Detection of nighttime sea fog/stratus over the Huanghai Sea using MTSAT-1R IR data

A dual channel difference (DCD) method is applied to detect nighttime sea fog/stratus over the Huanghai Sea using the infrared (IR) data of shortwave (3.5–4.0 μm) and longwave (10.3–11.3 μm) channels from the Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT)-1R, i.e., shortwave minus longwave brightness temperature difference (SLTD). Twenty-four sea fog events over the Huanghai Sea during March to July of 2006 and 2007 are chosen to determine a suitable value of SLTD for nighttime sea fog/stratus detection, and ...     

A culture-dependent survey of thermophilic bacteria from hot springs in Xiamen area in China

Microbes are believed to play important roles in ecosystem function in many environments. The hot springs of Xiamen Island are close to the Xiamen Sea, and may have some characteristics different from those of inland hot springs. Microbes living in the hot springs of Xiamen may have new characteristics. However, little is known about microbial communities of hot springs close to the Xiamen Sea. A culturedependent survey of microbial population in the Xiamen hot springs was performed by using an approach combining total cellular protein profile identification and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 328 isolates of bacteria were obtained from liquid and sediment samples from the Xiamen hot springs, including neutrophilic thermophilic bacteria and moderately thermophilic acidophiles. Neutrophilic thermophilic bacteria, which grow at a temperature range of 55—90℃ including Rhodothermus marinus (Strain 1), Thermus thermophilus (Strain 2), Thermus thiopara (Strain 3), Geobacillus stearothermophilus (Strain 4), Geobacillus thermoleovorans (Strain 5), and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes (Strain 6), were recovered by 2216E plates. Moderately thermophilic acidophiles, which can grow at temperatures above 50℃ and a pH range of 1.8—3.5 such as Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (Strain 8), Sulfobacillus acidophilus (Strain 9), and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans (Strain 10), were isolated on selective solid medium containing sulfur and Fe2+. Among these strains, Rhodothermus marinus, Thermus thermophilus and Geobacillus stearothermophilus are not only thermophiles, but also halophiles. One bacterium strain (Strain 6) shared 99% nucleotide sequence homology with Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, but was quite different from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes in biological characteristics, suggesting that it may represent a novel thermophilic species. Results indicated that various species of neutrophilic thermophiles and moderately thermophilic acidophiles were widely distributed in the Xiamen hot springs and that Rhodothermus marinus and Thermus thermophilus dominated the cultivable microbial community.     

Reproduction in the sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis (Anthozoa: Pennatulacea) from the west coast of Scotland

The sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis (Pallas, 1766) is a species of conservation concern in Scottish coastal waters, due to its restricted geographical distribution and high sensitivity to demersal fishing activities. Reproduction in F. quadrangularis was investigated in a population located in southern Loch Linnhe, west Scotland. This was accomplished through the analysis of trends in oocyte size-frequency distribution and relative fecundity over a 12-month period. Funiculina quadrangularis is dioecious and the study population exhibited a sex ratio of 1:1. Oogenesis in female F. quadrangularis is characterised by the maintenance of a large pool of asynchronously developing oocytes throughout the year, of which a small proportion (<10%) mature with increasing sychronicity and are spawned in midwinter. The reasons for this distinct pattern of oogenesis and winter spawning remain unclear, although the potential influence of environmental cues and the role of endogenous factors in relation to this sea pen's deep-sea habit are discussed. Whilst the duration of oogenesis is prolonged (>12 months), it is proposed that spawning is a brief and synchronous annual event. Relative fecundity is high and is independent of colony size, varying between approximately 500–2000 oocytes per 1 cm rachial midsection. This measure of fecundity exhibited pronounced seasonality and was significantly lower during the post-spawning winter months. Total fecundity in F. quadrangularis is considered to be high; although a small proportion of the total number of oocytes is spawned annually, this is compensated for by large colony size. Funiculina quadrangularis produces large oocytes (>800 μm), indicative of the production of lecithotrophic larvae.     

Winkler's method overestimates dissolved oxygen in seawater: Iodate interference and its oceanographic implications

