Distribution and abundance of ophiuroids on the continental shelf and slope of the East Sea (southwestern Sea of Japan), Korea

The present study was carried out to describe the distribution of ophiuroids on the continental shelf and slope of the East Sea, off the Korean Peninsula. Three cruises were made from 1985 to 1987 in the area between 35 to 38°N and 129 to 130°E. A total of ten species was identified from the samples collected at 136 stations. Among them four species (Amphiodia craterodometa, Amphioplus macraspis, Ophiura leptoctenia and Ophiura sarsi) constituted more than 98% of abundance by number. The continental shelf off Gampo, near 35°40N, could be considered to be the southern limit of cold-water species. The abundance of dominant ophiuroids changed according to depth. Three faunal zones, namely, the inner shelf, the shelf edge and the slope zones, coincided with the topographic divisions of continental shelf and slope. The major inhabitant of the inner shelf was A. craterodometa and that of the continental slope was O. leptoctenia. The shelf edge area revealed a transitional zone where all four species occurred, contributing to the total number of individuals with almost equal proportions. The temperature of bottom waters was considered to be a factor determining zonal distribution. The sediment characteristics were not closely related to ophiuroid distribution.     

Depth zonation and metabolic adaptation in Dover sole,Microstomus pacificus,and other deep-living flatfishes: factors that affect the sole

Flatfishes of Monterey Bay, central California, undergo species replacements with increasing depth along a transect from 100 m on the continental shelf down to a depth of 1400 m on the continental slope. The Dover sole, Microstomus pacificus, differs from the other local flatfish species by undergoing an extensive ontogenetic vertical migration, occupying all depth zones at different life stages, and having its maximum spawning biomass in the oxygen minimum zone between 600 and 1000 m. Size-activity relationships and depth-activity relationships for the glycolytic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and for two enzymes associated with aerobic metabolism, malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase (CS), were examined in white-muscle tissue of shallow-living, deep-living and ontogenetically-migrating species. Scaling coefficients (b) for weight-specific enzyme activity (log activity)=a+b (log wet weight), varied in sign as well as magnitude for fishes living at different depths. In the shallow-living California halibut Paralichthys californicus, LDH scaled positively (0.39) and CS scaled negatively (-0.15) with size, a pattern observed previously for most shallow-water fish species. The permanently deep-living species, the deepsea sole Embassichthys bathybius, differed in that both LDH and CS scaled strongly negative (-2.0 and-1.5, respectively). For the ontogenetically migrating Dover sole Microstomus pacificus, there was a shelf-slope transition. For the shelf specimens (200 m), LDH scaled positive (0.11) and CS negative (-0.29) and for the slope specimens (400 m), LDH scaled negative (-0.65) and CS strongly negative (-0.63). Rex sole, Glyptocephalus zachirus, showed a similar shelf-slope transition. Intraspecific depth-enzyme activity differences were not incremental, but changed abruptly between the continental shelf stations (100 to 200 m) and the continental slope (400 to 1400 m). Based on comparisons with laboratory-maintained individuals, the decline in the metabolic capacity of the white muscle of Dover sole is a phenotypic response to the low food and oxygen conditions of the continental slope. Contrary to expectation, anaerobic capacity (LDH activity) decreased in response to low oxygen conditions, suggesting that in a permanently hypoxic environment such as the oxygen minimum zone the metabolic strategy may be to not incur an oxygen debt that would be difficult to pay back.     

