Reef status in the Rasfari region (North Malé Atoll,Maldives) five years before the mass mortality event of 1998

The Maldives was severely hit by massive coral bleaching and subsequent mortality in 1998. The results of reef monitoring in the following years have supported contrasting views about their recovery potential, partly because of the scarcity of information on the situation before 1998. Quantitative data on coral assemblages collected in 1993 in the Rasfari region (North Malé Atoll) may provide a base-line for the evaluation of the present status of the Maldivian reefs. Five years before the 1998 mortality, most coral communities appeared to be similar, in terms of both coral cover and growth-form composition, to those described in 1958 and 1964, notwithstanding increased human pressure and local events such as minor bleaching episodes in 1987 and crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) attacks in 1989. Three lessons can be learnt from these results to help to understand the present situation, some ten years after the 1998 mass mortality. First, Maldivian reefs proved in the past to be capable of maintaining flourishing coral life despite various disturbances. Second, four years had been sufficient for complete reef recovery after a (minor) bleaching event. Third, recovery after both COTS attack and bleaching follows a predictable path suggesting that the presence of a three-dimensional community structure, which should reduce post settlement mortality of coral recruits, is essential for rapid coral recovery. As coral recruitment remains high and large tabular Acropora colonies are now reappearing, it is expected that Maldivian reefs should return to their original condition within the next few years.     

Community involvement in fisheries management: Experiences in the Gulf of Thailand countries

This paper examines the involvement of coastal communities in fisheries management among the countries of the Gulf of Thailand—Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Initiatives to decentralize management to local governing bodies, to utilize traditional management methods and to engage in community agreements to protect local resources are explored. An examination of recent experiences indicates some movement toward more local involvement in management. However, the study also leads to several suggestions for the future: in Vietnam and Cambodia, there is a need for significant legislation to control fisheries operations and greater clarity of the role of communities in management; in Malaysia, there is an overall need for more support to local fisheries management; and in Thailand, the need is for greater support of local-level enforcement and monitoring activities.     

Deep-sea reef fish assemblage patterns on the Blake Plateau(Western North Atlantic Ocean)

Deep‐water coral habitats are scattered throughout slope depths (360–800 m) off the Southeastern United States (SEUS, Cape Lookout, North Carolina, to Cape Canaveral, Florida), contributing substantial structure and diversity to bottom habitats. In some areas (e.g. off North Carolina) deep corals form nearly monotypic (Lophelia pertusa) high profile mounds, and in other areas (e.g. off Florida) many species may colonize hard substrata. Deep coral and hard substrata ecosystems off the SEUS support a unique fish assemblage. Using the Johnson‐Sea‐Link submersible (in 2000–2005, 65 dives), and a remotely operated vehicle (in 2003, five dives), fishes were surveyed in nine deep reef study areas along the SEUS slope. Forty‐two benthic reef fish species occurred in deep reef habitats in these study areas. Species richness was greatest on the two coral banks off Cape Lookout, North Carolina (n = 23 and 27 species) and lowest on the two sites off Cape Canaveral, Florida (n = 7 and 8 species). Fish assemblages exhibited significantly (ANOSIM, Global R = 0.69, P = 0.001) different patterns among sites. Stations sampled off North Carolina (three study areas) formed a distinct group that differed from all dives conducted to the south. Although several species defined the fish assemblages at the North Carolina sites, Laemonema barbatulum, Laemonema melanurum, and Helicolenus dactylopterus generally had the most influence on the definition of the North Carolina group. Fish assemblages at three sites within the central survey area on the Blake Plateau were also similar to each other, and were dominated by Nezumia sclerorhynchus and L. melanurum. Synaphobranchus spp. and Neaumia sclerorhynchus differentiated the two southern sites off Cape Canaveral, Florida, from the other station groups. Combinations of depth and habitat type had the most influence on these station groups; however, explicit mechanisms contributing to the organization of these assemblages remain unclear.     

Macrofaunal communities in the habitats of intertidal marshes along the salinity gradient of the Schelde estuary

The macrobenthos is important in benthic remineralization processes; it represents a trophic link and is also often used as a bio-indicator in monitoring programs. Variations of the environmental parameters strongly influence the structure of the macrobenthic communities in the marshes and since macrobenthos is the most important food item for marsh-visiting fish species in the Schelde, the variation in food resources can have a strong effect on the higher trophic level. The present study deals with the variation in macrobenthic communities in different habitats of intertidal marshes along the salinity gradient and the differences between the marsh creeks and the intertidal part of the estuary. The study measured density and species richness together with the biomass, and sampled a large intertidal channel and a smaller creek within five marshes along the salinity gradient of the Schelde estuary every six weeks between May and October in 2000.     

