热带西太平洋砂壳纤毛虫的多样性

为了探明热带西太平洋海区砂壳纤毛虫的多样性、垂直分布及纬向变化,我们于2012年11-12月在该海区四个断面采集了0-200 m的水样。共检出砂壳纤毛虫39属124种,多数种类喜好生活在表层和次表层。砂壳纤毛虫种丰富度、丰度以及多样性指数的高值主要出现在比叶绿素浓度最大值稍浅的位置,与温度和叶绿素浓度显著正相关,与盐度和采样深度显著负相关。多数优势种与环境因子间的相关性不显著。热带西太平洋海区砂壳纤毛虫多样性极高,各站种丰富度在25-52之间。在从表层至75 m处的多数采样点香农指数均大于3。该海区砂壳纤毛虫冗余种的比例很高,占砂壳纤毛虫总种类数的87.90%,贡献了砂壳纤毛虫60.38%的丰度,表明热带西太平洋海区砂壳纤毛虫群落对饵料组成和摄食压力改变的应对能力很强,稳定性很高。     

西北太平洋深海海山的一种蛇尾新记录

Ophioleila elegans是一种非常少见的蛇尾。2014年大洋35航次中利用“蛟龙”号载人潜器在西北太平洋麦哲伦海山链的采薇平定海山水深1660m处采集到2株该种标本。该种首次发现于夏威夷海山相似的生境当中,本次采集到的样品是继首次发现之后的再次公开报道。本文中对该种的形态学特征,如腕部骨骼等,进行了更加详细的研究,同时基于COI序列进行系统发育分析。形态和系统发育分析的结果都表明,Ophioleila属与辐蛇尾科更加接近。     

深海海底光缆敷设施工余量控制的原理和控制软件的应用

为解决深海有中继海底光缆项目技术难题,中国海底电缆建设有限公司开发了海底光缆敷设施工控制软件,填补我国相关领域的空白。文章介绍海底光缆敷设施工余量控制的原理和控制软件的操作流程:海底光缆余量包括区域余量、底部余量和释放余量,余量控制是海底光缆敷设施工中最关键的核心技术环节,应用控制软件可极大地降低计算量和提高计算精确度,并可通过在施工中不断调整计划,从而极大地提高施工质量,具有传统人工计算不可比拟的优势。     

Coral assemblages and reef growth in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Western Pacific Ocean)

Reef development varies considerably around the high, raised‐limestone islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Here we examine the modern assemblages at 30 sites for coral composition, colony density, colony size, and fidelity. We defined four reef types and hypothesize the presence of environmentally driven ecological stasis, whereby the environment continuously selects for coral species membership, defines colony sizes, and over time creates the noted reef types. Our results show that constructional spur‐and‐groove reefs supported significantly larger coral‐colony sizes and higher coral species richness compared with high‐relief interstitial framework, low‐relief incipient, and non‐constructional coral assemblages. Non‐constructional reefs supported much smaller coral colony sizes, despite similar population densities, and were consistently found in association with high wave exposure. The distinct coral assemblages found on interstitial framework and low‐relief incipient reefs were not affiliated with any wave exposure regime, but were located adjacent to large watersheds and on islands with unique geological history. These assemblages were nested within the spur‐and‐groove species pool. Overall, modern coral cover was well predicted by bathymetric slope and watershed size, while species richness was additively influenced by two proxies of pollution, suggesting the latter is better suited for establishing management targets. In contrast with previous studies that suggested modern assemblages were biologically controlled in the CNMI, we show reef assemblages and reef development are highly influenced by long‐term environmental forcing.     

A review of the climatological characteristics of landfalling Gulf hurricanes for wind, wave, and surge hazard estimation

The climatological characteristics of landfalling Gulf of Mexico hurricanes are presented, focusing on the basic parameters needed for accurately determining the structure and intensity of hurricanes for ocean response models. These include the maximum sustained wind, radius of maximum winds, the Holland-B parameter, the peripheral or far-field pressure, the surface roughness and coefficient of drag, and the central pressure for historical hurricanes in the Gulf.Despite evidence of a slight increase in the annual number of named storms over the past 50 years, presently there is no statistically significant trend in tropical storms, hurricanes, or major hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the long-term variability of tropical cyclones in the Gulf reflects the observed variability in the Atlantic basin as a whole. Analyses of hurricane winds from multiple sources suggest the presence of a bias toward overestimating the strength of winds in the HURDAT dataset from 7% to 15%. Results presented comparing HURDAT with other sources also show an overestimation of intensity at landfall, with an estimated bias of ~10%.Finally, a review of recent studies has shown that hurricane frequencies and intensities appear to vary on a much more localized scale than previously believed. This exacerbates the sampling problem for accurate characterization of hurricane parameters for design and operational applications.     

