Marine Environmental Conditions Research Articles

MULTI-PROXY PALEOENVIRONMENTAL AND PALEOECOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE FOREMOST FORMATION (UPPER CRETACEOUS, CAMPANIAN) OF ALBERTA

Abstract The Foremost Formation of southern Alberta, Canada, is the basal member of the Cretaceous (Campanian) Belly River Group and has been understudied relative to the overlying Oldman and Dinosaur Park formations of this group. Here we describe and analyze the sedimentology, foraminiferal micropaleontology, vertebrate microsite paleoecology, and paleoenvironmental conditions of the Foremost Formation. Outcrop of the Foremost Formation is characterized by estuarine and shallow marine facies that transition upward into coastal/fluvial facies that accumulated during the Claggett marine regression of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS). This is consistent with at least two rapid transgressive events driven by local subsidence interrupting the overall regressive phase of the Claggett marine cycle, creating the aggrading profile in the lower portion of the sections measured here, and suggesting that orogenic buildup in the Rocky Mountains and its associated basin subsidence were a controlling factor of local deposition in the WIS. A low abundance, low diversity agglutinated benthic foraminiferal fauna suggests frequently stressed oxygen and salinity conditions in marginal marine environments. Vertebrate microsite faunas display a mixed freshwater to brackish water environmental influence, with an increase in diversity upsection in conjunction with increased freshwater influence. Among dinosaurs, ceratopsids and ankylosaurs experience notable relative abundance decreases through the Foremost Formation and into the lower Oldman Formation, potentially reflecting preference for coastal habitats and/or plant resources relative to other terrestrial herbivores.

A Multi-System Coupling Coordination Assessment to Achieve the Integrated Objectives of Forest Conservation, Marine Governance, and Socioeconomic Development in the Bay Area: A Case Study in the Bay Area of the Fujian River Delta

The bay area contains terrestrial forests and coastal mangroves with vital ecosystem functions, which provide essential ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity maintenance. Meanwhile, the bay area usually hosts intensive socioeconomic activities. High-intensity anthropogenic activities in the bay area have threatened the terrestrial ecosystem and marine environment. Harmonizing the relationship between terrestrial ecosystem conservation, marine environmental governance, and socioeconomic development is crucial for realizing the national “coordinated land and marine development” strategy and promoting sustainability in the bay area. This study constructed a coupling coordination assessment system of the terrestrial ecosystem, marine environmental system, and socioeconomic system. Taking the bay area of the Fujian River Delta as a case study, multiple ecological models were integrated to quantify the coupling coordination degree between these three systems and present its spatial distribution characteristics. Furthermore, the constraint types on the coupling coordination degree were spatially revealed in the bay area. The results suggested that there are significant spatial differences in the coupling coordination degree of the three systems in the bay area of the Fujian River Delta. The areas with a relatively low coupling coordination degree are mainly focused on the central part of the Xiamen Bay area and the southeastern part of the Quanzhou Bay area. Regions with high socioeconomic development tend to present weak terrestrial or marine eco-environmental conditions. The critical constraint factor of the coupling coordination degree in the Zhangzhou Bay area is its backward socioeconomic development level. The backwardness of both the terrestrial ecosystem and marine environmental system exists in most districts of the Xiamen Bay area. In addition, the marine environmental conditions in the Xiamen Bay area are worse than those in the Quanzhou Bay Area and the Zhangzhou Bay area.

Collaborative Scheduling of Mass Rescue Operations at Sea

The continued growth of the global cruise market has posed a major challenge to maritime search and rescue, as available rescue resources are limited compared to the scale of passenger ship disasters. To bridge the gap between the number of passengers in distress and the availability of rescue resources, this paper develops a two-stage Mass Rescue Operation (MRO) decision support model (MRO model) to fully utilize the available multiple rescue resources. Based on the combinatorial optimization theory, in the MRO model we consider the rescue capacity of multiple rescue resources and the synergy between them, the accident types and the marine environment conditions to optimize two objectives (rescue time and number of rescue resources dispatched) in two stages. In the first stage, the objective is to minimize the rescue time by Classical Selection Sort Algorithm. In the second stage, the rescue time and the number of rescue resources are simultaneously optimized by Simulated Annealing Arithmetic (SAA) integrated with Genetic Algorithm (GA). Furthermore, considering the actual role of helicopters in MROs, the MRO model is enhanced to schedule helicopters mandatorily or non-mandatorily. Finally, the MRO model was verified by simulating accidents in the Taiwan Strait. The simulation results show that compared with the first stage, the rescue time in the second stage model is saved by up to 16.18% and the number of rescue resources is reduced by up to 45.16%.

