Factors involved in growth plasticity of cockles Cerastoderma edule (L.), identified by field survey and transplant experiments

In Arcachon Bay, a macrotidal coastal lagoon in southwest France, growth rates of cockles Cerastoderma edule (L.) differ greatly between locations. Sampling of populations at different tidal levels showed that the mean shell length was significantly and positively correlated with immersion time, whereas no correlation was found with population density and microphytobenthos biomass. Transplants of cockles between two intertidal sites were used to examine the relative importance of habitat and site of origin for growth rate and condition index. Artifacts due to manipulation were assessed, i.e. the impact of enclosures on growth, conditon index and mortality. During a 5-mo reciprocal transplant experiment, growth rates of the transplanted cockles and the cockles already present were similar, whereas the sites of origin did not affect growth rate. Condition index, however, displayed significant differences in relation to both transplant and origin sites. During a further 6-mo experiment in which cockles were transplanted from one site to four new sites, growth was mainly influenced by tidal level. These results indicate that net growth started when cockles were immersed 30% of the time. It is concluded that, on the scale of Arcachon Bay (156 km²), differences in growth and condition between cockle populations are largely phenotypic. Tidal level (i.e. food supply and emersion stress) accounts for most of these differences, but the existence of genetically or physiologically different populations cannot be excluded.     

SSA1—1型声学水位在长江口潮位站的应用

本文介绍了长江口区水文泥沙概况，举例说明了ＳＳＡ１－１型声水位计在崇头潮位站比测试验和投产应用情况，结果表明该水位计是收集长江口区潮位资料较理想的仪器。     

中国沿岸现代海平面变化及未来趋势分析

本文用线性回归分析方法，分１９８５年以前和１９９２年以前两个时段，对我国沿岸２５个验潮站近百年来的海平面资料进行了系统分析，计算了两个时段相对海平面变化的年速率和平均海面高度，论述了海平面变化的主要控制因素，并对未来海平面变化趋势进行了预测。计算结果表明，近百年来我国沿岸相对海平面在总体上不但持续上升，而且近年来上升速率普遍加快；根据海平面变化的主要控制因素变化趋向，预计到下世纪中叶前后，全球性海平面大幅度上升的可能性不大，我国沿岸区域性海乎面平均上升幅度不超过１５ｃｍ，不同岸段因地壳升降差异性大而有较大差别。     

高等级海况条件下移动式海上基地动力响应分析

针对半潜式超大型浮式结构中典型的移动式海上基地(Mobile Offshore Base,MOB)在高等级海况下的动力响应问题展开研究。在MOB结构"刚性模块-柔性连接构件(Rigid Modules and Flexible Connectors,RMFC)"模型的前提下,根据动力学基本原理,经理论推导并计算得到MOB分别在6、7、8级海况的随机波激励下,其上各模块的动力响应位移结果。详细分析了MOB结构同一模块在不同海况条件下的动力响应位移随浪向角及连接构件刚度的变化规律。研究成果可为半潜式超大型浮式结构动力响应研究及结构优化设计提供一定的技术支撑。     

基于SMOS卫星数据的海表面盐度模型

海表面盐度是研究海洋对全球气候影响以及大洋环流的重要参量之一,而卫星遥感技术是获取海表面盐度数据的最有效方法.目前,L波段的SMOS和Aquarius/SAC-D遥感卫星正在用于探测海表面盐度,并根据卫星观测数据和物理机制反演出海表面盐度的产品.但在某些近陆地区域,由于淡水流入及陆地射频(RFI)等因素影响,卫星反演盐度的产品精度较低.文中利用“东方红2号”科学考察船的实测数据、SMOS卫星数据,首次针对中国南海海域提出了用贝叶斯网络模型计算海表面盐度,并用验证数据集(实测Argo盐度)对模型进行适应性评估.经过计算,模型误差和验证误差分别为0.47 psu和0.45 psu,而相应的SMOS Level 2产品的精度分别为1.90 psu和1.82 psu.此模型为海表面盐度的计算提供了一个新方法.     

Preindustrial, historical, and fertilization simulations using a global ocean carbon model with new parameterizations of iron limitation, calcification, and N2 fixation

The Canadian Model of Ocean Carbon (CMOC) has been developed as part of a global coupled climate carbon model. In a stand-alone integration to preindustrial equilibrium, the model ecosystem and global ocean carbon cycle are in general agreement with estimates based on observations. CMOC reproduces global mean estimates and spatial distributions of various indicators of the strength of the biological pump; the spatial distribution of the air-sea exchange of CO₂ is consistent with present-day estimates. Agreement with the observed distribution of alkalinity is good, consistent with recent estimates of the mean rain ratio that are lower than historic estimates, and with calcification occurring primarily in the lower latitudes. With anthropogenic emissions and climate forcing from a 1850-2000 climate model simulation, anthropogenic CO₂ accumulates at a similar rate and with a similar spatial distribution as estimated from observations. A hypothetical scenario for complete elimination of iron limitation generates maximal rates of uptake of atmospheric CO₂ of less than 1 PgC y⁻¹, or about 11% of 2004 industrial emissions. Even a ‘perfect’ future of sustained fertilization would have a minor impact on atmospheric CO₂ growth. In the long term, the onset of fertilization causes the ocean to take up an additional 77 PgC after several thousand years, compared with about 84 PgC thought to have occurred during the transition into the last glacial maximum due to iron fertilization associated with increased dust deposition.     

