“南极精神”与“大洋精神”交相辉映

"南极精神"与"大洋精神"交相辉映

"南极精神"与"大洋精神"交相辉映
"雪龙"号船与"大洋一号"船共建"和谐海洋"

　　12月21日，我国极地考察船"雪龙"号原船长、中国极地研究中心副主任袁绍宏和"雪龙"号现任船长沈权一行10人来到青岛，拜会了国家海洋局北海分局。北海分局党委副书记武辛卯、副局长滕征光向中国极地研究中心考察团一行介绍了有关情况，双方就船员管理和交流、船舶安全和管理、船舶维修保养进行了座谈和交流，就建立船舶管理交流机制、"大洋一号"船与"雪龙"船海洋文化建设、共同倡议构建"和谐海洋"达成了共识。

　　上午，袁绍宏副主任、沈权船长一行来到"大洋一号"船，与"大洋一号"船原船长、中国海监第一支队副支队长陆会胜，"大洋一号"船船长甄松刚亲切会面。陆会胜副支队长、甄松刚船长和袁绍宏副主任、沈权船长就船舶管理、船员管理、船舶安全、思想政治工作等相互介绍了各自的做法。随后，参观了"大洋一号"船。在相互交流的基础上，双方就建立船舶管理交流机制、"大洋一号"和"雪龙"号船海洋文化建设、共同倡议构建"和谐海洋"达成了共识。

　　双方认为，"爱国、求实、创新、拼搏"的"南极精神"创造了我国极地科考事业的辉煌，"自强、探索、奉献、和平"的"大洋精神"也一定能为我国大洋科考事业和和平开发利用大洋资源谱写新的篇章。他们表示，要让"南极精神""大洋精神"交相辉映，共创海洋事业新辉煌。

Ocean temperature predicts spread of marine species

Ocean temperature predicts spread of marine species

CHAPEL HILL -- Scientists can predict how the distance marine larvae travel varies with ocean temperature ?a key component in conservation and management of fish, shellfish and other marine species ?according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Most marine life, including commercially important species, reproduces via larvae that drift far along ocean currents before returning to join adult populations. The distance larvae travel before maturing, called dispersal, is directly linked to ocean temperature, the researchers found. For example, larvae from the same species travel far less in warmer waters than in colder waters, said lead author Mary O'Connor, a graduate student in marine ecology in UNC's curriculum in ecology and the department of marine sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.

"Temperature can alter the number and diversity of adult species in a certain area by changing where larvae end up," O'Connor said. "It is important to understand how a fish population is replenished if we want to attempt to manage or conserve it."

Using data from 72 marine species, including cod, herring, American lobster, horseshoe crabs and clams, O'Connor and her colleagues developed a model that predicts how far larvae travel at a certain temperature. The predictions appear to hold for virtually all marine animals with a larval life cycle.

"We can apply this rule to animals without having to go out and measure every species," O'Connor said. "Our general model gives us a powerful new way to study larval movement with knowledge about ocean temperature, which is much easier to come by. With models such as this, we can see what large-scale changes in ocean temperature may mean for adult populations."

The study appeared online the week of Dec. 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

Knowing dispersal distance is a critical component for managing commercially important or invasive species, O'Connor said. "For many animals, the larval phase is the only chance for babies to get away from parents. Dispersal prevents inbreeding; for some species, this is a time to move from breeding ground to habitat where they'll mature," she said.

But less than 1 percent of larvae survive dispersal. They are consumed by predators, encounter harsh environments or never reach their destination and starve. For endangered species, survival of some animals may depend on whether offspring from parents in one protected area can get to another area where they are safe from harvest. "In warmer waters, marine protected areas may need to be closer together than in colder water, since in warmer water dispersal distances tend to be shorter," O'Connor said.

While a one degree increase in temperature at the ocean surface means larvae will travel a shorter distance in warm seas, the effect is more severe when temperatures are below about 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius), O'Connor said. Along California's coast, sea surface temperature may warm from 53 degrees to 59 degrees Fahrenheit during an El Nino year, when a warm ocean current appears in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Larvae that travel 62 miles at 53 degrees Fahrenheit would disperse only 46 miles at 59 degrees.

"On the up side, shorter dispersal can mean greater survival because the larvae spend less time in the water, where they are at a high risk of death. On the down side, it could mean they won't travel as far and may not make it to their juvenile habitat," O'Connor said.

