A better understanding of bacterioplankton community shifts following change in marine environments is critical to predict the marine ecosystem function. In order to get a snapshot of the microbial taxonomy profiling of a wide range marine area, a quick, convenient and low cost method would be favorable. In this study, we developed a 16S rRNA gene-based microarray using ARB software, which contained 447 probes targeting 160 families of marine bacteria. The specificity, sensitivity and quantitative capability of this microarray were assessed by single cloned 16S rRNA genes. The reliability of this microarray was tested by eight environmental samples. The results showed that the microarray was specific, only 1.16% false results were detected in five single-clone hybridization tests. The microarray could detect DNA samples as few as 1 ng/μL and the signal intensity could reflect the relative abundance of the bacteria in the range of 1 ng/μL to 100 ng/μL of DNA concentration. Hybridization with environmental samples showed that it can discriminate bacterioplankton communities by sites and time. High throughput sequencing results from the eight samples confirmed the hybridization results. It indicated that this developed microarray could be used as a convenient tool to monitor the bacterioplankton community in marine environment.

The neon flying squid Ommastrephes bartramii is an economically important species in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. The life cycle of O. bartramii is highly susceptible to climatic and oceanic factors. In this study, we have examined the impacts of climate variability and local biophysical environments on the interannual variability of the abundance of the western winter-spring cohort of O. bartramii over the period of 1995–2011. The results showed that the squid had experienced alternant positive and negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) over the past 17 years during which five El Niño and eight La Niña events occurred. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) was positively correlated with the PDO index (PDOI) at a one-year time lag. An abnormally warm temperature during the La Niña years over the positive PDO phase provided favorable oceanographic conditions for the habitats of O. bartramii, whereas a lower temperature on the fishing ground during the El Niño years over the negative PDO phase generally corresponded to a low CPUE. The same correlation was also found between CPUE and Chl a concentration anomaly. A possible explanation was proposed that the CPUE was likely related to the climate-induced variability of the large-scale circulation in the Northwest Pacific Ocean: high squid abundance often occurred in a year with a significant northward meander of the Kuroshio Current. The Kuroshio Current advected the warmer and food-rich waters into the fishing ground, and multiple meso-scale eddies arising from current instability enhanced the food retention on the fishing ground, all of which were favorable for the life stage development of the western squid stocks. Our results help better understand the potential process that the climatic and oceanographic factors affect the abundance of the winter-spring cohort of O. bartramii in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

An extreme persistent cold anomaly was prevailing in the South China Sea in February 2008. In order to understand the effect of the cold anomaly on zooplankton community, the zooplankton composition, abundance and biomass were analyzed in the northern South China Sea in August 2007 and August 2008. A total of 467 zooplankton species representing 16 groups were identified, with 275 species in August 2007 and 351 in August 2008. Copepods were the most dominant zooplankton group in the study area. Compared with 2007, a dramatic decline was observed in the abundance of four dominant copepod species: Subeucalanus subcrassus, Temora discaudata, Nannocalanus minor and Temora turbinata in 2008. Moreover, zooplankton abundance declined from 133.37 ind./m³ in August 2007 to 75.49 ind./m³ in August 2008. In contrast, the abundance of medusa, such as Diphyes chamissonis, and tunicate, such as Doliolum denticulatum and Dolioletta gegenbauri, increased during the same season. Cluster analysis showed that there was a difference in zooplankton community structure between the two years. These variations in zooplankton communities were indicative of an anomalous oceanographic condition along with the extreme cold event in 2008.

