Education and awareness programme on marine protected area management, Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary, Sri Lanka

The objectives of the education programme included: making the fishing community and the younger generation aware of the importance of conserving marine resources; to obtain their suggestions and opinions; and to identify gaps and needs to strengthen local participation.

Saint Martin's biological survey report, Bangladesh: fauna and flora checklist

This report presents an overview of the land-based biodiversity of the St Martin's Island, based on field visits during October 2014 and from historical data.

Report on Saint Martin's Island ecosystem boundary, Bangladesh: final report

This report seeks to strengthen national capacity on managing Marine Protected Area (MPAs) in Bangladesh. St Martin's Island was used as the pilot ecosystem boundary delineation.

Meeting on BOBLME engagement in the International Indian Ocean Expedition 50th anniversary initiative (IIOE-2), Bangkok, Thailand, 17-18 March, 2015

Objectives included; a contribution to understanding large-scale processes affecting the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Project (BOBLME) and it's living resources; and to align with International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2) (2015-2020) which will extensively explore and study the Indian Ocean to improve understanding of the ocean and coupled climate processes.

Feasibility study: the methods and approaches to implementing a SEREAD teacher training programme in BOBLME countries

Objectives included a desk-top feasibility study to explore opportunities to adapt the Scientific Educational Resources and Experience Associated with the Deployment of Argo profiling floats in the South Pacific Ocean (SEREAD) to BOBLME country schools.The programme included teacher resources on climate change and facilitating interactions between scientists, students and teachers.

Report on science communication training and Wayamba International Conference (WINC) on Sustainable Development through Equitable Sharing

This report presents presentations from representatives of 12 countries, key outcomes and recommendations for the future.

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (Essential EAFM) training and TOT in Sri Lanka

This report presents presentations from representatives of 12 countries, key outcomes and recommendations for the future.

ALGAL GROWTH POTENTIAL AND NUTRIENT LIMITATION IN SPRING IN THREE-GORGES RESERVOIR, CHINA

In China, especially in Three-Gorges Reservoir, our knowledge of the algal growth potential and nutrient limitation was still limited. In the spring of 2006, the water column ratios of total nitrogen/total phosphorus were investigated and algal bioassays performed to determine algal growth potential of waters and nutrient limitation of mainstream and Xiangxi Bay of Three-Gorges Reservoir. The results showed sampling sites in mainstream were co-limited by N and P or P-limited alone, and sites in Xiangxi Bay were N-limited alone. Fe likely played an important role in determining the appearance and disappearance of algal blooms of Three-Gorges Reservoir. Native algae, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Cyclotella meneghiniana, had high growth potential in Three-Gorges Reservoir.

Food Consumption by In Situ Pen-Cultured Planktivorous Fishes and Effects on an Algal Bloom in Lake Taihu, China

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) were used as a new pen-cultureed biomanipulation technique to control algal blooms in Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu. In order to evaluate the capacity of these two fishes to decrease algal blooms, diel feeding samplings were carried out in May (without algal blooms) and September (with algal blooms) in 2005. Based on estimated food consumption by the Elliott-Persson model, silver carp increased daily food consumption from 2.07 g dry weight per 100 g wet body weight in May before the outbreak of algal blooms to 4.98 g dry weight per 100 g wet body weight in September during algal blooms outbreak. However, no obvious variation of food consumption was observed in bighead carp during the study period. This species 1.88 and 1.54 g dry weight of plankton per 100 g wet body weight in May and September, respectively. Silver carp had a higher feeding capacity for plankton than bighead carp. Biotic factors (i.e., fish size and conspecific competition with natural species in the lake) may affect the feeding behaviors of both carps as well as seasonal variation of plankton communities in the pen.