Benthic foraminifera as bio-indicators of natural and anthropogenic conditions in Roscoff Aber Bay (Brittany, France).

Living benthic foraminifera, known as environmental bio-indicators of both natural and anthropogenic conditions in marine environments, were investigated in the coastal environment of Roscoff Aber Bay (Brittany, France). Eight sampling sites subject to natural variations (freshwater inputs, tides) and/or anthropogenic impacts (pollution, eutrophication) were studied over four seasons in 2021-2022 (November, February, May, August). We sought to understand the spatial distribution of foraminiferal populations within and between sampling sites over the different seasons and to identify sensitive species and those tolerant to anthropogenic impacts. To this end, sedimentary and biogeochemical characteristics of the sediments were examined by measuring grain size, temperature, oxygen, salinity, pH, environmental pigment concentration (chl a and phaeopigments), total organic carbon (TOC), isotopic ratios of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfide (δ34S), and chl a fluorescence. Considering these parameters as potential driving factors, four environments were distinguished among the sampling sites: open water, terrestrial, oligotrophic and eutrophic. These showed an increasing gradient of organic supply as well as very different microbial activities, highlighted by carbon and sulfide isotopic ratios. Foraminiferal population study revealed the dominant species characterising these main environments. The lowest abundance but highest diversity of foraminifera was found in the harbour site, associated with the dominance of Haynesina germanica, suggesting this species is tolerant to eutrophic environments and anthropogenic impacts. Open water was dominated by Ammonia beccarii and Elphidium crispum, while Quinqueloculina seminula was the most abundant species in the site with the greatest terrestrial influence. Interestingly, the observed organic enrichment of the harbour due to anthropogenic activities (fisheries, waste deposits, etc.) does not seem to significantly affect foraminiferal diversity. Overall, the benthic foraminiferal species in Roscoff Aber Bay appear to be an excellent proxy for marine environmental conditions under various natural and anthropogenic influences.

Variability of mesozooplankton, abiotic factors and ecological status of marine environment in the north-eastern part of the Black Sea

Seasonal and interannual dynamics of mesozooplankton abundance, biodiversity, ecological status of the marine environment and concurrent variability of abiotic forcings in the north-eastern part of the Black Sea in 2016–2023 were discussed. Mesozooplankton biomass, total biomass (mesozooplankton plus Noctiluca scintillans), biomass of Copepoda and Parasagitta setosa and harmful heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans have been considered along with the water temperature, wind, precipitation and salinity. Natural seasonal dynamic of mesozooplankton, disrupted by the invasion of M. leidyi in 1980s was found to be restored to some extent. General tendencies of interannual variability of mesozooplankton parameters and abiotic factors were documented: biomass exhibited maximums in 2017 and 2022, coincided with negative anomalies of SST and along-coast wind (upwelling conditions) and increased/decreased precipitation/salinity. Steady increase of Shannon index during considered period from 1.5-2 to 2.2–2.6 indicates growing biodiversity in the area. Marine environment had BAD ecological status in 2016–2018 and in 2022–2023 and GOOD one in 2019–2021. Ecological hazard of N. scintillans extensive development have been noticed.

Small-scale geographic differences in multiple-driver environmental variability can modulate contrasting phenotypic plasticity despite high levels of gene flow

Climate change is altering not only the mean conditions of marine environments, but also their temporal variability and predictability. As these alterations are not uniform across seascapes, their biological effects are expected to accentuate intra-specific differences in the adaptive capacity (e.g., plasticity and evolutionary potential) of natural populations. To test this theoretical framework, we assessed the phenotypic and genetic profiles of mussel from three study sites across a multi-driver heterogeneous environmental mosaic in Chilean Patagonia. Our study reveals that temporal variability, predictability, and exposure to extreme events (low pH/low salinity), collectively, can modulate the plasticity and optimal conditions of mussels. Despite these phenotypic differences, we observed low genetic differentiation, likely resulting from significant gene flow induced by aquaculture, ultimately diminishing variation among individuals from different geographic areas. Our findings underscore how variability and predictability are essential factors shaping phenotypic diversity, even at small spatial scales. Balancing these factors could enhance species resilience and ecological success, crucial for biodiversity conservation amidst climate change.

