Reproductive biology of Hemitripterus villosus in the Bohai Strait,China

To understand the reproductive biology of Hemitripterus villosus in the Bohai Strait,and fill the key knowledge gap in verifying reproductive seasonality and documenting gonadotropin dependent reproductive cycle of this species,a year-round detail study was conducted for the first time.In total,263 individuals were randomly sampled off the coasts of the Bohai Strait.Results show that and the overall female-to-male ratio(1.35:1)did not differ significantly from the 1:1 sex ratio.The length and weight relationship for females and males were regressed,depicting an isometric growth for both sexes.Four reproductive phases of the complete gonadotropin dependent reproductive cycle in both sexes were identified.The monthly variations in the gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indexes for both sexes further indicated that this species spawns a single batch of eggs per year and the peak spawning period is from October to December.The average diameter of eggs ranged from 2.10 to 3.57 mm.The length at first sexual maturity was 224.87 mm for females and 241.26 mm for males.Significant positive relationships between absolute fecundity and fish size,and also gonadal weight were observed.H.villosus from the Bohai Strait exhibited smaller body size,smaller egg diameter,lower gonadosomatic index,lower absolute fecundity,and higher population extinction risk than the other populations’studied previously.Our findings contribute to understanding the status of this isolated westernmost population,and we emphasize that more efficient protection measures for the species and control measures are urgently required to improve the coastal environment in the Bohai Strait.

Analysis of Tidal Current Energy Potential in the Major Channels of the Bohai Strait Based on Delft3D

The utilization and development of tidal current energy can help alleviate the current energy shortage,improve the global ecological environment,and maintain sustainable development.In this study,numerical simulation is carried out on a rectangular grid using Delft3D.The tidal current energy potential of the major channels in the Bohai Strait is further simulated and estimated by comparing the simulated and measured data.Results show that the flow module in Delft3D has good modeling ability for the assessment of tidal current energy potential.The average flow velocity,maximum flow velocity,and energy flow density are consistent.The Laotieshan Channel,located in the northern part of the Bohai Strait,shows a large tidal current energy potential.The maximum flow velocity of this channel can reach 2 m s-1,and the maximum energy flow density can exceed 500 W m-2.The tidal current energy in the Laotieshan Channel is more than 10 times that in other channels.Therefore,this study advocates for the continued exploration and exploitation of the tidal current energy resources in the Laotieshan Channel.

Identification of thermal front dynamics in the northern Malacca Strait using ROMS 3D-model

The thermal front in the oceanic system is believed to have a significant effect on biological activity.During an era of climate change,changes in heat regulation between the atmosphere and oceanic interior can alter the characteristics of this important feature.Using the simulation results of the 3D Regional Ocean Modelling System(ROMS),we identified the location of thermal fronts and determined their dynamic variability in the area between the southern Andaman Sea and northern Malacca Strait.The Single Image Edge Detection(SIED)algorithm was used to detect the thermal front from model-derived temperature.Results show that a thermal front occurred every year from 2002 to 2012 with the temperature gradient at the location of the front was 0.3°C/km.Compared to the years affected by El Ni?o and negative Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD),the normal years(e.g.,May 2003)show the presence of the thermal front at every selected depth(10,25,50,and 75 m),whereas El Ni?o and negative IOD during 2010 show the presence of the thermal front only at depth of 75 m due to greater warming,leading to the thermocline deepening and enhanced stratification.During May 2003,the thermal front was separated by cooler SST in the southern Andaman Sea and warmer SST in the northern Malacca Strait.The higher SST in the northern Malacca Strait was believed due to the besieged Malacca Strait,which trapped the heat and make it difficult to release while higher chlorophyll a in Malacca Strait is due to the freshwater conduit from nearby rivers(Klang,Langat,Perak,and Selangor).Furthermore,compared to the southern Andaman Sea,the chlorophyll a in the northern Malacca Strait is easier to reach the surface area due to the shallower thermocline,which allows nutrients in the area to reach the surface faster.

Freshening of the Intermediate Waters in the Northern South China Sea over the Past Six Decades

The properties of salinity in the South China Sea(SCS),a significant marginal sea connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans,are greatly influenced by the transport of fresh water flux between the two oceans.However,the long-term changes in the intermediate water in the SCS have not been thoroughly studied due to limited data,particularly in relation to its thermodynamic variations.This study utilized reanalysis data products to identify a 60-year trend of freshening in the intermediate waters of the northern South China Sea(NSCS),accompanied by an expansion of low-salinity water.The study also constructed salinity budget terms,including advection and entrainment processes,and conducted an analysis of the salinity budget to understand the impacts of external and internal dynamic processes on the freshening trend of the intermediate water in the NSCS.The analysis revealed that the freshening in the northwest Pacific Ocean and the intensification of intrusion through the Luzon Strait at intermediate levels are the primary drivers of the salinity changes in the NSCS.Additionally,a weakened trend in the intensity of vertical entrainment also contributes to the freshening in the NSCS.This study offers new insights into the understanding of regional deep sea changes in response to variations in both thermodynamics and oceanic dynamic processes.

