Role of sea surface temperature and rainfall in determining the stock and fishery of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris,Mollusca, Cephalopoda) in Tunisia

Octopus (Octopus vulgaris, Mollusca, Cephalopoda) is an important and valuable fishery resource on the eastern and southern coasts of Tunisia, but its landings are highly variable. This paper explores the effect of environment on octopus catch per unit effort (CPUE) during a 12‐year period, through correlation analyses and the incorporation into surplus production models of sea surface temperature (SST) and rainfall data collected during cold (January–May) and hot (August–October) seasons. CLIMPROD software was used to select the appropriate model and fit it to the fishery and environment data. In both seasons, SST significantly contributed to CPUE variability; fishery production was influenced positively by cold season SST but negatively by hot season SST. Due to a poor fit with cold season data, the impact of rainfall was analysed only for the hot season, during which it has a positive effect on production. Results are discussed in view of the life‐cycle of octopus and the dynamics of the Tunisian fishery. This first study of octopus variability in Tunisia highlights the necessity to incorporate environmental influence into stock assessment and management advice.     

基于神经网络的印度洋长鳍金枪鱼(Thunnus alalunga)时空分布与海洋环境关系研究

长鳍金枪鱼(Thunnusalalunga)是主要的经济性金枪鱼鱼种之一,其空间分布与环境因子存在着密切联系。利用2012—2019年印度洋长鳍金枪鱼生产数据和海洋环境数据,包括海表面温度(sea surface temperature, SST)、叶绿素浓度(chlorophyll a, chl a)和海表面盐度(sea surface salinity, SSS)构建印度洋长鳍金枪鱼时空分布神经网络模型。以空间(经度,纬度)、环境因子(SST, chl a, SSS)为解释变量,局部渔获量为因变量,变化隐含层节点数,构建了18个BP空间分布模型,并采用10×10交叉验证模型稳定性,以均方误差(meansquareerror,MSE)、平均相对方差(averagerelativevariance,ARV)以及拟合优度(R~2)作为不同模型精度与稳定性的评判标准,最终选取5-18-1(隐含层节点18)模型为最佳模型,其平均MSE值为0.02232,平均ARV值为0.511。利用最优模型预测结果与同期实际捕捞产量进行叠加对比发现两者具有一致性。环境因子敏感性分析表明海表温度显著影响印度洋长鳍金枪鱼渔场分布,其贡献率达到0.2。印度洋长鳍金枪鱼高精度BP神经网络时空分布模型为其资源的可持续开发与动态管理提供了一种新思路。     

三沙市南海诸岛底栖海藻区系调查及其与其它相关区系的比较分析

我国海岸线绵长,所属岛屿众多,除了台湾岛和海南岛两个大岛外,还有数以千计的中小沿海岛屿及众多的珊瑚岛,如我国三沙市的南海诸岛—西沙群岛、南沙群岛、东沙群岛和中沙群岛等。根据多年来我国科研人员在该海区的调查研究,对我国三沙市南海诸岛海区的海藻区系进行初步的植物地理学研究,以探讨我国该海域海藻区系的温度性质,以及与邻近海区海藻区系的关系。研究结果表明,我国三沙市南海诸岛底栖海藻区系与北太平洋西部海藻相同种数最多的是区系性质为热带性的南海南区,因此海藻区系的温度性质具有很明显的热带性。另外,三沙市南海诸岛海藻区系与印度洋海藻区系有很多共同成分,两地共有种数高达184种,为南海诸岛海藻总数的63%,进一步证明我国三沙市南海诸岛区系属于暖水性印度—西太平洋区,印—马亚区。     

Reproductive cues in Panulirus ornatus

Two experiments were performed to assess the effect of photoperiod and temperature on spawning of Panulirus ornatus. In experiment 1, sexually mature lobsters taken from the wild during summer were held at one of two photoperiods, winter (13 Light: 11 Dark) and summer (14.5 Light:9.5 Dark). Additionally, lobsters were also exposed to either summer (29°C) or winter (24°C) average water temperatures. Spawning was significantly greater when animals were exposed to summer photoperiod than to winter photoperiod, irrespective of temperature. Although a higher percentage of lobsters spawned when placed under a higher temperature, this trend was not statistically significant. In experiment 2, sexually mature lobsters were taken from the wild during winter and exposed to the same two photoperiods as in experiment 1, at a summer equivalent temperature of 29°C. Breeding started earlier and was more successful at the summer photoperiod. Time to first breeding was 17 weeks after exposure to summer photoperiod, compared with less than 1 week in experiment 1, and did not occur until individuals had moulted. Moulting occurred in 81% of lobsters, primarily after an increase in temperature to 29°C. The time between moulting and mating was varied and there was no significant difference in moult frequency between the two experimental photoperiods. After the lobsters had moulted, breeding success was reached earlier if photoperiod was lengthened. Results suggest photoperiod is the primary cue for the onset of gonad maturity and mating activity, with temperature playing a less important role. Physiological rest and possibly a moult may be required between breeding seasons before spawning can occur. Furthermore, temperature may be an important cue for pre‐reproduction moulting.     

