Foraminíferos bentônicos vivos foram estudados visando a caracterização da plataforma continental da Bacia de Campos (sudeste do Brasil; 20.5°S - 24°S). Espécimes coletados no período seco/inverno/ressurgências menos frequentes de 2008 e no período chuvoso/verão/ressurgências mais frequentes de 2009 foram analisados para investigar padrões de distribuição espacial e temporal. As estações foram distribuídas em cinco isóbatas (25, 50, 75, 100 e 150 m), de nove transectos perpendiculares à linha de costa, totalizando 45 estações. Em cada estação, com busca-fundo e com delimitador 10 cm2 coletou-se três amostras de sedimento superficial (estrato 0-2 cm). Em laboratório, 20 cm³ de sedimento úmido por amostra foi lavado em peneira (63 μm), depois seco e triado na lupa. Material excedente foi estocado para contraprovas. Análises de Agrupamento e nMDS foram utilizadas para reconhecer grupos de estações e a Análise Canônica de Correspondência foi utilizada para investigar relações dos foraminíferos com dados ambientais. As variáveis-resposta quantitativas básicas foram biomassa e abundância; biomassa foi estimada por biovolume. A estrutura ecológica das associações (densidade, diversidade, dominância, equitatividade) foi estimada. Os dados foram avaliados visando caracterização da área e gestão ambiental da bacia. Registrou-se 519 táxons de foraminíferos. A análise integrada dos períodos identificou três áreas principais: (i) Plataforma interna (entre 25 e 50 m) - tem sedimentos predominantemente siliciclásticos, predominam espécies epifaunais, positivamente correlacionadas com areia, temperatura mais alta e concentração mais alta de clorofila-a; nela ocorrem Tiphotrocha concava, Bolivina paula, Nonionella sp.C, Discorbis williamsoni, Ammonia parkinsoniana, Ammonia tepida, Bolivina striatula, Textularia agglutinans, Angulogerina cf. A. jamaicensis Buliminella elegantissima, Paracassidulina nipponensis, Rectocibicides miocenicus, Placopsilina bradyi e muitas espécies dos seguintes gêneros Quinqueloculina, Textularia, Asterotrochammina, Eoeponidella, Porosononion, Polymorphina, Rotaliammina e Discorbis. (ii) Plataforma média/externa – (entre 75 e 100 m) - tem características predominantemente oligotróficas; areia, cascalho e lama, todos com alto teor de carbonato; as associações são compostas por Uvigerina auberiana, Technitella harrisii, Paratrochammina brasiliensis s.l., Planulina foveolata, Seabrookia earlandi, Svratkina spp., Pullenia spp., Discorbinella floridensis, Cibicidoides corpulentus, Stomatorbina torrei, Labrospira jeffreysii, Tetrataxiella ayalai, Mychostomina revertens, Amphicoryna scalaris, Globocassidulina rossensis, Ehrenbergina spinea, Spirotextularia floridana, Siphonina reticulata, Spirillina vivipara, Patellina corrugata e algumas espécies de Astrononion, Fissurina e Lenticulina entre outras. (iii) Área de ressurgências – predomínio de espécies infaunais positivamente correlacionadas com lama, feofitina-a e carbono orgânico total; a associação é composta por muitos rotalídeos pequenos como Bulimina marginata, Pappina compressa, Angulogerina angulosa, s.l., Alabaminella weddellensis, Bolivina fragilis, Bolivina ordinaria, Nonionella stella, Hopkinsina pacifica, Bolivinellina translucens, Stainforthia complanata, Bulimina patagonica, Hanzawaia concentrica, Gyroidina umbonata, Nonionella opima, Epistominella exigua, Cassidulina carinata, Fursenkoina pontoni e Nonionella atlantica; e alguns aglutinantes como Adercotryma glomeratum, Lagenammina atlantica, Ammoscalaria pseudospiralis, Reophax scorpiurus, Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, Labrospira crassimargo, Reophax pauciloculatus, Leptohalysis scottii, Textularia ? torquata e Reophax arayaensis e milliolídeos como Quinqueloculina sabulosa, Quinqueloculina atlantica s.l. e Pyrgo nasuta. A distribuição espacial dos foraminíferos é determinada pela profundidade, sedimento (tamanho de grão e conteúdo de carbonato) e disponibilidade de alimento. Foraminíferos fitodetritívoros indicaram áreas de ressurgência em Cabo Frio, Cabo de São Tomé e também ao norte da área estudada. A biomassa na plataforma interna é similar à de outras áreas investigadas, mas os valores da plataforma média e externa são mais altos que o esperado para uma região oligotrófica, sazonalmente mesotrófica. As curvas ABC indicaram a isóbata de 25 m como a mais perturbada da plataforma, especialmente durante o período chuvoso quando recebe maior aporte da