On the Problems of Epibioses, Fouling and Artificial Reefs, a Review

Abstract. Artificial reefs in marine environments are in most cases submerged structures consisting of dumped waste material or specific constructions made with the purpose of enriching the local fish populations and other marine life to the benefit of recreational and commercial fisheries. Such structures are susceptible to fouling and will successively develop assemblages, which may or may not resemble epibioses on natural substrata. Studies of artificial reefs have focused predominantly on fish assemblages and have largely disregarded the development of sessile biota and their structural and functional relationships. In addition, most studies are from tropical or subtropical environments. To manage and understand artificial reefs, a whole-ecosystem approach is necessary, incorporating studies of all aspects of hard substratum ecology including both structural and functional variables. This review is an attempt to evaluate the present knowledge of ecological aspects of artificial reefs, emphasising the role of sessile hard substratum biota.     

海相油气区生物礁研究现状、问题与展望

生物礁是良好的油气聚集场所.几十年来我国在生物礁及其含油气性研究、生物礁发育分布规律及其控制因素研究等方面均取得了丰硕的成果, 油气区隐伏生物礁的地球物理识别与预测方法也日趋成熟, 生物礁储层形成机理与预测研究进一步深入.油气区生物礁研究中仍存在一些问题: 一是生物礁基础研究综合程度不够; 二是生物礁成油系统研究薄弱; 三是生物礁分布规律与地质预测精细程度不够.油气区生物礁研究的发展趋势: 一是生物礁基础研究将向综合的生物礁生态-沉积体系研究以及生物礁地球生物学研究方向发展; 二是生物礁与油气成藏研究结合将更加紧密; 三是油气区生物礁的研究手段向多方法的交互验证与集成研究过渡; 四是生物礁储层预测与描述技术将得到进一步发展.      

关于建立“岛长制”的探索研究

文章基于习近平总书记生态文明建设重要战略思想以及海南省三沙市实践基础,借鉴"河长制"等制度经验,提出建立"岛长制"的必要性,剖析海岛自然生态特殊性,探讨"岛长制"的实施范围和相关职责,提出加强规划编制和资源环境保护等5项主要任务以及健全工作机制和强化考核问责等6项保障措施,为建立健全"岛长制"、推动生态文明建设融入海岛社会发展各方面和全过程以及促进海岛地区经济高质量发展提供政策基础和决策支持。     

Spatial distribution of marine fishes along a cross-shelf gradient containing a continuum of mangrove–seagrass–coral reefs off southwestern Puerto Rico

Despite an extensive study of the fish community off southwestern Puerto Rico, little information is available on the fish spatial distribution along an inshore–offshore, cross-shelf gradient containing a continuum of mangrove–seagrass–coral reefs. We investigated the spatial distribution of reef-associated fish species using a stratified sampling procedure. A total of 52,138 fishes were recorded, representing 102 species belonging to 32 families. Significant differences in mean fish density were evident among strata. Mean densities at shallow fore reefs and deep fore reefs (Romero key) were significantly higher compared to the rest of strata along the gradient. Mean densities of fishes in mangroves and seagrass (Montalva Bay) were comparable to those at shallow back reefs and deep fore reefs offshore (Turrumote), but lower to those inshore (Romero); the lowest fish densities were found in mangroves and seagrass (Montalva Bay) and seagrass (Romero and Corral). At least 17 species, in 7 families, were among the most common in terms of relative abundance representing 76% of the total individuals sampled. A detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) applied to more abundant fish species showed a spatial pattern in density distribution. Three major groupings were evident corresponding to mangroves and seagrass (Montalva Bay), shallow and deep reefs (Romero), and shallow and deep reefs (Corral and Turrumote). A cluster analysis on mean fish densities of the more abundant species revealed a consistent spatial distribution according to biotope by separating the ichthyofauna associated with mangroves, seagrass and that of shallow (back and fore) reefs, and deep fore reefs.     

The effect of relative crest submergence on wave breaking over submerged slopes

Experiments were performed in a wave flume to measure the intensity, transmission and reflection of waves breaking over a submerged reef with an offshore gradient of 1:10. The results demonstrate that the relative water depth over the reef crest (h_c/H_o) is a dominant factor affecting the breaking characteristics. In particular it is found that as the relative crest submergence is reduced, there is a considerable increase in the intensity of wave breaking over the reef that can be quantified through measurements of the air cavity enclosed beneath the plunging jet. It is also shown that there is a corresponding decrease in wave transmission and reflection as the submergence is reduced.     

