An ecological characterization of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region: oceanographic, biogeographic, and contaminants assessment

The mission of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) is to serve as the trustee for a system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy while facilitating compatible uses. Since 1972, thirteen National Marine Sanctuaries, representing a wide variety of ocean environments, have been established, each with management goals tuned to their unique diversity. Extending from Cape Ann to Cape Cod across the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) encompasses 2,181 square kilometers of highly productive, diverse, and culturally unique Federal waters. As a result of its varied seafloor topography, oceanographic conditions, and high primary productivity, Stellwagen Bank NMS is utilized by diverse assemblages of seabirds, marine mammals, invertebrates, and fish species, as well as containing a number of maritime heritage resources. Furthermore, it is a region of cultural significance, highlighted by the recent discovery of several historic shipwrecks. Officially designated in 1992, Stellwagen Bank became the Nation’s twelfth National Marine Sanctuary in order to protect these and other unique biological, geological, oceanographic, and cultural features of the region. The Stellwagen Bank NMS is in the midst of its first management plan review since designation. The management plan review process, required by law, is designed to evaluate, enhance, and guide the development of future research efforts, education and outreach, and the management approaches used by Sanctuaries. Given the ecological and physical complexity of Stellwagen Bank NMS, burgeoning anthropogenic impacts to the region, and competing human and biological uses, the review process was challenged to assimilate and analyze the wealth of existing scientific knowledge in a framework which could enhance management decision-making. Unquestionably, the Gulf of Maine, Massachusetts Bay, and Stellwagen Bank-proper are extremely well studied systems, and in many regards, the scientific information available greatly exceeds that which is available for other Sanctuaries. However, the propensity of scientific information reinforces the need to utilize a comprehensive analytical approach to synthesize and explore linkages between disparate information on physical, biological, and chemical processes, while identifying topics needing further study. Given this requirement, a partnership was established between NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) so as to leverage existing NOAA technical expertise to assist the Sanctuary in developing additional ecological assessment products which would benefit the management plan review process.

Changes in frost frequency and desert vegetation assemblages in Grand Canyon, Arizona

The effect of decreasing frost frequency on desert vegetation was documented in Grand Canyon by replication of historical photographs. Although views by numerous photographers of Grand Canyon have been examined, 400 Robert Brewster Stanton and Franklin A. Nims views taken in the winter of 1889-1890 provide the best information on recent plant distribution. In Grand Canyon, where grazing is limited by the rugged topography, vegetation dynamics are controlled by climate and by demographic processes such as seed productivity, recruitment, longevity and mortality. The replicated photographs show distribution and abundance of several species were limited by severe frost before 1889. Two of these, brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) and barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), have clearly expanded their ranges up-canyon and have increased their densities at sites where they were present in 1890. In 1890, brittlebush was present in warm microhabitats that provided refugia from frost damage. Views showing desert vegetation in 1923 indicate that Encelia expanded rapidly to near its current distribution between 1890 and 1923, whereas the expansion of Ferocactus occurred more slowly. The higher frequency of frost was probably related to an anomalous increase in winter storms between 1878 (and possibly 1862) and 1891 in the southwestern United States.

An ecological characterization of the marine resources of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Part I: Historical data synthesis

