Identification of important marine areas using ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSAs) criteria in the East to Southeast Asia region and comparison with existing registered areas for the purpose of conservation

The biodiversity of East to Southeast (E–SE) Asian waters is rapidly declining because of anthropogenic effects ranging from local environmental pressures to global warming. To improve marine biodiversity, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets were adopted in 2010. The recommendation of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), encourages application of the ecologically or biologically significant area (EBSA) process to identify areas for conservation. However, there are few examples of the use of EBSA criteria to evaluate entire oceans. In this article, seven criteria are numerically evaluated to identify important marine areas (EBSA candidates) in the E–SE Asia region. The discussion includes 1) the possibility of EBSA criteria quantification throughout the E–SE Asia oceans and the suitability of the indices selected; 2) optimal integration methods for criteria, and the relationships between the criteria and data robustness and completeness; and; 3) a comparison of the EBSA candidates identified and existing registered areas for the purpose of conservation, such as marine protected areas (MPAs). Most of the EBSA criteria could be quantitatively evaluated throughout the Asia-Pacific region. However, three criteria in particular showed a substantial lack of data. Our methodological comparison showed that complementarity analysis performed better than summation because it considered criteria that were evaluated only in limited areas. Most of the difference between present-day registered areas and our results for EBSAs resulted from a lack of data and differences in philosophy for the selection of indices.     

东海蛾螺属二新记录种(腹足纲,蛾螺科)

在整理近年来东海采集的蛾螺科Buccinidae标本时,鉴定出属于蛾螺属Buccinum Linnaeus,1758的两个中国新记录种:(1)白肋蛾螺Buccinum leucostoma Lischke,1872,采自于东海300—400m深的泥沙质海底;(2)古式蛾螺Buccinum koshikinum Okutani,1988采自于东海400m深的泥沙质海底。文中分别对这两个新记录种的形态特征、生活习性等进行了描述,并与相似种进行了分类学讨论。此外,文中还列出了中国海已报道的其他蛾螺属种类。     

Terrestrial discharge influences microbioerosion and microbioeroder community structure in coral reefs

Microbioerosion rates and microbioeroder community structure were studied in four Kenyan protected coral-reef lagoons using shell fragments of Tridacna giant clams to determine their response to the influence of terrestrial run-off. Fourteen different microbioeroder traces from seven cyanobacteria, three green algae and four fungi species were identified. The river discharge-impacted reef and ‘pristine’ reef showed similar composition but higher microbioeroder abundance and total cyanobacteria- and chlorophyte-bioeroded areas when compared with the other study reefs. Cyanobacteria dominated during the north-east monsoon (NEM) relative to the south-east monsoon (SEM) season, with algae and cyanobacteria being major microbioeroders in the river-impacted and pristine reefs. The rate of microbioerosion varied between 4.3 g CaCO3 m^?2 y^?1 (SEM) and 134.7 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1 (NEM), and was highest in the river-impacted reef (127.6 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1), which was almost double that in the pristine reef (69.5 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1) and the mangrove-fringed reef (56.2 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1). The microbioerosion rates measured in this study may not be high enough to cause concern with regard to the health and net carbonate production of Kenya’s coral reefs. Nevertheless, predicted increases in the frequency and severity of stresses related to global climate change (e.g. increased sea surface temperature, acidification), as well as interactions with local disturbances and their influence on bioerosion, may be increasingly important in the future.     

Estimation of mean and extreme waves in the East China Seas

Accurately estimating the mean and extreme wave statistics and better understanding their directional and seasonal variations are of great importance in the planning and designing of ocean and coastal engineering works. Due to the lack of long-term wave measurement data, the analysis of extreme waves is often based on the numerical wave hind-casting results. In this study, the wave climate in the East China Seas (including the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea) for the past 35 years (1979–2013) is hind-casted using a third generation wave model – WAMC4 (Cycle 4 version of WAM model). Two sets of reanalysis wind data from NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction, USA) and ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts) are used to drive the wave model to generate the long-term wave climate. The hind-casted waves are then analysed to study the mean and extreme wave statistics in the study area. The results show that the mean wave heights decrease from south to north and from sea to land in general. The extreme wave heights with return periods of 50 and 100 years in the summer and autumn seasons are significantly higher than those in the other two seasons, mainly due to the effect of typhoon events. The mean wave heights in the winter season have the highest values, mainly due to the effect of winter monsoon winds. The comparison of extreme wave statistics from both wind fields with the field measurements at several nearshore wave observation stations shows that the extreme waves generated by the ECMWF winds are better than those generated by the NCEP winds. The comparison also shows the extreme waves in deep waters are better reproduced than those in shallow waters, which is partly attributed to the limitations of the wave model used. The results presented in this paper provide useful insight into the wave climate in the area of the East China Seas, as well as the effect of wind data resolution on the simulation of long-term waves.     

