Floating and fixed artificial habitats: Spatial and temporal patterns of benthic communities in a coral reef environment

While natural marine habitats with motion capabilities, e.g., kelps and seaweeds, have been studied alongside their associated fouling communities, little is known of the effect of motion on the communities of floating artificial habitats such as buoys, rafts, and pontoons, particularly in tropical systems. Hydrodynamic features greatly differ between floating and fixed artificial substrata, which in turn affect the structure of their associated communities. This study tested the hypothesis that floating and fixed artificial installations in a tropical reef system (Eilat, Red Sea) would support different benthic communities throughout space and time. Specifically, we examined differences in communities recruited onto settlement plates between floating and fixed installations deployed at three different sites, along a two-year monitoring period. The three sites exhibited distinct differences in species assemblages between the monitoring dates (6, 12, 18 and 24 months post deployment), mainly between the first and the last two dates. The average level of dissimilarity between floating and fixed installations increased over time at all sites. Over 50% of the dissimilarity between the floating and fixed installations resulted from five taxonomic groups i.e., bryozoans, bivalves, barnacles, sponges, including the amount of bare space on the settlement plates. The contribution of these groups to the dissimilarity changed both temporally within each site, and spatially among sites. The observed differences were related to the hydrodynamic characteristics of floating and fixed habitats, interacting with biotic features such as predation, successional processes and seasonality; and abiotic features including small-scale spatial changes, light, and position in the water column.     

浙江6个列岛大型底栖藻类分类多样性

本文基于对七星列岛大型底栖藻类的实地调查,结合浙南3个列岛(七星列岛、南麂列岛和洞头列岛)和浙北3个列岛(渔山列岛、中街山列岛和马鞍列岛)大型底栖藻类物种组成的有关文献,构建大型底栖藻类基础数据库。采用平均分类差异指数△~+、分类差异变异指数∧~+、G-F多样性测度指数和相似性系数开展分类多样性研究。结果显示:6个列岛藻类在目级和科级的相似性很高,其值均在0.800以上;洞头列岛的△~+值最高(77.42),中街山列岛最低(72.65),这表明洞头列岛大型底栖藻类类群间的亲缘关系较远,中街山列岛藻类类群间的亲缘关系较近;七星列岛的∧~+值最高,达942.00,南麂列岛最低,仅865.12,这表明南麂列岛大型底栖藻类在不同分类阶元分布最均匀,七星列岛的藻类分布较集中;南麂列岛无论是F指数、G指数还是G-F指数的值均比其他5个列岛高,依次为18.62,4.40和0.76,这说明南麂列岛藻类的生态位分化程度较高。本研究构建了6个列岛大型底栖藻类资源与分类多样性基础数据库,为有效保护和管理大型底栖藻类提供了理论依据。     

山东荣成天鹅湖海草场大型底栖贝类时空分布研究

为了了解天鹅湖不同微生境条件下底栖贝类的群落结构及时空分布特征,于2013年12月至2014年11月,对天鹅湖矮大叶藻区、空白区、大叶藻区边缘及其内部的底栖贝类和环境特征进行了调查。共发现15种大型底栖贝类,隶属14科15属;贝类种类组成、分布密度、生物量以及物种多样性指数在4种生境中差异显著,但均无明显的季节变化。空白区域中贝类总密度和单位面积生物量最高,大叶藻区内部最低,但矮大叶藻区和大叶藻区内部多样性指数较高。大叶藻区内部的贝类以腹足类锈凹螺、日本月华螺、刺绣翼螺等刮食者为主,而双壳贝类则更倾向于选择无海草覆盖的空白区或者海草较为稀疏的草场边缘。综合分析表明,天鹅湖底栖贝类的分布和多样性受底质特征和海草覆盖影响最为显著,同时与水深密切相关。     

Calibration and use of continuous heat-type automated seepage meters for submarine groundwater discharge measurements