drenagem fluvial e pluvial, talvez amplificada por contaminantes antropogênicos. Área com ressurgência mostraram perturbação moderada pelo método das curvas ABC; provavelmente trata-se apenas de perturbação natural, causada pelo incremento de produção primária. O estudo aporta dados para a gestão ambiental e a reconstrução paleoambiental. / Spatial and seasonal differences over the continental shelf and along the shelf break edges of Campos Basin, southeastern Brazil (20.5°S - 24°S) were investigated during 2008 (downwelling setting/dry/winter) and 2009 (upwelling setting/rainy/summer), based on living benthic foraminiferal assemblages, as part of the “HABITATS Project - Evaluation of the Environmental Heterogeneity of the Campos Basin, Brazil”. The assemblages and their relationship with environmental variables were studied to support the research and development activities of PETROBRAS, the Brazilian state-owned oil Company. The sampling design consisted of nine transects (45 stations) perpendicular to the coastline. Three replicates were taken from each station using a modified grab that performs as a box corer. The surface (0-2 cm) bottom sediment was collected (10 cm x 10 cm), fixed with 4 % formaldehyde buffered solution, stained with Bengal Rose, washed and sieved through a 63 μm mesh. Of the 200 cm3 of each replicate, 20 cm³ were analyzed and the remainder stored for retesting. Foraminiferal assemblages were recognized using cluster analysis, indicator species analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Spatial and temporal patterns of the foraminiferal assemblages were identified and the ecological structure (density, diversity, dominance, equitability) of these assemblages investigated. Foraminiferal biomass was estimated by measuring biovolume. The correlations of biotic and abiotic parameters were evaluated using canonical correspondence analysis. A total of 519 foraminiferal taxa were recorded. Spatial distribution responds to depth, sediment (grain size and carbonate content) and food availability. Cluster analysis with integrated periods allowed the recognition of three distinct areas: (i) an Inner shelf (25 – 50 m) area positively correlated with sand, higher temperature and higher chlorophyll-a content; it was occupied by Tiphotrocha concava, Bolivina paula, Nonionella sp. C, Discorbis williamsoni, Ammonia parkinsoniana, Ammonia tepida, Bolivina striatula, Textularia agglutinans, Angulogerina cf. A. jamaicensis, Buliminella elegantissima, Paracassidulina nipponensis, Rectocibicides miocenicus, Placopsilina bradyi and species of Quinqueloculina, Textularia, Asterotrochammina, Eoeponidella, Porosononion, Polymorphina, Rotaliammina and Discorbis. (ii) a Medium/outer shelf (75 – 150 m) area is composed by two subgroups correlated with depth and elevated carbonate levels; its species association includes Uvigerina auberiana, Technitella harrisii, Paratrochammina brasiliensis s.l., Planulina foveolata, Seabrookia earlandi, Svratkina spp., Pullenia spp., Eponides antillarum, Discorbinella floridensis, Cibicidoides corpulentus, Stomatorbina torrei, Labrospira jeffreysii, Tetrataxiella ayalai, Mychostomina revertens, Amphicoryna scalaris, Globocassidulina rossensis, Ehrenbergina spinea, Spirotextularia floridana, Siphonina reticulata, Spirillina vivipara, Patellina corrugata and some species from Astrononion, Fissurina and Lenticulina. (iii) an Upwelling area is positively correlated with phaeopigment (phytodetritus), mud and total organic carbon; this group includes abundant small rotalids such as Bulimina marginata, Pappina compressa, Angulogerina angulosa, s.l., Alabaminella weddellensis, Bolivina fragilis, Bolivina ordinaria, Nonionella stella, Hopkinsina pacifica, Bolivinellina translucens, Stainforthia complanata, Bulimina patagonica, Hanzawaia concentrica, Gyroidina umbonata, Nonionella opima, Epistominella exigua, Cassidulina carinata, Fursenkoina pontoni and Nonionella atlantica, and such agglutinated foraminifers as Adercotryma glomeratum, Lagenammina atlantica, Ammoscalaria pseudospiralis, Reophax scorpiurus, Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, Labrospira crassimargo, Reophax pauciloculatus, Leptohalysis scottii, Textularia ? torquata, Pseudobolivina fusiformis and Reophax arayaensis, and some miliolids (Quinqueloculina sabulosa, Quinqueloculina atlantica s.l. and Pyrgo nasuta). During the upwelling period the South Atlantic Coastal Waters enlarged