Microbial photosynthesis in coral reef sediments (Heron Reef, Australia)

We investigated microphytobenthic photosynthesis at four stations in the coral reef sediments at Heron Reef, Australia. The microphytobenthos was dominated by diatoms, dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria, as indicated by biomarker pigment analysis. Conspicuous algae firmly attached to the sand grains (ca. 100 μm in diameter, surrounded by a hard transparent wall) were rich in peridinin, a marker pigment for dinoflagellates, but also showed a high diversity based on cyanobacterial 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. Specimens of these algae that were buried below the photic zone exhibited an unexpected stimulation of respiration by light, resulting in an increase of local oxygen concentrations upon darkening. Net photosynthesis of the sediments varied between 1.9 and 8.5 mmol O₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ and was strongly correlated with Chl a content, which lay between 31 and 84 mg m⁻². An estimate based on our spatially limited dataset indicates that the microphytobenthic production for the entire reef is in the order of magnitude of the production estimated for corals. Photosynthesis stimulated calcification at all investigated sites (0.2–1.0 mmol Ca²⁺ m⁻² h⁻¹). The sediments of at least three stations were net calcifying. Sedimentary N₂-fixation rates (measured by acetylene reduction assays at two sites) ranged between 0.9 to 3.9 mmol N₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ and were highest in the light, indicating the importance of heterocystous cyanobacteria. In coral fingers no N₂-fixation was measurable, which stresses the importance of the sediment compartment for reef nitrogen cycling.     

Characteristics of bottom dissolved oxygen in Long Island Sound,New York

The variability of bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) in Long Island Sound, New York, is examined using water quality monitoring data collected by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection from 1995 to 2004. Self-organizing map analysis indicates that hypoxia always occurs in the Narrows during summer and less frequently in the Western and the Central Basins. The primary factor controlling the bottom DO, changes spatially and temporally. For non-summer seasons, the levels of bottom DO are strongly associated with water temperature, which means DO availability is primarily driven by solubility. During summer, stratification intensifies under weak wind conditions and bottom DO starts to decrease and deviate from the saturation level except for stations in the Eastern Basin. For the westernmost and shallow (<15 m) stations, bottom DO is correlated with the density stratification (represented by difference between surface and bottom density). In contrast, at deep stations (>20 m), the relationship between oxygen depletion and stratification is not significant. For stations located west of the Central Basin, bottom DO continues to decrease during summer until it reaches its minimum when bottom temperature is around 19–20 °C. In most cases the recovery to saturation levels at the beginning of fall is fast, but not necessarily associated with increased wind mixing. Therefore, we propose that the DO recovery may be a manifestation of either the reduced microbial activity combined with the depletion of organic matter or horizontal exchange. Hypoxic volume is weakly correlated to the summer wind speed, spring total nitrogen, spring chlorophyll a, and maximum river discharge. When all variables are combined in a multiple regression, the coefficient of determination (r²) is 0.92. Surprisingly, the weakest variable is the total nitrogen, because when it is excluded the coefficient r² only drops to 0.84. Spring bloom seems to be an important source of organic carbon pool and biological uptake of oxygen plays a more crucial role in the seasonal evolution of bottom DO than previously thought. Our results indicate that the reassessment phase of the Long Island Sound Total Maximum Daily Load policy on nitrogen loading will most likely fail, because it ignores the contributions of the spring organic carbon pool and river discharge. Also, it is questionable whether the goal of 58.5% anthropogenic nitrogen load reduction is enough.     

