Phytoplankton community structure in Otsuchi Bay,northeastern Japan,after the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami

The tsunami caused by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake seriously damaged the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. In addition to its direct disturbance, a tsunami can indirectly affect coastal pelagic ecosystems via topographical and environmental changes. We investigated seasonal changes in the phytoplankton community structure in Otsuchi Bay, northeastern Japan, from May 2011, which was 2 months after the tsunami, to May 2013. The phytoplankton species composition in May 2011 was similar to that observed in May 2012 and 2013. The present results are consistent with the dominant species and water-mass indicator species of phytoplankton in past records. These results suggest that there was no serious effect of the tsunami on the phytoplankton community in Otsuchi Bay. Community analysis revealed that two distinct seasonal communities appeared in each year of the study period. The spring–summer community was characterized by warm-water Chaetoceros species, and dinoflagellates appeared from May to September. The fall–winter community was characterized by cold neritic diatoms, which appeared from November to March. The succession from the spring–summer community to the fall–winter community took place within a particular water mass, and the fall–winter community appeared in both the surface water and the Oyashio water mass, suggesting that water-mass exchange is not the only factor that determines the phytoplankton community structure in Otsuchi Bay.     

Upper tertiary rocks from the continental shelf and slope off Southern Hawkes Bay

Sixteen rock samples were collected from the continental shelf and slope between Napier and Cape Turnagain, southern Hawkes Bay, most coming from offshore anticlinal ridges. Nine of the samples have a foraminiferal fauna of Upper Miocene and Pliocene age. The remainder cannot be dated, but most are probably of similar age. The foraminiferal. faunas are considered to have lived at depths ranging down to at least 1600 m deeper than the depth from which they were collected. Thus, the post‐depositional history of the samples includes tectonic uplift of similar magnitude since Upper Tertiary times. Because most of the samples arc very fine grained, unlike Recent sediments from ridges, it is suggested that the present regime of folding is largely post‐Pliocene in age.     

A three-dimensional numerical study of river plume mixing processes in Otsuchi Bay,Japan

The three-dimensional numerical model SUNTANS is applied to investigate river plume mixing in Otsuchi Bay, an estuary located along the Sanriku Coast of Iwate, Japan. Results from numerical simulations with different idealized forcing scenarios (barotropic tide, baroclinic tide, and diurnal wind) are compared with field observations to diagnose dominant mixing mechanisms. Under the influence of combined barotropic, baroclinic and wind forcing, the model reproduces observed salinity profiles well and achieves a skill score of 0.94. In addition, the model forced by baroclinic internal tides reproduces observed cold-water intrusions in the bay, and barotropic tidal forcing reproduces observed salt wedge dynamics near the river mouths. Near these river mouths, vertically sheared flows are generated due to the interaction of river discharge and tidal elevations. River plume mixing is quantified using vertical salt flux and reveals that mixing near the vicinity of the river mouth, is primarily generated by the barotropic tidal forcing. A 10 ms^?1 strong diurnal breeze compared to a 5 ms^?1 weak breeze generates higher mixing in the bay. In contrast to the barotropic forcing, internal tidal (baroclinic) effects are the dominant mixing mechanisms away from the river mouths, particularly in the middle of the bay, where a narrow channel strengthens the flow speed. The mixing structure is horizontally asymmetric, with the middle and northern parts exhibiting stronger mixing than the southern part of the bay. This study identifies several mixing hot-spots within the bay and is of great importance for the coastal aquaculture system.     

