Marine Science Center Research Articles

Growth and behavioral responses to elevated temperatures by juvenile sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria and the interactive role of food availability

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 217:121-134 (2001) - doi:10.3354/meps217121 Growth and behavioral responses to elevated temperatures by juvenile sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria and the interactive role of food availability Susan M. Sogard*, Bori L. Olla Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA *E-mail: susan.sogard@noaa.gov ABSTRACT: Larval and age-0 sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria reside in neustonic waters of the North Pacific during spring and summer. We estimated the potential impacts of elevated surface temperatures on ecological processes of growth, conversion efficiency, and behavior in early juvenile sablefish. Growth experiments tested a wide range of temperatures from 6 to 24°C, with fish receiving ad libitum or low (3% body weight d-1) rations. With unlimited food, growth increased rapidly as temperature increased to 14°C, then displayed a more gradual rise to 22°C. Growth rates at the warmer temperatures were among the highest recorded for teleosts, attaining a maximum of 3.3 mm d-1 in length and a specific growth in weight of 11.8%. A similar response to temperature was observed at low rations, although at lower overall growth rates. At 24°C, there was a severe decline in growth for both ration levels, and few fish survived the 3 wk experiments. Gross growth efficiency, measured at temperatures of 6 to 22°C, displayed an interactive effect of temperature with ration level consistent with bioenergetic relationship. Conversion peaked at 16 to 20°C for fish receiving ad libitum rations, and at 10°C for fish on restricted rations. Conversion rates of sablefish were comparable to those calculated for a diverse array of fish species, suggesting that the rapid growth rates are driven by high consumption rather than unusually efficient energy transfer. Experiments analyzing sablefish behavior in thermally stratified water columns demonstrated increasing movement into colder water as ration level decreased, in agreement with an energy conserving strategy. Average monthly temperatures within the major nursery areas of neustonic juveniles (north of 40°N) did not exceed 19°C during the last 19 yr. These results suggest that juvenile sablefish are capable of tolerating and thriving at increased temperatures, with the critical caveat that sufficient food resources must be available. Thus, impacts on early life stages exerted by El Niño conditions, oceanographic regime shifts, or climate changes induced by current global warming scenarios are likely to be a consequence of indirect effects on circulation and productivity patterns rather than direct effects of warmer temperatures. However, because the upper thermal limit for growth nearly coincides with the upper limit for survival, exhibiting a sharp demarcation between favorable growth conditions and intolerable temperatures, juvenile sablefish at the southern limit of their distribution may suffer the direct effects of elevated temperature; recruitment of juveniles to southern populations may become more sporadic if the frequency of warming events increases with climate change. KEY WORDS: Growth efficiency · Temperature selection · Ration · Activity Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 217. Online publication date: July 31, 2001 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2001 Inter-Research.

Three-dimensional overview of the Japan Trench — an example of using the Frontier database system

The main objectives of our research are to: (1) examine and interpret the mechanisms of subduction zone earthquakes around Japan; and (2) plan and carry out geophysical cruises and make related geophysical and geological observations of the trenches and associated subduction zones around Japan in support of (1). In order to fulfill the above objectives, our research focuses on the dynamics of deep-sea trenches using multi-channel seismic reflection and ocean-bottom seismometer methods, and the integration of these and existing data via sophisticated database procedures. Marine geophysical data of bathymetry, geomagnetics, gravity, heat-flow measurements, and crustal structure have been acquired and integrated since the 1960s internationally by oceanographic institutions including the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC). We are developing a global marine geophysical database system and making compilations and analyses of these data. Several research vessels in JAMSTEC are equipped with various advanced marine geophysical instruments. Geophysical data sets obtained during cruises are entered into the JAMSTEC database after appropriate editing and formatting. The database is expanded as additional data are collected, employed for realistic parameters in modeling and simulation studies, and used as the basis for planning additional cruises in areas with sparse data. We are in the process of compiling crustal structure, marine geomagnetic and gravity data off northeastern Japan to clarify the geophysical characteristics of magnetic lineations on the subducting plate and trench gravity anomalies in that region. The characteristics of different geophysical properties are related to the origins of tectonic components, their subsequent deformation and other possible processes of subduction. We will continue to examine several subduction models as additional data are obtained during future Frontier surveys.

