Outer Shelf Region Research Articles

Phytoplankton community structures in shelf and oceanic waters off southeast Brazil (20°–25°S), as determined by pigment signatures

The influences of the hydrological features and environmental conditions in the phytoplankton community found in the Campos Basin area in the Atlantic Ocean (20° to 25°S; 42° to 38°W) were studied using HPLC/CHEMTAX pigment analysis. Samples were collected at 72 stations distributed along the 25–3000m isobaths at two depths during two seasonal periods (rainy and dry). Seven taxonomic groups of phytoplankton were detected (diatoms, dinoflagellates, prasinophytes, cryptophytes, haptophytes, pelagophytes and cyanobacteria). Redundancy analysis showed that the spatial and temporal patterns observed in the distribution of the phytoplanktonic groups were primarily related to variations in the availability of light and nutrients. Nutrient variations were caused by South Atlantic Central Water seasonal intrusions over the continental shelf region. Cyanobacteria predominated in the rainy season, while diatoms, Haptophyceae and Prasinophyceae, were associated with higher nutrient availability in the dry season. In the inner shelf region, diatoms dominated and were associated with increased conditions of turbulence and nutrient availability. Haptophytes and prasinophytes were predominant on the outer shelf and shelf-break regions associated with high nutrient concentrations and availability of light. Prochlorococcus was related to oceanic waters (in both dry and rainy periods) or to low nutrient/strongly stratified shelf waters (rainy period). In contrast, Synechococcus was widely distributed in both the shelf and oceanic regions. Variation in the quality of light between coastal and oceanic waters was probably responsible for the distributions observed. Through HPLC/CHEMTAX pigment analysis we have developed a detailed picture of the influence of hydrological regime on the dynamics of the phytoplankton community in an under-studied shelf/ocean system in the tropical southern Atlantic Ocean.

Interactions between the Agulhas Current and the eastern margin of the Agulhas Bank

Interactions between the Agulhas Current and the ecologically important region of the Agulhas Bank are studied through the analysis of high resolution along-track altimetry, merged mapped altimetry and in situ measurements of current speed and direction undertaken from a moored Accoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Comparisons between current observations collected from the ADCP and the satellite altimeters are made to evaluate the validity of the analysis conducted on the altimetry. Both altimetry and in situ observations show that Natal Pulses are a major driver of variability along the eastern margin of the Agulhas Bank. On average, it is estimated that the circulation along the eastern margin of the Agulhas Bank is influenced by Natal Pulses for 110 days per year. In the outer shelf region, the offshore displacement of the Agulhas Current׳s front associated with the passage of the Natal Pulse meander drives a strong cyclonic circulation. Closer to the shore, the impact of a Natal Pulse is felt primarily through the intrusion of the Natal Pulse׳s leading edge onto the shelf. While Natal Pulses are responsible for the largest temperature and current velocity anomalies recorded in the in situ dataset, most of the intra-annual variability observed along the continental slope of the Agulhas Bank and east of 20°E, occurs over shorter time-scales and is currently not adequately observed using altimetry.

Measurements of compressional wave dispersion and gradients in muddy sediments

Cohesive or muddy sediments have received relatively sparse attention in the ocean acoustics community—this despite the fact that they form a non-negligible fraction of the sediments found in shallow water (roughly 25%) and by far the major sediment type in the deep ocean. Seabed reflection measurements have provided some understanding about the frequency dependence of the sound speed and attenuation in muddy sediments. The evidence is for weak dispersion from 300–200,000 Hz and an approximately linear dependence of attenuation on frequency from 300–3000 Hz. In addition, the measurements have yielded information on gradients. Surprisingly large near-surface density gradients exist that vary across the shelf. Given the large density gradients, the gradients in sound speed are curiously small, suggesting that the bulk modulus is nearly proportional to the density, at least in depth. Dispersion and gradient results are discussed for muddy sediments in various mid to outer shelf regions.

