Protected species use of a coastal marine migratory corridor connecting marine protected areas

The establishment of protected corridors linking the breeding and foraging grounds of many migratory species remains deficient, particularly in the world’s oceans. For example, Australia has recently established a network of Commonwealth Marine Reserves, supplementing existing State reserves, to protect a wide range of resident and migratory marine species; however, the routes used by mobile species to access these sites are often unknown. The flatback marine turtle (Natator depressus) is endemic to the continental shelf of Australia, yet information is not available about how this species uses the marine area. We used a geospatial approach to delineate a coastal corridor from 73 adult female flatback postnesting migratory tracks from four rookeries along the north-west coast of Australia. A core corridor of 1,150 km length and 30,800 km² area was defined, of which 52 % fell within 11 reserves, leaving 48 % (of equivalent size to several Commonwealth Reserves) of the corridor outside of the reserve network. Despite limited data being available for other marine wildlife in this region, humpback whale migratory tracks overlapped with 96 % of the core corridor, while the tracks of three other species overlapped by 5–10 % (blue whales, olive ridley turtles, whale sharks). The overlap in the distribution ranges of at least 20 other marine vertebrates (dugong, cetaceans, marine turtles, sea snakes, crocodiles, sharks) with the corridor also imply potential use. In conclusion, this study provides valuable information towards proposing new locations requiring protection, as well as identifying high-priority network linkages between existing marine protected areas.     

Physical planning in the coastal region of Zeeland, the Netherlands

The Dutch province of Zeeland is situated in the southern part of the Delta region. The geographical location of the province and its history of inundation, land reclamation and dam-building, clearly illustrate the importance that water always has had and still has in The Netherlands. Coastal defence projects are of utmost importance for The Netherlands and the Delta Project is the crown project. The importance of this project does not only regard the protection against the sea; the Delta dams also contribute considerably to the regional infrastructure. They are a important contribution to the abolishment of the former isolation of the region. They control inland navigation and form important boundaries for water management. They separate salt, brackish and fresh water as well as waters with or without tidal-influence and they also influence the ecological systems in and along the waters. Through physical planning, including the coastal policy of today, land and water can be further integrated. This paper discusses the role of the Province in area planning, related to the division of labour between the various public authorities in The Netherlands: state, provinces and municipalities. Coastal and water policy at the provincial level have been largely integrated with relevant other interests. It may be concluded that regional planning and coastal policy are beginning to adopt a new view towards dealing with water.     

Soil landscape constraint mapping for coastal land use planning using geographic information system

The aim of the study was to delineate soil landscape constraints to various land uses for urban and regional planning in the coastal areas of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Soil landscape units mapped at 1:100,000 or coarser were sub-divided into component facets using advanced terrain modelling techniques in a geographic information system (GIS). The output facet grids were further overlain and linked with relevant GIS layers and soil databases to derive soil landscape constraint ratings for various land use purposes such as residential development, cropping and grazing. The constraint ratings for a specific land use were calculated based on objective and rule-based assessments of soil and landscape features such as engineering hazards, intrinsic fertility, drainage and other parameters. A series of soil landscape constraint maps which portray specific land use capability have been produced for the NSW coast. The methodology developed in this study has been demonstrated to be efficient in delineating soil landscape constraints and there is over 90% agreement between the model outputs and the assessment by soil surveyors with local knowledge. The output maps show levels of unprecedented detail of soil and landscape constraint for the coast of NSW and can be readily interpreted by land use planners and land managers for sustainable land use decision making practices.     

