Dugong abundance and distribution in the Bazaruto Archipelago,Mozambique

Despite the distribution of dugongs Dugong dugon ranging across nearshore waters of the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, their distribution in the western Indian Ocean is highly fragmented and appears to be declining. The population of the Bazaruto Archipelago is believed to comprise the only viable population in the region. In all, 27 surveys were flown over the Bazaruto Bay area to define the distribution and estimate the abundance of the species in the area. A total of 9 052 nautical miles of survey effort was flown during the surveys, from which there were 355 sightings of 760 dugongs. Two core areas of distribution were apparent within the surveyed area; a northern core area spread within the 10 m isobath between the Save River mouth and Ponta Bartolomeu Dias (21°24′S), and a southern core area aligned with the shallow sandbanks to the north and south of Santa Carolina Island. Group sizes recorded in the Bazaruto Archipelago were comparable to group sizes recorded in other regions where dugongs occur, although few large (>20) groups of dugongs were seen in this study. Line transect analyses of each survey showed dugong densities were considerably lower than densities recorded in surveys in Australian waters or in the Arabian Gulf, with a population estimate of 247 dugongs (CV = 34.1) when all surveys were considered, and 359 dugongs (CV = 38.2) when only the surveys that were carried out under adequate sighting conditions were included.     

Midwater fishes collected in the vicinity of the Sub-Polar Front,Mid-North Atlantic Ocean,during ECOMAR pelagic sampling

The ECOMAR project was a multidisciplinary process study conducted in the mid-North Atlantic, coincident hydrodynamically with the Sub-Polar Front (SPF; 48–54°N) and topographically with Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as part of the Census of Marine Life field project MAR-ECO. Midwater trawling was conducted during the 2007 and 2009 ECOMAR expeditions at 14 stations north and south of the SPF, day and night, in four discrete depth intervals from 0 to 1000 m. A total of 56 species of midwater fishes representing 44 genera and 18 families were collected, several of which are new records for the region and/or were not previously sampled during MAR-ECO sampling. An annotated species list with depth-of-capture data is provided. Three species of the genus Cyclothone (Cyclothone braueri, Cyclothone microdon and Cyclothone pallida) and the myctophid Benthosema glaciale combined to contribute ~88% of all specimens collected. This finding differs from results of previous net-based sampling in the same area, likely due to sampling scheme differences (diel sampling, upper 800 m concentration) and gear selectivity (mesh size, trawl speed). Quantitative data from ECOMAR midwater sampling and the previous 2004 G.O. Sars MAR-ECO expedition are compared. Despite differences in gear between the major MAR-ECO expeditions, abundance estimates of some dominant species were remarkably similar. Data showed that the SPF is an asymmetrical, taxon-specific biogeographic boundary for deep-pelagic fishes in the North Atlantic; the SPF is semi-permeable to some species in one direction, while a strong boundary for species in another direction. Deeper-living fish species did not appear as affected by the SPF as a boundary.     

Numerical Simulation of North Indian Ocean State Prior to the Onset of SW Monsoon Using SSM/I Winds

The Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) and currents are simulated over the north Indian Ocean, during the onset phase of southwest monsoon for the three years 1994, 1995, and 1996, using daily Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) winds and National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) heat fluxes as forcings in the 2½ layer thermodynamic numerical ocean model. The results are discussed for the 30-day period from 16 May to 13 June for all the three years, to determine the ocean state during the onset phase of SW monsoon. The maximum variability in the simulated SST is found along the Somali coast, Indian coasts, and equatorial regions. The maximum SST in the North Arabian Sea is found to be greater than 30°C and minimum SST in the west equatorial region is 25°C during the onset phase of all three years. Model SSTs are in agreement with Reynolds SST. SST gradients in the north-south as well as in the east-west directions, west of 80°E are found to change significantly prior to the onset. It can be inferred from the study that the SST gradient of 2.5°C/2000 km is seen due north and due west of the region 2° - 7°S, 60° - 65°E, about 8 to 10 days prior to the arrival of SW monsoon near Kerala coast. Upper and lower layer circulation fields do not show prominent interannual variability.     