Modelling the propagation of an internal solitary wave across double ridges and a shelf-slope

Evolution of the internal solitary waves (ISWs) in the northern South China Sea (SCS) has recently attracted the attention of many oceanographers in Taiwan and the United States. These ISWs are believed to have been induced by a branch of the Kuroshio current over Luzon Strait, which propagates westward over two ridges in the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines, and further onto the continental margin with a shelf-slope in the SCS. This paper presents some preliminary results for the evolution of a depression ISW across two triangular obstacles using numerical modelling and laboratory experiments. The experimental results confirm that the intervals and relative height between the two obstacles are important factors in the interaction of an ISW with the obstacles. However, in the case of the movement of an ISW of depression-type across the Luzon Strait, the effect of the two ridges on the characteristics of the ISW might be less significant than that from the shelf-slope, due to the variations in relative water depth. Results from numerical experiments also show that the amplitude of an ISW can be augmented once the wave commences its contact with a shelf-slope, where an internal hydraulic jump and wave breaking with vortex motion are evident in the laboratory experiments. Eventually, an ISW of depression-type could become an elevation-type at the edge of the continental shelf landwards beyond the turning point, where the upper layer is larger than the bottom layer in a stratified water column.     

Idealized study on cohesive sediment flux by tidal asymmetry

The flux of cohesive sediment in an estuary is determined by many factors, including tidal asymmetry, wave effect, fluvial influence, phase difference between tidal velocity and tidal level fluctuations, sediment properties, flocculation, bed erodibility, bathymetry effect and other nonlocal effects. Our capability in predicting sediment fluxes in tide-dominant environments is critical to the morphodynamics and water quality of estuaries. Due to the difficulties in carrying out detailed measurement of sediment flux with high spatial and temporal resolutions, an one-dimensional-vertical (1DV) numerical model for cohesive sediment transport, previously verified and calibrated with field measured cohesive sediment concentration data, is utilized here to study some of the aforementioned factors in affecting tidal-driven sediment fluxes in idealized condition. Tidal-averaged sediment flux is shown to be correlated with tidal velocity skewness with a linear relationship. This linear relationship is different from that of non-cohesive sediment and it is demonstrated here to be mainly due to variable critical shear stress implemented for the mud bed in order to parameterize consolidation. The reason that tidal velocity skewness causes tidal-averaged residual sediment transport is shown to be due to nonlinear intra-tidal interactions between flow velocity and sediment concentration. Moreover, the effects of nonlinear intra-tidal interaction between tidal velocity and tidal level fluctuations is shown to mainly cause seaward transport, which is the most significant under progressive wave system (phase difference 90°) and almost negligible for standing wave system (phase difference 0°).     

The megabenthic fauna in the deep sea south of New England,USA

Data from 105 benthic trawls made in an area south of New England, USA between 40 and 5000 m show the fauna to be zoned with depth, areas of rapid faunal change separating regions of relative faunal homogeneity. Distinct faunal assemblages with characteristic catch rates, diversity, and dominant species are found on the shelf (40 to 264 m), upper continental slope (283 to 650 m), middle continental slope (653 to 1290 m), lower continental slope (1380 to 1947 m), the transitional region from slope to rise (2116 to 2481 m), the upper continental (2504 to 3113 m), the middle continental rise (3244 to 3470 m), and lower continental rise to abyssal plain (3879 to 4986 m). Catch rates and diversity are greatest on the lower continental slope and transition to the upper rise, and are lowest at the greatest depths. Dominance, particularly by echinoderms, is an important aspect of community structure. The 3 major taxa represented (decapod crustaccean, echinoderms, and fishes) do not always display the same patterns within and between assemblages. Generalities derived from study of a single group need not apply to all segments of the deep-ocean community. Overall patterns in the megafauna are similar to those described in other groups and areas, but species assemblages are not the same everywhere and perhaps too much has been made of the horizontal extent of zones. Trophic level is related to degree of zonation, but where predators are generalists their ranges may be wide rather than restricted. Diversity patterns can be understood in terms of the interrelationships of predation, competition, environmental heterogeneity, and trophic level. Faunal zones are of importance as the geographical units within which evolution, community development, and diversification take place.This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant OCE76-21878, the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-74-C0262, and, in part, by the United States Department of Energy under Contract No. EY-76-C-02-0016 and the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Cancil under Grant A-7230     

Biomass of the invertebrate megabenthos from 500 to 4100 m in the northeast Atlantic Ocean

