山东山旺中新世气候定量重建的综合研究

新生代以来，全球气候经历了一系列的冷暖交替，呈现总体变冷的趋势。对该时期不同区域气候变化过程的深入研究有助于我们更好地理解现今全球气候变化规律。中新世是新生代古气候与古环境演变的一个重要转折时期，定量重建山东山旺中新世气候是认识和理解中国东部与东亚新近纪气候演变的一个关键环节。 将化石植物作为气候代用指标，用于研究过去全球气候变化，已经广为国际科学界接纳。国际上，定量研究第三纪气候的植物学方法按照不同原理可以划分为两大类，其各自代表分别为基于化石的现存最近亲缘类群生态适应度推演古气候参数值的共存分析法（Coexistence Approch, CA ）和基于叶片形态特征与气候相关关系的叶缘分析（Leaf Margin Analysis, LMA ）与气候叶片多变量程序（Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program, CLAMP）。两大主流方法各有优势，也各有局限性。前人运用两大主流方法对山旺中新世植物群相同地层，同套数据的分析结果表明：LMA 和CLAMP 所估测年均温数值要显著低于CA 所估测的数值。其差异的原因既可能是LMA 和CLAMP 由于埋藏因素的影响造成估测值偏低，也可能由于CA 数据库数据主要来自于欧洲和北美而缺乏东亚的资料所致。 本论文提出了一种新的方法——分布区叠加分析（Overlapping Distribution Analysis, ODA ）对山旺中新世古气候进行定量重建。ODA 采用最近亲缘类群在叠加区间的气候参数来重建化石植物所生活的当时当地的气候。其详细步骤如下：1. 鉴定化石植物和认定它们的最近亲缘类群（尽量到种级水平）。2. 调查这些最近亲缘类群的分布数据（包括经度、纬度和海拔数据）。某些类群可能会有不止一个最近亲缘类群，须将这些最近亲缘类群的分布数据合并。3. 对分布数据分析，得出包含最多类群的最大叠加区间。4. 调查在最大叠加区间中气象站点的气候数据。5. 按照公式（1）和（2）来转换年均温数据TU=T0 - (HU -H0)×Γ (1); TL=T0 - (HL -H0)×Γ (2) 其中HU (m) 是海拔叠加区间的上界; HL (m) 是海拔叠加区间的下界; H0 (m) 气象站的实测海拔; T0 (ºC) 气象站的实测年均温; TU (ºC) 在海拔叠加区间气温的下界; TL (ºC) 在海拔叠加区间气温的上界; 系数Γ 为大气垂直直减率，年均温为0.5ºC/100m，最冷月均温为 0.45ºC/100m，最热月均温为 0.6ºC/100m。同样的方法，在海拔叠加范围内最冷月均温与最热月均温范围也可以确定，而降水量则采用气象台站的原始数据。6. 在这些转换数据的基础上，得出年均温，最冷月均温，最热月均温，年较差和年平均降水量波动范围。 ODA 分析结果表明：山旺中新世时期年均温为10.9-14.5oC，年较差为21.1-22.7oC，最冷月均温为-0.5-3.3oC，最热月均温为21.9-25.0oC，年平均降水量为1107.3-1880.0mm 。同时本论文还定量恢复了山旺硅藻土矿各层的古气候参数，其所估测的古气候参数数值与CLAMP 和LMA 的结果一致，而与CA 不同。对山旺气候参数的恢复表明，虽然其中新世年均温与现在相似，但最冷月均温要高于现在。 本项研究的创新之处是选择同一个研究地点（山东山旺），依据同一套数据（化石植物的类群资料），采用国际上以不同原理为基础的主流方法，同时加入我们自己提出的新方法，进行的古气候重建，对所获得气候参数值进行对比和验证，并对其存在的差异进行分析和探讨。

