Bacterial production and microbial food web structure in a large arctic river and the coastal Arctic Ocean

Globally significant quantities of organic carbon are stored in northern permafrost soils, but little is known about how this carbon is processed by microbial communities once it enters rivers and is transported to the coastal Arctic Ocean. As part of the Arctic River-Delta Experiment (ARDEX), we measured environmental and microbiological variables along a 300 km transect in the Mackenzie River and coastal Beaufort Sea, in July–August 2004. Surface bacterial concentrations averaged 6.7 × 10⁵ cells mL^− 1 with no significant differences between sampling zones. Picocyanobacteria were abundant in the river, and mostly observed as cell colonies. Their concentrations in the surface waters decreased across the salinity gradient, dropping from 51,000 (river) to 30 (sea) cells mL^− 1. There were accompanying shifts in protist community structure, from diatoms, cryptophytes, heterotrophic protists and chrysophytes in the river, to dinoflagellates, prymnesiophytes, chrysophytes, prasinophytes, diatoms and heterotrophic protists in the Beaufort Sea.Size-fractionated bacterial production, as measured by ³H–leucine uptake, varied from 76 to 416 ng C L^− 1 h^− 1. The contribution of particle-attached bacteria (> 3 µm fraction) to total bacterial production decreased from > 90% at the Mackenzie River stations to < 20% at an offshore marine site, and the relative importance of this particle-based fraction was inversely correlated with salinity and positively correlated with particulate organic carbon concentrations. Glucose enrichment experiments indicated that bacterial metabolism was carbon limited in the Mackenzie River but not in the coastal ocean. Prior exposure of water samples to full sunlight increased the biolability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the Mackenzie River but decreased it in the Beaufort Sea.Estimated depth-integrated bacterial respiration rates in the Mackenzie River were higher than depth-integrated primary production rates, while at the marine stations bacterial respiration rates were near or below the integrated primary production rates. Consistent with these results, P_CO2 measurements showed surface water supersaturation in the river (mean of 146% of air equilibrium values) and subsaturation or near-saturation in the coastal sea. These results show a well-developed microbial food web in the Mackenzie River system that will likely convert tundra carbon to atmospheric CO₂ at increasing rates as the arctic climate continues to warm.     

Evaluation of the Double Snap-Through Mechanism on the Wave Energy Converter's Performance

Lower efficiencies induce higher energy costs and pose a barrier to wave energy devices' commercial applications. Therefore, the efficiency enhancement of wave ...     

ASNE Delaware Valley Chapter Teaches Students Naval Engineering through the Sea Perch Underwater Robotics Program

Sea Perch is an underwater robotics program sponsored by the Office of Naval Research as part of the National Naval Responsibility for Naval Engineering aimed at recruiting the next generation of naval architects and marine engineers. ASNE Delaware Valley (DV) and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia, embraced the outreach opportunity as an educational, challenging, and fun way to get kids excited about naval engineering. ASNE-DV has received an overwhelmingly positive feedback from both teachers and students. Teachers have said their students are excited to learn about remotely operated vehicles and cannot wait to work on their Sea Perch robots. During the past 3 years, ASNE-DV has teamed with Drexel University and the school district of Philadelphia to successfully implement a sustainable, local Sea Perch competition program for middle and high school students. ASNE-DV is encouraging expansion of the program to additional areas. This article discusses how the DV Sea Perch program evolved from two schools building the robots in the winter of 2005, to over 40 teams from a diverse range of schools participating in a Sea Perch competition in the spring of 2007.     

Fatigue life prediction of welded stiffened 350WT steel plates

The propagation of fatigue cracks under constant amplitude cyclic loading was studied in welded stiffened steel plates. The residual stresses in the stiffened plates were measured using the neutron diffraction strain-scanning technique. A finite element model of the stiffened plate was constructed to simulate the residual stresses by an uncoupled thermal and thermo-mechanical analysis. Both the finite element model and the neutron diffraction measurements indicated that in general the residual stresses were tensile near the welded stiffeners and compressive between the stiffeners and ahead of the starter notch tip. Fatigue testing indicated that the fatigue crack growth rates of the stiffened plates were in general lower than that of a corresponding unstiffened plate, especially near the notch tip where compressive residual stresses existed. Both the finite element method and Green's function predicted the fatigue crack growth rates with reasonable accuracy.     

A proposed quantitative methodology for the evaluation of the effectiveness of Human Element,Leadership and Management (HELM) training in the UK

In 2006, a review of maritime accidents found that non-technical skills (NTSs) are the single largest contributing factor towards such incidents. NTSs are composed of both interpersonal and cognitive elements. These include things such as situational awareness, teamwork, decision making, leadership, management and communication skills. In a crisis situation, good NTSs allow a deck officer to quickly recognise that a problem exists and then harness the resources that are at their disposal to safely and efficiently bring the situation back under control. This paper has two aims. The first is to develop a methodology which will enable educators to quantitatively assess the impact of Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)-approved Human Element, Leadership and Management (HELM) training on deck officer’s NTSs with a view to identifying further training requirements. The second is to determine whether the HELM training provided to develop the NTSs of trainee deck officers is fit for purpose. To achieve these aims, a three-phase approach was adopted. Initially, a taxonomy for deck officer’s NTSs is established, behavioural markers are identified and the relative importance of each attribute is calculated using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Subsequently, a set of scenarios were identified for the assessment of deck officer’s NTSs in a ship bridge simulator environment. A random selection of students that have completed the Chief Mate (CM) programme was performed, and data regarding their NTS-related performance in the scenarios was collected. Finally, the collected data was fed into the evidential reasoning (ER) algorithm, utility values were produced and, having established these values, the effectiveness of the HELM training that the students have received was then evaluated.     

