Seasonal variation of suspended-sediment transport through the southern Bohai Strait

Based on field observations made in winter 2006 and summer 2007 and on multiscene MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) imagery, the seasonal variation of suspended-sediment transport in the southern Bohai Strait and its possible mechanisms are examined. The field observations in two different seasons allow an exponential empirical model to be used to retrieve suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) from MODIS imagery. Both the field-survey data and the MODIS-derived SSC show that the sediment transport in the southern Bohai Strait has a significant seasonal variation due to the seasonally varying thermohaline structure of the water column and the hydrodynamics resulting from the seasonally alternating monsoons. The SSC in winter is approximately 3–10 times higher than in summer. Considering the seasonal variation of water flux (WF) and SSC, the annual sediment flux (SSF) through the southern Bohai Strait is estimated to be approximately 40.0 Mt yr⁻¹, about 4–8 times previous estimates, which did not take into account seasonal variation. Although the Huanghe (Yellow River) discharges a large amount of sediment in the summer, the SSF through the southern Bohai Strait in the winter (∼32.0 Mt) is about 4 times greater than it is in the summer. The strong seasonal variability of SSF through the southern Bohai Strait indicates that strong resuspension along the coast of the Huanghe delta in winter and enhanced longshore transport by coastal currents due to winter monsoon activity might be the major mechanisms of cross-strait transport of sediment in winter.     

Inter-basin movements of Mediterranean sperm whales provide insight into their population structure and conservation

The sperm whale is one of the very few deep diving mammal species in the Mediterranean Sea. Following a rare mass stranding of male sperm whales in the Adriatic Sea in December 2009, photo-identification methods were used in order to investigate previous sightings of the stranded whales in the region. Fluke photos of the stranded whales were compared with those of 153 and 128 free-ranging individuals photographed in the western and eastern Mediterranean basins, respectively. Three out of the seven stranded whales had been previously photo-identified and some of them more than once. To reach the stranding place, two of these re-identified whales performed long-range inter-basin movements of about 1600-2100 km (in a straight line) either through the Strait of Sicily or the Strait of Messina. In addition, comparisons among all whales photographed in the two Mediterranean basins revealed that one more individual first photographed in the western basin (1991) was re-identified 13 years later in the eastern basin (2004). These three cases provide the first conclusive evidence of inter-basin movement of sperm whales in the Mediterranean Sea. Inter-basin gene flow is important for the survival of the small and endangered Mediterranean sperm whale population. Mitigating the disturbance created by human activities in the straits area is crucial for its conservation.     

浙闽沿岸流消退时期的浮游植物群落结构特征

浙闽沿岸流对台湾海峡的水文环境意义重大.依据国家海洋局"908"补充调查专项,通过对覆盖浙闽沿岸流海洋锋面过程的海洋生物调查研究,于2008年4月实施针对浙闽沿岸流消退时期(春季)台湾海峡锋面海域的浮游植物取样分析.结果共记录3门41属86种,其中硅藻35属76种.甲藻5属9种,蓝藻1属1种.种类组成以暖水性种类和广布...     

浙江宁波穿山水道的海底稳定性评价

在测深、钻探、室内测试、水文泥沙测验等勘测资料基础上,详细分析宁波穿山水道海域水文气象、工程地质、地震活动性、浅层气、滑坡、沙土液化、岸坡和冲刷槽冲淤动态等因素,这些分析结果表明穿山水道海底稳定,海岸和海洋工程环境适宜.     

日本海主要海峡体积输运的季节变化特征

利用变分资料同化技术对P矢量方法进行优化处理,并采用此优化后的P矢量方法优化计算了日本海环流和日本海主要海峡的体积输运.日本海的主要环流系统,比如对马暖流(TWC)及其分支,东朝鲜暖流(EKWC)和日本近岸分支(JNB),极地锋海流(PFC),和日本海中的反气旋式涡,都能够被很好地一一反映出来.另外,优化后的P矢量方法...     

Cainozoic Stratigraphy of the lake Eyre basin and part of the arid region lying to the South

The Cainozoic history of the Lake Eyre region opened with a period of deep weathering during which many of the older rocks were extensively kaolinized. Following erosion and later deposition of a thin sheet of Tertiary fluviatile deposits, a period of weathering resulted in the widespread formation of silcrete. Another period of erosion and deposition was followed by soil formation and minor silici‐fication.

An important period of erosion followed during which some of the main elements of the present landscape were outlined. Warping during this interval gave rise to shallow basins in which lacustrine sediments accumulated. At about the same time, a system of mound springs developed near the western margin of the Great Artesian Basin. Another major period of erosion followed, by which time the main topographic features of the present landscape had evolved. This last event probably took place near the close of the Tertiary. Throughout the Tertiary, drainage was external and ancestral Lake Eyre remained fresh.

The Quaternary was characterized by four periods of aeolian and, to a lesser extent, water erosion and deposition alternating with periods of landscape stability, when weathering and soil formation took place.

Throughout the Cainozoic there was an alternation of relatively humid and dry periods, but true aridity and internal drainage did not appear until the Quaternary. Sand ridges were not formed until the late Quaternary. Intervals of gentle warping occurred from time to time during the Tertiary, but the Quaternary has for the most part been a period of stability. These events have given rise to a sequence of distinctive rock and soil‐stratigraphic units whose characteristics are considered in some detail.     