Deep-sea benthic footprint of the Deepwater Horizon blowout

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) accident in the northern Gulf of Mexico occurred on April 20, 2010 at a water depth of 1525 meters, and a deep-sea plume was detected within one month. Oil contacted and persisted in parts of the bottom of the deep-sea in the Gulf of Mexico. As part of the response to the accident, monitoring cruises were deployed in fall 2010 to measure potential impacts on the two main soft-bottom benthic invertebrate groups: macrofauna and meiofauna. Sediment was collected using a multicorer so that samples for chemical, physical and biological analyses could be taken simultaneously and analyzed using multivariate methods. The footprint of the oil spill was identified by creating a new variable with principal components analysis where the first factor was indicative of the oil spill impacts and this new variable mapped in a geographic information system to identify the area of the oil spill footprint. The most severe relative reduction of faunal abundance and diversity extended to 3 km from the wellhead in all directions covering an area about 24 km2. Moderate impacts were observed up to 17 km towards the southwest and 8.5 km towards the northeast of the wellhead, covering an area 148 km2. Benthic effects were correlated to total petroleum hydrocarbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and barium concentrations, and distance to the wellhead; but not distance to hydrocarbon seeps. Thus, benthic effects are more likely due to the oil spill, and not natural hydrocarbon seepage. Recovery rates in the deep sea are likely to be slow, on the order of decades or longer.

Analyzing and mapping fish assemblages off central California, USA

This study describes fish assemblages and their spatial patterns off the coast of California from Point Arena to Point Sal, by combining the results of the multivariate analyses of several fisheries datasets with a geographic information system. In order to provide comprehensive spatial coverage for the areas of inshore, continental shelf, and continental slope, three fisheries datasets were analyzed: 1) Inshore: the California Department of Fish and Game dataset of fishery-dependent commercial passenger fishing vessel trips that targeted rockfish; 2) Continental Shelf: the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) fishery-independent bottom trawls; and 3) Continental Slope: the NMFS fishery-independent bottom trawls on the continental slope. One-hundred seven species were analyzed. These species represented those captured in at least 5% of the fishing trips or trawls in at least one of the three data sets. We analyzed each of the three datasets separately, and the three sets of results were combined to define 28 species assemblages and 23 site groups. A species assemblage consisted of species caught together, whereas a site group consisted of fishing trips or trawl locations that tended to have the same species assemblages. At the scale of these datasets, 97% of all site groups were significantly segregated by depth.

Influence of hard bottom morphology on fish assemblages of the continental shelf off Georgia, southeastern USA

Various reef types worldwide have inconsistent relationships among fish assemblage parameters and benthic characteristics, thus there is a need to identify factors driving assemblage structure specific to each reef type and locale. Limestone ledges are known to be key habitats for bottom fish on the continental shelf of the southeastern USA, however, the specific factors that link them to fish assemblages have not been quantified. Bottom fishes and habitat characteristics on ledges were surveyed at a study site located centrally in the southeastern USA continental shelf. Species richness, diversity, abundance, and biomass of fish were higher at ledges than on flat bottom. Species richness, abundance, and biomass of fish were well explained by ledge variables including percent cover of sessile invertebrates, total height, and height of undercut recesses. Multivariate analyses based on biomass of individual species at ledges revealed two fish assemblages associated with four ledge types. One assemblage was associated with ledges that were tall, heavily colonized with sessile invertebrates, large in area, and did or did not have undercuts. The other assemblage was associated with ledges that were short, not undercut, smaller in area, and were or were not heavily colonized by invertebrates. Seafloor classification schemes presently used in the region do not adequately capture hard bottom diversity to identify the location and extent of essential fish habitats for ecological and fisheries purposes. Given that ledges cover only ∼1% to 5% of the southeastern USA continental shelf, they merit the highest levels of consideration in regional research, conservation, and management plans.

An environmentally based growth model that uses finite difference calculus with maximum likelihood method: its application to the brackish water bivalve Corbicula japonica in Lake Abashiri, Japan

We present a growth analysis model that combines large amounts of environmental data with limited amounts of biological data and apply it to Corbicula japonica. The model uses the maximum-likelihood method with the Akaike information criterion, which provides an objective criterion for model selection. An adequate distribution for describing a single cohort is selected from available probability density functions, which are expressed by location and scale parameters. Daily relative increase rates of the location parameter are expressed by a multivariate logistic function with environmental factors for each day and categorical variables indicating animal ages as independent variables. Daily relative increase rates of the scale parameter are expressed by an equation describing the relationship with the daily relative increase rate of the location parameter. Corbicula japonica grows to a modal shell length of 0.7 mm during the first year in Lake Abashiri. Compared with the attain-able maximum size of about 30 mm, the growth of juveniles is extremely slow because their growth is less susceptible to environmental factors until the second winter. The extremely slow growth in Lake Abashiri could be a geographical genetic variation within C. japonica.