Laboratory experiments are performed to explore the response rule of a sandy beach profile under plunging wave on a non-uniform sediment-bed slope. The initial beach slope of combination of 1/10 and 1/20 is exposed to regular waves and cnoidal waves respectively. The free surface elevation, process of wave propagation, wave breaking, uprush and backwash and the change of a cross-shore beach profile are measured and recorded. The beach profile under the regular waves action exhibits two parts: a sandbar profile and a beach berm profile, and only one typical profile transformation under the cnoidal waves action is obtained, which is the beach berm profile. In the laboratory experiments, it is found that the beach states under wave action related to the previous factors. In addition, they are related to the characteristic of breaking waves such as the breaking intensity of the plunging wave. A concept about the characteristic angle of the plunging wave has been put forward through the observation and analysis of the phenomenon of the laboratory experiment. A qualitative analysis about the sediment transport carrying by currents generated from the plunging wave and the state of beach profile under the wave action has been done. The quantitative analysis about the relationship between the characteristic angle and Irribarren number has been done. An available formula of equilibrium states for the sandy beach induced by the plunging wave has been established based on the relationship between Irribarren number and the beach profile. By fitting these experimental results and others' experimental results to three lines, the three fitting coefficients can be calculated in their formula respectively. The recommended empirical formulas can divide three states of a beach morphology profile obviously, which include a depositive beach, an erosive beach and an intermediate beach.

In the past few years, three-dimensional (3-D) seismogram has become an essential tool for the interpretation of subsurface stratigraphy and depositional systems. Seismic stratigraphy in conjunction with seismic geomorphology has elevated the degree to which seismic data can facilitate geological interpretation, especially in a deepwater environment. Technologies such as time slicing and interval attribute analysis can enhance geomorphological interpretations, and, when integrated with stratigraphic analyses, can yield insights regarding distribution of seal and reservoir facies. Multiple attributes corendering can further bring out features of geological interest that other technologies may overlook. This method involves corender spectral decomposition components (SDC) with semblance attributes to describe the distribution of deepwater channel elements and the boundaries of deepwater sinuous channel. Applying this technology to four elements is observed: (1) point-bars, (2) migration of channel meander loops, (3) channel erosion/cut, and (4) avulsion. The planview expression of the deepwater channel ranges from low sinuosity to high sinuosity. Furthermore, this technology has enabled interpreters to visualize details of complex depositional elements and can be used to predict net-to-gross ratio in channel systems, which can be incorporated into borehole planning for exploration as well as development needs to improve risk management significantly. The technology is applied to the study area in an effort to illustrate the variety of interpretation technologies available to the geoscientist.

To estimate the sea state bias (SSB) for radar altimeter, two nonparametric models, including a Nadaraya-Watson (NW) kernel estimator and a local linear regression (LLR) estimator, are studied based on the Jason-2 altimeter data. Selecting from different combinations of the Gaussian kernel function, spherical Epanechnikov kernel function, a fixed bandwidth and a local adjustable bandwidth, it is observed that the LLR method with the spherical Epanechnikov kernel function and the local adjustable bandwidth is the optimal nonparametric model for the SSB estimation. The comparisons between the nonparametric and parametric models are conducted and the results show that the nonparametric model performs relatively better at high-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. This method has been applied to the HY-2A altimeter as well and the same conclusion can be obtained.

The Taixinan Basin is one of the most potential gas hydrate bearing areas in the South China Sea and abundant gas hydrates have been discovered during expedition in 2013. In this study, geochemical and microbial methods are combinedly used to characterize the sediments from a shallow piston Core DH_CL_11 (gas hydrate free) and a gas hydrate-bearing drilling Core GMGS2-16 in this basin. Geochemical analyses indicate that anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) which is speculated to be linked to the ongoing gas hydrate dissociation is taking place in Core DH_CL_11 at deep. For Core GMGS2-16, AOM related to past episodes of methane seepage are suggested to dominate during its diagenetic process; while the relatively enriched δ¹⁸O bulk-sediment values indicate that methane involved in AOM might be released from the “episodic dissociation” of gas hydrate. Microbial analyses indicate that the predominant phyla in the bacterial communities are Firmicutes and Proteobacteria (Gammaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria), while the dominant taxa in the archaeal communities are Marine_Benthic_Group_B (MBGB), Halobacteria, Thermoplasmata, Methanobacteria, Methanomicrobia, Group C3 and MCG. Under parallel experimental operations, comparable dominant members (Firmicutes and MBGB) are found in the piston Core DH_CL_11 and the near surface layer of the long drilling Core GMGS2-16. Moreover, these members have been found predominant in other known gas hydrate bearing cores, and the dominant of MBGB has even been found significantly related to gas hydrate occurrence. Therefore, a high possibility for the existing of gas hydrate underlying Core DH_CL_11 is inferred, which is consistent with the geochemical analyses. In all, combined geochemical and microbiological analyses are more informative in characterizing sediments from gas hydrate-associated areas in the South China Sea.