Microzooplankton grazing in the Eastern Bering Sea in summer

Dilution experiments to estimate microzooplankton grazing on phytoplankton were conducted during the summers of 2008, 2009, and 2010 in the Eastern Bering Sea as part of the BEST-BSIERP integrated ecosystem project. All three summers followed cold springs in the Bering Sea. Average microzooplankton grazing coefficients were relatively similar among regions, ranging from 0.16 to 0.34d−1 in simulated in situ incubations with mixed-layer water collected from the depth of the 55% Io isolume. In Off Shelf and Outer Shelf domains, microzooplankton consumed 67–78% of phytoplankton daily growth but in the Middle and Inner Shelf domains, microzooplankton grazing exceeded phytoplankton daily growth. Regional estimates of microzooplankton ingestion of phytoplankton carbon ranged from 4.4 to 11.0µgCd−1, with highest ingestion in the Off Shelf, Outer Shelf, and Alaska Peninsula regions and, lower ingestion in the Middle Shelf and Inner Shelf regions. On the northern Middle Shelf, a deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) occurred at most stations. Grazing coefficients in the DCM were similar in magnitude to coefficients in the corresponding mixed layer. However, because of the higher phytoplankton biomass in the DCM, estimated microzooplankton ingestion and secondary production per liter were higher in the DCM than in the mixed layer. Measurements of photosynthetic quantum yields (Fv/Fm) in whole seawater and diluted treatments indicated that with some plankton assemblages, dilution had a negative effect on phytoplankton physiology and could have compromised their growth rates. This could have also resulted in an underestimation of microzooplankton grazing. Nevertheless, it is clear that microzooplankton grazing consumed most of the phytoplankton production in summer, and that microzooplankton were an important link in food webs supporting larger zooplankton and in carbon flow in the Eastern Bering Sea.

Continental shelf water masses off the Jaguaribe River (4S), northeastern Brazil

This work analyzed temperature and salinity data obtained from two oceanographic cruises carried out over the western portion of the continental shelf adjacent to the Jaguaribe River in NE Brazil (May and October 2009) and included the rainy and dry seasons, which correspond to different levels of continental contribution to shelf waters. The results of the analysis identified three different water masses: River Water (RW), Coastal Water (CW) and Tropical Water (TW). During the period of maximum freshwater discharge, an estuarine plume that extended for 6km along the coastline was observed, and its influence could be felt over the inner shelf. The plume was associated with the presence of CW separated by a strong halocline. However, in the middle and outer shelf regions, the CW and the TW were observed below the 50m isobath, while the RW was not observed, most likely due to the presence of northeast trade winds that press the plume along the coast, reducing its seaward expansion. During the dry season, a higher influence of the TW was observed, most likely due to the space-time variability of the North Brazil Current (NBC) and the role of anticyclonic eddies that meander from the adjacent ocean towards the continental shelf. The results obtained suggest a strong seasonal influence upon the water mixing process along the continental shelf with the CW being affected by the RW and TW depending upon the season.

Summer distributions of forage fish in the eastern Bering Sea

Juvenile and small adult fish, typically called forage fish, are an important but poorly studied part of the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) ecosystem. Acoustic and trawl data from a non-target survey were used to evaluate distributions of capelin (Mallotus villosus), age-0 Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), and age-0 walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma, herein pollock) in 2006–2010. Within the surface zone (15m to ~35m, evaluated 2006–2010), capelin occurred throughout the EBS but primarily in the middle shelf. Capelin were also present in the midwater zone (~35m to 0.5m off-bottom) in both 2009 and 2010 (evaluated 2009–2010), and resulted in water column zone (15m to 0.5m off-bottom) distributions that differed from surface zone characterizations. Age-0 Pacific cod occurred primarily in the surface zone of the middle and outer shelf regions in all years. As midwater and surface zone age-0 Pacific cod were often coincident, water column zone distributions in 2009–2010 were similar to surface zone distributions. Age-0 pollock were found in the EBS surface zone in all years, primarily in the middle and outer shelf regions. High densities of age-0 pollock occurred in the midwater zone in 2006–2007 and 2009–2010. Water column zone distributions of age-0 pollock were similar to surface zone distributions in 2006–2007, but differed in 2009–2010 due to low numbers of age-0 pollock in the surface zone and presence of high densities in the midwater zone of the outer shelf region. While general patterns in capelin distribution in the surface zone were similar between the present and the previous studies, the acoustic–trawl characterization suggested that capelin densities were high in the middle shelf region. As expected, surface zone distributions of age-0 Pacific cod and age-0 pollock were similar to previous characterizations. Observed high densities of midwater age-0 pollock have not been described by previous studies. Annual abundance indices based on bottom or surface trawl data alone will not be sufficient in all years. Data and conclusions from non-target surveys may be constrained compared to dedicated survey efforts, but can provide baseline distributions, potential abundance indices, and insight for planning future research.

