Scalloped Hammerhead microsatellite genotypes (eight loci) representing five regions on Australia's east coast and one location in central Indonesia.

Biodiversity of sharks in the tropical Indo-Pacific is high, but species-specific information to assist sustainable resource exploitation is scarce. The null hypothesis of population genetic homogeneity was tested for scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini, n=244) and the milkshark (Rhizoprionodon acutus, n=209) from northern and eastern Australia, using nuclear (S. lewini, eight microsatellite loci; R. acutus, six loci) and mitochondrial gene markers (873 base pairs of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4). We were unable to reject genetic homogeneity for S. lewini, which was as expected based on previous studies of this species. Less expected were similar results for R. acutus, which is more benthic and less vagile than S. lewini. These features are probably driving the genetic break found between Australian and central Indonesian R. acutus (F-statistics; mtDNA, 0.751 to 0.903; microsatellite loci, 0.038 to 0.047). Our results support the spatially-homogeneous management plan for shark species in Queensland, but caution is advised for species yet to be studied.

Formation and preservation of pedogenic carbonates in South India, links with paleo-monsoon and pedological conditions: Clues from Sr isotopes, U-Th series and REEs

The influence of the pedogenic and climatic contexts on the formation and preservation of pedogenic carbonates in a climosequence in the Western Ghats (Karnataka Plateau, South West India) has been studied. Along the climosequence, the current mean annual rainfall (MAR) varies within a 80 km transect from 6000 mm at the edge of the Plateau to 500 mm inland. Pedogenic carbonates occur in the MAR range of 500-1200 mm. In the semi-arid zone (MAR: 500-900 mm), carbonates occur (i) as rhick hardpan calcretes on pediment slopes and (ii) as nodular horizons in polygenic black soils (i.e. vertisols). In the sub-humid zone (MAR: 900-1500 mm), pedogenic carbonates are disseminated in the black soil matrices either as loose, irregular and friable nodules of millimetric size or as indurated botryoidal nodules of centimetric to pluricentimetric size. They also occur at the top layers of the saprolite either as disseminated pluricentimetric indurated nodules or carbonate-cemented lumps of centimetric to decimetric size. Chemical and isotopic (Sr-87/Sr-86) compositions of the carbonate fraction were determined after leaching with 0.25 N HCl. The corresponding residual fractions containing both primary minerals and authigenic clays were digested separately and analyzed. The trend defined by the Sr-87/Sr-86 signatures of both labile carbonate fractions and corresponding residual fractions indicates that a part of the labile carbonate fraction is genetically linked to the local soil composition. Considering the residual fraction of each sample as the most likely lithogenic source of Ca in carbonates, it is estimated that from 24% to 82% (55% on average) of Ca is derived from local bedrock weathering, leading to a consumption of an equivalent proportion of atmospheric CO2. These values indicate that climatic conditions were humid enough to allow silicate weathering: MAR at the time of carbonate formation likely ranged from 400 to 700 mm, which is 2- to 3-fold less than the current MAR at these locations. The Sr, U and Mg contents and the (U-234/U-238) activity ratio in the labile carbonate fraction help to understand the conditions of carbonate formation. The relatively high concentrations of Sr, U and Mg in black soil carbonates may indicate fast growth and accumulation compared to carbonates in saprolite, possibly due to a better confinement of the pore waters which is supported by their high (U-234/U-238) signatures, and/or to higher content of dissolved carbonates in the pore waters. The occurrence of Ce, Mn and Fe oxides in the cracks of carbonate reflects the existence of relatively humid periods after carbonate formation. The carbonate ages determined by the U-Th method range from 1.33 +/- 0.84 kyr to 7.5 +/- 2.7 kyr and to a cluster of five ages around 20 kyr, i.e. the Last Glacial Maximum period. The young occurrences are only located in the black soils, which therefore constitute sensitive environments for trapping and retaining atmospheric CO2 even on short time scales. The maximum age of carbonates depends on their location in the climatic gradient: from about 20 kyr for centimetric nodules at Mule Hole (MAR = 1100 mm/yr) to 200 kyr for the calcrete at Gundlupet (MAR = 700 mm/yr, Durand et al., 2007). The intensity of rainfall during wet periods would indeed control the lifetime of pedogenic carbonates and thus the duration of inorganic carbon storage in soils. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Artificial intelligence approaches to network management: recent advances and a survey