A Weight-of-Evidence Approach for Understanding the Recovery of Okanagan Sockeye Salmon

The productivity of Pacific Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Columbia River has been declining over the past century. Yet, the Okanagan River Sockeye salmon population, which spawns in the Okanagan River, a Canadian tributary of the Columbia River, has seen a remarkable turnaround in abundance. Different hypotheses and lines of evidence covering multiple spatial scales have been proposed to explain this recovery; but they have never been comprehensively assessed. We adopted a weight-of-evidence approach to systematically assess the relative likelihood that each of these causal hypotheses contributed to the observed recovery. Our analysis disentangles the relative consequences of a set of environmental management actions that have been implemented to augment the Sockeye salmon freshwater productivity, while accounting for changes in freshwater and marine environmental conditions. Our list of potentially explanatory causal factors (anthropogenic and natural) included: (1) changes in escapement concurrent with improving local fish passage, (2) the implementation of fish-friendly flows in the Okanagan River, (3) initiating a hatchery restocking program, (4) potential improvements to Columbia dam operations to support higher relative survival of out-migrating juvenile fish, (5) possible shifts in survival-favorable conditions in the coastal marine environment for ocean-going life stages, and (6) broader changes to multi-stock harvest regimes in the Columbia River. Our assessment leveraged comparisons with the population dynamics of another Sockeye salmon stock in the Columbia River basin to differentiate between the impacts of management actions taken within the Okanagan watershed (our focus) from those occurring over the broader basin and marine scale. The results suggest that while shifts towards survival-favorable conditions in the coastal marine environment in 2007 played an important role in the upturn of the Okanagan population, alone it cannot explain the rate at which the Okanagan River Sockeye salmon recovered. Strong evidence supports the combined effect of increased escapement in conjunction with establishing and securing fish-friendly flows during spawning, incubation, and alevin emergence. Additionally, Sockeye salmon restocking improved the resilience of the stock against density-independent mortality events. These combined basin-level management actions played a pivotal role in magnifying the recovery trajectory afforded by improved marine survivorship. The spectacular response of the Okanagan River Sockeye salmon to the holistic perspectives and management interventions of Indigenous and other caretakers provides hope that other Pacific salmon stocks can be stabilized and recovered.

Motion and Mooring Load Responses of a Novel 12-MW Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbine: An Experimental Study

Abstract Due to the complexity of the integrated Floating Wind Turbine (FWT) system, obtaining reliable results necessitates extensive experiments. This paper conducts a comprehensive study on the motion performance and mooring load responses of a novel 12-MW semi-submersible FWT through model tests carried out in a wave basin. A multi-blade large-scale wind-generation system, equipped with a rectifier network, was enhanced and constructed to provide a dependable wind field. And a flexible tower was designed and fabricated, achieving an accurate simulation of the tower's stiffness characteristic and its impact on the overall dynamic response. The marine environmental conditions encompass various combinations of wind, waves, and currents. Rigorous calibration and identification tests were undertaken to validate the environmental conditions and the model system. The findings reveal that, under mild wave parameters, the mooring load is primarily influenced by the resonance response with platform motions, particularly surge resonance. The load effect of wind and current induces mean surge and pitch motions, while their damping effect reduces the standard deviation of responses, notably suppressing the pitch response peak at its natural motion frequency. Wave loads predominantly dictate the vibration range of motion responses. When the current velocity reaches a sufficient magnitude, the coupling effect between current and wave in the wave–frequency region significantly amplifies the mooring response. Notably, motions and mooring loads in the 60-deg and 90-deg directions surpass those in the 0-deg direction, with the maximum responses occurring at 60 deg.

