Continental Slope Off Research Articles

Sedimentology and structure of a Holocene slump deposit on the continental slope off Baja California, Mexico

Sedimentology and structure of a Holocene slump deposit on the continental slope off Baja California, Mexico

Hadal Mud Dragons: First Insight Into the Diversity of Kinorhyncha From the Atacama Trench

Deep-sea trenches are one of the last frontiers for deep-sea exploration and represent a large reservoir of undiscovered biodiversity. This applies in particular to organisms belonging to smaller-size classes, such as meiofauna. Among different meiofauna taxa, kinorhynchs represent a large gap in our knowledge about global marine biodiversity in general, but primarily in extreme deep-sea environments. Out of the more than 300 known mud dragon species, only a single species has ever been described from hadal depths (> 6000 m), i.e., Echinoderes ultraabyssalis from the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. The results presented in this paper are based on material collected during a research expedition in 2018 investigating the Atacama Trench environment. We provide a first overview and comparison of the diversity and abundance of mud dragons in the Atacama Trench, the adjacent abyssal plain and continental slope off Chile. The study revealed six species of Echinoderes. Of these, Echinoderes mamaqucha sp. nov. is described as a new species and morphological data of three undescribed species are given. Because of the low number of available specimens, we provide only a brief description of these three species and comparison with their morphologically closest congeners, but formal descriptions are not given. Moreover, Echinoderes juliae and Echinoderes pterus were also recovered. Echinoderes juliae was described from the abyssal plain off Oregon and along the continental rise off California, at 2702 to 3679 m depth. Echinoderes pterus is known from the high Arctic, the North Atlantic, and the Mediterranean Sea, and has also been reported to show a wide bathymetric distribution, from 675 to 4403 m. Interestingly, E. mamaqucha sp. nov. dominated at the trench stations and it reached its highest abundance at the deepest station, at 8085 m water depth. The only other single individual that was found in the Atacama Trench was Echinoderes sp.1. The remaining four species were all found at the abyssal and slope stations. The obtained results seem to confirm previous hypotheses about geographic isolation of deep-sea trenches and relatively low connectivity with other habitats, reflected by limited diversity of sediment dwelling fauna, particularly in the deepest parts of trenches.

East Asian monsoon and sea-level controls on clay mineral variations in the southern South China Sea since the Last Glacial Maximum

Clay minerals preserved in marine sediments carry important information about sediment transport processes from sources to sinks. To reveal the dynamic transport processes of clay minerals and related controlling factors in the southern South China Sea, spatiotemporal variations of clay mineral assemblages from previous studies (Cores MD05-2893, CG2, SO18287-3, MD01-2393, SO18383-3, and MD97-2150) are integrated to assess their controlling factors over the past 30 ka. Based on the smectite/(illite + chlorite) ratio in six cores, we found that the clay mineral variations on the continental slope off Sunda Shelf (Cores MD05-2893, CG2, and SO18287-3) have been controlled by the sea-level changes during the last glacial sea-level lowstand and by the East Asian monsoon during the Holocene sea-level highstand periods. Meanwhile, the clay mineral variations on the continental slope off the Mekong River (Cores MD01-2393, SO18383-3, and MD97-2150) have been driven by the chemical weathering in the Mekong River basin that associates with the East Asian summer monsoon evolution. Accordingly, we conclude that the glacial-interglacial variation of clay minerals in an integrated picture of the southern South China Sea region since the Last Glacial Maximum has been mainly controlled by sea-level change and East Asian monsoon evolution. However, these controlling factors play independent roles in different parts of the southern South China Sea, which appears more heterogeneous than generally expected.

Revision of the deep-sea Eulimidae (Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda) from off Northeast Brazil.