The researchers suspect temperature plays an important role in larval dispersal because metabolic processes in larvae are sensitive to temperature and similar among species. Consequently, larvae in cold waters develop more slowly and drift further before beginning their next development stage because colder temperatures cause sluggish metabolisms.

Study says Western wildfires linked to Atlantic Ocean temperatures

The Seattle Times: Local News: Study says Western wildfires linked to Atlantic Ocean temperatures

Study says Western wildfires linked to Atlantic Ocean temperatures

By JEFF BARNARD

The Associated Press

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Using fire scars on nearly 5,000 tree stumps dating back 450 years, scientists have found that extended periods of major wildfires in the West occurred when the North Atlantic Ocean was going through periodic warming.

With the North Atlantic at the start of a recurring warming period that typically lasts 20 to 60 years, the West could be in for an extended period of multiple fires on the scale of those seen in 2002 and 2006, said Thomas W. Swetnam. He's director of the Laboratory of Tree Ring Research at the University of Arizona and a co-author of the study published in the Dec. 26 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This study and others have demonstrated that there is an underlying climatic influence on fuels and then on the weather conditions that promote fires," said Dan Cayan, climate researcher at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who did not take part in the study.

Ron Neilson, a U.S. Forest Service scientist who has developed models that predict wildfire danger based on climate models, agreed with the study's conclusions, and noted all the oceans are affected by global warming. And that in turn could exacerbate the wildfire cycle.

Scientists have long seen a relationship between weather in the United States and El Nino, a warming of water in the South Pacific.

When El Nino is strong, the Northwest typically has drought and severe fire seasons, and the Southwest has rain. When the cycle reverses, known as La Nina, the South Pacific cools, the Northwest has more rain, and the Southwest has drought and fires.

Less well understood are two other climate drivers, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, known as the PDO, centered in the North Pacific, which typically changes every 10 to 20 years, and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, or AMO, which is marked by warming and cooling periods of 20 to 60 years in the North Atlantic.

El Nino-La Nina is thought to be the most influential cycle, but the Atlantic and Pacific oscillations can magnify or diminish those effects when strong phases of the three cycles come together, Swetnam said.

"Over the last 400-plus years in our fire history study, when the AMO was positive (producing warm temperatures in the North Atlantic), then you would get big fires breaking out synchronously across the West," Swetnam said. "That's what we saw in 2002 and 2006."

The year 2002 saw three huge fires that stretched firefighting resources to the breaking point: Biscuit burned 500,000 acres in southwestern Oregon, Rodeo-Chedeski burned 462,000 acres in Arizona, and the Hayman fire burned 136,000 acres in Colorado.

In 2006, 89,000 fires burned across 9.5 million acres. The U.S. Forest Service spent $1.5 billion fighting those fires — about $100 million over budget.

Another factor in the larger fires, said Swetnam, is that after a century of fighting wildfires, fuel is building up in the nation's forests.

The study gathered data from 241 logging sites around the West, compiling the dates of 33,795 fire scars on 4,700 stumps to develop a history of fires in the West dating to 1550.

The fire history was compared to a reconstruction of the Atlantic Decadal Oscillation, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and El Nino.

The most severe fire seasons fell between 1660 and 1710, when the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation was at its warmest, the study found. The least severe fire seasons happened from 1787 to 1849, when North Atlantic temperatures were at their coolest.

The study comes after another published this year in the journal Science found that a sudden and dramatic increase in western wildfires in the late 1980s was related to a pattern of earlier springs and warmer summers. Swetnam and Cayan both took part in that study.

Greg McCabe, a climatologist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver, said his research has been showing a connection between North Atlantic Ocean temperatures and the drought that is gripping much of the West, which creates conditions for major fires.

"I think what Tom has written is really good," McCabe said. "More and more people are starting to see there is something there. We do know the tropical Pacific (home to the ocean warming condition known as El Nino) is a key player in global climate. But on longer time scales it looks like the Atlantic also has some influence."

Giant squid captured!

Giant squid captured!


Japanese researchers captured a small female giant squid near the Ogasawara islands, 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo. The squid, which measured 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in) long and weighed 50 kg (110 lb), was hooked at a depth of 650 meters (2,150 ft). The capture comes a year after researchers produced the first photographs and video of living squid.

