Linking elements of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) with the planned National Water Quality Monitoring Network. Proceedings from the NOAA-Supported workshop 19-21 September 2005

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in cooperation with the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium (NJMSC), hosted a workshop at Rutgers University on 19-21 September 2005 to explore ways to link the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) to the emerging infrastructure of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network (NWQMN). Participating partners included the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association, U.S. Geological Survey, Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observing Laboratory, and the New Jersey Sea Grant College. The workshop was designed to highlight the importance of ecological and human health linkages in the movement of materials, nutrients, organisms and contaminants along the Delaware Bay watershed-estuary-coastal waters gradient (hereinafter, the “Delaware Bay Ecosystem [DBE]”), and to address specific water quality issues in the mid-Atlantic region, especially the area comprising the Delaware River drainage and near-shore waters. Attendees included federal, state and municipal officials, coastal managers, members of academic and research institutions, and industry representatives. The primary goal of the effort was to identify key management issues and related scientific questions that could be addressed by a comprehensive IOOS-NWQMN infrastructure (US Commission on Ocean Policy 2004; U.S. Ocean Action Plan 2004). At a minimum, cooperative efforts among the three federal agencies (NOAA, USGS and EPA) involved in water quality monitoring were required. Further and recommended by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, outreach to states, regional organizations, and tribes was necessary to develop an efficient system of data gathering, quality assurance and quality control protocols, product development, and information dissemination.

Deep coral and associated species taxonomy and ecology: (DeepCAST) II Expedition Report, Roatan, Honduras, May 21-28, 2011

NOAA has a mandate to explore and understand deep-sea coral ecology under Magnuson-Stevens Sustainable Fisheries Conservation Act Reauthorization of 2009. Deep-sea corals are increasingly considered a proxy for marine biodiversity in the deep-sea because corals create complex structure, and this structure forms important habitat for associated species of shrimp, crabs, sea stars, brittle stars, and fishes. Yet, our understanding of the nature of the relationships between deep-corals and their associated species is incomplete. One of the primary challenges of conducting any type of deep-sea coral (DSC) research is access to the deep-sea. The deep-sea is a remote environment that often requires long surface transits and sophisticated research vehicles like submersibles and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The research vehicles often require substantial crew, and the vehicles are typically launched from large research vessels costing many thousands of dollars a day. To overcome the problem of access to the deep-sea, the Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology (DeepCAST) Expeditions are pioneering the use of shore-based submersibles equipped to do scientific research. Shore-based subs alleviate the need for expensive ships because they launch and return under their own power. One disadvantage to the approach is that shore-based subs are restricted to nearby sites. The disadvantage is outweighed, however, by the benefit of repeated observations, and the opportunity to reduce the costs of exploration while expanding knowledge of deep-sea coral ecology.

Cruise report: regional assessment of ecosystem condition and stressor impacts along the northeastern Gulf of Mexico shelf; NOAA Ship Nancy Foster NF-10-09-RACOW (August 13-21, 2010)

This cruise report is a summary of a field survey conducted along the continental shelf of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), encompassing 70,062 square kilometers of productive marine habitats located between the Mississippi Delta and Tampa Bay, August 13–21, 2010 on NOAA Ship Nancy Foster Cruise NF-10-09-RACOW. Synoptic sampling of multiple ecological indicators was conducted at each of 50 stations throughout these waters using a random probabilistic sampling design. At each station samples were collected for the analysis of benthic community structure and composition; concentrations of chemical contaminants (metals, pesticides, TPHs, PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs) in sediments and target demersal biota; sediment toxicity; nutrient and chlorophyll levels in the water column; and other basic habitat characteristics such as depth, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, CDOM fluorescence, sediment grain size, and organic carbon content. Discrete water samples were collected just below the sea surface, in addition to any deeper subsurface depths where there was an occurrence of suspicious CDOM fluorescence signals, and analyzed for total BTEX/TPH and carcinogenic PAHs using immunoassay test kits. Other indicators of potential value from a human-dimension perspective were also recorded, including presence of any vessels, oil rigs, surface trash, visual oil sheens in sediments or water, marine mammals, or noxious/oily sediment odors. The overall purpose of the survey was to collect data to assess the status of ecosystem condition and potential stressor impacts throughout the region, based on these various indicators and corresponding management thresholds, and to provide this information as a baseline for determining how such conditions may be changing with time. In addition to the original project goals, both the scientific scope and general location of this project are relevant to addressing potential ecological impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. While sample analysis is still ongoing, a few preliminary results and observations are reported here. A final report will be completed once all data have been processed.

