Submarine Communications Cables and Law of the Sea: Problems in Law and Practice

Submarine communications cables laid on the seabed of the ocean are the foundation of the world's international telecommunications network. International law, in particular, the law of the sea, has recognized the freedom to lay submarine cables and perform associated operations and has placed certain obligations on states related to the protection of submarine cables. This article examines the international law with respect to submarine cables and discusses the various problems with both the law and state practice on submarine cables. It argues that these problems are illustrations of the traditional challenges that face the law of the sea; that is, the balancing and accommodation of competing uses of ocean space. It concludes that an important step toward resolving these problems is enhanced consultation and cooperation between cable companies and governments and that efforts should focus on creating such mechanisms.     

Law of the Sea Issues Between the United States and East Asian States

The United States is the sole superpower in the contemporary world and its role in the development of the law of the sea cannot be ignored. Although having not yet acceded to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United States has contributed to the development of the international law of the sea in numerous ways, including responding to the so-called excessive maritime claims in East Asia and creating new rules of maritime enforcement. This article assesses this recent U.S. practice.     

Revisiting the Freedom of Fishing and Legal Obligations on States Not Party to Regional Fisheries Management Organizations

For decades, states have cooperated through regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) on the conservation and management of living marine resources on the high seas. Nonmembers, or third states not bound by their decisions, have been an Achilles’ heel. In this article, the legal status of RFMO nonmembers and the freedom of fishing are examined. It is concluded that RFMO nonmembers have concrete obligations with respect to established fisheries subject to RFMO regulation.     

The Economics of International Cooperation in the Apprehension and Prosecution of Maritime Pirates

Article 100 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea requires parties to “cooperate” against maritime piracy, but how this cooperation is to be achieved is undefined. Enforcement is a public good—creating uncompensated benefits for others, thus suffering from free rider problems. The analysis in this article explains why more pirates captured are released than prosecuted, why the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization are seeking to reduce enforcement costs, why some in the shipping industry want to apply the 1988 Convention Against Terrorism at Sea, and why still others want to move prosecution of pirates from national courts to an international court.     

American Security and Law of the Sea

With the election of President Barack Obama and renewed interest in the Law of the Sea Convention inside the United States, this article pulls from obscurity the key U.S. declarations, understandings, and conditions of ratification to the Treaty, considers their context and meaning for U.S. security interests, and helps to place them into the lexicon of oceans law and policy that informs the greater dialogue of international security and strategy.     

海州湾人工鱼礁二期工程海域大型底栖生物初步研究

2005、2007、2008年每年2月、5月和8月按《海洋监测规范》中大型底栖动物调查方法,分别对海州湾人工鱼礁二期工程施工海域(34°52′~30°55′N、119°25′34″~119°26′34″E)采用阿氏拖网进行了调查。监测结果显示,底栖动物的种类数较投放前有所增加;底栖动物年均总生物量逐年降低,2005年(1.0016g/m2)>2007年(0.9681g/m2)>2008年(0.7327g/m2);底栖生物群落生物多样性指数(H′)和丰富度(d)年均值呈逐年上升趋势,并且具有明显的季节性变化,春季最高,夏季次之,秋季最低;投礁前夏季的底栖动物的群落处于稳定状态而投礁后处于中度扰动状态。监测结果表明,鱼礁工程建设已经对投礁海域的底栖动物种类数、总生物量、多样性指数以及群落稳定性产生了一定程度的影响。     

Expression of two different sulfated fucans by females of Lytechinus variegatus may regulate the seasonal variation in the fertilization of the sea urchin