Tsunemi Kubodera, chief of Division of Invertebrate Zoology at the National Science Museum of Japan, with the captured Giant Squid on a boat off Ogasawara Islands, Japan, on December 4, 2006. Image courtesy of the National Science Museum of Japan.

The researchers found the squid by tracking sperm whales -- the chief known predator of the squid -- to their feeding grounds.

Giant squid are marine mollusks related to cuttlefish and the octopus. They are deep-ocean dwellers that can grow to at least 10 m (33 ft) for males and 13 m (43 ft) for females, although there are undocumented reports of specimens of up to 20 m (66 ft).

The giant squid is believed to be the second largest squid after the Colossal Squid, which lives in the Southern Ocean. No one has ever seen a live colossal squid, which is the world's largest invertebrate.

Warmer oceans reduce dispersal of shellfish larvae

Warmer oceans reduce dispersal of shellfish larvae
 

Warmer oceans reduce dispersal of shellfish larvae

In a study published in the Dec. 25 Early Edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists show they can predict how the distance marine larvae travel varies with ocean temperature. The say that the findings have important implications for the conservation and management of fish, shellfish and other marine species in oceans increasingly effected by climate change.

"Most marine life, including commercially important species, reproduces via larvae that drift far along ocean currents before returning to join adult populations," explained a statement from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), one of the institutions involved in the research. "The distance larvae travel before maturing, called dispersal, is directly linked to ocean temperature, the researchers found. For example, larvae from the same species travel far less in warmer waters than in colder waters."

Photo by Rhett Butler. The study found larvae that travel 62 miles at 53 degrees Fahrenheit would disperse only 46 miles at 59 degrees.

"Temperature can alter the number and diversity of adult species in a certain area by changing where larvae end up," said lead author Mary O'Connor, a graduate student in marine ecology at UNC. "It is important to understand how a fish population is replenished if we want to attempt to manage or conserve it."

O'Connor and colleagues used data from 72 marine species to develop their dispersal model which forecasts how far larvae travel at a given temperature.

"We can apply this rule to animals without having to go out and measure every species," O'Connor said. "Our general model gives us a powerful new way to study larval movement with knowledge about ocean temperature, which is much easier to come by. With models such as this, we can see what large-scale changes in ocean temperature may mean for adult populations."

O'Connor says the results have important implications for commercial fisheries and conservation efforts.

"For many animals, the larval phase is the only chance for babies to get away from parents. Dispersal prevents inbreeding; for some species, this is a time to move from breeding ground to habitat where they'll mature," she said.

"In warmer waters, marine protected areas may need to be closer together than in colder water, since in warmer water dispersal distances tend to be shorter," she added. "On the up side, shorter dispersal can mean greater survival because the larvae spend less time in the water, where they are at a high risk of death. On the down side, it could mean they won't travel as far and may not make it to their juvenile habitat."

Antarctic ozone depletion exceeds that of Arctic

Antarctic ozone depletion exceeds that of Arctic

Antarctic ozone depletion exceeds that of Arctic
mongabay.com
December 25, 2006 

A new study comparing ozone depletion between the poles shows that the Antarctic is experiencing the most severe depletion of the ozone layer.

Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Online Early Edition for the week of December 26-29, 2006, Susan Solomon at the Earth System Research Laboratory National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado, and colleagues found that ozone loss peaks as winter ends when spring temperatures at the coldest levels.

Observations of daily total column ozone in Antarctica in September (Left) and in the Arctic in March (Right). Some records have been offset in time slightly for clarity. Courtesy of PNAS.

In the Antarctic, the researchers found that local ozone depletion at some altitudes often exceeded 90 percent and reached up to 99 percent during a typical Antarctic winter. Ozone depletion was lower in the Arctic, where losses only occasionally peaking at 70 percent.

In October, scientists from NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that ozone loss in Antarctica hit a record in 2006. The agencies reported that the ozone hole was the largest and deepest ever recorded, exceeding the previous record set in 2000.

The ozone hole is caused by the "catalytic destruction" of ozone by atomic chlorine and bromine, the source of which is primarily chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds known as "freons" and bromofluorocarbon compounds known as Halons. In 1987, following the discovery that these compounds were responsible for the ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere, the international community adopted the Montreal Protocol which banned the production of CFCs and halons as well as related ozone depleting chemicals.

