The “calcari aLucina” macrofauna reconsidered: Deep-sea faunal oases from Miocene-age cold vents in the Romagna Apennine,Italy

Recent suggestions that the Miocene-age calcari aLucina blocks scattered in the Apennine chain of the Italian peninsula are methanogenic in nature (paleo cold vents) calls for a reexamination of their macrofauna. Two Tortonian-age outcrops of such limestones (Case Rovereti and Montepetra) have been analyzed for their mollusk content and shown to host a diverse vent fauna. The paleoassemblages show remarkable similarities with modern counterparts associated with hydrocarbon venting on the Gulf of Mexico continental slope. Faunal data from both sites lend support to the hypothesis that methane/hydrocarbon venting was active during the Miocene and sustained specialized bathyal chemosynthetic communities in the ancient Mediterranean.     

Bathymetric reconstructions of the Miocene-age “calcari aLucina” (northern Apennines,Italy) from oxygen isotopes and benthic Foraminifera

Two independent methods of paleobathymetry, applicable to hydrocarbon-derived carbonates, are explored in this study. The oxygen isotope method exploits the temperature decline with depth that leaves a measurable imprint on the ¹⁸O composition of pristine products of venting comprised of aragonites and dolomites. The other method makes use of the bathymetric preferences of benthic foraminiferal taxa entrapped in the carbonate buildups. These two methods were tested on the calcari aLucina limestones hosted in turbidites and mudstones infilling the Miocene-age Marnoso-arenacea basin. The limestone blocks, rich in fossils of chemosymbiotic-like fauna, preserve a 10-Ma record of hydrocarbon venting from Langhian to lower Messinian times. Our results indicate that carbonate accretion and lithification occurred at upper bathyal depths in waters not shallower than 200–250 m. The ¹⁸O of venting products contains the imprints of profound hydrographic changes that occurred in the ancient Mediterranean basin from the lower Serravallian to the lower Messinian.     

Petrography and stable isotope aspects of cold-vent activity imprinted on Miocene-age “calcari aLucina” from Tuscan and Romagna Apennines,Italy

Over 20 occurrences of discontinuous limestone blocks, locally called calcari aLucina, were mapped in the Tuscan—Romagna region of the northern Italian Apennines. The limestones, consisting of a variable mixture of authigenic carbonates (calcite, dolomite, and aragonite), sulfides (primarily pyrite), and allogenic silicates, occur in association with turbidite and hemipelagite units that were deposited in foredeep basins during early to late Miocene times. The limestone blocks are interpreted to represent relicts of carbonate buildups formed around methane-rich fluid vents on the basis of their (1) striking petrographic similarities to carbonates from cold vents in the modern oceans; (2) unique chemosynthetic-like fauna, and (3) anomalously negative ¹³C values ( ¹³C = – 16 to – 58 PDB). The contemporaneous tectonism of the Apennine orogeny is likely to be the primary cause for the expulsion of the methane-rich fluids to the seabed in a manner analogous to the fluid-flow processes occurring at modern accretionary prisms.     

A Report about the Seminar on the Development of Port and Coast in the Mainland and Taiwan of China, Nanjing, China

The Seminar on the Development of Port and Coast in the Mainland and Taiwan was heldfrom October 15th to 20th, 1993 in Hohai University, Nanjing, China, under the sponsorship ofHohai University and National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, and under the co-sponsorshipof Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute and Jiangsu Society of the Mainland and Taiwan Rela-tionship. The aim of the Seminar is to strength the academic exchanges in the fields of port andcoastal engineering, to promote cooperation in science and technology, to benefit the develop-ment of construction as well as science, technology and education in port and coastal engi-neering in the Mainland and Taiwan of China. The main topics covered are in four aspects:     

Scalar reorganisation of marine governance in Europe? The implementation of the marine strategy framework directive in Spain,Portugal and Germany

European marine policies have recently been consolidated, and the scalar organisation of marine governance has been questioned. This paper examines this phenomenon in Europe as a result of implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and examines changes in the role of the national state vis à vis other levels of jurisdiction in marine policy. The relevance of use pressures differs across European member states, as do national policy styles and institutional configurations. Therefore, a nuanced picture is needed regarding the ways European marine policy is being implemented. To this end, the paper employs a co-evolutionary perspective studying the cases of Germany, Spain and Portugal. European marine policy has become anchored in the most relevant policy fields except agriculture and fisheries, and competency regarding its environmental dimension has been strengthened, formalized and clarified as a result of the MSFD. Its implementation, tied to international marine protection, comes following initiatives to develop maritime economies. In Portugal, implementation of the MSFD did not change the scalar organisation of natural resource governance. In Spain and Germany, the MSFD led to disputes regarding clarification of competencies. In the course of implementing the MSFD in Germany, challenges are tied to the political dimensions of formalizing practices and producing integrated policies. In Spain and Portugal, comprehensive stock-taking is itself a challenging task.     