Elemental signatures in otoliths of larval walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) from the northeast Pacific Ocean

The population structure of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) in the northeastern Pacific Ocean remains unknown. We examined elemental signatures in the otoliths of larval and juvenile pollock from locations in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska to determine if there were significant geographic variations in otolith composition that may be used as natural tags of population affinities. Otoliths were assayed by using both electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Elements measured at the nucleus of otoliths by EPMA and laser ablation ICP-MS differed significantly among locations. However, geographic groupings identified by a multivariate statistical approach from EPMA and ICP-MS were dissimilar, indicating that the elements assayed by each technique were controlled by separate depositional processes within the endolymph. Elemental profiles across the pollock otoliths were generally consistent at distances up to 100 μm from the nucleus. At distances beyond 100 μm, profiles varied significantly but were remarkably consistent among individuals collected at each location. These data may indicate that larvae from various spawning locations are encountering water masses with differing physicochemical properties through their larval lives, and at approximately the same time. Although our results are promising, we require a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling otolith chemistry before it will be possible to reconstruct dispersal pathways of larval pollock based on probe-based analyses of otolith geochemistry. Elemental signatures in otoliths of pollock may allow for the delineation of fine-scale population structure in pollock that has yet to be consistently revealed by using population genetic approaches.

Spatial and temporal patterns in the demersal fish community on the shelf and upper slope regions of the Gulf of Alaska

We analyzed data from National Marine Fisheries Service bottom trawl surveys carried out triennially from 1984 to 1996 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The continental shelf and upper slope (0–500 m) of the GOA support a rich demersal fish fauna dominated by arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), and Pacific Ocean perch (Sebastes alutus). Average catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of all groundfish species combined increased with depth and had a significant peak near the shelf break at 150–200 m. Species richness and diversity had significant peaks at 200–300 m. The western GOA was characterized by higher CPUEs and lower species richness and diversity than the eastern GOA. Highest CPUEs were observed in Shelikof Strait, along the shelf break and upper slope south of Kodiak Island, and on the banks and in the gullies northeast of Kodiak Island. Significant differences in total CPUE among surveys suggest a 40% increase in total groundfish biomass between 1984 and 1996. A multivariate analysis of the CPUE of 72 groundfish taxa revealed strong gradients in species composition with depth and from east to west, and a weak but significant trend in species composition over time. The trend over time was associated with increases in the frequency of occurrence and CPUE of at least eight taxa, including skates (Rajidae), capelin (Mallotus villosus), three flatfish species, and Pacific Ocean perch, and decreases in frequency of occurrence and CPUE of several sculpin (Myoxocephalus spp.) species. Results are discussed in terms of spatial and temporal patterns in productivity and in the context of their ecological and management implications.

Distribution and co-occurrence of rockfishes (family: Sebastidae) over trawlable shelf and slope habitats of California and southern Oregon