Because the ozone layer prevents most harmful UVB wavelengths of ultraviolet light from entering the Earth's atmosphere, ozone depletion is a significant concern. Increased penetration by UVB wavelengths of ultraviolet light is believed to heighten the incidence of skin cancer, damage plants, and reduce ocean plankton populations.

Scientists from NASA and other agencies believe that the ozone hole over the Antarctic will recover around 2068, nearly 20 years later than estimated in the late 1990s.

 

 

Asian Nations Remember 230,000 Killed In Tsunami

cbs4boston.com - Asian Nations Remember 230,000 Killed In Tsunami

Asian Nations Remember 230,000 Killed In Tsunami

(AP) BALI, Indonesia Thousands of people fled beaches on Indonesia's resort island of Bali in a tsunami drill Tuesday, kicking off remembrances across Asia two years after devastating waves crashed into coastlines and killed 230,000 people.

Elsewhere across the disaster zone, survivors and mourners were marking the anniversary by visiting mass graves, lighting candles along beaches and observing two minutes of silence. Some volunteers were preparing to plant mangroves, saying they were key to protecting coastal communities.

The magnitude-9.0 earthquake that ripped apart the ocean floor off Indonesia's Sumatra island on Dec. 26, 2004 spawned giant waves that fanned out across the Indian Ocean at jetliner speeds, killing people in a dozen countries and leaving millions homeless.

Walls of water two stories high swept entire villages to sea in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, submerged luxury resorts and fishing communities in Thailand and destroyed thousands of homes in India.

The drill Tuesday -- which involved real-time warnings sent from the capital to radios along the beach -- was aimed at raising awareness and at testing technology deployed in the country hardest hit two years ago.

Nearly 167,000 of those killed were from Aceh province on Sumatra where tens of thousands of people still live in temporary homes. The hardest hit zone is nowhere near Bali.

Sirens wailed as masses, many of them school children, briskly walked inland from Bali's shore, accompanied by Indonesia's minister of research and technology and a handful of foreign tourists.

But not everyone was moving.

"I'm not going anywhere. I still have to make some money this morning," said Wati, a woman selling baked corn-on-the-cob on the beach.

In Thailand, ceremonies will be held along the Andaman coast with Buddhist prayers to remember more than 8,200 killed. Balloons will be launched and candles lit along beaches once again filled with sun-seeking tourists.

Authorities will also open a cemetery for hundreds of unidentified tsunami victims.

"We hope this will be part of the healing process for those who lost loved ones," said Chamroen Tankasem, a government official in southern Thailand, a tropical paradise that was turned into a graveyard in a matter of minutes.

"It will also help us remember what happened, what we have learned since ... and what more needs to be done for the people affected."

In Sri Lanka, the resurgence of a civil war has added to the misery of survivors and slowed efforts to rebuild -- sparking criticism Tuesday from outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan who urged Tamil Tiger rebels and the military to lay down their arms.

"No one could have prevented the tsunami's wave of destruction," he wrote in a statement. "But together, we can stem the tide of conflict, which threatens once again to engulf the people of Sri Lanka."

While many in the island nation were preoccupied with war on Tuesday, Hindu and Buddhist temples were ringing bells to mark the time the first wave hit followed by two of silence to remember the 35,000 killed.

In India, where another 18,000 are believed to have died, interfaith ceremonies were being held. In Malaysia, where 69 people died, volunteers were preparing to replant mangroves, saying the tsunami demonstrated how important the coastal forests can be in protecting communities.

The 2004 tsunami generated an unprecedented outpouring of generosity, with donor pledges reaching some $13.6 billion. But many of the 2 million made homeless complain they still do not have adequate places to live.

globeandmail.com: Japanese researchers catch giant squid

globeandmail.com: Japanese researchers catch giant squid

Japanese researchers catch giant squid

ERIC TALMADGE

Associated Press

TOKYO — A Japanese research team has succeeded in filming a giant squid live — possibly for the first time — and says the elusive creatures may be more plentiful than previously believed, a researcher said Friday.

The research team, led by Tsunemi Kubodera, videotaped the giant squid at the surface as they captured it off the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo earlier this month. The squid, which measured about 7.2-metres long, died while it was being caught.