Phenotypic plasticity in gut length in the planktivorous filter-feeding silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

Phenotypic plasticity widely exists in the external morphology of animals as well as the internal traits of organs. In the present study, we studied the gut length plasticity of planktivorous filter-feeding silver carp under different food resources in large-net cage experiments in Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu in 2004 and 2005. There was a significant difference in stocking density between these 2 years. Under a low stocking density and abundant food resources, silver carp increased their energy intake by feeding on more zooplankton. Meanwhile, silver carp adjusted their gut length to match the digestive requirements of food when exposed to different food resources. In the main growth seasons (from April to October), silver carp significantly increased their relative gut length when feeding on more phytoplankton in 2005 (p < 0.01, 9.23 +/- 1.80 in 2004 and 10.77 +/- 2.05 in 2005, respectively). There was a nearly significant negative correlation between zooplankton proportion in the diet and the relative gut length when silver carp were stocked in a high density (p = 0.112). It appears that silver carp might have evolved plasticity to change their gut length rapidly to facilitate efficient utilization of food resources. Such resource polymorphisms in the gut may be a good indication of temporal adaptation to resource conditions. Our work provided field evidence for understanding the functional basis of resource polymorphisms and the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in planktivorous filter-feeding fish.

EAWM-related air-sea-land interaction and the Asian summer monsoon circulation

Based on the data analysis, this study further explores the characteristics of East Asian winter monsoon (hereafter, EAWM, for brevity) as well as the related air-sea-land system, and illustrates how and to what degree anomalous signals of the subsequent Asian summer monsoon are rooted in the preceding EAWM activity. We identified an important air-sea coupled mode, i.e., the EAWM mode illustrated in Section 3. In cold seasons, strong EAWM-related air-sea two-way interaction is responsible for the development and persistence of the SSTA pattern of EAWM mode. As a consequence, the key regions, i.e., the western Pacific and South China Sea (hereafter, SCS, for brevity), are dominated by such an SSTA pattern from the winter to the following summer. In the strong EAWM years, the deficient snow cover dominates eastern Tibetan Plateau in winter, and in spring, this anomaly pattern is further strengthened and extended to the northwestern side of Tibetan Plateau. Thus, the combined effect of strong EAWM-related SSTA and Tibetan snow cover constitutes an important factor in modulating the Asian monsoon circulation. The active role of the EAWM activity as well as the related air-sea-land interaction would, in the subsequent seasons, lead to: 1) the enhancement of SCS monsoon and related stronger rainfall; 2) the northward displacement of subtropical high during Meiyu period and the related deficient rainfall over Meiyu rainband; 3) above-normal precipitation over the regions from northern Japan to northeastern China in summer; 4) more rainfall over the Arabian Sea and Northeast India, while less rainfall over southwest India and the Bay of Bengal. The strong EAWM-related air-sea interaction shows, to some degree, precursory signals to the following Asian summer monsoon. However, the mechanism for the variability of Indian summer monsoon subsequent to the strong EAWM years remains uncertain.

孟加拉湾表层盐度季节变化和ENSO循环的拓展伴随模态分析

本文采用旋转经验正交函数分析和拓展伴随模态分析方法研究孟加拉湾表层盐度的季节变化，结果表明其主要特征是西北淡水羽（位于湾的西北部）和东北淡水羽（位于湾的东北部）的季节性演变。西北淡水羽始于7月初，8月底达到峰值，10月底转变为湾形淡水羽；湾形淡水羽集中分布在孟加拉湾的西北和东北沿岸附近，并在第2年1月转变为东北淡水羽。 孟加拉湾北部的环流（地转流+Ekman漂流）对淡水羽的形成和演变起重要作用。Sverdrup环流，代表对风应力的正压响应，能部分解释除了秋季湾形淡水羽的东支之外淡水羽的形成机制和演变过程。海表淡水通量与淡水羽在空间上分布不一致：当孟加拉湾东北部的海表淡水通量急剧增加（减少）时，西北淡水羽（湾形淡水羽的东支）产生，所以海表淡水通量不是淡水羽的形成和演变的主要原因。此外，孟加拉湾周边河流的径流量可能只是淡水羽的主要淡水来源，而与淡水羽的形成和演变关系不大。 初步研究了孟加拉湾北部盐度对海面高度异常的影响，结果表明Ekman 抽吸对孟加拉湾的海面高度异常起着主要作用，热量通量和淡水通量起次要作用。7－12月，孟加拉湾北部的淡水通量决定北部的海面比容高度异常；1－3月，热量通量对海面比容高度异常起主要作用；4－6 月，热量通量和淡水通量在不同时空对孟加拉湾北部的海面比容高度异常起不同的作用。 同样，采用拓展伴随模态分析方法研究ENSO循环的暖位相——El Niño，表明必须将中低纬度印度洋和太平洋海气系统作为一个整体来研究El Niño；证实了正是直接来自南北中纬度太平洋的异常西风爆发和海面风辐聚所驱动的近赤道异常表层海水东移和经向辐聚，而不是Kelvin波，造就了El Niño现象的增温信号。El Niño事件中海洋和大气具有明显不同的性态：气候系统中并不存在一个相对独立的热带太平洋大气变异，但是的确存在一个相对独立的热带太平洋海洋变异。总体上而言：El Niño事件早期主要是大气驱动海洋，晚期主要是海洋驱动大气。 研究结果显示拓展伴随模态分析方法是研究ENSO循环和海洋水文特征形成机制的有力工具。

