The Rejection of a Theoretical Beauty: The Foot of the Continental Slope in Maritime Boundary Delimitations Beyond 200 Nautical Miles

This article addresses maritime boundary delimitation concerning the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. The focal point is how the foot of the continental slope can be used as the point of departure in drawing the provisional equidistance line in outer continental shelf boundary delimitations between neighboring states. The article examines the strength and weaknesses of this approach and asks whether the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea indirectly rejected this approach in the 2012 Bangladesh v. Myanmar Case.     

The technical delimitation of a modern equidistant boundary

Abstract

Delimitation of maritime boundaries represents a recent state activity. The main impetus stems from the 1958 Geneva Conventions on the Territorial Sea … and on the Continental Shelf. State practice since 1958 has shown a marked preference for the equidistance principle for maritime boundary delimitation. At first many of these limits were geometrically constructed on existing nautical charts or on specifically designed small‐to medium‐scale maps. With increasing ability to exploit marine resources and the associated need to delimit boundaries farther from the baseline, inequities have developed as a consequence of map projections utilized, differences in horizontal and vertical datums, and so on. This paper discusses the principles behind, and the development of, conventional techniques of equidistant boundary delimitation; illustrates the errors that may result; and points out means, through modern computer technology, to compute equitable, equidistant maritime boundaries at great distances from the baselines.     

Some problems concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the republic of china (Taiwan) and the Philippines

Abstract

This paper analyzes the issue of how the relevant provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea can be applied to the delimitation of the maritime boundary in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippine island of Luzon and in the South China Sea area. It concludes that the Philippines’ extensive territorial sea claim based on the 1898 U.S.‐Spanish Peace Treaty can hardly find any basis in customary rules of international law and the U.N. Convention and, therefore, should be disregarded in such delimitation. On the other hand, the archipelagic principle provided in the Convention can be applied here. With respect to rules of delimitation, it suggests that the equitable principle of the delimitation of the continental shelf, enunciated in the Anglo‐French Continental Shelf Arbitration (1977) and the Tunisian‐Libyan Continental Shelf Case (1982), can mutatis mutandis be applied to the delimitation of the maritime boundary. As an interim solution, the maritime boundary of certain disputed islands in the South China Sea should be declared neutral zones open to nationals of both countries.     

The Dispute Concerning the Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary Between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire: Implications for the Law of the Sea

The final judgment in the maritime boundary delimitation case between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire was delivered by an ad hoc special chamber (the Chamber) of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on 23 September 2017. The decision addressed important legal questions relating not only to maritime boundary delimitation but also to the balancing of various rights and interests at the provisional measures stage and international responsibility for unilateral resource exploitation activities in disputed zones pending delimitation. This article analyzes the decision of the Chamber with respect to its findings on tacit boundary agreements, delimitation methodology, and international responsibility.     

The Regime for Transboundary Hydrocarbon Deposits in the Maritime Delimitation Treaties and Other Related Agreements of Arctic Coastal States

This article assesses the treaty practice of the five Arctic Ocean coastal states and Iceland in dealing with the issue of transboundary hydrocarbon deposits as part of the conclusion of maritime delimitation and other related agreements. That practice suggests a number of different ways in which states deal with the issue of hydrocarbon deposits bisected by a maritime delimitation: (1) silence, (2) a standard unity of deposit clause, (3) more complex variations on the standard clause including framework agreements for the development of transboundary deposits, and (4) a delimitation line with some form of joint development zone. This article assesses the Arctic state practice within this typology seeking to supplement the existing literature which tends to focus on the North Sea and Southeast Asia.     

Incongruence in molecular species delimitation schemes: What to do when adding more data is difficult