The source rupture feature of the southern Taiwan Straits earthquake of September 16，1994 （Ms7．3） ＆ the analysis of earthquake circumstance in southeastern coast of China

According to the source mechanism of the main shock and the distribution feature of the aftershocks occurring in the southern Taiwan Straits on Sept. 16, 1994, in this paper the authors analysed the source rupture feature of the major earthquake, demonstrated that this seismic sequence possessed the charateristics of a large intraplate earthquake. And according to the seismotectonic background and the historical seismicity in the area, the authors clarified the active characteristics of the seismically active belts along northwestern direction and analysed preliminarily the earthquake circumstance in the southeastern coast of China.

Analysis on Features of Temperature and Salinity in the Northern Taiwan Straits During February-March, 1998

The distributional features of temperature and salinity in the northern Taiwan Straits have been analyzed based on the CTD data during February-March, 1998. The characteristics of temperature and salinity are summarized as follows: (1) there exists a coastal water along the western coast of the Taiwan Straits, with low temperature and low salinity at the upper layer; (2) a high temperature and high salinity water tongue extends northeastward along the eastern coast of the Taiwan Strait.

Sediment bacterial communities are more complex in coastal shallow straits than in oceanic deep straits

Straits are ideal models to investigate the bacterial community assembly in complex hydrological environments. However, few studies have focused on bacterial communities in them. Here, comparable bacterial communities in costal shallow Bohai Strait(BS) and oceanic deep Fram Strait(FS) were studied. The Shannon and Chao1 indices were both higher in BS than in FS. The relative abundances of the classes Deltaproteobacteria and Bacilli and the family Halieaceae were higher in BS than in FS, in contrast to the families OM1_clade and JTB255_marine_benthic_group, revealing typical characteristics of bacterial communities in coastal and oceanic regions. Cluster analysis based on the Bray-Curtis index showed that samples were clustered by depth layer in FS and BS, indicating that structures of bacterial communities would diff er with increasing water depth in straits. Additionally, the cluster relationships among samples in abundant and rare communities were both similar to those in entire communities. However, the dissimilarities among samples showed a descending order as rare communities, entire communities and abundant communities. Network analysis indicated that the BS network was obviously more complex than the FS network. Filamentous bacteria Desulfobulbaceae exhibited high degree values in BS but not in FS, indicating key roles of Desulfobulbaceae in the BS. Our study provides different and common evidences for understanding microbial ecology in coastal shallow and oceanic deep straits.

Studies on ecological characteristics variation and population dynamics of four lizardfishes in the southern Taiwan Straits

The ecological characteristics of four lizardfishes, Trachinocephalus myops, Saurida undosquamis, Saurida tumbil and Saurida elongata, were studied from specimens （910 T. myops, 454 S. un-dosquamis, 686 S. tumbil and 744 S. elongata） collected monthly in the southern Taiwan Straits from April 2005 to March 2006. The population dynamics of the four lizardfishes was also discussed by the comparison with the previous studies. All being composed of 7 a classes; the dominant group of T. myops and S. tumbil was 1–2 a, while S. undosquamis and S. elongate were 2–3 a. The total mortality coefficient Z and the fishing mortality F were at high as indicated by the exploitation ratio E（0.5）, and a large number of by-caught juvenile and young fishes showing that the stock of lizardfishes in this area was overexploited and the fishing gear was irrational. Compared with the previous studies, the maximum and mean fork length, body mass and age of the four lizard- fishes declined gradually, the lizardfishes populations were younger in age and smaller in size. The asymptotic fork length L ∞ decreased while increasing growth coefficient k, and age at the inflexion point of mass t r was younger compared with the previous studies. The declining of older ones has moderated the feeding competition and the younger ones grew faster. The larger mortality param-eters Z, M and F have revealed higher fishing pressure. The smaller change of the first mature fork length of female T . myops and the change from K selection pattern to r selection pattern of S. tumbil have indicated a more vulnerable fishery ecosystem in this area. The changes of ecological characteristics and population dynamics may be caused by over-exploitation of demersal fishes such as the lizardfishes, especially a large number of juvenile and young fishes by-catch by the current fishing gears and methods. Therefore, in addition to the traditional fishery management approach such as the minimum length-limit, ecosystem approach to fisheries management （EAF） should be taken to improve the practical marine ecosystem management, including increased fishing intensity of the non-economic species especially the feeding competitors of the lizardfishes and the conservation of the pelagic fishery population in the fisheries ecosystem, in order to restore the fishery population and achieve the sustainable use of the fishery stocks.

