Russian Coast Research Articles

Myndighetsutøver, ressursforvalter og livredder – den russiske kystvakten i støpeskjeen

The Russian Coast Guard, or Beregovaya okhrana, was formally established in 2007 and plays a crucial role in the management of natural resources located in the vast maritime areas under Russian jurisdiction. The purpose of this article is to shed light on the Coast Guard’s organisation, capabilities and operations in the maritime areas that surround the Russian Federation, and to discuss the service’s ability to effectively perform its missions, now and in the period up to 2020. Special emphasis is placed on the situation in the northern waters. In the Barents Sea, the Russian Coast Guard cooperates closely with its Norwegian counterpart. This cooperation has existed for a long time, and it has not been adversely affected by the general deterioration of Russian–Western relations after Russia’s 2014 intervention in Ukraine and the subsequent freeze in military-to-military cooperation. The article argues that Norway and Russia have a common interest in continuing the cooperation on non-military issues such as maritime search and rescue, fisheries management and law enforcement at sea. (Published: April 2016) Citation: Kristian Åtland (2016) «Myndighetsutøver, ressursforvalter og livredder – den russiske kystvakten i støpeskjeen». Nordisk Østforum 30 [1] 38–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.17585/nof.v30.390

Short-term forecast of tsunami occurred on April 1, 2014 on the Kuril Islands coast

The results of forecasting the Chilean tsunami in the Pacific Ocean on April 1,2014are presented. For the first time in Russia the forecast was prepared in the near real-time mode 9.5-10.5 hours before the tsunami attacked the Russian coast. A good agreement was obtained with the tsunami forms registered by DART stations along the US West Coast and the Aleutian and Kuril Islands. The information about the expected tsunami meets the requirements to the short-term tsunami forecast formulated by UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

The species composition and ecological features of pea crabs of the genus Pinnixa White, 1846 (Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) in Peter the Great Bay, the Sea of Japan

This paper provides an overview of pea crabs of the genus Pinnixa White, 1846 (Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) that occur along the Russian coast of the Sea of Japan. Three species of the genus have been recorded for this area: P. tumida Stimpson, 1858, P. rathbuni Sakai, 1934, as well as P. banzu Komai, Nishi & Taru, 2014, which is the first record for the fauna of Russia. All species clearly differ ecologically: P. tumida was found in Posyet Bay in the intestine of the burrowing holothurian Paracaudina chilensis (Muller, 1850); P. rathbuni, in burrows of the echiuroid Urechis unicinctus (von Drasche, 1881); and P. banzu, in tubes of the polychaete Chaetopterus cautus Marenzeller, 1879. The paper also provides a definitive key to Pinnixa species and data on the size, behavior, symbionts, and parasites of P. rathbuni and P. banzu.

The Movements of Women Divers and Marine Resources in the Colonial Period of Korea and Japan

This study considers the social character and the social meaning of women divers in Korea and Japan who worked in the sea of Korea and of Japan through their migrational seafood gathering. Through their labor and their movement, this study focuses on the biological aspects of the Japanese colonial period in Korea instead of the traditional economical and individual evaluations. The Women diver’s movement has been considered mainly in terms of regional economic development and local history. This movement started under Japanese rule in Korea. Unlike, the traditional trade among the regimes in Korea and Japan that revolved around tribute to China, this period shows significant changes in resources and human movement. It is the sea of Korea and Japan that indicates specific examples.BR The point of this article is that Japanese demands for seafood caused the movement of the women divers in Korea and Japan. They gathered seafood for industrial and military supplies. Whereas it is profitable for the women divers, it is followed by extension and destruction of fishing ground. For example, In the colonial period (1910~1945) 1) the reproductive mechanism from maritime ecological perspective was not considered. 2) Socially, industrial value –specifically as military supplies took priority over day to day value. 3) Although Korean and Japanese women divers had opportunity of cash earnings, Jeju diver’s labour has been underestimated. 4) While Japanese diving boats intensively collected abalones, Korean and Japanese women divers were only able to work on gathering seaweed. 5) These diving boat skills used for collecting abalones indicate that Japanese adopted western techniques and its high yield throughout the Pacific coast. 6) Furthermore, productivity of the diving boats did not contribute to the local resident’s income. To be specific, the movement of Jeju divers reached the Korean peninsula, Japan, China and the Russian coast. A Network based on seafood collecting in the sea of Korea and Japan among male guides, local landlords enabled the movement. Thus, the movement of women divers was a special phenomenon that occurred during the expansion of Japanese imperialism based on marine resources. The movement of women divers expanded according to the expansion of Japanese imperialism, their seafood was taken as a raw material for Japanese industry. The majority of divers who moved between the Sea of Japan and Korea were the women divers of Jeju Island(Jamsoo).