Larval life span of the echinoid evechinus chloroticus (val.)

Newly metamorphosed Evechinus chloroticus (Val.) were observed in three larval cultures 36, 30, and 28 days after fertilisation, indicating that the free swimming larval life may last about 1 month.     

Role of mean circulation,tides, and waves in the transport of bottom sediment on the New Zealand continental shelf

Evaluation of velocity data on water movements over the New Zealand continental shelf has revealed that the mean circulation by itself is too slow to induce transport of bottom sediments. Tides generally have higher velocities, but are still not the main transporting agent except in the tide‐dominated Cook and Foveaux. Straits. Waves have the potential to stir sediments on the inner and middle shelf (less than about 70 m deep) during annual storms, and probably down to 130 m depth during the maximum 25‐y storm.

For sediment transport to take place, energies of at least two of the major water movements would have to complement one another. Optimum conditions for transport probably occur during storm periods when wave‐suspended sediment is readily moved by tides and the mean circulation.

The direction of transport is mainly along the continental shelf and is largely in response to prevailing weather patterns coincident with the direction of the mean circulation and strongly reinforced by the appropriate phase of the tide.     

Reevaluation of historical ocean heat content variations with time-varying XBT and MBT depth bias corrections

As reported in former studies, temperature observations obtained by expendable bathythermographs (XBTs) and mechanical bathythermographs (MBTs) appear to have positive biases as much as they affect major climate signals. These biases have not been fully taken into account in previous ocean temperature analyses, which have been widely used to detect global warming signals in the oceans. This report proposes a methodology for directly eliminating the biases from the XBT and MBT observations. In the case of XBT observation, assuming that the positive temperature biases mainly originate from greater depths given by conventional XBT fall-rate equations than the truth, a depth bias equation is constructed by fitting depth differences between XBT data and more accurate oceanographic observations to a linear equation of elapsed time. Such depth bias equations are introduced separately for each year and for each probe type. Uncertainty in the gradient of the linear equation is evaluated using a non-parametric test. The typical depth bias is +10 m at 700 m depth on average, which is probably caused by various indeterminable sources of error in the XBT observations as well as a lack of representativeness in the fall-rate equations adopted so far. Depth biases in MBT are fitted to quadratic equations of depth in a similar manner to the XBT method. Correcting the historical XBT and MBT depth biases by these equations allows a historical ocean temperature analysis to be conducted. In comparison with the previous temperature analysis, large differences are found in the present analysis as follows: the duration of large ocean heat content in the 1970s shortens dramatically, and recent ocean cooling becomes insignificant. The result is also in better agreement with tide gauge observations. On leave from the Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency.     

Long-term bottom water warming in the north Ross Sea

We measured potential temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen profiles from the surface to the bottom at two locations in the north Ross Sea (65.2°S, 174.2°E and 67.2°S, 172.7°W) in December 2004. Comparison of our data with previous results from the same region reveals an increase in potential temperature and decreases in salinity and dissolved oxygen concentration in the bottom layer (deeper than 3000 m) over the past four decades. The changes were significantly different from the analytical precisions. Detailed investigation of the temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and σ ₃ value distributions and the bottom water flow in the north Ross Sea suggests a long-term change in water mass mixing balance. That is to say, it is speculated that the influence of cool, saline, high-oxygen bottom water (high-salinity Ross Sea Bottom Water) formed in the southwestern Ross Sea has possibly been decreased, while the influences of relatively warmer and fresher bottom water (low-salinity Ross Sea Bottom Water) and the Adélie Land Bottom Water coming from the Australia-Antarctic Basin have increased. The possible impact of global warming on ocean circulation needs much more investigation.     

海涂围垦工程中悬挂式爆破挤淤基础处理技术探讨

沿海软土地基围涂工程中悬挂式爆破挤淤基础处理断面结构设计中遇到的最大难题是对腰宽的处理,腰宽太窄则工后沉降大,反之,则断面石方量增大,投资增加,因此,试图通过工程实例说明悬挂式爆破挤淤基础处理断面设计及工程实施过程中遇到的问题及对策措施。