Estimation of water volume transports through the main straits of the East China Sea

The structure of current speed and the variability of volume transports of the Kuroshio in the Tokara-kaikyo and Osumi-kaikyo are discussed on the basis of data of KER in the period from 1977 to 1984. The average geostrophic transport through these two straits is estimated to be 24. 5×106 m3/s and only 1/12 of the transport is through the Osumi-kaiky5. Countercurrents on both sides of the Kuroshio trunk are observed in the Tokara-kaikyo. Calculation indicates that the average geostrophic current speed is less than the GEK current speed, systematically. On the basis of the current measurements, the northward transports through the Taiwan Strait in winter and summer are estimated to be 1. 05×106and 3. 16×106m3/s, respectively. From Chu's data (1976) the average transport of the Kuroshio flowing into the East China Sea passing through the passage east of Taiwan is about 29. 3×106m3/s. From Miita and Ogawa's data (1984) the average transport through the Tsushima-kaikyo is 3. 6×106m3/s. Thus the volume transports through the above four straits are roughly in balance, the total outflowing transport is slightly larger than the total inflowing transport. The possible reasons resulting in the difference of transports are also discussed.

Source Parameters Evaluation of the 28^(th) December 1908 and 16^(th) January 1975 Earthquakes in the Messina Straits(Southern Italy)

The Calabria-Peloritani Arc is one of the most seismically active regions of Southern Italy.The most damaging event(Ⅰ0=ⅪMSK)occurred on December 28th,1908 in the Messina Straits area.This event,which caused at least 85000 casualties and widespread damage,has been identified as the greatest European seismic disaster of the 20th century.

Probabilistic Analyses of Seismic Hazard in the Messina Straits(Northeastern Sicily,Italy)

In order to assess the seismic hazard in an area with high seismogenic potential as the Messina Straits is, we employed the Cornell’s probabilistic approach, implemented by Bender and Perkins in the SEISRISKⅢcode,which allows calculating the expected ground motion.We considered all the earthquakes with magnitude M_s】4.0 reported in the CPTI04 catalogue and located in the seismogenic zones of Southern Italy(ZS9),which are able to

Spatial distribution and behavior of dissolved selenium speciation in the South China Sea and Malacca Straits during spring inter-monsoon period

Selenium(Se)has been recognized as a key trace element that is associated with growth of primary producers in oceans.During March and May 2018,surface water(67 samples)was collected and measured by HG-ICP-MS to investigate the distribution and behavior of selenite[Se(Ⅳ)],selenate[Se(Ⅵ)]and dissolved organic selenides(DOSe)concentrations in the Zhujiang River Estuary(ZRE),South China Sea(SCS)and Malacca Straits(MS).It showed that Se(Ⅳ)(0.14–3.44 nmol/L)was the dominant chemical species in the ZRE,related to intensive manufacture in the watershed;while the major species shifted to DOSe(0.05–0.79 nmol/L)in the MS,associated with the wide coverage of peatland and intensive agriculture activities in the Malaysian Peninsula.The SCS was identified as the northern and southern sections(NSCS and SSCS)based on the variations of surface circulation.The insignificant variation of Se(IV)in the NSCS and SSCS was obtained in March,potentially resulting from the high chemical activity and related preferential assimilation by phytoplankton communities.Contrastively,the lower DOSe concentrations in the SSCS likely resulted from higher primary production and utilization during March.During May,the concentration of Se(Ⅳ)remained low in the NSCS and SSCS,while DOSe concentrations increased notably in the SSCS,likely due to the impact of terrestrial inputs from surface current reversal and subsequent accumulation.On a global scale,DOSe is the dominant Se species in tropical oceans,while Se(Ⅳ)and Se(Ⅵ)are major fractions in high-latitude oceans,resulting from changes in predominated phytoplankton and related biological assimilation.

Fossil Human Humerus of Late Pleistocene from the Taiwan Straits

A highly petrified human right humerus was salvaged from the Taiwan Straits. The large and robust humerus has a well developed deltoid tuberosity that causes the obvious flexion at mid shaft. The axes of the upper and lower parts of the shaft are not on the same line and make an angle of 6 5°. This is considered a primitive trait different from that of Neolithic and modern humans, suggesting that the humerus is at the same evolutionary stage as "Minatogawa Man" from Japan and "Obercassel Man" from Germany. Coexistent fossil mammals indicate that the fossil humerus is late Late Pleistocene.

Underway Measurement of Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity in the Taiwan Straits in August, 1999

The distributional features of sea surface temperature and salinity (SST and SSS)in the Taiwan Straits have been analyzed using the SST and SSS underway measurements in August, 1999. The characteristics of SST and SSS are summarized as follows: There are several upwellings and diluted water in the Taiwan Straits. The upwellings are divided into two kinds: those along the western coast of the Taiwan Straits and those around the Taiwan Shoal. There are three sources of diluted water: diluted water of the Jiulongjiang River,diluted water of the Zhujiang River and diluted water of the Minjiang River.