Study Finds Compact Carbon-Capture Modules Feasible on Offshore Production Facilities

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 34825, “Implementation of Compact Carbon-Capture Modules on Offshore Hydrocarbon Production Facilities,” by Jaime H. Tan and Rizal A. Hassan, Technip Energies, and Umberto Cornelis, KANFA, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2024 Offshore Technology Conference. _ Carbon capture and storage has been implemented onshore successfully by different industries, including utilities and waste treatment, to capture CO2 from flue gases after the combustion of fossil fuels. Duplicating this success for offshore hydrocarbon processing facilities can be challenging because of deck-space constraints and marine environmental conditions. The complete paper describes the development of a compact carbon-capture module design for post-combustion carbon capture and its potential implementation on typical offshore hydrocarbon production facilities. Solvent Absorption Technology for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture The process technology at the core of the compact carbon-capture module is based on a solvent-absorption technique and a proprietary amine-based solvent. First, feed gas is quenched and saturated in a circulated water prescrubber. The gas contacts the lean amine solution in a countercurrent mass-transfer packed absorption column, and CO2 is absorbed while the treated gas exits to the atmosphere. Midway through the column, partially loaded amine is removed from the tower, cooled, and reintroduced over a layer of mass-transfer packing. CO2-rich amine from the absorption column is pumped through a lean-rich amine heat exchanger and then to the regeneration column. The rising, low-pressure saturated steam in the column regenerates the lean amine solution. CO2 is recovered as a pure, water-saturated product. Lean amine is pumped from the stripper reboiler to the absorption column for reuse in capturing CO2. Finally, the CO2 is directed to byproduct-management systems. The pure CO2 streams produced from the system may be sequestrated or used for applications such as enhanced oil recovery. Design of Offshore Carbon-Capture Modules For offshore applications, the carbon-capture modules must be more compact and lighter compared with carbon-capture systems developed for onshore applications. The absorber column is the critical component of the carbon-capture module because of its weight, footprint, and height. To reduce the overall height of the absorber for offshore application, an innovative configuration has been adopted: The bottom section of the absorber is placed on top of the prescrubber/direct contact cooler (DCC), and the top section of the absorber and the wash-water section comprise the second column. With this arrangement, the maximum height of the columns is limited to approximately 25 m. Because the lower absorber section is placed on top of the prescrubber/DCC, the in-between chimney tray is designed to be totally leakage-free to avoid losses of amines into the DCC water loop. A patent-pending compact absorber column design has been developed. The column wall construction will be a part of the overall module support structure, with cantilevered platforms for supporting carbon-capture equipment. The equipment for compression, injection, and treatment of CO2 is placed on a separate submodule. This module design benefits from footprint and weight savings of potentially more than 20% compared with typical cylindrical absorber column designs.

Life-cycle seismic resilience prediction of sea-crossing bridge piers exposed to chloride-induced corrosion in marine environments

The life-cycle seismic resilience assessment of sea-crossing highway bridges plays a crucial role in guiding decisions for their long-term operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation. Due to the inherently stochastic nature of marine environments, evaluating the resilience of bridges while considering all possible environmental scenarios throughout their service life necessitates substantial computational efforts and presents practical challenges. Thus, this study develops a three-stage framework for predicting the life-cycle seismic resilience of sea-crossing highway bridges. Stochastic models for marine environmental conditions and bridge durability are developed and validated using experimental measurement data. A modified Good Lattice Point-Partially Stratified Sampling (GLP-PSS) method is employed to generate a uniform and limited number of samples. A typical prestressed concrete sea-crossing highway bridge is selected as the benchmark bridge, and parameterized numerical models are established using 460 representative environmental parameter samples on the OpenSees platform. Leveraging the environmental model and material properties, the durability of the bridge is predicted over its service life. Nonlinear time history analyses are carried out for each bridge model using 120 real ground motion records, which allow the identification of variations in seismic demands, capacities, and system fragilities at different time intervals. Subsequently, the life-cycle seismic resilience of the bridge is predicted utilizing surrogate models based on the response surface method (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN), respectively. Finally, the time-dependent probabilistic characteristics of seismic resilience are thoroughly discussed. Results indicate that ANN demonstrates a higher degree of generalization capability in predicting the life-cycle seismic resilience. Focusing solely on changes in mean resilience over the service time may lead to an underestimation of bridge resilience, as it may ignore the tails of its distribution, potentially resulting in an overestimation of bridge resilience. Furthermore, global warming may expedite the decline in resilience.

