On the dense water spreading off the Ross Sea shelf (Southern Ocean)

In this study, current meter and hydrological data obtained during the X Italian Expedition in the Ross Sea (CLIMA Project) are analyzed. Our data show a nice agreement with previous data referring to the water masses present in this area and their dynamics. Here, they are used to further analyze the mixing and deepening processes of Deep Ice Shelf Water (DISW) over the northern shelf break of the Ross Sea. In more detail, our work is focused on the elementary mechanisms that are the most efficient in removing dense water from the shelf: either classical mixing effects or density currents that interact with some topographic irregularity in order to drop to deeper levels, or also the variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) which, in its meandering, can push the dense water off the shelf, thus interrupting its geostrophic flow. We also discuss in detail the (partial) evidence of dramatic interactions of the dense water with bottom particulate, of geological or biological origin, thus generating impulsive or quasi-steady density-turbidity currents. This complex interaction allows one to consider bottom particular and dense water as a unique self-interacting system. In synthesis, this is a first tentative analysis of the effect of bottom particulate on the dense water dynamics in the Ross Sea.     

红色粘性土路堤病害预防措施

根据华南地区广泛分布的红色粘性土的特点，分析造成铁路常见的路堤病害的类型和机理，提出在设计和施工中应当灵活执行现行的规范和规定，并针对红色粘性土的特性及客观条件等实际情况，采取恰当有效的预防措施。     

The importance of estuarine gravitational circulation in the early life of the Bohai Penaeid Prawn

Estuaries along the southern shore of the Bohai Sea are the major habitat of the Bohai Penaeid Prawn (Penaeus chinensis). Since the 80's, however, many of the rivers have been dammed. Field observations, as well as laterally integrated 2-D numerical experiments, were conducted to understand both the role of estuarine gravitational circulation and the impact of the damming of the rivers on the early life of the Bohai Penaeid Prawn.For a river with runoff, especially for small discharge, the gravitational circulation tends to transport the planktonic larvae in their metamorphosis phase near the river mouth where condition is favorable for survival. The gravitational circulation inside the estuary tends to transport the mysis phase larvae towards the upstream end of the estuary when the most part of the larvae suspended in the bottom layer, and it transports the post larvae to the low salinity near upstream side of the estuary when the larvae become benthic, if the larvae enter the estuary.Damming causes long periods of zero runoff in the river, resulting in the alteration of the estuarine circulation and in the change of the estuarine environment. In addition, excess evaporation may prematurely transport the planktonic larvae into the estuary. On the other hand, sudden release of a large volume of freshwater from behind the dam may exert undesirable stress on the larvae.     

Biochemical composition of marine sediment from the eastern Weddell Sea (Antarctica): High nutritive value in a high benthic-biomass environment

Within the SCAR's international EASIZ programme, as part of the benthic–pelagic coupling experiment, grain size and organic matter contents in marine surface sediment were measured. Samples were taken during the austral autumn of 2000 from 3 regions in the eastern Weddell Sea: Kapp Norvegia, Four Seasons Bank, and Austasen.In general, sediments were fine sand with a grain size fraction < 200 μm representing more than 40% of the total weight. The sediments from Four Seasons Bank (64 to 107 m depth) were coarser than those from Austasen and Kapp Norvegia (209 to 480 m depth), presumably due to winnowing of fine sediment at shallow depths. Organic carbon (OC) content ranged from 0.25% to 1.2% and constituted 10% to 97% of the total carbon. The samples from Kapp Norvegia presented the highest OC values. Overall, protein (PRT), lipid (LPD), and carbohydrate (CHO) contents were similar to those in sediment from cold regions (e.g., the North Atlantic and the Ross Sea) but higher than those in sediment from other Antarctic and more septentrional regions (e.g., the Ross Sea and the Mediterranean). The difference within the Antarctic is explained through the local conditions in Terra Nova Bay and Kapp Norvegia. In the Antarctic, PRT and LPD carbon were the main contributors to the biopolymeric carbon (BPC). In the eastern Weddell Sea shelf, the BPC accounted for more than 90% of the OC in most of the samples. More than 82% of the total PRT, LPD, and CHO were present in the fraction < 200 μm. This work remarks the existence of sediments with a high nutritional value persistent several weeks after the spring–summer pulse of fresh organic matter. It is also highlighted the high potential availability of these sediments (due to its grain size) for the benthic communities inhabiting this high-latitude continental shelf.     