The present study reviews the taxonomy of the marine gastropods belonging to the family Eulimidae Philippi, 1853 from the continental slope off Northeast Brazil. The genera Abyssoaclis Barros, Mello, Barros, Lima, Santos, Cabral Padovan, 2003 and Aclis Lovén, 1846 were not treated here. A total of 20 taxa were identified in this region, excluding Eulima hebes Watson, 1883, a species with a doubtful classification in Eulimidae. The species were assigned to the following genera: Costaclis Bartsch, 1947, Eulima Risso, 1826, Fusceulima Laseron, 1955, Melanella Bowdich, 1822, Ophieulima Warén Sibuet, 1981, Sticteulima Laseron, 1955, Thaleia Warén, 1979, and Umbilibalcis Bouchet Warén, 1986. The genera Sticteulima, Ophieulima and Umbilibalcis are reported for the first time in the southwestern Atlantic. Four species represent new records for the southwestern Atlantic. A redescription of the shell morphology is provided for: Costaclis egregia (Dall, 1889b), Melanella doederleini (Brusina, 1886), and Umbilibalcis lata (Dall, 1889b). Additional information to the original description are reported for other species. Melanella sarissa is considered as a synonym of Melanella cinca Dall, 1927. Six new species are described: Eulima cracentis sp. nov., Melanella paraabida sp. nov., M. adiastalta sp. nov., M. anapetes sp. nov., Sticteulima cabrali sp. nov. and S. canopusensis sp. nov. Lectotypes are designated for: Costaclis hyalina, C. egregia, Eulima ephamilla (Watson, 1883), E. psila and E. (?) hebes. Eulima sp. 1, Melanella sp. 1 and Melanella sp. 2 are potential new species, but the scarcity of material precludes a formal description at this moment.

Monsoonal forcing of cold-water coral growth off southeastern Brazil during the past 160 kyr

Abstract. Cold-water corals (CWCs) constitute important deep-water ecosystems that are under increasing environmental pressure due to ocean acidification and global warming. The sensitivity of these deep-water ecosystems to environmental change is demonstrated by abundant paleorecords drilled through CWC mounds that reveal characteristic alterations between rapid formation and dormant or erosive phases. Previous studies have identified several central parameters for driving or inhibiting CWC growth such as food supply, oxygenation, and the carbon saturation state of bottom water, yet there are still large uncertainties about the relative importance of the different environmental parameters. To advance this debate we have performed a multiproxy study on a sediment core retrieved from the 25 m high Bowie Mound, located at 866 m water depth on the continental slope off southeastern Brazil, a structure built up mainly by the CWC Solenosmilia variabilis. Our results indicate a multifactorial control on CWC growth at Bowie Mound during the past ∼ 160 kyr, which reveals distinct formation pulses during northern high-latitude glacial cold events (Heinrich stadials, HSs) largely associated with anomalously strong monsoonal rainfall over the continent. The ensuing enhanced runoff elevated the terrigenous nutrient and organic-matter supply to the continental margin and likely boosted marine productivity. The dispersal of food particles towards the CWC colonies during HSs was facilitated by the highly dynamic hydraulic conditions along the continental slope that prevailed throughout glacial periods. These conditions caused the emplacement of a pronounced nepheloid layer above Bowie Mound, thereby aiding the concentration and along-slope dispersal of organic matter. Our study thus emphasizes the impact of continental climate variability on a highly vulnerable deep-marine ecosystem.

Predictive habitat suitability modeling of deep-sea framework-forming scleractinian corals in the Gulf of Mexico