Variations in salt expulsion style within the Sable Canopy Complex, central Scotian margin1This article is one of a series of papers published in this CJES Special Issue on the theme ofMesozoic–Cenozoic geology of the Scotian Basin.

There are two allochthonous salt canopies within the central Scotian margin, one on the shelf and another in deeper waters on the Scotian slope. The Sable Shelf Canopy trends southwest–northeast and covers an area approximately 650 km2. Salt thickness within this canopy is generally <1000 m. Reloading of the salt has welded out the margins of the canopy, significantly reducing its extent. Salt tectonics related to this canopy produced many of the exploration targets drilled on the shelf. The Sable Slope Canopy is 50 km basinward on the Scotian slope. This canopy is significantly larger, covering 12 700 km2, and the allochthonous salt is as thick as 3500 m. Although the two canopies are separated by a significant distance, a common detachment surface connects them in multiple locations. Extensional systems detach in the Sable Shelf Canopy, displace strata downdip, and expel salt into the Sable Slope Canopy. The outer shelf and slope region separating these two canopies is dominated by detachment systems. One term, the Sable Canopy Complex, was developed to describe both salt canopies and the zone of detachment that separates them. Interpretation of two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic data throughout the Sable Canopy Complex has resulted in a detailed allochthonous salt map and all related components including welded systems, salt stocks, faults, sutures, and minibasins. Four distinct expulsion styles are observed to contribute volumes of salt to the canopies: salt-based detachments, counterregional systems, hybrids, and salt stocks. Potential explanations for the variations in expulsion style range from varying volumes of sediment input to paleogeographic positions on the margin to salt sheet length.

Degradation of terrestrial organic carbon, primary production and out-gassing of CO2 in the Laptev and East Siberian Seas as inferred from δ13C values of DIC

The cycling of carbon on the Arctic shelves, including outgassing of CO2 to the atmosphere, is not clearly understood. Degradation of terrestrial organic carbon (OCter) has recently been shown to be pronounced over the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS), i.e. the Laptev and East Siberian Seas, producing dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). To further explore the processes affecting DIC, an extensive suite of shelf water samples were collected during the summer of 2008, and assessed for the stable carbon isotopic composition of DIC (δ13CDIC). The δ13CDIC values varied between −7.2‰ to +1.6‰ and strongly deviated from the compositions expected from only mixing between river water and seawater. Model calculations suggest that the major processes causing these deviations from conservative mixing were addition of (DIC) by degradation of OCter, removal of DIC during primary production, and outgassing of CO2. All waters below the halocline in the ESAS had δ13CDIC values that appear to reflect mixing of river water and seawater combined with additions of on average 70±20μM of DIC, originating from degradation of OCter in the coastal water column. This is of the same magnitude as the recently reported deficits of DOCter and POCter for the same waters. The surface waters in the East Siberian Sea had higher δ13CDIC values and lower DIC concentrations than expected from conservative mixing, consistent with additions of DIC from degradation of OCter and outgassing of CO2. The outgassing of CO2 was equal to loss of 123±50μM DIC. Depleted δ13CPOC values of −29‰ to −32‰ in the mid to outer shelf regions are consistent with POC from phytoplankton production. The low δ13CPOC values are likely due to low δ13CDIC of precursor DIC, which is due to degradation of OCter, rather than reflecting terrestrial input compositions. Overall, the δ13CDIC values confirm recent suggestions of substantial degradation of OCter over the ESAS, and further show that a large part of the CO2 produced from degradation has been outgassed to the atmosphere.