The use of genetic clines to estimate dispersal distances of marine larvae

Many unresolved issues in the ecology and evolution of marine populations center on how far planktonic larvae disperse away from their parents. Genetic tools provide a promising way to define the spatial spread of larvae, yet their accurate interpretation depends on the extent to which genetic loci are under selection. Genetic clines, geographic zones in which genetically differentiated populations interbreed, provide opportunities to explicitly and simultaneously quantify the relative roles of selection and dispersal. Here, we review the theory and analysis of genetic clines and apply these techniques to published studies of multilocus clines in the sea. The geographic width of a stable genetic cline is determined by a balance between the homogenizing effects of dispersal and the diversifying effects of selection. For marine researchers, the power of genetic clines is that, if selection and clinal width are quantified, then the average geographic distances that larvae move can be inferred. Measuring selection or dispersal through laboratory or field-based experimentation is possible, though logistically difficult, for pelagically dispersed organisms. Instead, dispersal may be more robustly quantified from the degree of linkage disequilibrium between two or more loci, because linkage disequilibrium integrates selection across multiple life stages and generations. It is also relatively insensitive to whether exogenous or endogenous selection operates. Even without quantifying linkage disequilibrium, the theory of genetic clines indicates that the average dispersal distance of larvae is a fraction (i.e., generally <35%) of the clinal width. Because cline theory is based on several underlying assumptions, including near-equilibrium between selection and migration, the dispersal distances inferred from empirical data should be of the correct order but may not be precise. Even so, such estimates of larval dispersal are valuable, as they can be utilized to design appropriate scales for future investigations and provide some guidance to conservation efforts.     

GIS assessment of coastal vulnerability to climate change and coastal adaption planning in Vietnam

Vietnam’s coastal zone provides a diverse range of natural resources and favourable conditions for social and economic development. However, its coastal ecosystems are highly vulnerable, due to several natural coastal hazards, over-exploitation and other human activities. In spite of diverse interventions, Vietnam’s coastal zone continues to experience significant damage from floods, erosion and typhoons. These hazards are being intensified by climate change and associated rising sea levels. This paper assesses the potential vulnerability of Vietnam’s coast to climate change and discusses possible adaptation policies and plan to reduce the impacts. GIS analysis was used for the assessment of coastal vulnerability. Related literature was reviewed to develop detailed understanding of coastal adaptation to climate change. Adaptation policies and plans were appraised to identify potential coastal adaptation policies and plans that could be adapted by Vietnam. It was identified that vulnerability of the coastal zone of Vietnam could not be attributed only to climatic factors, but also to the physical condition of the coastline. Much of Vietnam’s coastline, particularly, areas around the Red River delta and the Mekong River have elevations below 1 m. These coastlines are largely developed and serve as economic centres of the country, which makes the coast more vulnerable to climate change and the rising sea level. The paper concluded that a non-structural approach (coastal buffer zones, building houses on stilts, storm warning systems, growing of flood-resistant crops and elevated storm shelters with medicine and food storage) could be used by Vietnam to adapt her low-lying coastline around the two deltas to climate change as this strategy enables vulnerable areas to be occupied for longer before eventual retreat. However, for these policies to be successful, it should be planned, implemented well in advance, monitored and evaluated over time.     

The integration of land and marine spatial planning

Whilst spatial planning has evolved as a tool to manage the development and use of the terrestrial environment over decades, the development of spatial planning systems for the marine environment are in their infancy. This paper focuses on the integration of land and marine based spatial planning systems. This is informed by a brief overview of the regional development of the lands and seas of Europe which underlie spatial planning systems and by a discussion of respective spatial planning systems in terms of economic sectors, land use, and sea use. The integration of spatial planning systems is then considered, followed by evaluation of relationships between spatial planning, and the wider field of environmental management. This includes consideration of organisational and geographical scales, technical management including legal aspects, policy, strategic planning and time scales of decision-making. The paper identifies the significant factors which must be considered in the integration of marine and terrestrial planning systems over the coming decades.     

Geosynthetics in protection against erosion for river and coastal banks and marine and hydraulic construction

Geosynthetic products offer owners, engineers, and contractors a safe and economical solution to everyday engineering challenges and construction requirements. Used as replacements to natural materials, geosynthetic products include a wide range of functions such as filtration, drainage, separation and reinforcement requirements. The wide range of geosynthetic use includes landfill caps and base liner applications, environmental protection under roads and railways, containment structures, dams, canals, ponds, rivers and lakes, coastal and offshore protection. However, their potential in other applications is only limited by convention. With the use of geosynthetics, most geotechnical structures can be improved and the design lifetime can be dramatically increased. Additionally new modern design approaches are often only possible with the use of geosynthetics. Because of the strong development of the various industries all around the world the development and challenge of the use of geosynthetics in geotechnical, hydraulic, coastal and offshore engineering should be of special interest. Based on engineering approaches and installed projects, this paper will cover the state-of-the-art of geosynthetics use in environmental applications, as well as in hydraulic, coastal protection and offshore engineering structures and also discuss the benefits of geosynthetics to modern building technology.     