Framework-forming scleractinian (FFS) corals provide structurally complex habitats to support abundant and diverse benthic communities but are vulnerable to environmental changes and anthropogenic disturbances. Scientific modeling of suitable habitat provides important insights into the impact of the environmental conditions and fills the gap in the knowledge on habitat suitability. This study presents predictive habitat suitability modeling for deep-sea (depth > 50 m) FFS corals in the GoM. We first conducted a nonparametric estimate of the observed coral point process intensity as a function of each numeric environmental variable. Next, we performed species distribution modeling (SDM) using an assemble of four machine learning models - maximum entropy (ME), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and deep neural network (DNN). We found that most important variables controlling the coral distribution are super-dominant gravel and rock substrata, SW and SE aspects, slope steepness, salinity, depth, temperature, acidity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll-a. Highly suitable habitats are predicted to be on the continental slope off Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi and the shelf and slope of the West Florida Escarpment. All the four models have outstanding prediction performances with AUC values over 0.95. DNN model performs best (AUC = 0.987). The study contributes to coral habitat modeling research by presenting unique methods including nonparametric function of coral point process intensity, DNN and SVM models that have not been used in coral SDM, post-classification model assembling, and percentile approach to determine a threshold value for classifying a suitability score map into a binary map. Our findings would help support conservation prioritization, management and planning, and guide new field exploration.

Vertical Migration of the Along-Slope Counter-Flow and Its Relation with the Kuroshio Intrusion off Northeastern Taiwan

Based on satellite and analysis data and in situ observations acquired during May 23, 2017 to May 19, 2018, the spatiotemporal variations of the along-slope counter-flow off northeastern Taiwan were investigated. It was observed that the along-slope counter-flow in the subsurface layer was uplifted and lowered significantly during the study period. The counter-flow was significantly uplifted (lowered) while the sea surface was during an interval of positive (negative) geostrophic velocity anomaly (GVA) curl. The vertical migration of the counter-flow was also found closely linked with the Kuroshio intrusion (KI) to the northeast of Taiwan. The depths of both the upper boundary and the axis of the counter-flow were found proportional to the KI variance along the western continental slope off northeastern Taiwan. More importantly, it was established that the variation of the KI to the northeast of Taiwan had better correlation with the counter-flow than the Kuroshio derived from altimetry data. Thus, further study of the variation and mechanism of the along-slope counter-flow is needed to improve the understanding and prediction of the KI in the area of northeastern Taiwan, as well as the biochemical systems and marine economy in the East China Sea in the future.

Applications for marine mammal studies using passive acoustic data from the Coastal Endurance array off Newport, Oregon

The National Science Foundation-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) maintains a series of coastal and oceanic monitoring sites that consists of a multitude of physical and biological sensors. As part of this program, OOI has collected continuous, broadband passive acoustic data along the continental shelf and slope off Newport, Oregon since 2016. The Coastal Endurance cabled array consists of two mooring lines that straddle the Columbia River plume, and capture data from this nutrient rich upwelling site along the northeast Pacific coast. In addition to this instrumentation, underwater gliders conduct regular transects to provide better spatial resolution of coastal ocean parameters in the region. Representative data from the continental slope and seamount recording sites of the Coastal Endurance Array were reviewed for vocally active marine mammals. Physical oceanographic variables collected concurrently from the mooring line instrumentation and coastal gliders were used to spatially and temporally characterize the regional marine mammal habitat. This effort demonstrates applications for use of OOI’s accessible, multi-instrument platform for conducting marine mammal ecosystem studies.

Paleoclimatic controls on mercury deposition in northeast Brazil since the Last Interglacial

The sediment core GL-1248, collected from the continental slope off northeastern Brazil, was used to reconstruct mercury (Hg) variations in NE South American continental margin and understand its variability in response to paleoclimate changes over the past 128 ka. Mercury concentrations in GL-1248 ranged between 14.95 and 69.43 ng/g, showing a glacial-interglacial pattern with higher (lower) concentrations in the glacial period (interglacial period). Parallel trends of Hg and XRF-Fe plots suggest that following atmospheric Hg deposition onto the continent, Hg is incorporated with Fe compounds before transportation and eventual immobilization at the NE Brazil continental slope. Peaks of Hg and Fe/Ca ratio peaks occurred concurrently during certain Heinrich Stadials, indicating that Hg is transported from the continent alongside fluvial sediments during periods of increased precipitation and erosion in NE Brazil continent. Mercury concentrations varied with periodicities of 56 ka and 900 yr suggesting glacial-interglacial changes and millennial-scale variability, respectively. Total Hg and total organic carbon are poorly correlated, although the latter likely influenced Hg sequestration into marine sediments during millennial-scale events between 60 ka and 30 ka. Altogether, our results suggest that the atmosphere is the primary source of Hg to GL-1248 and glacial-interglacial climate variations were the major determinant of atmospheric Hg deposition. Furthermore, increased precipitation during millennial-scale events played a secondary role by enhancing Hg transport to the continental slope of NE Brazil.