"We believe this is the first time anyone has successfully filmed a giant squid that was alive," said Mr. Kubodera, a researcher with Japan's National Science Museum. "Now that we know where to find them, we think we can be more successful at studying them in the future."

Giant squid, formally called Architeuthis, are the world's largest invertebrates. Because they live in the depths of the ocean, they have long been wrapped in mystery and embellished in the folklore of sea monsters, appearing in ancient Greek myths or attacking the submarine in Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

Related to this article

Enlarge Image

Photo released by Japan's National Science Museum shows a giant squid attacking a bait squid being pulled up by a research team off the Ogasawara Islands, south of Tokyo, on Dec. 4, 2006. (Tsunemi Kubodera/National Science Museum of Japan/AP)

The captured squid was caught using a smaller type of squid as bait, and was pulled into a research vessel "after putting up quite a fight," Mr. Kubodera said.

"It took two people to pull it in, and they lost it once, which might have caused the injuries that killed it," he said.

The squid, a female, was not fully grown and was relatively small by giant squid standards. The longest one on record is 18 metres, he said.

Mr. Kubodera and his team had been conducting expeditions in the area for about three years before they succeeded in making their first contact two years ago. Last year, the team succeeded in taking a series of still photos of one of the animals in its natural habitat — also believed to have been a first.

Until the team's successes, most scientific study of the creatures had to rely on partial specimens that had washed ashore dead or dying or had been found in the digestive systems of whales or very large sharks.

Mr. Kubodera said whales led his team to the squid. By finding an area where whales fed, he believed he could find the animals. He also said that, judging by the number of whales that feed on them, there may be many more giant squid than previously thought.

"Sperm whales need from 500 to 1,000 kilograms (1,100-2,200 pounds) of food every day," he said. "There are believed to be 200,000 or so of them, and that would suggest there are quite a few squid for them to be feeding on. I don't think they are in danger of extinction at all."

国内最大古砗磲贝壳化石落户青岛极地海洋世界

15661c 国内最大古砗磲贝壳化石落户青岛极地海洋世界

国内最大古砗磲贝壳化石落户青岛极地海洋世界

中国海洋报记者  李明春

    近日，国家海洋局北海分局正式将由"大洋一号"科学考察船从中太平洋获取的、与新人类历史同龄的大型古砗磲贝壳化石赠送给青岛极地海洋世界。

    据介绍，这块砗磲贝壳化石是目前国内已知的最大古砗磲贝壳化石，2006年7月10日由"大洋一号"船在中太平洋获取。经随船考察的专家初步鉴定，这块长约93厘米，宽约55厘米，最大厚度为25厘米的大型古贝壳是砗磲，它至少经过了上百年的生长和上千万年的演变才形成。

    砗磲贝类动物一般生活在热带较浅海域的珊瑚礁环境中，死亡后在其表面一般会附着大量的珊瑚礁。随着地壳的运动、变迁，死亡的砗磲贝下沉到较深的海底。同时，在砗磲贝壳下沉环境的周围伴有剧烈的火山活动，大量的火山灰散落到附着在砗磲贝壳上的珊瑚礁表面，沉积物和火山灰以及灰岩在珊瑚礁表面慢慢形成了厚厚的一层珊瑚岩并最终演变为化石。这一过程与地球上新人类的历史同龄，因而这块古砗磲贝壳化石可为全球环境演化过程提供强有力的实物证据，具有很高的科学价值和奇特的观赏价值。

    青岛极地海洋世界有关负责人表示，将把这块历经沧海桑田、历史变迁的贝壳化石，与"雪龙"号科学考察船赠送的有5亿年历史的南极石一起向世人展出，以展示自然的力量与神奇。

中远、长荣牵手联营新远东红海线，提供直航华东服务

中远集团

中远、长荣牵手联营新远东红海线，提供直航华东服务

中远长荣海运公司将自2007年重组新的远东红海线，并将服务触角延伸到上海、宁波等港口，提供货主更便捷的直航运输服务。     新远东红海线预计于2006年12月31日自广州南沙港首航，于2007年1月23日起挂靠上海、宁波港，由中远投入2艘、长荣投入5艘，合计共投入7艘2700TEU船舶提供周班服务，往返航次49天，沿线的挂靠港口顺序为：上海、宁波、南沙（广州）、香港、蛇口、新加坡、丹绒帕拉巴斯（马来西亚）、亚丁（也门）、吉达（沙特阿拉伯）、亚喀巴（约旦）、索卡纳（埃及）、新加坡和上海。     新远东红海线将向货主提供更广阔的港口覆盖面，以及从中国到红海地区更快的交货期。