Implications of structural inheritance in oblique rift zones for basin compartmentalization: Nkhata Basin,Malawi Rift (EARS)

The Cenozoic East African Rift System (EARS) is an exceptional example of active continental extension, providing opportunities for furthering our understanding of hydrocarbon plays within rifts. It is divided into structurally distinct western and eastern branches. The western branch comprises deep rift basins separated by transfer zones, commonly localised onto pre-existing structures, offering good regional scale hydrocarbon traps. At a basin-scale, local discrete inherited structures might also play an important role on fault localisation and hydrocarbon distribution. Here, we consider the evolution of the Central basin of the Malawi Rift, in particular the influence of pre-existing structural fabrics.Integrating basin-scale multichannel 2D, and high resolution seismic datasets we constrain the border, Mlowe-Nkhata, fault system (MNF) to the west of the basin and smaller Mbamba fault (MF) to the east and document their evolution. Intra basin structures define a series of horsts, which initiated as convergent transfers, along the basin axis. The horsts are offset along a NE–SW striking transfer fault parallel to and along strike of the onshore Karoo (Permo-Triassic) Ruhuhu graben. Discrete pre-existing structures probably determined its location and, oriented obliquely to the extension orientation it accommodated predominantly strike-slip deformation, with more slowly accrued dip-slip.To the north of this transfer fault, the overall basin architecture is asymmetric, thickening to the west throughout; while to the south, an initially symmetric graben architecture became increasingly asymmetric in sediment distribution as strain localised onto the western MNF. The presence of the axial horst increasingly focussed sediment supply to the west. As the transfer fault increased its displacement, so this axial supply was interrupted, effectively starving the south-east while ponding sediments between the western horst margin and the transfer fault. This asymmetric bathymetry and partitioned sedimentation continues to the present-day, overprinting the early basin symmetry and configuration. Sediments deposited earlier become increasingly dissected and fault juxtapositions changed at a small (10–100 m) scale. The observed influence of basin-scale transfer faults on sediment dispersal and fault compartmentalization due to pre-existing structures oblique to the extension orientation is relevant to analogous exploration settings.     

东海西南近岸海域污损生物群落特征

于2013年12月~2014年11月在东海西南近岸海域进行污损生物周年挂板试验,全年共记录污损生物10门49科69属84种,群落组成以近岸暖水种为主,为典型的亚热带内湾型群落,附着盛期为4–9月,夏季污损生物的附着强度最高。固定生活类型的悬浮物食者是该近岸海域污损生物群落的附着主体,网纹藤壶（Amphibalanus reticulatus）是最主要的优势种和代表种,其它优势种还有长鳃麦杆虫（Caprella equilibra）、中胚花筒螅（Ectopleura crocea）、太平洋侧花海葵（Anthopleura nigrescens）、今岛柄涡虫（Stylochus ijimai）、克氏无襟毛虫（Spirobranchus kraussii）、近江牡蛎（Crassostrea rivularis）、翡翠贻贝（Perna viridis）、廉形叶钩虾（Jassa falcata）、强壮板钩虾（Stenothoe valida）、光辉圆扇蟹（Sphaerozius nitidus）和大室别藻苔虫（Biflustra grandicella）等。污损生物群落个体间因附着空间和食物竞争而存在着相互依存或互相制约的关系,又依照对环境因子的适应性而存在着一定的时空分布规律。温度是决定污损生物地理分布的最主要环境因素,物种的温度属性是不同气候带污损生物群落组成差异的本质体现,污损生物的种类数、附着期和附着量与水温有着密切的关系;另外,盐度、水流、光、水产养殖等自然环境或人为因素也是影响污损生物附着的重要影响因子。     

Distribution of calcareous nannoplankton in surface sediments along the northern KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