Data are presented on the biomass of the invertebrate megafauna at 22 stations on the continental slope in the Porcupine Seabight (PSB) (northeast Atlantic Ocean). Samples were collected between 1980 and 1982. Several units of biomass are used, all of which illustrate a decrease by a factor of about 30 from 500 to 4100 m. Lognormal curves were fitted to the data, the gradients of which were very similar for all biomass units and similar to the value for a transect down the continental slope in the western Atlantic. Biomass levels in the PSB are compared with those from other deep-sea environments. Some published values are more than ten times higher than the values reported here, while others are less than a tenth. The reasons for these differences and trends are discussed in terms of food supply. Sampling variability was examined at two stations, but by chance one (at 1300 m) appeared to encompass a sharp faunal discontinuity of the dominant fauna and the other (at 4000 m) contained very small numbers of large animals. For these reasons, sample variability was high at the repeat stations. Suspension-feeders and crustaceans dominated the biomass at upper-slope depths, while echinoderms were dominant on the middle and lower slope. As a result of this phyletic change, there was a small but insignificant decrease in mean body weight with increasing depth. Within phyla there was also a small but insignificant decrease with depth. If large species are excluded from the biomass/depth regression, the gradient changes considerably, demonstrating the increasing importance of small species at greater depths. The size distribution of megafaunal biomass was examined at several stations. This indicated that the megafauna form a functional group distinct from the macrofauna, just as the macrofauna are distinct from the meiofauna.     

Distribution of western beaufort sea polychaetous annelids

Depth and depth-related processes appear to exert primary control over the distributional patterns of species of polychaetous annelids in the western Beaufort Sea (Cape Halkett to Barter Island, Alaska). Species richness and total polychaete abundance are maximal along the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope. Stations exhibiting the most similar polychaete assemblages are located at similar depths. However, some species distributions appear to correlate better with sediment type than with depth. Maximum abundance occurs deeper on the continental slope to the west, and station clusters generated by non-hierarchical clustering (using the dominant polychaete species data) are not sorted strictly by depth. In a canonical analysis of discriminance, the station clusters were projected onto a two-dimensional plane in species space. The first and second canonical variables of the station clusters correlate with sediment grain-size distributions, suggesting a relationship between polychaete distribution patterns and the sedimentary environment. This relationship is further substantiated when sediment grain-size distributions for each station are plotted on a tertiary diagram: the stations are grouped and ordered in a pattern similar to that generated by the canonical analysis of discriminance.     

Geographic variation in Loligo forbesi in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean: analysis of morphometric data and tests of causal hypotheses

Geographic variation in the squid Loligo forbesi was investigated using multivariate analysis of morphometric and meristic characters in samples of squid taken from 13 localities in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Two character sets, body morphometrics and beak morphometrics, indicated similar patterns of variation, with squid from the Azores differing markedly from those on the continental shelf. No consistent pattern was apparent in meristic data. Partial Mantel tests indicated that similarity matrices for morphological data were significantly correlated with distance matrices for (a) geographic proximity, (b) whether the capture site was on the continental shelf or the Azorean bank, and (c) (beak data only) average seasurface temperature at site of capture. Partial Mantel tests on allozyme data for the same individuals support hypothesis (b). The results suggest that L. forbesi in the Azores may reasonably be regarded as a distinct stock, differing significantly from L. forbesi on the continental shelf.     

Biodiversity in the ecosystem of the Portuguese continental shelf: distributional ecology and the role of benthic amphipods