The rockfishes of the sebastid genus Sebastes are a very important fishery resource off the coasts of California and southern Oregon. How-ever, many of the 54 managed stocks of west coast rockfish have recently reached historically low population levels, leading fishery managers to re-examine current management practices. Management of rockfish stocks as multispecies aggregates, as opposed to independent stocks within the ground-fish fishery, can be more desirable when nontargeted bycatch, discard, and management complexity are considered. Rockfish assemblage structure and species co-occurrences were determined by using data from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center triennial continental shelf bottom trawl survey. The weight of rockfish species in trawl catches was expressed as a catch-per-unit-of-effort (CPUE) statistic, from which species spatial distributions, overlaps, diversity, and richness were analyzed. Multidimensional scaling of transformed CPUE data was employed in indirect gradient and multivariate partitioning analyses to quantify assemblage relationships. Results indicated that rockfish distributions closely match the bathymetry of coastal waters. Indirect gradient analysis suggested that depth and latitude are the principal factors in structuring the spatial distributions of rockfish on trawlable habitat. In addition, four assemblages were identified through the joint evaluation of species’ distributions and multivariate partitioning analyses: 1) deep-water slope; 2) northern shelf; 3) southern shelf; and 4) nearshore. The slope, shelf, and near-shore groups are found in depth ranges of 200–500 m, 100–250 m, and 50–150 m, respectively. The division of northern and southern shelf assemblages occurs over a broad area between Cape Mendocino and Monterey Canyon. The results of this analysis are likely to have direct application in the management of rockfish stocks off the coasts of southern Oregon and California.

Generalised Wishart Processes

We introduce a stochastic process with Wishart marginals: the generalised Wishart process (GWP). It is a collection of positive semi-definite random matrices indexed by any arbitrary dependent variable. We use it to model dynamic (e.g. time varying) covariance matrices. Unlike existing models, it can capture a diverse class of covariance structures, it can easily handle missing data, the dependent variable can readily include covariates other than time, and it scales well with dimension; there is no need for free parameters, and optional parameters are easy to interpret. We describe how to construct the GWP, introduce general procedures for inference and predictions, and show that it outperforms its main competitor, multivariate GARCH, even on financial data that especially suits GARCH. We also show how to predict the mean of a multivariate process while accounting for dynamic correlations.

Gaussian Process Regression Networks

We introduce a new regression framework, Gaussian process regression networks (GPRN), which combines the structural properties of Bayesian neural networks with the non-parametric flexibility of Gaussian processes. This model accommodates input dependent signal and noise correlations between multiple response variables, input dependent length-scales and amplitudes, and heavy-tailed predictive distributions. We derive both efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo and variational Bayes inference procedures for this model. We apply GPRN as a multiple output regression and multivariate volatility model, demonstrating substantially improved performance over eight popular multiple output (multi-task) Gaussian process models and three multivariate volatility models on benchmark datasets, including a 1000 dimensional gene expression dataset.

Relationship between El Nino and summer monsoon rainfall over Pakistan

The present paper deals with the influence of El Nino event on the summer monsoon rainfall over Pakistan. The correlation between monthly rainfall of summer monsoon season and bi-Monthly Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) has been calculated to see the influence of El Nino on the summer monsoon rainfall. MEI is bimonthly ENSO Index pertaining to the period from first week of previous month to first week of the month under consideration. While study the correlation's with the ENSO events out side the Pacific Ocean MEI is more appropriate than other indices like Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) as MEI integrates complete information on ENSO viz. six oceanic and meteorological variables over the tropical Pacific. The results of the study show that there is a tendency of reduction in summer monsoon rainfall over Pakistan during El Nino years. The deficiency in % rainfall is statistically significant up to 90% level during July and September months. It is interesting to note that Pakistan receives more than normal rainfall during summer monsoon season in the immediate following year after the El Nino event. The correlation analysis is also performed on the summer monsoon months for individual provinces of Pakistan. All provinces receive deficient rainfall during monsoon months. The deficiency in rainfall over Punjab during all monsoon months is significant, whereas the deficiency in rainfall is significant during July and August over NWFP and Sindh respectively. No significant impact of El Nino on the summer monsoon rainfall over Baluchistan is observed.

Survey of plankton blooms and red tides and their interaction with environmental factors through monitoring satellite images