The coccolith assemblages from seafloor sediments over the inner shelf in the northern region of the KwaZulu- Natal Bight on the east coast of South Africa were identified and their distribution determined. In all, 29 Recent species and taxonomic groups, as well as 29 reworked species were recorded. The distribution of the Recent species appears to be governed by environmental features that have been documented in other studies: temperature, salinity, nutrient concentration and water circulation pattern, which reveals the long-term existence of a circulation cell in the sector between Durban Bay and the Thukela River. The outer edge of the cell consists of nutrient-enriched mixed layers and is characterised by an enhanced abundance of Gephyrocapsa oceanica, whereas the central region consists of a stratified nutrient-depleted water mass with elevated abundance of Umbilicosphaera sibogae, Florisphaera profunda, and a group of umbelliform species. The elevated levels of G. oceanica, coupled with the rarity of U. sibogae, F. profunda and the umbelliform species, confirm the presence of a permanent upwelling cell off Richards Bay. The maximum abundance of F. profunda found between Richards Bay and Lake Nhlabane indicates a region of nutrient-depleted (except for nitrite) conditions.     

Dynamics and role of the Durban cyclonic eddy in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight ecosystem

The semi-permanent Durban Eddy is a mesoscale, lee-trapped, cold-core cyclonic circulation that occurs off the east coast of South Africa between Durban in the north and Sezela, some 70 km to the south. When present, strong north-eastward countercurrents reaching 100 cm s^–1 are found inshore. It is hypothesised that the cyclone is driven by the strong south-westward flowing Agulhas Current offshore of the regressing shelf edge near Durban. Analysis of ADCP data and satellite imagery shows the eddy to be present off Durban approximately 55% of the time, with an average lifespan of 8.6 days, and inter-eddy periods of 4 to 8 days. After spin-up the eddy breaks loose from its lee position and propagates downstream on the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current. The eddy is highly variable in occurrence, strength and downstream propagation speeds. There is no detectable seasonal cycle in eddy occurrence, with the Natal Pulse causing more variability than any seasonal signal. A thermistor array deployed in the eddy centre, together with ship CTD data, indicates upward doming of the thermal structure in the eddy core associated with cooler water and nutrients being moved higher in the water column, stimulating primary production. Together with the use of satellite imagery, our findings indicate a second mechanism of upwelling, viz. divergent upwelling in the northern limb of the eddy. Satellite-tracked surface drifters released in the eddy demonstrated the potential for nutrient-rich eddy water to be transported northwards along the inshore regions of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight, thus contributing to the functioning of the bight ecosystem, as well as southwards along the KZN and Transkei coasts – both by the eddy migrating downstream and by eddy water being recirculated into the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current itself.     

东格陵兰盆地油气资源评价

东格陵兰盆地陆上和近海地区是目前北极与深水油气勘探的热点地区,但油气勘探程度和资源认识程度低。美国地质调查局(2000、2007年)油气资源评价结果表明该区具有很大的油气资源潜力,同时油气勘探具有高风险和不确定性。通过收集整理东格陵兰盆地、北海盆地油气地质资料及油气田勘探开发数据,从区域上对两个地区的油气成藏条件进行了对比,并采用地球化学方法与类比法,评价了东格陵兰盆地的油气资源潜力。东格陵兰盆地属于晚古生代—中生代的裂谷盆地,呈现两坳一隆的构造格局,与挪威陆架盆地在进入被动陆缘阶段之前具有相同的地质发育过程,沉积环境类似,共同经历古生代和中生代裂谷及裂后的热沉降。东格陵兰盆地发育晚古生代湖相烃源岩、上侏罗统海相烃源岩,储层主要为中侏罗统浅海相砂岩和白垩系深海浊积砂岩,圈闭类型主要为伸展构造圈闭、地垒断块圈闭、盐构造圈闭以及地层圈闭等。东格陵兰盆地油气成藏条件优越,油气资源潜力较大,具有较好的勘探前景。在影响东格陵兰盆地油气资源认识的诸多地质因素中,有利圈闭类型、必要数量的烃源岩以及油气生成条件和适当埋藏史还待进一步证实。     

东海陆架盆地中生界油气调查进展与面临的挑战

东海陆架盆地是我国海域的一个大型中—新生代复合型含油气盆地,中生代盆地是我国海域油气勘探战略接替区之一。2005年之前主要以新生界为目的层,2005年之后,随着地震采集和处理技术的提高以及勘探思路的转变,针对中生界开展了富有成效的调查研究,取得了一系列成果与进展：①初步建立了一套深层二维地震采集技术和处理技术;②通过海陆对比和地震地层学分析,东海中生界分布广,具有“东海西陆”的古地理格局;③中生代盆地具有北东分带结构特征和3期演化;④中生界发育2套烃源岩和2套生储盖组合。在此基础上分析了东海陆架中生代盆地油气调查所面临的问题与挑战。