Geochemical types of pacific polymetallic nodules: An application of multivariate analysis

A total of 843 samples of Pacific Ocean polymetallic nodules (PNs) from five survey areas have been studied (metals analyzed: Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Pb). The statistical analysis included the following techniques: factor R analysis, quick cluster Q analysis into 50 preclasses, various hierarchical cluster Q analyses (HCAs) using the preclasses (application of different HCAs to an identical set of data and of an identical HCA to two different subsets of the data), comparison of the HCA. The PNs of the survey areas can be grouped into five geochemical types (I‐V). The genesis of the PNs was interpreted as early diagenetic, hydrogenetic, and mixed (early diagenetic/hydrogenetic and hydrogenetic/hydrothermal. In addition, some further conclusions regarding the applicability of various HCA techniques depending on the structure of the data set have been drawn.     

赤道东北太平洋沉积物中生物钡的分布特征

分析了赤道东北太平洋海域沉积物中Ba、Ti、Al和有机碳(Corg)的含量。研究表明,研究区沉积物中钡为0.198%~0.792%;采用标准陆源物质扣除法获得的生物钡(Babio)的含量为0.162%~0.764%,占沉积物中总钡含量的81.6%~96.5%,平均为88.7%,其在沉积物中的分布表现为上部一致,下部变化较大;有机碳(Corg)的含量为0.18%~0.58%,并表现为随沉积物深度的增加而降低。沉积物中Babio/Ti的比值表现为东区高于西区,且向高纬度降低的特点,而沉积物中Corg/Ti和Babio/Ti则表现为负相关关系,表明研究区沉积物中钡可能和上层海洋生产力的相关性不明显。     

海冰对北极海冰边缘区大洋光学观测的影响评估

Diffuse attenuation coefficient(DAC) of sea water is an important parameter in ocean thermodynamics and biology, reflecting the absorption capability of sea water in different layers. In the Arctic Ocean, however, sea ice affects the radiance/irradiance measurements of upper ocean, which results in obvious errors in the DAC calculation. To better understand the impacts of sea ice on the ocean optics observations, a series of in situ experiments were carried out in the summer of 2009 in the southern Beaufort Sea. Observational results show that the profiles of spectral diffuse attenuation coefficients of seawater near ice cover within upper surface of 50 m were not contaminated by the sea ice with a solar zenith angle of 55°, relative azimuth angle of 110°≤φ≤115° and horizontal distance between the sensors and ice edge of greater than 25 m. Based on geometric optics theory, the impact of ice cover could be avoided by adjusting the relative solar azimuth angle in a particular distance between the instrument and ice. Under an overcast sky, ice cover being 25 m away from sensors did not affect the profiles of spectral DACs within the upper 50 m either. Moreover, reliable spectral DACs of seawater could be obtained with sensors completely covered by sea ice.     

西南印度洋真光层海水中固氮细菌多样性

本文通过构建克隆文库和基因测序的方法研究了西南印度洋真光层海水中固氮细菌nifH基因的多样性。从构建的2个nifH基因克隆文库中共获得76条有效序列,其中46条来自CTD13-30 m文库,分属10个OTUs;30条来自CTD13-125 m文库,分属8个OTUs。系统发育分析结果显示,研究站位nifH基因序列主要分布于Cluster I和Cluster III两个分支,其中Cluster I中包含蓝细菌和变形菌两个分支,蓝细菌以Group B为优势类群,并未获得束毛藻和Group A的nifH基因序列。此外还有少数nifH基因序列分布于Cluster II。总体来看,西南印度洋固氮生物基因与大西洋的亲缘关系更近;固氮生物的多样性较为丰富,受环境条件的影响,群落结构与其它热带、亚热带寡营养海域具有明显的不同。     

Biomarkers of Middle to Late Jurassic marine sediments from a canonical section: New records from the Yanshiping area,northern Tibet

