Baigiamajame darbe analizuojamos Teismo nagrinėtų ginčų dėl kontinentinio šelfo delimitavimo priimtų sprendimų nuostatos, kuriose išaiškintos pagrindinės delimitavimo taisyklės. Kadangi 1958 m. Konvencija dėl kontinentinio šelfo bei 1982 m. Jūrų teisės konvencija numato tik abstrakčius kontinentinio šelfo delimitavimo principus, teismo sprendimuose pateikiamas šių principų turinys. Darbe analizuojama, kurios teisės normos yra reikšmingiausios delimituojant kontinentinį šelfą, akcentuojami jų nustatymo kriterijai, reikšmingos aplinkybės bei šių normų taikymo ypatumai. Antroje darbo dalyje nustatytos taisyklės taikomos konkrečios srities – Egėjo jūros kontinentinio šelfo delimitavimui, siekiant išsiaiškinti, kokie sunkumai kyla praktiškai įgyvendinant Teismo sprendimuose išaiškintas normas. Atsižvelgiant į iškeltą tikslą bei uždavinius, nustatyta, kad Teismas sprendimuose apibrėžė pagrindines teisės normas, reglamentuojančias kontinentinio šelfo delimitavimą. Tačiau dėl skirtingų faktinių aplinkybių, dažnai pasitaiko jų taikymo išimčių. Teismo sprendimuose pasigesta detalesnių kriterijų, kurias remiantis būtų nustatoma salų įtaka kontinentinio šelfo delimitavimui, kriterijų, kuriais vadovaujantis būtų išskiriamos pagrindinių delimitavimo taisyklių išimtys. Dėl to kyla sunkumų, kai šias teisės normas reikia pritaikyti konkrečiai situacijai. Tikėtina, kad visus šiuos neaiškumus užpildys vėlesnė Teismo praktika. / This thesis investigates provisions of Court-analysed disputes regarding continental shelf delimitation made decisions, where the main rules of delimitation are being explained. As main international conventions - 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf and 1982 Law of the Sea Convention - cover general principles of continental shelf delimitations only, the court decisions are accompanied with the content of these principles. This work analyses which rules of law are the most important when delimitating continental shelf, emphasising criteria used to establish them, influential circumstances and peculiarities of their application. In the second part of the thesis the rules identified are being applied to a particular case of continental shelf delimitation in the Aegean Sea, aiming to determine potential problems that may arise trying to apply the court-specified rules of law in practice. With reference to the set objective and tasks it was established that the Court in its decisions has defined legal standards regulating the delimitation of the continental shelf. However, due to different factual circumstances, exceptions with regard to application thereof are rather frequent. The Court decisions were found to be lacking more detailed criteria which would serve as a basis for the determination of islands’ influence on the delimitation of the continental shelf, as well as criteria which would help to identify the exceptions to the main delimitation rules. Therefore... [to full text]

In the northern Gulf of Mexico, hypoxia occurs annually during the summer on the Texas-Louisiana shelf. This study examines the distribution of particulate and dissolved components relative to hydrography, to better understand the processes controlling the development of hypoxia. Particulate matter on the Texas-Louisiana Shelf has three major sources – river plumes, primary production, and resuspended sediments. The sources and processes controlling distribution and transport of particles are investigated using optical proxies (backscattering, chlorophyll fluorescence, Colored Dissolved Organic Matter fluorescence (CDOM)), temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and in-situ sampling during June and August 2011 cruises of the Mechanisms Controlling Hypoxia program (hypoxia.tamu.edu). Discrete samples of particulate matter (PM) and particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration were obtained for analysis and calibration of optical instruments interfaced with a profiling CTD, a towed undulating CTD (Acrobat), and the ship’s flow-through system along the shelf from south of Galveston, Texas, to east of the Mississippi delta. The results of this study support a previously hypothesized concept of three primary areas of organic and inorganic particle composition and processes that dominate those areas – river-dominated water, highly productive surface waters, and clear, nutrient-poor low-productivity surface waters. The distribution and bulk composition of particulate matter in the northern Gulf of Mexico, plus the distribution of chlorophyll fluorescence and CDOM suggest that subpycnocline primary production plays a role in determining oxygen concentration in subpycnocline waters away from the river-dominated water.

