What meta-analysis can tell us about vulnerability of marine biodiversity to ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification has been proposed as a major threat for marine biodiversity. Hendriks et al. [Hendriks, I.E., Duarte, C.M., Alvarez, M., 2010. Vulnerability of marine biodiversity to ocean acidification: a meta-analysis. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2009.11.022.] proposed an alternative view and suggested, based on a meta-analysis, that marine biota may be far more resistant to ocean acidification than hitherto believed. However, such a meta-analytical approach can mask more subtle features, for example differing sensitivities during the life-cycle of an organism. Using a similar metric on an echinoderm database, we show that key bottlenecks present in the life-cycle (e.g. larvae being more vulnerable than adults) and responsible for driving the whole species response may be hidden in a global meta-analysis. Our data illustrate that any ecological meta-analysis should be hypothesis driven, taking into account the complexity of biological systems, including all life-cycle stages and key biological processes. Available data allow us to conclude that near-future ocean acidification can/will have dramatic negative impact on some marine species, including echinoderms, with likely consequences at the ecosystem level.     

Relating a recruitment shift of Patagonian grenadier (Macruronus magellanicus Lönnberg) to large-scale environmental changes off Southern Chile

The SE Pacific stock of Patagonian grenadier (Macruronus magellanicus) showed evidence of an abrupt reduction in recruitment after 2000. This drop exceeded expectations from changes in the spawning stock biomass (SSB), indicating a change in the stock-recruitment relationship (S-R). We evaluated whether variability in recruitment could be explained by concurrent changes in three environmental indices: sea-surface temperature anomaly (SSTA); southern oscillation index (SOI); and latitudinal position of the west wind drift bifurcation (WWDL). Continuous and discrete effects of these indices were tested as covariates in linear log-log and non-linear Ricker's S-R models. Discrete effects represented regime shifts detected in SSTA (1998), SOI (1998) and WWDL (1995). While SSTA was the only continuous variable found to be significant, the discrete 1998 regime shift supported the most informative model. The best Ricker's model considered a discrete intercept change in the same year: 1998. Although a spurious correlation between SSTA and S-R changes is possible, SSTA may be reflecting major physical or biological changes relevant to M. magellanicus juveniles in the SE Pacific.     

Halosaurus pectoralis McCulloch (Pisces: Halosauridae) in the New Zealand region (note)

Halosaurus pectoralis McCulloch is recorded from off Gisborne, New Zealand, and from south‐east of Lord Howe Island, thus adding a second species of the order Heteromi to the New Zealand fauna.     

Limnology of Bird Pond,Ross Island,Antarctica

The physical, chemical and biological properties of Bird Pond, Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica (77° 13’ 10” S, 166° 28’ 30” E), were investigated at weekly intervals for 2 months in the summer of 1970–71. The above properties were also investigated over a 24‐h period. Salinity and temperature tolerance of the rotifer Philodina gregaria were investigated in the laboratory at Cape Bird.

Bird Pond is characterised by a high conductivity and chloride ion concentration, and an alkaline pH. It has a water temperature as high as 15°c in mid summer, with the bottom water temperature often 3°c higher than the surface temperature. Diurnal measurements suggest a vertical movement of phytoplankton during a 24‐h period. P. gregaria survives ionic concentrations up to 250 000 g.m^‐3 Na⁺ + Cl^‐, and water temperatures up to 32°c.     

Hydrolytic enzymes of the paua Haliotis iris,a marine gastropod (note).

Extracts of the viscera of Haliotis iris (Martyn, 1784) were shown to hydrolyse 2‐hydroxy‐5‐nitrophenyl sulphate at pH 5.5, and the p‐nitrophenyl derivatives of α‐ and β‐D‐galactose, α‐ and β‐D‐mannose, α‐L‐lucose, β‐D‐glucuronic acid, β‐N‐acetyl glucosamine and phosphate at pH 4.0 and 5.5: p‐nitrophenyl‐β‐L‐fucose was not hydrolysed.     