中国渔业报："中国多宝鱼之父"雷霁霖院士呼吁

中国渔业政务网

中国渔业报："中国多宝鱼之父"雷霁霖院士呼吁

――以科学和理性的态度对待"多宝鱼"

发布时间：2006-12-18 信息来源：中国渔业报

"破坏性太大了。看得见的影响是全国在'叫停'、在抛弃多宝鱼，广大的养殖户因此面临着损失甚至破产的危机。看不见的呢？降临在多宝鱼这个年轻、甚至只能说是幼小的产业之上的，是一次灾难。更可怕的是这种灾难很可能会蔓延，影响到人工养殖的其他水产领域。" 　　"曝光、追究、封杀……关于多宝鱼的负面消息接踵而至，为什么不能够多一些对这个产业的科学和理性的态度，多一些帮助这个产业共渡难关的探索和呼吁？" 　　被称为"中国多宝鱼之父"的中国水产科学院黄海水产研究所雷霁霖院士在接受记者采访时，十分沉重地道出心声。 　　雷院士说，自媒体报道上海抽检该市市场上销售的多宝鱼（学名大菱鲆）药物残留超标这一事件后，执法部门发出消费预警。这些举动从保护消费者利益的角度是对的。但"抽检存在问题"和"多宝鱼产业存在问题"是两个概念，而且其检测标准是什么？到现在这个标准还模糊不清，其检测出的残留药物代谢物是哪个环节造成的？是养殖环节、运输环节，还是销售环节？这些都没向消费者发布！有关部门如果不加分析地恶炒多宝鱼药残事件，对多宝鱼产业发展而言，是不公正的，也是极其不负责任的！ 　　为什么多宝鱼体内会残留违禁药物？是什么原因导致出现药残超标？对此，雷院士从可能产生药残的几个环节向记者作出了分析： 　　饲养过程：虽然多宝鱼养殖技术已经非常成熟，只要按照正规的技术流程来操作就不会有问题，但也不能保证有个别养殖户使用传统的违禁药物。此外，在转池过程中不可避免地发生人工摩擦，因此中小养殖户普遍用一些抗生素类药物给鱼和渔池消毒。如果按照技术规程操作，这些抗生素的代谢物是绝不会出现超标的。 　　 运输过程：多宝鱼销往外地对运输设备的要求是很高的。譬如多宝鱼从山东运到广州需要花费50多个小时，而多宝鱼在运输路上发病的几率很高，因此就有人会在运输途中给鱼用药。 　　售卖过程：无论是批发市场还是餐馆超市，储养设施都无法和养殖场的渔池相比。但这些地方储养的鱼，一时半刻不可能全部卖完，有时一个餐馆进几十条鱼要卖一个星期。经营者的心态往往就是"只要鱼没死，卖出去了就大功告成"，不排除有些不法商贩在储养过程中给鱼使用违禁渔药。 　　雷院士向记者介绍说，当初他引进多宝鱼的原因之一就是看中它抗病能力强，"多宝鱼绝不是天生抗病能力差。刚引进时我养了它7年，从来就没有生过病。在投入生产的头几年，也没听说生病。"现在依然有很多规范化的养殖企业严格按标准操作，养殖的多宝鱼是合格水产品。然而，为什么还会有个别养殖户使用违禁药物来维持产量呢？ 　　雷霁霖回答说，主要有两个原因―――对环境不适应可能造成多宝鱼抗病能力降低。我国目前能养殖多宝鱼的地方比较多，环渤海地区，包括辽宁、山东、天津，一直到江苏、福建、广东的沿海都有。几万甚至几十万千克的集约化生产，可能环境相对会发生变化。另外，还有一个重要的因素是饲料，不能用任何添加剂。有个别的小养殖户，为了追求利益的最大化，就可能盲目购买质量不一定过关的饲料。 　　如何避免多宝鱼药残事件再次发生？如何才能为水产品的安全问题织一张牢固的网？对此，雷院士表示，当务之急是要建立完善的市场准入制度。如果每一批水产品进市场前都被要求检测或提供县级以上检测部门提供的检疫证明，相信养殖户们不敢乱来。相关部门要尽快完成对事件的处理，把注意力转换到产业本身上来。   "说白了，就是要迅速制定市场准入标准，该禁的禁，该放的放，不该让那些为数更多的、达标的优质多宝鱼'白白牺牲'。"另外，在生产的每一个环节都要有具体有效并落实到位的监管措施，因为现在多宝鱼产业还不成熟，即使标准、规范都完备，一旦放松监管，在"趋利心态"之下，"药残"事件仍有重演的可能。再者，对养殖户们来说，要树立起明确的产业观念，看到整个产业的做大做强要靠大家共同努力。 　　最后，雷院士对记者说，这次出现的多宝鱼药残事件并不是坏事，借助这一事件可以进一步规范这一行业的健康发展，同时他认为这是产业在发展中出现的问题，不必引起惊慌，社会各界应从科学和理性的态度，正确对待多宝鱼养殖产业。