The biodiversity and distributional ecology of amphipod crustaceans were analysed from benthic surveys in 1985 and 1986 along the coast of Portugal, from the Tagus canyon to the coast of Minho, in order to determine their role in the ecosystem of the Portuguese continental self. In samples obtained from different types of substrate between 18 and 545 m, we identified 113 species belonging to 51 genera of 24 families. Seventeen of these species were new records for the Portuguese coast. The relative frequencies and number of individuals of all species were analysed. The genus Ampelisca clearly dominated the group of the most frequent and abundant species, which also exhibited a large range of vertical distribution. Most of the 113 species were found only down to 150 m depth, corresponding roughly to the lower limit of the continental shelf. Fifteen species exhibited clear bathyal traits, being consistently found deeper than 100 m, especially in the Tagus canyon and the upper zone of the continental slope. The most frequent and abundant species were found predominatly or in large numbers in medium to fine sand bottoms. This type of substrate also contained the highest number of species. The granulometric structure of the habitat could constitute the most important factor controlling both biodiversity and development of large amphipod populations, since oxygen level, water exchange, number of available shelters, and probably the quantity and quality of nutritional resources all vary as a function of substrate texture. Because of their dominance in both frequency and abundance, several Ampelisca species may constitute an important food source for many secondary consumers of the shelf sediments, especially for demersal fishes.     

Quantifying the effect of wind on internal wave resonance in Lake Villarrica,Chile

Lake Villarrica, located in south central Chile, has a maximum depth of 167 m and a maximum fetch of about 20 km. The lake is monomictic, with a seasonal thermocline located at a depth of approximately 20 m. Field data show the presence of basin-scale internal waves that are forced by daily winds and affected by Coriolis acceleration. A modal linear and non-linear analysis of internal waves has been used, assuming a two-layer system. The numerical simulations show good agreement with the internal wave field observations. The obtained modes were used to study the energy dissipation within the system, which is necessary to control the amplitude growth. Field data and numerical simulations identify (1) the occurrence of a horizontal mode 1 Kelvin wave, with a period of about a day that coincides with the frequency of daily winds, suggesting that this mode of the Kelvin waves is in a resonant state (subject to damping and controlled by frictional effects in the field) and (2) the presence of higher-frequency internal waves, which are excited by non-linear interactions between basin-scale internal waves. The non-linear simulation indicates that only 10 % of the dissipation rate of the Kelvin wave is because of bottom friction, while the rest 90 % represents the energy that is radiated from the Kelvin wave to other modes. Also, this study shows that modes with periods between 5 and 8 h are excited by non-linear interactions between the fundamental Kelvin wave and horizontal Poincaré-type waves. A laboratory study of the resonant interaction between a periodic forcing and the internal wave field response has also been performed, confirming the resonance for the horizontal mode 1 Kelvin wave.     

Abundance of estuarine crab larvae is associated with tidal hydrologic variables

Abundances of brachyuran megalopae and juveniles were measured throughout consecutive tidal cycles during six 2 to 3 d sampling periods in summer 1992, and associated with rates of change of tidal hydrologic variables in the Newport River Estuary. Current speeds and rates of pressure change fitted sinusoidal (tidal) models well; however, rates of salinity and temperature change did not. Analysis of plankton samples taken during spring and neap tides showed peak abundances during nighttime rising tides for all taxonomic groups: Callinectes sapidus, Uca spp., Xanthidae, and Pinnixa spp. megalopae, and Pinnotheres spp. juveniles. Megalopal and juvenile abundances from time-intensive sampling were related to rates of changes in the hydrologic variables using stepwise logistic regression. No hydrologic variable accounted well for the presence of Uca spp. megalopae. Megalopal presence was best predicted by current speed for Pinnixa spp. megalopae, and rates of changes in pressure for xanthid megalopae and Pinnotheres spp. juveniles, and salinity for C. sapidus megalopae. These variables might act as cues causing megalopae to ascend into the water column at a particular point in the flooding tide, and subsequently descend to or near the bottom prior to ebb flow. In this way, larvae which develop on the continental shelf or lower estuary undergo transport up the estuary by behaviorally altering their swimming activity and depth concurrent with tidal changes.     