From the 1940s until 2003, portions of the island of Vieques, a municipality within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, were used by the US Navy as a base and training facility, resulting in development and zoning history that differ in comparison to other Caribbean islands. The majority of former Navy lands are now under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service as a National Wildlife Refuge, while a smaller percentage of land was transferred to the Vieques municipality and the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust. An analysis of the distribution and status of the marine resources is timely in light of the recent land transfer, increases in development and tourism, and potential changes in marine zoning around the island. To meet this need, NOAA’s Biogeography Branch, in cooperation with the Office of Response and Restoration and other local and regional partners, conducted Part I of an ecological characterization to integrate historical data and research into a synthesis report. The overall objective of this report is to provide resource managers and residents a comprehensive characterization of the marine resources of Vieques to support research, monitoring, and management. For example, knowledge of the spatial distribution of physical features, habitats, and biological communities is necessary to make an informed decision of the establishment and placement of a marine protected area (MPA). The report is divided into chapters based on the physical environment (e.g., climate, geology, bathymetry), habitat types (e.g., reefs and hardbottom, seagrasses, mangroves) and major faunal groups (e.g. fish, turtles, birds). Each section includes five subsections: an overview, description of the relevant literature, methods of analysis, information on the distribution, status and trends of the particular resource, and a discussion of ecological linkages with other components of the Vieques marine ecosystem and surrounding environment. The physical environment of Vieques is similar to other islands within the Greater Antilles chain, with some distinctions. The warm, tropical climate of Vieques, mediated by the northeasterly trade winds, is characterized by a dry season (December-April) and a rainy season (May-November), the latter of which is characterized by the occasional passage of tropical cyclones. Compared to mainland Puerto Rico, Vieques is characterized by lower elevation, less annual precipitation, and higher average temperatures. The amount of annual precipitation also varies spatially within Vieques, with the western portion of the island receiving higher amounts of rainfall than further east. While the North Equatorial Current dominates the circulation pattern in the Greater Antilles region, small scale current patterns specific to Vieques are not as well characterized. These physical processes are important factors mitigating the distribution and composition of marine benthic habitats around Vieques. In general, the topography of Vieques is characterized by rolling hills. Mt. Pirata, the tallest point at 301 m, is located near the southwest coast. In the absence of island wide sedimentation measurements, information on land cover, slope, precipitation, and soil type were used to estimate relative erosion potential and sediment delivery for each watershed. While slope and precipitation amount are the primary driving factors controlling runoff, land use practices such as urban development, military activity, road construction, and agriculture can increase the delivery of pollution and sediments to coastal waters. Due to the recent land transfer, increased development and tourism is expected, which may result in changes in the input of sediments to the coastal environment.

Integration of submersible transect data and high-resolution multibeam sonar imagery for a habitat-based groundfish assessment of Heceta Bank, Oregon

In the face of dramatic declines in groundfish populations and a lack of sufficient stock assessment information, a need has arisen for new methods of assessing groundfish populations. We describe the integration of seafloor transect data gathered by a manned submersible with high-resolution sonar imagery to produce a habitat-based stock assessment system for groundfish. The data sets used in this study were collected from Heceta Bank, Oregon, and were derived from 42 submersible dives (1988–90) and a multibeam sonar survey (1998). The submersible habitat survey investigated seafloor topography and groundfish abundance along 30-minute transects over six predetermined stations and found a statistical relationship between habitat variability and groundfish distribution and abundance. These transects were analyzed in a geographic information system (GIS) by using dynamic segmentation to display changes in habitat along the transects. We used the submersible data to extrapolate fish abundance within uniform habitat patches over broad areas of the bank by means of a habitat classification based on the sonar imagery. After applying a navigation correction to the submersible-based habitat segments, a good correlation with major boundaries on the backscatter and topographic boundaries on the imagery were apparent. Extrapolation of the extent of uniform habitats was made in the vicinity of the dive stations and a preliminary stock assessment of several species of demersal fish was calculated. Such a habitat-based approach will allow researchers to characterize marine communities over large areas of the seafloor.

A statistical model of climates in the southwestern United States

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): We describe an empirical-statistical model of climates of the southwestern United States. Boundary conditions include sea surface temperatures, atmospheric transmissivity, and topography. Independent variables are derived from the boundary conditions along 1000-km paths of atmospheric circulation. ... Predictor equations are derived over a larger region than the application area to allow for the increased range of paleoclimate. This larger region is delimited by the autocorrelation properties of climatic data.

