Reflection on the first five years of South Africa’s Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP): status,challenges and opportunities

The Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP) is a marine science programme that monitors the movements and migrations of inshore marine animals along the South African coastline. Acoustically tagged animals are monitored by an expanded network of approximately 100 automated data-logging acoustic receivers moored at strategic node sites, from Cape Point in the west to the South Africa–Mozambique border in the east. During five years since its inception, in 2011, the ATAP has achieved outstanding progress in terms of the numbers of animals and the variety of species tagged. To date, the ATAP has yielded over 2.6 million detections from more than 700 acoustically tagged animals, representing 27 different species from 20 families, including the African penguin Spheniscus demersus, fishery-at-risk species (e.g. dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus) and iconic elasmobranchs (e.g. white shark Carcharodon carcharias). Following a period of considerable equipment loss in 2014, refinement of the receiver network was required and the deeper receivers at each site were decommissioned without influencing the integrity of the nationwide array. The platform, managed by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, ultimately represents a low-cost method of collecting long-term data that currently benefits approximately 25 researchers from 14 organisations. Case studies are presented to expose the opportunities provided by the ATAP, which will undoubtedly yield new discoveries and provide a greater understanding of the movement patterns and migrations of a wide variety of inshore marine and estuary-associated species.     

Fishery benefits from exploiting spawning aggregations not solely dependent on enhanced fish density

The vulnerability of spawning aggregations to exploitation varies among fisheries as a result of differences in the population-density changes associated with this behaviour. However, vulnerability to fishing is also influenced by technology, environmental factors, and fish and fisher behaviours. Focusing on a fishery for the rabbitfish Siganus sutor at Praslin Island, Seychelles, we examined how catch rate varied across spawning and non-spawning habitats in relation to in situ population-density changes and other factors known to influence catchability. Catch rates in spawning habitat were disproportionate to density changes, being only fourfold greater than catch rates in non-spawning habitat, despite the fact that spawning-aggregation formation involved nine- to thirteen-fold increases in population density. Catch rates in spawning habitat were also highly variable across the spawning season (0–23.4 fish trap-hour^?1). Current strength was of similar importance to density as a catch-rate predictor, with the highest catch rates in spawning habitats confined to months with the strongest currents. Therefore, in addition to density-dependent catchability, other factors that influence catch rates must be examined to avoid overestimation of the vulnerability of populations to aggregation fishing. The dynamics of catchability at spawning sites can limit the ability of fishers to predict and maximise returns based on increases in fish density.     

中国近海大黄鱼和日本带鱼群体数量变动及其资源保护措施探讨

作者根据长期调查研究,分析了大黄鱼(Larimichthys crocea)和日本带鱼(Trichiurus japonicus)群体数量变动的因果关系,并提出了加强我国海洋渔业资源科学监管的建议:(1)正确划分大黄鱼和带鱼地理种群及其产卵群体,为资源繁殖保护提供参考依据;(2)修订若干《渔业法》条款,重新审定《官井洋大黄鱼繁殖保护区管理规定》;(3)充分合理开发利用闽东渔场近海岛屿周边海域,并且采用抗风浪升降式圆柱形深水养殖网箱养殖大黄鱼;建立内湾性官井洋大黄鱼海洋牧场渔业基地,并新建中国著名舟山渔场大黄鱼繁殖保护区;(4)继续加强大黄鱼原种场建设,大力开展大黄鱼良种选育研究,每年提供大批量野生大黄鱼人工培育的原种子一代幼鱼进行增殖放流;(5)巩固和扩大伏季休渔效果,全年禁止违法而严重损害带鱼幼鱼资源的各种张网作业;(6)以法治渔,加快制定符合于我国实情的海洋渔业科学监管的有效措施.     

新疆主要柽柳属植物(Tamarix L.)的生态类型划分与生境相似性研究

研究了新疆柽柳属植物的生态类型和生境相似性。根据水、盐两个环境因子,将新疆柽柳属植物的生境划分为高水位-低盐组、中高水位-中低盐组、高水位-中盐组、高水位-高盐组、低水位-低盐组和低水位-中盐组六个生境类型组。其下,按照土壤类型又划分成次一级共十个生境类型。此外,分析了新疆十种柽柳属植物生境相似性,使用聚类分析从土壤类型学角度又将新疆柽柳属植物初步确定出河谷河滩沙砾质新积土型、盐化草甸土型、风沙土型、典型盐土型和泛生境型五个基质生态类群。     

焦页XX-HF井近钻头仪器“落鱼”打捞技术

涪陵页岩气二期开发过程中,为了能够及时发现地层变化,钻井平台部署的第一口井在三开井段一般使用近钻头仪器,以便及时调整井眼轨迹,提高优质页岩的钻遇率。动力钻具前面安装近钻头仪器和钻头,导致动力钻具传动轴负载增加,传动轴易发生疲劳破坏。焦页XX-HF井钻进至3971.42 m处,近钻头仪器无信号,起钻后发现动力钻具传动轴断裂,近钻头仪器和钻头落井。本井“落鱼”较短且处于水平段,“鱼头”难找,起下钻摩阻大,不易通过遇阻判断打捞工具是否接触“鱼顶”。通过对孔内情况仔细分析,制定可行的打捞方案,现场加工母锥打捞工具,最终成功将井下“落鱼”安全捞出。本井所采取的处理思路和技术措施对今后同类事故的处理具有一定的借鉴意义。     

