Declining Arctic Ocean oil and gas developments: Opportunities to improve governance and environmental pollution control

There has been global interest in the exploitation of rich hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic for decades. However, recent low oil prices, a low carbon economy climate agenda, and technical challenges of Arctic oil extraction have curbed interest in these Arctic resources. Despite a recent reluctance to explore and develop an offshore Arctic drilling industry, a resurgence in oil and gas prices could spark renewed interests that could pose unacceptable risks of pollution from oil spills. These risks are further compounded by complex governance and sovereignty issues between circumpolar nations. This paper (i) compares cycles of Arctic hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation activity with global energy prices; (ii) outlines current pollution abatement techniques under pan-Arctic national regulations to identify potential gaps; (iii) describes current international frameworks for Arctic governance to highlight how problems could arise if offshore oil drilling returns to the Arctic and associated spills migrate to international waters; and (iv) provides policy recommendations to aid both national and international policy-makers regarding pollution abatement methods for future Arctic drilling.     

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.     

Research and management priorities for Atlantic marine recreational fisheries in Southern Europe

Marine Recreational Fishing (MRF) is an important activity in Europe, with 9 million fishers and generating annually € 6 billion in direct expenditures. However, there is a lack of data and understanding of MRF in Europe, particularly in Southern countries, which prevents a number of fish stocks from being effectively assessed and managed. In November 2016, a participatory workshop on MRF was held in Vigo (Spain) to identify challenges and opportunities for data collection, and to diagnose key research gaps and management issues for MRF in the Southern European Atlantic. Experts from a wide range of disciplines (researchers, policy makers, fisheries managers and commercial and recreational fishers) highlighted that the management of MRF is a challenge due to complex and dispersed legal frameworks, with multiple administrations involved, and overlapping uses of space with commercial fishing, aquaculture, navigation and tourism, among others. The lack of strong and representative fishing associations hampers research and management initiatives. Effective communication between recreational fishers, researchers and fisheries managers is also lacking. Despite the ecological, social and economic relevance of MRF, there is no systematic and comprehensive collection of information on fishing effort, recreational catches, expenses, social profile and access conditions of European recreational fishers. These data would be useful to avoid biases in the assessment of recreational fisheries due to the great diversity of ecosystems, species and typologies of users. Strategic recommendations and research priorities were also identified to address knowledge gaps and are discussed in the context of the management of MRF across Europe.     

A critical examination of the seafaring English education and training in China

The increased maritime accidents attributable to communication barriers have raised great concern about international shipping safety. The requirement for effective communication has been contained in the compulsory part of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers in 2010. However, many Chinese seafarers still experience difficulty in communicating with foreign seafarers at sea even though they passed the English exams required for a Certificate of Competency. Literature argues that the outcomes of maritime English education are not satisfactory. However, this claim is too general and has not been substantiated with empirical evidence. Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, this paper reveals that English communicative incompetence of Chinese seafarers was attributable to the maritime English examinations system, teaching materials, teaching methods and teachers and students themselves. Recommendations were made to improve maritime cadets’ English communicative competence.     

2010年5月与2013年6月黄、渤海大型底栖动物群落组成和结构的比较研究

基于2010年5月和2013年6月采集的黄、渤海海域的大型底栖动物数据,对该海域大型底栖动物的种类组成和群落结构等进行了研究,对该海域大型底栖动物群落结构的时间和空间差异进行了分析,并利用AMBI和m-AMBI生物指数对各站位的生态质量状况进行了评估。研究结果表明:在2010年5月和2013年6月所采站位的大型底栖动物共有131种,其中软体动物和甲壳动物占据了较大比例的物种数量,分别为51种和42种;其次为鱼类、多毛类和棘皮动物。该海域的优势物种为日本鼓虾 Alpheus japonicus、日本褐虾 Crangon hakodatei、司氏盖蛇尾Stegophiura sladeni和奇异指纹蛤Acila mirabilis,其中司氏盖蛇尾具有最大的丰度和优势度。生物指数(AMBI和m-AMBI)的结果显示黄、渤海区域底栖生态环境仍相对稳定,但与历史资料比较得知,该海域大型底栖动物生存环境整体趋于恶化。     

