Reproductive biology of horse mackerel Trachurus capensis and Trachurus trecae in Namibia and Angola

Harvest control measures for Namibia and Angola are defined using reference points for spawning biomass, which requires knowledge of spawning potential and dynamics of fishery stocks. The reproductive biology of two species of horse mackerel, Trachurus capensis and Trachurus trecae, in these waters was investigated for spawning distribution in time and space. Samples were collected during two scientific cruises conducted in February and July/August 2007 off the coast of Namibia and Angola. A total of 396 fish ovaries was examined to determine the spawning dynamics of the two species. The ovaries were histologically analysed and their oocyte distributions mapped. The length (TL)–weight relationships of the two species differed significantly. The observed development of oocyte recruitment and absence of a hiatus in the oocyte distribution indicated that these species are indeterminate spawners. Analyses of the data from the NatMIRC database (2001–2004) indicated annual changes in gonadosomatic index (GSI) for T. capensis at different latitudes, but these changes were small. GSI also fluctuated between years and areas, but there were no clear spatial or temporal trends, with averages ≤4.0% at all stations. The GSI of both species was not indicative of the histologically determined development of gonad maturity. Oocyte maturation for T. capensis indicated that smaller and younger fish spawn first. Batch fecundity (F) for T. trecae was best described by F = 4 986 TL (cm) – 99 645 (r ² = 0.83). This study provided the first analyses of oocyte development in time and space for the two species in the region.     

Regional and temporal changes in bivalve diversity off the south coast of Portugal

From 2000 to 2006, a total of 75 bivalve species were identified, varying from 29 (spring 2001) to 54 species (spring 2005) per year. Seasonal tendencies in diversity varied according the year, thus the interpretation of long-term and regional scales is essential before drawing any conclusions in other studies. Richness and diversity consistently decreased with depth and increased with sediment grain size (from low in very coarse sand to high in coarse silt). Diversity decreased progressively from 3 to 16 m depth, thus the harsher shallower environments (due to waves and tidal air exposure) showed greater diversity than the most stable areas. Communities in finer sediments were more diverse than those in coarser sand. Evenness showed patterns opposite to diversity, overall.Diversity and evenness maps (produced with multivariate universal kriging), showed that most geographic areas with greater diversity were farer from river outflows and wastewater treatment plants. Two types of geographic pattern were observed: areas with persistently greater bivalve diversity through time and areas that changed locally from year to year. This spatial analysis can be used to establish priority conservation areas for management purposes, and to analyse the persistency of regional diversity patterns. The area with most habitat heterogeneity (Sotavento) corresponded to greatest diversity.There was a positive relationship between Spisula solida and Chamelea gallina landings and bivalve diversity 2 years and 1 year later, respectively. Possibly, local fisheries, by selectively withdrawing the commercial numerically dominant species from the ecosystem, increased diversity 1 to 2 years later, as the ecological niches of the dominants are quickly filled by several other species thereby creating a more even community. On regional scales, no significant impact was found on long-term bivalve diversity in local fisheries,     

深水钢悬链立管疲劳寿命评估分析

在时域内分析深水钢悬链立管在平台运动和波流载荷共同作用下的非线性动力响应;采用雨流计数法处理立管节点应力的时间历程,选用DoE.E型S-N曲线分析立管在单一海况和平台运动联合作用下的疲劳损伤;将各方向含概率分布的疲劳损伤进行叠加,得到立管整体的全方向疲劳损伤及疲劳寿命。平台的运动为六自由度的运动预报数据,波流载荷由某海域实际的波浪统计数据采用Morison公式计算所得。计算结果表明钢悬链立管疲劳寿命的极值点分别位于悬挂点附近和触地点附近,对立管疲劳寿命极值点各方向疲劳损伤分布情况进行了分析。所提方法为钢悬链立管疲劳分析提供了新思路,给出的结论对钢悬链立管设计分析有一定借鉴意义。     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of wind-induced barotropic circulation in the Gulf of Patras

The barotropic, wind-induced circulation, which develops in the Gulf of Patras in Western Greece during the winter, is studied using three-dimensional numerical simulations. The simulations are performed using the numerical code MIKE 3 FM (HD). The Gulf's basin is bracketed between two sills, one on the west at the opening with the Ionian Sea and the other on the east at the Straits of Rio-Antirio at the opening with the Gulf of Corinth. The simulations show that the wind-induced flow creates strong currents near the coasts, which determine the sense of rotation of the gyres that develop in the Gulf. Strong currents are also created at the Rio-Antirio Straits. The wind-induced, barotropic currents do not seem to contribute to the direct replenishment of bottom waters, which recirculate between the two sills. Depending on the wind-speed forcing of the flow, the residence time of the waters in the Gulf of Patras is estimated to range from one week to one month.     