中国海油打造深水利器

中国海油打造深水利器

中国海油打造深水利器 2006-12-6

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11月30日，中国首座深水特大型装备―――中国海油深水半潜式钻井平台基本设计合同签字仪式在北京长城饭店隆重举行。

　　近年来，中国海油在海上油气勘探、开发中取得了令人瞩目的成就，但随着老油田产能的快速递减，重质稠油油田、边际油田的份额增加等情形的加剧，"向海洋深水领域进军，向深水技术挑战"已愈发迫切。目前，深水油藏的勘探开发已成为世界跨国石油公司的投资热点，而中国海油也将深水勘探作为未来主攻方向之一。今年年初南海荔湾3-1探井的重大突破，展示了我国深水海域的广阔前景。此座深水钻井平台的建造，对加快深水油气资源的勘探开发将发挥重要的前导性作用，国家对此非常重视，已将其列入了国家中长期科技发展规划以及国家863高科技发展规划的重大专项。

　　拟建的深水半潜式钻井平台基本设计由中国海油与在世界海洋工程领域具有丰富经验和较高声望的美国F&G公司联合进行，双方共同拥有知识产权。该平台属国际第六代钻井平台，即配有双井架，采用DPS3动力定位，作业水深3000米并具有智能化钻井功能的海上半潜式钻井平台，代表着世界钻井平台的先进水平。该平台最大作业水深3000米，最大钻井深度10000米。总长约110米，总宽约90米，总高约110米，最大甲板可变载荷9000吨，1500米以上水深采用DPS3动力定位，1500米以内水深采用内锚泊定位。项目总投资预计约45亿元人民币，将于2010年10月1日交船，建成后可在南海、东南亚、墨西哥湾和西非海域进行高效、安全作业。

　　中国海油副总经理周守为，科技部副司长闫金，中国工程院院士、总公司副总工程师曾恒一在签字仪式上发表了讲话。周守为指出，深水半潜式钻井平台是重大工程项目，又是重大科研项目，该设计合同的签订是中国海油向深水发展迈出的重要一步，将为实现"十一五"规划目标做出重要贡献。曾恒一说，深水大型装备是当今高新技术的集成，对中国海油来讲有着巨大的引进国外先进技术的空间、优化集成的空间、学习和再创新的空间，同时希望F&G公司充分考虑中方的总体思路和好的建议，双方精诚合作，取长补短，将设计工作做得更好。

　　闫金在讲话中表示：中国海油和美国F&G公司签署深水钻井平台联合基本设计协议，是中国海油为推动我国深水海洋装备自主研发与建造迈出的重要一步。中国海油作为我国开发海洋油气资源的排头兵，具有雄厚的资金、技术和人才基础，也有丰富的海洋油气资源开发工程经验。此次合同的签订，通过利益共享、强强联合的原则，必将推动中国半潜式钻井平台设计与建造技术的发展，加快南海深水油气资源勘探开发的步伐。

How Much Oil and Natural Gas is Left?

How Much Oil and Natural Gas is Left?

How Much Oil and Natural Gas is Left?

Oil and natural gas exist in the pore spaces of rock in the subsurface of the earth. How much oil or gas can be recovered from the rock is a function of rock properties, technology, and economics. Even when it is technically feasible to remove oil or gas from a specific reservoir, the costs involved in doing so may exceed the value of the oil or gas recovered at projected prices. In this case, the oil or gas is uneconomic and will not be developed.

