Determining spatial resolution in spatial load forecasting using a grid-based model

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

How marine upwelling influences the distribution of Artemesia longinaris (Decapoda: Penaeoidea)?

Upwelling events can occur in most of the oceans altering the water physical, chemical and sediment conditions and consequently the species communities dwelling the areas. For better understanding the behavior of populations inhabiting upwelling regions, the spatial and temporal distribution of a Penaeoidea shrimp was studied correlating it with the abiotic factors that vary during upwelling and non-upwelling periods in an area under influence of Cabo Frio upwelling. Bottom salinity and temperature, organic matter and sediment type from each station were sampled from March 2008 to February 2010, in six stations located between 5 and 45 m depth. The lowest temperatures were recorded during spring and summer for both years with temperature values lower than 19 degrees C. A total of 26,466 Artemesia longinaris shrimps were captured mainly in 10-35 m depth. Upwelling periods showed significant differences in abundance in relation to non-upwelling periods. The spatial distribution among stations varied according to the temperature with higher abundance in stations with values between 19 and 21 degrees C. The highest abundance of A. longinaris was recorded in spring and summer when intrusions of the cold waters of South Atlantic Central Waters (SACW) were frequent. Thus, the effect of cold water of SACW boosted by the upwelling was a determinant factor in the spatial and temporal distribution of A. longinaris in the studied region.

Site Selection for Restoration Planning: A Protocol With Landscape and Legislation Based Alternatives

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Metacommunity organisation, spatial extent and dispersal in aquatic systems: patterns, processes and prospects

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Temporo-spatial gait parameters during street crossing conditions: a comparison between younger and older adults

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estimation of a preference map of new consumers for spatial load forecasting simulation methods using a spatial analysis of points

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Spatial and temporal quality of water in the Itupararanga Reservoir, Alto Sorocaba basin (SP), Brazil

Considering the great importance of the Itupararanga Reservoir, Upper Alto Sorocaba basin/SP, this study aimed to report the variations of some parameters of water quality in the spatial and temporal gradients in this multipurpose res- ervoir. The eutrophication of this reservoir was checked using the Carlson Index Modified and the results indicate that the surface water were classified as eutrophic and mesotrophic in wet and dry periods, being characterized the better quality of water in wet period. In the vertical gradient the results showed a stratiphication in all parameters analyzed, except for the electrical conductivity, with good correlation between total phosphorous and chlorophyll-a, indicating that eutrophication of the reservoir changes the conditions of algal growth, mainly in its initial area. Immediate inter- ventions are needed, which must be directed to planning of land use, domestic effluents treatment, taking to an inte- grated management of this important watershed located in the São Paulo State.

Killer Whales and Marine Mammal Trends in The North Pacific—A Re-Examination of Evidence for Sequential Megafauna Collapse and the Prey-Switching Hypothesis

Springer et al. (2003) contend that sequential declines occurred in North Pacific populations of harbor and fur seals, Steller sea lions, and sea otters. They hypothesize that these were due to increased predation by killer whales, when industrial whaling’s removal of large whales as a supposed primary food source precipitated a prey switch. Using a regional approach, we reexamined whale catch data, killer whale predation observations, and the current biomass and trends of potential prey, and found little support for the prey-switching hypothesis. Large whale biomass in the Bering Sea did not decline as much as suggested by Springer et al., and much of the reduction occurred 50–100 yr ago, well before the declines of pinnipeds and sea otters began; thus, the need to switch prey starting in the 1970s is doubtful. With the sole exception that the sea otter decline followed the decline of pinnipeds, the reported declines were not in fact sequential. Given this, it is unlikely that a sequential megafaunal collapse from whales to sea otters occurred. The spatial and temporal patterns of pinniped and sea otter population trends are more complex than Springer et al. suggest, and are often inconsistent with their hypothesis. Populations remained stable or increased in many areas, despite extensive historical whaling and high killer whale abundance. Furthermore, observed killer whale predation has largely involved pinnipeds and small cetaceans; there is little evidence that large whales were ever a major prey item in high latitudes. Small cetaceans (ignored by Springer et al.) were likely abundant throughout the period. Overall, we suggest that the Springer et al. hypothesis represents a misleading and simplistic view of events and trophic relationships within this complex marine ecosystem.