南海北部表层颗粒有机碳的季节和年际变化遥感分析

海洋颗粒有机碳（POC）是海洋固碳的一个关键参数。为了研究南海北部陆架及海盆表层POC浓度的时空分布特征以及变化趋势,本文利用2009-2011年4个季节的实测数据,对NASA发布的MODIS/AQUA卫星月平均POC遥感产品,进行了验证和校正;并利用校正后的遥感数据分析了2003-2014年POC的时空分布特征和变化趋势。发现POC遥感产品与南海北部实测数据具有较好的线性关系（R2=0.72）,但存在系统性偏高,需利用实测数据对遥感数据进行区域性校正。分析校正后的遥感数据发现,南海北部陆架POC浓度较高,平均为（33.34±8.02）mg/m3;吕宋海峡西南海域浓度较低,平均为（29.25±6.20）mg/m3;中央海盆区浓度最低,平均为（27.02±4.84）mg/m3。春夏季POC浓度较低,最低值一般出现在5月,冬季（12月至翌年1月）POC浓度达到最高。利用2003-2014年的长时间序列遥感叶绿素（Chl a）和海表温度（SST）、混合层深度（MLD）模式数据,以及实测数据对南海北部POC浓度的影响机制进行了分析。发现POC与Chl a在秋冬呈现较好的相关关系（R2=0.51）,但在春夏季较离散,表明秋冬季生物作用对POC影响较大。2003-2014年期间,POC与Chl a、MLD及SST存在明显的年际变化,但并没有显著的上升或下降趋势。     

应用两次展开法求解系泊柱体慢漂运动方程

在深海中系泊的海洋平台,如Spar平台,水下部分为带有系泊的圆柱结构,其水平方向运动响应往往具有较低的自振频率,容易在低频波浪力(源于非线性的差频效应)作用下发生共振响应,使结构发生大幅水平慢漂。当浮体的瞬时位置大幅偏离初始位置时,基于初始平衡位置的摄动展开法会存在较大误差。针对这一问题,采用两次展开方法,对大幅慢漂运动开展时域模拟研究。对双色波作用下自由漂浮圆柱的大幅运动响应问题进行数值分析,并与采用基于初始平衡位置的摄动展开法的计算结果进行了对比。结果表明,采用新的两次展开法可以计算出波浪遭遇频率的变化和波浪漂移阻尼,而这无法从基于初始平衡位置的常规摄动展开法中得到,体现了两次展开法在分析大幅慢漂问题上的优势。     

SELFE: A semi-implicit Eulerian–Lagrangian finite-element model for cross-scale ocean circulation

Unstructured-grid models grounded on semi-implicit, finite-volume, Eulerian–Lagrangian algorithms, such as UnTRIM and ELCIRC, have enjoyed considerable success recently in simulating 3D estuarine and coastal circulation. However, opportunities for improving the accuracy of this type of models were identified during extensive simulations of a tightly coupled estuary–plume–shelf system in the Columbia River system. Efforts to improve numerical accuracy resulted in SELFE, a new finite-element model for cross-scale ocean modeling. SELFE retains key benefits, including computational efficiency of existing semi-implicit Eulerian–Lagrangian finite-volume models, but relaxes restrictions on grids, uses higher-order shape functions for elevation, and enables superior flexibility in representing the bathymetry. Better representation of the bathymetry is enabled by a novel, “localized” vertical grid that resembles unstructured grids. At a particular horizontal location, SELFE uses either S coordinates or SZ coordinates, but the equations are consistently solved in Z space. SELFE also performs well relative to volume conservation and spurious oscillations, two problems that plague some finite-element models. This paper introduces SELFE as an open-source code available for community use and enhancement. The main focus here is on describing the formulation of the model and on showing results for a range of progressively demanding benchmark tests. While leaving details to separate publications, we also briefly illustrate the superior performance of SELFE over ELCIRC in a field application to the Columbia River estuary and plume.     