Variations in the Abundance, Biodiversity, and Assemblage Structure of Larval Fish in the Restricted Waters of the Wang-an Light Fishery off Penghu, Taiwan

This study examined the abundance, biodiversity, and assemblage structure of larval fish inside and outside the restricted fishing zone of the Wang-an light fishery, which is located off Penghu, Taiwan. A total of 97 taxa belonging to 48 families of larval fish were identified through plankton tows conducted during the present investigation. Upeneus japonicus from the Mullidae family emerged as the dominant species in the surveyed area. Diurnal variation in larval fish abundance was evident, with higher abundance observed at night-time than during daytime. However, no significant difference was observed between the larval fish abundance inside and outside the restricted zone. Moreover, fish egg abundance and larval fish biodiversity did not exhibit notable differences between sampling locations or times. Cluster analysis revealed the presence of two groups of seasonal species. The major species in the spring group were Abudefduf vaigiensis and Pomacentrus coelestis, which prefer a low-temperature environment. The major species in the summer group was U. japonicus, which prefers a high-temperature environment. The seasonal succession of water masses under the influence of monsoon activity likely contributed to the observed grouping patterns of larval fish assemblages in the study area. These patterns were closely linked to the marine environmental conditions in this area. The study outcomes provide scientific insights and recommendations regarding the importance and benefits of establishing a restricted fishing zone for sustaining fishery resources.

Tower loads characteristics of a semi-submersible floating wind turbine: An experimental study

For a Floating Wind Turbine (FWT), the tower emerges as a critical structure that connecting the Rotor-Nacelle Assembly (RNA) and the supporting platform, facilitating the transmission of both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads. This paper deduces the distinct responses of the bending moment generated by the motion of a FWT compared with a fixed wind turbine. Due to the complexity of the tower load responses, a comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted on a semi-submersible FWT. Stiffness-matched and geometry-matched tower models were designed and fabricated. These models accurately simulate the tower's flexibility and windward areas, impacting the global dynamic response. The model test precisely replicates the marine environmental conditions, incorporating the interactions between wind, waves, and current. It is particularly worth noting that, a multi-fans large-scale Wind Generation System (WGS) with rectifier networks was improved and fabricated to provide a reliable wind field. Results indicate that the tower load responses under the conditions with wind exhibit distinct nP component characteristics. Notably, 1P and 3P responses dominate most tower load responses, with the 3P response typically increasing with wind speed. The extreme value of My.b (y-axis moment at tower-base) is approximately 10 times larger than that of My.t (y-axis moment at tower-top), signifying a significant magnitude difference and reflecting the response characteristics of the tower loads. And the responses of My.b and Fx.t (x-axis force at tower-top) at the natural frequency of pitch motion are notably suppressed by the aerodynamic damping effect of wind. Furthermore, Fx.b (x-axis force at tower-base) and My.b exhibit obvious responses at the natural frequency of pitch motion. As the wave height increases, the wave-frequency response of the tower base load also strengthens, but the high-frequency response still accounts for a certain proportion of energy in the tower top load.

High covertness camouflage covert underwater acoustic communication based on masking technique

In marine military operations, it is very important to ensure the safe transmission of underwater information, so it is urgent to improve the covertness of underwater communication. In order to meet the requirement of high covertness in underwater acoustic communication, according to the natural characteristics of superimposed interference of marine ambient noise, a high covertness camouflage covert underwater acoustic communication (CUWAC) method based on masking technique using ship-radiated noise as communication carrier is proposed in this paper. This method leverages innovative audio digital technology to embed information into the DCT domain of ship-radiated noise, creating a disguised signal that is hard to detect, thereby significantly enhancing stealth without compromising communication effectiveness. In order to improve the demodulation performance of this camouflage CUWAC, this paper proposes a variable step size p-norm-like LMP sparse adaptive filtering algorithm to offset the interference of the masking signal at the receiving end. This adaptive filtering algorithm is based on the improved modified Gaussian function to construct step size. Furthermore, it introduces the error signal autocorrelation function to adjust the step size and zero-attracting term dynamically. The proposed adaptive filtering algorithm obtains excellent anti-noise performance. Through a series of simulation experiments, this paper not only validates the feasibility of the CUWAC method but also demonstrates its stability and reliability under various marine environmental conditions, providing robust theoretical support for practical applications, proving its efficiency and reliability in complex marine environments.