Grazing on coral reefs facilitates growth of the excavating sponge Cliona orientalis (Clionaidae,Hadromerida)

Although bioerosion is among the most destructive forces on coral reefs, indirect effects influencing the bioerosion dynamics are understudied. Here, I assess the hypothesis that coral reef grazers indirectly facilitate proliferation of bioeroding sponges by removing epibiotic fleshy seaweeds from the Great Barrier Reef. This study quantifies the degree of spatial correlation between the distribution of bioeroding sponges and the distribution of grazing pressure, as evidenced by the abundance of seaweed and parrotfish bite marks. While the sponge tissue area was negatively correlated with seaweed coverage, the number of parrotfish bite marks was associated with less algae and more sponge tissue. Several factors derived from grazing on seaweeds may facilitate sponge growth: increases in the availability of light may favor primary production by symbiotic zooxanthellae and thereby increase growth of bioeroding sponges; on the other hand, sponge settlement may be facilitated on grazed substrates. All these factors are likely related, and contribute to an increasing erosion of coral reefs. Similar processes have recently been described in Mediterranean ecosystems, suggesting that the interactions I document here, could be widespread.     

The influence of reef type and seasonality on population structure of coral‐reef fishes within Malindi Marine Park,Kenya

Effective conservation requires knowledge of the effects of habitat on distribution and abundance of organisms. Although the structure of coral reef fish assemblages is strongly correlated with attributes of reef structure, data relating reef types to fish assemblages are scarce. In this study we describe the influence of gross habitat characteristics and seasonality on coral reef fish assemblages of fringing and patch reefs in Kenya. Results showed that total fish abundance was not significantly different between the reefs; however, the fringing reef had higher species diversity during both the northeast (42 spp.) and southeast (36 spp.) monsoon seasons when compared to the patch reef. The more fished species (e.g. Siganus sutor and Lethrinus mahsena) were more abundant on the patch reef in both seasons. Statistical analysis indicated common species between the reefs were more abundant on the fringing reef. Seasons affected abundance of the more vagile species (S. sutor), whereas the reef‐attached sky emperor, L. mahsena was affected more by reef type than by seasons. No significant interaction effects of habitat and seasons were found, indicating independence of habitat and environmental variability in affecting fish assemblages on the reefs. Smaller sized fish dominated the fringing reef more than the patch reef, whereas the skewness index (Sk) indicated a normal‐sized frequency distribution on the patch reef. Trophic structure of the fishes varied more within than between reefs, whereas fish assemblage structure was affected more by seasons on the fringing reef. These results suggest that conservation measures such as marine protected area (MPA) design and setting should consider effects of reef morphology and environmental variability on coral‐reef fish assemblage structure.     

The potential for dive tourism led entrepreneurial marine protected areas in Curacao

Despite the successful establishment of marine protected areas in the Netherlands Antilles, such as Saba and Bonaire, government-led protection of the reefs surrounding Curacao has repeatedly failed. In the absence of effective state regulation, dive operations have taken de facto control over dive sites, establishing conservation through a range of private initiatives akin to what have been referred to as entrepreneurial marine protected areas (EMPAs). The paper analyses the potential of these EMPAs to regulate access and control to dive sites and good diver practices. Using data from interviews with key actors in the dive industry and a survey of tourist divers the paper shows that achieving an island wide system of EMPAs is dependent on issues related to ownership over the reef, geographical location, and market competition. The paper concludes that the viability of such a system is not only dependent on the dynamics of the local and international dive market, in which all actors pursue their own interests, but also on the establishment of meta-governance arrangements that can provide incentive-based oversight to the entrepreneurial conservation practices of dive operations.     

Shock-capturing Boussinesq-type model for nearshore wave processes

This paper describes the formulation and validation of a nearshore wave model for tropical coastal environment. The governing Boussinesq-type equations include the conservative form of the nonlinear shallow-water equations for shock capturing. A Riemann solver supplies the inter-cell flux and bathymetry source term, while a Godunov-type scheme integrates the evolution variables in time. The model handles wave breaking through momentum conservation with energy dissipation based on an eddy viscosity concept. The computed results show very good agreement with laboratory data for wave propagation over a submerged bar, wave breaking and runup on plane beaches as well as wave transformation over fringing reefs. The model accurately describes transition between supercritical and subcritical flows as well as development of dispersive waves in the processes.     

全球变暖和海洋酸化背景下珊瑚礁生态响应的研究进展

生物礁是由珊瑚虫、藻类等造礁生物组成、具有抗浪结构的海相碳酸盐岩,是全球主要碳库之一,也是观察热带海洋影响中-高纬度环境过程的重要窗口。近二、三十年以来,伴随着海洋水体的显著酸化和增温,全球热带海洋生物礁的主体——珊瑚礁系统遭受了不同程度的影响。其中,对于高温强迫而言,海水温度上升诱发珊瑚白化、抑制珊瑚的自我修复;海洋酸化可以显著改变珊瑚钙化率、抑制珊瑚幼虫发育、引发珊瑚礁的溶解;两大因素均可改变珊瑚礁的群落结构。针对这些环境要素的改变,珊瑚自身可以通过共生藻的种类转换以及调控基因表达等手段在一定程度上抵抗高温胁迫;但若温室气体的排放不受控制,绝大多数珊瑚礁到21世纪末都将遭受灾难性打击。为应对未来不同场景下的珊瑚礁变化,还需要对高温、酸化等关键因子响应特征进行更深入的研究;珊瑚礁长序列研究有可能为珊瑚的长周期演化特征提供关键认识,也为现代观测提供有益补充。