A GIS-based WFD oriented typology of shallow micro-tidal soft bottom using wave exposure and turbidity mapping

Our GIS based project aims at producing a classification scheme to develop a typology of the bottom of the Bay of Gdansk in the southern Baltic. The typology was based on the abiotic factors which are used to define water body types by the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Significance analysis of particular factors has shown that within the discussed area wave exposure seems to play the most important role. All other factors are to a greater or lesser degree correlated with these two. Taking into consideration the shallows and the varied coastline of the investigated area it was decided to make use of the SWAN numerical wave model to determine the influence of wave impact upon the bottom. The model was used to produce raster maps of orbital velocity near the bottom for each wind scenario. With the help of the GIS analysis the maps were turned into layers: the mean velocity and the maximum velocity at the bottom. To produce the layer of yearly amount of solar radiation a GIS model was built which main parameters were the layer of depth and three layers of turbidity for three seasons. The layers of the maximum orbital velocity and of the solar radiation at the bottom were then used in a classificatory procedure consisted in an iterative sequence of the three following steps: cluster formation, dendrogram analysis and classification using the maximum likelihood method. Ecological importance of the classification has been obtained by means of the aggregation of a part of classes based upon the statistics calculated for them within the GIS system with the help of the zonal function out of the following parameters: salinity, depth, mean and maximum orbital velocity at the bottom, temperature differences between warm and cold seasons, solar radiation, and type of sediments. The method proposed here makes it possible to produce high resolution thematic maps of the bottom even with incomplete data cover of the investigated area.     

44 years hindcast of sea level in the Atlantic Coast of Europe

The sea level of Northeast Atlantic Ocean is calculated for the period between 1958 and 2001 using a state-of-the-art barotropic model with a grid size of 10′ × 15′ (long × lat). The model includes astronomic effects, considering seven components of the tide, and the meteorological effects of wind and atmospheric pressure, allowing obtaining the astronomic tide, the atmospheric residuals and the non-linear addition of both components of sea level.     

基于局部回波幅值统计的海杂波背景下小目标检测

针对传统舰载雷达和岸基雷达很难检测出海杂波背景下小目标的现状,提出一种基于局部回波幅值统计的方法来检测海杂波背景下小目标.该算法基于数学统计思想:计算不同距离单元海杂波的幅值的最大值和标准偏差,分析发现距离单元含有小目标回波的最大幅值明显小于其它距离单元只含有海杂波回波的最大幅值,距离单元含有小目标回波的幅值的标准偏差明显大于距离单元只含有海杂波回波的幅值的标准偏差,因此可以在对小目标没有任何先验知识条件下,较准确地检测出海杂波背景下的小目标.实验证明,该算法是有效的.     

Welcome mats? The role of seagrass meadow structure in controlling post-settlement survival in a keystone sea-urchin species

Processes acting on the early-life histories of marine organisms can have important consequences for the structuring of benthic communities. In particular, the degree of coupling between larval supply and adult abundances can wield considerable influence on the strength of trophic interactions in the ecosystem. These processes have been relatively well described in rocky systems and soft-sediment communities, and it is clear that they are governed by very different bottlenecks. Seagrass meadows make interesting study systems because they bear structural affinities to both soft sediments as well as rocky substrates. We examined the early-life history of Paracentrotus lividus, one of the dominant herbivores in Mediterranean seagrass meadows, to identify the drivers of population dynamics in this species. We measured spatial and temporal variability in sea urchin post-settlement in 10 Posidonia oceanica meadows in the North-Western Mediterranean over a period of two years, and compared the numbers with the one-year old cohort a year later (i.e. the new population recruitment) as well as between successive size–age groups. Urchin post-settlers differed substantially between meadows but were present in both years in all meadows surveyed, suggesting that larval supply was not limiting for any of the studied sites. However, in six of the studied meadows, the one-year cohort of urchins was absent in both years, indicating that post-settlement processes strongly affected urchins in these meadows. In contrast, in four of the studied meadows, there was a strong coupling between post-settlers and one-year cohort individuals. These meadows were structurally different from the others in that they were characterised by an exposed matrix of rhizomes forming a dense seagrass mat. This mat apparently strongly mediates post-settlement mortality, and its presence or absence dictates the successful establishment of urchin populations in seagrass meadows. As the population aged, the relationship between size–age groups decreased evidencing the action of other processes. Yet, these results indicate that differences in physical structure are a vital bottleneck for sea urchin populations in seagrass meadows. Exploring the interaction between ecosystem structure and early-life history may provide a broader and more unified framework to understand the dynamics of a range of benthic habitats, including rocky substrates, soft sediments and seagrass meadows.