One of the most important marine ecological phenomena is red tide which is created by increasing of phytoplankton population, influenced by different factors such as climate condition changes, utrification hydrological factors and can leave sever and undesired ecological and economical effects behind itself in the case of durability. Coast line of Hormozgan is about 900km from east to west, within the range of geographical coordinates of 56 16 23.8, 26 58 8.8 to 54 34 5.33 and 26 34 32 eastern longitude and northern latitude, seven sampling stations were considered and sampled for a period of one year from October 2008 to October 2009. after the analysis of Satellite images, monthly, during the best time. In several stages, samplings were performed. In each station, three samples were collected for identification and determination of Bloom- creating species abundance. Cochlodinium polykrikoides was the species responsible for the discoloration which occurred at October 2008 in Hormozgan marine water. Environmental parameters such as sea surface temperature, pH, salinity, Dissolved Oxygen concentration, Total Dissolved Solids (T.D.S.), conductivity, nitrate, nitrite and phosphate and also chlorophyll a were measured and calculated. Kruscal Wallis test was used to compare the densities between different months, seasons and the studied stations. Mann-whitney test from Nonparametric Tests was used for couple comparison. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between physical and chemical data set and the abundance of Cochlodinium polykrikoides. Multivariate Regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) also were used to obtain the models and equations of red tide occurrence relationship, environmental parameters and nutrient data. The highest density was 26 million cells per liter in Qeshm station. A meaningful difference was observed between sampling months and seasons but there was no between sampling stations which indicates that in favorable conditions, the occurrence of this phenomenon by the studied species is probable. Regarding to β coefficients of nitrate, temperature, phosphate, Total Dissolvable Solutions (T.D.S) and pH these parameters are effective on the abundance of this species and red tide occurrence. Increase in these factors can represent the effects and outcomes of human activities and increase in marine pollution.

Genetic diversity of Saccostrea cucullata population in the northern coast in Persian Gulf and Oman Sea

Genetic diversity of Saccostrea cucullata in the northern coast lines of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman were determined using DNA extraction and RAPD - PCR. A total of 300 samples were collected from 6 station along the coastline. Two out of six primers showed positive results namely GCG - ATC - CCC - A (Primer 1) and GTC - CAC - ACG - C (Primer 5) which were in accordance with morphometric analysis. The number of bands in the two above - mentioned primers in Khor - Tang and Chabahar station (Province of Sistan and Balouchestan) was significantly different from the number of produced bands in Dayer and Bushehr station (Province of Bushehr) as well as Gheshm and Bandar - Lengeh station (Province of Hormozgan). The cluster analisys was used to confirm the above variations. The results showed that the oyster population can be divided into two separate clusters. The first cluster included Bushehr Dayer Gheshm and Bandar - Lengeh species. The second cluster included Khor - Tang and Chabahar species. The analysis also showed that the first cluster can be divided into two Sub — cluster. Bushehr and Dayer belong to one Sub - cluster whereas Gheshm and Bandar - Lengeh form the other Sub — cluster. The formation of different vluster can be related to Physico - Chemical properties of water and climatic variations in different habitats along the Persion Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Key words: Molecular genetics, Population, RAND, PCR' Saccostrea cucullata

Differentiation of subspecies of asiatic striped squirrels (Tamiops swinhoei) (Milne-Edwards) (Rodentia : Sciuridae) in China with description of a new subspecies

Based on the pelage characteristics and results of multivariate and univariate analyses, a new subspecies is described in this study, and a taxonomic revision of Tamiops swinhoei from China is presented. In total, 123 specimens of Tamiops swinhoei were in

Geographic variation of Chevrier's field mouse (Apodemus chevrieri) (Milne-Edwards, 1868) (Muridae : Murinae) from southwestern China based on cranial morphometric variables

Geographic variation of Chevrier's field mouse (Apodemus chevrieri) (Milne-Edwards, 1868) (Muridae: Murinae) from southwestern China based on cranial morphometric variables. Zoological Studies 47(4): 393-401. A sample of 134 specimens of Apodemus chevrieri was investigated in the present study. Individuals were divided into male and female groups, and these were respectively subjected to multivariate analysis. Results indicated that 3 geographic populations of A. chevrieri inhabit southwestern China: a Sichuan population in western Sichuan Province; a northwestern Yunnan population ranging from northwestern Yunnan Province eastward to southern Sichuan Province; and a central Yunnan population in central Yunnan Province. In addition, a coefficient of difference analysis was performed among these 3 geographic populations. The results suggested that these 3 geographical populations of A. chevrieri belonged to 2 subspecies. Furthermore, we discuss the relationships of the subspecific differentiation of A. chevneri with changes in latitude in southwestern China.