AFM试样复合加载下的计算断裂分析(英文)

Fracture processes in ship-building structures are in many cases of a 3-D character.A finite element (FE) model of an all fracture mode (AFM) specimen was built for the study of 3-D mixed mode crack fracture behavior including modes I,II,and III.The stress intensity factors (SIFs) were calculated by the modified virtual crack closure integral (MVCCI) method,and the crack initiation angle assessment was based on a recently developed 3-D fracture criterion––the Richard criterion.It was shown that the FE model of the AFM-specimen is applicable for investigations under general mixed mode loading conditions,and the computational results of crack initiation angles are in agreement with some available experimental findings.Thus,the applicability of the FE model of the AFM-specimen for mixed mode loading conditions and the validity of the Richard criterion can be demonstrated.     

Marina inventory and berthing supply projections: Mississippi's Gulf Coast

Abstract

The location as well as pace of marina development is a major issue in current coastal zone management. The supply and demand for marinas providing certain services in specific locations are growing and must be met. At the same time the environmental integrity of the coastal zone must be maintained against the many possible impacts of marina development. Compounding these problems from the view of both the developer and coastal zone manager is the absence of necessary data and accepted methodologies for estimating future supply needs for marine berthing. This paper describes a multi‐focii approach to the establishment of an information base and marina supply projections for the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Data on existing marina types, services, and facilities are obtained via fieldwork; future marina slip supply needs are estimated using a combination of several techniques and data sources. The study serves two purposes. First, it initiates the basis for improved management of marina development on Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Second, on a more theoretical level, it stimulates research toward developing and validating supply and demand projection techniques for marinas.     

Quantifying anthropogenic shoreline modification of the Hudson River and Estuary from European contact to modern time

Abstract

Anthropogenic modifications to the shoreline of the New York Harbor estuary and the tidal portion of the Hudson River have been mapped and quantitatively assessed. Modifications studied include the filling of tidal salt‐ and freshwater marshes and the creation of fast land as well as dredging, shoreline armoring, and dike installation. Because the Hudson Estuary and River comprise a historically and commercially important harbor and waterway, shoreline modification commenced shortly after European colonization. While in the harbor segment of the estuary only about 20% of the original wetland areas remain today, the tidal Hudson River has seen a net increase in tidal freshwater wetland area of about the same magnitude resulting principally from shoreline railroad construction. Several different methods were used in compilation of the historical shoreline. Because determination of historical shorelines is important to public trust lands and to estuarine rehabilitation, data bases are being constructed incorporating those shorelines. The experience of this project suggests the benefits and problems associated with the techniques used.     

基于氯离子分布的氯离子渗透参数计算的新方法

根据混凝土中氯离子的分布对氯离子侵入性能进行评价时,混凝土粉末样品的采集,氯离子含量的测试和表达方式,均可对评价结果产生影响。在干湿循环条件下,以理论上的表面氯离子浓度为主要评价参数对氯离子的渗透性能进行评价的方法不尽合理。通过对暴露26年后的青岛北海船厂码头中大量的混凝土芯样中氯离子分布的分析和计算,结合其它文献中氯离子分布的数据,提出了以扩散区与对流区界面为扩散表面,以界面处的氯离子浓度为扩散表面浓度,评价氯离子侵入性能和进行寿命预测的方法。     

Application of a validated primary production model (BLOOM) as a screening tool for marine, coastal and transitional waters

In order to manage aquatic systems, it is necessary to apply methods relating the environmental variables and system-state parameters with external factors that affect the system. External factors can be natural (i.e. the movement of water) or partly-anthropogenic (i.e. nutrient loads). In addition to the national authorities, who have been implementing environmental policies for several decades, the EU is presently implementing the Water Framework Directive (WFD) aimed at establishing a new set of standards for the ecological and water quality of water systems. Among these are the phytoplankton biomass and composition. Phytoplankton affects turbidity, oxygen depletion, total productivity of the system and the occurrence of (harmful) algal blooms. A range of methods is available to relate phytoplankton to the controlling environmental conditions. Among these are statistical relations for instance of the Vollenweider type as well as deterministic simulation models. At the end of the 1970s, a generic deterministic phytoplankton module called BLOOM was developed, which has since been applied to a wide range of fresh water and marine systems. Here we test the applicability of this model as a screening tool for coastal waters. We conclude that the model is able to reproduce observed chlorophyll levels adequately under a wide range of conditions. Subsequently the model is applied to demonstrate the potential impacts of reductions in nitrogen, phosphorus or both nutrients simultaneously. Depending on which factors are initially controlling, the impacts of these reductions vary considerably both between locations and during the season. While this type of application lacks explicit relations between nutrient concentrations and external loadings, it does consider a number of relevant conditions in a consistent way and requires remarkably little data and effort. It is therefore a valuable screening tool.