Using multiple, independent approaches to molecular species delimitation is advocated to accommodate limitations and assumptions of a single approach. Incongruence in delimitation schemes is a potential by‐product of employing multiple methods on the same data, and little attention has been paid to its reconciliation. Instead, a particular scheme is prioritized, and/or molecular delimitations are coupled with additional, independent lines of evidence that mitigate incongruence. We advocate that incongruence within a line of evidence should be accounted for before comparing across lines of evidence that can themselves be incongruent. Additionally, it is not uncommon for empiricists working in nonmodel systems to be data‐limited, generating some concern for the adequacy of available data to address the question of interest. With conservation and management decisions often hinging on the status of species, it seems prudent to understand the capabilities of approaches we use given the data we have. Here, we apply two molecular species delimitation approaches, spedeSTEM and BPP, to the Castilleja ambigua (Orobanchaceae) species complex, a relatively young plant lineage in western North America. Upon finding incongruence in our delimitation, we employed a post hoc simulation study to examine the power of these approaches to delimit species. Given the data we collected, we find that spedeSTEM lacks the power to delimit while BPP is capable, thus allowing us to address incongruence before proceeding in delimitation. We suggest post hoc simulation studies like this compliment empirical delimitation and serve as a means of exploring conflict within a line of evidence and dealing with it appropriately.     

Morphology and molecules reveal two new species of Porites (Scleractinia,Poritidae) from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden

Two new reef coral species, Porites farasani sp. nov. and Porites hadramauti sp. nov. (Scleractinia, Poritidae), are described from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Porites farasani sp. nov. only occurs in the Farasan Islands in the southern Red Sea, while P. hadramauti sp. nov. has been collected in the Yemen Hadramaut region in the Gulf of Aden. Both species presented striking in situ differences with respect to other Porites species, and were characterized by small encrusting colonies and unusual polyp colouration. In order to test the genetic distinctiveness of P. farasani sp. nov. and P. hadramauti sp. nov. between each other and with respect to other representatives in the genus Porites, we investigated their evolutionary relationships with eight other morphological species of Porites occurring in the Red Sea and in the Gulf of Aden. Two DNA loci, the mitochondrial putative control region and the nuclear ribosomal ITS region, were sequenced, and three species delimitation approaches based on barcoding threshold (Automated Barcoding Gap Discovery) and coalescence theory (Poisson-Tree process, Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent) were applied. Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses were overall concordant, resolving P. farasani sp. nov. and P. hadramauti sp. nov. as two divergent but closely related lineages. Of the other morphologically defined Porites species, three were genetically differentiated (P. rus, P. columnaris and P. fontanesii), but five were genetically indistinguishable. The discovery of two regional endemics confirms the importance of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden as regions of high biodiversity and suggests the need for an integration of genome-wide molecular data with the re-evaluation of skeletal structures in the systematics of Porites.     

Parhyale plumicornis (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyalidae): is this an anti-lessepsian Mediterranean species? Morphological remarks,molecular markers and ecological notes as tools for future records

Hyalid amphipods living in coastal marine habitats are frequently included in ecological studies. The systematics of this taxon has been subject to profound changes, with an emphasis on the North Pacific fauna. Since a proper species delimitation is a prerequisite in taxonomic and ecological studies, Parhyale plumicornis (Heller, 1866) has been herein re-described, showing the criticisms and mismatches of various characters, which were previously used in dichotomous keys. This species was collected for the first time off the western coast of Sicily Island (Italy: central Mediterranean Sea). The male is peculiar, due to the second antennae heavily setose posteriorly and bearing long tufts of plumose ventral setae. In this paper, the species will be illustrated, and morphological polymorphism, molecular tags and ecological features will be reported. The species does not appear to be frequent in the Mediterranean Sea but it is important that marine biologists identify it accurately. A recent record, possibly ascribable to Parhyale plumicornis in the Red Sea, could indicate that this species is the first anti-lessepsian amphipod, which has migrated from the Mediterranean Sea towards the Red Sea.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:770BEDA1-3E06-464F-9D34-8AFE43592FCA     

Coalescence-based species delimitation using genome-wide data reveals hidden diversity in a cosmopolitan group of lichens