Dissolved oxygen in seawater has been determined by using the Winkler's reaction scheme for decades. An interference in this reaction scheme that has been heretofore overlooked is the presence of naturally occurring iodate in seawater. Each mole of iodate can result in an apparent presence of 1.5 mol of dissolved oxygen. At the concentrations of iodate in the surface and deep open ocean, it can lead to an overestimation of 0.52 ± 0.15 and 0.63 ± 0.05 μmol kg^− 1 of oxygen in these waters respectively. In coastal and inshore waters, the effect is less predictable as the concentration of iodate is more variable. The solubility of oxygen in seawater was likely overestimated in data sources that were based on the Winkler's reaction scheme for the determination of oxygen. The solubility equation of García and Gordon [Garcia H.E., Gordon, L.I., 1992. Oxygen solubility in seawater: Better fitting equations. Limnol. Oceanogr. 37, 1307–1312] derived from the results of Benson and Krause [Benson, F.B., Krause, D. Jr., 1984. The concentration and isotopic fractionation of oxygen dissolved in freshwater and seawater in equilibrium with the atmosphere. Limnol. Oceanogr. 29, 620–632] is free from this source of error and is recommended for general use. By neglecting the presence of iodate, the average global super-saturation of oxygen in the surface oceans and the corresponding efflux of oxygen to the atmosphere both have been overestimated by about 8%. Regionally, in areas where the degree of super-saturation or under-saturation of oxygen in the surface water is small, such as in the tropical oceans, the net air–sea exchange flux can be grossly under- or overestimated. Even the estimated direction of the exchange can be reversed. Furthermore, the presence of iodate can lead to an overestimation of the saturation anomaly of oxygen in the upper ocean attributed to biological production by 0.23 ± 0.07%. AOU may have been underestimated by 0.52 ± 0.15 and 0.63 ± 0.05 μmol kg^− 1 in the surface mixed layer and deep water, while preformed phosphate and preformed nitrate may have been overestimated by 0.004 ± 0.001 and 0.06 ± 0.02 μmol kg^− 1 in the surface mixed layer, and 0.005 ± 0.0004 and 0.073 ± 0.006 μmol kg^− 1 in the deep water. These are small but not negligible corrections, especially in areas where the values of these parameters are small. At the increasing level of sophistication in the interpretation of oxygen data, this source of error should now be taken into account. Nevertheless, in order to avoid confusion, an internationally accepted standard needs to be adopted before these corrections can be applied.     

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.     

Combating piracy and armed robbery in Asia: The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC)

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC) is an international organisation that comprises 14 member countries in the region. Despite its many advantages, the ISC has some weaknesses, which when addressed could bring regional cooperation to a new level and which could make the ISC a model for other regions.     

Automated threshold selection methods for extreme wave analysis

The study of the extreme values of a variable such as wave height is very important in flood risk assessment and coastal design. Often values above a sufficiently large threshold can be modelled using the Generalized Pareto Distribution, the parameters of which are estimated using maximum likelihood. There are several popular empirical techniques for choosing a suitable threshold, but these require the subjective interpretation of plots by the user.In this paper we present a pragmatic automated, simple and computationally inexpensive threshold selection method based on the distribution of the difference of parameter estimates when the threshold is changed, and apply it to a published rainfall and a new wave height data set. We assess the effect of the uncertainty associated with our threshold selection technique on return level estimation by using the bootstrap procedure. We illustrate the effectiveness of our methodology by a simulation study and compare it with the approach used in the JOINSEA software. In addition, we present an extension that allows the threshold selected to depend on the value of a covariate such as the cosine of wave direction.     

海域勘界技术的应用

制订划界方案是海域勘界工作的核心工作,包括资料分析、初拟划界草案、草案协调和协商等阶段．大多数海域界线需要分段划分．勘界实践表明,不同界线及其不同区段的界线必须运用不同的划界技术,如垂直岸线法、水道（航道）中心线法、协议线法、习惯线法、中点连线法、用海界线法及岛礁中间线法等．草案协调是勘界工作的难点,必须采取背靠背协调、面对面协商及反复沟通等方法,促成双方达成共识．     

中国海洋志愿观测船现运行状态及发展

志愿船观测是中国必须履行的国际义务。目前,中国海洋志愿观测船只呈逐年减少趋势,从过去的百余艘船只降至三、四十艘,并且从观测能力上也存在较多问题,比如观测手段比较落后、观测要素单一、观测资料缺乏。从根本上讲,志愿船运行机制缺乏有效的制度化保障,因此难以形成业务化能力,并且不能有效的履行国际义务。本文将对志愿船现运行状态及发展进行论述。     

渤黄海海平面的变化及其与ENSO的关系

利用1992年12月至2007年5月的高度计资料,研究了渤黄海海平面的变化特征。统计分析表明,近14a间渤海及北黄海、中央黄海海平面的平均上升高度分别为45.9mm和34.7mm,各海域的海平面上升速度不完全相同。研究发现,南方涛动指数(SOI)、纬向风应力距平都与渤海及北黄海、中央黄海的SLA呈负相关性,渤黄海海平面显著受SOI、纬向风应力调制,并且,SOI与渤黄海海域的风场之间有良好相关。将坐标系进行旋转后,获得与当地海平面异常相关最大的风应力方向。对SLA与新坐标系下风应力距平u的低频分量分析发现,渤海及北黄海海区、中央黄海对海平面影响最大的风应力距平u方向分别为东偏南20°方向、东偏南8°方向,风应力距平u分量与SLA、SOI的低频分量呈现更好的相关性。ENSO通过大气环流过程对渤黄海海域的风场产生影响,当地风场通过纬向风应力对渤黄海海平面的年际变化产生调制作用。因此,ENSO可以通过风应力对渤黄海海平面产生影响。