Oceanographic Variables

2021 ◽  
pp. 69-91
Author(s):  
Scott P. Milroy
Keyword(s):  
Oceanographic Variables

Patchwork of oil and gas facilities in Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf has the potential to enhance local fisheries production

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (8) ◽  
pp. 2398-2408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotfi Rabaoui ◽  
Yu-Jia Lin ◽  
Mohammad A. Qurban ◽  
Rommel H. Maneja ◽  
Javier Franco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Faunal Assemblages ◽  
Fishery Resources ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Coastal Embayments ◽  
Oceanographic Variables

Abstract Because of the increasing oil industry development in the Arabian Gulf, hundreds of oil and gas facilities have been installed in both offshore and inshore areas during the last few decades. However, no studies have been conducted till now on the influence of these platforms on the structure and composition of marine faunal assemblages. The present work addresses this issue to propose environmental management measures connected to the utilization of fishery resources. Offshore and inshore surveys were carried out along the Saudi Gulf waters using trawl and beach-seine nets, respectively. Data relative to only fish (offshore) and fish and invertebrates (inshore) were collected concurrently with several factors: density of oil and gas facilities (offshore), distance to the nearest coastal platform (inshore), oceanographic variables, and habitat characteristics. Results of offshore surveys indicated higher fish density—both total and of fishery resources—in locations with a higher number of oil and gas facilities within a 5 km radius, whereas biomass density was not significantly different. Hence, oil and gas facilities seem to serve as nursery areas for small fish. For inshore communities, more species and diversity were found in stations closer to coastal oil and gas facilities. In addition, among the five coastal embayments sampled, those with more oil and gas facilities had more species. The findings of the present work support the hypothesis of a positive net ecological role of oil and gas platforms of the Saudi Arabian Gulf, with the implication that this effect could be extended to improve the sustainability of important fishery resources.

The dependence of low‐frequency underwater surface scattering on remotely sensed oceanographic variables

2000 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 2585-2585
Author(s):  
Roger C. Gauss ◽  
Eric I. Thorsos ◽  
Frank S. Henyey ◽  
Joseph M. Fialkowski
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Surface Scattering ◽  
Oceanographic Variables

scholarly journals Correction to: Evidence of climate-driven changes on atmospheric, hydrological, and oceanographic variables along the Chilean coastal zone

2020 ◽  
Vol 163 (4) ◽  
pp. 2265-2265
Author(s):  
Patricio Winckler Grez ◽  
Catalina Aguirre ◽  
Laura Farías ◽  
Manuel Contreras-López ◽  
Ítalo Masotti
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Zone ◽  
Oceanographic Variables

scholarly journals Reproductive cycle of the sea cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus) and its relationship with oceanographic variables at its northernmost distribution site

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1-1) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Pañola-Madrigal ◽  
Luis E. Calderon-Aguilera ◽  
Carlos A. Aguilar-Cruz ◽  
Héctor Reyes-Bonilla ◽  
María Dinorah Herrero-Pérezrul
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Cycle ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Histological Analysis ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
San Luis ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Oceanographic Variables ◽  
Post Spawning ◽  
First Maturity ◽  
Size At First Maturity

