Mapping the global value and distribution of coral reef tourism

Global coral reef related tourism is one of the most significant examples of nature-based tourism from a single ecosystem. Coral reefs attract foreign and domestic visitors and generate revenues, including foreign exchange earnings, in over 100 countries and territories. Understanding the full value of coral reefs to tourism, and the spatial distribution of these values, provides an important incentive for sustainable reef management. In the current work, global data from multiple sources, including social media and crowd-sourced datasets, were used to estimate and map two distinct components of reef value. The first component is local “reef-adjacent” value, an overarching term used to capture a range of indirect benefits from coral reefs, including provision of sandy beaches, sheltered water, food, and attractive views. The second component is “on-reef” value, directly associated with in-water activities such diving and snorkelling. Tourism values were estimated as a proportion of the total visits and spending by coastal tourists within 30 km of reefs (excluding urban areas). Reef-adjacent values were set as a fixed proportion of 10% of this expenditure. On-reef values were based on the relative abundance of dive-shops and underwater photos in different countries and territories. Maps of value assigned to specific coral reef locations show considerable spatial variability across distances of just a few kilometres. Some 30% of the world's reefs are of value in the tourism sector, with a total value estimated at nearly US$36 billion, or over 9% of all coastal tourism value in the world's coral reef countries.     

威海近岸人工鱼礁布设对生物资源恢复效果

为了解人工鱼礁投放对区域内海洋生物资源恢复效果,于2013年3月至2014年1月在北黄海近岸人工鱼礁投放区进行调查。结果显示,该海区发现浮游动物53种,其中优势种为浮游桡足类。夏秋季底栖生物幼体成为季节性优势种。游泳动物共发现14种,主要为常见的礁区鱼类。底栖动物共12种,其中棘皮动物海燕为绝对优势种,为近岸养殖生物的主要敌害生物,主要的底栖资源优势种为虾蟹类与软体动物。投礁区的浮游动物与游泳动物物种数明显多于未投礁区,表明人工投礁有助于生物群落的恢复,提高生物多样性,改善区域生态系统。但该海域大型底栖藻类较少,还应进一步对大型底栖藻类增殖以提高海域初级生产。     

西沙群岛西科1井晚中新世-上新世生物礁沉积的磁性地层学初步结果

本文对西沙群岛西科1井钻孔岩心晚中新世-上新世生物礁沉积进行了详细的岩石磁学、磁性扫描与磁性地层学研究.结果显示,西科1井生物礁相沉积中的载磁矿物主要是磁铁矿.我们推测,这些磁铁矿的微小颗粒主要来自海水中含有的陆源物质,在生物生长过程中通过珊瑚体或其它寄生生物对海水的过滤与吸附作用保存在生物礁沉积中.进一步的磁性地层学研究及其与地磁极性年表的对比发现,在上新统莺歌海组、上中新统黄流组内部可获得多个年龄控制点,并对莺歌海组和黄流组的底界位置给出了初步制约.其中,莺歌海组记录了C2An.3n和C3n.4n,黄流组记录了C3An.2n至C5n.2n.虽然这一对比方案存在一定不确定性,但是在现阶段生物地层年代及其它年代学资料相对匮乏的情况下,我们认为本项研究的磁性地层学结果能为西沙群岛晚中新世以来的生物礁沉积提供更多可靠的年龄控制点,并为今后的区域地层对比提供磁性地层年代学依据.     

流花11-1油田礁灰岩油藏储层非均质性及剩余油分布规律

结合流花11-1油田的岩芯、测井、地震、开发动态等资料总结了礁灰岩油藏沉积、成岩及构造等因素造成的储层非均质特征,引入的储层非均质综合指数,可更快速、直观地揭示了剩余油的分布规律.分析了控制剩余油分布规律的地质因素和开发因素.根据储层非均质性的综合研究成果,指出了剩余油潜力区;在潜力区部署的侧钻井生产情况较好,研究成果得到了验证.该研究思路对类似油田储层非均质性的表征与剩余油分布的预测有较好的借鉴作用.     