内蒙古温带草原群落结构和生态系统功能对火烧、氮素添加和地形的响应

我国北方温带草原是欧亚大陆草原生物群区的重要组成部分，对于区域和全球的碳循环和平衡起着重要的作用。频繁的自然或人为干扰能够改变草原生态系统的群落结构和生态系统功能，从而影响生态系统为人类提供的产品和服务。本研究选取位于内蒙古多伦县的半干旱温带草原，研究火烧、氮素添加和地形以及它们的综合作用对该地区植物生产力、植物多样性、盖度和土壤呼吸的影响；另外，我们比较研究了由于地形因素而存在于草原地区的林地群落与其邻近草地的碳氮库和循环；旨在探讨我国北方温带草原地区人为干扰对草原生态系统结构与功能的影响以及该地区林地和草地碳氮库和循环的差异机理，以期为模型模拟本地区的生态系统碳循环提供理论依据和数据支持，具体研究结果如下： 1. 2006–2008 年，通过研究植物多样性和盖度对地形、火烧和氮素添加及其交互作用的响应，结果表明：半干旱草原植物物种数、香农威纳指数、均一性指数和盖度均表现出显著的年际变化。坡下的物种数、香农威纳指数和均一性指数均低于坡上。坡下较高的羊草(Leymus chinensis)、冰草(Artemisia frigida)、唐松草(Thalictrum petaloideum)和冷蒿(Agropyron cristatum)的盖度导致坡下的群落总盖度、禾本科草和非禾本科草盖度分别比坡上高22.5%、9.6%和13.2%。春季火烧提高了物种数、香农威纳指数和均一性指数。火烧对群落总盖度影响较小是由于火烧后非禾本科草冷蒿盖度的降低抵消了禾本科草羊草、冰草和针茅(Stipa kryroii)盖度的增加。施氮肥后物种数、香农威纳指数和均一性指数均降低。禾本科草羊草、冰草和针茅以及非禾本科草唐松草盖度的增加导致施肥后群落总盖度、禾本科草和非禾本科草的盖度分别增加了23.6%、35.1%和21.2%。火烧对禾本科草和非禾本科草盖度的作用受地形和氮素添加的影响。地形、火烧和氮素添加对植物盖度的影响主要受土壤水分调控。 2. 2005–2008 年，通过研究净初级生产力(NPP)对火烧、氮素添加和地形及其交互作用的响应，结果表明：半干旱草原的NPP 具有显著的年际变化。火烧后地上净初级生产力(ANPP)、地下净初级生产力(BNPP)和BNPP/ANPP 分别增加了12.8%、22.2%和14.9%。ANPP 的提高是由于火烧后禾本科植物(主要是羊草、冰草和针茅)生物量的增加。与之相反，火烧降低了非禾本科草，特别是冷蒿的生物量。氮素添加提高了ANPP (54.8%) ，对BNPP 没有影响，导致施氮肥后BNPP/ANPP 显著降低(33.4%)。禾本科草羊草、冰草和针茅以及非禾本科草唐松草生物量的增加，是氮素添加提高ANPP 的主要原因。坡下的ANPP 和BNPP 分别比坡上高14.1%和8.2%，但地形对BNPP/ANPP 没有影响。坡下ANPP 的提高主要是由于坡下禾本科草羊草、冰草以及非禾本科草唐松草、冷蒿的生物量高于坡上。氮素添加和地形影响ANPP 和BNPP/ANPP 对火烧的响应。火烧、氮素添加和地形对NPP 和植物碳分配39%–75%的综合效应可由这三个因素的简单加和效应来解释。 3. 通过研究2005 和2006 年生长季内土壤呼吸对地形、火烧和氮素添加的响应，结果表明：坡下的季节平均土壤呼吸比坡上高6.0%。春季火烧在整个生长季内促进土壤呼吸，平均增幅达23.8%。另外，火烧对土壤呼吸的效应受到季节和地形的影响。施用氮肥增加了11.4% 的土壤呼吸。火烧和地形对土壤呼吸的影响主要受土壤水分和植物生长的调控；而施氮肥后土壤呼吸的增加，主要是由于氮素添加促进植物生长后根系活性和呼吸的提高。 4. 2006–2007 年，通过对林地群落及其邻近草原生态系统土壤温度、土壤水分、土壤机械组成、地上和地下生物量、凋落物现存量、土壤碳氮储量、土壤呼吸、氮矿化和土壤微生物生物量的比较研究，结果表明：林地的土壤温度比草地低5°C，而其土壤水分却比草地高3.1%(绝对差异)。尽管林地(11,928.1 g m–2)和草地(11,362.2 g m–2)的土壤碳储量差异不显著，由于林地较高的植物生产力导致其碳储量高于草地。与草地相比，林地具有较高的凋落物现存量及碳氮含量、土壤无机氮含量、矿化氮的累积量、微生物生物量碳、微生物生物量氮、土壤呼吸和微生物呼吸。草地和林地的氮矿化速率没有显著差异。由地形因素引起的水分差异对于调控林地和草地生态系统碳氮库和循环(土壤碳氮储量、BNPP、矿化氮的累积量)具有重要作用。林地与草地生态系统碳储量的差异影响了我国北方草原地区碳的评估。