"Maritime” Component in the Russian Human Geography: Traditions and Novations

The article reveals historical origins, characteristics and formation trends of the “maritime” component of Russian human geography, as well as its key issues and development priorities. The factors of the rapid and productive formation of the so called “economic geography of the World Ocean” in the USSR (1960–1980) are analyzed, including its dominant perspectives, major concepts, and methodological ideas. It is shown that in the post-Soviet period “Maritime theme” in the structure of human geography originally had left by the wayside, and then (since the first half of the 2000s) – has been updated again (but although not having maintained its former leadership position). The range of research associated with the “maritime issues” has increased. They pay more attention directly to the Russian coasts, tending to regional studies, urbanistics and recreational geography. The article accents the need for the full-scale revival of “socioeconomic geography of the World Ocean”, as well as for development of its research tools, delimitation, typology and sociogeographical monitoring of coastal zones of Russia, justification of factors and mechanisms of their advanced socioeconomic dynamics (including the connection with the tasks of spatial planning).

English

The Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) project provides a rare opportunity to study the Russian sector of the Pacific Arctic Region (PAR), which includes the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas. RUSALCA data from 2009 and 2012 allow fuller understanding of changes in ocean chemistry across this the region and, in particular, provide perspectives on the ocean carbon cycle, air-sea CO2 gas exchange, and ocean acidification variability. Summertime surface waters of the western Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea mostly exhibited low pCO2 (<100 to 400 µatm) and high pH (8.0 to 8.4) conditions during sea ice retreat. As earlier studies of the adjacent eastern Chukchi Sea show, this area of the PAR had a strong potential for ocean uptake of atmospheric CO2 , with saturation states for calcium carbonate (CaCO3) minerals such as calcite and aragonite (?calcite and ?aragonite, respectively) having values generally greater than two, thereby facilitating CaCO3 production. In contrast, fresher surface waters flowing into the Chukchi Sea from the East Siberian Sea and bottom waters on the PAR shelves exhibited high pCO2 and low pH, ?calcite, and ?aragonite conditions. Low ? surface waters near the Russian coast and nearly 70% of waters next to the seafloor were corrosive to CaCO3 minerals such as aragonite, with this change seemingly occurring at a more rapid rate than typical global open-ocean changes in ocean chemistry. The exposure of subsurface benthic communities and nearshore ecosystems near the Russian coast to potentially corrosive water is likely exacerbated by the ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2 and gradual ocean acidification. The RUSALCA project also highlights the complexities and uncertainties in the physical and biogeochemical drivers of the ocean carbon cycle and ocean chemistry in this region of the Arctic.

Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins in Primorsky Krai, Russia

ABSTRACT Mariculture and recreational zones are expanding rapidly along the coast of Primorsky Krai in the Russian Far East, increasing the pressing need for monitoring of toxin-producing algae and seafood poisoning. One poisoning syndrome, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning has not been reported in this region, but its expansion to other subarctic waters has been observed. To our knowledge, the research here shows the first measures of diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DST) on the east coast of Russia. Mussels contained DST concentrations above the recommended regulatory level of 16 mg/100 g shellfish at almost all sites sampled in the Primorsky Krai region, with maximum concentrations of 56.3 mg/100 g. The primary DST isoform was dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1; 94%-100%) but minor amounts of okadaic acid (0%-6%) also were detected. Other lipophilic toxins measured in shellfish were yessotoxin , pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2), and azaspiracid-2; the last two toxins observed in Russian water for the first time. Phytoplankton sa...