Numerical study of baroclinic tides in Luzon Strait

The spatial and temporal variations of baroclinic tides in the Luzon Strait (LS) are investigated using a three-dimensional tide model driven by four principal constituents, O₁, K₁, M₂ and S₂, individually or together with seasonal mean summer or winter stratifications as the initial field. Barotropic tides propagate predominantly westward from the Pacific Ocean, impinge on two prominent north-south running submarine ridges in LS, and generate strong baroclinic tides propagating into both the South China Sea (SCS) and the Pacific Ocean. Strong baroclinic tides, ∼19 GW for diurnal tides and ∼11 GW for semidiurnal tides, are excited on both the east ridge (70%) and the west ridge (30%). The barotropic to baroclinic energy conversion rate reaches 30% for diurnal tides and ∼20% for semidiurnal tides. Diurnal (O₁ and K₁) and semidiurnal (M₂) baroclinic tides have a comparable depth-integrated energy flux 10–20 kW m⁻¹ emanating from the LS into the SCS and the Pacific basin. The spring-neap averaged, meridionally integrated baroclinic tidal energy flux is ∼7 GW into the SCS and ∼6 GW into the Pacific Ocean, representing one of the strongest baroclinic tidal energy flux regimes in the World Ocean. About 18 GW of baroclinic tidal energy, ∼50% of that generated in the LS, is lost locally, which is more than five times that estimated in the vicinity of the Hawaiian ridge. The strong westward-propagating semidiurnal baroclinic tidal energy flux is likely the energy source for the large-amplitude nonlinear internal waves found in the SCS. The baroclinic tidal energy generation, energy fluxes, and energy dissipation rates in the spring tide are about five times those in the neap tide; while there is no significant seasonal variation of energetics, but the propagation speed of baroclinic tide is about 10% faster in summer than in winter. Within the LS, the average turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate is O(10⁻⁷) W kg^{− 1} and the turbulence diffusivity is O(10⁻³) m²s⁻¹, a factor of 100 greater than those in the typical open ocean. This strong turbulence mixing induced by the baroclinic tidal energy dissipation exists in the main path of the Kuroshio and is important in mixing the Pacific Ocean, Kuroshio, and the SCS waters.     

Factors controlling dissolved silica in coral reef surface water of Urasoko Bay, Ishigaki Island, Japan

From August 2006 to August 2007, the concentrations of dissolved silica (Si(OH)₄) were monitored in the surface water of Urasoko Bay and the mouth of the stream that runs into the bay. Urasoko Bay is located on the northern coast of Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan, which is in a subtropical area of the North Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by a relatively poorly developed fringing reef. Added to these samples were freshwater from the upstream area and brackish water that exudes at the beach site, which were collected from April to June 2007. Rainwater samples were also collected during the study period. The concentration of Si(OH)₄ generally decreased from upstream to the bay site, and, on clear days, Si(OH)₄ data from all study sites (the bay, beach, stream mouth, and upstream) plotted against salinity fell on a single straight line. When the influence of rainwater was, the results were scattered below the straight line, which suggests dilution by rainwater with a much lower Si(OH)₄ concentration. These findings show that offshore seawater, rainwater, and upstream freshwater regulate the concentration of Si(OH)₄ in the surface water of Urasoko Bay.     

Composition of plagioclases in volcanic rocks of King George Island, Antarctica with reference to the petrogenetic significance

Plagioclases occur mainly as phenocrysts in volcanic rocks of King George Island, South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica. In basaltic andesites and andesites of Keller Peninsula and Ullman Spur (Admiralty Bay), they are high structure state labradorite-andesines; and in high-A1 basalts and basaltic andesites of Barton and Weaver peninsulas (Maxwell Bay), they are high structure state bytownite-anorthites.∑REE, La/Yb ratios and δEu values of plagioclases from Admiralty Bay are higher than those from Maxwell Bay. All plagioclases have rather identical chondritenormalized transitional element distribution patterns, probably reflecting that crystal structure rather than composition of plagioclase controls their diversity. Compositions of plagioclases depend chiefly on those of their host rocks, compositional differences of plagioclases reveal that basaltic magmas in the Admiralty Bay area are more evolved than in the Maxwell Bay area.     