Although there is an abundance of species delimitation methods on the market, most approaches depend on predefined assignment of specimens to species or populations. Assignment-free methods, which can simultaneously infer boundaries and relationships among species, are of high importance in cases, when correct pre-assignment is difficult or not at all possible. In this study, we use assignment-free multispecies coalescent-based species delimitation (STACEY, tr2-delimitation, and BP&P), phylogenetic methods, and clustering algorithms to investigate the inter- and infraspecific relationships within a common and widespread group of lichens with contentious species boundaries. The Cetraria aculeata group presents a good example of extreme morphological variability and unclear species delimitation in lichens. Based on DNA-sequence data from 26 fungal loci and 10 microsatellite loci, as well as morphological and chemical data, our results provide evidence for the occurrence of five different taxa within the group and highlight the difficulties of morphologically distinguishing these species. We discovered a separate lineage (clade C) within C. aculeata s. str., which does not fully coincide with any of the a priori identified species C. aculeata, C. crespoae, or C. steppae and conclude that this clade constitutes a semi-cryptic, genetically isolated lineage within C. aculeata. We recognize this lineage at subspecific rank as C. aculeata subsp. steppae and synonymize Cetraria crespoae with C. aculeata subsp. aculeata. Epitypes are designated for all involved names to stabilize their usage. The PKS8 gene locus is recommended as a barcode for the separation of C. aculeata subsp. aculeata and subsp. steppae. We demonstrate the potential use of microsatellite data for species delimitation in lichens that might offer an alternative insight or be used to test species delimitation hypotheses, when dealing with closely related or potentially cryptic species. Our results also confirm the presence of an undescribed sister lineage to C. odontella previously misidentified as C. muricata and extend the known range of this lineage to Central Asia (Altay Mts.) and the Central European Alps (France, Switzerland), which calls for a critical reappraisal of records of C. aculeata and C. muricata from these mountain ranges.

     

Molecular data reveal cryptic lineages within the northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean small mussel drills of the Ocinebrina edwardsii complex (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Muricidae)

We used a molecular phylogenetic approach to investigate species delimitations and diversification in the mussel drills of the Ocinebrina edwardsii complex by means of a combination of nuclear (internal transcribed spacer 2, ITS2) and mitochondrial [cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S] sequences. Our sample included 243 specimens ascribed to seven currently accepted species from 51 sites. Five of the samples were from either the type locality of a nominal species or a close nearby locality (O. edwardsii from Corsica, O. carmelae and O. piantonii from the Kerkennah Islands, O. hispidula from the Gulf of Gabès and O. leukos from the Canary Islands), one from the inferred original locality (O. ingloria from Venice Lagoon), and specimens assigned in the recent literature to O. nicolai. We used a combination of distance‐ and tree‐based species delimitation methods to identify Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) to compare with the a priori species identifications. The consensus tree obtained by BEAST on the COI alignment allows the recognition of several distinct clades supported by the three species delimitation methods employed. The eight‐MOTUs scenario, shared by the Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) and Generalized Mixed Yule‐Coalescent (GMYC) methods, comprises the following major clades: clade A contains the south Tunisian species Ocinebrina piantonii Cecalupo, Buzzurro & Mariani from which the sympatric taxon O. carmelae Cecalupo, Buzzurro & Mariani (new synonym) cannot be separated; clades B and C bring together all populations from the Aegean Sea and some from the Ionian Sea, respectively; clade D groups, on the one hand, the south Tunisian samples morphologically assigned to O. hispidula Pallary and, on the other, Atlantic and Alboran Sea samples (including the Canarian taxon O. leukos Houart); clade E includes a sample from the type locality of O. edwardsii and several samples from the Tyrrhenian Sea; clades F and G correspond to a few samples from the Venice Lagoon and the Tyrrhenian Sea, respectively; clade H groups the bulk of samples from the Adriatic Sea, including samples from the Venice Lagoon morphologically identified as Ocinebrina ingloria (Crosse), and some from the Ionian Sea. No final conclusions could be reached to reconcile the currently recognized morphological taxa with the clades suggested by the COI data. The geographical structure proposed by the mitochondrial markers is similar to that found in other marine invertebrates and partially corresponds to the species defined by shell characters. We propose here a framework for the revision of the Ocinebrina edwardsii species complex, suggesting a geographical pattern for the diversification of this group in the studied area. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London     

Effectiveness and safety of repeated quadruple therapy in Helicobacter pylori infection after failure of second-line quadruple therapy: repeated quadruple therapy as a third-line therapy

