Reefs at the edge: coral community structure around Rapa,southernmost French Polynesia

Rapa (27°36′ S, 144°20′ W) is a small (~40 km²) volcanic island isolated in the Southern Austral Archipelago, where direct anthropogenic stressors are extremely limited. Here, we present the results of the first quantitative survey of coral community structure across habitats and depths around the island. Despite its geographical isolation in the depauperate South Central Pacific, its small size and unfavourable environmental conditions (competition with macroalgae, low sea surface temperatures, reduced reef accretion), the diversity of scleractinian corals at Rapa is particularly high (112 species from 32 genera, including 37 species of Acropora) in comparison to other French Polynesian islands and subtropical Pacific locations. Our results indicate that the abundance (>100 colonies per 10 m² recorded at nine of the 17 sampling stations) and cover (>40% at four stations) of corals are relatively high for a marginal reef location. Strong spatial heterogeneity was found, with high variation in diversity, abundance, cover and community composition among stations. Variation in community composition was related to habitat types, with distinct assemblages among fringing reefs within bays, reef formations at bay entrances, and those on the submerged platform surrounding the island. On the platform, a depth gradient was detected, with generic richness, abundance and cover generally greater at deeper stations (18–20 m depth) compared with medium‐depth (10–12 m) and shallow (1–3 m) stations. A gradient was also recorded along bays, with increasing coral diversity and abundance from the bay heads to the bay entrances. The coral community at Rapa was characterized by the presence of several taxa not found in other French Polynesian archipelagos and the rarity of others that are common and abundant in the Society and the Tuamotu islands. Another distinctive feature of reef communities at Rapa is the high cover and dominance of macroalgae, particularly in the shallower parts of the surrounding platform, which probably explains the lower densities of coral colonies recorded there. These characteristics of the diversity and biogeographical composition of coral assemblages at Rapa provide considerable ecological grounds for its conservation.     

Influence of anthropogenic pressure and seasonal upwelling on coral reefs in Nha Trang Bay (Central Vietnam)

The growing coastal development, dredging and dumping activities, overfishing and expansion of marine cage culture in Nha Trang Bay (NTB) of Central Vietnam since the beginning of the 2000s have resulted in a dramatic decrease of live coral cover. Surveys conducted in April–May 2013 and the same period in 2014 revealed that with an increase in distance from the outer part of the bay towards the mainland, the rivers’ influxes and dredged areas, coral cover decreased from 75% to 0.6% and species richness from 63 to 5, while the abundance of macroalgae increased from 0% to 56%. These changes correlate with differences in the concentration of suspended sediments on the same gradient. The abundance of the crown‐of‐thorns starfish Acanthaster planci and of the echinoid Diadema setosum significantly increased between the first estimation in 1998 and the survey in 2014, from 0 to 1.7 individuals (ind.) per 100 m^?2 and from 50.8 to 94.5 ind. per 100 m^?2, respectively, contributing to coral loss and intensive bioerosion of the reef framework in the bay. The large sizes of adult colonies of tabulate Acropora on the remote stations with negligible sedimentation and eutrophication loads were inconsistent with the assumptions that temperature‐induced coral bleaching or cyclones could be the major impacts in Nha Trang Bay. Analysis of the 16‐year thermal history of the bay did not reveal any instances in which the coral thermal bleaching threshold had been exceeded up to the present study. Seasonal upwelling, which occurs annually in the vicinity of Central Vietnam, may contribute to mitigation of thermal anomalies within NTB and to the maintenance of healthy coral communities on the remote reefs with relatively low anthropogenic impact.     