Foraminifera from the continental slope off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

The recent benthic meiofaunal foraminiferal assemblage from the continental slope (590-2 003 m) off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina exhibits high species richness and evenness, moderate diversity values, and lacks numerically dominant species. The preserved planktic assemblage has relatively low species richness, high evenness, low diversity, and a few numerically dominant species. Approximately 9% of the benthic species are those that typically live within continental shelf depth ranges. The benthic assemblage abundances and diversities do not follow depth patterns or geophysical characteristics. No biogeographic boundary can be described within the study area for meiofaunal foraminifera. Oxygen limitation does not appear to be a factor affecting the benthos of the North Carolina continental slope based upon the community structure of the benthic foraminifera, if total assemblage is assumed to reflect the recently living community. The high carbonate content of sediments in the area may be explained by foraminiferal tests. Within the study area, the foraminiferal assemblages are uniform, and probably reflect relative consistency of primary environmental variables as well as dynamic downslope transport and high influx of material from the water column in the vicinity where the Gulf Stream and the Western Boundary Undercurrent cross.     

Possible variation in methane flux caused by gas hydrate formation on the northeastern continental slope off Sakhalin Island, Russia

The Sakhalin Slope Gas Hydrate Project (SSGH) is an international collaborative effort by scientists from Japan, Korea, and Russia to investigate natural gas hydrates (GHs) that have accumulated on the continental slope off Sakhalin Island, Okhotsk Sea. From 2009 to 2011, field operations of the SSGH-09, -10, and -11 projects were conducted. GH-bearing and -free sediment cores were retrieved using steel hydro- and gravity corers. The concentrations of sulfate ions in sediment pore waters were measured to investigate sulfate concentration–depth profiles. Seventeen cores showed linear depth profiles of sulfate concentrations. In contrast, eight cores and two cores showed concave-up and -down profiles plausibly explained by sudden increase and decrease in methane flux from below, respectively, presumably caused by the formation of gas hydrate adjacent to the core sampling sites.     

Pleistocene tectonic accretion of the continental slope off Washington

Interpretation of reflection profiles across the Washington continental margin suggests deformation of Cascadia basin strata against the continental slope. Individual reflecting horizons can be traced across the slope-basin boundary. The sense of offset along faults on the continental slope is predominantly, but not entirely, west side up. Two faults of small displacement are seen to be west-dipping reverse faults. Magnetic anomalies on the Juan de Fuca plate can be traced 40–100 km eastward under the slope, and structural interpretation combined with calculated rates of subduction suggests that approximately 50 km of the outer continental slope may have been formed in Pleistocene time. Rocks of Pleistocene age dredge from a ridge exposing acoustic “basement” on the slope, plus the results of deep-sea drilling off northern Oregon, are consistent with this interpretation. The question of whether or not subduction is occurring at present is unresolved because significant strain has not affected the upper 200 m of section in the Cascadia basin. However, deformation of the outer part of the slope has been episodic and may reflect episodic yield, deposition rate, subduction rate, or some combination of these factors.     

Wind-dependent formation of phytoplankton spring bloom in Otsuchi Bay,a ria in Sanriku,Japan

Spring blooms of phytoplankton composed of centric diatoms developed in late February, March, and April in Otsuchi Bay on Sanriku ria coast, Japan. During this period, associated with prolonged seasonal west wind (>1 day), intense exchange of waters occurred between inside and outside the bay: outflow of nearsurface brackish water over inflow of oceanic water at depth. This circulation interrupted formation of the blooms, and transported phytoplankton populations seaward. By such water movements, a significant amount of nutrients in the bay was carried out, otherwise replenished into the bay, depending on water masses located outside the bay. Owing to irregular features of wind events, a bloom lasted from several days to a week. From February to April, supply of nutrients seemed to be replete except for the latter half of the bloom period, and estimates of the critical depth exceeded the depth of the bottom consistently. Thus, net growth of phytoplankton was expected throughout the observation period, and potentially blooms could be formed. However, the blooms were only formed under calm weather. We hypothesize that the exchange of waters dilutes populations in the bay, and that formation of the bloom, that is, accumulation of biomass depends on a balance between the growth of phytoplankton and the dilution of bay water.     