Dynamics of structural and functional characteristics of zooplankton in the Northern Sea of Okhotsk in the “Warm” and “Cold” years

An analysis of the structural and functional characteristics of zooplankton community and their coupling with the synoptic situation was carried out for the spring period in the northern Sea of Okhotsk. The years of 2000 and 2001 may be referred to as “cold” type due to the significant extent of the ice-covered area. Based on the ice cover extent, the years of 2004 and 2005 may be referred to as “warm” years due to the decreased extent of the ice-covered area. The “cold” and “warm” years did not significantly differ from each other in terms of the total zooplankton biomass. In the northeast Sea of Okhotsk, the zooplankton abundance increased during the “cold” years, while, in its northwestern part, the zooplankton abundance increased during the “warm” years. The different types of years significantly differ in the species structure of the macrozooplankton community. The abundance of copepods was higher in the “warm” years, whereas the chaetognath abundance increased in the “cold” ones. These features of the dynamics and distribution of zooplankton in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk also affected its productivity. The higher production of the elements of the zooplankton community that was revealed in the “warm” years was caused by the increase in the seasonal P/B ratio of both nonpredatory and predatory species. In the “warm” years, the production of nonpredatory zooplankton was higher in the northwest, while, in the “cold” years, it was higher in the northeast of the area.     

A study on the polyculture of the algae, the shrimp and the crab

A study was made on the polyculture of the red algae Gracilaria tenuistipitata Chang et Xia f. Liui Zhang et Xia, f. nov. , the shrimp Penaeus penicillatus Alcock and the mud crab Scylla serrata (Forskal) . The photosynthesis of the algae produces the oxygen on which the shrimp and the crab breathe. The algae are the reproductive place of the organism for the food of the shrimp and the carb, also is the shelter of the shrimp and the crab. The shrimp and the crab regard the algae as the vegetable     

A re-assessment of the “Neogene” deposits of the south Irish Sea and Nymphe Bank

Recent studies carried out in the Nymphe Bank area of the north Celtic Sea and in the south Irish Sea have prompted a re-assessment of the deposits formerly described as Neogene. Comparison between seismic profiles and borehole results show that the Neogene unit which underlies a boulder clay, correlates with marine sands and gravels and an earlier boulder clay. This, along with other evidence has led us to propose a Pleistocene age for this unit. The approximate extent of these deposits in the south Irish Sea and the north east Celtic Sea is indicated.     

A discussion on vertical profiles of dissolved Cu,Cd and Ni in the northwestern Pacific, south of Japan

Some of the results about vertical profile of heavy metals of seawater to the south of Japan in Oct. 1990 are presented and discussed in relation to the concentration of dissolved Cu, Cd and Ni to biogeochemical environments. It points out that the distribution of dissolved Cu is higher in surface water than that in/upper 500 m layer, and maxima value attains the 8. 2 n mol/dm3 in depth of 4 000 m. The concentrations of dissolved Ni ranges from 3. 4 n mol/dm3 in surface seawater to 8. 5 n mol/dm3 in the deep to the south of Japan. The highest values are observed in the colder waters. This paper shows also that the vertical profile of dissolved Cd is perfect nutrient-type distribution. And dissolved Cd and Phosphate are linearly correlated by the regression equation. The ·Cd : ·N : ·P atomic ratio is 3. 5 × 10-4 : 14 : 1.     

A comparative study on the contents of vitamins in the natural and the cultured prawn

Ａｃｏｍｐａｒａｔｉｖｅｓｔｕｄｙｏｎｔｈｅｃｏｎｔｅｎｔｓｏｆｖｉｔａｍｉｎｓｉｎｔｈｅｎａｔｕｒａｌａｎｄｔｈｅｃｕｌｔｕｒｅｄｐｒａｗｎ￥ＷａｎｇＡｎｌｉ；ＷａｎｇＷｅｉｎａ；ＬｉｕＣｕｎｑｉａｎｄＷａｎｇＳｕｏ＇ａｎ（ＲｅｃｅｉｖｅｄＦｅｂｒ...     

A Study from Space of Anomalous Variations of Various Geophysical Fields during the Preparation of a Series of Strong Earthquakes in Italy in 2016–2017

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - A time series of the occurrence of thermal anomalies, aerosol optical-depth anomalies, and total electron content of the ionosphere during the...     