Discharge of Meteoric Water in the Eastern Norwegian Sea since the Last Glacial Period

AbstractSubmarine groundwater discharge could impact the transport of critical solutes to the ocean. However, its driver(s), significance over geological time scales, and geographical coverage are poorly understood. We characterize a submarine groundwater seep from the continental slope off northern Norway where substantial amount of meteoric water was detected. We reconstruct the seepage history from textural relationships and U‐Th geochronology of authigenic minerals. We demonstrate how glacial‐interglacial dynamics have promoted submarine groundwater circulation more than 100 km offshore and result in high fluxes of critical solutes to the ocean. Such cryosphere‐hydrosphere coupling is likely common in the circum‐Arctic implying that future decay of glaciers and permafrost in a warming Arctic is expected to attenuate such a coupled process and thus decreases the export of critical solutes.

Diversity and relative abundance of ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing microorganisms in the offshore Namibian hypoxic zone.

Nitrification, the microbial oxidation of ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2–) and NO2– to nitrate (NO3–), plays a vital role in ocean nitrogen cycling. Characterizing the distribution of nitrifying organisms over environmental gradients can help predict how nitrogen availability may change with shifting ocean conditions, for example, due to loss of dissolved oxygen (O2). We characterized the distribution of nitrifiers at 5 depths spanning the oxic to hypoxic zone of the offshore Benguela upwelling system above the continental slope off Namibia. Based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, the proportional abundance of nitrifiers (ammonia and nitrite oxidizers) increased with depth, driven by an increase in ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA; Thaumarchaeota) to up to 33% of the community at hypoxic depths where O2 concentrations fell to ~25 μM. The AOA community transitioned from being dominated by a few members at oxic depths to a more even representation of taxa in the hypoxic zone. In comparison, the community of NO2–-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), composed primarily of Nitrospinae, was far less abundant and exhibited higher evenness at all depths. The AOA:NOB ratio declined with depth from 41:1 in the oxic zone to 27:1 under hypoxia, suggesting potential variation in the balance between NO2– production and consumption via nitrification. Indeed, in contrast to prior observations from more O2-depleted sites closer to shore, NO2– did not accumulate at hypoxic depths near this offshore site, potentially due in part to a tightened coupling between AOA and NOB.

Characterization of the exoskeleton of the Antarctic king crab Paralomis birsteini

AbstractOcean acidification is projected to inhibit the biogenic production of calcium carbonate skeletons in marine organisms. Antarctic waters represent a natural environment in which to examine the long‐term effects of carbonate undersaturation on calcification in marine predators. King crabs (Decapoda: Anomura: Lithodidae), which currently inhabit the undersaturated environment of the continental slope off Antarctica, are potential invasives on the Antarctic shelf as oceanic temperatures rise. Here, we describe the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of the exoskeleton of the deep‐water Antarctic lithodid Paralomis birsteini and compare our measurements with two decapod species from shallow water at lower latitudes, Callinectes sapidus (Brachyura: Portunidae) and Cancer borealis (Brachyura: Cancridae). In Paralomis birsteini, crabs deposit proportionally more calcium carbonate in their predatory chelae than their protective carapaces, compared with the other two crab species. When exoskeleton thickness and microhardness were compared between the chelae and carapace, the magnitude of the difference between these body regions was significantly greater in P. birsteini than in the other species tested. Hence, there appeared to be a greater disparity in P. birsteini in overall investment in calcium carbonate structures among regions of the exoskeleton. The imperatives of prey consumption and predator avoidance may be influencing the deposition of calcium to different parts of the exoskeleton in lithodids living in an environment undersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate.

