Simulation of pebble abrasion on coastal benches by transgressive waves

Tumbler simulations of abrasion processes affecting rocks on basaltic marine benches have clarified the effects of mass and volume of rock fragments on their rate of wear. Several experiments indicate that rate of basalt wear increases with mass in the interval 1 g to 8 g, but is not related to volume of fragments abraded in seawater. Relatively small quantities of rock flour suspended in the immersant seawater substantially reduced the rate of basalt wear. Basalt and calcareous beachrock responded differently in systems with both rock types tumbling together. Examination of the cuttings from these low-energy encounters suggests that abrasion on elevated benches along exposed seacoasts reduces virtually all clastic material to particles of silt size or smaller, producing essentially no sand.     

Developing a high-resolution climatology for the Central California coastal region

This work presents a procedure for developing a high-resolution, regional climatology estimate, named RClimo, off the coast of central California. This high-resolution climatology may provide an alternative way to initialize numerical nowcast/forecast exercises in coastal regions. The methodology includes two primary steps: (1) averaging available data on a high-resolution grid and (2) objective interpolating the resulting average profiles onto a regular grid. The first step involves the computation of averages over density layers in the vertical and allowing for data gaps in the horizontal if data are unavailable at a high resolution. The OA in the second step uses anisotropic correlation length scales derived from the data themselves and an averaging radius to preserve the scales and variability of the synoptic fields.     

Seagrass importance for a small-scale fishery in the tropics: The need for seascape management

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in tropical seascapes (mosaics of interconnected mangroves, seagrasses and corals) are crucial for food and income. However, management is directed mostly to corals and mangroves. This research analyzes the importance of seagrasses compared to adjacent ecosystems in Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Using fish landings; the study investigated: location of fishing effort, fish production (biomass and species), and monetary benefits (aggregated value and per capita income). Seagrasses were the most visited grounds providing highest community benefits. Per capita benefits were equivalent to those from corals and mangroves. All three habitats provided income just above extreme poverty levels; however catches from seagrass appeared more stable. Seagrass are key ecosystems supporting SSF and protection and management are urgently needed. Adoption of a seascape approach considering all ecosystems underpinning SSF and the social aspects of fishing and a shift in emphasis from pure conservation to sustainable resource management would be desirable.     

Determination of Irgarol-1051 and its related s-triazine species in coastal sediments and mussel tissues by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS

A mild, low-temperature analytical approach based on sonication assisted extraction coupled with HPLC electrospray ionization triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry has been developed for the simultaneous qualitative and quantitative determination of the four Irgarol-related s-triazine species, namely Irgarol-1051, M1, M2 and M3, in coastal sediments and Green-lipped mussel samples. Mild extraction conditions were necessary for the preservation of the thermally unstable M2. The Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode of detection by ESI-MS/MS enabled reliable qualitative identification and sensitive quantitative determination of those s-triazines. This determination method was applied to evaluate the degree of Irgarol-1051 contamination in the sediments and biota of the coastal environment of Hong Kong - one of the busiest maritime ports in the world. All the four s-triazine species were observed in all of the samples. This is the first time that the newly identified M2 and M3 are detected in coastal sediments and biota tissues.     

Interaction of a river plume with coastal upwelling in the northeastern South China Sea

Observational and modeling studies were conducted to investigate the Pearl River plume and its interaction with the southwesterly driven upwelling circulation in the northern South China Sea during the summer. After exiting the Pearl River Estuary, the discharged freshwater generates a nearly stationary bulge of freshwater near the entrance of the estuary. Forced by the wind-driven coastal upwelling current, the freshwater in the outer part of the bulge flows downstream at the speed of the current and forms a widening and deepening buoyant plume over the shelf. The plume axis gradually shifts offshore of the current maximum as a result of currents induced by the contrasting density at the nose of plume and by the intensified Ekman drift in the plume. In this plume–current system, the fraction of the discharged freshwater volume accumulated in the bulge reaches a steady state and the volume of newly discharged freshwater is transported downstream by the upwelling current. Enhancement of stratification by the plume thins the surface frictional layer and enhances the cross-shelf circulation in the upper water column such that the surface Ekman current and compensating flow beneath the plume are amplified while the shoaling of the deeper dense water in the upwelling region changes minimally. The pressure gradient generated between the buoyant plume and ambient seawater accelerates the wind-driven current along the inshore edge of the plume but retards it along the offshore edge. Along the plume, downward momentum advection is strong near the highly nonlinear source region and a weaker upward momentum advection occurs in the far field over the shelf. Typically, the plume is shaped by the current over the shelf while the current itself is adjusting to a new dynamic balance invoked by the plume-induced changes of vertical viscosity and the horizontal pressure gradient. The spatial variation of this new balance leads to a coherent change in the cross-isobath transport in the upper water column during upwelling.     