its influence to include not only the Cape Frio area, but also an area at about 75 meters depth off Cape Sao Tome. Biomass values at the inner shelf agreed with available published data, but on the middle and outer shelf the values are higher than expected for an oligotrophic, seasonally mesotrophic basin. The ABC curves indicate the 25 m isobath as the most disturbed one and recognize a moderated disturbance in the upwelling area. During rainy season the 25 m isobath is disturbed by natural eutrophication phenomena that may be significantly amplified by anthropogenic activities. This study provides data for the monitoring plan for the area and for paleoenvironmental reconstructions.

A Plataforma Continental Sul Brasileira (PCSB) é considerada uma importante região do litoral do Brasil, suas massas d’água e os processos dinâmicos apresentam um comportamento sazonal que imprime fortes efeitos no ecossistema costeiro. Com objetivo de caracterizar a Frente Subtropical de Plataforma (FSTP) e seu impacto na atmosfera, o presente trabalho utilizou o modelo acoplado oceano-atmosfera COAWST (Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport) para estudar, na região da PCSB, a distribuição das massas d’água e a variabilidade oceânica durante o ano de 2012. Assim como, o acoplamento oceano-atmosfera durante 10 dias do mês de junho de 2012, coincidentes com a realização do cruzeiro oceanográfico ACEx/SIMTECO. Os resultados de ambos os períodos de estudo foram comparados com observações históricas, com dados coletados in situ pelo cruzeiro ACEx/SIMTECO e com dados de satélite. Os resultados indicam que essa componente foi capaz de reproduzir as principais características termohalinas e a sazonalidade das águas que dominam a PCSB. A mistura entre as águas de plataforma subtropicais e subantárticas que ocorre na FSTP, apresentou uma clara mudança sazonal em seu volume. Como consequência da mistura e da oscilação sazonal de posição da FSTP, a estabilidade da coluna d´água dentro da PCSB também muda sazonalmente. Os valores de temperatura da superfície do mar (TSM) e altura da superfície do mar mostraram valores sazonais de REQM inferiores a 2°C e um skill médio superior a 0,75. Valores de velocidade sobre a plataforma para a Corrente Costeira do Brasil (CCB) chegam 0,6 (m.s-1), enquanto o transporte para a Corrente do Brasil (CB) e CCB foram de -7 a -44 Sv e -0,3 a 0,3 Sv, respectivamente. Os mapas sazonais de energia cinética média e energia cinética turbulenta representam o comportamento já conhecido da CB e ressaltam a importância do fluxo costeiro médio ao largo da costa da Argentina ao longo do ano. A comparação dos dados do modelo atmosférico, rodado no modo acoplado do COAWST, com dados observacionais indicam um satisfatório desempenho do modelo em representar as variáveis temperatura potencial, umidade relativa e específica, assim como os campos de vento na superfície do mar. O módulo atmosférico do COAWST foi também capaz de representar as variações da camada limite atmosférica marinha (CLAM), mesmo em condições sinóticas pré e pós-frontais como as observadas durante a realização do cruzeiro ACEx/SIMTECO. O presente trabalho apresenta, pela primeira vez para a região de estudo, resultados que demonstram a robustez do modelo regional COAWST em descrever o comportamento sinótico da atmosfera frente aos gradientes de TSM na região da PCSB. E oferece novos subsídios para o estudo do comportamento do sistema acoplado oceano-atmosfera nesta importante região da costa brasileira. / The South Brazilian Continental Shelf (SBCS) is considered an important region of Brazilian coast, their water masses and the dynamic processes present a seasonal behavior that has strong effects on the coastal ecosystem. In order to characterize the Subtropical Shelf Front (STSF) and its impact on the atmosphere, this work used the ocean-atmosphere coupled model COAWST (Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport) to study, in the SBCS region, the distribution of water massas and ocean variability during the year 2012. As well, the ocean-atmosphere coupling during 10 days of June 2012, coinciding with the ACEx/SIMTECO oceanographic cruise. The results of both study periods were compared with historical observations, data collected in situ by the ACEx/SIMTECO cruise and satellite data. The results indicate that this component was capable of reproducing the main thermohaline characteristics and the