Data on the biogeochemical cycle of methane in the ocean

Geological, mineralogical and microbiological aspects of the methane cycle in water and sediments of different areas in the oceans are under consideration in the monograph. Original and published estimations of formation- and oxidation rates of methane with use of radioisotope and isotopic methods are given. The role of aerobic and anaerobic microbial oxidation of methane in production of organic matter and in formation of authigenic carbonates is considered. Particular attention is paid to processes of methane transformation in areas of its intensive input to the water column from deep-sea hydrothermal sources, mud volcanoes, and cold methane seeps.

(Table, page 351-359) Chemical composition of manganese nodules and crusts from the Pacific and Indian Ocean

Chemical and mineralogical analyses of manganese nodules from a large number of widely spaced localities in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have shown that their mineralogy and chemical composition varies both areally and with depth of formation. This is considered to result from a number of factors, important among which are: (a) their proximity to continental or volcanic sources of elements; (b) the chemical environment of deposition, including the degree of oxygenation; and (c) local factors such as the upward migration of reduced manganese in sediments from certain areas. Sub-surface nodules appear to share the chemical characteristics of their surface counterparts, especially those from volcanic areas where sub-surface sources of elements are probably important.

Description and composition iron-manganese concretions from the Pacific

One the most interesting features of ocean sedimentation is the manganese formations on the surface of the ocean floor in some areas. These are especially widespread in the Pacific Ocean as concretions, grains, and crusts on rock fragments and bedrock outcrops. Iron-manganese concretions are the most abundant as they completely cover about 10% of the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where there are ore concentrations. The concretions occupy from 20-50% of the bottom and up to 80-90% on separate submarine rises. Such concretions are found in different types of bottom deposits, from abyssal red clays to terrigenous muds, but they occur most widely in red clays and quite often in carbonate muds. Their shape and their dimensions are very diverse and change from place to place, from station to station, varying from 0.5-20 cm. They may be oval, globular, reniform, or slaggy and often they are fiat or isometric concretions of an indefinite shape. The concretions generally have nuclei of pumice, basalt fragments, clayey and tuffaceous material, sharks' teeth, whale ossicles, and fossil sponges. Most concretions have concentric layers, combined with dendritic ramifications of iron and manganese oxides.

Grain size and mineral compositions of Pacific red clays

Hypotheses of origin of ocean deep red clays are under discussion. On an example of the Pacific Ocean grain size, mineralogy and chemical composition of clays are considered. It is shown that they formed from atmospheric dust and andesite pyroclastics. Accumulation of the clays occurred through deposition particle-by-particle and by pellet transport.

Global distributions of diazotrophs abundance and biomass - Depth integrated values computed from a collection of source datasets - Contribution to the MAREDAT World Ocean Atlas of Plankton Functional Types

The MAREDAT atlas covers 11 types of plankton, ranging in size from bacteria to jellyfish. Together, these plankton groups determine the health and productivity of the global ocean and play a vital role in the global carbon cycle. Working within a uniform and consistent spatial and depth grid (map) of the global ocean, the researchers compiled thousands and tens of thousands of data points to identify regions of plankton abundance and scarcity as well as areas of data abundance and scarcity. At many of the grid points, the MAREDAT team accomplished the difficult conversion from abundance (numbers of organisms) to biomass (carbon mass of organisms). The MAREDAT atlas provides an unprecedented global data set for ecological and biochemical analysis and modeling as well as a clear mandate for compiling additional existing data and for focusing future data gathering efforts on key groups in key areas of the ocean. The present data set presents depth integrated values of diazotrophs abundance and biomass, computed from a collection of source data sets.