The generation of wear surfaces

Abrasive wear is likely to occur whenever a hard asperity or a trapped hard particle is dragged across a softer surface, and it has been estimated that this form of wear contributes to as many as half of the wear problems that are met in industry. Such damaging hard particles may be external contaminants, products of corrosion or even the debris from previous wear events. During the life of a component, damage caused by individual asperity or particle interactions builds up and, at each stage of its life, the worn surface is the result of many such superimposed wear events. The practical, quantitative prediction of wear rates depends on having both a satisfactory understanding of individual interactions and a suitable procedure for combining these when subsequent contacts are made on a surface whose topography and material properties may have been much changed Irom their initial states. The paper includes some details of an analytical model for the interaction of a representative asperity and the worn surface which can both predict the frictional force and the balance between ploughing, when material is displaced but not lost from the surface, and micromachining or cutting, when actual detachment occurs. Experiments tö !rvvéSuQ8Î8 the validity of the model have been carried out on a novel wear rig which provides very precise control over the position of the asperity and the counterface. This facility, together with that of on-board profilometry, means that it is possible to carry out wear experiments on areas of the surface whose previous deformation history is well known; in this way it is possible to follow the development of a worn surface in a controlled manner as the damage from individual wear events accumulates. Experimental data on the development of such a surface, produced by repeated parallel abrasion, are compared with the predictions of the model. © 1992 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Oceanographic research in Delagoa Bay area: a progress report

Oceanographic research carried out in the Delagoa Bay (Mozambique) area in January 1982 confirms the presence of a cyclonic eddy influencing a total area of approximately 150 km x 80 km between the Mozambique Current and the 200 m isobaths. The bottom topography seems to play a major role in the generation of the eddy. Comparison with results of investigations carried out in the area from 1957 to 1980 suggests that the eddy is quasi-stationary.

Tribological properties of mems materials measured on a small-scale device

Micro-electro-mechanical systems, MEMS, is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary technology within the general field of Micro-Systems Technology which deals with the design and manufacture of miniaturised machines with major dimensions at the scale of tens, to perhaps hundreds, of microns. Because they depend on the cube of a representative dimension, component masses and inertias rapidly become small as size decreases whereas surface and tribological effects, which often depend on area, become increasingly important. Although MEMS components and their areas of contact are small, tribological conditions, measured by contact pressures or acceptable wear rates, are demanding and technical and commercial success will require careful measurement and precise control of surface topography and properties. Fabrication of small numbers of MEMS devices designed to test potential material combinations can be prohibitively expensive and thus there is a need for small scale test facilities which mimic the contact conditions within a micro-machine without themselves requiring processing within a full semiconductor foundry. The talk will illustrate some initial experimental results from a small-scale experimental device which meets these requirements, examining in particular the performance of Diamond-Like-Carbon coatings on a silicon substrate. Copyright © 2005 by ASME.