With increased number of new services and users being added to the communication network, management of such networks becomes crucial to provide assured quality of service. Finding skilled managers is often a problem. To alleviate this problem and also to provide assistance to the available network managers, network management has to be automated. Many attempts have been made in this direction and it is a promising area of interest to researchers in both academia and industry. In this paper, a review of the management complexities in present day networks and artificial intelligence approaches to network management are presented. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Cruise Report 69-S-3: Pelagic fish and trawling survey of Santa Barbara oil spill

(PDF contains 5 pages)

Analysis of sea turtle bycatch in the commercial shrimp fisheries of Southeast U.S. waters and the Gulf of Mexico

The coastal shrimp trawl fisheries have long been the focus of conservation actions to reduce turtle bycatch and mortality in the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. Atlantic (NRC, 1990). Calculation of catch rates of sea turtles in shrimp trawls is necessary to evaluate the impact on sea turtle populations. In this paper we analyze sea turtle bycatch to provide an estimate of the current number of interactions with otter trawl gear as well as an estimate of the number of fatal inions in Southeast U.S. waters and the Gulf of Mexico. We also provide an estimate of the number of individuals likely to die in the future with the new regulations that will require an increase in the size of the escape openings in trutle excluder devices (TEDs). The new regulations will allow many more turtles to escape. Other gears also are discussed. (PDF contains 24 pages)

Information legislation and management survey 2014

The 10th annual Jisc, GuildHE and Universities UK information legislation and management survey shows a rise in the number of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests for the tenth consecutive year. In contrast Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) requests appear to have levelled off to a fairly consistent rate, while Data Protection Act (DPA) requests have declined back to levels last seen in 2008. The average monthly number of FOI requests received by UK universities has risen by 19% since 2013 and by almost seven times over the last decade since our survey began. The average across the 46 participating institutions was 219 FOI requests with the highest of 454 reported by one participant.

Information legislation and management survey 2014

The 10th annual Jisc, GuildHE and Universities UK information legislation and management survey shows a rise in the number of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests for the tenth consecutive year. In contrast Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) requests appear to have levelled off to a fairly consistent rate, while Data Protection Act (DPA) requests have declined back to levels last seen in 2008. The average monthly number of FOI requests received by UK universities has risen by 19% since 2013 and by almost seven times over the last decade since our survey began. The average across the 47 participating institutions was 218 FOI requests with the highest of 454 reported by one participant.

First Biennial Ocean Climate Summit: Finding Solutions for San Francisco Bay Area’s Coast and Ocean. Proceedings of the Summit: April 29, 2008, Golden Gate Club, The Presidio San Francisco, California

Executive Summary: The marine environment plays a critical role in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that remains within Earth’s atmosphere, but has not received as much attention as the terrestrial environment when it comes to climate change discussions, programs, and plans for action. It is now apparent that the oceans have begun to reach a state of CO2 saturation, no longer maintaining the “steady-state” carbon cycle that existed prior to the Industrial Revolution. The increasing amount of CO2 present within the oceans and the atmosphere has an effect on climate and a cascading effect on the marine environment. Potential physical effects of climate change within the marine environment, including ocean acidification, changes in wind and upwelling regimes, increasing global sea surface temperatures, and sea level rise, can lead to dramatic, fundamental changes within marine and coastal ecosystems. Altered ecosystems can result in changing coastal economies through a reduction in marine ecosystem services such as commercial fish stocks and coastal tourism. Local impacts from climate change should be a front line issue for natural resource managers, but they often feel too overwhelmed by the magnitude of this issue to begin to take action. They may not feel they have the time, funding, or staff to take on a challenge as large as climate change and continue to not act as a result. Already, natural resource managers work to balance the needs of humans and the economy with ecosystem biodiversity and resilience. Responsible decisions are made each day that consider a wide variety of stakeholders, including community members, agencies, non-profit organizations, and business/industry. The issue of climate change must be approached as a collaborative effort, one that natural resource managers can facilitate by balancing human demands with healthy ecosystem function through research and monitoring, education and outreach, and policy reform. The Scientific Expert Group on Climate Change in their 2007 report titled, “Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable” charged governments around the world with developing strategies to “adapt to ongoing and future changes in climate change by integrating the implications of climate change into resource management and infrastructure development”. Resource managers must make future management decisions within an uncertain and changing climate based on both physical and biological ecosystem response to climate change and human perception of and response to the issue. Climate change is the biggest threat facing any protected area today and resource managers must lead the charge in addressing this threat. (PDF has 59 pages.)