Large-scale bedforms along a tideless outer shelf setting in the western Mediterranean

High-resolution multibeam swath-bathymetry and sediment samples were collected across the outer shelf region of the Columbretes Islands (southern Ebro continental shelf, western Mediterranean Sea). Bathymetric data from the submerged part of the Columbretes volcanic system revealed the presence of three main relict sand bodies along the outer shelf, at 80–116 m depth range, above which asymmetric and slightly asymmetric large and very large 2D and 3D subaqueous dunes were observed. These bed features were recognized, mapped and quantified with the aim of evaluating their potential formation mechanisms in relation to the local hydrodynamic and morphologic settings of the area. Dunes range from 150 to 760 m in wavelength and from tens of centimeters to 3 m in height, and are among the longest ever recognized in an outer shelf region. These bedforms are mostly composed of medium-sized sandy sediments, presumably coming from the degraded relict sand bodies on top of which they have developed, mixed with fine fractions from the recent draping holocenic sediments. The orientation of the dunes is SSW, progressively turning W towards the southernmost sector of the area, following the trend of the shelf-edge. Contemporary hydrodynamic measurements at the Ebro continental shelf-edge show that recorded currents are insufficient to form the observed bedforms and that stronger currents are required for sediment mobilization and dune formation. Based on their morphology and orientation, it is proposed that these bedforms are produced by the action of the southward-flowing Liguro-Provençal-Catalan (LPC) geostrophic current. The LPC probably reaches high near-bottom currents during energetic hydrodynamic events through interactions with the seafloor morphology of the study area. Subaqueous dunes are expected to be basically inactive features with respect to present-day processes, although they can be reactivated during high-energy events. The small Δ h/ λ ratio measured in the dune fields of the Columbretes shelf revealed that the dune heights fall below the values predicted by the Flemming (1988) global equation, as observed in other outer shelf settings also dominated by unidirectional flows. This may suggest a different morphodynamic character of large dunes formed on outer shelves in a micro-tidal regime.

Balancing deformation in NW Borneo: Quantifying plate-scale vs. gravitational tectonics in a delta and deepwater fold-thrust belt system

Recent GPS measurements demonstrate that NW Borneo undergoes 4–6 mm of plate-scale shortening a year, which is not accommodated by plate-scale structures. The only geological structure in NW Borneo described to accommodate on-going shortening is the Baram Delta System located on the outer shelf to basin floor. Delta toe fold-thrust belts are commonly thought to be caused by margin-normal compressional stresses generated by margin-parallel upslope gravitational extension. The Baram Delta System is divided into three neotectonic provinces: 1) an inactive onshore and inner shelf region of inversion superimposed on an older extensional deltaic province, 2) an outer shelf region of present-day deltaic extension, and; 3) a compressional delta toe. However, it is uncertain whether compression in the delta toe area is purely driven by gravity (i.e. shortening is less than upslope extension) or if there is a component of regional shortening involved, which can only be demonstrated if shortening is greater than upslope extension. In order to quantify the balance between the shortening related to the upslope gravitational extension and the shortening related to the regional geodynamic framework in the Baram Delta System, we have used a geomechanical code based on the Finite Element Method and conservation of mass and momentum, Dynel 2D. This enabled us to reconstruct the tectonic evolution of the delta and to demonstrate for the first time that the total shortening observed in the delta toe does not balance against the active extension in the delta top; with the system exhibiting >1.8% shortening overall (or ∼2.0 km). This additional shortening is therefore attributed to plate-scale shortening across NW Borneo produced by far-field compression. Using a convergence rate of 4 mm y −1, demonstrated by GPS measurements, the delta toe has accommodated far-field compression only in the last 0.5 My.

Eurasian Arctic shelf hydrography: Exchange and residence time of southern Laptev Sea waters

The hydrography of the Laptev Sea is significantly influenced by river water and sea-ice processes, which are highly variable over the annual cycle. Despite of an estuarine structure the inner and outer shelf regions are decoupled at times as documented by the stability of a warm intermediate layer formed during summer below the Lena River plume. We demonstrate that a remnant of this warm layer is preserved below the fast ice until the end of winter, while only slightly farther to the north, offshore of the landfast ice in the polynya region, the pycnocline is eroded and no signature of this layer is found. The warm intermediate layer (WIL) formed during summer can be used as tracer for Laptev Sea shelf waters throughout the winter. Thereby, residence times of southern Laptev Sea waters can be estimated to be at least from summer to the end of winter/spring of the following year.