Origin of the 17 July 1998 Papua New Guinea Tsunami: Earthquake or Landslide

The tsunami that struck Papua New Guinea on 17 July 1998 shortly after a Mw 7.0 earthquake (Figure 1) was one of the deadliest tsunamis in this century. At least 2,200 people died from this event, essentially destroying an entire generation in some communities. In the months following the tsunami, several international survey teams collected data in an attempt to better understand the cause of this event. Elevations of waterline marks and displaced debris measured by the first International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST; Kawata et al., 1999) indicated an average runup of 10 m occurring over a 25 km length of coastline in the vicinity of Sissano Lagoon (Figure 2). The maximum runup from this event was approximately 15 m. Tsunami runup heights of this size are commonly associated either with earthquakes of much larger magnitude or with “tsunami earthquakes” as defined by Kanamori (1972) and later discussed by Kanamori and Kikuchi (1993). Even for tsunami earthquakes, however, runup heights of 10-15 m seem only to occur for earthquakes Mw > 7.5. Because these runup heights appear anomalously high for a M 7 earthquake, other sources have been postulated for the tsunami, including a submarine landslide or mass flow. Earlier this year, the bathymetry north of Papua New Guinea was surveyed by the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC). In a report describing the preliminary results from these cruises (Tappin et al. , 1999), bathymetric images are presented that show evidence both of a 40-km-long fault scarp and of collapse features within an approximately 10-km-wide bathymetric amphitheater (Figure 2). The report suggests that a landslide was the sole cause for the tsunami. In this paper, I revisit the common assumption that local tsunami runup scales directly with moment magnitude …

Preliminary result of Central Equatorial Pacific Ocean Tomography Experiment

JAMSTEC (Japan Marine Science and Technology Center) and APL (Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington) started a joint program to directly measure part of the circulation cell of the Central Equatorial Pacific Ocean using acoustic tomography. The tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean are suggested to connect via a shallow meridional circulation cell by Gu and Philander (1997). This subtropical cell (STC) has been hypothesized to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation phenomena in the tropics, which then, in turn, can affect the subtropical ocean via rapid atmospheric forcing. But no direct measurements exist and indirect measurements and modeling support the hypothesis. The observational centerpiece is tomography systems located in the Central Equatorial Pacific Region. JAMSTEC began the field work by deploying five acoustic transceivers in the observational region and this work will continue until January 2001 (two-year plan). Measurement data were sent to JAMSTEC in realtime using satellite telemetry system. These data were analyzed and compared with CTD observations. The time series fluctuation of the temperature was solved by this analysis.

Job losses feared as UK marine science centre overspends

london Britain's Natural Environment Research Council has discovered that one of its research centres has overspent its budget, leading to concerns about redundancies.

Estimation of the Stability of Acoustic Multipath in Long-Range Propagation at the Western Equatorial Pacific

In this paper, we present the stability estimation results of the data collected during the sound transmission experiment performed by Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) in 1996 at the western equatorial Pacific. The amplitude and the phase of a correlated signal were very stable within 50 s. There was a small component of the acoustic changes with a period of less than 50 s due to the ocean-structure change. The amplitude and phase, changed significantly within about 3 h. The travel time could be estimated with an error of less than 0.3 ms. The combined information of the amplitude and phase was effective for identifying a ray and observing the ocean-structure change.

Evaluation of the Performance of Deep Sea Survey Sonars from the Results of Search for a Sunken Ship

The Japan Marine Science & Technology Center carried out a search for the “Tsushima-maru,” a school children evacuation ship which was sunken during the World War II. In this search, we first measured the bottom surface reflection intensity over the entire sea, and narrowed down to a special point using the multi narrow beam echo sounder (SEABEAM 2112.004) equipped to the vessel bottom. Then, the vicinity of the investigated with a towing side scan sonar. Eventually, a TV camera on board an remotely operated vehicle confirming the hull of the ship. The search for the sunken ship was utilized to investigate the performance of the sonars. As a result, resolution and detection abilities of various sonar were confirmed in actual ocean operations.