Planning “Discrete” Movements Using a Continuous System: Insights from a Dynamic Field Theory of Movement Preparation

The timed-initiation paradigm developed by Ghez and colleagues (1997) has revealed two modes of motor planning: continuous and discrete. Continuous responding occurs when targets are separated by less than 60° of spatial angle, and discrete responding occurs when targets are separated by greater than 60°. Although these two modes are thought to reflect the operation of separable strategic planning systems, a new theory of movement preparation, the Dynamic Field Theory, suggests that two modes emerge flexibly from the same system. Experiment 1 replicated continuous and discrete performance using a task modified to allow for a critical test of the single system view. In Experiment 2, participants were allowed to correct their movements following movement initiation (the standard task does not allow corrections). Results showed continuous planning performance at large and small target separations. These results are consistent with the proposal that the two modes reflect the time-dependent “preshaping” of a single planning system.

BENTHIC MACROFAUNA STRUCTURE IN THE NORTHEAST AREA OF TODOS OS SANTOS BAY, BAHIA STATE, BRAZIL: PATTERNS OF SPATIAL AND SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION

Structure of intertidal and subtidal benthic macrofauna in the northeastern region of Todos os Santos Bay (TSB), northeast Brazil, was investigated during a period of two years. Relationships with environmental parameters were studied through uni- and multivariate statistical analyses, and the main distributional patterns shown to be especially related to sediment type and content of organic fractions (Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus), on both temporal and spatial scales. Polychaete annelids accounted for more than 70% of the total fauna and showed low densities, species richness and diversity, except for the area situated on the reef banks. These banks constitute a peculiar environment in relation to the rest of the region by having coarse sediments poor in organic matter and rich in biodetritic carbonates besides an abundant and diverse fauna. The intertidal region and the shallower area nearer to the oil refinery RLAM, with sediments composed mainly of fine sand, seem to constitute an unstable system with few highly dominant species, such as Armandia polyophthalma and Laeonereis acuta. In the other regions of TSB, where muddy bottoms predominated, densities and diversity were low, especially in the stations near the refinery. Here the lowest values of the biological indicators occurred together with the highest organic compound content. In addition, the nearest sites (stations 4 and 7) were sometimes azoic. The adjacent Caboto, considered as a control area at first, presented low density but intermediate values of species diversity, which indicates a less disturbed environment in relation to the pelitic infralittoral in front of the refinery. The results of the ordination analyses evidenced five homogeneous groups of stations (intertidal; reef banks; pelitic infralittoral; mixed sediments; Caboto) with different specific patterns, a fact which seems to be mainly related to granulometry and chemical sediment characteristics.

Spatial analysis of egg distribution and geographic changes in the spawning habitat of the Brazilian sardine Sardinella brasiliensis

This paper establishes the spawning habitat of the Brazilian sardine Sardinella brasiliensis and investigates the spatial variability of egg density and its relation with oceanographic conditions in the shelf of the south-east Brazil Bight (SBB). The spawning habitats of S. brasiliensis have been defined in terms of spatial models of egg density, temperature-salinity plots, quotient (Q) analysis and remote sensing data. Quotient curves (Q(C)) were constructed using the geographic distribution of egg density, temperature and salinity from samples collected during nine survey cruises between 1976 and 1993. The interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variability was determined using principal component analysis on the SST anomalies (SSTA) estimated from remote sensing data over the period between 1985 and 2007. The spatial pattern of egg occurrences in the SBB indicated that the largest concentration occurred between Paranagua and Sao Sebastiao. Spawning habitat expanded and contracted during the years, fluctuating around Paranagua. In January 1978 and January 1993, eggs were found nearly everywhere along the inner shelf of the SBB, while in January 1988 and 1991 spawning had contracted to their southernmost position. The SSTA maps for the spawning periods showed that in the case of habitat expansion (1993 only) anomalies over the SBB were zero or slightly negative, whereas for the contraction period anomalies were all positive. Sardinella brasiliensis is capable of exploring suitable spawning sites provided by the entrainment of the colder and less-saline South Atlantic Central Water onto the shelf by means of both coastal wind-driven (to the north-east of the SBB) and meander-induced (to the south-west of the SBB) upwelling.