Effects of western boundary current dynamics on the internal wave field of the Southeast Florida shelf

Shelf sea internal wave fields are typically highly variable and dominated by wind and tidal forces. However this is not necessarily true for outer shelf regions or very narrow shelves where remote physical processes originating over the slope or deep ocean may exert a strong influence on the internal wave climate. During the summers of 2003 and 2004, observational studies were conducted to examine the effects of a western boundary current (the Florida Current), tides, and wind on the mean currents and internal wave field on the outer Southeast Florida shelf. Wavelet analyses of nonstationary shelf currents coupled with altimetry images of the Straits of Florida reveal the strong influence of Florida Current fluctuations on outer shelf flows. Local winds were found to be a small factor in flows on the outer shelf region and tidal forcing (diurnal and semidiurnal) accounted for less than a third of the total barotropic variance. High‐frequency internal waves dominate the internal wave field and result in bottom‐intensified currents and strong shoreward mass transport. We present evidence that suggests that the Florida Current plays as large a role in the determination of the high‐frequency internal wave field as tidal forces. These observations and analyses show that it is necessary to include the forcing from the Florida Current meanders and instabilities in order to predict accurately the episodic nature of the internal wave field on the Southeast Florida shelf.

Tectonically active sediment dispersal system in SW Taiwan margin with emphasis on the Gaoping (Kaoping) Submarine Canyon

The sediment dispersal system in southwestern Taiwan margin consists of two main parts: the subaerial drainage basin and the offshore receiving marine basin. In plan view, this sediment dispersal system can be further divided into five geomorphic units: (1) the Gaoping (formerly spelled Kaoping) River drainage basin, (2) the Gaoping (Kaoping) Shelf, (3) the Gaoping (Kaoping) Slope, (4) the Gaoping (Kaoping) Submarine Canyon and (5) the Manila Trench in the northernmost South China Sea. The Gaoping River drainage basin is a small (3250 km 2), tectonically active and overfilled foreland basin, receiving sediments derived from the uprising Central Range of Taiwan with a maximum elevation of 3952 m. The Gaoping Submarine Canyon begins at the mouth of the Gaoping River, crosses the narrow Gaoping Shelf (~ 10 km) and the Gaoping Slope, and finally merges into the northern termination of the Manila Trench over a distance of ~ 260 km. The SW Taiwan margin dispersal system is characterized by a direct river-canyon connection with a narrow shelf and frequent episodic sediment discharge events in the canyon head. In a regional source to sink scheme, the Gaoping River drainage basin is the primary source area, the Gaoping Shelf being the sediment bypass zone and the Gaoping Slope being the temporary sink and the Manila Trench being the ultimate sink of the sediment from the Taiwan orogen. It is inferred from seismic data that the outer shelf and upper slope region can be considered as a line source for mass wasting deposits delivered to the lower Gaoping Slope where small depressions between diapiric ridges are partially filled with sediment or are empty. At present, recurrent hyperpycnal flows during the flood seasons are temporarily depositing sediments mainly derived from the Gaoping River in the head of the Gaoping Submarine Canyon. On the decadal and century timescales, sediments temporarily stored in the upper reach are removed over longer timescales probably by downslope-eroding sediment flows within the canyon. Presently, the Gaoping Submarine Canyon serves as the major conduit for transporting terrestrial sediment from the Taiwan orogen to the marine sink of the Manila Trench. Seismic data indicate that the Gaoping Submarine Canyon has been eroding the Gaoping Slope intensely by presumed hyperpycnal flows and transporting sediments from the canyon head to the middle and lower reaches of the canyon. The middle reach is a sediment bypass zone whereas the lower reach serves as either a temporary sediment sink or a sediment conduit, depending on relative prevalence to deposition or erosion during canyon evolution. Contrast differences in channel gradient and travel length between the Gaoping and Amazon sediment dispersal systems suggest that the Gaoping (Kaoping) River-Canyon system is an active sediment dispersal system for transporting terrestrial materials to the deep sea. The fate of the Gaoping River sediment is the northern Manila Trench.