Influence of depth and season on the diet of the deep-water aristeid Aristeus antennatus along the continental slope (400 to 2300 m) in the Catalan Sea (western Mediterranean)

The composition of the diet of the deep-sea aristeid shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) was determined based on the analysis of 1578 stomach contents. Samples were collected using bottom trawls during 1984 to 1989 along the deep continental slope (380 to 2266 m) in the Catalan Sea (Western Mediterranea). A. antennatus displayed a high feeding activity on a large variety of endobenthic and epibenthic invertebrates, whereas benthopelagic prey were supplementary to its diet. The shrimp's diet varied mainly as a function of depth. Various preferred prey items on the middle slope (Calocaris macandreae, Cirolana borealis, Abra longicallus) disappeared from its diet below 1300 m, coinciding with the transtion boundary between different taxocenoses in the Catalan Sea. Less mobile prey and inert remains (mainly pteropods) contributed a progressively larger share of the diet of Aristeus antennatus with increasing depth. The importance of seasonality in the changes in diet decreased with increasing depth, and was relatively high only in the upper middle slope (down to 1000 m depth), where two seasonal dietary groups were detected. The most distinct seasonal changes in diet were among benthopelagic prey. The diet of A. antennatus in the submarine canyons mainly consisted of endobenthic prey (large polychaetes, ophiuroids). The higher stomach-fullness values and less diversified diet in this area were probably related to high productivity in the submarine canyons.     

Distribution et synécologie des fonds à Gryphus vitreus (Brachiopoda) en Corse

In the Mediterranean Sea, the brachiopod Gryphus vitreus (Born) was collected off Corsica by dredging and trawling during three cruises (June 1983; April and July 1984) and from along the French continental coast by dredging during many cruises (1975–1985). The upper limit of its bathymetric distribution lies between 115 and 125 m (rarely, from 90 m), the lower limit between 140 and 200 m depth, forming a belt along the edge of the continental shelf. The horizontal distribution of G. vitreus varies from 250 m to >4 km, and is directly related to geomorphological and hydrodynamic variations resulting from local topography and/or geographical location. The G. vitreus bottoms are bounded on the continental slope by the bathyal mud biocoenosis and on the shelf by the coastal detritic or shelf-edge detritic biocoenosis, both circalittoral. The bottoms correspond to a bathylittoral ecosystem characterized by (1) prevailing environmental conditions which result in a biotope characterized by coarse detritic sediment clogged by fine sand and mud with a high content of small hard substrates, by constant moderate bottom-currents which become weaker with increasing depth, and by small annual variations in temperature and salinity; the occurrence of an ostreobium sp. alga in the shell of G. vitreus indicates the involvement of the phytal system, as defined by Pérès (1982); (2) the G. vitreus biocoenosis, comprised of characteristic macrobenthic stocks (particularly polychaetes, mollusks, and epifaunal species on small hard substrates). Whatever the geomorphology, neighbouring circalittoral and bathyal biocoenoses have little influence on the G. vitreus biocoenosis, which displays a comparatively greater species richness and density. However, immigration of circalittoral species is encouraged by detrital sediments and water currents. The occurrence of this ecosystem as a distinct belt intercalated between circalittoral and bathyal zones is discussed. The ecosystem is considered to be bathylittoral.     

Western Mediterranean immature loggerhead turtles: habitat use in spring and summer assessed through satellite tracking and aerial surveys

An aerial survey was conducted in early spring 2002 over the continental shelf of the Balearic Archipelago to study the distribution of neritic loggerhead turtles. Furthermore, five juvenile loggerhead turtles [straight carapace length (SCL) range 37.1–48.7 cm], were instrumented with transmitters and monitored during 2003 by satellite tracking to study habitat use over a broader geographical range. The distribution of the turtles over the continental shelf matched habitat availability, as defined by depth. However, those tracked by satellite spent most of the time in the oceanic waters of the Algerian basin and generally avoided continental shelf areas. In these turtles, average speed of travel and mean cosine of turning angle did not significantly differ between habitats, indicating that avoidance of shelf areas is not due to active habitat selection. On average, tracked turtles spent 35.1±19.7% of the time at the surface, although surface time was much greater in the turtle with the shortest carapace length, suggesting that this individual had limited swimming capacity. We conclude that the transition between passive drifting and active habitat selection occurs at an SCL of about 40 cm. The turtles followed tracks that matched prevailing currents, but on some occasions they also swam upstream. Hence, the distribution of late juvenile loggerhead turtles in the southern and central western Mediterranean may reflect a combination of passive drifting and active habitat selection.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