Backgrounds: Quadruple therapy using a proton‐pump inhibitor, bismuth, metronidazole, and tetracycline is a standard second‐line therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection, achieving an eradication rate of about 80% in Korea. A standard third‐line therapy is not currently established, although various protocols have been proposed. We performed this study to evaluate the effectiveness of a retrial with quadruple therapy before starting a third‐line treatment with new drugs. Materials and Methods: In 80 of 746 patients treated with a second‐line quadruple therapy at the Korea University Ansan Hospital between January 2002 and September 2010, treatment for H. pylori had failed, and 45 of these patients were eligible for this study. Eradication of H. pylori was assessed by repeated endoscopy or by the ¹³C‐urea breath test at least 4 weeks after therapy. The patients with treatment failure were treated again with quadruple regimen for 2 weeks and reevaluated for treatment effectiveness and safety. Results: The eradication rate with second‐line quadruple therapy was 86.9%. Of the 80 patients who failed treatment for H. pylori with the initial second‐line quadruple therapy, 64 patients were treated again with the same regimen. Of the 45 retreated patients in this study, three patients were lost to follow‐up and two complied poorly with medication. The eradication rate in the 40 patients retreated was 75.0% at per‐protocol analysis. Seventeen patients experienced mild adverse events. Conclusions: A retrial of quadruple therapy before use of a third‐line therapy may be safe and effective for patients who fail to respond to second‐line quadruple therapy.     

Phylogenetics,historical biogeography and molecular species delimitation of Gnaptorina Reitter (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Blaptini)

With 38 described species or subspecies, Gnaptorina Reitter is the second‐most species‐rich genus in the darkling beetle subtribe Gnaptorinina (Tenebrionidae: Tenebrioninae). In this study, we reconstructed a phylogeny of the genus based on one nuclear and three mitochondrial genes and used this phylogeny to explore the historical biography and diversification of Gnaptorina species. We implemented multiple molecular species delimitation approaches to reassess the status of Gnaptorina species and taxonomic subdivisions of the genus. Dating and historical biogeography analyses suggest an early Eocene origin of the genus, with the southeastern regions of the Tibetan Plateau most likely as areas of origin. Based on these results, we propose a new classification for Gnaptorina with three major clades identified. Consequently, the monotypic subgenus Boreoptorina is newly synonymized with the more species‐rich subgenus Hesperoptorina, and G. dongdashanensis Shi is transferred from Hesperoptorina to the subgenus Gnaptorina. In addition, G. minxiana Medvedev, formerly treated as a subspecies of G. potanini Reitter, is elevated to species. Results of molecular species delimitation analyses are largely congruent and confirm the status of most morphological species.     

A Note on the M/V “Louisa” Case

In the M/V “Louisa” case of 28 May 2013, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea held that it had no jurisdiction, even though it had established prima facie jurisdiction at the provisional measures stage. The M/V “Louisa” case thus gives rise to questions regarding the relationship between prima facie jurisdiction and jurisdiction on the merits. Moreover, the M/V “Louisa” Judgment also sheds some light on the applicability of the doctrine of abuse of rights provided in Article 300 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.     

Assessing the diversity and distribution of Cephalothrix species (Nemertea: Palaeonemertea) in European waters by comparing different species delimitation methods

Soft‐bodied marine taxa, like ribbon worms (Nemertea), often lack clear diagnostic morphological characters impeding traditional species delimitation. Therefore, recent studies concentrated on molecular genetic methods to solve taxonomic issues. Different delimitation methods were employed to explore species boundaries and the presence of cryptic species. However, the performance of the different delimitation methods needs to be tested. A particularly promising nemertean genus in this regard is the palaeonemertean genus Cephalothrix that is commonly found in European waters. In order to gain information on the number and distribution of European cephalotrichids and to test different tree‐based and non‐tree‐based delimitation methods, we analyzed a dataset comprising the barcoding region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) of 215 European Cephalothrix specimens, of which 78 were collected for this study. Our results show the presence of 12–13 European lineages of which several can be assigned to known European species. Analyzing a second dataset comprising 74 additional sequences from the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans helped identify some of the unassigned European specimens. One resulting clade seems to represent a non‐native introduced Cephalothrix species, while another has never been recorded from Europe before. In our analysis, especially the tree‐based methods and the phylogenetic analysis proved to be a useful tool when delimiting species. It remains unclear whether the different identified clades result from cryptic speciation or from a high genetic variability of the COI gene.     

Natural Prolongation: A Living Myth in the Regime of the Continental Shelf?

Since the 1969 North Sea Continental Shelf cases, natural prolongation has been a semisacred expression that characterizes the continental shelf. This article examines whether this notion is still viable. A comparative study of its current use in the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea against its original use reveals misunderstandings in three key aspects: entitlement, delineation, and delimitation of the continental shelf. This article concludes that natural prolongation no longer constitutes a pivot in the legal understanding of the continental shelf.     