Global distributions of diazotrophs nitrogen fixation rates - Depth integrated values computed from a collection of source datasets - Contribution to the MAREDAT World Ocean Atlas of Plankton Functional Types

The MAREDAT atlas covers 11 types of plankton, ranging in size from bacteria to jellyfish. Together, these plankton groups determine the health and productivity of the global ocean and play a vital role in the global carbon cycle. Working within a uniform and consistent spatial and depth grid (map) of the global ocean, the researchers compiled thousands and tens of thousands of data points to identify regions of plankton abundance and scarcity as well as areas of data abundance and scarcity. At many of the grid points, the MAREDAT team accomplished the difficult conversion from abundance (numbers of organisms) to biomass (carbon mass of organisms). The MAREDAT atlas provides an unprecedented global data set for ecological and biochemical analysis and modeling as well as a clear mandate for compiling additional existing data and for focusing future data gathering efforts on key groups in key areas of the ocean. The present data set presents depth integrated values of diazotrophs nitrogen fixation rates, computed from a collection of source data sets.

The Roles of Land and Orography on Precipitation and Ocean Circulation in Global Climate Models

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

IUCN classification zones concord with, but underestimate, the population genetic structure of the zebra shark Stegostoma fasciatum in the Indo-West Pacific

The Indo-West Pacific (IWP), from South Africa in the western Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean, contains some of the most biologically diverse marine habitats on earth, including the greatest biodiversity of chondrichthyan fishes. The region encompasses various densities of human habitation leading to contrasts in the levels of exploitation experienced by chondrichthyans, which are targeted for local consumption and export. The demersal chondrichthyan, the zebra shark, Stegostoma fasciatum, is endemic to the IWP and has two current regional International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifications that reflect differing levels of exploitation: ‘Least Concern’ and ‘Vulnerable’. In this study, we employed mitochondrial ND4 sequence data and 13 microsatellite loci to investigate the population genetic structure of 180 zebra sharks from 13 locations throughout the IWP to test the concordance of IUCN zones with demographic units that have conservation value. Mitochondrial and microsatellite data sets from samples collected throughout northern Australia and Southeast Asia concord with the regional IUCN classifications. However, we found evidence of genetic subdivision within these regions, including subdivision between locations connected by habitat suitable for migration. Furthermore, parametric FST analyses and Bayesian clustering analyses indicated that the primary genetic break within the IWP is not represented by the IUCN classifications but rather is congruent with the Indonesian throughflow current. Our findings indicate that recruitment to areas of high exploitation from nearby healthy populations in zebra sharks is likely to be minimal, and that severe localized depletions are predicted to occur in zebra shark populations throughout the IWP region.

Slow Slip Acceleration beneath Andaman Islands Triggered by the 11 April 2012 Indian Ocean Earthquakes

The M-w 8.6 and 8.2 strike-slip earthquakes that struck the northeast Indian Ocean on 11 April 2012 resulted in coseismic deformation both at near and distant sites. The slip distribution, deduced using seismic-wave analysis for the orthogonal faults that ruptured during these earthquakes, is sufficient to predict the coseismic displacements at the Global Positioning System (GPS) sites, such as NTUS, PALK, and CUSV, but fall short at four continuous sites in the Andaman Islands region. Slip modeling, for times prior to the events, suggests that the lower portion of the thrust fault beneath the Andaman Islands has been slipping at least at the rate of 40 cm/yr, in response to the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman coseismic stress change. Modeling of GPS displacements suggests that the en echelon and orthogonal fault ruptures of the 2012 intraplate oceanic earthquakes could have possibly accelerated the ongoing slow slip, along the lower portion of the thrust fault beneath the islands with a month-long slip of 4-10 cm. The misfit to the coseismic GPS displacements along the Andaman Islands could be improved with a better source model, assuming that no local process contributed to this anomaly.

PICES Press, Vol. 12, No. 1, January 2004

The state of PICES science - 2003 (pdf 281 KB) 2003 Wooster Award (pdf 764 KB) The state of the eastern North Pacific through summer 2003 (pdf 448 KB) The Bering Sea: Current status and recent events (pdf 951 KB) The state of the western North Pacific in the first half of 2003 (pdf 684 KB) The status of oceanic zooplankton in the eastern North Pacific (pdf 390 KB) The precautionary approach to the PDO (pdf 976 KB) Photo highlights of PICES XII (pdf 2.79 MB) William G. Pearcy: Renaissance oceanographer (pdf 2.86 MB) KORDI/PICES/CoML Workshop on "Variability and status of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea ecosystems (pdf 785 KB) PICES/IOC Workshop on "Harmful algal blooms - Harmonization of data" (pdf 330 KB) From physics to predators: Monitoring North Pacific ecosystem dynamics (pdf 270 KB) Toward a coast-wide network of Northeast Pacific coastal-ocean monitoring programs - a brief workshop report (pdf 640) PICES publications (pdf 103 KB) PICES calendar (pdf 45 KB)