Delivery of upper-basin sediment to the lower neuse river,North Carolina,U.S.A.

Extensive storage of upper-basin Piedmont sediment and apparent low sediment supply to streams in lower-basin Coastal Plain areas generates questions as to the source of alluvium in lower reaches of rivers of the U.S. Atlantic drainage. This was investigated on the Neuse River, North Carolina, using a mineralogical indicator of sediment source areas. The utility of mica flakes for discriminating between Piedmont and non-Piedmont sources of sediment in the lower Coastal Plain reaches of the Neuse was established on the basis of an examination of the U.S. National Soils Database and of 26 soil surveys of the North Carolina Coastal Plain. From the Neuse River estuary to 48 km upstream there are no mica flakes in floodplain soils or in river bank and channel shelf sediments. Mica flakes become more common upstream. This suggests that a very small proportion of the sediment eroded in the Piedmont portion of the watershed is delivered to the river mouth. The small amounts which presumably do reach the lower Coastal Plain are so diluted by Coastal Plain-derived alluvium that no Piedmont origin can be discerned. This demonstrates a dominantly Coastal Plain source and underscores the importance of storage and discontinuous transport in fluvial sediment systems. More importantly, results suggest that upper- and lower-basin sediment dynamics are not only non-linearly related, but may be virtually decoupled.     

Marine debris review for Latin America and the wider Caribbean region: from the 1970s until now, and where do we go from here?

The available literature on marine debris from Latin America and the Wider Caribbean Region was collected and linked, reviewing their methodologies and principal results (quantities, composition and spatial-temporal patterns). The study region comprises 52 coastal countries of which only 14 had registers of works on marine debris. A total of 70 works were available and 69 had their full contents accessed. Brazil dominated the available literature with 70% of the documents. Beaches were the most studied environment, and plastics the prevalent form of contamination in the whole region. The exposure of marine biota (species, type of contact, consequences) was highlighted. The studied region, although still little exploited by this sort of research, shows the same contamination patterns observed world-wide. We also contacted 40 researchers in the area, collecting scientific contributions, opinions and suggestions for improvement of this research field. Further advances and new (urgently needed) lines of research are also discussed.     

Neural network modelling of planform geometry of headland-bay beaches

The shoreline of beaches in the lee of coastal salients or man-made structures, usually known as headland-bay beaches, has a distinctive curvature; wave fronts curve as a result of wave diffraction at the headland and in turn cause the shoreline to bend. The ensuing curved planform is of great interest both as a peculiar landform and in the context of engineering projects in which it is necessary to predict how a coastal structure will affect the sandy shoreline in its lee. A number of empirical models have been put forward, each based on a specific equation. A novel approach, based on the application of artificial neural networks, is presented in this work. Unlike the conventional method, no particular equation of the planform is embedded in the model. Instead, it is the model itself that learns about the problem from a series of examples of headland-bay beaches (the training set) and thereafter applies this self-acquired knowledge to other cases (the test set) for validation. Twenty-three headland-bay beaches from around the world were selected, of which sixteen and seven make up the training and test sets, respectively. As there is no well-developed theory for deciding upon the most convenient neural network architecture to deal with a particular data set, an experimental study was conducted in which ten different architectures with one and two hidden neuron layers and five training algorithms – 50 different options combining network architecture and training algorithm – were compared. Each of these options was implemented, trained and tested in order to find the best-performing approach for modelling the planform of headland-bay beaches. Finally, the selected neural network model was compared with a state-of-the-art planform model and was shown to outperform it.     

滨海湿地保护:日本的经验

滨海湿地,在日本,一般被称为"干潟",对日本社会可持续发展意义重大。鉴于日本滨海湿地消失速度极快,日本十分重视保护滨海湿地。以《拉姆萨尔公约》为依据,日本出台了一系列有关干潟、浅海域的决议及劝告书。近几年日本国内正热烈讨论制定"湿地保全法"。