Spatio‐temporal variation in density and size structure of the endangered sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus in Huatulco National Park,Mexico

The brown sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus (Ludwig, 1875) has been subjected to strong fishing pressure and is currently considered an endangered species by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Spatial and temporal variations in density were analysed and population parameters of I. fuscus were estimated in three localities of the Southern Mexican Pacific. Density was estimated using circular transects covering a 300 m² area in each locality. Body length and weight were also measured. The mean density was 0.018 ± 0.013 individuals·m^?2, and was statistically significantly lower during summer. The mean length and weight were 22.4 ± 3.8 cm and 396 ± 130 g, respectively, and statistically significant differences were found among localities. The weight–length relationship was W = 0.28·L^1.32 and the mean relative condition index (Kn) = 1.04 ± 0.31. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was L_t = 38.7·(1–exp^(?0.4·t)). The lowest values of length, weight and age were found at Dos Hermanas, suggesting that this locality could be favorable for the settlement of larvae and recruitment and growth of juveniles. The present study is the second to estimate densities of I. fuscus and the first one to publish data on size structure and growth for the population at Bahias de Huatulco. The densities were so low in the three sampled localities that none of them would be able to support a fishery, even under a sustainable management scheme. The information collected in the present study could be helpful for management programs of the Huatulco National Park, as all the data used for these currently come mainly from the populations of I. fuscus in the Gulf of California.     

Cu2+、Zn2+、SDS、DBS对脊尾白虾的毒性试验

选用铜、锌2种常见重金属和十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)、十二烷基苯磺酸钠(DBS)2种阴离子表面活性剂对脊尾白虾Palaemon carincauda仔虾进行96h急性毒性试验。结果表明,Cu2 、Zn2 、SDS、DBS对脊尾白虾仔虾的96h LC50分别为0.34、0.82、14.3和14.4 mg.L-1。将脊尾白虾仔虾对这4种毒物的敏感性与文献报道的其它动物进行了比较,结果认为可以将其作为毒性测试的标准试验生物。     

Behavior of soil plugs in open‐ended model piles driven into sands

Calibration chamber tests were conducted on open‐ended model piles driven into dried siliceous sands with different soil conditions in order to clarify the effect of soil conditions on load transfer mechanism in the soil plug. The model pile used in the test series was devised so that the bearing capacity of an open‐ended pile could be measured as three components: outside shaft resistance, plug resistance, and tip resistance. Under the assumption that the unit shaft resistance due to pile‐soil plug interaction varies linearly near the pile tip, the plug resistance was estimated. The plug capacity, which was defined as the plug resistance at ultimate condition, is mainly dependent on the ambient lateral pressure and relative density. The length of wedged plug that transfers the load decreases with the decrease of relative density, but it is independent of the ambient pressure and penetration depth. Under several assumptions, the value of earth pressure coefficient in the soil plug can be calculated. It gradually reduces with increase in the longitudinal distance from the pile tip. At the bottom of the soil plug, it tends to decrease with increase in the penetration depth and relative density, and to increase with the increase of ambient pressure. This may be attributed to (1) the decrease of friction angle as a result of increase in the effective vertical stress, (2) the difference in the dilation degree of the soil plug during driving with ambient pressures, and (3) the difference in compaction degree of soil plug during driving with relative densities. Based on the test results, an empirical equation was suggested to compute the earth pressure coefficient to be used in the calculation of plug capacity using one‐dimensional analysis, and it produces proper plug capacities for all soil conditions.     

Experimental Evaluation of Leaching Effects on the Compressibility of Marine Clay and its Strain Rate Dependency

This study investigated how leaching affects compressibility behavior of marine clay and its strain rate dependency based on laboratory tests using three pairs of specimens. Each pair of specimens consisted of leached and unleached samples with identical geotechnical properties except soil salinity. The behavior characteristics of the leached and unleached specimens were evaluated using several series of constant rate-of-strain (CRS) tests with differing strain rates. The results revealed that the compressibility of leached clay increased as its salinity decreased. However, void ratio, Atterberg limits, and preconsolidation pressure in leached samples were lower than those in unleached clay. The increased compressibility and decreased preconsolidation pressure may be induced from a weakening of the interparticle bonds in the leached soil skeleton. The CRS test results with differing strain rates revealed that higher strain rates corresponded with higher levels of effective stress and higher apparent preconsolidation pressure in both leached and unleached clays.     