New satellite-derived latent and sensible heat fluxes are performed by using WindSat wind speed, WindSat sea surface temperature, the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) air humidity, and ECMWF air temperature from 2004 to 2014. The 55 moored buoys are used to validate them by using the 30 min and 25 km collocation window. Furthermore, the objectively analyzed air-sea heat fluxes (OAFlux) products and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis 2 (NCEP2) products are also used for global comparisons. The mean biases of sensible and latent heat fluxes between WindSat flux results and buoy flux data are –0.39 and –8.09 W/m², respectively. In addition, the root-mean-square (RMS) errors of the sensible and latent heat fluxes between them are 5.53 and 24.69 W/m², respectively. The RMS errors of sensible and latent heat fluxes are observed to gradually increase with an increasing buoy wind speed. The difference shows different characteristics with an increasing sea surface temperature, air humidity, and air temperature. The zonal average latent fluxes have some high regions which are mainly located in the trade wind zones where strong winds carry dry air in January, and the maximum value centers are found in the eastern waters of Japan and on the US east coast. Overall, the seasonal variability is pronounced in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The three sensible and latent heat fluxes have similar latitudinal dependencies; however, some differences are found in some local regions.

Based on our previous work, the winter sea surface temperature (SST) in the Kuroshio Extension (KE) region showed significant variability over the past century with periods of ~6 a between 1930 and 1950 and ~10 a between 1980 and 2009. How the activity of the Aleutian Low (AL) induces this dual-period variability over the two different timespans is further investigated here. For the ~6 a periodicity during 1930–1950, negative wind stress curl (WSC) anomalies in the central subtropical Pacific associated with an intensified AL generate positive sea surface height (SSH) anomalies. When these wind-induced SSH anomalies propagate westwards to the east of Taiwan, China two years later, positive velocity anomalies appear around the Kuroshio to the east of Taiwan and then the mean advection via this current of velocity anomalies leads to a strengthened KE jet and thus an increase in the KE SST one year later. For the ~10 a periodicity during 1980–2009, a negative North Pacific Oscillation-like dipole takes 2–3 a to develop into a significant positive North Pacific Oscillation-like dipole, and this process corresponds to the northward shift of the AL. Negative WSC anomalies associated with this AL activity in the central North Pacific are able to induce the positive SSH anomalies. These oceanic signals then propagate westward into the KE region after 2–3 a, favoring a northward shift of the KE jet, thus leading to the warming of the KE SST. The feedbacks of the KE SST anomaly on the AL forcing are both negative for these two periodicities. These results suggest that the dual-period KE SST variability can be generated by the two-way KE-SST-AL coupling.

The Rhines effect may be regarded as an interaction between Rossby waves and turbulence, in which the Rossby waves may radiate away eddy energy when their frequencies are equal or larger than those of the turbulence, thereby deforming and eventually destroying the existing eddies. Through comparing eddy-scale velocity and long Rossby wave phase speed in the oceans, a generalized form of the Rhines effect is examined on the geographical characteristics of altimeter-observed eddies. The results show that the generalized Rhines effect has a much greater influence on eddy characteristics than its classical form, which only considers the simple beta effect due to the meridional gradient of planetary vorticity. The largest amount of eddies are detected in regions where eddy-scale velocity is larger than the critical Rossby-wave phase speed considering a generalized beta effect. The eddies in those regions can grow via an inverse kinetic energy cascade and have much larger amplitudes and sizes. The “eddy desert” regions outside of the tropical oceans, which have far fewer detected eddies and much weaker eddy amplitudes, lie in areas where the eddy-scale velocity is less than the critical Rossby-wave phase speed. In those regions, the generalized Rhines effect may be a possible mechanism of suppressing eddy growth.