New primary production in northwest European shelf seas, 1960–2003

Spatial and temporal patterns from 1960 to 2003 in annual potential new primary production (PNP) of the NW European shelf seas were derived from general additive models of nitrate concentrations and from data on riverine and atmospheric fluxes of oxidized nitrogen. Average PNP was highest in the seasonally stratified outer shelf regions (>70 gC m-2 yr-1), where the proportion of PNP accounted for by vertical fluxes from deep water (>65%) was correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. PNP was lowest in the central North Sea (~30 gC m-2 yr-1) and in the southern North Sea was correlated with river inputs that accounted for 24% of the annual total (average ~50 gC m-2 yr-1). Atmospheric deposition accounted for ~3% of annual PNP region-wide, but in the northern North Sea this was higher than the contribution from rivers. Tidal fronts are traditionally considered to be highly productive zones, but we find them to have characteristically low PNP and conclude that they must be loci of high recycled production. The results indicate an exceptional flux of nitrate-rich ocean water onto the shelf in the early 1990s, which resulted in a pulse of PNP coincident with a well-documented 'regime shift' in the pelagic food web. North Sea-wide, long-term average PNP was approximately equal to production by all higher trophic levels combined, though trophic propagation of inter-annual variations was weakly defined. Nevertheless, there is a case for proposing that harvesting in areas and periods of low PNP should be managed more conservatively to minimize the risk of detrimental effects on the food web.

The summertime plankton community at South Georgia (Southern Ocean): Comparing the historical (1926/1927) and modern (post 1995) records

The earliest comprehensive plankton sampling programme in the Southern Ocean was undertaken during the early part of last century by Discovery Investigations to gain a greater scientific understanding of whale stocks and their summer feeding grounds. An initial survey was carried out around South Georgia during December 1926 and January 1927 to describe the distribution of plankton during the summer, and to serve as a baseline against which to compare future surveys. We have reanalysed phytoplankton and zooplankton data from this survey and elucidated patterns of community distribution and compared them with our recent understanding of the ecosystem based on contemporary data. Analysis of Discovery data identified five groups of stations with characteristic phytoplankton communities which were almost entirely consistent with the original analysis conducted by [Hardy A.C., Gunther, E.R., 1935. The plankton of the South Georgia whaling grounds and adjacent waters 1926–1927. Discovery Report 11, 1–456]. Major groupings were located at the western end of the island and over the northern shelf where Corethron spp. were dominant, and to the south and east where a more diverse flora included high abundances of Nitzschia seriata. Major zooplankton-station groupings were located over the inner shelf which was characterised by a high abundance of Drepanopus forcipatus and in oceanic water >500 m deep that were dominated by Foraminifera, Oithona spp., Ctenocalanus vanus, and Calanoides acutus. Stations along the middle and outer shelf regions to the north and west, were characterised by low overall abundance. There was some evidence that groupings of stations to the north of the island originated in different water masses on either side of the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front, the major frontal system in the deep ocean close to South Georgia. However, transect lines during 1926/1927 did not extend far enough offshore to sample this frontal region adequately. Interannual variability of zooplankton abundance was assessed from stations which were sampled repeatedly during seven recent British Antarctic Survey cruises (1995–2005) to the region and following taxonomic harmonization and numerical standardization (ind. m −3), a subset of 45 taxonomic categories of zooplankton (species and higher taxa) from 1926/1927, were compared with similar data obtained during the BAS cruises using a linear model. Initially comparisons were restricted to BAS stations that lay within 40 km of Discovery stations although a comparison was also made using all available data. Despite low abundance values in 1926/1927, in neither comparison did Discovery data differ significantly from BAS data. Calculation of the percentage similarity index across cruises did not reveal any systematic differences in species composition between 1926 and 1927 and the present. In the light of ocean warming trends, the existence of more subtle changes in species composition is not ruled out, but an absence of finely resolved time-series data make this impossible to determine.