Dissolved nutrient dynamics along the southwest coastal waters of India during northeast monsoon: a case study

Dissolved nutrients, Chl-a and primary productivity were measured from seven transects along the coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian Sea during northeast monsoon. Ten major estuaries were chosen to study the influence of estuarine discharge on the nutrient dynamics in the coastal waters. The mean water discharge of the estuaries in the north (64.8?±?18?×?10⁵?m³?d^?1) was found to be higher than those in the south (30.6?±?21.4?×?10⁵?m³?d^?1), whereas the nutrient concentrations were found to be higher in the estuaries of the south. The results from the offshore waters were discussed in accordance with the depth contour classification, that is, shelf (depth?≤?30?m) and slope waters (depth?≥?30?m). Our results suggest that the estuarine discharge plays a major role in the nutrient distribution in near shore shelf waters, whereas in shelf and slope waters, it was mainly controlled by in situ biological processes. The inorganic form of N to P ratios were found to be higher than Redfield ratio in slope waters when compared with shelf waters, suggesting that PO₄^3? (<0.15?µmol?L^?1) is a limiting nutrient for primary production. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the nutrient dynamics in the coastal waters was controlled by both biological and physical processes.     

The undulating oceanographic recorder — A new instrument system for sampling plankton and recording physical variables in the euphotic zone from a ship underway

The prototype Undulating Oceanographic Recorder Mark I is an instrumented towed vehicle which can be programmed to undulate between a minimum depth of 8 m and a selected maximum depth between 15 and 70 m, with an undulation length between 3 and 30 km, at any speed between 7 and 15 knots (3.6 to 7.7 m/sec). It takes a continuous series of plankton samples, each integrated over the undulation depth range, and records data on magnetic tape, at a preselected rate between 30/min and 30/h, from which salinity, temperature and depth can be derived with accuracies of ±0.1, ±0.1C° and ±0.5 m, respectively. The instrument is automatic, self-contained and generates its own power supplies. It is towed on about 200 m of unfaired steel cable and can be handled with the winching and lifting equipment found on most research vessels. Examples of processed data from three cruises are presented: temperature and salinity contours on a vertical section through a complex stratified area in the N.W. Irish Sea; results from a survey of the waters over the continental shelf and slope to the north of Scotland, showing the distribution of water masses and associated plankton; and hydrographic data taken in Loch Etive on the west coast of Scotland.     

The role of diatom resting stages in the onset of the spring bloom in the East China Sea

The abundance and species composition of diatoms were investigated along the PN line from the Okinawa Islands to the inner continental shelf in the East China Sea in the early spring of 1996. Viable diatom resting stages in sediments on the shelf were also enumerated by the extinction dilution method (most probable number method). Clear differentiation in the water masses was observed, with less saline, cold water (shelf water) on the shelf region, and warm, saline water (Kuroshio water) prevalent off the shelf and on the shelf edge. In the Kuroshio water, the abundance of diatoms was generally low but species diversity of diatoms was relatively high. In contrast, the spring bloom of diatoms was clearly observed in the shelf water where the water column was weakly stratified. The bloom was dominated by Chaetoceros debilis, contributing occasionally >80% of the diatom community. Resting stages of this species were also the most abundant taxon in the sediments on the shelf. Resuspension of the sediment during winter mixing of the water column should have enabled the resting stages to germinate at the surface. Subsequent vegetative growth after germination led to the formation of an early spring bloom of C. debilis when the water column was stratified and light availability had increased. Intermittent resuspension of sediment on the shelf, driven by strong winds and tidal currents, probably provides opportunities for diatoms with a resting stage to exploit favorable conditions for their germination and subsequent vegetative growth. It is further suggested that complex hydrographic conditions in the East China Sea result in a dynamic bloom with contributions by both autochthonous and allochthonous species.Communicated by T. Ikeda, Hakodate     

Sea ice retreat alters the biogeography of the Bering Sea continental shelf.