多种海洋开发类型的综合效益评估

随着海洋开发活动的不断加剧,各海洋开发类型综合效益的评估与分析对维持海洋社会经济与海洋生态环境的可持续发展具有重大意义,不同海洋开发活动带来不同的社会、经济效益,也产生了海洋资源的损耗,影响了海洋环境和海洋生态服务功能。根据江苏省海洋资源开发活动特点,筛选出江苏海岸带资源开发中常见的4种典型的开发利用类型,选取了能够突出反映海洋开发活动综合效益的经济效益指标、社会效益指标、资源损耗指标、环境成本指标构建海洋开发类型综合效益评估体系。基于层次分析法与熵权法组合权重,运用综合效益指数评价模型分别计算了单一指标效益值、准则层效益值、各研究案例效益值、各用海类型效益值并对以上研究数据之间的相互关系进行了深入分析,探求各用海类型综合效益评估值的关键影响因素。通过实证研究发现4种海洋开发类型的综合效益评估值均介于0.4~0.6之间,处于一般的综合效益状态,综合效益从高到底依次排序:临港工业用海类型为0.551 3、海上风电用海类型为0.492 4、排污倾倒用海类型为0.441、围海养殖用海类型为0.434 3。海洋开发类型综合效益的评估对及时调整海洋开发对策,缓和海洋开发与海洋生态环境的矛盾具有积极意义。     

基于熵权TOPSIS模型的海岛地区资源环境承载力研究——以舟山普陀区、定海区为例

随着海洋强国、"一带一路"、生态文明建设等国家战略的不断推进,海岛在国家政治、军事、经济、社会、生态中的地位不断提高,海岛开发、利用的规模越来越大,其生态保护也面临着新的挑战。本文依据资源环境承载力内涵,兼顾海岛资源环境特点,研究形成海岛地区资源环境承载力评价指标体系,综合应用熵权法、TOPSIS(逼近理想解排序方法)模型评价了典型海岛地区——普陀区与定海区2009-2015年间的资源环境承载力状况,结果表明:普陀和定海资源环境承载力水平呈稳步提升趋势,各个时期的环境保护政策和节能减排相关措施在环境保护与污染治理等方面起到了较为积极的作用。最后,在基于生态系统的海岛综合管理框架内提出了对策建议。     

大黄鱼白细胞介素17受体E-like的分子特征及进化分析

白细胞介素17受体(Interleukin 17 receptor,IL-17R)家族与IL-17细胞因子家族介导的各类反应有着密切联系.IL-17RE-like(IL-17REL)是一类最新发现的IL-17受体,其结构与IL-17RE相似,但尚未发现其配体.本研究克隆得到大黄鱼(Larimichthys crocea)IL-17REL(Lyc IL-17REL)的全长c DNA,其开放阅读框全长1 659个核苷酸,推断可编码一个由552个氨基酸组成的蛋白,含有信号肽、胞外段、跨膜区和胞内段.与其他物种的IL-17REL相似,Lyc IL-17REL蛋白的胞外段具有一个保守的FN I-like结构域,而胞内段缺少IL-17受体家族保守的SEFIR(SEF and IL-17R)结构域.多序列比对分析表明Lyc IL-17REL与日本河豚(Takifugu rubripes)IL-17REL的氨基酸序列同源性最高,序列一致性可达57.0%.系统进化分析表明,脊椎动物的IL-17受体家族可分为2类,IL-17RA/RB/RD为一类,IL-17RC/RE/REL为一类.其中鱼类及高等脊椎动物的IL-17REL与IL-17RE亲缘关系最近,并且推测二者可能是由同一基因从硬骨鱼类之前的物种中分化而来.组织分布表明Lyc IL-17REL在所有被检测的组织中为组成型表达,在黏膜相关组织如小肠和鳃中的表达量最高.大黄鱼受嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)诱导刺激后,Lyc IL-17REL在其头肾及鳃中的基因转录水平均显著上调.这表明Lyc IL-17REL可能在细菌感染引起的免疫反应中起着重要作用.     

Formation of low permeability reservoirs and gas accumulation process in the Daniudi Gas Field,Northeast Ordos Basin,China

The Daniudi Gas Field is a typical large-scale coal-generated wet gas field located in the northeastern Ordos Basin that contains multiple Upper Paleozoic gas-bearing layers and considerable reserves of gas. Based on integrated analysis of reservoir petrology, carbonate cement C–O isotope, geochemistry of source rocks and HC gas and numerical basin modeling, a comprehensive study focusing on the formation of low permeability reservoirs and gas generation process uncovers a different gas accumulation scene in Daniudi Gas Field. The gas accumulation discovered was controlled by the reservoir permeability reduction and gas generation process, and can be divided into two distinct stages by the low permeability reservoir formation time: before the low permeability reservoir formation, the less matured gas was driven by buoyancy, migrated laterally towards NE and then accumulated in NE favorable traps during Late Triassic to early Early Cretaceous; after the low permeability reservoir formation, highly matured gas was driven by excessive pressure, migrated vertically and accumulated in-situ or near the gas-generating centers during early to late Early Cretaceous. The coupling relationship between reservoir diagenetic evolution and gas generation process controlled on gas accumulation of the Daniudi Gas Field. This study will aid in understanding the gas accumulation process and planning further E&D of the Upper Paleozoic super-imposed gas layers in the whole Ordos Basin and other similar super-imposed low permeability gas layer basins.