The brown sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus is highly prized and intensively fished, yet no studies of its reproductive cycle at its northernmost distribution site exist. To characterize its reproductive cycle, monthly surveys (Oct 2014-Dec 2016) that included gonad collection were conducted in 118 sites along the eastern coast of Baja California, including islands from Bahía San Luis Gonzaga (29o 49’ 14.18” N, 114 o 3’56.17” W) to the 28th parallel north. A total of 2 808 sea cucumber specimens were measured (mean length ± SD = 21.4 ± 6 cm) and weighed (375.6 ± 249 g). Seven hundred and seventeen organisms were dissected but only 553 gonads were suitable for processing through histological analysis to identify sex and developmental stage. Of these individuals, 224 were female, 162 were male, 157 were undifferentiated and 10 were hermaphrodites, resulting in a sex ratio that was significantly different from 1:1 (χ2 = 36.63, P = 0.03, df = 23). There was no statistical difference (p > 0.05) of either size or weight between males and females, but females were larger than males. The length-weight relationship observed was W = 0.18L2.4, r2 = 0.82, p <0.05 while the size-at-first-maturity was 16 cm. Five gonad stages were identified: 28% undifferentiated, 9% gametogenesis, 15% mature, 19% expulsion and 29% post-expulsion. The Oocyte Theoretical Diameter (OTD) was estimated by measuring the area of 10 291 oocytes, finding 2 307 individuals in oogenesis (mean ± SD of 65.3 ± 19.7 µm), 3 630 in maturity (66.0 ± 17.8 µm), 3 756 in spawning (73.8 ± 14.6 µm) and 868 in post-spawning (49.18 ± 20.7 µm). Modal progression analysis shows that oocytes increase 23% in size from oogenesis to maturity, and decrease 9%in size from maturity to spawning and, on average, oocytes are 72% smaller post-spawning that during spawning. Rev. Biol. Trop. 65(Suppl. 1): S180-S196. Epub 2017 November 01. 

scholarly journals Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics on insular beaches in the Western Tropical Atlantic Ocean

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Assunção Ivar do Sul ◽  
Monica Costa ◽  
Gilberto Fillmann
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Spatial Variations ◽  
Tropical Atlantic ◽  
Tropical Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Beach Sediments ◽  
Fernando De Noronha ◽  
Oceanographic Variables ◽  
Over Time

Microplastics are widespread throughout oceans and seas and beaches are no exceptions. On beach sediments, microplastics (<5mm) are commonly prevalent over macroplastics (>5mm), where fragments of larger items are sampled in greater amounts. The occurrence and characteristics of microplastics were investigated on beaches of Fernando de Noronha, Abrolhos and Trindade islands located in the western tropical Atlantic Ocean. Despite no microplastic was identified in Abrolhos at this time, small spatial variations were detected in Fernando de Noronha and Trindade islands, highlighting the importance of oceanographic variables on plastics distribution and accumulation over time.

scholarly journals At-sea distribution and habitat of breeding Japanese Murrelets Synthliboramphus wumizusume: implications for conservation management

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (03) ◽  
pp. 370-385
Author(s):  
MARK G. R. MILLER ◽  
YUTAKA YAMAMOTO ◽  
MAYUMI SATO ◽  
BEN LASCELLES ◽  
YUTAKA NAKAMURA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Offshore Island ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Oceanographic Variables ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Neritic Habitat ◽  
Habitat Parameters

SummaryThe Japanese Murrelet Synthliboramphus wumizusume is a rare, globally ‘Vulnerable’ seabird, endemic to Japan and South Korea. However, little is known of its at-sea distribution, habitat or threats. We conducted several years of at-sea surveys around Japan to model Japanese Murrelet density in relation to habitat parameters, and make spatial predictions to assess the adequacy of the current Japanese marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) network for the species. During a five-year period, 3,485 km of at-sea surveys recorded 3,161 Japanese Murrelets around four breeding locations. Maximum murrelet group size was 90 individuals with a mean group size of 2.9 ± 4.2 individuals. Models of Japanese Murrelet at-sea density around the two largest breeding locations predicted that almost all murrelets occur within 30 km of the breeding colony and most within 10 km. Murrelets were predicted closer to the colony in May than in April and closer to the colony at a neritic colony than at an offshore island colony. Additionally, murrelets breeding on an offshore island colony also commuted to mainland neritic habitat for foraging. The marine habitat used by Japanese Murrelets differed between each of the four surveyed colonies, however oceanographic variables offered little explanatory power in models. Models with colony, month and year generated four foraging radii (9–39 km wide) containing murrelet densities of &gt; 0.5 birds/km2. Using these radii the Japanese marine IBA network was found to capture between 95% and 25% of Japanese Murrelet at-sea habitat while breeding and appears appropriately configured to protect near-colony murrelet distributions. Given the range of marine habitats that breeding murrelets inhabit, our simple models offer an applicable method for predicting to unsampled colonies and generating ecologically-informed seaward extension radii. However, data on colony populations and further at-sea surveys are necessary to refine models and improve predictions.

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