、飞龙翼箭虫Pterosagitta draco和凶形箭虫Sagitta ferox是调查海域的优势种。依据调查站位设置及环境特征,将调查海域分东部断面、赤道断面和西部断面。种数变化范围为5~14种,种数分布不均匀,东部断面每站一般低于10种,而赤道断面及西部断面的种数相对较丰富。毛颚类平均丰度为5.35(±2.82)ind·m-3,分布亦不均匀,西部断面的丰度比赤道和东部断面均高。群落结构分析表明,调查海域毛颚类可分3个组群(相似度水平50%),组群I包括11种,是调查海域的主要种类,分布较广,而另外两个组群仅3种,主要出现在东部和西部断面的少数调查站;调查站之间的相似度较高,特别是西部断面站位之间的相似度70%。西部断面受沿岸水和涌升水的影响,出现较高的物种多样性和丰度。     

Limited differences among habitats in deep‐sea macro‐infaunal communities off New Zealand: implications for their vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbance

The spread of human activities into the deep sea may pose a high risk to benthic communities and affect ecosystem integrity. The deep sea is characterized by physical and biological heterogeneity and different habitat types are likely to differ in their vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts. However, across‐habitat comparisons are rare, and no comprehensive ecological risk assessment has yet been developed. To address this gap in our knowledge, we compared macro‐infaunal community structure in four habitats (slope, canyons, seamounts and methane seeps) at depths between 700 and 1500 m in the Hikurangi Margin and Bay of Plenty regions off New Zealand. The most striking contrast in community structure was between the two study regions, due to an order of magnitude difference in macro‐infaunal abundance that we believe was caused by differences in surface productivity and food availability at the sea bed. We found differences in structural and functional attributes of macro‐infaunal communities among some habitats in the Hikurangi Margin (slope, canyon and seep), but not in the Bay of Plenty. We posit that differences between canyon and slope communities on the Hikurangi Margin are due to enhanced food availability inside canyons compared with adjacent slope habitats. Seep communities were characterized by elevated abundance of both symbiont‐bearing and heterotrophic taxa, and were the most distinct, and variable, among the habitats that we considered on the Hikurangi Margin. Communities of seamounts were not distinct from slope or canyon communities on the Hikurangi Margin, probably reflecting similar environmental conditions in these habitats. The communities of deep‐sea canyon and seep habitats on the Hikurangi Margin were sufficiently dissimilar from each other and from slope habitats to warrant separate management consideration. By contrast, the low dissimilarity between communities of canyon and slope habitats in the Bay of Plenty suggests that habitat‐based management is not required in this region, for macro‐infauna at least. Although the two study regions share similar species pools, populations of the Hikurangi Margin region may be less vulnerable than the sparser populations of the Bay of Plenty due to the higher availability of potential colonizers and faster population growth. Thus regions, and habitats in some regions, should be subject to separate ecological risk assessment to help identify the key risks and consequences of human activities, and to inform options for reducing or mitigating impacts.     

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.     

Cloud drop spectra at different levels and with respect to cloud thickness and rain

Measurements on drop size were made in cumulus clouds over Pune (inland region) during the summer monsoon seasons. In this paper, the measurements of the cloud drop spectra made in non-raining clouds at different levels and for different thickness have been studied. Also, those on the days with rain and with no rain (the rain being observed within the clouds) have been compared. The average spectra broadened with height. The concentration of drops >50 μm (N_L), liquid water content (LWC), mean volume diameter (MVD) and dispersion increased with height. The concentration of drops <20 μm (N_S) and total concentration (N_T) decreased with height. The spectra were broader, while N_S and N_T are smaller and the other parameters are greater for thicker clouds as compared to those for thinner. The spectra were broader, while N_S and N_T are smaller and the other parameters are greater on the days with rain with respect to those on the days with no rain. The distributions were bimodal at higher levels, for thicker clouds and on the days with rain, while they were unimodal at lower levels, for thinner clouds and on the days with no rain. The variations of the cloud drop spectra, preceding rain, at initial stage of rain and following rain are discussed.     

热带气旋生成指数对印度洋热带气旋频数变化的适用性研究

本文利用ERA5 1979-2019年逐月大气再分析资料计算南北印度洋热带气旋生成指数，并和IBTrACS观测数据进行比较，探讨用热带气旋生成指数研究南北印度洋热带气旋变化特征的适用性.研究发现热带气旋生成指数能较好地刻画南北印度洋热带气旋的空间分布特征、北印度洋热带气旋个数月变化的双峰结构，以及南印度洋比北印度洋热带气旋发生概率高等特征.最新的IBTrACS v4.0观测资料显示，40年来北印度洋热带气旋每年总生成个数平均每10年增加1.3个，频数的增加主要来源于热带低压和热带风暴，而南印度洋热带气旋每年总生成个数每10年减少2.8个.热带气旋生成指数能很好地描述北印度洋热带气旋生成个数的上升趋势，但对南印度洋热带气旋生成个数趋势的刻画与观测不一致，可能原因需要进一步深入研究.