Biological, physical and chemical properties at the Subtropical Shelf Front Zone in the SW Atlantic Continental Shelf

The physical aspects of the Subtropical Shelf Front (STSF) for the Southwest Atlantic Continental Shelf were previously described. However, only scarce data on the biology of the front is available in the literature. The main goal of this paper is to describe the physical, chemical and biological properties of the STSF found in winter 2003 and summer 2004. A cross-section was established at the historically determined location of the STSF. Nine stations were sampled in winter and seven in summer. Each section included a series of conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) stations where water samples from selected depths were filtered for nutrient determination. Surface samples were taken for chlorophyll a (Chl- a) determination and plankton net tows carried out above and below the pycnocline. Results revealed that winter was marked by an inner-shelf salinity front and that the STSF was located on the mid-shelf. The low salinity waters in the inner-shelf indicated a strong influence of freshwater, with high silicate (72 μM), suspended matter (45 mg l −1), phosphate (2.70 μM) and low nitrate (1.0 μM) levels. Total dissolved nitrogen was relatively high (22.98 μM), probably due to the elevated levels of organic compound contribution close to the continental margin. Surface Chl -a concentration decreased from coastal well-mixed waters, where values up to 8.0 mg m −3 were registered, to offshore waters. Towards the open ocean, high subsurface nutrients values were observed, probably associated to South Atlantic Central Waters (SACW). Zooplankton and ichthyoplankton abundance followed the same trend; three different groups associated to the inner-, mid- and outer-shelf region were identified. During summer, diluted waters extended over the shelf to join the STSF in the upper layer; the concentration of inorganic nutrients decreased in shallow waters; however, high values were observed between 40 and 60 m and in deep offshore waters. Surface Chl -a ranged 0.07–1.5 mg m −3; winter levels were higher. Three groups of zoo and ichthyoplankton, separated by the STSF, were also identified. Results of the study performed suggest that the influence of freshwater was stronger during winter and that abundance distribution of Chl -a, copepods and ichthyoplankton was related to the Plata Plume Waters (PPW), rather than to the presence of the STSF. During summer, when the presence of freshwater decreases, plankton interactions seem to take place in the STSF.

Mesozooplankton grazing in the coastal Gulf of Alaska: Neocalanus spp. vs. other mesozooplankton

Abstract Liu, H., Dagg, J. M., Napp, J. M., and Sato, R. 2008. Mesozooplankton grazing in the coastal Gulf of Alaska: Neocalanus spp. vs. other mesozooplankton. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 351–360. Three species of large calanoid copepod, Neocalanus flemingeri, Neocalanus plumchrus, and Neocalanus cristatus, dominate the spring biomass of mesozooplankton in the Subarctic Pacific. We compared the grazing impact of Neocalanus species on phytoplankton with grazing by the remainder of the mesozooplankton community in the coastal and shelf waters of the Gulf of Alaska during spring and summer 2003. Neocalanus spp. and other mesozooplankton fed mainly on particles >20 µm, and phytoplankton in the smaller size-fractions (<20 µm) increased in the presence of mesozooplankton, possibly because of a trophic cascade resulting from mesozooplankton consumption of microzooplankton. Neocalanus spp. accounted for most of the mesozooplankton biomass and herbivory in the shelf water of the Gulf of Alaska and in the Prince William Sound (PWS) during April/May. The biomass of other mesozooplankton (mostly small copepods) varied seasonally and spatially; it did not increase in summer after the descent of Neocalanus spp. from the surface layer. On the basis of the clearance rates obtained from our experiments, in spring, grazing by Neocalanus spp. and the remaining mesozooplankton consumed ∼10% of daily growth of phytoplankton >20 µm in the outer-shelf region, where chlorophyll a concentrations were <0.5 mg m−3, and in PWS. Mesozooplankton consumed a smaller percentage of the >20 µm daily phytoplankton production in the inner- and mid-shelf regions where chlorophyll a concentrations were typically >5 mg m−3 with blooms of large diatoms. In summer, without Neocalanus spp. in the surface layer, mesozooplankton grazing accounted for a very small proportion of phytoplankton production across the whole shelf.