seasonality of dominant waters of the SBCS. The mixture between subtropical and subantarctic shelf waters that occurs in the STSF, showed a clear seasonal change in its volume. As consequence of mixing and seasonal STSF oscillation, the stability of the water column within the SBCS also changes seasonally. The values of sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height showed seasonal RMSE values below 2 °C and an average skill greater than 0,75. Velocity values on the shef for Brazilian Coastal Current (BCC) reach 0,6 (ms-1), while transport to Brazil Current (BC) and BCC were -7 to -44 Sv and -0, 3 to 0.3 Sv, respectively. The seasonal maps of medium kinetic energy and turbulent kinetic energy represent the behavior of the BC and highlight the importance of the average coastal flow off the coast of Argentina during the year. The comparison of data from the atmospheric model, run in coupled mode of COAWST, with observational data indicates a satisfactory performance of the model in representing the variables potential temperature, relative and specific humidity, as well as the wind fields at the surface of the sea. The atmospheric module of COAWST was able to represent the variations of marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL), even in pré and post-frontal synoptic conditions such as those observed during the ACEx/SIMTECO cruise. The present work presents, for the first time in this region, results that demonstrate the robustness of the COAWST regional model in describing the synoptic behavior of the atmosphere in front of SST gradients in the SBCS region. And offers new subsidies for the study of the behavior of the ocean-atmosphere coupled system in this important region of the Brazilian coast.

Um algoritmo empírico regional para estimativa de clorofila-a na plataforma continental adjacente à Baixada Santista foi desenvolvido a partir de dados radiométricos e de concentração de clorofila-a, obtidos em 49 estações oceanográficas durante dois cruzeiros, em outubro de 2005 e março de 2006. Foram selecionadas aleatoriamente 32 estações para o desenvolvimento do algoritmo e 17 para avaliação do desempenho de modo a representar todos os intervalos de concentração de Cl-a nos dois subconjuntos de dados. O desempenho do algoritmo obtido foi superior (r2 = 0,8424 e EMQ= 0,0418) ao dos algoritmos globais dos sensores SeaWIFS, OC2v4 (r2=0,77; EMQ=0,07), OC4v4 (r2=0,78;EMQ=0,07) e MODIS, OC3 (r2=0,79;EMQ=0,09) para os dados radiométricos, e também superior (r2=0,68; EMQ = 0,028) ao algoritmo global OC3 (r2= 0,62; EMQ= 0,036) para os dados de refletância do sensor MODIS, e apresentou melhor desempenho quanto à influência dos demais componentes bio-ópticos da água nos desvios das estimativas. Com base em dados de dois outros cruzeiros (setembro de 2005 e março de 2006), foi feita uma caracterização oceanográfica da plataforma adjacente à Baixada Santista, que mostrou que a região apresenta acentuada variabilidade sazonal e pode ser caracterizada como oligotrófica em termos de disponibilidade de nutrientes e biomassa fitoplanctônica. / A regional empirical algorithm for chlorophyll-a estimative in the continental shelf adjacent to Baixada Santista was developed based on in situ data on spectral radiometric and chlorophyll-a concentration obtained in 49 oceanographic stations during two oceanographic cruisers, in October 2005 and March 2006. Data from 32 stations were randomly selected for algorithm development and the other 17 for algorithm evaluation, representing all intervals of chlorophyll-a concentration in the two data subset. The performance of the regional algorithm was superior (r2 = 0,8424; RMS = 0,0418) to the global algorithms of the SeaWiFS, OC2v4 (r2=0,77; RMS=0,07), OC4v4 (r2=0,78;RMS=0,07) and MODIS, OC3 (r2=0,79; RMS=0,09) for the radiometric data, and also superior (r2=0,68; RMS = 0,028) to the global algorithm OC3 (r2= 0,62; RMS= 0,036) for reflectance data acquired by MODIS sensor. Also, the regional algorithm presented better performance, while estimative errors, related to the influence of other biooptical components of seawater. Based on the data of two other cruisers (September 2005 and March 2006), the oceanographic characterization of the continental shelf adjacent to Baixada Santista was made, revealing the region presents accentuate seasonal variability and can be characterized as oligotrophic in terms of nutrient availability and phytoplankton biomass.