Baroclinic circulation and its high frequency variability in Otsuchi Bay on the Sanriku ria coast,Japan

Hydrographic observations were made in Otsuchi Bay on the Sanriku ria coast, Japan, to provide clear images of the baroclinic circulation extending over the bay together with the associated intrusion of lower-layer water (bottom water) from outside the bay. In summer, a prominent baroclinic circulation with flow speeds \({>} 0.1\ \text{ m }\ \text{ s }^{-1} \) extends over the greater part of the bay. A main pycnocline (thermocline), which separates the upper and lower layers, is located at a depth of 15–40 m in and around the bay. The direction of the lower-layer flow (inflow into and outflow from the bay) is opposite to that of the upper-layer flow, which are baroclinically coupled to each other. Moreover, with regard to the lower-layer flow, the inflow tends to occur mainly through the northwestern part of the bay mouth, whereas the outflow tends to occur mainly through the southeastern part. The inflow and outflow alternate on time scales of several to a few tens of hours, and the flow directions are sometimes related to the tidal ones, although the relationship is not applied persistently. In winter, the baroclinic circulation is considerably weaker than in summer, because the stratification breaks down.     

Unusual megafaunal assemblages on the continental slope off Cape Hatteras

Megafaunal assemblages were studied in August–September 1992 using a towed camera sled along seven cross-isobath transects on the continental slope off Cape Hatteras. A total of 20,722 megafaunal organisms were observed on 10,918 m² of the sea floor between the depths of 157 and 1 924 m. These data were compared with data previously collected off Cape Hatteras in 1985 and at other locations along the eastern U.S. coast between 1981 and 1987. Megafaunal populations on the upper and lower slopes off Cape Hatteras were fouond to be similar, in terms of density and species composition, to those observed at the other locations.In contrast, megafaunal abundances were found to be elevated (0.88 and 2.65 individuals per m² during 1985 and 1992, respectively) on the middle slope off Cape Hatteras when compared to most other slope locations (<0.5individuals per m²). These elevated abundances mainly reflect dense populations of three demersal fish, two eel pouts (Lysenchelys verrilli andLycodes atlanticus) and the witch flounderGlyptocephalus cynoglossus, and a large anemone (Actinauge verrilli). These four species dominated the megafauna off Cape Hatteras, whereas they represented only a minor component of megafaunal populations found at other slope locations. Additionally, numerous tubes of the foraminiferanBathysiphon filiformis were observed off Cape Hatteras, but not elsewhere. The high density of demersal fish found off Cape Hatteras appears to be related to the high densities of infaunal prey reported from this area. The high densities ofA. verrilli andB. fuliformis may be related to the same factors responsible for the high infaunal densities, namely enhanced nutrient inputs in the form of fine particles. Extreme patchiness also was observed in the distributions of the middle slope taxa off Cape Hatteras. This patchiness may reflect the habitat heterogeneity of this exceptionally rugged slope and the sedentary nature of the organisms inhabiting it.     

Dense infaunal assemblages on the continental slope off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

Unusually dense assemblages of benthic infaunal invertebrates have been discovered in continental slope sediments off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Densities were highest on the upper slope, ranging from 24,055 to 61,244 (X¯=46,255) individuals m⁻² in nine samples taken at a 600-m site in 1984 and 1985, and from 15,522 to 89,566 (X¯=37,282) individuals m⁻² in single samples at 15 stations over a wider depth range of 530 to 1535 m in 1992. A lower slope station at 2000 m sampled six times in 1984–1985 and again in 1992, had densities consistently higher than 8500 individuals m⁻². Species richness and diversity are consistently lower on the Cape Hatteras slope than at other locations off North Carolina and elsewhere in the western North Atlantic. The 1992 studies indicated that the upper slope infaunal assemblages (600m) were dominated by oligochaetes, while the middle slope assemblages (800–1400 m) were dominated by the polychaeteScalibregma inflatum. This latter depth range could be defined into two assemblages based upon suites of less abundant species. At depths of 1500–2000 m, a lower slope assemblage dominated by various deposit feeding polychaetes and oligochaetes was found. Results from the 1984–1985 studies suggest seasonal or year-to-year patterns in the dominance ofS. inflatum andCossura longocirrata. Unusually high sedimentation rates and organic carbon flux have been recorded from the slope off Cape Hatteras and may account for the high infaunal productivity in the area. Most of the dominant infaunal organisms are species more typical of shallow, coastal habitats rather than deep-sea species that dominate other areas of the U.S. Atlantic continental slope. Parallel investigations regarding the nature of organic matter in the Cape Hatteras sediments have revealed a mixture of both marine and terrestrially derived carbon, only a small percentage of which is composed of the smaller molecular weight polyunsaturated fatty acids more typical of continental slope sediments. It is likely that the high percentage of refractory organic matter would favor the survival of preadapted shelf species over those from adjacent slope environments.     