One of the central purposes of the international law of the sea is to define various maritime zones, their extent and limits. One of these zones is the continental shelf. The continental shelf in modern international law has two aspects: The continental shelf within 200 nautical miles from the shore of coastal States and the continental shelf beyond that limit. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides that information on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles shall be submitted by the coastal State to a scientific and technical commission, namely the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. The Commission is responsible for making recommendations to coastal States on matters related to the establishment of the outer limits of their continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles. If the limits of the shelf established by a coastal State are on the basis of the recommendations, they are final and binding. The establishment of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles has two main features: The establishment of the boundary line between the continental shelf and the international seabed area and the establishment of the boundary between the continental shelf of adjacent or opposite coastal States. Many questions concerning the relationship between these procedures have been left unanswered as well as the relationship between the Commission and international courts and tribunals. This thesis analyses the role of coastal States, the Commission and international courts and tribunals in the establishment of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles and the interplay between them. It explores how the various sources of international law have contributed to the establishment of the current legal framework. The thesis explores the differences between the delineation and delimitation of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. It demonstrates that the role of the Commission is to curtail extravagant claims to the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles and protect the territorial scope of the international seabed area. It also shows that the role of international courts and tribunals in this field is essentially the same as their role in other types of disputes. It explains that the establishment of the boundary line between the continental shelf and the international seabed area and the establishment of the boundary between the continental shelf of adjacent or opposite coastal States is a separate process. Furthermore, it clarifies that the three-stage boundary delimitation method is applicable beyond 200 nautical miles. It also displays that no special rule of customary international law has evolved that is solely applicable to delimitations regarding the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. The thesis addresses the interaction of the various mechanisms within the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. Its main conclusion is that despite the possibility for tension to arise the relationship between the institutions is clear and precise and they together form a coherent system where each separate institution plays its own part in a larger process.