Deep Seismic Exploration in the Taiwan Straits: The HX9 Survey Line Experiment and Preliminary Results

By using an offshore large volume air-gun seismic source, onshore seismic stations( including mobile stations and permanent stations) and ocean bottom seismometers,a deep seismic exploration experiment was carried out for the first time in the Taiwan Straits. Results show that seismic stations can receive seismic signals from the air-gun arrays of the "YANPING Ⅱ"scientific investigation ship from as far as 280 km away.Tens of thousands of high quality seismic data items were obtained successfully and different types of P-wave seismic phases were identified. A one-dimensional crustal structure model of the survey profile HX9 shows that the crustal structure,which is reflected by Pc and Pm P reflection waves from two velocity discontinuities and basement refraction wave( Pg) constitutes the basic characteristic of the crustal structure in this region. The depths of Conrad discontinuity and Moho discontinuity are respectively16. 0km- 17. 5km and 28. 0km- 29. 5km.

A preliminary study on genesis of the Qiongzhou Straits

The active period of the faults in the Qiongzhou Straits occurred principally in the Tertiary. The rupture zone is situated in the nearly E-W striking tectonic lowland between the Leizhou Peninsula and the Hainan Island, which was preformed by the southward and northward compressions due to the expansion of the South China Sea Basin. During the interglacial periods in the Quaternary, the lowland was inundated and deepened gradually due to erosion by sea curfent. It was until the last uprising of sea level during the postglacial period that the Qiongzhou Straits assumed its present appearance.

Ecological characteristics of planktonic ostracoda in the western waters of Taiwan Straits

In the sea area west of the middle line of Taiwan Straits, 116°40′～120°30′E, 22°22.9′～25°43′N, four cruises of comprehensive survey were conducted by the Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, from May, 1984 to February, 1985. The data concerned were taken from the quantitative samples obtained by using large-sized standard zooplankton nets, while the values adopted such as hydrological and chemical data of the various stations were from the average values of the field data of each one-meter layer.

Protection of Intellectual Property for Both Sides of the Straits

At the invitation of Pen-tsao Chang, Chairman of the Commercial Affairs Coordination Committee for the Two Sides of the Straits, a delegation composed of nine intellectual property experts and scholars, headed by Xie Jianqun, Vicechairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Chairman of the Economic and Trade Coordination Committee for the Two Sides of the Straits, recently paid a nineday visit to Taiwan. The visit caught the attention of Taiwan’s mass media as it was the first high-ranking economic

The Coulomb Stress Change Associated with the Taiwan Straits M_S 7.3 Earthquake on September 16,1994 and the Risk Prediction of Its Surrounding Faults

Using the focal mechanism solutions and slip distribution model data of the Taiwan Straits MS7.3 earthquake on September 16, 1994, we calculate the static Coulomb stress changes stemming from the earthquake. Based on the distribution of aftershocks and stress field, as well as the location of historical earthquakes, we analyze the Coulomb stress change triggered by the Taiwan Straits MS7.3 earthquake. The result shows that the static Coulomb stress change obtained by forward modeling based on the slip distribution model is quite consistent with the location of aftershocks in the areas far away from the epicenter. Ninety percent of aftershocks occurred in the stress increased areas. The Coulomb stress change is not entirely consistent with the distribution of aftershocks near the epicenter. It is found that Coulomb stress change can better reflect the aftershock distribution far away from the epicenter, while such corresponding relationship becomes quite complex near the epicenter. Through the calculation of the Coulomb stress change, we find that the stress increases in the southwest part of the Min-Yue (Fujian-Guangdong) coastal fault zone, which enhances the seismic activity. Therefore, it is deemed that the sea area between Nanpeng Island and Dongshan Island, where the Min-Yue coastal fault zone intersects with the NW-trending Shanghang-Dongshan fault, has a high seismic risk.

典雅精致的摇滚之声——Dire Straits

前两天得闲,又到本地专营进口发烧CD的唱片店去看看到了什么新货没有.进门后发现,货架上又增添了许多新面孔,听闻已久的一批FIM公司出品的XRCD正整整齐齐地摆在那里,其中有我喜爱的香港歌手林子祥、陈百强,还有试音天碟王菲的《天空》,日本爵士乐团三盲鼠的精选也终于一见.今天总算没白来,赶紧下手拿下《三盲鼠》和《林子祥精选》,舒舒服服地坐在店内试音间的皇帝位上先过一把瘾再说,XRCD的音效处理技术确实有其过人之处,几首三盲鼠的爵士精典作品听得人沉醉不已.