Multiple time-scale modelling of the circulation in Torres Strait—Australia

Ocean circulation influences nearly all aspects of the marine ecosystem. This study describes the water circulation patterns on time scales from hours to years across Torres Strait and adjacent gulfs and seas, including the north of the Great Barrier Reef. The tridimensional circulation model incorporated realistic atmospheric and oceanographic forcing, including winds, waves, tides, and large-scale regional circulation taken from global model outputs. Simulations covered a hindcast period of 8 years (i.e. 01/03/1997–31/12/2004), allowing the tidal, seasonal, and interannual flow characteristics to be investigated. Results indicated that the most energetic current patterns in Torres Strait were strongly dominated by the barotropic tide and its spring-neap cycle. However, longer-term flow through the strait was mainly controlled by prevailing winds. A dominant westward drift developed in summer over the southeasterly trade winds season, which then weakened and reversed in winter over the northwesterly monsoon winds season. The seasonal flow through Torres Strait was strongly connected to the circulation in the north of the Great Barrier Reef, but showed little connectivity with the coastal circulation in the Gulf of Papua. Interannual variability in Torres Strait was highest during the monsoon period, reflecting variability in wind forcing including the timing of the monsoon. The characteristics of the circulation were also discussed in relation to fine sediment transport. Turbidity level in Torres Strait is expected to peak at the end of the monsoon, while it is likely to be at a low at the end of the trade season, eventually leading to a critically low bottom light level which constitutes a severe risk of seagrass dieback.     

Spatial patterns of sub-tidal seagrasses and their tissue nutrients in the Torres Strait,northern Australia: Implications for management

The distribution and nutritional profiles of sub-tidal seagrasses from the Torres Strait were surveyed and mapped across an area of 31,000 km². Benthic sediment composition, water depth, seagrass species type and nutrients were sampled at 168 points selected in a stratified representative pattern. Eleven species of seagrass were present at 56 (33.3%) of the sample points. Halophila spinulosa, Halophila ovalis, Cymodocea serrulata and Syringodium isoetifolium were the most common species and these were nutrient profiled. Sub-tidal seagrass distribution (and associated seagrass nutrient concentrations) was generally confined to northern-central and south-western regions of the survey area (<longitude 142.60), where mean water depth was relatively shallow (approximately 13 m below MSL) and where sediments were comprised primarily muddy sand to gravelly sand. Seagrass nitrogen and starch content, the most important nutrients for marine herbivores, were significantly correlated with species and with the plant component (above or below ground). For all seagrass species, the above-ground component (shoots and leaves) possessed greater nitrogen concentrations than the below-ground component (roots and rhizomes), which possessed greater starch concentrations. S. isoetifolium had the highest total nitrogen concentrations (1.40±0.05% DW). However, it also had higher fibre concentrations (38.2±0.68% DW) relative to the other four species. H. ovalis possessed the highest starch concentrations (2.76±0.12% DW) and highest digestibility (83.24±0.66% DW) as well as the lowest fibre (27.2±0.66% DW). The high relative abundance (found at 55% of the sites that had seagrass) and nutrient quality characteristics of H. ovalis make it an important source of energy to marine herbivores that forage sub-tidally in the Torres Strait. There were two regions in Torres Strait (north-central and south-western) where sub-tidal seagrass meadows were prevalent and of relatively higher nutritional value. This spatial and nutritional information can be used by local agencies to manage and to protect the ecological, economic and cultural values of the sub-tidal seagrass ecosystems and associated fisheries of the Torres Strait.     

Productivity,carbon assimilation and intra-annual change in tropical reef platform seagrass communities of the Torres Strait,north-eastern Australia

Detailed data on seagrass distribution, abundance, growth rates and community structure information were collected at Orman Reefs in March 2004 to estimate the above-ground productivity and carbon assimilated by seagrass meadows. Seagrass meadows were re-examined in November 2004 for comparison at the seasonal extremes of seagrass abundance. Ten seagrass species were identified in the meadows on Orman Reefs. Extensive seagrass coverage was found in March (18,700 ha) and November (21,600 ha), with seagrass covering the majority of the intertidal reef-top areas and a large proportion of the subtidal areas examined. There were marked differences in seagrass above-ground biomass, distribution and species composition between the two surveys. Major changes between March and November included a substantial decline in biomass for intertidal meadows and an expansion in area of subtidal meadows. Changes were most likely a result of greater tidal exposure of intertidal meadows prior to November leading to desiccation and temperature-related stress.     

Harvest patterns and effort dynamics of indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the eastern Torres Strait reef line fishery

The reef line fishery (RLF) in eastern Torres Strait (ETS) is unique in that it has both a commercial indigenous sector and a commercial non-indigenous sector. Recently, concerns have been expressed by all stakeholders about the long-term sustainability of the fishery. These concerns have been exacerbated by the lack of detailed catch and effort information from both sectors, which has precluded any formal assessment of the fishery. In this paper, we characterise the harvest patterns and effort dynamics of the indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the ETS RLF using a range of data sources including commercial logbooks, community freezer records, voluntary logbooks and observer surveys. We demonstrate that bycatch is a significant component of the catch for both sectors and identify substantial differences in harvest patterns and effort dynamics between the sectors. Differences between sectors were observed in species composition and spatial and temporal patterns in catch, effort and catch per unit effort. These results highlight the inherent variation in catch and effort dynamics between the two commercial sectors of the ETS RLF and provide valuable information for the development of future assessments and appropriate management strategies for the fishery. The more reliable estimates of harvest patterns and effort dynamics for both sectors obtained from observer surveys will also assist in resolving issues relating to allocation of reef fish resources in Torres Strait.