Thermal regime of the northwest Indian rifted margin – Comparison with predictions

We use a simple approach to estimate the present-day thermal regime along the northwestern part of the Western Indian Passive Margin, offshore Pakistan. A compilation of bottom borehole temperatures and geothermal gradients derived from new observations of bottom-simulating reflections (BSRs) allows us to constrain the relationship between the thermal regime and the known tectonic and sedimentary framework along this margin. Effects of basin and crustal structure on the estimation of thermal gradients and heat flow are discussed. A hydrate system is located within the sedimentary deep marine setting and compared to other provinces on other continental margins. We calculate the potential radiogenic contribution to the surface heat flow along a profile across the margin. Measurements across the continental shelf show intermediate thermal gradients of 38–44 °C/km. The onshore Indus Basin shows a lower range of values spanning 18–31 °C/km. The Indus Fan slope and continental rise show an increasing gradient from 37 to 55 °C/km, with higher values associated with the thick depocenter. The gradient drops to 33 °C/km along the Somnath Ridge, which is a syn-rift volcanic construct located in a landward position relative to the latest spreading center around the Cretaceous–Paleogene transition.     

Delineation of the 85°E ridge and its structure in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin,Eastern Continental Margin of India (ECMI), from seismic reflection imaging

The passive Eastern Continental Margin of India (ECMI) evolved during the break up of India and East Antarctica in the Early Cretaceous. The 85°E ridge is a prominent linear aseismic feature extending from the Afanasy Nikitin Seamounts northward to the Mahanadi basin along the ECMI. Earlier workers have interpreted the ridge to be a prominent hot spot trail. In the absence of conclusive data, the extension of the ridge towards its northern extremity below the thick Bengal Fan sediments was a matter of postulation. In the present study, interpretation of high resolution 2-D reflection data from the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, located in the northern part of the ridge, unequivocally indicates continuation of the ridge across the continent–ocean boundary into the slope and shelf tracts of the ECMI. Its morphology and internal architecture suggest a volcanic plume related origin that can be correlated with the activity of the Kerguelen hot spot in the nascent Indian Ocean. In the continental region, the plume related volcanic activity appears to have obliterated all seismic features typical of continental crust. The deeper oceanic crust, over which the hot spot plume erupted, shows the presence of linear NS aligned basement highs, corresponding with the ridge, underlain by a depressed Moho discontinuity. In the deep oceanic basin, the ridge influences the sediment dispersal pattern from the Early Cretaceous (?)/early part of Late Cretaceous times till the end of Oligocene, which is an important aspect for understanding the hydrocarbon potential of the basin.     

Reef status in the Rasfari region (North Malé Atoll,Maldives) five years before the mass mortality event of 1998

The Maldives was severely hit by massive coral bleaching and subsequent mortality in 1998. The results of reef monitoring in the following years have supported contrasting views about their recovery potential, partly because of the scarcity of information on the situation before 1998. Quantitative data on coral assemblages collected in 1993 in the Rasfari region (North Malé Atoll) may provide a base-line for the evaluation of the present status of the Maldivian reefs. Five years before the 1998 mortality, most coral communities appeared to be similar, in terms of both coral cover and growth-form composition, to those described in 1958 and 1964, notwithstanding increased human pressure and local events such as minor bleaching episodes in 1987 and crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) attacks in 1989. Three lessons can be learnt from these results to help to understand the present situation, some ten years after the 1998 mass mortality. First, Maldivian reefs proved in the past to be capable of maintaining flourishing coral life despite various disturbances. Second, four years had been sufficient for complete reef recovery after a (minor) bleaching event. Third, recovery after both COTS attack and bleaching follows a predictable path suggesting that the presence of a three-dimensional community structure, which should reduce post settlement mortality of coral recruits, is essential for rapid coral recovery. As coral recruitment remains high and large tabular Acropora colonies are now reappearing, it is expected that Maldivian reefs should return to their original condition within the next few years.     

Introducing a transferable fishing day management regime for Pacific Island countries

On 1 December 2007, eight ‘Small Island Developing States’ in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean implemented a management regime restricting the total number of days fished by tuna purse seine vessels within their waters, commonly referred to as the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS). The VDS is seen as one component of management arrangements to reduce fishing mortality on bigeye and yellowfin tuna, constrain fishing effort, and increase the rate of return from access fees by Distant Water Fishing Nations.     

基于形态法的西北太平洋柔鱼种群结构研究

西北太平洋柔鱼是我国鱿钓渔业重要捕捞对象,种群结构是渔业生物学研究的基础内容.文中根据2007年7~10月40°N~45°N,151°E~158°E海域连续采集的1 342尾柔鱼样本,测定其胴长(ML)、腕长等12项形态指标,利用正态线性转化、主成分分析和判别分析等方法研究雌雄个体的种群结构.结果表明,该海域雌、雄柔鱼均存在大小2个种群.均数差异显著性表明,雌性个体2个种群在MW/ML和FW/ML存在显著差异,雄性个体在MW/ML和AL_3/ML存在显著差异,但其形态差异仍属于种内差异.主成分分析和逐步判别分析的判别准确率(雌性60.3%,雄性60.1%),说明所划分的种群在部分形态比指标上差异明显.研究认为,形态学指标可初步区分西北太平洋柔鱼种群,但需结合其他生态学指标和耳石等硬组织进一步划分.