The egg jellies of sea urchins contain sulfated polysaccharides with unusual structures, composed of linear chains of l-fucose or l-galactose with well-defined repetitive units. The specific pattern of sulfation and the position of the glycosidic bond vary among sulfated polysaccharides from different species. These polysaccharides show species specificity in inducing the acrosome reaction, which is a critical event for fertilization. Females of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus spawn eggs containing a sulfated fucan with the repetitive sequence [3-alpha-L-Fucp-2(OSO(3))-1 --> 3-alpha-L-Fucp-4(OSO(3))-1 --> 3-alpha-L-Fucp-2,4(OSO(3))-1 --> 3-alpha-L-Fucp-2(OSO(3))-1](n). We now observe that, close to winter, a period of decreased fertility for the sea urchin, the females synthesize a distinct sulfated fucan with a simple structure, composed of 4-sulfated, 3-linked alpha-fucose residues. This sulfated fucan is inactive when tested in vitro for the acrosome reaction using homologous sperm. The amount of egg jellies spawned by females (and their constituent sulfated polysaccharides) varied greatly throughout the year. Apparently, there is a correlation between the temperature of the sea water and the expression of the 4-sulfated, 3-linked sulfated fucan. Overall, we described the occurrence of two isotypes of sulfated fucan in the egg jelly of the sea urchin L. variegatus, which differ in their biological activity and may be involved in the periodicity of the reproductive cycle of the invertebrate.     

滁州地区杀虫植物资源调查初报

利用杀虫植物做成多种农药,有药效和肥效,但无残毒和药害又无污染,对防治农作物蔬菜害虫有良好效应,充分利用皇甫山,凤阳地区植物资源丰富的优势,全面调查杀虫植物资源。     

Determining Allocation: From Paper to Practice in the Distribution of Fishing Rights Between Countries

This article discusses the allocation problem in international fisheries management, which is critical to effective resource management. A number of cases where allocation problems exist are reviewed and trends identified. It is concluded that power relationships between the states involved are an important determinant of allocation outcomes. While this may seem a frustrating conclusion, it nevertheless reflects the realities of international cooperation.     

Marine Foraging Birds As Bioindicators of Mercury in the Gulf of Maine

From existing databases, we compiled and evaluated 604 total mercury (Hg) levels in the eggs and blood of 17 species of marine foraging birds from 35 Gulf of Maine islands to provide baseline data and to determine the best tissue, age class, and species for future biomonitoring. While mean Hg levels in most species did not exceed adverse effects thresholds, levels in some individual eggs did; for all species arithmetic mean egg Hg levels ranged from 0.04 to 0.62 (μg/g, wet weight). Piscivorous birds had higher Hg levels than invertivores. Leach’s storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), razorbill (Alca torda), and black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) adult blood and egg Hg levels were higher than other species. Our results indicate that adult blood is preferable to chick blood for detecting long-term temporal trends because adult levels are higher and not confounded by metabolic effects. However, since we found that eggs and adult blood are comparable indicators of methylmercury bioavailability, we determined that eggs are the preferred tissue for long-term Hg monitoring because the relative ease in collecting eggs ensures consistent and robust datasets. We suggest specific sampling methods, and based on our results demonstrate that common eider (Somateria mollissima), Leach’s storm-petrel, double-crested cormorant, and black guillemot are the most effective bioindicators of Hg of the Gulf of Maine.     

Anatomical evidence for the posterior boundary of area 2 in the macaque monkey

This study examined the architectonic organization of the macaque's primary somatosensory cortex near the tip of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), using myelin and Nissl stains plus immunohistochemical labeling with the SMI-32 antibody. The surface cortex between the IPS and central sulcus (overlapping area 2) was distinguished from surrounding cortex (areas 1 and 5) by relatively light SMI-32 immunoreactivity. This distinguishing architectonic feature was most evident between the post-central dimple and cortex immediately anterior to the tip of the IPS. Physiological mappings verified that the architectonic transition correlated with a change in receptive field properties, consistent with their marking the boundary between areas 2 and 5. These results suggest that area 2 occupies surface cortex anterior to the IPS, but not within the IPS.     

Enumeration of Active Cells in the Bacterioplankton of the Rybinsk Reservoir Using 5-Cyano-2,3-Ditolyl Tetrazolium Chloride: A Comparison with Other Methods

The enumeration of actively respiring bacterial cells in different biotopes of the littoral zone of the Rybinsk Reservoir during the spring period of ice thaw using the fluorescent dye 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride showed that bacterial communities growing on the bottom surface of the ice cover and in water overgrown by higher aquatic plants were most active. The number of active cells among individual bacterial cells averaged 20% and reached about 40% among aggregated and filamentous bacterial cells. The results of the count of active bacteria by this method were compared with those obtained by other methods.     