A metric assessment of evidence for artificial cranial modification at the Boisman 2 Neolithic cemetery (ca. 5800–5400 14C BP), Primorye, Russian Far East

The Middle Neolithic (ca. 5800–5400 14C BP) shell-midden cemetery Boisman 2, located on the Russian coast of the Sea of Japan, is one of only three Neolithic sites in all of Primorye at which human remains have been recovered, and therefore it is the key site representing a major cultural reorganization in which terrestrial foragers adopted a more seasonally-sedentary, marine-based subsistence economy. Previous research at the site has described a variety of forms of artificial cranial modification. As a permanent bodily modification that is applied to infants, cranial modification is one important method of symbolizing ascribed social identities and so can be useful for archaeological investigations into inter- and intra-group social relations. The aim of the present study is to re-evaluate the evidence for cranial modification at Boisman 2 using two sets of discriminant function analyses designed to provide a more objective means of identifying modified and unmodified crania. Our results confirm the use of artificial cranial modification at the site, making Boisman 2 one of the earliest – if not the earliest – documented example of the practice in Holocene East Asia; however, our metric analysis identified only six crania as modified, instead of the 11 previously identified through visual assessment. Further research is required to determine whether this discrepancy is a product of the conservative nature of the discriminant functions, the potential that the discriminant function produces inaccurate results for crania from this population, or whether normal or incidental variation in this population resembles artificial cranial shaping. Finally, as a means of introducing some potential hypotheses for future research, we discuss preliminary associations between the presence of cranial modification, age, sex, and burial cluster.

Early Paleogene thermophilic invertebrates from the eastern coast of Kamchatka and Sakhalin

Thermophilic marine invertebrates appeared on the eastern coast of Kamchatka in the Early Paleogene and on the island of Sakhalin in the Paleocene. Some mollusks and solitary corals probably migrated from the coast of North America to the far eastern coast of Russia by a warm marine current as the faunal assemblages of these areas contain some genera and even species in common. The warm marine current was protected from cold northern waters by the Bering Land, which was located between the Chukot Peninsula and Alaska. A new bivalve species, Gastrochaena beringiana sp. nov., is described.

Levels of infection and seasonal occurrence of Gyrodactylus alviga (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) on the whiting Merlangius merlangus off the Turkish and Russian coasts of the Black Sea.

Gyrodactylus alviga is a generalist species reported in many Black Sea fish species, but whiting is known to be its main host. It is the only monogenean parasite that has been reported so far on the skin, fins and gills of whiting Merlangius merlangus in the Black Sea. A total of 690 fish from Turkey and 423 fish from Russia were examined to detect parasites. Infection indices of prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance values were calculated for length classes and sex of fish, as well as for the seasons. There is a gradual increase in infection indices in relation with increasing host length classes and there are higher infection indices on female fish. Furthermore, despite lower prevalence indices in spring and winter, higher parasite intensity values were determined in these seasons. It is concluded that larger fish provided more space and food for G. alviga, and female fish were more parasitized as they were more active in searching for food, which enables the parasite to switch between hosts. In addition, winter and spring were more appropriate for reproduction of G. alviga.

Pacific salmon as a vector in the trasnsfer of persistent organic pollutants in the Ocean

The concentration of organochlorine pesticides in pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbusha and chum salmon O. keta has been studied for the fish sampled in the Sea of Okhotsk and along the Pacific coast of the Kuril Islands during the spawning migrations. Chum salmon accumulates much more pollutants (180 ng/g of wet weight) than pink salmon does (70 ng/g of wet weight). The total bulk of the toxicants transported by the Pacific salmon to the Russian coast of the northwestern Pacific Ocean in 2008–2010 ranged between 13.0–35.5 kg in regard to the number of the breeders reached the spawning grounds. The ecological risk for the local spawning grounds is discussed.

Estimation of Extreme Sea Levels for the Russian Coasts of the Kuril Islands and the Sea of Okhotsk

Extreme sea levels arising from the combination of tides, storm surges, seasonal oscillations and tsunamis were estimated by the joint probability method for the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific coast of the Kuril Islands. The sea-level observations at 10 coastal tide gauges were examined. The tidal heights at most stations are about 1.5–2 m, and only at Magadan are they much larger (about 5 m). Storm surges have the largest heights for the central Kuril Islands (Matua and Iturup islands), while at the North and South Kuril Islands the surge heights are the smallest. The recurrence of tsunami heights of various probabilities was estimated for each station. The influence of tides and storm surges on the tsunami risk assessment for the Pacific coast of the Kurile Islands was found to be relatively small. For the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, the contribution of tides and surges is the primary influence, especially for return periods less than 100 years. For longer return periods, tsunamis play the major role in forming the extreme levels (similar to the Russian coast of the Sea of Japan, e.g., Rabinovich et al. 1992).

