Floating and fixed artificial habitats: Spatial and temporal patterns of benthic communities in a coral reef environment

While natural marine habitats with motion capabilities, e.g., kelps and seaweeds, have been studied alongside their associated fouling communities, little is known of the effect of motion on the communities of floating artificial habitats such as buoys, rafts, and pontoons, particularly in tropical systems. Hydrodynamic features greatly differ between floating and fixed artificial substrata, which in turn affect the structure of their associated communities. This study tested the hypothesis that floating and fixed artificial installations in a tropical reef system (Eilat, Red Sea) would support different benthic communities throughout space and time. Specifically, we examined differences in communities recruited onto settlement plates between floating and fixed installations deployed at three different sites, along a two-year monitoring period. The three sites exhibited distinct differences in species assemblages between the monitoring dates (6, 12, 18 and 24 months post deployment), mainly between the first and the last two dates. The average level of dissimilarity between floating and fixed installations increased over time at all sites. Over 50% of the dissimilarity between the floating and fixed installations resulted from five taxonomic groups i.e., bryozoans, bivalves, barnacles, sponges, including the amount of bare space on the settlement plates. The contribution of these groups to the dissimilarity changed both temporally within each site, and spatially among sites. The observed differences were related to the hydrodynamic characteristics of floating and fixed habitats, interacting with biotic features such as predation, successional processes and seasonality; and abiotic features including small-scale spatial changes, light, and position in the water column.     

Evaluation of policy options for the live reef food fish trade in the province of Palawan,Western Philippines

The live reef food fish (LRFF) trade has an estimated annual retail value of US$1 billion in the Asia-Pacific region and at least US$30 million in the Philippines. Palawan Province is the trade's center accounting for as much as 55% of the commodity's total export. Concern about the LRFF trade has caused the Palawan Provincial government to take action to regulate the trade. Four key policy options to address the short-term policy objective of developing a sustainable LRFF industry through the reduction of threats associated with destructive fishing and overfishing were proposed. These four policy options and associated analyses were presented to stakeholders at three separate policy consultations. The stakeholders reached a consensus that a regulated LRFF trade was the most sensible option. As a result, the Provincial Government of Palawan took action to enact “The Palawan Live Reef Fish Ordinance of 2006”, which provides for the sustainable and integrated regulation of the LRFF industry. This provincial ordinance will assist in crafting a national policy for the LRFF trade and may also be useful in revising the 1998 Philippine Fisheries Code. The key challenge is how to translate the ordinance provisions into effective on-the-ground actions.     

防海胆食害藻礁的设计及实验研究

人工藻礁是进行藻场建设的重要手段,但由于海胆等食藻类生物的摄食,将会影响藻类的生长,从而影响人工藻场的建设效果.为解决人工藻场建设中海胆的食害问题,从礁体自身设计出发,实验设计了8种不同形状的藻礁,选用光棘球海胆和中间球海胆为实验对象,观察比较了不同形状藻礁对海胆攀爬的阻碍效果,实验发现:侧周面为锯齿形或侧周面缠挂多孔柔性材料的礁型可有效阻止海胆攀爬,起到防止海胆摄食礁顶藻类的目的.研究结果为人工藻礁的设计提供了参考依据.     

黑海参(Holothuria atra)对环境沉积物的摄食选择及消化系统功能适应性研究

黑海参(Holothuria atra)是热带珊瑚礁大型底栖动物群落中的代表种类之一,其摄食活动对珊瑚礁生境底质有机物的循环再利用具有重要作用。本文研究了三亚蜈支洲岛典型热带珊瑚礁海域野生黑海参的沉积物选择特征及其触手和消化系统结构功能的适应性。结果表明,黑海参摄取的沉积物颗粒相对较粗,其中粒径0.25mm部分占到了总重量的96.67%。触手上3—6个乳突形成乳突簇[直径(283.00±40.94)μm],适宜摄取大颗粒沉积物。黑海参胃内含物有机物含量显著高于环境沉积物,证实其对有机物含量的选择性;粒径0.25mm部分有机物含量占摄入总有机物量的75%,与环境沉积物中相同粒度的有机物总量占比接近(76%),表明黑海参选择的沉积物粒径范围有效保证了其高效摄入有机质。黑海参前肠的脂肪酶、淀粉酶、纤维素酶、胰蛋白酶活性最高,同时绝大部分的有机质(98.33%)在前肠被吸收。组织学定量分析表明,黑海参前肠黏膜层厚度最大,占总厚度的56.33%,这与其高效吸收有机质的功能相适应;后肠的肠壁总厚度和黏膜下层、肌层厚度均显著高于前肠和中肠,表明其具有相对更好的弹性和收缩能力,适合于大颗粒有机质的高效输送与排出。研究结果证实,黑海参摄食器官和消化道独特的结构与功能保证了其在珊瑚砂粗颗粒生境中高效摄取有机物。     