基于稳定同位素的枸杞岛海藻场鱼类群落营养结构特征

为了阐明枸杞岛近岸海域食物网结构,为岛礁近岸海藻场鱼类群落结构变化提供研究依据,应用碳、氮稳定同位素技术方法,分析评估了舟山枸杞岛近岸海藻场主要鱼类群落的营养结构特征及其季节变化。结果表明,海藻场茂盛期(春、夏季)主要鱼类的δ¹³C值范围为-20.4‰～-12.8‰,均值为-16.1‰,其δ¹⁵N值范围为4.1‰～10.4‰,均值为8.4‰;海藻场衰退期(秋、冬季)主要鱼类的δ¹³C值范围为-17.9‰～-14.4.‰,均值为-16.1‰,δ¹⁵N值范围为7.6‰-12.9‰,均值为9.7‰。钩虾和麦秆虫对褐菖鲉(Sebastiscus marmoratus)、大泷六线鱼(Hexagrammos otakii)和斑头鱼(Agrammus agrammus)等海藻场定居种类的食源贡献率最大,浮游动物对黄姑鱼(Nibea albiflora)和皮氏叫姑鱼(Johnius belengerii)的等非藻场定居种类食源贡献最大;应用SIBER模型计算显示枸杞岛海藻场茂盛期的主要鱼类群落生态位空间、核心生态位...     

Length frequency analysis ofPleuragramma antarcticum,Electrona antarctica,Protomyctophum bolini

British Antarctic Survey (BAS) data collected near the Antarctic Peninsula area were used in this 1988/1989 study on the length frequency of three Antarctic fish species (Pleuragramma antarcticum, Electrona antarctica and Protomyctophum bolini) showing that the standard length (SL) ofP. Antarcticum ranged from 26.0 mm to 161.0 mm, that the 26.0 mm to 54.0 mm SL juveniles could be considered to be the age group 1 fish, and that the SL ofE. antarctica ranged from 39.4 mm to 89.7 mm for the males and 48.0 mm to 118.0 mm for the females, which may contain at least 6 age groups. This is more than previously thought.P. Bolini had 29.2 mm to 60.2 mm SL and complicated age composition.     

Occurrence of larval fishes in the surf zone of a northern Gulf of Mexico barrier island

Larval fishes were collected from the surf zone of Horn Island, Mississippi between March 1978 and April 1979. A standardized total of 39 435 larvae were taken from 222 collections in the inner and outer surf zone regions, representing fish in 69 taxa. Overall, considerably more larvae were collected in the outer surf zone (78·3%) than in the inner surf zone (21·7%). Engraulids, Chloroscombrus chrysurus and Symphurus spp. were the most abundant larvae taken from the outer surf zone while engraulids, Leiostomus xanthurus, Brevoortia patronus and Trinectes maculatus were the numerically dominant larvae in the inner surf zone. Seasonal peaks in abundance occurred at the outer surf zone stations during May and June and at the inner surf zone stations during December. Larval densities were significantly greater in night collections than in day collections.The occurrence of early larvae, late larvae and juveniles suggests that the surf zone habitat is important to several species of coastal marine fishes. Menticirrhus littoralis, Harengula jaguana and Trachinotus carolinus appear to most readily utilize the surf zone as a nursery area.     

Annual variation in the nocturnal nekton assemblage of a tropical estuary

A nocturnal demersal nekton assemblage was sampled fortnightly for two years at five sites in the Labu estuary using a 3 m beam trawl with a 3·2 cm mesh net. Forty-eight species were caught, totalling 31 458 individuals with the five most abundant species comprising over 95% of the catch. Using multiple regression techniques with Fourier transformations, the mean number of species, S, the mean abundance, N, and mean weight, W, were found to conform to a regular annual cycle with maxima in April and May. Seven of the 11 most abundant species demonstrated regular annual cycles of abundance. S, N and W were greatest in the wider, middle sites and lowest in a shallow, stagnant side branch of the estuary. Catch weights and abundances were significantly correlated with physical data.Salinity and temperature values in the estuary exhibited an annual cycle with maxima occurring in February/March. The annual thermal variation of surface water outside the estuary followed a similar cycle. The salinity at the mouth of the Markham River is lowest during January/February, which corresponds with the rainy season in the Markham River catchment. Significant annual variation existed between years in estuarine bottom salinity and salinity values in Labu Bay.Several species exhibited a greater variation in abundance and mass between years than within years. This supports the hypothesis that in the tropics between-year variation in coastal marine biotic communities is greater than within-year variation.     

上新世～早更新世云杉属和冷杉属在华北地区的发展及其气候指示意义

华北地区的云杉属和冷杉属在早上新世就有大量的发展。榆社盆地在4.4MaBP.时，云杉属在孢粉植物群中的含量达50%一70%,与云杉属同时发现的还有一些喜暖植物。根据化石和孢粉学证据、沉积条件、古地形及欧洲的旁证材料推测，上新世云杉属和冷杉属的生态习性与现代生活在寒冷地带的云杉、冷杉不同，它们是一些可以生长在相对暖湿气候条件下的种类。上新世以森林为主的植被在2.3MaB.P.时转变为疏林草原，亚热带植物基本迁离榆社盆地。云杉属和冷杉属不仅在孢粉植物群中大量减少，在木本植物中也降为次要组分。古植物的演化和迁移历史反映了冰期气候和东亚季风气候发展的历程。