岬湾海岸中人工岛建设对岬角涡旋及海湾地形冲淤的影响——以海南岛铺前湾为例

岬湾海岸中一般在岬角的右侧与左侧（面向大海方向）分别发育顺时针与逆时针涡流。这些涡流的存在对泥沙输运、海底地形演变、污染物扩散等都具有重要影响。而在海洋中岛屿的存在将产生局部的岛后尾流。如岛屿与岬角距离较近,岛后尾流可能与岬角涡旋相互作用,反之则相互影响较小。本文以海南岛铺前湾为例,研究在岬湾海岸中湾口处的人工岛建设对湾内涡旋的影响,并进一步分析人工岛建设对整个海湾海底冲淤变化的效应。本项研究主要采用COAWST模型进行研究。结果表明,大潮期在海湾内发育大范围的顺时针涡旋,小潮期涡旋发育不明显,以东向余流为主。人工岛建设并未影响整个海湾的涡旋结构,但人工岛分隔了湾内顺时针涡旋,且在周围产生局部的逆时针与顺时针涡旋。海底冲淤变化的基本格局为湾内以淤积为主,人工岛建设加强了这种趋势,但在人工岛与岸线之间的狭窄通道内,海底出现冲刷。本项研究对岬湾海岸的科学开发管理具有一定意义。     

基于云模型的海岸脆弱性评估 ——以厦门岛为例

脆弱性评估很大程度上存在着模糊性和随机性,为有效解决评估过程中定性概念与评估指标按隶属函数定量描述这一不确定转换问题,本文基于云理论本文选取海岸地貌、海岸高程、海岸坡度、海岸缓冲能力、有效波高、道路价值和建筑价值为指标,构建了厦门岛海岸脆弱性评估指标体系,运用云模型评估手段定量测度了厦门岛海岸脆弱性空间分异特征。评估结果与客观情况比较吻合,检验了指标体系的合理性和评估模型的适用性。本文提出了海岸脆弱性综合评估模型,实用有效,可以推广到与厦门岛类似的区域,为海岸管理及规划提供科学指导。     

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。     

大连长兴岛海域疏浚区GF-1 WFV影像悬浮物遥感反演研究

利用2017年8-9月期间大连长兴岛海域实测遥感反射率、悬浮物浓度及GF-1 WFV数据,研究了该区域悬浮物浓度的遥感反演算法,发现遥感反射率与悬浮物浓度的散点图存在两种不同的变化趋势,将2008-2015年期间辽东湾内其它海域的数据与长兴岛海域数据进行叠加后,可初步推断产生两种变化趋势的主要原因在于疏浚区与非疏浚区悬浮物的粒径大小不同,导致其光学特性和反演算法也存在差异。将两种算法分别应用于2017年9月20日辽东湾及长兴岛近岸海域的GF-1 WFV4影像,发现采用非疏浚区算法反演长兴岛海域悬浮物浓度时,出现明显的低估现象,而疏浚区算法则能较好地反映出疏浚施工过程中悬浮物的分布规律,具有较好的工程应用价值。     

海南岛秋汛期特大暴雨局地锋生的特征及其对对流系统发展的影响

基于WRF模式的模拟结果,结合地面观测资料、雷达回波资料以及ECMWF ERA5再分析资料,对2010年10月1—8日发生在海南岛的一次持续性秋汛期特大暴雨过程中局地锋生与对流发展的相互作用机制进行了深入分析,发现：在海南岛秋汛期特大暴雨的锋生过程中,环境场起到主要作用。非绝热加热项F₁和水平运动项F₃在局地锋生的过程中贡献最大,且两者的正极大值区在强降水地区多时次重叠出现,表明非绝热加热和水平形变辐散是导致强降水区强烈锋生的主要原因。此外,模拟结果和实况观测对比分析发现,较低的凝结高度导致最强降水时段对流低层出现强潜热释放,对流区低层气团内部增暖,形成强烈锋生效应,低层强的锋生导致上升气流加速,深对流发展加强,暴雨增幅。与垂直运动有关的倾斜项F₂相比,非绝热加热项F₁和水平运动项F₃贡献虽小,但在夜间有增大的现象,分析表明夜间暴雨区垂直速度ω水平分布的差异性对深对流的加强有重要作用。