Mechanical properties of glass/epoxy composites under artificial seawater environment: Numerical simulation and experimental validation

In ocean engineering applications, glass fiber reinforced composite materials undergo degradation over time due to various aging processes. Accurately assessing the mechanical properties of these materials as they experience aging conditions in marine environment becomes a crucial factor. Although various approaches, such as experimental, theoretical, or finite element methods (FEM), have been employed to investigate the impact of aging processes on composite materials, limited attention has been given to examining the damage of composite plates under the exposure of artificial seawater environments using the MAT162 material model. The objective of this study is to outline a methodology for identifying a group of MAT162 parameters in LS-DYNA through a unit single element analysis. S2 glass/epoxy composites were produced by vacuum assisted resin infusion method. Aging was carried out in artificial seawater environment for 4, 8 and 12 months. Tensile, through thickness tensile, compression, through thickness compression tests were performed and then the finite element modeling was conducted. Maximum strength (X1T, X1C, X3T and SFC), element eroding axial strain (E_LIMT), modulus of elasticity (E1 = E2, E3), scale factor for residual compressive strength (SFFC), coefficient for strain softening property (AM) parameters were analyzed. It was determined that the proposed model for aging was in good agreement with the experimental study.

Climate variability, heat distribution, and polar amplification in the warm unipolar “icehouse” of the Oligocene

Abstract. The Oligocene (33.9–23.03 Ma) had warm climates with flattened meridional temperature gradients, while Antarctica retained a significant cryosphere. These may pose imperfect analogues to distant future climate states with unipolar icehouse conditions. Although local and regional climate and environmental reconstructions of Oligocene conditions are available, the community lacks synthesis of regional reconstructions. To provide a comprehensive overview of marine and terrestrial climate and environmental conditions in the Oligocene, and a reconstruction of trends through time, we review marine and terrestrial proxy records and compare these to numerical climate model simulations of the Oligocene. Results, based on the present relatively sparse data, suggest temperatures around the Equator that are similar to modern temperatures. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) show patterns similar to land temperatures, with warm conditions at mid- and high latitudes (∼60–90°), especially in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Vegetation-based precipitation reconstructions of the Oligocene suggest regionally drier conditions compared to modern times around the Equator. When compared to proxy data, climate model simulations overestimate Oligocene precipitation in most areas, particularly the tropics. Temperatures around the mid- to high latitudes are generally underestimated in models compared to proxy data and tend to overestimate the warming in the tropics. In line with previous proxy-to-model comparisons, we find that models underestimate polar amplification and overestimate the Equator-to-pole temperature gradient suggested from the available proxy data. This further stresses the urgency of solving this widely recorded problem for past warm climates, such as the Oligocene.

A methodology to evaluate seawater corrosion on quasi-static tensile properties of a structural steel

With the wind turbine industry growing and increasingly turning its focus to the offshore sector, it is important to grasp the challenges that come with it: the logistic challenges related to transport and maintenance, the exposure to wave and wind action and also the vulnerability to corrosion. The marine environment is a complex and aggressively corrosive environment. The S690 steel, as a structural steel of high mechanical strength, offers weight reduction advantages that are of interest to the sector. However, its behaviour in a corrosive medium is still not well known. As such, this work is part of an effort to characterize S690 steel under marine environment conditions. A methodology for inducing accelerated pre-corrosion on quasi-static tensile specimens of S690 steel, while simulating the environment, has been developed and applied. The effect of this pre-corrosion on the tensile mechanical properties is evaluated through testing in accordance with the ASTM E8 standard. It was found that the induced surface pre-corrosion, equivalent to six months of exposure, did not have a significant effect on the investigated mechanical behaviour.

Response of hydrodynamic and physico-chemical conditions to engineered forcing in an enclosed bay

Marine causeways are becoming more common in many coastal regions to improve vehicular transportation and social integration across landscapes segmented by bays and estuaries. The construction of barrier-type structures has profound implications by altering the geomorphological, hydrodynamic, and ecological conditions in the coastal marine environment. This study investigates the impact of one such newly constructed marine causeway in an enclosed bay in the Arabian Gulf. We hypothesized that the underwater structure of the bridge affects hydrodynamic and physicochemical conditions in the bay. Through extensive physicochemical monitoring, we found that the bridge acted as a physical barrier diminishing tidal currents, thereby resulting in decreased water exchange and heightened stagnation within the bay. Consequently, environmental gradients intensified and nutrient dynamics altered across the bridge. This will have implications for the plankton dynamics, ecosystem function, and overall health of the bay and its surrounding waters. Based on these results, it is recommended to increase efforts to mitigate the stagnation in the bay. Additionally, future coastal development needs to avoid further compromising the water exchange ability of the bay. Our findings also highlight the importance of continuous monitoring and adaptive management strategies to mitigate the environmental impacts of such developments.

