British Double Agents and Operation Fortitude: A New Perspective

On June 6th, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy as a part of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France. While they experienced pockets of stiff resistance, Allied troops sustained far fewer casualties than they had expected. The reason for this was due to Operation Fortitude, a deception mission that intended to fool Hitler about the time and location of the Allied invasion mission. The use of double agents by British Intelligence services was essential for the effective execution of Fortitude. The story of the double agents goes beyond their success during Fortitude. Double agents were initially recruited as German agents, but key agents immediately turned themselves in to British authorities upon reaching the nation. These agents decided to become involved with British Intelligence due to broader circumstances that were happening in Europe. The emergence of Fascist regimes disrupted the political landscape of Europe and led to widespread condemnation from political and social spheres. Their development as double agents became crucial to their effectiveness during Operation Fortitude. Their successful infiltration of German Intelligence allowed them to convince Hitler and German High Command that the main Allied invasion force would come at the Pas de Calais instead of Normandy. The result was that the Allies met an unprepared German defense force on D-Day and were able to advance past the beaches. The work of the double agents during Fortitude saved thousands of Allied lives and was vital to the success of Operation Overlord.

San Francisco Coastal System grain size and geochemical data for sand provenance study

Over 150 million cubic meter of sand-sized sediment has disappeared from the central region of the San Francisco Bay Coastal System during the last half century. This enormous loss may reflect numerous anthropogenic influences, such as watershed damming, bay-fill development, aggregate mining, and dredging. The reduction in Bay sediment also appears to be linked to a reduction in sediment supply and recent widespread erosion of adjacent beaches, wetlands, and submarine environments. A unique, multi-faceted provenance study was performed to definitively establish the primary sources, sinks, and transport pathways of beach sized-sand in the region, thereby identifying the activities and processes that directly limit supply to the outer coast. This integrative program is based on comprehensive surficial sediment sampling of the San Francisco Bay Coastal System, including the seabed, Bay floor, area beaches, adjacent rock units, and major drainages. Analyses of sample morphometrics and biological composition (e.g., Foraminifera) were then integrated with a suite of tracers including 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotopes, rare earth elements, semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction mineralogy, and heavy minerals, and with process-based numerical modeling, in situ current measurements, and bedform asymmetry to robustly determine the provenance of beach-sized sand in the region.

Vegetation community and geochemistry in the Uummannaq District, West Greenland

Beach and salt marsh vegetation of the Uummannaq District, northern West Greenland (c. 70°15' N - 72° N, 49° W - 54° W) was studied 1998 according to the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological approach. Habitat analyses included soil chemistry. Such vegetation locally occurs and is not developed over extensive areas. On gravely stony beaches a Mertensia maritima ssp. maritima community occurs, while a Honckenya peploides var. diffusa community is confined to sandy beaches. The association Honckenyo diffusae-Elymetum mollis Thannh. 1975 is confined to sandy shore walls and low dunes. All vegetation types are assigned to the alliance Honckenyo- Elymion arenariae Tx. 1966, which again is a unit of the order Honckenyo- Elymetalia arenariae Tx. 1966, which is sub ordered to the class Honckenyo-Elymetea arenariae Tx. 1966. On fine sediments along sheltered coasts salt marsh vegetation is locally developed mainly on fiord deltas and outwash plains of small rivers and streams. A distinct zonation pattern in vegetation can be observed from the lower to upper salt marsh: Puccinellietum phryganodis Hadac 1946 association, Caricetum subspathaceae Hadac 1946 association, Caricetum ursinae Hadac 1946 association (all assigned to the alliance Puccinellion phryganodis Hadac 1946) and Festuco-Caricetum glareosae Nordh. 1954 association (assigned to the alliance Armerion maritimae Br.-Bl. et de Leeuw 1936). Both alliances are units of the order Glauco- Puccinellietalia Beeftink et Westhoff in Beeftink 1965, which is assigned to the class Asteretea tripolii Westhoff et Beeftink in Beeftink 1962. TWINSPAN and CCA support the vegetation classification and the CCA with soil chemistry parameters shows that salinity (related to position above MHW) and Ncontent are strongly correlated with the floristical differentiation of the vegetation of the Honckenyo-Elymetea class. In the Asteretea tripolii class, position above MHW (negatively correlated with pH, conductivity and Clcontent) and fresh water supply are likely the main factors, which affect vegetation differentiation. A synoptic survey of vegetation types from Greenland based on published phytosociological tables is presented and distribution of the vegetation types is addressed, just as their position in a circumpolar context. Moreover a Cochlearia groenlandica-Melandrium triflorum community is described as a new vegetation type, occurring on shallow soil on cliffs influenced by salt spray.