Com a finalidade de estudar as perturbações médias sobre a Plataforma Continental Sudeste (PCSE) causadas pela passagem de uma frente fria durante o verão, obteve-se um estado básico médio de correntes. Esse campo médio foi obtido com o POM (Princeton Ocean Model) através de simulação diagnóstica, seguida por curta rodada prognostica. As correntes modeladas para o verão na Plataforma Continental Sudeste assemelharam-se em alguns aspectos a correntes obtidas em fundeios de correntógrafos realizados pela Diretoria de Hidrografia e Navegação (DHN), e pelo Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo, durante os projetos Ciculação Oceânica na Região Oeste do Atlântico Sul (COROAS) e Dinâmica do Ecossistema de Plataforma da Região Oeste do Atlântico Sul (DEPROAS), validando os resultados do modelo Durante a passagem da frente fria as correntes invertem em cerca de seis a nove horas após a passagem do sistema frontal por cada região da PCSE. As etapas da subsidência costeira foram modeladas, ocorrendo transporte de deriva do vento em direção à costa, na camada superficial (0-10m), e transporte de compensação ao longo da coluna d\'água, havendo empilhamento de água na região costeira. A força de gradiente de pressão barotrópica desenvolvida implicou na formação e intensificação do jato costeiro em direção a menores latitudes. Durante esse estado transiente associado à passagem do sistema frontal, a Água Tropical aproxima-se da costa em nível sub-superficial, misturando-se com as águas da plataforma continental A porção da Plataforma Continental Sudeste localizada ao sul da Ilha de São Sebastião é a que responde com maior intensidade à passagem do sistema meteorológico frontal. Na direção transversal à costa, predomina o balanço geostrófico, o qual é intensificado durante a passagem da frente fria, enquanto que ao longo da costa as águas são desviadas do referido balanço pela tensão de cisalhamento do vento e pela aceleração local. Em Cananéia, ocorre a maior amplitude de variação do nível do mar, que pode estar associada a um mecanismo de ressonância entre os ventos do sistema frontal e Ondas de Plataforma Continental geradas pelo vento, uma vez que possuem velocidades de propagação próximas. A plataforma continental adquire vorticidade relativa ciclônica durante a passagem da frente fria. / In order to study the pertubations caused on the South Brazil Bigth (SBB) caused by the passage of a cold front during Summer, a mean basic state for currents was obtained using the POM (Princeton Ocean Model) through diagnostic simulation, followed by a short round prognostic. The mean currents modeled are in certain instancies similar to the currents measured by meter moorings deployed by the Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation (DHN), and by Oceanographic Institute of the University São Paulo during the Projects Oceanic Circulation in the Western South Atlantic (COROAS) and Dynamic of the Ecosystem of the Shelf of the Western South Atlantic Region (DEPROAS), validating results model. During the cold front passage, the currents invert six to nine hours after the passage of the frontal system through each region of the SBB. The stages of coastal subsidence were modeled, with coastward wind drift transport at superficial layer and offshore compensation transport throughout the water column, with piling of water in the coastal region. The strength of the barotropic pressure gradient developed caused the formation and intensification of a coastal jet. During this transient stage associated with the passage of the frontal system, the Tropical Water approaches the coast within sub-surface layer, mixing with continental shelf waters. The portion of SBB located to the South of São Sebastião Island is the portion which is most influenced by the passage of the frontal system. In a normal direction to the coast, the geostrophic balance predominates, being intensified during the passage of the cold front, while along the coast, the waters is diverted from this balance by the wind stress and by the local acceleration, which tend to have opposite signs. Near Cananéia, there is the highest sea level elevation, which may be associated with a mechanism of resonance between the winds of the frontal system and the Continental Shelf Waves generated by the wind, since they have the same speed of propagation. The continental shelf acquires cyclonic relative vorticity during the passage of the cold front.