Taxonomic review of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cottiusculus</Emphasis> (Cottoidei: Cottidae) with description of a new species from the Sea of Japan

A taxonomic review of the cottid genus Cottiusculus Jordan and Starks 1904 established three species, C. nihonkaiensis sp. nov., C. schmidti, and C. gonez. Cottiusculus nihonkaiensis sp. nov., which had been previously confused with C. schmidti, is described on the basis of 32 specimens (44.8–77.9 mm, SL) collected from the Sea of Japan. The new species is very similar to C. schmidti in having a curved barbless uppermost preopercular spine and the lateral line extending past the caudal fin base, but is distinguishable as follows: nasal spines simple or sometimes weakly bicuspid (vs. deeply bicuspid in C. schmidti); first dorsal fin not elongated in either males or females (vs. elongated in males); ventral lateral and lateral line cirri present (vs. absent). The former is known from the Sea of Japan coasts of Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula, and Volcano Bay, Hokkaido, and the latter from the Pacific coast of Tohoku District, Japan. Cottiusculus gonez, known from the Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk and Pacific coast of Hokkaido, is characterized by having a simple nasal spine, the uppermost preopercular spine almost straight with two small cusps dorsally, posterior cusp barbed, and the lateral line almost reaching to the caudal fin base. A lectotype of C. gonez is designated here. Sequence differences in the cytochrome b gene among the above three species of Cottiusculus are also presented.     

Health risk perspectives of metal(loid) exposure via consumption of striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina Linnaeus, 1758)

The metal(loid)s are mainly transported to the Black Sea via rivers and affect the coastal area where fisheries are intensive. Chamelea gallina (striped venus clam) is the most abundant mollusk species in the Black Sea and used as a bioindicator for monitoring of metal(loid) pollution. In this respect, the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in C. gallina collected from 16 different locations along the Black Sea coast (Turkey, Bulgaria, and Russia) were determined and evaluated for the potential human health risk. The results obtained were found to be below the maximum permissible limits indicated in the food safety guidelines. Similarly, the analyzed metal(loid)s did not pose a potential hazard to humans for consumption of the C. gallina, regarding provisional tolerable weekly intake described by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Moreover, target hazard quotient and hazard index were found to be lower than 1 for not only average consumer but also the consumer who consumed a portion (160 g) once a week. In contrast, consumption of C. gallina could cause health risks for Cd and As in case of increasing portion sizes.     

Comparison of lafutidine and rabeprazole in 7-day second-line amoxicillin- and metronidazole-containing triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori: a pilot study

Background: Lafutidine is an H2‐receptor antagonist with gastroprotective action through capsaicin‐sensitive afferent neurons and relatively inexpensive compare to proton‐pump inhibitors (PPIs). A 7‐day course of PPIs–amoxicillin–metronidazole is recommended as standard second‐line Helicobacter pylori therapy and is covered by national health insurance in Japan. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of second‐line eradication using the H2‐receptor antagonist lafutidine as a substitute for a PPI. Materials and Methods: Fifty‐two patients who failed in first‐line eradication using PPI–amoxicillin–clarithromycin were randomly assigned to a 7‐day course of rabeprazole at 10 mg b.i.d., amoxicillin at 750 mg b.i.d., and metronidazole at 250 mg b.i.d. (RPZ‐AM) or a 7‐day course of lafutidine at 10 mg t.i.d., amoxicillin at 750 mg b.i.d., and metronidazole at 250 mg b.i.d. (LFT‐AM) as second‐line therapy. Eradication was assessed by the ¹³C urea breath test. A drug susceptibility test was performed before the second‐line therapy. Results: Prior to second‐line H. pylori eradication, the rate of resistance to clarithromycin was 86.5% and the rate of resistance to metronidazole was 3.8%. The eradication rates for both LFT‐AM and RPZ‐AM groups were 96% (95%CI = 88.6–100%). There were no severe adverse events in either group. Conclusions: Lafutidine plus metronidazole–amoxicillin as second‐line therapy provided a high eradication rate and safe treatment similar to a PPI‐based regimen. Lafutidine‐based eradication therapy is therefore considered to be a promising alternative and is also expected to reduce health care costs in H. pylori eradication.