Numerical simulation of Pacific water intrusions into Otsuchi Bay,northeast of Japan,with a nested-grid OGCM

A numerical simulation of Otsuchi Bay located on the northeast coast of the Honshu, the largest island of Japan, is conducted, using an ocean general circulation model (OGCM) with a nested-grid system in order to illustrate seasonal variability of the circulation in the bay. Through a year, an anticlockwise circulation is dominant in the bay, as observational studies have implied, although it is modified in the bay-mouth-half of the bay in winter. In addition, there is an intense outflow at the surface layer during spring to autumn, influenced by river water discharge. Intrusion of the Pacific water into the bay is influened by mean circulations, but it is also influenced by baroclinic tides from spring to autumn. Pacific water intrusions affected by baroclinic tides may have an impact on the environment in Otsuchi Bay.     

Influence of the Oyashio Current and Tsugaru Warm Current on the circulation and water properties of Otsuchi Bay,Japan

Mooring and hydrographic observations were conducted from September 2012 to May 2014 at the mouth of Otsuchi Bay, a ria along the Pacific coast of Japan. Our observations quantitatively demonstrated that the circulation and the water properties of Otsuchi Bay are strongly influenced by the Tsugaru Warm Current (TWC) and Oyashio Current (OY) at seasonal and subseasonal time scales. Two bottom-mounted velocity profilers and temperature and salinity measurements beneath the near-surface halocline showed a counterclockwise lateral circulation pattern related to the TWC, which was enhanced from summer to autumn. From winter to early spring, the lateral circulation patterns related to the TWC weakened and the influence of the OY occasionally increased. When the OY was weak, surface flows became an overturning structure, with outflows in the upper layer and inflows in the lower layer. When the OY was strong and passed close to the Sanriku coast, the circulation became highly variable and intermittent. Intrusions of the markedly low-salinity OY water were observed on two occasions and persisted for periods of several weeks to several months. Salinity was sometimes less than 33.7, the lower limit of the typical TWC from late summer to autumn even when the TWC dominates. We suggested that this is the seasonal fluctuations of the TWC itself, as the upstream current of the Tsushima Warm Current is freshened in summer as a result of the influence of the Changjiang River. The surface water was generally fresher in the south of the bay than in the north, suggesting the Coriolis deflection of the river plume.     

Seismostratigraphy and sedimentation environment on the shelf and continental slope of Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan)

The results of a single channel seismic reflection survey and of a micropaleontological examination of diatom remains in bottom sediment samples on the shelf and continental slope of the Peter the Great Bay area are presented. The composition and age of the sedimentary layer were studied using integrated seismic, micropaleontological and geological data. The continental slope was formed not later than at the beginning of the Early Miocene. The slope is covered with Middle Miocene-Pliocene sediments. The sedimentary thickness on most of the slope is 0.2–0.4 s. The maximum thickness (0.8–1.0 s) is observed within the areas of submarine canyons and valleys. The thickness of the Early Miocene-Pliocene sediments on the shelf is 0.2–0.4 s. On the shelf break and in a southwest-trending trough of the acoustic basement, it increases up to 1.0 s. Two uncomformities were identified in the sediments of the shelf area. The proposed age of the upper uncomformity is 10.0–8.5 My B.P.; it represents the result of a global sea level fall. The age of the lower uncomformity is unknown.     