This thesis seeks to systematically examine the contributions made by the dispute settlement bodies established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to the development of the law of the sea. The two main research questions to be answered are: (i) what kind of contribution have UNCLOS dispute settlement bodies made to the development of the law of the sea? and (ii) what are the factors that impact the performance of UNCLOS dispute settlement bodies in developing the law of the sea? To that end, Chapter 1 provides a working definition for the concept of 'judicial development of international law' in order to establish a framework for an assessment of the contributions of UNCLOS tribunals. Based on this working definition, Chapters 2, 3 and 4 examine the significance of UNCLOS tribunals' decisions in the development of three main areas of the law of the sea, respectively the law on fisheries, the law on the outer continental shelf and the law on marine environmental protection. Based on the findings of these chapters, Chapter 5 analyses the factors that help explain the contributions of UNCLOS tribunals to the law of the sea as identified in the preceding chapters. These factors include: (i) the jurisdictional scope of UNCLOS tribunals, (ii) the institutional design of UNCLOS, (iii) the interpretative method employed by UNCLOS tribunals in deciding their cases and (iv) the perception that UNCLOS tribunals hold regarding their roles. Chapter 6 concludes by taking stock of the contribution of UNCLOS tribunal in these areas and offering some final observations on the role of UNCLOS tribunals in the development of the law of the sea.

Barrier island restoration and nourishment is necessary for sustaining coastal systems worldwide. In the Mississippi River Delta Plain, the lack of sediment supply, relative sea level rise, and reworking of abandoned delta lobes promote rapid disintegration of barriers, which can contribute to mainland storm impacts. Barrier island restorations that utilize higher quality sediments (Outer Continental Shelf- OCS) are expected to exhibit higher resiliency, withstanding coastal erosion, event-induced erosion, and ongoing transgression when compared to barriers nourished using lower quality nearshore (NS) sands. Additionally, use of OCS sediments increases sediment supply by adding material to the system supporting increased barrier longevity by maintaining a subaerial footprint longer compared to NS sediments. We used the Delft3D modeling suite to study barrier geomorphic trajectories nourished using OCS/NS sands, compared with control simulations with no nourishment. Resulting morphologies from 18 simulations with forcing that included annualized forcing, storms, and SLR are evaluated and compared.

