Inter Annual and Seasonal Cycle of Satellite Derived Sea Surface Salinity in the Bay of Bengal

A spatial and temporal variation of sea surface salinity (SSS) is vital to understand the dynamics of the seasonal and inter-annual changes in the marine environment. In the present study, Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) derived daily SSS product and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS-Aqua) remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) based SSS images (Algorithm by Qing et al, 2013), applied in the coastal and offshore region of the Bay of Bengal (BoB). SMAP data validation with in situ data (offshore and coastal water, 10 and 15 points) showed good correlation at offshore water and less correlation at coastal water (R2 = 0.707/0.499, SEE = ± 0.291/±0.546, MNB = -0.0029/-0.0089 and RMSE = ± 0.092/±0.139) respectively. Similarly, MODIS-Aqua Rrs derived salinity data validated with in-situ SSS and observed the correlation as follows with R2 = 0.908/0.891, SEE = ± 2.395/±1.512, MNB = 0.0718/0.0361, RMSE = ± 0.760/±0.316 in offshore and coastal water respectively during April and August 2019. The salinity data observed in the range of 32 to 34.5psu. High SSS mean (35.6-35.8psu) observed during the spring inter-monsoon and low salinity (34.6-34.9psu) observed during winter monsoon phase as depicted from decadal scale interpretation. The present study inferred that MODIS aqua derived SSS is better than SMAP based SSS at coastal and offshore region of the western BoB, irrespective of their resolution and spectral differences. More data points based validation would provide the scope for further improvements and seasonal studies on salinity variability using ocean color sensors reflectance based datasets.

Association of residential distance to coast with myocardial infarction: a prospective cohort study

Background Little is known about whether the residential distance to coast is associated with incident myocardial infarction (MI), as well as which mechanisms may explain the association. We aim to explore this association using data from a prospective, population-based cohort with unprecedented sample size and broad geographical coverage. Methods 377,340 participants from the prospective, population-based UK Biobank cohort were included. Residential distance to the coast was defined as participant's residence location to coast. Results 4,059 MI occurred during median 8.0 years follow-up. Using group (<1 km) as reference, group (20–50 km) was associated with lower risk of MI (hazard ratio, HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64–0.98) and a U-shaped relation between distance to coast and MI was shown with the low risk interval between 32 km and 64 km (Pnonlinear = 0.0012). Using participants of intermediate region (32–64 km) as reference, participants of offshore region (<32 km) and inland region (>64 km) were both associated with a higher risk of incident MI (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.04–1.21 and HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01–1.18, respectively). HR for offshore region (<32 km) was larger in subgroup with low total physical activity (<24 hours/week) (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.09–1.42, Pinteraction = 0.043), whereas HR for inland region (>64 km) was larger in subgroup in urban area (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03–1.22, Pinteraction = 0.065) and in subgroup of high nitrogen dioxide air pollution (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11–1.50, Pinteraction = 0.021). Conclusions Our findings highlight the complex and diverse associations between residential distance to the coast and incident MI. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 1

Distribution characteristics of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, and sound speed in the Da Nang and Quy Nhon waters

This paper presents some main characteristics of the distributions of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, and sound speed, which were measured in the Da Nang and Quy Nhon waters in July, 2010. The CTD was deployed for measuring profiles of temperature and salinity at stations. The data showed that in the Da Nang water, concentration of chlorophyll-a ranged from 0.07 mg/l to 1.52 mg/l and decreased toward the offshore region. In the Quy Nhon water, concentration of chlorophyll-a varied from 0.05 mg/l to 1.43 mg/l. This concentration was quite small and homogenous from the surface to 28 m depth. The speed of sound in seawater was maximum with value of 1,543.8 m/s in the Da Nang transect while the water layer with the sudden change of sound speed was from 5 m to 10 m deep in nearshore region (from stations D1 to D4), and from 10 to 15 m deep in offshore region (in D5 and D6 stations). Its minimum value in the Da Nang transect is just 1,014 m/s in the bottom. In the Quy Nhon transect, the maximum value of sound speed in seawater was 1,545.2 m/s and the minimum value was 1,515.2 m/s. The nearshore sound velocity reaches its maximum in the surface layer down to 30 m deep and the offshore one is similar down to about 40 m deep, under which, the sound velocity declines steadily.

Economic Modelling of the Delay in Passing the Petroleum Industry Bill in Nigeria and Its Impact on Deep Offshore Investments and Government Take Statistics

The petroleum industry bill (PIB) in Nigeria aims to reform the petroleum sector of the country and increase government revenue from petroleum investments. Despite the benefits the bill offers to the country, its passage has suffered several setbacks. This research therefore studied the impact of the delay in passing the bill on deep offshore investments. Economic models were built using the fiscal terms in PIB 2009 and 1993 production sharing contract (PSC) arrangement to evaluate the impact of the bill. The model with the 1993 PSC fiscal terms was adjusted to capture the delay in passing the bill. The bill was assumed to be passed on a yearly basis for 10 years (2010 to 2019). The impact of the delay in passing the bill based on the reserve portfolio of firms in the deep offshore region of the country was also evaluated. The delay in passing the PIB reduced the government take. It was seen that for the non-passage of the bill, the government lost about $1227.2 MM. When the bill was passed in 2019, the government had been losing about $11.843 MM on a yearly basis due to the delay in passing the bill.

Hyperiid amphipods from the Gulf of Ulloa and offshore region, Baja California: The possible role of the gelatinous zooplankton as a transport vector into the coastal shelf waters

Hyperiid amphipod species from the Gulf of Ulloa, Baja California, and the adjacent region (from the shelf break to 200 km offshore) were analyzed to evaluate diversity and abundances. This productive area supports small-scale commercial fisheries, including sand bass (Paralabrax nebulifer), California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus), abalones, clams, and others. Strong coastal upwelling events were observed during summer seasons of the period 2002–2008 between Punta Eugenia and Punta Abreojos. The upwelling plumes at Punta Abreojos are transported southward in slope waters bordering the coastal shelf of the Gulf of Ulloa, contributing to the separation of coastal and oceanic regions, and explain differences in amphipod diversity and abundances between both regions. In the offshore region, the most abundant species were Vibilia armata, Lestrigonus schizogeneios, Primno brevidens, and Eupronoe minuta, similar to previous findings in northern regions of Baja California and southern California. However, abundances of these species were lower (10–30 individuals/1000 m3), only reaching 20–50% of abundance levels reported off northern Baja California. In the coastal shelf of the Gulf of Ulloa, amphipods were virtually absent during 2002, 2003 and 2006. However, during 2004 and 2005, abundances of P. brevidens increased (54 and 20 ind/1000 m3, respectively). Moreover, during the late summer of 2007, abundances of L. schizogeneios, P. brevidens, Lycaea nasuta, Lycaea pulex, and Simorhynchotus antennarius increased considerably (261, 39, 31, 68, 416 ind/1000 m3, respectively), indicating occasional utilization of the coastal shelf by pelagic amphipods. Changes in gelatinous populations (medusae, siphonophores, ctenophores, doliolids, and salps) paralleled changes in hyperiid populations, with highest abundances in 2005–2008 in the coastal shelf. Significant correlations of 17 amphipod species with gelatinous taxa, which are often used as host organisms by hyperiid amphipods, suggest that gelatinous presence enhanced hyperiid abundance and promoted the progression of hyperiid amphipods onto the coastal shelf during parts of the 2002–2008 period.