The Composition of Holocene Aeolianites; Western Eyre Peninsula, Great Australian Bight, South Australia

The Australian southern continental margin is the world’s largest site of cool-water carbonate deposition, and the Great Australian Bight is its largest sector. The Eyre Peninsula is fringed by coastal beaches with aeolianites and marks the eastern edge of the Great Australian Bight. Five shoreline transects of varying lengths spanned a 150km longitudinal distance and at each the intertidal, beach, dune and secondary dune environments were sampled, for a total of 18 samples. Sediments are a mixture of modern, relict, and Cenozoic carbonates, and quartz grains. Carbonate aeolianites on the western Eyre Peninsula are mostly composed of modern carbonate grains: predominantly molluscs (23-33%) and benthic foraminifera (10-26%), locally abundant coralline algae (3-28%), echinoids (2-22%), and bryozoans (2-14%). Cenozoic grain abundance ranges from 1-6% whereas relict grain abundance ranges from 0-17%. A southward increase in bryozoan particles correlates with a nutrient element abundance and decrease in temperature due to a large seasonal coastal upwelling system that drives 2-3 major upwelling events per year, bringing cold, nutrient rich, Sub-Antarctic Surface Water (<12°C) onto the shelf. In southern, mostly wind protected locations, the beach and dune sediment compositions are similar, indicating that wind energy has successfully carried all sediment components of the beach into the adjacent dunes. In northern, exposed locations, the composition is not the same everywhere, and trends indicate that relative wind energy has the ability to impact grain composition through preferential wind transport. Aeolianite composition is therefore a function of both upwelling and the degree of coastal exposure.

The Provenance and Geochemical Alteration of Bermudan Eolianites

Large calcareous eolianites cover the remote island of Bermuda, accounting for more than 90% of the limestone bedrock. This study examines the sedimentology and geochemistry of these eolianites to better understand Pleistocene oceanography and the meteoric alteration of subtropical carbonate sediments. Cluster analyses reveal that the eolian carbonate sediments fall into two natural groups that represent lagoonal and reefal end members of marine sediment production. Coral fragments are uncharacteristically absent, possibly destroyed prior to their incorporation into eolian deposits by endolithic microboring organisms or broken up during transport. Sediment assemblages lead to the following interpretations of the Bermudan offshore environment: (1) the Ledge Flats reef system along the southwestern coast has been active since MIS 11, contributing coralline algal-rich sediment to the northern beaches of Sandy’s Parish and acting as an energy barrier in the south, allowing for low energy sedimentation in the quiet back- reef region; (2) on the northeastern coast, the low energy back-reef region landward of the Ledge Flats has thrived since MIS 11; (3) during MIS 5e, slightly warmer water temperatures led to the hindrance of coralline algal growth along the southern coast and in the North Lagoon. These are the first interpretations of Pleistocene marine assemblages on Bermuda. Meteoric fluids progressively transformed the pristine carbonate sediments into hardened limestones in a predictable solubility-dependent manner. The progressive alteration is coincident with: (1) divergence of δ18O and δ13C values from those similar to unaltered sediment towards those of calcrete, due to interaction with CO2-charged meteoric fluids; (2) depletion of elements with low partitioning coefficients and low meteoric concentrations, such as barium, boron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, strontium, and uranium; (3) enrichment of iron from Terra Rossa-hosted iron oxides; (4) enrichment of aluminum via detrital minerals sourced from protosol horizons; and (5) manganese concentrations that remain uncharacteristically low, owing to the lack of a consistent manganese source. Elemental correlations are useful for characterizing meteoric diagenesis, assuming the primary mineralogy is recognized, all components have been fully altered, and inter-particle cements are ubiquitous.

Travel, back and forth, to the myth. Cinema´s contribution to the formation of the tourist iconography of Mallorca

Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, is a well-known summer holidays destination; an ideal place to relax and enjoy the sun and the sea. That tourist gaze reflected on postcards results from advertising campaigns, where cinema played an important role with documentaries and fiction films. The origins of that iconography started in the decades of the 1920’s and 1930’s, reflecting the so-called myth of the “island of calm”. On the other hand, the films of the 1950’s and 1960’s created new stereotypes related to the mass tourism boom. Busy beaches and the white bodies of tourists replaced white sandy beaches, mountains and landscapes shown up in the movies of the early decades of the 20th century. Besides, hotels and nightclubs also replaced monuments, rural landscapes and folk exhibitions. These tourist images mirror the social and spatial transformations of Mallorca, under standardization processes like other seaside mass tourist destinations. The identity was rebuilt on the foundations of "modernity". Although "balearization" has not ceased, nowadays filmmaking about Mallorca is advertising again a stereotype close to that one of the 1920s and 1930s, glorifying the myth of the "island of calm". This singular identity makes the island more profitable for capital that searches socio-spatial differentiation in post-fordist times.

Synchrony on embryonic development of marine turtles: individual variability and environmental effects

[EN] For sea turtles, to hatch and emerge from the nest communally is essential to decrease hatchling mortality. Thus, it is very important within a nest the simultaneous fertilization and the synchronized embryonic development of all eggs. On loggerhead nesting beaches of Cape Verde we have studied the individual variability on developmental synchrony of embryos and the influence on this process of some biological, environmental and management factors. We have compared this trait within and between 34 nests naturally incubated on the beach and 34 nests relocated to a beach hatchery during the 2009 and 2010 nesting seasons.