Haul-by-haul steam trawler catch and effort data for 1918�23, 1937�43 and 1952�57, which covers a large portion of the history of steam trawling in the Australian South East Fishery, were examined in detail for the first time. There were 64,371 haul records in total. The catch-rate for all retained catch combined shows a strong decline overall, with a brief recovery during World War II, probably due to increased retention of previously discarded species. The fishing fleet moved to more distant fishing grounds and deeper waters as the catch-rate declined. The catch-rates of the main commercial species followed a similar pattern in a number of regions within the fishery. The catchrate of the primary target species � tiger flathead (Neoplatycephalus richardsoni) � dropped considerably from the early, very high, catch-rates. Chinaman leatherjacket (Nelusetta ayraudi) and latchet (Pterygotrigla polyommata) � species that were apparently abundant in the early years of the fishery � virtually disappeared from catches in later years. The appearance of greater catches of jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus), redfish (Centroberyx affinis), and shark/skate during the war and afterwards was probably due to increased retention of catches of these species. The disappearance of certain species from the catch may be due to high fishing pressure alone, or to a combination of fishing pressure, changes in the shelf habitat possibly caused by the trawl gear, and environmental fluctuations. Catch-rates in weight per haul per species were standardised to annual indices of abundance using a log-linear model. Standardised annual index trends for flathead, latchet and leatherjacket indicate a strong to severe decline over the period covered by the data. All species showed seasonal patterns, but the peak season varied depending on the species. The distribution of standardised catch-rate by area also differed greatly by species, and no single area showed consistent differences across all species. Day trawls caught more flathead, redfish and latchet, while night trawls caught more morwong and leatherjacket. Moon phase had less influence on catch-rates than the other factors examined. Correlation of annual index trends with a number of annual mean environmental factors was examined and no strong correlations were found. Annual catches of the major commercial trawl species on the SE Australian shelf were estimated from recorded total trawl catches, catch species composition from subsamples and estimates of the rate of discarding. These annual catches, standardised indices of abundance and biological population parameters were used in single-species stock reduction models to estimate absolute biomass trends. Biological population parameters and the biomass estimates were used to calculate management reference point fishing mortality rates F0.1, Fspr30 and Fmsy. Results showed that simple plausible population models can be constructed that account for catches over the long period of time from 1915 to 1961. Simple mass-balance ecosystem models were built for the demersal community of the SE Australian shelf for 1915 and 1961 using the Ecopath software. Model inputs were consistent with a more comprehensive SE marine ecosystem model in development by CSIRO. The models demonstrate that biomass estimates produced by the single species stock reduction models can be consistently integrated into simple plausible massbalance ecosystem models. Modern stock assessments for the main commercial species in this fishery today mostly used data collected since about 1985. Abundance indices and total catch estimates from this study have been used in the most recent assessments for tiger flathead and morwong, allowing construction of the exploitation history for these species spanning almost 100 years. Use of the historical information has increased confidence in the estimates of the modern stock assessments � particularly management reference points, and has allowed us to quantify changes in fish abundance that have simply been documented anecdotally in the past.

This research investigates different scenarios of deltaic deposition, both in shelfbreak and ramp settings. I address four ancient cases with particular characteristics: 1) A shelf-margin case from the Eocene Battfjellet Formation, West Spitsbergen, Norway, in which deltas were able to migrate to the shelf-edge during rising and sea-level highstand conditions despite the low-supply character of the system (low progradation/aggradation rates compared to analogous margins), with consequent sand starvation on the slope and deeper areas of the basin. The delta system was overall wave-dominated, with restricted tide-influence at the mouth of the distributaries and more accentuated tide-influence during the transgressive transit of the deltas; 2) A shelf-margin case from the Pliocene paleo-Orinoco Delta System, Mayaro Formation, SE-Trinidad, in which high rates of sediment supply from the paleo-Orinoco River and exceptionally high subsidence rates due to growth-faulting, produced a spectacular stacking of sandstones on the outer shelf and shelf-edge areas, but with apparently limited sand delivery into deeper waters. The delta system was overall storm-wave dominated, with fluvial-influence in the lower segment of the system and some tide-influence in association with the fluvial-influence; 3) A case from a shallow-water ramp, Campanian Rock Springs Formation (Western Interior Seaway), in which deltas accumulated along relatively straight, north-south oriented shorelines highly impacted by wave-storm processes. Tide-influence was limited to the mouth of