Taxonomic and ecological survey of the flora of Calvert County, Maryland

Resulted from a occasional field trips on the Patuxent River, 1964-1968. Taxonomy and ecology survey following the quarter method (Cottam and Curtis, 1956) Includes: Literature review: Forests, soils, ecology; Materials and Methods: location, criteria, map of Calvert county; Results: descriptive, species of trees sampled; soils, ecology; discussion: vegetational, soils, ecology; Summary; Climate; Physical features of Calvert County; Botanical descriptions; Tables, Current checklist of vascular plants; selective bibliography

The History, Present Condition, and Future of the Molluscan Fisheries of North and Central America and Europe: Volume 2, Pacific Coast and Supplemental Topics

Over 100 molluscan species are landed in Mexico. About 30% are harvested on the Pacific coast and 70% on the Atlantic coast. Clams, scallops, and squid predominate on the Pacific coast (abalone, limpets, and mussels are landed there exclusively). Conchs and oysters predominate on the Atlantic coast. In 1988, some 95,000 metric tons (t) of mollusks were landed, with a value of $33 million. Mollusks were used extensively in prehispanic Mexico as food, tools, and jewelry. Their use as food and jewelry continues. Except in the States of Baja California and Baja California Sur, where abalone, clams, and scallops provide fishermen with year-round employment, mollusk fishing is done part time. On both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, many fishermen are nomads, harvesting mollusks wherever they find abundant stocks. Upon finding such beds, they build camps, begin harvesting, and continue until the mollusks become so scarce that it no longer pays to continue. They then look for productive beds in other areas and rebuild their camps. Fishermen harvest abalones, mussels, scallops, and clams by free-diving and using scuba and hooka. Landings of clams and cockles have been growing, and 22,000 t were landed in 1988. Fishermen harvest intertidal clams by hand at wading depths, finding them with their feet. In waters up to 5 m, they harvest them by free-diving. In deeper water, they use scuba and hooka. Many species of gastropods have commercial importance on both coasts. All species with a large detachable muscle are sold as scallops. On the Pacific coast, hatchery culture of oysters prevails. Oyster culture in Atlantic coast lagoons began in the 1950's, when beds were enhanced by spreading shells as cultch for spat. (PDF file contains 228 pages.)

Remote Camera and Trapping Survey of the Deep-water Shrimps Heterocarpus laevigatus and H. ensifer and the Geryonid Crab Chaceon granulatus in Palau

Time-lapse remote photo-sequences at 73-700 m depth off Palau, Western Caroline Islands, show that the caridean shrimp Heterocarpus laevigatus tends to be a solitary animal, occurring below ~350 m, that gradually accumulates around bait sites over a prolonged period. A smaller speies, H. ensifer, tends to move erratically in swarms, appearing in large numbers in the upper part of its range (<250 m) during the evening crepuscular period and disappearing at dawn. Trapping and photsequence data indicate the depth range of H. ensifer (during daylight) is ~250-550 M, while H. laevigatus ranges from 350 m to at least 800 m, along with the geryonid crab Chaceon granulatus. Combined trapping for Heterocarpus laevigatus and Chaceon granulatus, using a three-chamber box-trap and extended soak times (48-72 hr), may be an appropriate technique for small-scale deep-water fisheries along forereef slopes of Indo-Pacific archipelagoes.