Holocene shoreline sequences and associated shelf stratigraphy are described from a high gradient, high wave energy shelf offshore the central KwaZulu-Natal and northern KwaZulu-Natal coastlines. These are examined using high resolution single-channel seismic and multibeam bathymetric means in order to describe the shallow stratigraphy and seafloor geomorphology of each area. The development and preservation of two distinct planform shorelines at -100 m (northern KwaZulu-Natal) and -60 m (northern KwaZulu-Natal and central KwaZulu-Natal) is described. The shallow seismic stratigraphy of northern KwaZulu-Natal comprises three seismic units (Units 1-3) corresponding to calcarenite barriers (Unit 1), back barrier lagoonal sediments (Unit 2) and the contemporary highstand sediment wedge (Unit 3). At intervening depths between each shoreline the shelf is characterised by erosional surfaces that reflect ravinement processes during periods of slowly rising sea level. Where shorelines are not preserved, areas of scarping in the ravinement surface at depths coincident to adjoining shorelines are apparent. These areas represent rocky headlands that separated the sandy coastal compartments where the shorelines formed and are a function of the high gradient. In central KwaZulu-Natal where the shelf is notably wider and gentler, shoreline building was more intense. Five major seismic units are identified (Units 1-5) with several subsidiary facies. The formation of the -60 m barrier complex (Unit 2) in central KwaZulu-Natal was accompanied by the simultaneous formation of a back-barrier system comprising lake-lagoon depressions (Unit 3) and parabolic dune fields aligned to the local aeolian transport direction, formed on a widened coastal plain. On the seaward margins of the barrier, gully and shore platform features developed coevally with the barrier system. Several relict weathering features (Unit 4) are associated with the barrier and reflect similar processes observed in contemporary aeolianite/beachrock outcrops on the adjacent coastline. The two submerged shoreline sequences observed are attributed to century to millennial scale periods of stasis during which shoreline equilibrium forms developed and early diagenesis of beachrock and aeolianite occurred. These extensive phases of shoreline development are thought to have occurred during periods of stillstand or slowstand associated with the Bølling-Allerod Interstadial (~14.5 ka BP) and the Younger Dryas Cold Period (~12.7-11.6 Ka BP). Shoreline preservation in such an environment is considered unlikely as a result of intense ravinement during shoreline translation, coupled with the high energy setting of the KwaZulu-Natal shelf. Preservation of both the 100 m and 60 m shorelines occurred via overstepping where preservation was promoted by particularly rapid bouts of relative sea-level rise associated with meltwater pulses 1A and 1B (MWP-1A and -1B). This was aided by early cementation of the shoreline forms during stillstand. Differences in shelf setting have led to variations in the style of barrier preservation and associated transgressive stratigraphies between the central KwaZulu-Natal and northern KwaZulu-Natal shelves. The main differences include a much thicker post-transgressive sediment drape, higher degrees of transgressive ravinement and an overall simplified transgressive system’s tract (TST) architecture on the steeper and narrower continental shelf of northern KwaZulu-Natal. In comparison, the central KwaZulu-Natal shelf’s 60 m shoreline complex reflects more complicated equilibrium shoreline facets, large compound dune fields formed in the hinterland of the shoreline complex, higher degrees of preservation and a more complicated transgressive stratigraphy. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Vegetables and fruit appear to confer protection against various diseases, but most adults in South Africa eat substantially less than the recommended amounts. Many barriers and factors that influence vegetable consumption have been identified in the literature. One major barrier is the perishability of vegetables. Frozen vegetables can be a useful way in encouraging greater intakes. Some consumers are, however, of the opinion that processing destroy nutrients to a large extent. There is, therefore, a lack of understanding of the freezing process. Research on the attitudes of consumers towards frozen vegetables in South Africa is limited. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of consumers regarding the link between frozen and fresh vegetables and health and the attributes of frozen vegetables. Subjects/Setting: One thousand nine hundred and ninety seven South African respondents, representative of the four major race groups of South Africa (whites, blacks, coloureds and Indians) were randomly chosen from metropolitan areas from the nine provinces in South Africa. Questionnaires, existing of 17 food-related sections, including subsections on vegetables and health, were designed by researchers in co-operation with business partners. MARKINOR, a market research company, was contracted to collect the data. Respondents were questioned regarding their attitudes towards the link between frozen and fresh vegetables and health. Statistical analysis performed: The quantitative data produced by the survey was analysed by using the StatisticaⓇ-programme in order to generate the relevant tabulations, descriptive statistics and statistical tests. Results: Overall, the attitudes of consumers towards frozen vegetables were found to be negative. Practical and statistically significant attitude differences towards frozen vegetables were found between most variables. Results from this study revealed that different levels of education, age and gender do not have a big influence on consumer's attitudes towards frozen vegetables. However, practical and statistically significant differences were found between the various LSM (Living Standards Measure) groups, especially with regard to the convenience of frozen vegetables. Results also indicated that Indians, the age group 61+ and males were the most negative towards frozen vegetables. Almost 75% of all consumers indicated that they never eat frozen vegetables. Only 1% of consumers in the LSM group 2 own a fridge/freezer. An alarmingly 26% of all consumers indicated that they are not convinced that vegetables are healthy. Application/Conclusions: Nutrition professionals should use these findings to target messages in health-promotion programmes to increase the overall consumption of vegetables. The use of frozen vegetables by consumers with frozen storage facilities should be promoted aggressively. Consumers also need practical advice on how to overcome the barriers to dietary change. Nutrition counseling efforts should also be aimed specifically at increasing frozen vegetable consumption among targeted subgroups, particularly Indians, males and the age group 61+. It is strongly recommended that suitable measuring instruments be developed for assessing the knowledge and attitude of South Africans towards vegetable and fruit consumption and the ability of individuals to improve their health. The results of this study may prove to be very useful in this regard. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

This study presents a comprehensive overview of the current state of the Milne Ice Shelf and how it has changed over the last 59 years. The 205 ±1 km2 ice shelf experienced a 28% (82 ±0.8 km2) reduction in area between 1950 – 2009, and a 20% (2.5 ±0.9km3 water equivalent (w.e.)) reduction in volume between 1981 – 2008/2009, suggesting a long-term state of negative mass balance. Comparison of mean annual specific mass balances (up to -0.34 m w.e. yr-1) with surface mass balance measurements for the nearby Ward Hunt Ice Shelf suggest that basal melt is a key contributor to total ice shelf thinning. The development and expansion of new and existing surface cracks, as well as ice-marginal and epishelf lake development, indicate significant ice shelf weakening. Over the next few decades it is likely that the Milne Ice Shelf will continue to deteriorate.