Simulation of tsunami waves generated by submarine landslides in the Black Sea

AbstractNumerical technique for studying surface waves appearing under the motion of a submarine landslide is discussed. This technique is based on the application of the model of a quasi-deformable landslide and two shallow water models, namely, the classic (dispersion free) one and the completely nonlinear dispersive model of the second hydrodynamic approximation. Numerical simulation of surface waves generated by a large model landslide on the continental slope of the Black Sea near the Russian coast is performed. It is shown that the dispersion has a significant impact on the picture of propagation of tsunami waves on sufficiently long paths.

Trichodina gobii (Ciliophora: Trichodinidae) on whiting Merlangius merlangus with a checklist from Turkish and Russian coasts of the Black Sea

Trichodina gobii was identified during a parasitological survey conducted on the parasite fauna of whiting, Merlangius merlangus at both Sinop (Turkey) and Sevastopol (Russia) coasts of the Black Sea in the period between May 2011 and March 2014. Its morphological characteristics and taxonomic affinities with other previous reports on this species were revealed. The ecological occurrences in relation with seasonality, host length and sex of whiting were also determined. Parasitological indices were calculated from 690 and 423 whiting specimens collected in Sinop and Sevastopol, respectively. Overall infestation prevalence (%) and mean intensity and mean abundance values were 45.6%, 70.1±10.4 and 32.0±4.9, respectively, in Sinop, while they were 6.9%, 29.2±10.1 and 2.0±0.8 in Sevastopol. The taxonomic affinities to other trichodinid species and ecological data are discussed in detail.

Introduction to “Tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean: 2011–2012”

With this volume of the Pure and Applied Geophysics (PAGEOPH) topical issue “Tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean: 2011–2012”, we are pleased to present 21 new papers discussing tsunami events occurring in this two-year span. Owing to the profound impact resulting from the unique crossover of a natural and nuclear disaster, research into the 11 March 2011 Tohoku, Japan earthquake and tsunami continues; here we present 12 papers related to this event. Three papers report on detailed field survey results and updated analyses of the wave dynamics based on these surveys. Two papers explore the effects of the Tohoku tsunami on the coast of Russia. Three papers discuss the tsunami source mechanism, and four papers deal with tsunami hydrodynamics in the far field or over the wider Pacific basin. In addition, a series of five papers presents studies of four new tsunami and earthquake events occurring over this time period. This includes tsunamis in El Salvador, the Philippines, Japan and the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Finally, we present four new papers on tsunami science, including discussions on tsunami event duration, tsunami wave amplitude, tsunami energy and tsunami recurrence.

THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ON SEASONAL CYCLES OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEUCOJUM AESTIVUM, GALANTHUS WORONOWII AND PANCRATIUM MARITIMUM

Ecological conditions of habitats essentially influence on phenological phases terms at Leucojum aestivum, Galanthus woronowii and Pancratium maritimum on the Black Sea coast ofRussia. The general duration of vegetation of Leucojum aestivum and Galanthus woronowii populations on the shaded habitats exceeds that for the opened habitats on 3 and 2 weeks respectively; Pancratium maritimum, on the contrary, differs continuous vegetation on open habitats. Despite earlier beginning of flowering in the shaded conditions, fruits maturing of Leucojum aestivum and Galanthus woronowii is noted for a week later, than on the shined habitats; flowering of Pancratium maritimum in the shaded conditions can not be observed.

Finding of the pea crab Pinnaxodes mutuensis Sakai, 1939 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pinnotheridae) in an unusual host in Busse Lagoon, southern Sakhalin

The symbiotic crab Pinnaxodes mutuensis Sakai, 1939 was found in the mantle cavity of the mud-burrowing bivalve Mya arenaria Linnaeus, 1758 (the family Myidae) in Busse Lagoon at southern Sakhalin Island. Along the Russian coasts, this species has been previously found in the mantle cavity of epifaunal bivalves of the family Mytilidae [Modiolus difficilis (Deshayes in Maillard, 1863), Modiolus modiolus (Linnaeus, 1758), Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758, Crenomytilus grayanus (Dunker, 1853)] and the family Ostreidae [Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793)]. New data on the morphology and ecology of this crab are presented.