Microbial food web responses to light and nutrients beneath the coastal Arctic Ocean sea ice during the winter–spring transition

We measured the abundance and biomass of phototrophic and heterotrophic microbes in the upper mixed layer of the water column in ice-covered Franklin Bay, Beaufort Sea, Canada, from December 2003 to May 2004, and evaluated the influence of light and nutrients on these communities by way of a shipboard enrichment experiment. Bacterial cell concentrations showed no consistent trends throughout the sampling period, averaging (± SD) 2.4 (0.9) × 10⁸ cells L^− 1; integrated bacterial biomass for the upper mixed layer ranged from 1.33 mg C m^− 3 to 3.60 mg C m^− 3. Small cells numerically dominated the heterotrophic protist community in both winter and spring, but in terms of biomass, protists with a diameter > 10 µm generally dominated the standing stocks. Heterotrophic protist biomass integrated over the upper mixed layer ranged from 1.23 mg C m^− 3 to 6.56 mg C m^− 3. Phytoplankton biomass was low and variable, but persisted during the winter period. The standing stock of pigment-containing protists ranged from a minimum value of 0.38 mg C m^− 3 in winter to a maximal value of 6.09 mg C m^− 3 in spring and the most abundant taxa were Micromonas-like cells. These picoprasinophytes began to increase under the ice in February and their population size was positively correlated with surface irradiance. Despite the continuing presence of sea ice, phytoplankton biomass rose by more than an order of magnitude in the upper mixed layer by May. The shipboard experiment in April showed that this phototrophic increase in the community was not responsive to pulsed nutrient enrichment, with all treatments showing a strong growth response to improved irradiance conditions. Molecular (DGGE) and microscopic analyses indicated that most components of the eukaryotic community responded positively to the light treatment. These results show the persistence of a phototrophic inoculum throughout winter darkness, and the strong seasonal response by arctic microbial food webs to sub-ice irradiance in early spring.     

Spatial distribution of cadmium over a cyclonic eddy in the southern East China Sea

Eddy systems are a unique ecosystem, usually having high biological masses and primary production in the sea. In this study, both particulate and dissolved phases of cadmium in the water column of 15 stations over a cyclonic eddy in the southern East China Sea were determined to obtain their spatial distributions. This allows us to confirm that cyclonic eddy systems play the role of a Cd pump in the sea.Results showed that particulate Cd (PCd) and dissolved Cd (DCd) concentrations in water varied greatly, ranging over two orders and one order of magnitude, respectively. Large spatial variability was found not only for PCd but also for DCd in the upper water, apparently due to the effects of the cyclonic eddy system on the Cd distributions over the study area. DCd accounts for about 99% of the total Cd. For the surface water, DCd concentration at the eddy center was about five times the average of the water surrounding the eddy center. The depth distributions of DCd exhibited a typical surface depletion and a subsequent increase with depth; however, the PCd distribution showed the opposite, i.e. a surface maximum and a subsequent decline with depth. In general, the DCd maxima were found at depths of 600–1000 m, agreeing well with the literature. It reflected the internal biogeochemical cycling of Cd in the water column, which was driven by the utilization of Cd by plankton in the euphotic zone and by the regeneration of Cd at depth. In addition, a remarkably high DCd concentration existed in near-bottom water around the cyclonic eddy center.The horizontal distributions of both PCd and DCd in the upper water shared a common feature with elevated concentrations centering around the eddy center and a decline in concentration with distance from the eddy center. This shows that the cyclonic eddy could bring up the Cd-rich deep water to the surface water around the eddy center and could then expand toward eddy's vicinity via advection–diffusion. It is thus likely that it produces ample biological masses over the eddy system. Hence, this work can demonstrate that the ascending nutrient-rich water driven by the cyclonic eddies can serve as an important source not only for many nutrients but also for Cd in the sea.     

