Evidence of marine mammal predation of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) on its marine migration

Temperature and depth logging tags were implanted into adult eels released on Atlantic west coasts of France and Ireland to study their oceanic migration behavior. For three of the tags, 25 to 256 days after release there was a dramatic rise in temperature from 10 °C to 36 °C and the dive profile changed from depths of 300–1000 m to repeated ascents to the surface. This indicated that the eels carrying the tags had been eaten by a mammalian predator. Two of the tags had sufficient sampling rate to resolve the dives in detail. They recorded a total of 91 dives to maximum depths of 250–860 m lasting 11–12 min and with surface intervals of 5–7 min. More than two thirds of the dives included a rapid descent from approximately 500 m to 600–700 m. From this we infer that the predator was most likely a deep-diving toothed whale. The dives logged while the tags were inside the predator revealed that the temperature usually decreased during dives, and increased again during surface periods. The temperature drops during dives were probably caused by the ingestion of prey or water. These observations provide insights into the behavior of toothed whales foraging in the mesopelagic zone.     

回折波CT成像及其应用

本文评述在研究岩石圈结构时，根据已往采用广角反射波和折射波的信息进行正反演的为研究岩石圈结构。这种研究方法对那种成层性比较发育的地区效果比较好，而对于花岗岩地区或成层性不好的地区，这种方法就无能为力了。这样我们运用了回折波时间场和回折波ＣＴ成像方法相结合的系统来研究下地介质的速度结构，这种方法精度高，简单易行。并用把这种方法与以往用的正反演解释方法相比较，二者结果一致。     

Development of the AUV ‘ISiMI’ and a free running test in an Ocean Engineering Basin

The Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) has developed a small AUV named ISiMI. The mission of ISiMI is to work as a test-bed AUV for the development and validation of various algorithms and instruments required to enhance the AUV's functions. The design concept of ISiMI is that of a vehicle small enough to cruise the Ocean Engineering Basin (OEB) of KORDI and to be handled by one or two people. The downsized design and the cruising ability in its tank enable fast experimental feedback on AUV technologies and a shorter development period for new technologies. This paper presents a review of our research work on the development of ISiMI, with a performance evaluation by simulation and an experimental test. After the design and implementation of ISiMI, including its positioning system in the OEB, are presented, a series of test results in the OEB and discussions of the results are presented, with comparisons of the simulation and experimental outputs.     

Offshore oil platforms and fouling communities in the southern Arabian Gulf (Abu Dhabi)

This study examined the fouling organisms on the legs of offshore oil platforms at two sites in the southern Arabian Gulf (offshore Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates). 100% of the metal structures was colonized by encrusting organisms. Both the number of individuals and the total biomass tended to decrease with depth. The total weight of dead shells always exceeded that of living organisms. Sessile filter feeders dominated the biomass, whereas small mobile forms had the largest number of individuals. The biomass at the deeper platform (22 m) was dominated by bivalves, barnacles and bryozoans, while polychaetes and amphipods had the greatest number of individuals. Biomass values here ranged from 1 g/0.1 m2 at 20 m to 147 g/0.1 m2 at 5 m; the corresponding individual numbers were 266 (20 m) and 11,814 indiv./0.1 m2 (5 m). The results at the shallower platform (11 m) differed in several respects: barnacles clearly dominated over bivalves, and sponges exceeded byrozoans, while total individual numbers fell due to a decline in polychaete dominance. Biomass values here ranged from 84 g/0.1 m2 at 10 m to 153 g/0.1 m2 at 0 m; the corresponding individual numbers were 695 (10 m) and 3,125 indiv./0.1 m2 (0 m). The potential role of such fouling communities on artificial structures in the Gulf is discussed.     

Analytical study on comprehensive behaviors of drag anchors in the seabed

Attributed to good performance in the seabed, drag anchors are adopted as an effective anchoring solution in deepwater mooring systems. This type of anchors is drag installed, companying with comprehensive behaviors during movement of the anchor in the seabed, which make the anchor trajectory and therefore the final embedment position difficult to be predicted. On the basis of the mechanical model and analytical procedure, an analytical method is proposed for exploring comprehensive behaviors of drag anchors in both clay and sand. The anchor behaviors are classified as keying, pulling out and diving. The bearing capacity and the trajectory of the anchor can be predicted through the combination of the three behaviors. By comparing analytical predictions with experimental data and other predictions, the efficiency and veracity of the theoretical model are validated. A parametric study is also performed to investigate the effects of different parameters, and to further understand the comprehensive anchor behaviors in the seabed. The present work provides an efficient theoretical tool for analyzing comprehensive behaviors of drag anchors in either clayey or sandy seabed.     

A re-analysis of the marine bird Asiahesperornis from northern Kazakhstan

Fossil bird material is exceptionally rare in the Mesozoic of western Asia. With the notable exception of the Upper Cretaceous foot-propelled diving bird Asiahesperornis bazhanovi from northern Kazakhstan, the only bird fossils described from this region have been bone fragments from the Upper Cretaceous of Uzbekistan. In this paper, all material referred to date to the hesperornithiform Asiahesperornis is reviewed and re-described. New postcranial elements of this taxon from the holotype Kushmurun locality (Maastrichtian Zhuravlovskaya Svita) are presented, and the taxonomic history and likely affinities of this ocean-going bird are discussed.     

The potential for dive tourism led entrepreneurial marine protected areas in Curacao

Despite the successful establishment of marine protected areas in the Netherlands Antilles, such as Saba and Bonaire, government-led protection of the reefs surrounding Curacao has repeatedly failed. In the absence of effective state regulation, dive operations have taken de facto control over dive sites, establishing conservation through a range of private initiatives akin to what have been referred to as entrepreneurial marine protected areas (EMPAs). The paper analyses the potential of these EMPAs to regulate access and control to dive sites and good diver practices. Using data from interviews with key actors in the dive industry and a survey of tourist divers the paper shows that achieving an island wide system of EMPAs is dependent on issues related to ownership over the reef, geographical location, and market competition. The paper concludes that the viability of such a system is not only dependent on the dynamics of the local and international dive market, in which all actors pursue their own interests, but also on the establishment of meta-governance arrangements that can provide incentive-based oversight to the entrepreneurial conservation practices of dive operations.     

全球俯冲带形态特征研究

利用CNSS编辑的深源地震目录，对全球深度500km以上的俯冲板块形态进行研究，给出了俯冲带的俯冲参数，以及菲律宾和班达弧俯冲带的三维形态。     

Methods applied in studies of benthic marine debris

The ocean floor is one of the main accumulation sites of marine debris. The study of this kind of debris still lags behind that of shorelines. It is necessary to identify the methods used to evaluate this debris and how the results are presented and interpreted. From the available literature on benthic marine debris (26 studies), six sampling methods were registered: bottom trawl net, sonar, submersible, snorkeling, scuba diving and manta tow. The most frequent method used was bottom trawl net, followed by the three methods of diving. The majority of the debris was classified according to their former use and the results usually expressed as items per unity of area. To facilitate comparisons of the contamination levels among sites and regions some standardization requirements are suggested.