Mission report: a strategy to inventory, characterize, and monitor the marine region within and around the National Park and Monument boundaries of St. John, USVI, July 21- July 31, 2008

The intent of this field mission was to continue ongoing efforts: (1) to spatially characterize and monitor the distribution, abundance and size of both reef fishes and conch within and around the waters of the Virgin Islands National Park (VIIS) and newly established Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICR), (2) to correlate this information to in-situ data collected on associated habitat parameters, (3) to use this information to establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting management decisions in a spatial setting and to establish the efficacy of those management decisions. This work is supported by the National Park Service and NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program’s Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Project. The report highlights the successes of this mission.

土地利用变化对西双版纳地区土壤及植被碳含量的影响

土地利用变化，尤其是热带地区森林生态系统土地利用方式的变化极大地改变了全球碳循环，对大气CO2浓度的升高，气候变暖等全球性环境问题起着不可忽视的作用。同时，森林的大面积破坏，引起土壤流失，营养元素含量降低，土壤健康状况恶化，最终大幅度降低生态系统的生产力。本文主要结合野外实地调查和室内分析的方法，研究森林砍伐后转变为农田和橡胶园对西双版纳热带地区土壤碳、氮、磷含量以及有机质化学结构的影响，天然次生林恢复、橡胶园建设对大气CO2的蓄积作用。 森林砍伐后转变为农田和橡胶园，显著地改变了土壤的理化特性。研究结果表明，与次生林相比，农田和橡胶园表层土壤容重、pH值升高，含水量降低，有机质、全氮、全磷、速效氮、有效磷含量显著降低。土地利用变化对土壤特性的影响主要发生在0-40 cm 表层土壤，而对40 cm以下土层影响较小。 土地利用变化改变土壤碳含量，同时影响土壤有机质的化学结构。胡敏酸紫外-可见光谱(UV-VIS)、傅利叶变换红外光谱 (FT-IR) 分析发现，不同生态系统表层土壤 (0-20 cm) 胡敏酸光谱学特性存在明显差异。次生林E4/E6值高于农田和橡胶园。与次生林相比，农田和橡胶园表层土壤有机质中酚基相对含量显著降低，脂肪族、芳香族、羧基以及多聚糖等化合物相对含量增加。 运用样地调查、生物量模型模拟和室内土壤样品分析方法，研究了次生林恢复和橡胶园建设对大气CO2的汇集作用。结果表明：退化土壤恢复为次生林、农田建设橡胶园能够有效促进植被和土壤中碳的汇集。次生林和橡胶林生物量增长速率分别为9.8，10.2 （9.4）t•ha-1•yr-1, 1 m表层土壤有机碳汇集速率分别为0.7和1.1 t•C•ha-1•yr-1。模拟结果显示，40年橡胶林生物量为327 (324) t•ha-1, 恢复50年后天然次生林生物量为395 t•ha-1。加之土壤有机碳，40年橡胶园约汇集碳190 t•ha-1, 次生林恢复50年碳汇集潜力为250 t•ha-1。

A Preliminary survey of 21 Ceylon lakes. 1. Fisheries of two lakes, Parakrama Samudra and Minneriya Wewa

Fourteen species of indigenous fish and three species of introduced fish commonly used for food are present in Parakrama Samudra and Minneriya Wewa. Commercial fishing is done throughout the year in these two lakes by gill nets, shore-seines ("Ma-del" nets) and cast nets. From records of fish landings maintained from 1957 it is seen that the production of fish at Parakrama Samudra has increased from 41 pounds per acre per annum in 1957 to 117 pounds per acre per annum in 1962 and at Minneriya Wewa from 11 pounds per acre per annum in 1957 to 118 pounds per acre per annum in 1962. Tilapia mossambica formed the chief constituent of the catch at both these lakes and it was due to this fish that the commercial fisheries at both these places were successful. It is recommended that fishing effort be further increased in both these lakes and records be kept to note any tendency towards over-exploitation.