The Yanshiping section, which includes the Quemo Co, Buqu, Xiali, Suowa and Xueshan Formations (Yanshiping Group) exposes organic-rich Middle to Late Jurassic deposits in the Qiangtang Basin of northern Tibet. The biostratigraphic data, from bivalves, brachiopods as well as dinoflagellate cysts, define a Bajocian to Tithonian age. This study focuses on the biomarkers present in these mudstones and limestones to determine the sources, thermal maturity and depositional environment of the organic matter. Most samples show a clear dominance of short-chain (C₁₅–C₂₀) n-alkanes with a maximum at C₁₉ or C₁₉ with a secondary maximum at C₂₃ except for the sample BP01(22)S1 where the predominant range is C₂₂ to C₂₆ with a maximum at C₂₄, significant CPI and odd-to-even predominance. The hopanoids and steroids suggest that the sources of organic matter were dominated by phytoplankton, especially algae, as the primary source. Furthermore, the Pr/Ph, Pr/nC₁₇ and Ph/nC₁₈, with relatively low values plus high abundance of 17α(H)-hopanes, support deposition in dysoxic to reducing, relatively shallow-water depositional settings, and the presence of gammacerane indicates normal marine salinity and/or water-column stratification. All samples are fairly mature with respect to petroleum generation, a conclusion supported by maturity parameters such as C₃₁ 22S/(22S + 22R) hopanes and C₂₉ ααα20S/(20S + 20R) steranes.     

Seismic geomorphology,architecture and genesis of Miocene shelf sand ridges in the Pearl River Mouth Basin,northern South China Sea

Multiple stages of large-scale shelf sand ridges, including the shoreface-attached and the offshore types, have developed in the Miocene successions on the mid-shelf region of the Pear River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea. Utilizing a high-quality 3D seismic data set, accompanying 2D seismic profiles and well logs, the morphology, architecture and genesis of these shelf sand ridges have been systematically investigated in this study. The ridges are of very large scale, with the largest one having a maximum height of 64 m, a width of more than 20 km and a length of 37 km within the 3D survey area. Being mound-shaped, they also display obvious asymmetry character, with the ridge crest preferentially located on the SE side. Three main internal components, including the ridge front, central ridge and the ridge tail, have been recognized through careful anatomy analysis of the two most well-imaged ridges, each displaying distinct expressions on seismic amplitudes and geometries. In the plan view, most of the shelf sand ridges are generally NE–SW oriented and widening to the SW direction. Scouring features can also be clearly observed along the SW direction, including scour depressions and linear sandy remnants. On well logs, the shelf sand ridges are represented by an overall coarsening-upward pattern. Intervals with blocky sandstones are preferentially present on higher locations due to a differential winnowing process controlled by shelf topography.Plenty of evidence indicates that these ridges were primarily formed by the reworking of forced regressive or lowstand deltaic deposits under a persistent southwesterly flowing current during the subsequent transgression. This very current is a composite one, which is speculated to consist of winter oceanic current, SCSBK (South China Sea Branch of Kuroshio) intrusion onto the shelf and internal waves propagating from the Luzon Strait. Tidal currents might have contributed to the SE growth of the ridge. In response to the reglaciation of Antarctic ice-sheet and the closure of Pacific-Indian ocean seaway in the middle Miocene, the intensification of the North Pacific western boundary current was considered to have potential links to the initiation of the shelf sand ridges at ∼12 Ma. The development of shelf ridges was terminated and replaced by rapid deltaic progradation at ∼5.5 Ma.     

正压准平衡海洋模型及其解Ⅱ:中纬度自由涡旋波动

本文研究了正压准平衡海洋模型中的自由涡旋波.得到的主要结论有:该模型中的解为波包,其载频都是西传的.在仅考虑大洋西海岸时其载频频率是连续谱;而同时考虑大洋东、西海岸时则其为离散谱;且均有其载频频率越高(周期越短)其水平尺度越大的特点,对过分低频的波动,则会使准平衡的假定不再适用.模型中波包载频的周期约在26 d至24 ...