Survival of laboratory-reared juvenile European lobster (Homarus gammarus) from three brood sources in southwestern Norway

Experiments were carried out from June 2000 to April 2001 to compare survival of European lobster (Homarus gammarus) offspring (larvae and juveniles) from three brood sources, Kvitsøy Wild (KW), Kvitsøy Cultured (KC), and Rogaland Wild (RW), Norway. In the first set of experiments, newly hatched larvae (stage I) were raised in separate family tanks. All larvae groups survived to stage III/IV, although large variation in relative survival was observed among families within each of the three different female groups. Highest overall survival was observed for the RW group (12.8%), whereas no differences in overall survival were found between the KW (9.0%) and KC groups (9.6%). From stage III/IV, larvae from single family tank experiments were mixed in five “common garden” juvenile experiments. These lasted for 9 months, and the surviving juveniles were identified to family/female group using microsatellite DNA profiling. Significantly higher survival of the KW families (7.0%) was found compared with the KC (3.7%) and the RW families (3.2%), and differences in family ranking of relative survival values were evident between the KW and KC groups. The relative survival rate of the different groups was independent of female lobster size. An estimate based on only stage IV larvae reduced the difference in survival between the KW (11.4%) and KC (8.3%) group. The experiments provided evidence that cultured females (KC) are producing viable offspring with lower, but comparable survival to that of offspring from wild females (KW).

A record of rapid Holocene climate change preserved in hyrax middens from southwestern Africa

The discovery of sensitive paleoenvironmental proxies contained within fossilized rock hyrax middens from the margin of the central Namib Desert, Africa, is providing unprecedented insight into the region's environmental history. High-resolution stable carbon and nitrogen isotope records spanning 0-11,700 cal (calibrated) yr B. P. indicate phases of relatively humid conditions from 8700-7500, 6900-6700, 5600-4900, and 4200-3500 cal yr B. P., with a period of marked aridity occurring from 3500 until ca. 300 cal yr B. P. Transitions between these phases appear to have occurred very rapidly, often within <200 years. Of particular importance are: (1) the observed relationship between regional aridification and the decline in Northern Hemisphere insolation across the Holocene, and (2) the significance of suborbital scale variations in climate that covary strongly with fluctuations in solar forcing. Together, these elements call for a fundamental reexamination of the role of orbital forcing on tropical African systems, and a reconsideration of what factors drive climate change in the region. The quality and resolution of these data far surpass any other evidence available from the region, and the continued development of this unique archive promises to revolutionize paleoenvironmental studies in southern Africa.

Altered porphyrin excretion and histopathology of greylag geese (Anser anser) exposed to soil contaminated with lead and arsenic in the Guadalquivir Marshes, southwestern Spain

Greylag geese (Anser anser) in the Guadalquivir Marshes (southwestern Spain) can be exposed to sources of inorganic pollution such as heavy metals and arsenic from mining activities or Pb shot used for hunting. We have sampled 270 fecal excreta in different areas of the marshes in 2001 to 2002 to evaluate the exposure to Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, and As and to determine its relationship with soil ingestion and with the excretion of porphyrins and biliverdin as biomarkers. These effects and the histopathology of liver, kidney, and pancreas were also studied in 50 geese shot in 2002 to 2004. None of the geese had ingested Pb shot in the gizzard. This contrasts with earlier samplings before the ban of Pb shot for waterfowl hunting in 2001 and the removal of Pb shot in points of the Doñana National Park (Spain) in 1999 to 2000. The highest exposure through direct soil ingestion to Pb and other studied elements was observed in samples from Entremuros, the area of the Doñana Natural Park affected by the Aznalcóllar mine spill in 1998. Birds from Entremuros also more frequently showed mononuclear infiltrates in liver and kidney than birds from the unaffected areas, although other more specific lesions of Pb or Zn poisoning were not observed. The excretion of coproporphyrins, especially of the isomer I, was positively related to the fecal As concentration, and the ratio of coproporphyrin III/I was positively related to fecal Pb concentration. Biliary protoporphyrin IX concentration was also slightly related to hepatic Pb concentration. This study reflects biological effects on terrestrial animals by the mining pollution in Doñana that can be monitored with the simple noninvasive sampling of feces.