PICES Press, Vol. 6, No. 2, July 1998

CREAMS, PICES and the exploration of the Japan/East Sea The state of the eastern North Pacific from September 97 to February 98 The state of the western North Pacific in the second half of 1997 The status of the Bering Sea in the second half of 1997 Hyung Tack Huh Report on GOOS Living Marine Resource Panel Meeting Global connections: A report of the GLOBEC International Open Science Meeting Update on U.S. GLOBEC research projects and coordination activities in the Northeast Pacific Institutional framework for oceanographic research in Japan The Kuroshio Edge Exchange Processes (KEEP) Project Report on NPAFC Workshop on Climate Change and Salmon Production A new ocean time series station in the western subarctic Pacific

Annual report 2005 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). Fourteenth meeting, Vladivostok, Russia, September 29-October 9, 2005

Report of Opening Session (pdf 0.07 Mb) Report of Governing Council (pdf 0.2 Mb) Report of the Finance and Administration Committee (pdf 0.07 Mb) Reports of Science Board and Committees Science Board inter-sessional meeting (pdf 0.07 Mb) Science Board (pdf 0.1 Mb) Biological Oceanography Committee (pdf 0.2 Mb) Fishery Science Committee (pdf 0.04 Mb) Marine Environmental Quality Committee (pdf 0.06 Mb) MONITOR Technical Committee (pdf 0.05 Mb) Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee (pdf 0.06 Mb) Technical Committee on Data Exchange (pdf 0.04 Mb) Reports of Sections, Working and Study Groups Section on Ecology of harmful algal blooms in the North Pacific (pdf 0.03 Mb) Section on Carbon and Climate Working Group 18 on Mariculture in the 21st century - The intersection between ecology, socio-economics and production (pdf 0.06 Mb) Working Group 19 on Ecosystem-based management science and its application to the North Pacific (pdf 0.03 Mb) Reports of the Climate Change and Carrying Capacity Program Implementation Panel on the CCCC Program (pdf 0.04 Mb) CFAME Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) MODEL Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) Reports of Advisory Panels Advisory Panel on Iron Fertilization Experiment in the Subarctic Pacific Ocean (pdf 0.04 Mb) Advisory Panel on Marine Birds and Mammals (pdf 0.03 Mb) Advisory Panel on Micronekton Sampling Inter-Calibration experiment (pdf 0.05 Mb) Summary of Scientific Sessions and Workshops (pdf 0.2 Mb) Membership List (pdf 0.07 Mb) List of Participants (pdf 0.07 Mb) List of Acronyms (pdf 0.03 Mb)

Annual report 2004 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). Thirteenth meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A., October 14-24, 2004

Report of Opening Session (pdf 0.07 Mb) Report of Governing Council (pdf 0.2 Mb) Report of the Finance and Administration Committee (pdf 0.08 Mb) Reports of Science Board and Committees Science Board inter-sessional meeting (pdf 0.05 Mb) Science Board (pdf 0.1 Mb) Biological Oceanography Committee (pdf 0.1 Mb) Fishery Science Committee (pdf 0.04 Mb) Marine Environmental Quality Committee (pdf 0.04 Mb) Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee (pdf 0.04 Mb) Technical Committee on Data Exchange (pdf 0.04 Mb) Reports of Sections, Working and Study Groups Harmful Algal Blooms Section (pdf 0.03 Mb) Working Group 17 on Biogeochemical data integration and synthesis (pdf 0.03 Mb) Working Group 18 on Mariculture in the 21st century - The intersection between ecology, socio-economics and production (pdf 0.06 Mb) Study Group on Ecosystem-based management science and its application to the North Pacific (pdf 0.04 Mb) Reports of the Climate Change and Carrying Capacity Program Implementation Panel on the CCCC Program (pdf 0.04 Mb) BASS Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) CFAME Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) MODEL Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) MONITOR Task Team (pdf 0.03 Mb) REX Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) Reports of Advisory Panels Advisory Panel on Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey in the North Pacific (pdf 0.4 Mb) Advisory Panel on Iron Fertilization Experiment in the Subarctic Pacific Ocean (pdf 0.03 Mb) Advisory Panel on Marine Birds and Mammals (pdf 0.04 Mb) Advisory Panel on Micronekton Sampling Inter-Calibration experiment (pdf 0.04 Mb) Summary of Scientific Sessions and Workshops (pdf 0.2 Mb) Membership List (pdf 0.07 Mb) List of Participants (pdf 0.09 Mb) List of Acronyms (pdf 0.03 Mb)