Experimental Study on Complete Consolidation Behavior of Hong Kong Marine Deposits

The time-dependent feature of soft soils has gained intensive attraction in recent years. Due to the high water content and viscous property, the Hong Kong marine deposit (HKMD) frequently poses a challenge to geotechnical practice, particularly to the reclamation in Hong Kong. A key issue related to reclamation design, foundation construction and maintenance is excess settlement/deformation of the ground. Formation of HKMD typically goes through sedimentation and self-weight consolidation. A series of one-dimensional settling column consolidation tests, together with conventional oedometer tests were conducted on the HKMD. By normalizing parameter in settling stage, a unique global relationship of effective stress, σ_z′ and strain, ?_z could be established. Results reveal that the settling curve and settling rate are significantly affected by the sediment concentration in self-weight consolidation. After the primary self-weight consolidation, the settling rate is reduced in the “secondary self-weight consolidation.”     

Developmental energetics of the southern pigfish (Teleostei: Congiopodidae)

The embryonic wet weight, dry weight, yolk volume, energy content, and oxygen consumption of the southern pigfish Congiopodus leucopaecilus (Richardson, 1846) were followed from fertilisation to yolk sac absorption, at 11.5°c and salinity of 34.5%6. Measurements of yolk energy and catabolic energy changes did not show any evidence of an energy deficit before the onset of feeding capability.     

一维扩散方程整体观测资料下的初值变分同化反演

本文考虑一维扩散方程的反问题,利用变分同化方法通过观测资料来确定方程中的未知初值,通过分析观测误差对于初值误差的影响,证明变分同化初值收敛于原问题的真实参数,并得到了参数的收敛精度。同时将得到的初值代入预报模式中,得到预报解,并分析了预报解的收敛性和预报误差。     

LEADAT: a MATLAB-based program for lead-210 data analysis of sediment cores

1Introduction Tracking the history of man s impact on the en-vironment, it is clear that in many places the periodof greatest impact and most dramatic transformationlies within the last 150 a (Oldfield and Appleby,1984). Many aspects of this impact can be…     

不同光照周期对刺参摄食节律和消化生理的影响

在实验室条件下,研究了全光照(24L︰0D)、半光照半黑暗(12L︰12D)、全黑暗(0L︰24D)3种光照周期下刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)的摄食节律、摄食率以及3种消化酶(脂肪酶、淀粉酶、胰蛋白酶)活力的昼夜变化规律。结果显示:(1)在全光照条件下,刺参极少活动,24 h内的摄食比例较低(6%~10%);在半光照半黑暗条件下,刺参光照阶段运动不活跃,摄食比例较低(0~10%),黑暗阶段运动极其活跃,摄食比例较高;在全黑暗条件下,刺参一直处于较活跃状态,24 h内的摄食比例都较高。3种光照条件下,刺参的摄食高峰都出现在00:00~02:00,且刺参夜晚的摄食比例显著高于白天(P0.05);(2)刺参的日摄食率从全光照、半光照半黑暗到全黑暗依次增加,3种光照周期条件下刺参夜晚的摄食率极显著高于白天的摄食率(P0.01);(3)3种光照周期下,刺参3种消化酶活力的最大值都出现在22:00~02:00,消化酶活力的最大值比摄食高峰早0~4 h。研究结果表明,光照对刺参的摄食节律和消化酶活力昼夜变化都有显著影响,刺参具有提前分泌消化酶为即将到来的摄食做好准备的调节机制。     

冲绳海槽高分辨率层序地层研究

冲绳海槽为西太平洋内弧盆体系中一个典型的弧后盆地,其形成和发展与太平洋板块、欧亚板块和菲律宾板块活动有关,为海底扩张的结果,具有高的热流值和活火山的岩浆活动。中新世以来的太平洋活化区,沉积物包括海洋的生源物质和陆源碎屑物质,地层中记录了古海洋环境和大陆古气候变化的有关信息,对该区进行高分辨率层序地层研究和计算沉积速率显得尤为重要。在小波变换的基础上建立高分辨率的层序地层格架,以米兰科维奇思想对测井曲线和天文周期进行频谱分析,从而求得地层的沉积速率是沉积时限,另外对测井曲线和天文周期曲线运行调谐,建立起地层的天文年代标尺,从而对地层进行精确的定年。