Light-induced changes in the prey consumption and behavior of two juvenile planktivorous fish

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 181:41-51 (1999) - doi:10.3354/meps181041 Light-induced changes in the prey consumption and behavior of two juvenile planktivorous fish Clifford H. Ryer*, Bori L. Olla Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Group, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA *E-mail: cliff.ryer@hmsc.orst.edu ABSTRACT: Walleye pollock and sablefish, as 0+ yr juveniles, are pelagic particulate feeding planktivores. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to determine how illumination influences prey consumption in these species, utilizing live Artemia sp. as prey. Both juvenile walleye pollock and sablefish were characterized by a sigmoidal relationship between the log of illumination and the number of prey consumed, with greater prey consumption at higher illuminations. The threshold illumination below which fish were no longer able to visually forage was approximately 5 x 10-7 µE s-1 m-2 for walleye pollock and 5 x 10-5 µE s-1 m-2 for sablefish, indicating that walleye pollock are better adapted for visual feeding at depth or at night than are sablefish. This is consistent with what is known about their vertical distributions at this life stage; walleye pollock make daily vertical migrations which keep them at lower illuminations than sablefish, which remain at or near the water surface throughout the diel cycle. Although feeding more effectively in the light, both species were capable of detecting and capturing prey in darkness. KEY WORDS: Visual threshold · Nonvisual feeding behavior · Illumination · Nocturnal Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 181. Publication date: May 18, 1999 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1999 Inter-Research.

Introduction to the special volume on the Izu-Bonin - Mariana arc system

Introduction to the special volume on the Izu-Bonin - Mariana arc system

1000-km square scale propagation from ocean acoustic tomography experiment in the Kuroshio Extension region

An ocean acoustic tomography observation was carried out at JAMSTEC (Japan Marine Science and Technology Center) in the Kuroshio Extension region, east of Japan, from July to September 1997. In this observation, five transceivers (consisting of a sound source and hydrophone array) were used and arranged 28°−36° N, 143°−154° E area. The longest distance between transceivers was about a 1000-km range and moored about a 1100-m depth. These transceivers were communicated to eight times (in August) or four times (in July and September) a day of each other and a time series of 1000-km square propagation data in this observation area were recorded and analyzed.

Breaking internal waves on a Florida (USA) coral reef:a plankton pump at work?

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 166:83-97 (1998) - doi:10.3354/meps166083 Breaking internal waves on a Florida (USA) coral reef: a plankton pump at work? James J. Leichter1,*, Gregory Shellenbarger2, Salvatore J. Genovese3, Stephen R. Wing4 1Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Biology, MS #34, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA 21 Lincoln Street, Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945, USA 3Northeastern University, Marine Science Center, Nahant, Massachusetts 01908, USA 4Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, 304 Castle Street, Dunedin, New Zealand *E-mail: jleichter@whoi.edu Temperature, salinity, flow speeds, and plankton concentrations can be highly variable on the slope of Conch Reef, Florida Keys (USA), as warm surface water is mixed with cool, subsurface water forced onshore by broken internal waves. In August 1995 the water column seaward of the reef exhibited strong temperature and density stratification with a sharp pycnocline and associated subsurface chlorophyll a maximum layer at 45 to 60 m depth. On the reef slope, near-bottom zooplankton sampling at 22 to 28 m showed high concentrations of calanoid copepods, crab zoea, and fish larvae associated with upslope flow of cool, chlorophyll-rich water. In contrast to these periods of high concentrations, zooplankton concentrations were low during periods of long-shore and offshore flow of warm surface waters. Both the frequency of internal bore arrival and the mean duration of cool water events increase with increasing depth on the reef slope. Delivery of zooplankton to the reef is, therefore, also expected to increase with depth. A short-term settlement experiment showed increased settlement of serpulid worms at 20 and 30 m depth compared with 15 m, and a 15.5 mo transplant experiment showed significantly enhanced growth rates of the suspension-feeding coral Madracis mirabilis (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae) at 30 m depth relative to growth at 15 or 20 m. Internal tidal bores appear to be a predictable, periodic source of cross-shelf transport to Florida coral reefs and an important influence on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of suspended food particles and larval delivery to the benthos. Internal waves · Internal bores · Zooplankton · Transport Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 166. Publication date: May 28, 1998 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1998 Inter-Research.