Sulfur stable isotopes indicate the source of sinking materials in a coastal bay: Otsuchi Bay,Sanriku, Japan

Through 2004 and 2005, δ ³⁴S of sinking material from Otsuchi Bay was measured at the center and rocky shore of the bay. At the center of the bay δ ³⁴S was high (18∼21‰) in the material collected from April to November. However, δ ³⁴S was low (9∼14‰) in the material collected from December to March. The increase in δ ³⁴S in April was attributed to an increase in phytoplankton biomass because marine phytoplanktonic δ ³⁴S is high. When δ ³⁴S of sinking material was low, input of riverine material or bottom sediment resuspension were considered as the probable causes, because their δ ³⁴S is low. Marine sulfur was always high (more than 70%) at both stations. The difference between the δ ³⁴S of sinking material collected from the different sampling stations indicates that marine macroalgae contribute to sinking material near the shore when phytoplankton is scarce. In conclusion, the relative influence of different material sources to sinking materials could be successfully estimated using δ ³⁴S.     

Analysis of submarine slumping in the continental slope off the southern coast of Israel

Abstract

The continental slope off the coast of Israel is riddled with numerous large slump scars at depths greater than 400 m. Recent scar slumps are situated in the steepest central portions of the continental slope (400–450 m depth, α = 6°), frequently disfiguring older slump scars in its lower portions. The slumping materials were probably largely transported downslope in the form of density currents, and occasionally by sliding of large sediment chunks. Upslope retrogressive slumping phases progressively disfigure the shape of the slump scars until they totally disappear, causing net reduction of the thickness of the sedimentary column. To provide a basis for the quantitative analysis of slumping, laboratory vane tests, triaxial consolidated, undrained compression tests with pore‐pressure measurements, drained direct shear tests, and consolidation tests were performed oh undisturbed samples. Because the sediments consist of normally consolidated silty clays, the geotechnical properties measured on the core samples can be readily extrapolated for greater depths, assuming the sediments are homogeneous. Angles of internal friction measured by direct shearing under drained conditions are ?_d =24°‐25°, designating the maximum possible angle of a stable infinite slope. These angles are appreciably higher than the steepest slopes in the investigated area, and a drained slumping mechanism is therefore considered unlikely. The slopes of the slump scar walls are about 20°; therefore, in the absence of active erosional, sedimentological, or tectonic agents, these walls have long‐term stability (drained shear). Undrained shear failure resulting in slope instability may be attributable to rapid changes in slope geometry (undercutting or oversteepening of the slope), fluctuations in pore pressure, or accelerations associated with earthquakes. Undrained shear‐strength parameters were determined by both laboratory consolidated‐un‐ drained triaxial tests and by miniature vane shear tests. The angles of internal friction that were measured are ?_cu =15°‐17°, and the c_u/p _o values range between 0.22 and 0.75. An analysis of the force equilibrium within the sediments leads to the conclusion that horizontal earthquake‐induced accelerations, as little as 5–6% of gravity, are sufficient to cause slope failure in the steepest slope zone (400–450 m depth, α=6°, c_u/p _o=0.25). Collapse resulting from liquefaction is unlikely, as the sediments are normally consolidated silty clays with intermediate sensitivity, S_t =2–4.

The existence of slump scars in the lower portion of the continental slope, characterized by gentle slopes (α=1°‐3°) and sediments with high shear strength (c_u/p _o=0.30–0.50) is attributed to large horizontal accelerations (k= 12–16% of gravity). Owing to the wide range of geotechnical properties of the sediments (c_u/p _o= 0.20–0.75) and the inclination of the continental slope (α=1°‐6°), the same earthquake may generate a wide range of horizontal accelerations in different portions of the continental slope, and slumping may occur wherever the stability equilibrium is disrupted.