Distribution of molluscan remains in the sediment of the Chukchi Sea and its vicinity, the Arctic

INTRODUCTIONInordertostudythemarinesedimentationoftheChukchiSeaandBeringSeaandgathertheinformationofpaleoceanographyandpaleoenvironment,theFirstChineseNationalArcticResearchExpeditionTeamcollectedbenthonicmolluscansamplesintheChukchiSea ,BeaufortSeaandBeringSeafromJuly 1sttoSeptember 9th ,1 999byicebreakerXuelong .ItwasnotonlythefirstsamplingthatChinesescientistscollectedmolluscaremainsinabove mentionedar eas,butalsooneofinvestigationsinasinglecruisewithhighersamplingrateandalotofb…     

Vertical Variability of Primary Production and Features of the Subsurface Chlorophyll Maximum in the Laptev Sea in August–September, 2015, 2017, and 2018

Oceanology - The vertical distribution of phytoplankton primary production (PP) and chlorophyll a (Chl) was studied based on the data carried out in August–September 2015, 2017, and 2018. The...     

Abundance and biomass of heterotrophic microbes in the Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

1Introduction Heterotrophicmicrobesarenowconsideredtobe significantcomponentsofthestructureandfunctionof marinepelagicecosystems.Heterotrophicbacteriacon- stituteamajorpoolofbiomassinopenecosystem (WilhelmandSuttle,1999).Theyconsumealargepor- tionofprimaryproduction(Li,1998;Sherryetal., 2002;Lietal.,2004),andtheymineralizemostofthe dissolvedorganiccarbonthattheyconsume(Azamet al.,1983;Richetal.,1997;Azam,1998).Therolesof planktonicprotists,suchasheterotrophicflagellates andciliates,inmicro…     

Distribution of chlorophyll a and diatom in the sea ice of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Diatoms are major primary producers of microbial biomass in the Antarctica. They are found in the water and sea ice. The distribution, abundance of the ice diatoms and their relation to the environmental factors inside and outside the ice have been studied for its special role in the Antarctic Ocean ecology. In this paper we describe the abundance, distribution and composition of diatom assemblages in     

The pilot project “Patterns and processes of the ecosystems of the northern Mid-Atlantic”: aims,strategy and status

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the target of an emerging international ecosystem study under the Census of marine life programme. This pilot project shall gather new knowledge on biodiversity, distribution patterns, and ecological processes, and the overriding aim is “to describe and understand the patterns of distribution, abundance and trophic relationships of the organisms inhabiting the mid-oceanic North Atlantic, and identify and model ecological processes that cause variability in these patterns”. The project will focus on pelagic, benthopelagic and epibenthic macrofauna, and analyse distribution and abundance patterns in relation to the abiotic and biotic environment, as well as trophic relationships and life history strategies. Fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and gelatinous plankton and nekton have the highest priority in the study. A major challenge of the project is to overcome observation difficulties at large depths and in rugged terrain. A central aim is thus to utilise modern remote sensing technology (acoustics, optics) using advanced instrument carriers (e.g. towed vehicles, ROVs, AUVs, etc.). The project will be carried out as a multi-ship operation in 2003–2005, and the ongoing planning is a collaborative effort involving many nations around the North Atlantic. The project will work on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and in adjacent waters from the Azores to Iceland, both by surveying large areas by acoustics and mid-water trawling, and by focusing on three selected sub-areas for intensive sampling and observation by traditional and novel methods and technology. Overlapping with the field seasons, the period 2004–2008 will be an analytical phase, also including submission of data to OBIS.     

A Study of the Hemolytic and Antihemolytic Active Matters From the Serum of Sea Snakes in Beibu Gulf

The hemolysis and the antihemolys are of the serum from Hydrophis cyanocinctus and Lapemis hardwickii, the two main sea snakes in the Beibu Gulf, are reported, proving that the hemolytic and antihemolytic active components therefrom are two different matters.     

Connections or conflict? A social and economic analysis of the interconnections between the professional fishing industry,recreational fishing and marine tourism in coastal communities in NSW,Australia

Resource conflict is a common feature of coastal management. This conflict is often managed by using spatial planning tools to segregate uses, with access decisions made through a comparison of the economic costs and benefits of the competing sectors. These comparisons rarely include an in-depth analysis of the extent or nature of the conflict. One commonly experienced form of resource conflict in coastal communities involves professional fishing, recreational fishing and broader coastal tourism. In New South Wales, Australia the professional fishing industry is often seen as being in conflict with recreational fishing and tourism, and there are frequent calls to close areas to professional fishing, arguing that this will provide improved economic benefits to local communities. This research examined the relationships between the three sectors using economic valuations, qualitative interviews and a large-scale representative questionnaire of the general public. The results revealed highly interconnected and mutually supportive relationships, with professional fishing providing a range of services that benefit both tourism and recreational fishing. These results suggest that spatial management exercises that seek to segregate or remove one sector from an area, may be counterproductive to the interests of all these groups. Relying on economic valuations of each sector as if they stand alone is insufficient to adequately understand their roles in local communities. Resource allocation decisions should be based on evaluations that consider the interconnections between sectors, and consider whether negotiated sharing of resources may provide greater community benefits than excluding certain groups of users.