The total amount of oil or gas in the reservoir is called original oil- or gas-in-place. For a specific reservoir, engineers estimate this amount with information about the size of the reservoir trap and properties of the rock (which can be sampled and tested). Some of the original oil and gas deposited millions of years ago has been discovered, while some remains undiscovered (the target of future exploration).

Discovered (or known) resources can be divided into proved reserves and prospective or unproved (probable and possible) resources. "Proved reserves" are the quantities of oil or gas from known reservoirs and expected to be recoverable with current technology and at current economic conditions. Prospective resources are those that may be recoverable in the future with advanced technologies or under different economic conditions. More explanation of reserves and resources definitions.

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A primary source for worldwide reserves estimates is the Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ).[1] OGJ estimates that at the beginning of 2004, worldwide reserves were 1.27 trillion barrels of oil and 6,100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. These estimates are 53 billion barrels of oil and 575 trillion cubic feet of natural gas higher than the prior year, reflecting additional discoveries, improving technology, and changing economics.

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The countries with the largest amounts of remaining oil reserves are: Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Russia, Libya, and Nigeria.[1] The largest reserves of natural gas are found in: Russia, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States, Algeria, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Iraq.[1] The maps illustrate the distribution of remaining reserves around the world.

At 2003 consumption levels [2], the remaining reserves represent 44.6 years of oil and 66.2 years of natural gas. Does this mean that the world will be out of fossil fuels in 50 years or so? That theory has been around since the 1970s. In fact, the figures for years of remaining reserves have remained relative constant over the past few decades as the industry has replaced consumption with newly discovered oil and gas deposits and has developed technologies to increase the amount of oil and gas that can be recovered from existing reservoirs.

As noted above, three factors affect the amount of oil or gas that can be recovered from a known reservoir — rock properties, technology, and economics. While the industry cannot change the properties of the rock, it can develop new techniques to remove more oil from the rock. The industry has made significant advances to enhance recovery from known reservoirs, adding to the reserves base. When prices rise, marginal reservoirs can be developed economically, adding to the reserve base.

Reserves will also grow as more oil and gas deposits are found around the world. Continental North America and much of continental Europe have already been explored heavily, and any new discoveries are likely to be small. But many areas of the globe are largely unexplored and many large new deposits are waiting to be found. Companies have experienced major success in discovering significant new oil and gas reservoirs offshore Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, off the western coast of Africa, Russia, and many areas of Asia and the Pacific. These are just a few of the current areas of growth. Most observers agree that significant deposits of oil and gas remain undiscovered in the Middle East.

No one can know for certain how much oil and gas remains to be discovered. But geologists sometimes make educated guesses. For example, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts periodic assessments of U.S. mineral resources. In its most recent assessment (1995), the USGS estimated that the onshore U.S., including Alaska, has undiscovered, technically recoverable resources of 112.3 billion barrels of oil and 1,074 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. In a separate assessment of offshore resources completed in 2000, the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) estimated that 75 billion barrels of oil and 362 trillion cubic feet of natural gas underlie the areas off the coasts of the U.S. The USGS and MMS resource assessments make clear that, despite being a very mature producing area, substantial resources still exist in the U.S.

World oil resources to 2025 may be more than two times current reserves, based on an estimate from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) using USGS data. Reserve growth of 730 billion barrels accounts for new discoveries and the expansion of what can be recovered from known reservoirs due to advances in technology and improvements in economics. But EIA estimates that in 2025, countries around the globe will still have more than 900 billion barrels of oil remaining to be discovered. EIA estimates total world oil resources at more than 2.9 trillion barrels of oil.

The oil and gas industry uses advanced technology to aid in the search for the resources that will meet growing world energy needs. Technology advances enable more accurate drilling and extraction of a higher percentage of oil and gas from each field, extending the life of each well. Advanced technology also allows development of resources that were not previously economically viable, such as deep-sea fields, unconventional natural gas, and oil and gas in very deep reservoirs. Together, these new sources of oil and gas will replace production from existing wells as they decline, and help to assure adequate oil and gas supplies to meet world energy needs for the foreseeable future.

[1] Oil & Gas Journal, Worldwide Report, December 22, 2003.
[2] U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Annual 2002, March 2004.
[3] U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Outlook 2004, April 2004.