Active manipulation of the selective alignment by two laser pulses

This paper solves numerically the full time-dependent Schrõdinger equation based on the rigid rotor model, and proposes a novel strategy to determine the optimal time delay of the two laser pulses to manipulate the molecular selective alignment. The results illustrate that the molecular alignment generated by the first pulse can be suppressed or enhanced selectively, the relative populations of even and odd rotational states in the final rotational wave packet can be manipulated selectively by precisely inserting the peak of the second laser pulse at the time when the slope for the alignment parameter by the first laser locates a local maximum for the even rotational states and a local minimum for the odds, and vice versa. The selective alignment can be further optimised by selecting the intensity ratio of the two laser pulses on the condition that the total laser intensity and pulse duration are kept constant.     

Coupling of life cycles of the copepods Calanus chilensis and Centropages brachiatus to upwelling induced variability in the central-southern region of Chile

A time series of zooplankton sampling carried out at Station 18 off Concepción (36°S, 73°W) from August 2002 to December 2003 allowed the study of annual life cycles of the copepods Calanus chilensis and Centropages brachiatus in association with environmental variability in the coastal upwelling zone. Changes in the abundance of eggs, nauplii, and copepodids were assessed from samples taken at a mean time interval of ca. 20 days. Upwelling variability in near-surface waters was reflected in seasonal changes in salinity, water column stratification, and oxycline depth, as well as a weak seasonal signal in sea surface temperature (1-2 °C). Both copepods exhibited similar life cycles, characterized by continuous reproduction throughout the year. Estimates of generation times, as a function of temperature, were 25-30 days for C. chilensis and 27-35 days for C. brachiatus, predicting about 12 and 10 generations a year, respectively. These estimates were consistent with reproduction pulses observed in the field. It was thus suggested that copepods may grow under non-limiting food conditions in this upwelling area. However, despite continuous reproduction, there were abrupt changes in population sizes along with the disappearance of early naupliar and copepodid stages taking place even during the upwelling season (spring/summer). These changes were attributed to sudden increases in mortality taking place in spring or early summer, after which the populations remained at low levels through the fall and winter. It is thus suggested that, in addition to variability in the physical environment, biological interactions modulating changes in copepod mortality should be considered for understanding copepod life cycles in highly productive upwelling systems.     

Correspondence between the distribution of hydrodynamic time parameters and the distribution of biological and chemical variables in a semi-enclosed coral reef lagoon

Hydrodynamic modeling can be used to spatially characterize water renewal rates in coastal ecosystems. Using a hydrodynamic model implemented over the semi-enclosed Southwest coral lagoon of New Caledonia, a recent study computed the flushing lag as the minimum time required for a particle coming from outside the lagoon (open ocean) to reach a specific station [Jouon, A., Douillet, P., Ouillon, S., Fraunié, P., 2006. Calculations of hydrodynamic time parameters in a semi-opened coastal zone using a 3D hydrodynamic model. Continental Shelf Research 26, 1395–1415]. Local e-flushing time was calculated as the time requested to reach a local grid mesh concentration of 1/e from the precedent step. Here we present an attempt to connect physical forcing to biogeochemical functioning of this coastal ecosystem. An array of stations, located in the lagoonal channel as well as in several bays under anthropogenic influence, was sampled during three cruises. We then tested the statistical relationships between the distribution of flushing indices and those of biological and chemical variables. Among the variables tested, silicate, chlorophyll a and bacterial biomass production present the highest correlations with flushing indices. Correlations are higher with local e-flushing times than with flushing lags or the sum of these two indices. In the bays, these variables often deviate from the relationships determined in the main lagoon channel. In the three bays receiving significant riverine inputs, silicate is well above the regression line, whereas data from the bay receiving almost insignificant freshwater inputs generally fit the lagoon channel regressions. Moreover, in the three bays receiving important urban and industrial effluents, chlorophyll a and bacterial production of biomass generally display values exceeding the lagoon channel regression trends whereas in the bay under moderate anthropogenic influence values follow the regressions obtained in the lagoon channel. The South West lagoon of New Caledonia can hence be viewed as a coastal mesotrophic ecosystem that is flushed by oligotrophic oceanic waters which subsequently replace the lagoonal waters with water considerably impoverished in resources for microbial growth. This flushing was high enough during the periods of study to influence the distribution of phytoplankton biomass, bacterial production of biomass and silicate concentrations in the lagoon channel as well as in some of the bay areas.