珊瑚礁连通性研究进展

综述了国外近20 a珊瑚礁连通性的研究简史,总结了珊瑚礁连通性研究的方法,阐述了"珊瑚礁连通性"的研究对珊瑚礁生态系统管理的重要意义。中国的珊瑚礁连通性研究刚起步,离国外还有很大差距,今后应加强珊瑚幼虫扩散路径、珊瑚群体内(群体间)遗传分化、遗传距离、基因流的研究,对我国海域珊瑚幼虫扩散的走廊加以保护。     

曾昭璇先生对南海地理研究的重要贡献

曾昭璇先生是中国著名的地理学家,地貌学家和教育家.他在学术生涯的不同阶段对地貌学,自然地理学,历史地理学,人类地理学等学科领域均有积极的探索,他对南海地理问题的研究贯穿他的一生,为中国南海地理研究作出重要贡献.他深入研究南海海岸地貌,珊瑚礁地貌,主张采用"地形类型分析法"划分海岸类型,将中国海岸类型划分为山地港湾岸,台地岸与平原岸;他与梁景芬等合著《中国珊瑚礁地貌研究》,系统论述中国珊瑚礁探测史和石珊瑚的种属,生态,地貌特征与发育,并将中国珊瑚礁划分为四大区,六种地貌类型;他完善了珊瑚礁地貌土地名分类,根据《更路簿》划分南海珊瑚岛礁分布区,绘制珊瑚岛礁探测图;他利用历史文献资料考证"石塘"等南海诸岛古地名;他从地质学与地貌学角度论证南海诸岛与中国大陆的陆缘关系,还利用历史地理与地方志等资料佐证了南海诸岛自古以来就是中国的固有领土.     

川东长兴组台缘礁滩相储层纵向非均质性特征及形成机制——以川东宣汉盘龙洞长兴组剖面为例

近几年,随着四川盆地海相碳酸盐岩储层勘探的不断加强,碳酸盐岩储层强的非均质性已成为制约礁滩气藏勘探开发的现实问题。以川东宣汉盘龙洞长兴组典型台缘礁滩剖面为研究对象,通过对典型台缘礁滩野外剖面的精细观察,结合镜下薄片及岩矿资料分析,重点探讨了盘龙洞礁滩储层纵向非均质性特征及成因。剖面上礁滩体垂向上存在很强的旋回性和储层非均质性,其储集岩分布、储层厚度、白云岩化程度、溶蚀作用等受海平面周期性的升降变化影响而呈现周期性变化。礁滩储层非均质性受高能相带、海平面升降变化和建设性成岩作用的共同控制,高能相带控制储层原生孔隙的发育,决定了储层的沉积非均质性,白云岩化和溶蚀作用有利于礁滩体储层的形成,大气淡水淋滤改造对于优化储层具有关键作用,海平面升降变化决定了礁滩体旋回性发育,而建设性成岩作用的选择性改造深化了储层非均质性。     

中国海洋的珊瑚-珊瑚礁: 南海中央区珊瑚-珊瑚礁生物多样性特征

珊瑚是地球上最古老的原住民,具有近6×108年的发育史,弱势群居、喜温和原地长成是珊瑚的基本特征。作者介绍了珊瑚-珊瑚礁的基本特征,综述了跨十年调查的研究区珍贵照片资料和相关认识,指出中国是全球主要的珊瑚-珊瑚礁国家,地位举足轻重;珊瑚-珊瑚礁作为地球生物多样性的代表,造岛、固礁、护鱼、防护岛岸流失,形成南海四大群岛280余座岛、礁、滩、沙,所构建庞大海洋生态系统是无与伦比的海洋生态资源和寸土寸金的南海海洋国土。提出划分南海珊瑚-珊瑚礁为中央区和周缘区2个分布区,阐述了南海中央区珊瑚-珊瑚礁的基本特征,系统汇集报道了间隔10年2个科考航次调查在浅水礁盘浮潜、至20 m水深浅潜-深潜和礁盘及开展岛、礁、滩、沙地质调查的发现,包括科学定名46种六放石珊瑚和6种八放软珊瑚等成果,同时,收集了西沙、中沙、东沙和南沙群岛海域的相关调查航次珊瑚照片;进一步阐述了单体环礁和复合环礁的特征及分布,并进行了初步对比,指出永乐环礁是南海唯一一个真正的切合达尔文模式的环礁,也是环礁发展到最高阶段的产物,构成现代海洋珊瑚-珊瑚礁形成演化研究最好的天然实验室。     