Friction of sliding surfaces carrying adsorbed lubricant layers

In concentrated contacts the behaviour of lubricants is much modified by the high local pressures: changes can arise both from molecular ordering within the very thin film lubricant layers present at the interface as well as from the deposition on the component surfaces of more solid-like polymeric boundary layers. These 'third bodies' separating the solid surfaces may have rheological or mechanical properties very different from those observed in the bulk. Classical elasto-hydrodynamic theory considers the entrapped lubricant to exhibit a piezo-viscous behaviour while the conventional picture of more solid boundary lubricant layers views their shear strength r as being linearly dependent on local pressure p, so that T = TO + ap where TO and a are constants. If TO is relatively small, then the coefficient of friction \i = T Ip ~ a and so Amonton's laws are recovered. However, the properties of adsorbed or deposited surface films, or indeed other third bodies such as debris layers, may be more complex than this. A preliminary study has looked quantitatively at the influence of the pressure dependence of the shear strength of any surface layer on the overall friction coefficient of a contact which is made up of an array of asperities whose height varies in a Gaussian manner. Individual contact points may be elastic or plastic. The analysis results in plots of coefficient of friction versus the service or load parameter PIH&NRa where P is the nominal pressure on the contact, HS the hardness of the deforming surface, N the asperity density, R the mean radius of curvature of the asperities, and a is the standard deviation of their height distribution. In principle, any variation oft withp can be incorporated into the model; however, in this initial study we have used data on colloidal suspensions from the group at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon as well as examining the effect of functional relationships of somewhat greater complexity than a simple linear form. Results of the analysis indicate that variations in fj. are possible as the load is varied which depend on the statistical spread of behaviour at individual asperity contacts. The value of this analysis is that it attempts to combine the behaviour of films on the molecular scale with the topography of real engineering surfaces and so give an indication of the effects at the full-size or macro-scale that can be achieved by chemical or molecular surface engineering.

A normal force distance regulation scheme for near-field optical microscopy

A near-field optical microscope (NFOM) has been developed that combines the features of a near-field optical microscope and an atomic force microscope. Improved control over tip-sample separation has led to improved optical imaging and independent surface topography information. The tip oscillation is normal to the sample plane thereby reducing lateral forces - important for nonperturbative imaging of soft samples. Both topographic images and reflection near-field optical images are presented which demonstrate the capability of the system. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Ink-jet printing for patterning engineering surfaces

This work explored the use of industrial drop-on-demand inkjet printing for masking steel surfaces on engineering components, followed by chemical etching, to produce patterned surfaces. A solvent-based ink was printed on to mild steel samples and the influences of substrate topography and substrate temperature were investigated. Contact angle measurements were used to assess wettability. Regular patterns of circular spots (∼60 /on diameter) and more complex mask patterns were printed. Variation of the substrate temperature had negligible effect on the final size of the printed drops or on the resolution achieved. Colored optical interference fringes were observed on the dried ink deposits and correlated with film thickness measurements by whitelight interferometry.

Molecular evolution study in China: progress and future promise

China has a large land area with highly diverse topography, climate and vegetation, and animal resources and is ranked eighth in the world and first in the Northern Hemisphere on richness of biodiversity. Even though little work on molecular evolution had

Effect of laser heating temperature on coating characteristics of Stellite 6 deposited by cold spray

Laser-assisted cold spray (LCS) is a new coating and fabrication process which combines some advantages of CS: solid-state deposition, retain their initial composition and high build rate with the ability to deposit materials which are either difficult or impossible to deposit using cold spray alone. Stellite 6 powder is deposited on medium carbon steels by LCS using N 2 as carrier gas pressure. The topography, cross section thickness, structure of the coatings is examined by SEM, optical microscopy, EDX. The results show that thickness and fluctuation of coating are improved with increased deposition site temperature. Porosity of coating is affected by N 2 and deposition site temperature. In this paper, it presents optimal coating using N 2 at a pressure of 3 MPa and temperature of 450°C and deposition site temperature of 1100°C.

Chemical surface modification of poly-ε-caprolactone improves Schwann cell proliferation for peripheral nerve repair.

Poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer used in tissue engineering for various clinical applications. Schwann cells (SCs) play an important role in nerve regeneration and repair. SCs attach and proliferate on PCL films but cellular responses are weak due to the hydrophobicity and neutrality of PCL. In this study, PCL films were hydrolysed and aminolysed to modify the surface with different functional groups and improve hydrophilicity. Hydrolysed films showed a significant increase in hydrophilicity while maintaining surface topography. A significant decrease in mechanical properties was also observed in the case of aminolysis. In vitro tests with Schwann cells (SCs) were performed to assess film biocompatibility. A short-time experiment showed improved cell attachment on modified films, in particular when amino groups were present on the material surface. Cell proliferation significantly increased when both treatments were performed, indicating that surface treatments are necessary for SC response. It was also demonstrated that cell morphology was influenced by physico-chemical surface properties. PCL can be used to make artificial conduits and chemical modification of the inner lumen improves biocompatibility.