A regime shift in the North Sea circa 1988 linked to changes in the North Sea horse mackerel fishery

After 1987, Phytoplankton Colour (a visual estimate of chlorophyll) measured on samples taken by the continuous plankton recorder (CPR) in the North Sea increased substantially, both in level and seasonal extent, compared to earlier years since 1946. Many species of phytoplankton and zooplankton showed marked changes in abundance at about the same time. These events coincided with a large increase in catches of the western stock of the horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus L.) in the northern North Sea reflecting a northerly expansion of the stock along the shelf edge from the Bay of Biscay to the North Sea after 1987. Using a 3D hydrodynamic model, with input from measured wind parameters, monthly transport of oceanic water into the North Sea has been calculated for the period 1976–1994, integrated for a section from Orkney to Shetland to Norway. A substantial increase in oceanic inflow occurred in the winter months, December to March, from 1988. Higher sea surface temperatures were also measured after 1987 especially in spring and summer months. These biological and physical events may be a response to observed changes in pressure distribution over the North Atlantic. From 1988 onwards, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, the pressure difference between Iceland and the Azores, increased to the highest positive level observed in this century. Positive NAO anomalies are associated with stronger and more southerly tracks of the westerly winds and higher temperatures in western Europe. These changing wind distributions may have led to an increase in the northerly advection of water along the western edge of the European shelf and may have assisted the migration of the horse mackerel. This study is possibly a unique demonstration of a correlation between three different trophic levels of a marine ecosystem and hydrographic and atmospheric events at decadal and regional scales. The results emphasise the importance of maintaining into the future long term programmes such as the CPR.

Seasonal plankton dynamics along a cross-shelf gradient off northern Spain

The development of population models able to reproduce the dynamics of zooplankton is a central issue when trying to understand how a changing environment would affect zooplankton in the future. Using 10 years of monthly data on phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance in the Bay of Biscay from the IEO's RADIALES time-series programme, we built non-parametric Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) able to reproduce the dynamics of plankton on the basis of environmental factors (nutrients, temperature, upwelling and photoperiod). We found that the interaction between these two plankton components is approximately linear, whereas the effects of environmental factors are non-linear. With the inclusion of the environmental variability, the main seasonal and inter-annual dynamic patterns observed within the studied plankton assemblage indicate the prevalence of bottom-up regulatory control. The statistically deduced models were used to simulate the dynamics of the phytoplankton and zooplankton. A good agreement between observations and simulations was obtained, especially for zooplankton. We are presently developing spatio-temporal GAM models for the North Sea based on the Continuous Plankton Recorder database.

Comparative analysis European wide marine ecosystem shifts - a large scale approach for developing the basis for ecosystem-based management

Abrupt and rapid ecosystem shifts (where major reorganizations of food-web and community structures occur), commonly termed regime shifts, are changes between contrasting and persisting states of ecosystem structure and function. These shifts have been increasingly reported for exploited marine ecosystems around the world from the North Pacific to the North Atlantic. Understanding the drivers and mechanisms leading to marine ecosystem shifts is crucial in developing adaptive management strategies to achieve sustainable exploitation of marine ecosystems. An international workshop on a comparative approach to analysing these marine ecosystem shifts was held at Hamburg University, Institute for Hydrobiology and Fisheries Science, Germany on 1-3 November 2010. Twenty-seven scientists from 14 countries attended the meeting, representing specialists from seven marine regions, including the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Barents Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Scotian Shelf off the Canadian East coast. The goal of the workshop was to conduct the first large-scale comparison of marine ecosystem regime shifts across multiple regional areas, in order to support the development of ecosystem-based management strategies.