西沙群岛基底火山碎屑岩中单斜辉石的矿物化学特征及其地质意义

本文利用电子探针对南海西沙群岛琛航岛珊瑚礁底部火山碎屑岩中的单斜辉石矿物的化学特征进行了研究。结果表明,该单斜辉石属于富钙透辉石,部分有正环带结构,从核部到边部Ca、Fe、Ti的含量逐渐增加,是岩浆正常结晶顺序的反映,说明该区域的岩浆演化是向着富Ca、Fe、Ti方向发展的。主量元素数据显示,单斜辉石具有低Si高Al的特征(SiO₂=41.40%～48.44%,Al₂O₃=5.54%～10.20%),且AlⅣ含量较高,说明母岩浆为不饱和碱性岩浆系列;此外,单斜辉石Ca含量偏高,Ca/(Ca+Mg+Fe)值在46.1%～51.4%之间,推测是母岩浆的高Ca含量导致了大量高钙辉石的产出。结合西沙海域的地震和构造资料,推测琛航岛珊瑚礁的基底是玄武质火山碎屑岩组成的平顶状海山,系岩浆穿过断裂发育的岩石圈层在西沙群岛的海底喷发,随后火山碎屑物质经过堆积、固结作用而形成;该火山碎屑岩的原岩为板内碱性玄武岩。     

A study of coral reef resilience and implications of adaptive management and rehabilitation in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

The Province of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, is located in the western South China Sea and boasts a shoreline of 385 km and many islands. Previous studies have indicated the extreme diversity and abundance of coral reefs in its waters as compared with other coastal provinces of Vietnam. A study on the resilience of coral reefs against increased surface water temperature and anthropogenic impact is conducted at 19 reef sites in 2015. At each site, a series of parameters (e.g., coral covers, genus diversity, and coral recruitment, substratum heterogeneity, depth, water exchange level, and sediment deposit and water temperature) are measured quantitatively or semi-quantitatively. The measured data are rated based on the relationship between the parameter values and coral susceptibility; the consideration that reef health reflects the biological capability to adapt to environmental changes and the recruitment potential if bleached; and positive or negative influences of physical factors in the mitigation of thermal stress and protecting corals from bleaching. A cumulative analysis enables researchers to divide the studied reefs into four categories based on varying levels of reef health to support resilience, recovery, and vulnerability in the case of increased water temperature. Relevant management interventions for each category and other supporting activities are suggested to enhance management effectiveness and to plan the rehabilitation of coral reefs for biodiversity conservation and touristic development, taking into account the involvement of related stakeholders.     

南海海洋地磁固定观测站建设初步研究

为填补我国海洋地磁固定观测的空白,支撑科学研究、防灾减灾、海洋资源开发,维护国家的海洋权益和履行我国在南海海域负有的国际责任,急需在南海建设岛礁和海底地磁固定观测站。通过初步分析国外海洋地磁观测站案例、南海岛礁基础设施现状以及海底观测网计划实施情况,认为南海海洋地磁固定观测站建设的条件已经成熟。文中给出了合理空间布局、分步实施、因地制宜及智能化观测的建议。     

基于层次分析法的南麂列岛海域人工鱼礁社会效果评价

人工鱼礁建设具有生态效果、经济效果和社会效果。为科学指导人工鱼礁的建设方向,进一步促进海洋牧场建设以及海洋渔业资源和海洋生态环境的可持续发展,文章采用改进的层次分析法,从人工鱼礁与社会的适应性、对社会环境的影响、对社会生活的影响以及对其他行业发展的影响4个方面,选取政策符合性等10个评价指标,通过问卷调查的方式,对南麂列岛海域人工鱼礁的社会效果进行评价,填补该研究领域的空白。研究结果表明:根据各评价指标的权重和效果判定值,南麂列岛海域人工鱼礁产生了较好的社会效果,其中海洋生态环境、项目长远性、改善渔民生活质量和海洋捕捞业等指标发挥作用较大;未来将开展长期和连续的调查研究,提高评价可信度。     

基于激波捕捉类Boussinesq模型对岛礁地形上波浪传播的数值模拟

为了探究激波捕捉类Boussinesq模型在模拟岛礁地形上规则波和不规则波传播的可行性,采用基于完全非线性Boussinesq方程并具有激波捕捉能力的数值模型Funwave-TVD对规则波和不规则波在岛礁地形上的传播进行了数值模拟,通过与试验数据对比,分析模型中空间步长的影响,验证模型在模拟波高、平均水位分布以及波谱空间演变的能力,结果表明:采用合适的空间步长,模型能较好地模拟规则波和不规则波在岛礁地形上的传播和演化过程。对于规则波,较小的空间步长可改善破碎点处波高峰值的预测,并能更好地预测波浪破碎后波高的空间分布,相比结合经验破碎的Boussinesq模型,Funwave-TVD能更好地模拟规则波在岛礁地形上的破碎,以及破碎以后行进涌波的再生成过程;对于不规则波,Funwave-TVD总体而言能较好地模拟涌浪有效波高、次重力波的生成及空间演化和平均水位,但会低估礁坪上次重力波波高,较粗的空间步长也会低估礁坪上涌浪有效波高。     

不同开口比人工鱼礁体水动力特性及礁体稳定性研究

为研究方型人工鱼礁体开口比的变化对其水动力特性的影响,利用Fluent软件模拟了边长为3m、开口比为0～0.6之间7种不同方型鱼礁体周围水流场,通过分析水流场变化规律得到了礁体流场效应、阻力系数随开口比的变化情况;基于Morison方程计算了礁体在波流作用下的受力及其抗滑移、抗倾覆安全系数。研究结果表明:当礁体开口比小于0.2时,背涡区范围较大,流场效应明显;随着开口比的增大,礁体产生的上升流范围及竖直向最大速度分量逐渐减小;对于方形开口礁体,阻力系数与开口比的关系式为Cd=0.875φ+1.088(R2=0.963,P<0.01);随着开口比的增大,礁体所受最大波流作用力、抗滑移及抗倾覆安全系数逐渐减小,但礁体不会发生滑移和倾覆,可为实际礁体结构的设计提供参考。