Large‐scale forcing impact on biomass variability in the South Atlantic Bight

The Gulf Stream western front (GSF) follows the shelf slope topography for a great extent of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB). Sub‐surface intrusions of the Gulf Stream are known to provide nutrient‐rich waters to the outer shelf regions of the SAB and, consequently, promote phytoplankton growth. These intrusions are much more frequent during summer and are responsible for a significant portion of the annual SAB shelf carbon production. Based on the analysis of satellite ocean color data, sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height (SSH), and climatologic data sets, we present evidence for a connection between these Gulf Stream intrusions and the seasonal variability of the size and strength of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (NASG). The intensity and frequency of intrusions depend on the proximity of the GSF to the shelf, which is modulated by the seasonal expansion and contraction of the NASG.

Use of ammonium and other nitrogen tracers to investigate the spreading of shelf waters in the western Arctic halocline

The contribution of nutrient regeneration in summer to the nutrient maximum associated with Bering Sea Winter Water (BSWW) is estimated from the ammonium data, which was obtained in the outer shelf region of the Chukchi Sea for the first time by the R/V Mirai in 2002. The contribution rate reaches 20–30%, which is larger than the rate studied earlier inside the Chukchi shelf. Such BSWW influenced by the regeneration spreads to the Chukchi shelf slope up to the isobath of ∼3000 m, however, was not found in the Canada Basin. The ammonium and a nitrogen deficit are also useful tracers to study the spreading of shelf waters that are less saline than BSWW. In the Canada Basin, a small amount of ammonium (<2 μM) was observed east of the Northwind Ridge. This small amount of ammonium would be associated with the spreading of Eastern Chukchi Summer Water via the Barrow Canyon. Around the Chukchi Borderland, a prominent nitrogen deficit layer was found. It would be accompanied by Western Chukchi Summer Water via the Hope Valley–Herald Valley channel. The water flows into the Chukchi Abyssal Plain and then spreads eastward to the west of the Northwind Ridge with the decrease of nitrogen deficit signal.

Present-day stress orientation in Brunei: a snapshot of ‘prograding tectonics’ in a Tertiary delta

The Baram Delta province of NW Borneo is unusual when compared with most other Tertiary deltas, as it has built up upon an active margin. Hence, structures observed in the Baram Delta province are the result of both margin-parallel gravity-driven deltaic tectonics and approximately margin-normal transpressive tectonics associated with the active margin. Image and dipmeter logs have been examined for breakouts and drilling-induced tensile fractures (DITFs) in 47 wells throughout Brunei. Breakouts and DITFs observed in 19 wells suggest that the maximum horizontal stress is oriented margin-normal (NW–SE) in the proximal parts of the basin and margin-parallel (NE–SW) in the outer shelf region. The margin-parallel outer shelf stress field is interpreted as a local ‘deltaic’ stress field caused by the shape of the clastic wedge. The margin-normal maximum horizontal stress in the inner shelf is interpreted to reflect basement stresses associated with the active margin. However, the maximum horizontal stress in the inner shelf is approximately perpendicular to the strike of Miocene–Pliocene normal growth faults, suggesting that maximum horizontal stress in the inner shelf has rotated from margin-parallel (‘deltaic’) to margin-normal (‘basement-associated’) over time. Hence, approximately the same stress rotation has occurred over time in the inner shelf as is currently observed spatially from the outer to inner shelf. The spatial and temporal stress rotations in Brunei are thus interpreted to be the result of ‘deltaic’ and ‘basement-associated’ tectonic regimes that are ‘prograding’ basin-wards. The proximity of the active margin has resulted in progressive uplift and inversion of the hinterland that has ‘forced’ the delta system to prograde rapidly. The zone of active deltaic growth faulting (and margin-parallel maximum horizontal stress) has shifted basin-wards (‘prograded’) as the delta system has rapidly prograded across the shelf. After uplift and delta progradation, the old growth faults of the inner shelf ceased being active and have then been successively reactivated by a similarly ‘prograding’ margin-normal inversion front.