Temporal, diel and spatial variability of decapod larvae from St Paul`s Rocks, an equatorial oceanic island of Brazil

Temporal, spatial and diel variation in the distribution and abundance of organisms is an inherent property of ecological systems. The present study describes these variations and the composition of decapod larvae from the surface waters of St Paul`s Rocks. The expeditions to the archipelago were carried out in April, August and November 2003, March 2004 and May 2005. Surface plankton samples were collected during the morning and dusk periods, inside the inlet and in increasing distances around the archipelago (similar to 150, 700 and 1500 m). The identification resulted in 51 taxa. Seven species, six genera and larvae of the families Pandalidae and Portunidae were identified for the first time in the area. The mean larval density varied from zero to 150.2 +/- 69.6 individuals 100 m(-3) in the waters surrounding the archipelago and from 1.7 +/- 3.0 to 12,827 +/- 15,073 individuals 100 m(-3) inside the inlet. Significant differences on larval density were verified between months and period of the day, but not among the three sites around the archipelago. Cluster and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that the decapod larvae community was divided into benthic and pelagic assemblages. Indicator species analysis (ISA) showed that six Brachyura taxa were good indicators for the inlet, while three sergestids were the main species from the waters around the archipelago. These results suggest that St Paul`s Rocks can be divided into two habitats, based on larval composition, density and diversity values: the inlet and the waters surrounding the archipelago.

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF FISH IN PALMAS BAY, UBATUBA, BRAZIL

The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution and abundance of the fish fauna of Palmas bay on Anchieta Island in southeastern Brazil. Specimens were caught in the summer and winter of 1992, using an otter trawl at three locations in the bay. The specimens were caught in both the nighttime and daytime. Data on the water temperature and salinity were recorded for the characterization of the predominant water mass in the region, and sediment samples were taken for granulometric analysis. A total of 7 656 specimens (79 species), with a total weight of approximately 300 kg, were recorded. The most abundant species were Eucinostomus argenteus, Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus, Haemulon steindachneri, Eucinostomus gula and Diapterus rhombeus, which together accounted for more than 73% of the sample. In general, the ecological indices showed no differences in the composition of species for the abiotic variables analyzed. The multivariate analysis showed that the variations in the distribution of the fish fauna were mainly associated with intra-annual differences in temperature and salinity, resulting from the presence of South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) in the area during the summer. The analysis also showed an association with the type of bottom and a lesser association with respect to the night/day periods.

Spatial and temporal patterns in size and maturation of Loligo plei and Loligo sanpaulensis (Cephalopoda: Loliginidae) in southeastern Brazilian waters, between 23 degrees S and 27 degrees S

Patterns of population dynamics of Loligo plei and Loligo sanpaidensis in Southeastern Brazil were investigated with samples obtained from commercial catches and research cruises from 1999 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2003. Size and maturity Structure of the two species varied according to depth and season. Body size decreased with depth for L plei, whereas for L. sanpaidensis size increased with depth LIP to 100 m and decreased again in deeper areas. GSI and incidence of mature animals decreased with depth in both species. L. plei females matured at a larger size in summer, while size at maturity in L. sanpaulensis was greater in autumn. For L. plei, reproductive events Occurred in the late winter and spring, in depths up to 40 m, and during summer in inshore waters. L. sanpaidensis increased reproductive activity ill Summer, winter and spring between depths of 30 and 80 Ill. The presence of high proportions of immature Squid offshore Suggests that juveniles might develop in these areas and, upon maturation, migrate back to inshore waters to spawn, particularly in spring and Summer. However, differences found in aggregation patterns in different depth strata, as well as the seasonal differences found in the size structure of L. plei and L. sanpaidensis, Could ultimately be due to Changes in the water Column related to food availability. Considering that L. plei and L. sanpaidensis are both caught as by-catch by shrimp trawlers throughout file year, we also discuss hypotheses on the life cycle of the species and its implications for fishery management. We recommend measures to protect squid spawning grounds by creating spring and summer protected areas where trawling would be prohibited until 60 m depth, i.e. in the area and time of year when mature individuals concentrate.