厌氧氨氧化生物脱氮技术的研究进展

厌氧氨氧化是指在厌氧条件下,厌氧氨氧化混合菌直接以NH4 为电子供体,以NO3-或NO2-为电子受体,将NH4^ 、NO3-或NO2-转变成N2的过程。厌氧氨氧化作为一种新型的污水处理工艺具有较高的理论意义和良好的应用前景。本文主要阐述了厌氧氨氧化生物脱氮技术原理、厌氧氨氧化的可能途径、方法及其应用现状,并且讨论了厌氧氨氧化反应的微生物学机理和厌氧氨氧化工艺的开发,提出了今后研究的主要方向。     

黄海中华哲水蚤度夏区大型底栖动物的次级生产力

本文根据2001年8月和2002年8-10月在黄海中华哲水蚤度夏区4个航次调查中设置的大面调查站中的9个重合站所采集的大型底栖动物样品,统计了其平均栖息密度、平均生物量,利用Brey (1990)的经验公式进行了次级生产力和P/B值的计算.结果表明,该海域大型底栖动物在2001年8月和2002年8-10月这两个期间内,平均栖息密度分别为379.44 ind./m2和156.67 ind./m2,平均生物量[以去灰干重(AFDW)计]分别为9.44 g(AFDW)/m2和7.36 g (AFDW)/m2,据之计算出2001和2002年大型底栖动物的次级生产力(以去灰干重计)分别为9.64 g(AFDW)/(m2·a)和6.42 g (AFDW)/(m2· a),P/B值分别为1.20和0.98.同相关研究结果的比较显示,黄海中华哲水蚤度夏区内大型底栖动物次级生产力高于渤海、东海,也高于黄海其它调查区已有报道结果;而P/ B值则高于渤海,低于东海,与黄海其它调查区报道结果接近[动物学报 54(3):436-441 ,2008].     

Reproductive cycle and gonadal development of the Atlantic sea urchin Arbacia punctulata in the Gulf of Mexico: changes in nutritive phagocytes in relation to gametogenesis

ABSTRACT

The annual reproductive cycle comprises steady gametogenic activities that synchronize gonadal maturation and spawning rhythms, which are important for aquatic organisms including marine echinoderms (Echinodermata, Echinoidea). In this study, we report the annual reproductive cycle, gonadal development, and changes in nutritive phagocytes (NPs, which accumulate nutrients in germ cells) in relation to gametogenesis of the Atlantic sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata, an edible echinoid) in the Gulf of Mexico. Monthly changes in gonadal development and maturation were observed morphologically and histologically. We calculated gonadosomatic index (GSI) and compared the stages of gonadal development in order to determine the NPs index, and characteristics of germ cells (eggs and sperm) during the annual reproductive cycle. According to GSI and histological analyses, gametogenic activities were classified into four stages of both sexes: mature (June–August), spent (September–November), recovery (December–March), and growing (April–May). The GSI values in both sexes were high during summer months. In males, testicular lobules were densely packed with sperm from June to August. In females, however, mature eggs first appeared in some ovaries in May, numerically increased from June to July, and decreased in August. During gametogenesis, on the other hand, NPs in both testes and ovaries were depleted from June to August. Collectively, our results suggest that the Atlantic sea urchin spawns during summer months in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, on gonadal development and changes in NPs during the annual reproductive cycle of any Arbacia species in the Gulf of Mexico.     

Factors of influence on microbial pollution in the atmosphere over Beijing area

Summary The atmospheric microbial pollutants are potentially correlated to population density and activity as well as to human health. The higher the population density is, the heavier the air microbial pollution will become. Some meteorological factors exert great influence on air microbial pollution. Generally, wind, solar radiation and rainfalls purify air and, consequently cause a decrease in atmospheric microbial pollution. On the other hand, prevailing strong winds may favour this pollution, especially in dry conditions and in absence of vegetation. Obviously, relatively high temperatures associated with high RH enhance the growing of microbes. However, the higher the temperature is, the lower the viability of airborne microbes will be; nonetheless, with high RH a decrease in suspended particles may be recorded.