贵州南部晚石炭世一种新的生物礁类型

黔南晚石炭世普遍发育了一套台地相的碳酸盐岩地层,其中多种底栖生物十分繁盛,为深入开展石炭纪生物礁研究提供了有利条件。近几年,随着研究的不断深入,笔者等陆续发现了一些新型的造礁生物,其中一种重要的造礁生物是一种类似藻类的生物。通过大量的野外观察和室内工作,笔者等发现：这种生物是黔南晚石炭世的重要造礁生物类型之一,它在台地边缘生物碎屑滩上以多种生长方式构建礁体。该生物具有两种生长形式：一种是生物体呈波状延续生长,弯曲环绕,层层叠置形成不同类型的纹层或席状;另一种是生物体在纵向和横向上相互交叉,构成规则或不规则的网格状形态。这种礁体的发现,丰富了石炭纪生物礁的类型。     

塔里木盆地西北缘二叠系礁灰岩的时空分布特征及其油气地质意义

对塔里木盆地西北缘二叠系礁灰岩的岩石、岩相、沉积演化和油气地质特征的分析表明,生物礁主要发育于中二叠统栖霞阶昆克拉契组和巴立克立克组,以亮晶藻粘结灰岩为主,具有堤礁的特点。二叠系礁灰岩较大的厚度表明,当时礁体生长速率与礁基沉降（或水体加深）的速率匹配较好,具有进积型沉积的特点,这与当时塔里木地块内部的退积型沉积特点是不一致的。礁灰岩的原生孔隙较小,可以作为中等烃源岩,在哈拉峻盆地的东南侧和乌什凹陷北缘的覆盖区之下可能构成与礁灰岩相关的油气远景区。     

雷州半岛灯楼角珊瑚礁海区夏季的浮游动物

2004年8月在雷州半岛灯楼角珊瑚礁海区分别使用浅水Ⅰ型和浅水Ⅱ型浮游生物网进行了浮游动物调查,共鉴定浮游动物72种和浮游幼虫19个类群(或类型),其中桡足类的种数最多达45种。结果表明,浮游动物种数分布由近岸往远岸递增,约3/4的种类属于终身浮游生物,1/4属于阶段性浮游生物。中小型的浮游动物种类多,数量大。两种网具采集的浮游动物总种数、总密度、多样性指数、均匀度和中小型优势种的密度差异相当显著,而大型优势种的密度差异不明显。用浅水Ⅱ型网采集的浮游动物总密度平均值为5270ind/m3,是浅水Ⅰ型网的110倍。桡足类占浮游动物总密度的72.45%,其次幼虫占23.41%。浮游动物密度呈斑块状分布,最高达16257ind/m3,底质为珊瑚礁的测站的浮游动物数量一般较多。优势种主要是中小型种类和底栖动物的幼虫,如强额孔雀哲水蚤、蔓足类无节幼虫、细长腹剑水蚤、驼背隆哲水蚤、无节幼虫、双壳类面盘幼虫、桡足幼体、简长腹剑水蚤等。     

Gradients in coral reef communities exposed to muddy river discharge in Pohnpei,Micronesia

This study analyzed how coral communities change along a gradient of increasing exposure to a mud-discharging river in the Enipein Catchment, Pohnpei, Micronesia. Using video transects, we quantified benthic communities at five sites along a gradient moving away from the river mouth towards the barrier reef. The most river-impacted site was characterized by a high accumulation of mud, low coral cover and low coral diversity. Although coral cover leveled off at ∼400 m from the river mouth to values found at the outer-most sites, coral diversity continued to increase with increasing distance, suggesting that the most distant site was still impacted by the river discharges. Fungiidae, Pavona, Acropora, Pachyseris and Porites rus all significantly increased in cover with distance from the river, while Turbinaria decreased. The combined presence and abundance of these six species groups, together with coral species richness, may help to indicate the effects of terrestrial runoff in similar runoff-exposed settings around Micronesia, whereas coral cover is not a sensitive indicator for river impact. Coral reefs are important resources for the people of Pohnpei. To prevent further degradation of this important resource, an integrated watershed approach is needed to control terrestrial activities.