Seasonal ice cover creates a pool of cold bottom water on the eastern Bering Sea continental shelf each winter. The southern edge of this cold pool, which defines the ecotone between arctic and subarctic communities, has retreated approximately 230 km northward since the early 1980s. Bottom trawl surveys of fish and invertebrates in the southeastern Bering Sea (1982-2006) show a coincident reorganization in community composition by latitude. Survey catches show community-wide northward distribution shifts, and the area formerly covered by the cold pool has seen increases in total biomass, species richness, and average trophic level as subarctic fauna have colonized newly favorable habitats. Warming climate has immediate management implications, as 57% of variability in commercial snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) catch is explained by winter sea ice extent. Several measures of community distribution and structure show linear relationships with bottom temperature, suggesting warming climate as the primary cause of changing biogeography. However, residual variability in distribution not explained by climate shows a strong temporal trend, suggesting that internal community dynamics also contribute to changing biogeography. Variability among taxa in their response to temperature was not explained by commercial status or life history traits, suggesting that species-specific responses to future warming will be difficult to predict.     

海水混合和层化对叶绿素a垂直分布的影响

根据长江口海区、近岸浅水区、黄海冷水团海区和水深超过200m的陆架区等四个区域的定点调查获得的数据，分析了温度、盐度与叶绿素a垂直分布的相互关系。结果表明，长江口海区，陆源径流与海水混合不充分，表层营养盐含量较高，表层叶绿素a含量高于中下水层。近岸浅水区的苏北近岸海水垂向没有温跃层和盐跃层，叶绿素a的垂向分布也均匀，东海西部沿岸出现逆温跃层和逆盐跃层，海水垂直混合不充分，叶绿素a含量(6．72mg／m^3)在10m深水域最高。黄海冷水团海区海水的垂直混合不充分，叶绿素a的垂直变化显著，高值区出现在温跃层下方(4．37mg／m^3)。水深超过200m的陆架区，温度的阶梯状结构、营养盐跃层、光照等因素共同导致整个水层叶绿素a含量普遍较低。同时，结合历史资料分析认为，海水的混合、温度和盐度的层化将影响营养盐的浓度和分布，从而影响海水中叶绿素a的垂直分布。     

Genetic relationships of the colour morphs of Acanthochromis polyacanthus (Pomacentridae) on the northern Great Barrier Reef

Acanthochromis polyacanthus is an unusual tropical damselfish because it lacks pelagic larvae and has lost the capacity for broad-scale dispersal among coral reefs. On the modern Great Barrier Reef, this fish has multiple colour morphs and we have previously described steep genetic clines in the central region between three colour morphs. A similar transition of colour morphs has been found in the far northern region (Latitude 11°S), where at least five colour morphs and intergrading hybrids were found during a survey of 14 locations on nine adjacent reefs. On two of these reefs, monochromatic white and bicoloured morphs coexist, partitioning the reef slope vertically when sympatric, but occupying the full depth range elsewhere. In areas of overlap, they interbreed, producing hybrids of intermediate colour. Although the discriminatory power of our genetic analysis was weakened by the low level of variability in these populations (only four polymorphic loci), allozyme electrophoresis revealed significant genetic differentiation within and among reefs. There was neither simple linkage between colour and protein variation, nor correlation between genetic similarity and proximity of sampled populations. We suggest that the observed chaotic structure is the result of differences among the founding populations, although the two colour-based stocks have been homogenized through a long history of introgression during multiple episodes of isolation and secondary contact. Despite genetic mixing, phenotypic diversity (i.e. colour morphs) seems to have been preserved in these populations by sexual selection, perhaps reinforced by natural selection. The long-term stability of this outcome, however, is suggested by the presence of unique morphs on two reefs that are detached from the continental shelf and surrounded by very deep water. The strong identity of these populations can be attributed to long occupation of these isolated sites compared with those on the continental shelf which have only been established in the last 15 000 yr and still retain differences arising from the initial founder events. Received: 15 January 1997 / Accepted: 15 August 1997