Instrumental measurements of 2009–2011 tsunamis on the Russian Pacific coast

We describe the progress (since 2008) in the development of the network of autonomous bottom stations of the Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMGG FEB RAS), and telemetry recorders of the Tsunami Warning Service (TWS) on the Pacific coast of Russia. We show that these instrumental measurements are important for operational tsunami warning and performing an a posteriori study of tsunami manifestation features. The characteristics of the Samoan (2009), Chilean (2010), and Tohoku (2011) tsunamis in different areas of the Russian Far East coast are examined.

Future-Proofing Japan’s Interests in the Arctic: Scientific Collaboration and a Search for Balance

In May 2013 the Arctic states convened in Kiruna, Sweden, in part to decide on whether six new states should be admitted as observers to the Arctic Council. Japan's application was accepted along with those of China, India, Italy, Singapore, and South Korea. At a glance, one might ask what credentials Japan has to be involved in the leading Arctic forum. However, a closer look at its engagement in the Arctic indicates that Japan has genuine interests in political, economic, and environmental developments there. This essay examines Japan's interests in the Arctic, its new role as an observer to the Arctic Council, and the international relationships that will affect Japan's engagement in the region.Japan's Current Engagement in the ArcticJapan is no newcomer to the Arctic. Already in 1925, the country became one of the fourteen high-contracting parties to the Spitsbergen Treaty, which recognizes the sovereignty of Norway over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. In 1990, Japan formally joined the Arctic research community by becoming a member of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) as a non-Arctic state. In the same year, the Centre for Arctic Research at the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) was established in Japan.According to the Japanese government, the country's primary aim of engagement in the Arctic has been and remains understanding and protecting the natural environment.1 As the negative impacts of climate change became more apparent, policies related to scientific research were given higher priority. Since May 2011, the NIPR has led a nationwide project that seeks to integrate the various strands of Japanese scientific research related to climate change in the Arctic.2 In addition, since Japan made the decision to prioritize becoming an observer in the Arctic Council, the region has gained a certain level of political momentum and Japan's Arctic policies have started to gather pace and shape. For instance, just before the council's decision, an Arctic ambassador was assigned by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in March 2013, and the Arctic was included in the central government's new Basic Plan on Ocean Policy, published in April 2013.3This greater focus on the Arctic can be partly attributed to a stronger lobby from the Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF). OPRF is a think tank and lobbying organization for the Japanese shipping and manufacturing industries and has conducted several research projects on the Arctic, especially regarding the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Guided by the Basic Plan on Ocean Policy, a new interministerial committee on the Arctic (called Hokkyokukai Ni Kakaru Shomondai Ni Taisuru Kankei Shocho Renraku Kaigi, or the Liaison Committee among Ministries and Agencies on Various Issues Related to the Arctic) was set up in July 2013. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)-one of the more proactive and powerful ministries of Japan-has also shown an interest in the Arctic. In 2013, MLIT conducted a small project to study the practical legal implications of using the NSR along the Russian coast, with a view toward developing the sea route further. More recently, in January 2014, OPRF began collaborating with MLIT and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) on a new project to specifically consider the construction of a new icebreaker for Arctic observations.4Japan's Reasons for Joining the Arctic CouncilJapan's decision to apply for observer status on the Arctic Council came at a time when the council was beginning to take on new responsibilities. As the Arctic region underwent climate changes, the council's adoption of new roles related to safety of navigation and search and rescue was taken as an indication that the council itself was changing and that the positions of member states were shifting.5 The council is the only formal mechanism in the Arctic similar to the Antarctic Treaty System. …

Estimation of maximum heights of tsunami waves for the Sochi coast from strong submarine earthquakes

The numerical simulation of possible strong tsunamis from model seismic sources with various localizations in the Black Sea with nonlinear shallow water equations was performed. The localization and the shape of the seismic sources were chosen taking into account the most active Black Sea seismic zones and the geological and geodynamic data of the region. The seismic source was considered in the kinematic keyboard model of the earthquake source with temporal and speed characteristics typical of the chosen scenario. The spectral analysis of wave characteristics for each scenario revealed the most dangerous areas of the Russian coast from a moderate or strong tsunamigenic earthquake.