Temporal resolution in the eyes of marine decapods from coastal and deep-sea habitats

 Temporal responses of eyes from four decapod species taken from sublittoral (Pandalus montagui Leach), coastal [Nephrops norvegicus (L.)] and deep-sea [Paromola cuvieri (Risso) and Chaceon (=Geryon) affinis A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier] habitats were examined. The electroretinogram responses to a range of sinusoidal intensity modulations between 0.5 and 40 Hz were recorded. Recordings were made from individuals adapted successively to two background light intensities. The sublittoral and coastal species showed faster responses when adapted to the higher light level and they also responded best to intermediate frequencies. When adapted to the lower light level, all species responded most strongly to low-frequency stimuli. Physiological and ecological reasons for the differences in responses are suggested. Received: 2 July 1999 / Accepted: 26 October 1999     

Joint use of data and modeling in coastal wave transformation

In the framework of a research project entitled ??BRISA??BReaking waves and Induced SAnd transport??, a methodology was devised to characterize the waves joining together in-situ measurements and numerical wave propagation models. With this goal in mind, a number of in-situ measurements were made, for selected positions in front of Praia de Faro (South Portugal), during four days (25th to 28th March, 2009) by using different types of equipments (e.g., resistive wave gauges, pressure sensors, currentmeters and a new prototype pore pressure sensor using optical fibre). Wave records were obtained simultaneously offshore (at a water depth of 11.7?m below mean sea level, MSL) and at the surf and swash zones. The data processing and analysis were made by applying classical time domain techniques. Numerical simulations of the wave propagation between offshore and inshore for the measurement period were performed with two numerical models, a 1D model based on linear theory and a nonlinear Boussinesq-type model, COULWAVE, both forced by the measured offshore wave conditions of 27th March 2009. Comparisons between numerical results and field data for the pressure sensors placed in the surf and swash zones were made and discussed. This approach enables to evaluate the performance of those models to simulate those specific conditions, but also to validate the models by gaining confidence on their use in other conditions.     

Optical remote sensing of coastal plumes and run-off in the Mediterranean region

Sea surface colour data, derived from the Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS) archive, have been used to assess the space/time variability of coastal plumes and run-off in the Mediterranean Sea. A time series of 2645 scenes, collected by the CZCS from 1979 to 1985, was processed to apply sensor calibration algorithms, correct for atmospheric contamination, and derive chlorophyll-like pigment concentration. Individual images, remapped on a 1-km² pixel grid, were generated for each available day, and then mean values calculated pixel by pixel to form monthly, seasonal and annual composites. The results obtained must be taken with caution, due to the CZCS limitations in the quantitative assessment of bio-optical pigments when high concentrations of dissolved organics or suspended sediments are present, e.g. along littorals or within plumes. Marked differences appear in the distribution of water constituents between coastal zones and open sea, northern and southern near-coastal areas, western and eastern sub-basins. The oligotrophic character of the basin contrasts with areas of high concentration related to river plumes—Ebro (Ebre), Po, Rhone, Nile—, coastal run-off patterns, and persistent mesoscale features (e.g. coastal filaments and eddies). Seasonal variability appears to be high, with higher concentrations occurring over most of the basin in the cold season, when climatic conditions are favourable to coastal run-off and vertical mixing. Atmospheric forcing (wind and rainfall over continental margins) could play an important role in establishing the observed space/time distribution of water constituents. The impact of continental interactions (fluvial and coastal run-off), or that of exchanges between coastal zone and open sea, could have paramount influence on the biogeochemical fluxes in the entire basin.     

Systems analysis and simulation of the NW African marine upwelling region

A temporal and spatial marine upwelling system model is developed for analysis of prominent biological and physical system interactions which result in obserbed nutrient distribution patterns in the northwest African coastal upwelling system near 21° N. The model is composed of a physical submodel describing a two-dimensional circulation pattern, and a series of biological submodels describing nutrient regeneration.Model results were qualitatively consistent with nutrient distributions observed during an upwelling event in the 1974 JOINT-I study area. Simulated silicate distribution patterns suggest that silica dissolution parameter estimates reported for the northwest African region may represent local conditions, but are likely overestimates at a system level of resolution. Sensitivity analysis results identify grazing threshold level as the primary regulator of model grazing stress. Paucity of herbivorous nekton grazing suggests that primarily phytophagous grazing habit for clupeoid fishes is unlikely in the northwest African upwelling area.     