Water Masses and Ocean Currents Over the Continental Slope off Northern Baja California

AbstractOcean currents and thermohaline properties over the continental slope off northern Baja California are analyzed with data collected between 2008 and 2012. The data set is composed of 3‐year‐long time series of two moorings with current meter profilers and one chain of conductivity‐temperature‐depths, as well as data collected during 13 synoptic hydrographic surveys. The upper layer (<100 m) was characterized by low salinity Subarctic Waters. Geostrophic velocities suggest that waters of the lighter layer are advected equatorward by near‐surface flows. Below 50 m, poleward flow dominates, so the denser Subarctic Waters recirculates back north along the slope. The combination of geostrophic velocities derived from the hydrographic surveys and the current meter data confirm the presence of the California Undercurrent (CUC), a narrow subsurface poleward flow with a high‐velocity core confined to the continental slope. Mean core speeds were 12–15 cm/s at an average depth of ~150 m. Below the CUC, the core of spicy North Pacific Equatorial Water (NPEW) was found at a mean depth of ~200 m. The analysis of the continuous time series provides strong evidence of the seasonal signal in speed, spiciness, and depth of the CUC and NPEW cores, with a time resolution unprecedented to date. Most of the variance of water mass and flow properties is explained by the annual cycle. The phase shift between the depth of the NPEW core and the strength of the CUC suggests that remotely generated Kelvin waves are responsible for the seasonal variability observed off northern Baja California.

Hydrodynamic Connectivity of Habitats of Deep-Water Corals in Corsair Canyon, Northwest Atlantic: A Case for Cross-Boundary Conservation

Deep-water corals are significant ecosystem engineers that provide habitat complexity in the deep sea. They are indicator species of vulnerable marine ecosystems because of their slow growth and longevity, characteristics that can prolong recovery from disturbances such as fishing. For populations with discontinuous distributions, such as aggregations of deep-water corals, population connectivity is critical in regulating persistence and recovery and is one of the recommended elements in the design of area-based conservation measures. In this study, we assessed potential pathways of connectivity in the Corsair Canyon Conservation Area, off Nova Scotia, Canada, for populations of the deep-water corals Paragorgia arborea and Primnoa resedaeformis discovered in 2014 and afforded protection in 2016. Corsair Canyon located in the Canadian EEZ, ~ 20 kilometres from the border between Canada and the USA, is potentially receiving larvae from either the Canadian or US EEZ. In Corsair Canyon, P. arborea was very abundant at depths 484-856 m and some colonies of P. arborea were > 2 m high. These are the locally densest aggregations of P. arborea we have detected on the continental slope off Nova Scotia. We also recorded P. resedaeformis at similar depths. Colonies of both species were most often seen attached perpendicularly to a rock face, and into the current. We assessed hydrodynamic connectivity between Corsair Canyon and other canyons to the northeast and southwest along the continental slope with known occurrences of the two corals, using the ocean model Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth). Our results indicate that estimated hydrodynamic connectivity originates consistently from canyons to the southwest of Corsair Canyon, particularly Georges, and Heezen Canyons. Of these, only Georges Canyon is within Canada’s EEZ and based on our data has very sparse populations of corals that can supply potential recruits. Predicted connectivity with the Northeast Channel Coral Conservation Area occurs in winter and spring, but the complexity of circulation in those seasons needs to be resolved to confirm the strength of this connection. Our results strongly suggest cross-boundary coordination is essential in the conservation of deep-water corals in the northwest Atlantic, by ensuring larval exchange and connectivity.