海洋生态系统健康评价的底栖生物指数法研究进展

海洋大型底栖无脊椎动物能对自然和人为活动导致的水和沉积物质量变化做出可预测的响应,因此利用底栖生物作为海洋生态环境监测的生物指标和进行系统健康度量的生物指数已经得到了广泛的认可.本文比较分析了几种常用的和正在发展的海洋生态系统健康和生态环境质量状况评估的底栖生物指数,包括指示生物法、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、BI指数、AMBI指数和Bentix指数,总结了这几种生物指数的应用和特性,探讨了底栖生物指数在实际应用中可能存在的问题和解决的办法,以期为我国海洋生态系统健康评估工作提供参考.     

Impact factors on distribution and characteristics of natural plant community in reclamation zones of Changjiang River estuary

To identify impact factors on the distribution and characters of natural plants community in reclamation area, with survey data from 67 plant quadrats in July 2009, soil properties data from 216 sampling points in April 2009, and TM (30 m) data in 2006, the composition and characteristics of natural plants community in different time of the Fengxian area in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary were analyzed with two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The results show that: 1) The plant communities in the reclaimed area are mainly mesophytes and helophytic-mesophytic transitional communities, showing a gradient distribution trend with the change in reclamation years. Species richness (MA), species diversity (H) and above-ground biomass also increase with the increase of reclamation years. Nevertheless, they appear to decline slightly in the middle and late reclamation period (> 30 years). 2) With the rise in land use levels, the changes in species richness and species diversity tend to increase at first and then decrease; species dominance (D), however, tends to decline; and above-ground biomass increases slightly. 3) The distribution of the plant community is mainly influenced by the following factors: land use levels (R = 0.55, p < 0.05), soil moisture (R = 0.53, p < 0.05), soil salinity (R = 0.43, p < 0.05) and reclamation time (R = 0.40, p < 0.05).     

干旱半干旱地区草原灌丛荒漠化及其生物地球化学循环

干旱和半干旱地区草地生态系统木本植物入侵及其导致的草原灌丛化已经成为全球范 围普遍发生的现象, 是草地沙化和荒漠化的一个重要标志。干旱生态系统中, 此种类型的植被变 化将对区域和全球生物地球化学循环产生显著影响。过度放牧、区域气候干旱化和自然火过程是 导致灌丛入侵和发展的主要控制因子。草原灌丛化过程中, 草地生态系统分布较为均匀的土壤养 分及相关元素在水平和垂直方向发生分异, 关键生命元素C、N、P 、S 生物地球化学循环的变化 将对全球气候变化产生显著作用。全球气候变化与草原灌丛荒漠化之间存在潜在的反馈机制, 人 类扰动的影响将使这种反馈作用变得更加迅速和灵敏。     

叠层石与沉积矿产的关系

本文通过笔者实际考察资料及国内外学者研究资料,综合分析了叠层石与沉积矿产关系的研究现状,探讨了叠层石和造叠层石底栖微生物群落对铁、铜、多金属、磷、锰等矿产的成矿作用。叠层石可以溉括为直接的和间接的两种成矿作用:①叠层石为容矿体,其本身就是一种矿石类型;②叠层石不含矿,其岩礁为矿的间隔体。后者是一种金属硫化物避开叠层石岩礁而在礁侧沉积成巨大的富矿模式。     

广东大亚湾石珊瑚群落的分布及动态变化

2006年6月对位于南海北部亚热带的大亚湾和大鹏湾石珊瑚群落的分布、种类和覆盖率进行了调查,结果显示大亚湾共有石珊瑚24种,以秘密角蜂巢珊瑚(Favites abdita)为优势种,总覆盖率为20%,大鹏湾有石珊瑚21种,以精巧扁脑珊瑚(Platygyra daedalea)为优势种,总覆盖率为7.9%。大亚湾石珊瑚群落健康状况良好,但生长稀疏,群落密度低,空间结构简单,生长带窄;与1964年、1983年、1984年和1991年的调查结果相比,覆盖率从76.6%下降到20%,优势种从枝状的霜鹿角珊瑚(Acropora Pruinosa)转变成块状或皮壳状的秘密角蜂巢珊瑚,群落生态退化严重,主要原因可能是人为破坏活动对珊瑚本身以及生长环境造成的压力所致,包括过度捕捞、盗采珊瑚、沿岸施工和水体污染等,建议采取相应的保护措施。