Spatial Distribution and Abundance of a Pelagic Squid during the Evolution of Eddies in the Southeast Pacific Ocean

The Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas), is a significant economic species off Peru. The abundance and distribution of the species are highly susceptible to fluctuations in marine environmental conditions. The evolution of mesoscale eddies represents one of the dynamic processes in the ocean, exerting varying degrees of influence on regional biogeochemical processes from generation to dissipation. However, the mechanisms governing the regulation of abundance and spatial distribution of D. gigas off Peru during this evolution remain unclear. Therefore, this study employed normalization techniques and the habitat suitability index (HSI) model, utilizing data from the D. gigas fishery, mesoscale eddies, and marine environmental factors (including sea surface temperature, temperature at 50 m depth, and chlorophyll-a concentration) to analyze the environmental changes and the abundance, spatial distribution, and habitat changes of D. gigas during the evolution of mesoscale eddies. The results indicate that eddies undergo four stages: formation, intensification, maturity, and decay. During eddy evolution, the abundance of D. gigas exhibited an initial increase and a subsequent decrease within cyclonic eddies (CEs), whereas, within anticyclonic eddies (AEs), abundance showed a gradual decline. The outcome of the HSI model revealed that, the habitat suitability and the proportion of suitable habitat areas within eddies were highly consistent with the abundance of D. gigas during all stages of the eddies other than the intensification stage of AEs. The study speculated that both CEs and AEs can create favorable environmental conditions during the maturity stage, thereby leading to an increase in suitable habitat and abundance of D. gigas. These findings emphasize the significant impact of mesoscale eddy evolution on the abundance and habitat distribution of D. gigas.

A comparative study on chloride diffusion in concrete exposed to different marine environment conditions

Chloride penetration in concrete exposed to marine environment is a complicated process. In this paper, we present an experimental study on the chloride diffusion in concrete when it is subjected to marine stationary solution, splash, submerged, and pressured environments. The tests were carried out by using a “wash machine” type device to simulate various marine environment conditions. The specimens tested involve both noncarbonated and carbonated concrete specimens to examine the effect of carbonation on chloride penetration in concretes under these exposures. The experimentally obtained data indicates that the exposure condition has a great influence on the surface chloride concentration, chloride diffusion coefficient, and chloride binding capacity of concrete, which have a large impact on the chloride penetration in concretes. The study also found that carbonation can affect the influence of exposure conditions on chloride diffusion in concrete.

Integrating physics-based simulations with gaussian processes for enhanced safety assessment of offshore installations

Installing large floating objects during offshore operations is a challenging and failure-prone task, especially when passing through the splash zone due to extreme lifting loads on the wire and the payload. For a safe operation, it is essential to predict the peak loads on the installation system and create an early decision-making scenario for the installation vessel before starting the real operation on site. To this end, the extreme loads that can lead to unsatisfactory performance of the system must be evaluated accurately; however, the operation involves a great deal of uncertainty and physics complexity that can lead to unreliable decision-making. It is also challenging to perform numerical calculations to support ongoing marine operations, as it usually takes hours to evaluate different environmental load cases. Thus, it is essential to create an efficient prediction method associated with the environment and the corresponding response levels. In this study, a model is proposed that integrates physics-based simulations with Gaussian Processes, for estimating peak loads in lifting wires. The model offers the advantage of addressing shorter simulation times while still maintaining accuracy in predicting extreme response levels and quantifying the loads uncertainty during the operation. Bayesian Inference is used to incorporate the uncertainty, estimating hyper-parameters and predict the peak loads for various marine environmental conditions. A real case study is considered to demonstrate the application of the proposed model. The results show good agreement with the simulations obtained from time-domain dynamic analysis. The current study provide insights for both onboard and pre-planned decision-making on installation conditions, thereby enhancing predictive accuracy and improving safety in complex marine lifting operations.