Urban planning and sustainable development under transitional economy: a case study of Guangzhou

There are always conflicts between the need for conservation and economic growth in the developing countries. Planning plays a primary role in balancing these conflicts. This is particularly obvious in Chinese cities since China adopted its open door policy in 1978. Foreign investment has been a major driving force for rapid growth of the Chinese economy. Planners in China have been facing the dilemma of protecting the natural environment on the one hand while, on the other hand, supporting the overall national goal of attracting foreign investment to maintain continuous economic growth. The planning system in China, which has been largely based on a planned economy, soon found itself handicapped in safeguarding the environment from rapid industrialization and urbanization fostered by market forces. This paper takes Guangzhou as an example to study challenges to the planning system in Chinese cities in the past two decades of rapid economic growth and urbanization. By means of a case study on an industrial development within a protected orchard area in Guangzhou, this study illustrates the conflict between the need for rural conservation and the pressure for economic development in the Chinese cities. In particular, it analyzes the pressures on the present urban planning system in China in terms of the following categories: the emergence of private investors in urban development; the goal of pursuing a high economic growth rate; the implications of a transitional economy for urban planning; and the weakness of the present urban planning system. It concludes that the role of urban planning in China should change from simply providing guidelines on board land-use strategy, to a combination of a strategic plan with specific development control laws at the operational level. Finally, some recommendations are suggested as to how to improve the planning system in China.     

A policy alternative for lagoon management: case study of Sre Ambel coastal marine fisheries,Cambodia

Sre Ambel is the most productive coastal area for marine fisheries in Cambodia. This paper explores the management concept of extractive reserve instruments to find the most effective application in the coastal areas of Cambodia. Since there are various extractive models in the world, the most important objective is to determine which extractive reserve model is best suited to real practices where the ability of the fisheries’ residents to apply laws and guidelines vary from one place to another. To reflect these objectives, this paper looks at various examples around the world, especially from various Latin American countries. The level of local ability to apply laws and regulations is determined by the weight average index method. These results shows that fishers’ education levels are sufficient to apply laws and regulations, but their understanding of existing fisheries guidelines is still below average. Although the level to which they satisfy the guidelines is poor, local people are willing to establish new appropriate guidelines for future effective application. Therefore, local fishers have the ability to apply laws and regulations under new extractive reserve aspects. An extractive reserve policy combines all available instruments to manage the lagoon. The best alternative is to develop strong collaboration among the various stakeholders in the area. This converts an open-access to common property resource use regime. All instruments of extractive reserve were satisfied by the local fishers. However, extractive reserve seems to be similar with fish refuge concept which currently proposed by Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC).     

The multixenobiotic resistance mechanism in the marine sponge Suberites domuncula: its potential applicability for the evaluation of environmental pollution by toxic compounds

Experiments were carried out with the marine sponge Suberites domuncula to determine whether sponges may express-like mammalian tumor cells-a multidrug-like transporter system. The results demonstrate that sponge cells possess such a protective system termed multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) pump or P-glycoprotein-like pump. The protein was identified by antisera for the mammalian P170 multidrug resistance protein as a 130 kDa molecule. Binding studies were performed with ³H-vincristine (³H-VCR) and membrane vesicles; this process is ATP-dependent and inhibited by verapamil, which is known to reverse the multidrug-resistance phenotype in mammalian systems. Accumulation experiments were performed to demonstrate that the uptake of ³H-VCR is time-dependent, and increases at elevated extracellular levels of ³H-VCR. Application of the dyeing technique with calcein-AM, a suitable functional assay for multidrug transporter systems in mammal cells, also revealed the existence of the MXR pump in S. domuncula plasma membranes. These data demonstrate that S. domuncula is provided with a multidrug-like transporter, the MXR pump, which might function as a protection system for sponges in polluted environments.     