Injuries observed in nesting females of loggerhead turtles on Boavista island (Cabo Verde Archipelago)

[EN] Different kinds of physical anomalies are frequently observed in any sea turtle breeding population. Nesting beaches are an excellent place to study the injuries and defects that occur in adult females. The archipelago of Cape Verde is situated about 500 km of Senegal, West Africa. Boavista is the eastern most island and may constitute the most important nesting area for the loggerhead turtle in the archipelago. The studies conducted from 1998 to 2004 indicate that Cape Verde might account for one of the most important loggerheads populations in the eastern Atlantic. The nesting females in Boavista were surveyed during the 2004 season, in order to (1) know the health status of the population (2) determine the effects of physical anomalies on nesting behaviour and (3) determine the possible origin of the injuries observed.

Preliminary approach to the hatchlings sex-ratio of a population of Caretta caretta of Boavista island, Cape Verde Archipielago (Western Africa).

[EN] A nesting population of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta has recently been described for Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde Archipelago (Western Africa). Since 1998, “Projecto Cabo Verde Natura 2000” has monitored three beaches during the turtle breeding season. The beaches being monitored - Calheta, Errata and Ponta Cosme - are located in the southeast part of Boa Vista Island. This work intends to give a first insight into the Boa Vista Island sea turtle population’s sex ratio using a histological approach, as sexual determination in sea turtles is known to be temperature-dependent (TSD or temperature-dependent sex determination).

Climate change and the evolution of loggerhead sex-ratio in Cabo Verde

[EN] Global warming can affect nesting success of sea turtles due to the rise of the sea level and the subsequent increased inundation or erosion of nesting beaches. Moreover, it can reduce male production to levels that can alter reproduction due to their temperature dependant sex determination (TSD). Now, mean nest temperatures all around the world predict a predominance of female hatchlings, and this trend may increase with global warming in the next decades.

Synchrony on embryonic development of marine turtles: individual variability and environmental effects

[EN] For sea turtles, to hatch and emerge from the nest communally is essential to decrease hatchling mortality. Thus, it is very important within a nest the simultaneous fertilization and the synchronized embryonic development of all eggs. On loggerhead nesting beaches of Cape Verde we have studied the individual variability on developmental synchrony of embryos and the influence on this process of some biological, environmental and management factors. We have compared this trait within and between 34 nests naturally incubated on the beach and 34 nests relocated to a beach hatchery during the 2009 and 2010 nesting seasons.

Injuries observed in nesting females of loggerhead turtles on Boavista island (Cabo Verde Archipelago)

[EN] Different kinds of physical anomalies are frequently observed in any sea turtle breeding population. Nesting beaches are an excellent place to study the injuries and defects that occur in adult females. The archipelago of Cape Verde is situated about 500 km of Senegal, West Africa. Boavista is the eastern most island and may constitute the most important nesting area for the loggerhead turtle in the archipelago. The studies conducted from 1998 to 2004 indicate that Cape Verde might account for one of the most important loggerheads populations in the eastern Atlantic. The nesting females in Boavista were surveyed during the 2004 season, in order to (1) know the health status of the population (2) determine the effects of physical anomalies on nesting behaviour and (3) determine the possible origin of the injuries observed.

Monitoring and conservation of the largest loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting population in Africa: successes and challenges.

[EN] The Republic of Cape Verde is situated about 500 km off the coast of Senegal, West Africa. The islands of Sal, Boa Vista and Maio constitute the Eastern group and harbour the most important nesting beaches for loggerhead turtles in the Archipelago. During 1998-2004 nesting seasons, fieldwork has been focused on the eastern beaches of Boa Vista and, occasionally, in other beaches of Boa Vista and in the islands of Maio, Sal and Santa Luzia. The main study area includes a total extension of 3.1 km of suitable nesting beaches. All through these years, a tagging program has been carried out, alongside recording of biological data and monitoring of nests.

Effects of light pollution by car headlights on loggerhead hatchlings in Cape Verde

[EN] Many sea turtle nesting areas are experiencing a tremendous growth in tourism during the last decades that will likely continue in the near future. Many touristic activities involve light pollution by the increasing presence of vehicles close or even over the beaches. Vehicles can drive towards or along the beaches and even stay with the lights turned on illuminating during prolonged periods of time significant zones with sea turtle nesting activity. Thus, it is important to evaluate the impact of car light pollution on both nesting females and newborns in their search of the sea.

Experimental study about the impact of artificial lighting on loggerhead female nesting in Cape Verde.

[EN] Artificial illumination of nesting beaches is one of the main threats to endangered sea turtle populations. Nocturnal lighting can impair female nest site selection and nesting success, as well as behavior and hatchling survival in their way from the nest surface to the seashore. The island of Boavista (Cape Verde) hosts the third largest loggerhead nesting aggregation in the world and the only relevant population in the Eastern Atlantic coast. Several threats such as fishing by-catch and female slaughter during nesting are severely threatening its conservation.