Arsenic in groundwater and its influence on exposure risks through traditionally cooked rice in Prey Vêng Province, Cambodia

Arsenic (As) contamination of communal tubewells in Prey Vêng, Cambodia, has been observed since 2000. Many of these wells exceed the WHO As in drinking water standard of 10 µg/L by a factor of 100. The aim of this study was to assess how cooking water source impacts dietary As intake in a rural community in Prey Vêng. This aim was fulfilled by (1) using geostatistical analysis techniques to examine the extent of As contaminated groundwater in Prey Vêng and identify a suitable study site, (2) conducting an on-site study in two villages to measure As content in cooked rice prepared with water collected from tubewells and locally harvested rainwater, and (3) determining the dietary intake of As from consuming this rice. Geostatistical analysis indicated that high risk tubewells (>50 µg As/L) are concentrated along the Mekong River's east bank. Participants using high risk tubewells are consuming up to 24 times more inorganic As daily than recommended by the previous FAO/WHO provisional tolerable daily intake value (2.1 µg/kgBW/day). However, As content in rice cooked in rainwater was significantly reduced, therefore, it is considered to be a safer and more sustainable option for this region.

Exploiting Human Resource Requirements to Infer Human Movement Patterns for Use in Modelling Disease Transmission Systems: An Example from Eastern Province, Zambia

In this research, an agent-based model (ABM) was developed to generate human movement routes between homes and water resources in a rural setting, given commonly available geospatial datasets on population distribution, land cover and landscape resources. ABMs are an object-oriented computational approach to modelling a system, focusing on the interactions of autonomous agents, and aiming to assess the impact of these agents and their interactions on the system as a whole. An A* pathfinding algorithm was implemented to produce walking routes, given data on the terrain in the area. A* is an extension of Dijkstra's algorithm with an enhanced time performance through the use of heuristics. In this example, it was possible to impute daily activity movement patterns to the water resource for all villages in a 75 km long study transect across the Luangwa Valley, Zambia, and the simulated human movements were statistically similar to empirical observations on travel times to the water resource (Chi-squared, 95% confidence interval). This indicates that it is possible to produce realistic data regarding human movements without costly measurement as is commonly achieved, for example, through GPS, or retrospective or real-time diaries. The approach is transferable between different geographical locations, and the product can be useful in providing an insight into human movement patterns, and therefore has use in many human exposure-related applications, specifically epidemiological research in rural areas, where spatial heterogeneity in the disease landscape, and space-time proximity of individuals, can play a crucial role in disease spread.

Two species of caridean shrimps (Decapoda:Hippolytidae and Nematocarcinidae) newly recorded from hydrothermally vents on the Manus Basin, Southwestern Pacific.

Two species of caridean shrimps are newly recorded from hydrothermal vents on the Manus Basin, southwestern Pacific, at depths of 1540-1577m. Lebbeus manus, new species, is related to L.curvirostris Zarenkov, 1976, L.elegans Komai, Hayashi & Kohtsuka, 2004, L.longipes (Kobjakova, 1936), L.vicinus vicinus (Rathbun, 1902) and L.vicinus motereyensis (Wicksten & Mendez, 1982) because of the lack of strap-like epipods on the second and third pereopods; but characters of the rostrum, carapace and abdomen immediately distinguish the new species from the these five taxa. Subadult and juvenile specimens of Nematocarcinus are referred to N.sp.aff.exilis, but their definite identification is postponed until additional specimens become available for study. There are a few minor differences between the present Manus specimens and European specimens representing N.exilis (Bate, 1888), suggesting that the Manus population may indeed represent a separate species.

Free-roaming dogs control activities in one Italian province (2000-2013): Is the implemented approach effective?

In Italy, standards for the management of free-roaming dogs (FRDs) are defined by regional norms, generating a high variability of approaches around the country. Despite efforts carried out by the competent authorities, FRDs are still a reality impacting upon animal health and welfare and public costs. A similar scenario can be found in many other Mediterranean and Balkan counties. Here we present 14 years of data (2000–2013) retrieved from the admission dog registry of a public shelter (PS) responsible for the collection of stray dogs from one Italian province. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the local FRD population, identifying its source and to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions implemented by the local authorities. In the investigated period, 7,475 dogs were admitted to the PS. Despite the intense sterilisation plan (mean 381.7 sterilisations per year), the overall number of dogs entering PS did not decrease consistently across the years. Results highlighted a lack of responsibility of owners by failing to sterilise and identify their dogs and allowing intact animals to roam free, therefore producing uncontrolled and unwanted litters. The current dog population management strategy, based on both sheltering and capture-neuter-release programmes, is insufficient to tackle the straying phenomenon. Educational and sterilisation programmes should be an integral part of a successfully implemented FRD control plan. Our results provide further insight on free-roaming dog population dynamics and control systems, and may have important implications for many other local contexts across Europe trying to overcome the straying phenomenon.