A trace metal (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu) balance for surface waters in the eastern Gotland Basin, Baltic Sea

Trace metal inventories and transboundary fluxes were estimated for the surface waters of the eastern Gotland Basin, and a mass balance for this water body was derived.The study area was delineated by a box which bordered vertically by the sea surface and the halocline and horizontally by the coast of Gotland and the coast of Latvia/Lithuania. For the calculation of the trace metal inventories in the box, a high-resolution sampling was carried out during different seasons. Additional sediment trap studies were performed to calculate the vertical particulate trace metal fluxes through the halocline.The following transboundary fluxes have been estimated: (a) atmospheric input of trace metals; (b) lateral transport from adjacent bodies of surface water; (c) diapycnal fluxes of dissolved trace metals at the halocline; (d) sinking of trace metals, associated with particles, through the halocline, (e) vertical advection through the halocline.The lateral transport into and out of the surface box is important for the metals (Cd, Cu, Zn) with “nutrient-like” behaviour. For particle reactive elements like lead, vertical sedimentation and lateral transport out of the box as much as atmospheric input and lateral input into the box are in the same order of magnitude. Turbulent diapycnal mixing plays a minor role compared to the advective fluxes.The estimated range for the residence times for the region under investigation are  0.5–1.3 years for Pb;  2–11 years for Zn,  7–36 years for Cd and 42–89 years for Cu. This demonstrates that the system reacts very fast for particle reactive elements like Pb, while for copper sedimentation processes are not the preferential sink and can be neglected.     

Who Owns Underwater Cultural Heritage in the South China Sea

The South China Sea has attained global attention because of terraria disputes over oil, gas, fisheries and other resources in the sea area. Compared with the valuable natural resources, the underwater cultural heritage is not recognized or considered, but is an important legacy of many losses of vessels over centuries. Recently, the surrounding states in the South China Sea have taken measures to preserve underwater cultural heritage in their sea waters. However, the current complicated situation of the South China Sea intensifies the difficulties of protection of underwater cultural heritagein that area. There is an important and interesting potential issue of identification of ownership of underwater cultural heritage because of differences of legislation and claims to jurisdiction. Under the current information of legislation of some states in the South China Sea, it can be understood this issue cannot be avoid on the protection of underwater cultural heritage. This article discusses potential disputes over ownership of underwater cultural heritage in the South China Sea based on the different legislation of several states (China, Vietnam and Philippines) and proposes some possible suggestions for resolving the issue of ownership, rather than performing a primary research.     

Sea state estimation based on vessel motion responses: Improved smoothness and robustness using Bézier surface and L1 optimization

Floating structures oscillate in waves, where these wave-induced motions may be critical for various marine operations. An important consideration is thereby given to the sea states at the planning and operating stages for an offshore project. The most important information extracted from a sea state is the directional wave spectrum, indicating wave direction, significant wave height, and wave spectrum peak period. Among several available methods of measuring and estimating the directional wave spectrum, the wave buoy analogy technique based on vessel motion responses is an in situ and almost real-time solution without extra costs of devices. If the forms of the wave spectra are not predefined in the estimation, the method is called a nonparametric approach. Its most remarkable advantage is the flexible form, but the smoothness should be regulated. After the discrete Fourier transform has been applied to the measured vessel motions, smoothing is necessary. However, this process results in disturbed vessel cross-spectra and a lowpass characteristic of the windowing function. This paper presents a nonparametric approach for directional wave spectrum estimation based on vessel motion responses. It introduces novel smoothness constraints using Bézier surface and includes a more robust estimate using L1 optimization. Both techniques are applied to the wave buoy analogy for the first time. Numerical simulations are conducted to verify the proposed algorithm.