the distributaries, and fluvial deposits mostly developed within the coastal-plain areas; and 4) A case from the same ramp setting as (3) but in an outer-ramp site, Campanian Haystack Mountains Formation, in which a lowering in sea-level translated the delta system tens of kilometers eastwards into the basin. As a consequence of a shallower and narrower seaway, southerly-oriented tidal currents were enhanced and subsequently skewed or re-aligned the delta system to the south. The key contributions of this research concern (1) the feasibility of shelf-margin accretion during rising and highstand of sea level, (2) the critical importance of shelf width and sediment supply (and not only sea-level behavior) to bring deltas to the shelfedge, and (3) the possible tendency for tides enhancement in the distal reaches of shallow seaway ramps, caused by narrowing of the seaway and fault-topography enhancement during falling sea level. / text

Arc-continent collisions are believed to be an important mechanism for the growth of continents. Taiwan is one of the modern day examples of this process, and as such, it is an ideal natural laboratories to investigate the uncertain behavior of continental crust during collision. The obliquity of collision between the northern South China Sea (SCS) rifted margin and Luzon arc in the Manila trench subduction zone allows for glimpses into different temporal stages of collision at different spatial locations, from the mature mountain-belt in central-northern Taiwan to the 'pre-collision' rifted margin and subduction zone south of Taiwan. Recently acquired seismic reflection and wide-angle seismic refraction data document the crustal-scale structure of the mountain belt through these different stages. These data reveal a wide rifted margin near Taiwan with half-graben rift basins along the continental shelf and a broad distal margin consisting of highly-extended continental crust modified by post-rift magmatism. Magmatic features in the distal margin include sills in the post-rift sediments, intruded crust, and a high-velocity lower crustal layer that likely represents mafic magmatism. Post-rift magmatism may have been induced by thermal erosion of lithospheric mantle following breakup and the onset of seafloor spreading. Geophysical profiles across the early-stage collision offshore southern Taiwan show evidence the thin crust of the distal margin is subducting at the Manila trench and structurally underplating the growing orogenic wedge ahead of the encroaching continental shelf. Subduction of the distal margin may induce a pre-collision flexural response along the continental shelf as suggested by a recently active major rift fault and a geodynamic model of collision. The weak rift faults may be inverted during the subsequent collision with the continental shelf. These findings support a multi-phase collision model where the early growth of the mountain belt is driven in part by underplating of the accretionary prism by crustal blocks from the distal margin. The wedge is subsequently uplift and deformed during a collision with the continental shelf that involves both thin-skinned and thick-skinned structural styles. This model highlights the importance of rifting styles on mountain-building. / text

Patterns of variability and the dynamics of the ocean circulation on the West Florida Shelf (WFS) are investigated using multi-year, shelf-wide oceanographic observations from moored Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) arrays,hydrographic cruises, High-Frequency (HF) radars, satellites, and coastal tide gauges.Novel neural network techniques, Self-Organizing Map (SOM) and Growing Hierarchical Self-Organizing Maps (GHSOM), are introduced as feature extraction methods in physical oceanography. The SOM is demystified and demonstrated to be a useful feature extraction method in a series of performance evaluations using artificial data sets comprising known patterns. It is then applied to velocity time series from moored ADCP arrays and to a joint HF-radar and ADCP data set, respectively, to extract patterns of ocean current variability, and it is shown to be a useful technique for extracting dynamically consistent ocean current patterns. The extracted characteristic patte rns of upwelling/downwelling variability are coherent with the local winds on the synoptic weather time scale, and coherent with both the local winds and thecomplementary Sea Surface Temperature (SST) patterns on the seasonal time scale. Thecurrents are predominantly southeastward during fall-winter and northwestward during summer. The GHSOM is used to describe the SST seasonal variation. As feature extraction methods, both the SOM and the GHSOM have advantages over the conventional Empirical Orthogonal Function method.The circulation dynamics are examined, first through depth-averaged momentum balances at selected locations and then via sea surface height (SSH) estimates across the inner shelf. Dominant dynamics of the shelf circulation are diagnosed and a method is discussed for estimating along-shelf currents from coastal sea level and wind data. Nontidal coastal sea level fluctuations are related to both the offshore SSH and the dynamical responses of the inner shelf to wind and bu oyancy forcing. The across-shelf distribution of the SSH is estimated from the velocity, hydrography, wind, and coastal sea level data.Subtracting the variability that may be accounted for by inner shelf dynamical responses yields a residual at the 50 m isobath that compares well with satellite altimetry data. This suggests the possibility of calibrating satellite SSH data on the continental shelf.