Effect of light on juvenile walleye pollock shoaling and their interaction with predators

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 167:215-226 (1998) - doi:10.3354/meps167215 Effect of light on juvenile walleye pollock shoaling and their interaction with predators Clifford H. Ryer*, Bori L. Olla Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Group, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA *E-mail: cliff.ryer@hmsc.orst.edu Research was undertaken to examine the influence of light intensity on the shoaling behavior, activity and anti-predator behavior of juvenile walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma. Under a 12 h light/12 h dark photoperiod, juveniles displayed a diurnal shoaling and activity pattern, characterized by fish swimming in cohesive groups during the day, with a cessation of shoaling and decreased swimming speeds at night. Prior studies of schooling fishes have demonstrated distinct light thresholds below which schooling abruptly ceases. To see if this threshold effect occurs in a predominantly shoaling species, like juvenile walleye pollock, another experiment was undertaken in which illumination was lowered by orders of magnitude, giving fish 20 min to adapt to each light intensity. Juvenile walleye pollock were not characterized by a distinct light threshold for shoaling; groups gradually dispersed as light levels decreased and gradually recoalesced as light levels increased. At light levels below 2.8 x 10-6 µE s-1 m-2, juvenile walleye pollock were so dispersed as to no longer constitute a shoal. Exposure to simulated predation risk had differing effects upon fish behavior under light and dark conditions. Brief exposure to a model predator in the dark caused fish to swim faster, for 5 or 6 min, than fish which had been similarly startled in the light. Chronic exposure to a living predator produced similar results; fish tended to swim slower when a predator was present in the light, but faster when a predator was present in the dark. In the light, shoaling and/or schooling provide protection against predators. But in the dark, with fish unable to see one another, increased prey activity resulting from predator disturbance may lead to accelerated dispersal of prey shoals. Thus, perceived predation risk may have different effects upon the spatial distribution of juvenile walleye pollock under light and dark conditions. This has implications for survival, as fish which have become widely scattered during the darkness may take longer to reform shoals at dawn, resulting in greater predation risk. Schooling · Spatial distribution · Twilight hypothesis · Predator-prey · Swimming speed · Illumination Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 167. Publication date: June 18, 1998 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1998 Inter-Research.

Abstracts of Contributed Papers Presented at the 1998 North American Echinoderms Meeting August 16-19, 1998, Wallops Island Marine Science Center, Wallops Island, Virginia

Following the tradition started at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (1989), and continued at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (1992), the third North American Echinoderms Meeting was sponsored by the Marine Science Consortium and held at the Wallops Island Marine Science Center in August of 1998. In keeping with the practices of prior meetings, this meeting provided a forum for colleagues from throughout North America to share current work, and fostered communication between researchers whose work is based upon some aspect of the biology of Echinodermata. Presentations covered a range of topics, from evolutionary relationships to ecological processes and from physiological mechanisms to aquacultural applications, illustrating the breadth of activities of researchers investigating the Echinodermata. Following are abstracts resulting from oral or poster presentations contributed to the 1998 North American Echinoderms Meeting, and a special, invited retrospective on meetings on Echinodermata in North America.

Japan Plunges Into Ocean Science

YOKOSUKA, JAPAN— Japan9s Marine Science and Technology Center has some of the world9s most capable research vessels, including the world9s deepest diving manned submersible, the deepest diving remotely operated vehicle, and—to be launched this fall—the world9s largest oceanographic research vessel. Now it wants to use its technological prowess to become a global force in ocean science, too.

Pressure Effect of Sound Speed in the Deep Ocean

Recently, ocean acoustic tomography (OAT) has been used to investigate the phenomenon of global warming and for wide area oceanic observation. This research requires one to correctly determine the sound speed from the sea surface to the bathyal zone. The calculation of sound speed is primarily based on the equation for the speed of sound determined by Del Grosso and Chen and Millero. There are many discussions with respect to the differences between the equation for sound speed by Chen and Millero and that by Del Grosso. We measured data of temperature, salinity, pressure and sound speed from the sea surface to the bathyal zone in detail using the deep submergence vehicle, “SHINKAI 6500,” from the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC). From our measurements, the constant term of the gradient of sound speed from the measured data agrees with that of the equation derived by Chen and Millero, while the first and the second terms of the gradient of sound speed from the measured data agree with that of the equation by Del Grosso.