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) assessments were conducted both in the laboratory and at a field site in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, using a continuous heat-type automated seepage meter (seepmeter). The functioning of the seepmeter is based on measurements of a temperature gradient in the water between downstream and upstream positions in its flow pipe. The device has the potential of providing long-term, high-resolution measurements of SGD. Using a simple inexpensive laboratory set-up, we have shown that connecting an extension cable to the seepmeter has a negligible effect on its measuring capability. Similarly, the observed influence of very low temperature (≤3 °C) on seepmeter measurements can be accounted for by conducting calibrations at such temperatures prior to field deployments. Compared to manual volumetric measurements, calibration experiments showed that at higher water flow rates (>28 cm day⁻¹ or cm³ cm⁻² day⁻¹) an analog flowmeter overestimated flow rates by ≥7%. This was apparently due to flow resistance, turbulence and formation of air bubbles in the seepmeter water flow tubes. Salinity had no significant effect on the performance of the seepmeter. Calibration results from fresh water and sea water showed close agreement at a 95% confidence level significance between the data sets from the two media (R² = 0.98). Comparatively, the seepmeter SGD measurements provided data that are comparable to manually-operated seepage meters, the radon geochemical tracer approach, and an electromagnetic (EM) seepage meter.     

2008年南海季风爆发前后西沙海域海气通量变化特征

基于2008年4至5月在南海西沙永兴岛进行的海气通量观测试验资料和NCEP资料,应用COARE3.0通量算法计算了海气通量,分析了季风爆发前后西沙海域天气变化特点和海气通量对南海季风爆发的响应。结果表明:2008年南海季风首先于5月第1候在南海南部爆发,受热带气旋等因素的影响,北部海区季风爆发推迟到5月18日。季风爆发和热带气旋活动对西沙海域的风速和海气通量影响较大,其中热带气旋的影响更强烈。热带气旋来临之前,潜热通量、感热通量以及动量通量均较小;在气旋活动及此后的季风爆发时期,大风使潜热通量和动量通量显著增强,感热通量则在降水期间变化明显;动量通量的最大值出现在热带气旋活动期间,其在此过程中的均值是观测初期均值的3倍以上。在整个观测过程中,潜热通量明显大于感热通量,后者是前者的16∶1。不同类型天气过程中,潜热通量的日变化相似,而感热通量的日变化有差异。湍流交换系数与风速有较好的相关关系。     

Internal tides and waves near the continental shelf edge

Abstract

The subject is reviewed from the viewpoints of theory, internal tide and wave structure and their implications.

A wider theoretical context suggests scope for further investigation of natural or nearly-trapped forms above the inertial frequency.

Although internal tides in many locations are observed to have first-mode vertical structure, higher modes are seen offshore from shallow shelf-break forcing and for particular Froude numbers, and may be expected locally near generation. Bottom intensification is often observed where the sea floor matches the characteristic slope. Solitons form from internal tides of large amplitude or at large changes of depth.

Internal tides and solitons are observed also at many sills and in straits, and to intensify in canyons.

Non-linear effects of the waves, especially solitons, include the conveyance of water, nutrients, ‘‘mixing potential'’ etc. away from their source to other locations, and the generation of mean currents. The waves transfer energy and possibly heat between the ocean and shelf, may be a source of medium frequency waves on the shelf (periods of minutes) and can contribute to interior mixing and overturning, bottom stirring and sediment movement.     

大连温带海域潮间带底栖海藻固碳和储碳潜力模拟研究

底栖海藻是海洋生态系统中重要的初级生产力,开展其固碳和储碳机制研究,有利于提高对我国海域海洋固碳和储碳潜力的认识。本文基于海区条件的模拟,开展了大连海域潮间带优势海藻的日固碳量、日呼吸量和日有机碳释放量的测定,结合海区生物量的调查,阐述了3个海藻床潮间带海藻固碳和储碳的季节变化规律。结果显示:在海藻固碳能力方面,绿藻类的固碳能力最强,褐藻类次之,红藻类最低。大连海域潮间带海藻的固碳量、储碳量和有机碳释放量在12月至5月处于较高水平,6月至11月较低,平均每个海藻床潮间带区域年固碳量和年有机碳释放量分别为1.72×105 g/a和2.1×104 g/a。潮间带海藻月固碳量是储碳量的1.7倍。     