中国沿海区域旅游化与生态环境耦合度分析及预测

中国沿海区域旅游产业发展主要以海洋资源和环境为依托,故处理好旅游产业发展与生态环境的关系是中国沿海旅游产业实现可持续发展的基础和前提。区域旅游化程度可以反映区域旅游产业发展水平,为探求中国沿海区域旅游产业发展与生态环境之间关系的态势和规律,首先,在构建中国沿海区域旅游化程度和生态环境质量水平的指标体系的基础上,以2000—2010年沿海11省(区)统计数据为基础,运用加权主成分TOPSIS法分别对两个系统进行综合评价;其次,基于物理学中的耦合模型,对中国沿海区域旅游化程度和生态环境质量的耦合度及其协调指数进行计算,并分析它们时空格局及其演变特征;最后,基于灰色系统理论,运用GM(1,1)预测模型对中国沿海区域未来15 a中国沿海区域旅游化水平与生态环境耦合度进行预测。研究结果发现:中国沿海区域旅游产业与生态环境两个系统在2000—2010年间一直处于拮抗期,但山东省、浙江省、江苏省和广西省将在2015年前先后由低水平的拮抗期跨入良性耦合阶段,而其他省(区)将处于并将长期处于拮抗期,且天津市、辽宁省和海南省两个系统的耦合度有下降趋势。     

Daphne: a new multimetric benthic index for the quality assessment of marine coastal environment in the Northern Adriatic Sea

A new benthic index, named Daphne, is proposed for the Northern Adriatic coastal area, near the Po river delta. It is based on six characteristics of the community that do not require in-depth taxonomic expertise: number of mollusc species, % of bivalves, % of polychaetes, abundance of the opportunistic species Corbula gibba, % of amphipods and number of 'typical mollusc species' that are individuated by multivariate analysis. The application of the index in selected stations along a gradient of decreasing disturbance shows that it is simple to use in regular monitoring campaigns and that the results are consistent with environmental quality data in the special conditions of this area subjected to considerable river runoff. The index can be used in addition and as a complement to more widespread indices (such as M-AMBI); a comparison of the two indices performance is discussed.     

福建省沿海赤红壤区生态农业建设途径

通过种草、营林、治水和保土改善生态环境，逐步优化农业生产结构，建立高效种植业，提高耕地持久生产力，保护农业生物生产机能，开发果树生产，增强畜牧业，加工利用农副产品，解决农村生活能源，发展庭院生态经济等，探讨建设持续高效的农业生态系统，使沿海旱地农业得到整体发展。     

Stable carbon isotope variability in marine macrophytes and its implications for food web studies

Stable carbon isotope ratios (¹³C) of eelgrass Zostera marina and of kelp Laminaria longicruris showed considerable variation in time and space. The isotopic composition of Z. marina varied seasonally from a mean of-6 for leaves formed in June to a mean of-10 for leaves formed in February. The maximum range for individual leaves was from-5 to-11.4. Once a leaf was fully formed, its isotopic composition appeared not to change. In L. longicruris there was no clear seasonal pattern of variation, but in any given blade there was a spatial pattern of variation, with the thickened central band tending to be least negative and the margins most negative. In one blade the range was from-12 to-20. Since this range overlaps values that are found in various other macrophytes and in seston, the value of the stable carbon isotope ratio as a tracer in food webs involving macroalgae is questioned. For Z. marina, in which the values are seasonally predictable, the technique may be useful if interpreted with care. The most probable explanation of variation in the ratios is differential storage of biochemical components of different isotopic compostion.     

Biogeography and dispersal of coastal marine organisms: experimental studies on a replica of a 16th-century sailing vessel

Observational and experimental studies were conducted on the dispersal of fouling organisms on a replica of a 16th-century sailing vessel along an 800 km transect from Yaquina Bay, Oregon to San Francisco Bay, California. The vessel sailed between four bays at slow speeds (3.5 to 4 knots), resided in each bay for approximately 30 d, and spent 1 to 3 d in the open ocean travelling between ports. Natural hull fouling and experimental fouling panels placed on the vessel were sampled upon departure and arrival at each port. All common fouling species survived the open sea voyages between the harbors, with largely no ecologically significant changes in abundance nor significant losses in overall diversity detected. In one port the vessel settled upon the harbor floor periodically; several entrained benthic organisms were then transported 390 km to the next port. Slow-moving, fouled sailing vessels of relatively long port residencies may have significantly altered the distributions of marine and estuarine organisms not only globally (leading to the invasions of non-native species) but also along continental margins (leading to the alteration of aboriginal patterns of distribution). Shipping traffic may further play an important role in gene flow between isolated populations of obligate estuarine organisms, particularly those with non-planktonic larvae.