沖合浮体式波力装置「マイティーホエール」

“Mighty Whale” is a floating Oscillating Water Column (OWC) type wave power device which has a ability absorbing the energy from ocean waves and dissipate the wave height behind the device. So, it can supply the electric energy and can produce the calm sea area for utilizing of coastal zone. Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) has put into the project for R&D on Mighty Whale since 1987, and is desighing of the prototype from 1995. So for, we could have a insight on basic behavior, characteristices, safety and economics of the Mighty Whale by theoretical, numerical estimation and evaluation, experimental studies in water tank using the scale models and foundamental discussion on the general design. The construction of the prototype of Mighty Whale will be finished by May 1999, and the open sea test will be carried out by the end of March 2001.This paper describes the project and the design of the prototype of Mighty Whale.

A Design of Mooring System for Floating Wave Energy Converter in Shallow Water

The Mighty Whale, floating wave energy converter, has been studied and developed for the purpose of using coastal areas effectively by JAMSTEC (Japan Marine Science and Technology Center). The Mighty Whale will be installed at 1.5 km point from the coast of the Gokasyo-bay in Mie prefecture. In other words, the Mighty Whale will have to be moored in shallow water under severe environmental conditions by catenary mooring with chain.Generally, in case of catenary mooring, slowly varying oscillations occur and mooring tensions become very large. Furthermore, if floating structures are set in shallow water, mooring tensions are raised by their vertical motions. Therefore, there have been few similar mooring cases such as the Mighty Whale.In this paper, design methods of mooring system by approximate analysis, simulation analysis and model experiment are indicated, and concluded points through the design of the Mighty Whale are mentioned as follows ;(1) It is feasible to moor large floating structures in shallow water under severe environmental conditions by catenary mooring.(2) Intermediate weight on mooring line is effective in controlling displacement and mooring tensions.(3) Approximate analyses for considering slowly varying oscillations and influences of vertical motions are available to design of real structures' mooring systems.(4) Using these approximate analyses in initial design is simple and efficient, and useful for reducing time of design.

Pressure effect on absorption coefficients in the deep-sea area

In order to design deep-sea acoustic devices, it is very important to estimate the sound absorption loss in the deep sea. In general, the Thorp equation [F. H. Fisher and V. P. Simmons, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 62, 558–564 (1977)] is used in the design of deep-sea acoustic equipment for safety monitoring. However, it is known empirically that the measured absorption losses are less than the losses calculated by the Thorp equation [Tsuchiya et al., presented at the Meeting of the Marine Acoustics Society of Japan (1993), p. 77 (in Japanese)] in the deep-sea area. The sound absorption losses in the deep sea were measured using the deep submergence vehicle ‘‘SHINKAI 6500’’ of the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC). It is known that there is a discrepancy between the measured absorption loss in a water tank and that in the deep sea. The data are close to those measured in the laboratory by Fisher [F. H. Fisher, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 38, 805–812 (1965)]. It appears that absorption loss decreases quadratically as a function of depth.

Relationship between Acoustic Bandwidth and Characteristics of Sound Propagation in West Mediterranean Sea

Recently, ocean acoustic tomography (OAT) has been used to investigate the phenomenon of global warming and in wide-area oceanic observations. OAT can determine the sound-speed profile from measured acoustic travel times over known ray paths. The seawater temperature profile and the existence of ocean currents can be estimated using the sound-speed profile. However, the measured arrival time structure contains many pulses with different paths. Ray geometry fundamentals (i.e., numbers of turning points of rays, initial angle, etc.) must be properly identified. The sound-speed structure varies with observation area (i.e., west Mediterranean Sea, low-, mid-latitude sea area, etc.) and season. It has been shown by the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) that a special ocean structure with sound speed increasing linearly with depth is formed in the west Mediterranean Sea. We have to understand the characteristics of sound propagation for each sea area in advance. In this paper, the characteristics of sound propagation for an ocean model for areas such as the west Mediterranean Sea have been analyzed in the time domain using Stickler's normal mode method (SNM). The effects of acoustic bandwidth (ABW) on the pattern of arrivals have been examined.

Measurements of Absorption Coefficients in the Deep-Sea Area

In order to design deep-sea acoustic devices, it is very important to estimate the sound absorption loss in the deep sea. It is known that there is a discrepancy between the measured absorption loss in a water tank and that in the deep sea. We have measured the sound absorption losses in the deep sea using the deep submergence vehicle “SHINKAI 6500” of the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC). Our data are close to those measured in the laboratory by Fisher. [rf:1] It appears that absorption loss decreases quadratically as a function of depth.