Controls on organic matter distribution in oxygen minimum zone sediments from the continental slope off western India

Abstract The causes of organic-rich sediments in contact with the perennial oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) on the continental slope off western India have been debated extensively, largely in relation to two main controlling factors: high productivity in the water column and enhanced preservation due to oxygen deficiency in bottom waters. In order to better understand the causes for organic-richness in sediments, three sediment cores recovered from the upper OMZ (UOMZ) at 500 m, middle OMZ (MOMZ) at 812 m and lower OMZ (LOMZ) at 1168 m water depths from the continental slope off Ratnagiri (west coast of India) were investigated for their organic matter (OM) and their stable isotopic (δ13C and δ15N), geochemical and rock magnetic parameters. The bottom water dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were 0.4 μM, 5.8 μM and 25 μM at UOMZ, MOMZ and LOMZ core locations respectively. Maximum age of the sediments recorded in these cores was 4500 yrs BP. Sedimentation rates in the upper sections of the UOMZ and MOMZ cores were lower (5 to 7 cm/kyr) than that in the LOMZ core (20 cm/kyr). Organic carbon (Corg) content was highest (upto 7.9%) in the UOMZ core than in other cores (upto 4.9%). Enriched δ13Corg values (−18.6 to −16.8‰) in the MOMZ core were indicative of reworked organic matter in the lower section. The δ15N values ranged from 4 to 7.4‰, however, with lower values for the reworked sediments at MOMZ site. The parameters representing productivity and redox conditions increased towards core top in all the cores, whereas terrigenous parameters decreased towards core top in the MOMZ and LOMZ cores. Despite the MOMZ core was always in OMZ in the lower section, very low Corg content coinciding with high terrigenous and reworked OM were deposited in the sediments prior to 1700 years BP. Rock magnetic properties indicate that the degree of diagenetic conditions varied in different sections of the cores and also among the cores within OMZ. Authigenic magnetite and authigenic uranium occurred in the lower sections of UOMZ and LOMZ cores and, authigenic magnetite in the upper sections of MOMZ core. These results suggest that productivity played an important role in organic-richness of the sediments and bottom water oxygen concentration has little effect on the preservation of OM. Besides, sedimentation rates, reworked organic matter, and topography at the core site indeed contribute on the distribution of organic matter in the Late Holocene sediments.

Vector field observations near the continental slope off Big Sur, California

In this work, data collected approximately 3 km off the coast of Big Sur, California, by a low frequency vector sensor system will be analyzed. Directional and temporal variations in the ambient noise field will be evaluated, and causes will be considered including flow noise due to currents, surface (wind) noise, distant shipping, and marine mammals. Bearing estimation results for shipping will be compared with AIS tracks recorded during the period of deployment. Local sound speed measurements and bathymetry in the vicinity of the deployment area will be used as inputs to a two-dimensional propagation model that properly invokes reciprocity of the acoustic vector field. Surface wave spectra collected by a nearby buoy will be used to generate rough surface realizations in order to evaluate the impact of these perturbations on low frequency vector field structure. These results will be combined with acoustic data observations in attempts to determine the impact of propagation on the structure of the field. Such an approach may allow us to infer acoustic source levels of AIS traffic off the coast.

New trophic link and potential feeding area of dwarf minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.) in mid latitude waters of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Abstract The stomach content of a male, immature dwarf minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.) stranded in September of 2008 in southern Brazil revealed a large consumption of the Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus), probably in multiple feeding events. Stable isotopes signals from kidney and liver samples of the whale are consistent with values for this squid species, and prey size indicates consumption over spawning aggregations near the continental slope off southern Brazil. The present record adds a new prey species for dwarf minke whale and reinforces the hypothesis that some baleen whales could feed in middle latitudes of the Brazilian coast.