基于PMIP2气候模式模拟的中全新世北大西洋涛动

根据PMIP2中的4个海气耦合模式对中全新世气候的模拟结果,利用现代和中全新世两个时间段的冬季海平面气压场(SLP),分析了北大西洋海平面气压的变化情况并计算了这两个时间段的北大西洋涛动(NAO)指数。结果表明,中全新世亚速尔高压加强,冰岛低压加深,南北气压差增加,NAO强度显著增强。对中全新世北大西洋地区SLP进行经验正交函数(EOF)分析显示,4个模式均能捕捉到了NAO的主要结构。中全新世NAO处于正位相的时间较现代提高了10%~30%,其中MIROC3.2提高了29.3%;虽然NAO指数振幅变化不大,但还是能显示中全新世NAO显著强于现代,这与地质资料恢复的结果相一致。对NAO指数的多窗谱分析显示,现代NAO指数存在3~5 a的准周期变化,中全新世NAO指数存在3 a的准周期变化。NAO对中全新世亚洲地区冬季增温有重要影响。北大西洋地区中纬度海面温度(SST)的增温可能是导致中全新世NAO强度增强的一个重要因素。     

2003年北极科考期间一次极涡个例天气学分析

2003年9月3日到14日,"雪龙"号考察船进入北冰洋楚科奇海观测期间,正值一次典型的北极极涡环流过程形成和发展。以往研究大多集中于极涡的平均水平环流特征和季节变化,该例为我们研究它的瞬时环流形势和特征提供了条件。利用NCEP全球分析资料及第二次北极科考资料对这次个例进行天气学分析,通过描述极涡个例的发展情况,平流层、对流层的环流特征以及二者之间的关系,并分析卫星遥感图像及"雪龙"号考察船的气象资料,分析结果发现:2003年中国第二次北极科考期间经历的极涡形成和发展,典型地表现出极地冬夏环流型的转换过程。首先在平流层发生,然后向对流层传播,该个例是一次在平流层西退加强,在对流层东移南下的过程。     

Separate and interactive effects of eutrophication and climate variables on the ecosystem elements of the Gulf of Riga

There is currently a critical knowledge gap in how eutrophication and climate variables separately and interactively impact the dynamics of marine ecosystems. Based on long-term monitoring data we quantified the separate and combined impacts of nutrient loading, temperature, salinity, and wind conditions on zooplankton, zoobenthos and fish inhabiting a brackish water ecosystem in the Gulf of Riga. Changes in zoobenthos communities and herring stock were largely explained by climate variables. Zooplankton species were related to both eutrophication and climate variables, and models combining all environmental variables explained additional variation in zooplankton data compared to the separate models of climate and eutrophication. This suggests that zoobenthos communities and herring stock are largely driven by weather conditions, whereas the combined effect of weather and nutrient loads are likely the cause for dynamic zooplankton communities in the Gulf of Riga.     

Possibility of recent changes in vertical distribution and size composition of chlorophyll-a in the western North Pacific region

Our analysis of the last three decades of retrospective data of vertical distributions and size composition of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) over the western North Pacific has revealed significant changes of three indices related to Chl-a during summer season, as follows: (1) decreasing linear trend of the proportion of Chl-a in surface layer to that of the whole water column by 0.4 and 2.3% year⁻¹ in the subtropical area along 137°E (STA₁₃₇) during 1972 to 1997 and in the Kuroshio Extension area along 175°E (KEA₁₇₅) during 1990 to 2001; (2) increasing linear trend of the depth of subsurface Chl-a maximum (DCM) by 0.4 and 2.6 m year⁻¹ in STA₁₃₇ and KEA₁₇₅; and (3) decreasing linear trend of larger-size Chl-a (>3 μm) by 0.1 and 2.5% year⁻¹ in STA₁₃₇ and KEA₁₇₅, respectively. Water density (σ _θ ) at 75 m depth had also decreased by 0.006 and 0.05 year⁻¹ in STA₁₃₇ and KEA₁₇₅, respectively. The ratio of biogenic opal to biogenic CaCO₃ in the sinking flux decreased by 0.015 year⁻¹ in the subtropical region from 1997 to 2005. These findings may indicate that the subsurface chlorophyll maximum is deepening and larger phytoplankton such as diatoms has been decreasing during the past decade, associated with the decreasing density of surface water caused by warming in the western North Pacific, especially in the summer.