顺层岩质边坡开挖模型试验及稳定性影响因素分析

用地质力学模型试验方法,对顺层岩质边坡进行开挖破坏试验。同时在有限元分析的基础上,采用多层结构模型对顺层岩质路堑边坡稳定性的影响因素进行了分析。指出当边坡走向与岩层走向夹角超过30后,边坡发生顺层滑动破坏的可能性很小,基本上可不视为顺层边坡。同时也阐明了岩层倾角以及结构面抗剪强度对顺层岩质边坡稳定性的影响。文中结论可为顺层岩质边坡的科研、设计和施工提供参考。     

川西马鞍塘组礁滩特征和含油气性初探

四川盆地西缘上三叠统马鞍塘组发育一套礁滩组合,部分推覆到地表,部分埋藏在地下。研究表明,这套礁滩有丰富的油源条件,有一定的储集能力、良好的圈闭条件,是油气富集的非常有利的区域,虽然受到多期构造运动的改造,但不能排除地下存在油气藏的可能性,因此有油气勘探的潜力。     

Halosaurus pectoralis McCulloch (Pisces: Halosauridae) in the New Zealand region (note)

Halosaurus pectoralis McCulloch is recorded from off Gisborne, New Zealand, and from south‐east of Lord Howe Island, thus adding a second species of the order Heteromi to the New Zealand fauna.     

Kelp forests in False Bay: urchins vs macroalgae in South Africa’s southwest coast biogeographical transition zone

Kelp forests along South Africa's southwest coast occur in a region of biogeographical overlap. Commonly referred to as transition-zone kelp forests, these dynamic ecosystems are particularly susceptible to grazing from species such as urchins. This study explores relationships between urchins and macroalgae in transition-zone kelp forests along the western side of False Bay. Six kelp forests in this region were sampled. At each site, the urchin Parechinus angulosus and kelp Ecklonia maxima were counted, percentage cover of understorey algae was recorded, and drift algae were collected. Despite variability in urchin and algal cover across sites, kelps generally increased from north to south, while urchins did the opposite. Urchins were negatively associated with macroalgae, although this relationship was weak. A localised threshold of 50 urchins m^–2 was identified, above which kelp density failed to increase above 10 m^–2 and percentage cover of understorey algae usually remained below 20%. Surprisingly, no relationship was discovered between drift algae and attached algae. The findings highlight the complexity of these cool-water environments. To better understand the role of urchins in this system, particularly under changing climate trends, experimental research into the feeding behaviour and possible effects of urchins on attached algae in the presence/absence of drift algae is advised.     

Undisturbed Strata Succession Sampling Technology and the Engineering Geological Characteristics of an Atoll in the Southern South China Sea

Coral reef calcareous sediment, a special category of rock-soil material, has representative geological structure and environmental characteristics. It is widely distributed in shallow areas of the tropical ocean; therefore the exploration instruments and technologies for engineering geology studies of coral reef calcareous sediments are very different from those used in land or deep-sea. Obtaining undisturbed cores from the Holocene unconsolidated stratum of coral reefs has been a key problem in the field of marine geology and environment surveying. The authors have designed a novel floating drilling platform equipped with a drilling machine, and successfully achieved undisturbed cores from both reef flats (with water depth 0.5 to 2 m) and a enclosed lagoon (with water depth 2–12 m) of Yongshu Reef (9°32–9°42 N, 112°52–113°04 E), southern South China Sea. Based on the detailed observation on the cores and the analysis from engineering geology, Yongshu Reef was split into reef three engineering geological zones: leading edge, reef flat (including outer reef flat, middle reef flat and inner reef flat) and lagoon. The sediments are classified in the stratum as fine sand, medium sand, coarse sand, gravel and weak-cemented reef limestone.     

Mussel reefs on soft sediments: a severely reduced but important habitat for macroinvertebrates and fishes in New Zealand

Green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) formed extensive reefs on soft sediments in sheltered embayments around northern New Zealand until overfishing and/or increased sediment input caused their virtual disappearance by 1980. To determine the role of mussel reefs as habitat for other animals, we located remnant soft-sediment reefs in five locations and compared the density, biomass, productivity and composition of mobile macroinvertebrate communities, and the density of small fishes associated with mussels, with fauna in the surrounding soft sediments. The mussel reefs had a distinct assemblage of macroinvertebrates, which had 3.5 times the density, 3.4 times the biomass and 3.5 times the productivity of surrounding areas. The density of small fishes was 13.7 times higher than in surrounding areas. These results show that soft-sediment mussel reefs support an abundant and productive fauna, highlighting the probable large loss of productivity associated with the historical decline in mussel habitat and the consequent desirability of restoration efforts.