This study presents the first comprehensive assessment of the Petersen Ice Shelf and the Petersen Bay epishelf lake, and examines their current characteristics and changes to their structure between 1959 and 2012. The surface of the Petersen Ice Shelf is characterized by a rolling topography of ridges and troughs, which is balanced by a rolling basal topography, with thicker ice under the surface ridges and thinner ice under the surface troughs. Based on thickness measurements collected in 2011 and area measurements from August 2012, the Petersen Ice Shelf has a surface area of 19.32 km2 and a mean thickness of 29 m, with the greatest thicknesses (>100 m) occurring at the fronts of tributary glaciers feeding into the ice shelf. The tributary glaciers along the northern coast of Petersen Bay contributed an estimated area-averaged 7.89 to 13.55 cm yr-1 of ice to the ice shelf between 2011 and 2012. This input is counteracted by a mean surface ablation of 1.30 m yr-1 between 2011 and 2012, suggesting strongly negative current mass balance conditions on the ice shelf. The Petersen Ice Shelf remained relatively stable until 2005 when the first break-up in recent history occurred, removing >8 km2 of ice shelf surface area. This break-up led to the drainage of the epishelf lake once the ice shelf separated from the southern coast, providing a conduit through which the freshwater from the lake escaped. More break-ups occurred in summers 2008, 2011 and 2012, which resulted in a >31.2 km2 loss in surface area (~63% of June 2005 area). While ephemeral regions of freshwater have occurred along the southern coast of Petersen Bay since 2005 (with areas ranging from 0.32-0.53 km2), open water events and a channel along the southern coast have prevented the epishelf lake from reforming. Based on these past and present observations it is unlikely that Petersen Ice Shelf will continue to persist long into the future.

The Arctic region has experienced the largest degree of anthropogenic warming, causing rapid, yet variable sea-ice loss. The effects of this warming on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf have led to a longer ice-free season which has assisted the expansion of northern development, mainly in the oil and gas sector. Both these direct and indirect effects of climate change will likely impact the marine ecosystem of this region, in which benthic fauna play a key ecological role. The aim of this thesis was to expand the current baseline knowledge of benthic fauna in the interest of developing the capacity to identify, predict and manage benthic change. The distribution of benthic macro- and megafauna was characterized utilizing community data from two recent benthic surveys on the Canadian Beaufort shelf and slope. Fauna were collected from 63 stations using box core and trawl sampling gear over the summers of 2009 through 2012 between depths of 30 and 1,000 m. Spatial patterns of abundance, biomass and α and β diversity metrics were examined. Megafaunal abundance and α diversity were elevated on the shelf compared to the slope while the macrofauna did not vary significantly with depth. Multivariate analyses illustrated that both macro- and megafaunal community composition varied more across the depth gradient than from east to west along the shelf. However the change across the depth gradient was greater for the megafauna than for the macrofauna. I proposed that megafaunal slope taxa were differentiated from shelf taxa, as faunal replacement not nestedness appeared to be the main driver of megafaunal β diversity across the depth gradient. The lack of correlation between macro- and megafauna in abundance, biomass and α and β diversity suggests that these faunal components vary at different spatial scales. These results demonstrate how separately sampling the different benthic components can yield different spatial patterns, with implications for future benthic monitoring in the region. This work contributes to the current regional baselines by providing the first comprehensive description of megafaunal distribution on the Canadian Beaufort shelf and by extending our knowledge of benthic distribution patterns deeper on the slope. / Graduate / 0329

Seven fold. maps in end pocket / 192 leaves : ill., photos., maps ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geology, 1979

Seven fold. maps in end pocket / 192 leaves : ill., photos., maps ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geology, 1979