A sea urchin (Diadema africanum Rodriguez et al., 2013) and a pipe fish (Syngnathus phlegon Risso, 1827) : two new records for the Azores

Maciel & Costa (2010) reported the presence of 17 species of costal sea urchins (Echinoidea) in the Azores, while Porteiro et al. (2010) reported six species of pipefishes (Syngnathidae) for the area. During SCUBA diving at Santa Maria Island, the first author detected a sea urchin and a pipe fish which are new to the marine fauna of the Azores.

Female-biased sex ratios in marine pelagic copepods: Response to Hirst et al. (2013)

Hirst et al. (2013; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 489:297-298) suggest that Gusmão et al. (2013; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 482:279-298) misinterpreted the findings of Hirst et al. (2010; Limnol Oceanogr 55:2193-2206). They restate that the major factors determining sex ratio in pelagic copepods act upon the adult stage, but they place less emphasis on the idea that predation on male copepods is a likely determinant, and highlight the role of physiological longevity. Here we reconsider the data and confirm our position that at present there is limited evidence to support the theory of male-skewed predation. However, we agree that sex determination is governed by a combination of factors, with the relative emphasis being the main point of contention between the 2 parties.

The sleeper effect: Artifact or phenomenon—A brief comment on Bell et al. (2013)

OBJECTIVE: Bell, Marcus, and Goodlad (2013) recently conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled additive trials and found that adding an additional component to an existing treatment vis-à-vis the existing treatment produced larger effect sizes on targeted outcomes at 6-months follow-up than at termination, an effect they labeled as a sleeper effect. One of the limitations with Bell et al.'s detection of the sleeper effect was that they did not conduct a statistical test of the size of the effect at follow-up versus termination. METHOD: To statistically test if the differences of effect sizes between the additive conditions and the control conditions at follow-up differed from those at termination, we used a restricted maximum-likelihood random-effect model with known variances to conduct a multilevel longitudinal meta-analysis (k = 30). RESULTS: Although the small effects at termination detected by Bell et al. were replicated (ds = 0.17-0.23), none of the analyses of growth from termination to follow-up produced statistically significant effects (ds < 0.08; p > .20), and when asymmetry was considered using trim-and-fill procedure or the studies after 2000 were analyzed, magnitude of the sleeper effect was negligible (d = 0.00). CONCLUSION: There is no empirical evidence to support the sleeper effect.

Water balance measurements on Samoylov Island during campaign Lena2011

The summer water balance of a typical Siberian polygonal tundra catchment is investigated in order to identify the spatial and temporal dynamics of its main hydrological processes. The results show that, besides precipitation and evapotranspiration, lateral flow considerably influences the site-specific hydrological conditions. The prominent microtopography of the polygonal tundra strongly controls lateral flow and storage behaviour of the investigated catchment. Intact rims of low-centred polygons build hydrological barriers, which release storage water later in summer than polygons with degraded rims and troughs above degraded ice wedges. The barrier function of rims is strongly controlled by soil thaw, which opens new subsurface flow paths and increases subsurface hydrological connectivity. Therefore, soil thaw dynamics determine the magnitude and timing of subsurface outflow and the redistribution of storage within the catchment. Hydraulic conductivities in the elevated polygonal rims sharply decrease with the transition from organic to mineral layers. This interface causes a rapid shallow subsurface drainage of rainwater towards the depressed polygon centres and troughs. The re-release of storage water from the centres through deeper and less conductive layers helps maintain a high water table in the surface drainage network of troughs throughout the summer.