Symbiosis between the holothurian Scotoplanes sp. A and the lithodid crab Neolithodes diomedeae on a featureless bathyal sediment plain

Vulnerability to predation may be high for many megafaunal taxa in deep‐sea sedimentary habitats where physical heterogeneity is low. During ROV observations in a bathyal sediment plain off Central California, juveniles of the lithodid crab Neolithodes diomedeae were frequently observed on or under the holothurian (sea cucumber) Scotoplanes sp. A, and are hypothesized to benefit from this association as a nursery or refugium from predation. Ninety‐six percent (n = 574 of 599) of the juvenile N. diomedeae observed (density varied from 0.02–0.75/m² among sites and seasons) in the study area were associated with Scotoplanes sp. A. Of the 2596 Scotoplanes sp. A observed (density varied from 0.48 to 25.90/m²), 22% were attended by at least one juvenile crab, and rarely two crabs (n = 4). Solitary N. diomedeae were rarely observed. This decapod–holothurian symbiosis appears to be largely commensal, with juvenile crabs (carapace width = 0.03–0.31 ×  holothurian length) observed on or beneath Scotoplanes sp. A in a habitat with few refugia from epibenthic predators. Other hypotheses may explain or enhance the potential benefits of the association for N. diomedeae, such as elevated food availability due to the activities of Scotoplanes sp. A. The relationship may be mutualistic if there is a benefit for the holothurian, including the removal of epizoic parasites. Ultimately, the nursery or other effects on the population dynamics of N. diomedeae may be minimal in low‐relief, sediment‐dominated habitats, as very few sub‐adult crabs were observed in the study area and were likely consumed upon outgrowing their refugia. While sedimentary habitats may be a sink for N. diomedeae populations, growth of juvenile crabs during their association with Scotoplanes sp. A should increase energy flow to its predator populations. This association has not been reported previously but may be expected in sediment‐dominated habitats where these species overlap.     

Improved Representation of Land-surface Heterogeneity in a Non-hydrostatic Numerical Weather Prediction Model

This study focuses on the relevance of accurate surface parameters, in particular soil moisture, and of parameterizations for heterogeneous land surfaces, for the prediction of sensible and latent heat fluxes by a mesoscale weather forecast model with horizontal grid resolution of 7 km. The analysis is based on model integrations for a 30-day period, which are compared both to flux measurements obtained from the LITFASS-2003 field experiment and to high-resolution-model (1-km grid spacing) results. At first, the relevance of improved parameter sets and input data compared to usual operational practice for an accurate prediction of near-surface fluxes is shown and discussed. It is demonstrated that an observation-based land-surface assimilation scheme leads to an improved soil moisture analysis, which is shown to be essential for the realistic simulation of surface fluxes. Secondly, the implementation of two efficient parameterization strategies for subgrid-scale variability of the surface, the mosaic and the tile approach, is presented. Using these methods, the simulations are in better agreement with measurements than simulations with simple aggregation methods that use effective surface parameters. Integrations with the mosaic approach reproduce high resolution simulations very well and more accurately than simulations with the tile method. Finally, the high resolution simulations are analyzed to justify and discuss the approximations underlying both methods.     

鲍育苗生物学中饵料硅藻的相关研究进展

底栖硅藻是鲍育苗阶段不可缺少的饵料,也是诱导鲍浮游幼体附着和变态的重要物质,硅藻的种类、营养价值、生态状况等对幼体的附着变态及其后以微藻为饵料阶段的生长率和成活率都有至关重要的影响。总结近10a国内外与饵料硅藻相关的研究概况,包括硅藻对鲍附着变态、生长率和成活率的影响;鲍幼苗饵料转化与消化器官发育的关系;影响硅藻营养的生理生化因子;与鲍幼苗掉板死亡相关的藻类研究等,为鲍育苗生物学的研究提供借鉴和参考。