Redescription and first record of Camacho faroensis Myers, 1998 (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from the continental slope off Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula)

This paper reports the southernmost record of Camacho faroensis Myers, 1998 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Aoridae) from samples collected at the continental slope (Ferrol Canyon) off the NW Iberian Peninsula during the DIVA-Artabria I expeditions. This species was initially described from the Faroe Islands but type specimens are incomplete and lack relevant features (e.g., antenna 1, pereopod 5). Therefore, a detailed redescription and drawings are provided based on examination of the type series and the new material collected. To date, the genus Camacho Stebbing, 1888 is composed of three species being C. faroensis as the only one reported so far from the Northern Hemisphere. This species is characterized by the following characters: absence of eyes, cephalic lobes reduced, presence of two ventral spines on peduncle article 1 distal margin of antenna 1, presence of spines (stout setae) on pereopods 5–7, reduced inner rami of uropod 3, and lacking distal setae. A key for all recognized species of the genus is also included.

Image dataset of ophiuroid and other deep sea benthic organisms in 2015 extracted from the survey off Sanriku, Japan, by the research following the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011

AbstractThis is the first large image dataset and occurrence records of marine organisms in the Northwest Pacific off Tohoku, Japan. This area suffered by Great East Japan Earthquake 2011 and continental shelf and slope off of this area considered one of the most productive areas both for fishery and primary production in the world because of the complex mixture of the Kuroshio Current, Oyashio Current, and Tsugaru Warm Current. We compiled 3415 images of animals, stones, and sediments. Most of the images are of dominant species of Ophiuroidea (brittle stars), with 789 and 1421 images captured in two areas of different depth. These images are cropped from downward camera images collected during two dives in 2015 using remotely operated vehicles in a deeper area (670–800 m deep) off Kamaishi (cruise id KY15‐08; dive no. HPD1812) and a shallower area (280 m deep) off Minami Sanriku town (cruise id NT15‐E04; dive no. CRB17). The attribute of each image is listed in the subsequent comma delimited (csv) text file and the observed occurrence of each organisms was also converted into the text format used in Japan Ocean Biogeographic Information System Center (J‐OBIS), which is comparable with Darwin Core 2.0. Basically, we recorded the higher taxonomic levels (e.g., order and class) that could be specified with certainty and added a list of potential species as an appendix. For better understanding the broad‐scale impact of the earthquake along the continental shelf and slope, it is necessary to extract occurrence data of organisms from biological surveys. Gathering image or video data is appropriate for this purpose because most underwater surveys simultaneously record images and/or videos. This dataset will add the information of the status after 4 years of the disaster. These image data are also considered as training image data set for automatic extraction of organisms.

Tsunami detection by high-frequency radar in British Columbia: performance assessment of the time-correlation algorithm for synthetic and real events

The authors recently proposed a new method for detecting tsunamis using high-frequency (HF) radar observations, referred to as “time-correlation algorithm” (TCA; Grilli et al. Pure Appl Geophys 173(12):3895–3934, 2016a, 174(1): 3003–3028, 2017). Unlike standard algorithms that detect surface current patterns, the TCA is based on analyzing space-time correlations of radar signal time series in pairs of radar cells, which does not require inverting radial surface currents. This was done by calculating a contrast function, which quantifies the change in pattern of the mean correlation between pairs of neighboring cells upon tsunami arrival, with respect to a reference correlation computed in the recent past. In earlier work, the TCA was successfully validated based on realistic numerical simulations of both the radar signal and tsunami wave trains. Here, this algorithm is adapted to apply to actual data from a HF radar installed in Tofino, BC, for three test cases: (1) a simulated far-field tsunami generated in the Semidi Subduction Zone in the Aleutian Arc; (2) a simulated near-field tsunami from a submarine mass failure on the continental slope off of Tofino; and (3) an event believed to be a meteotsunami, which occurred on October 14th, 2016, off of the Pacific West Coast and was measured by the radar. In the first two cases, the synthetic tsunami signal is superimposed onto the radar signal by way of a current memory term; in the third case, the tsunami signature is present within the radar data. In light of these test cases, we develop a detection methodology based on the TCA, using a correlation contrast function, and show that in all three cases the algorithm is able to trigger a timely early warning.