Chemical contaminants, pathogen exposure and general health status of live and beach-cast Washington sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni)

Analyses of blood and liver samples from live captured sea otters and liver samples from beachcast sea otter carcasses off the remote Washington coast indicate relatively low exposure to contaminants, but suggest that even at the low levels measured, exposure may be indicated by biomarker response. Evidence of pathogen exposure is noteworthy - infectious disease presents a potential risk to Washington sea otters, particularly due to their small population size and limited distribution. During 2001 and 2002, 32 sea otters were captured, of which 28 were implanted with transmitters to track their movements and liver and blood samples were collected to evaluate contaminant and pathogen exposure. In addition, liver samples from fifteen beachcast animals that washed ashore between 1991 and 2002 were analyzed to provide historical information and a basis of reference for values obtained from live otters. The results indicate low levels of metals, butyltins, and organochlorine compounds in the blood samples, with many of the organochlorines not detected except polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and a few aromatic hydrocarbons detected in the liver of the live captured animals. Aliphatic hydrocarbons were measurable in the liver from the live captured animals; however, some of these are likely from biogenic sources. A significant reduction of vitamin A storage in the liver was observed in relation to PCB, dibutyltin and octacosane concentration. A significant and strong positive correlation in vitamin A storage in the liver was observed for cadmium and several of the aliphatic hydrocarbons. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cytochrome P450 induction was elevated in two of 16 animals and may be potentially related to aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon exposure. Mean concentration of total butyltin in the liver of the Washington beach-cast otters was more than 15 times lower than the mean concentration reported by Kannan et al. (1998) for Southern sea otters in California. Organochlorine compounds were evident in the liver of beach-cast animals, despite the lack of large human population centers and development along the Washington coast. Concentrations of PCBs and chlordanes (e.g., transchlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor and oxychlordane) in liver of Washington beach-cast sea otters were similar to those measured in Aleutian and California sea otters, excluding those from Monterey Bay, which were higher. Mean concentrations of 1,1,1,- trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophyenyl)ethanes (DDTs) were lower, and mean concentrations of cyclohexanes (HCH, e.g., alpha BHC, beta BHC, delta BHC and gamma BHC) were slightly higher in Washington beach-cast otters versus those from California and the Aleutians. Epidemiologically, blood tests revealed that 80 percent of the otters tested positive for morbillivirus and 60 percent for Toxoplasma, the latter of which has been a significant cause of mortality in Southern sea otters in California. This is the first finding of positive morbillivirus titers in sea otters from the Northeast Pacific. Individual deaths may occur from these diseases, perhaps more so when animals are otherwise immuno-compromised or infected with multiple diseases, but a population-threatening die-off from these diseases singly is unlikely while population immunity remains high. The high frequency of detection of morbillivirus and Toxoplasma in the live otters corresponds well with the cause of death of stranded Washington sea otters reported herein, which has generally been attributable to infectious disease. Washington’s sea otter population continues to grow, with over 1100 animals currently inhabiting Washington waters; however, the rate of growth has slowed over recent years. The population has a limited distribution and has not yet reached its carrying capacity and as such, is still considered at high risk to catastrophic events. (PDF contains 189 pages)