Studies of fungi associated with Tomicus piniperda L. in Finland

The Scots pine bark beetle, Tomicus piniperda is a secondary colonizer of pine and other conifers. It is a native species from Europe and Asia that was recently introduced in North America. Although it is necessary to understand this insect's interactions with other organisms, few studies have focussed on its fungal associates. This study focused on the effect of latitude in the occurrence of fungi associated with T. piniperda. T. piniperda were collected from Pinus sylvestris in Northern (Rovaniemi) and Southern (Hyytiala) Finland. Both endo- and epi- mycota were isolated. The fungi were identified using a combination of morphological features and molecular data. The results revealed a great diversity of fungi species associated with T. piniperda, with a total of 3073 isolates representing 23 species. The most frequently isolated fungi in the bark beetles from Northern Finland were Beauvaria bassiana, Kuraishia sp. and Penicillium sp. whereas P. brevicompactum and Mortierella sp. were mostly observed in the South. Ophiostoma canum and O. minus were also observed. The number of isolates per insect in the north was 2.83 epi- and 2.38 for endo-mycota fungus. In the south, the number of isolates per insect was 4.1 for epi- and 3.5 for endo-mycota. Statistical analysis indicated that there was significant differences in fungal populations associated with the beetles in Southern and Northern Finland. There was however no significant difference between the epi- and endo-mycota fungal populations. The highest richness and diversity of the fungal species was observed in the South. However, the overall fungal diversity index analysis revealed that the mycobiota was undersampled.

High-rate, Double-Symbol-Decodable STBCs from Clifford Algebras

For the number of transmit antennas N = 2(a) the maximum rate (in complex symbols per channel use) of all the Quasi-Orthogonal Designs (QODs) reported in the literature is a/2(a)-1. In this paper, we report double-symbol-decodable Space-Time Block Codes with rate a-1/2(a)-2 for N = 2(a) transmit antennas. In particular, our code for 8 and 16 transmit antennas offer rates 1 and 3/4 respectively, the known QODs offer only 3/4 and 1/2 respectively. Our construction is based on the representations of Clifford algebras and applicable for any number of transmit antennas. We study the diversity sum and diversity product of our codes. We show that our diversity sum is larger than that of all known QODs and hence our codes perform better than the comparable QODs at low SNRs for identical spectral efficiency. We provide simulation results for various spectral efficiencies.

Microhabitat selection in an assemblage of crickets (Orthoptera: Ensifera) of a tropical evergreen forest in Southern India

1. Habitat selection is a universal aspect of animal ecology that has important fitness consequences and may drive patterns of spatial organisation in ecological communities. 2. Measurements of habitat selection have mostly been carried out on single species and at the landscape level. Quantitative studies examining microhabitat selection at the community level are scarce, especially in insects. 3. In this study, microhabitat selection in a natural assemblage of cricket species was examined for the first time using resource selection functions (RSF), an approach more commonly applied in studies of macrohabitat selection. 4. The availability and differential use of six microhabitats by 13 species of crickets inhabiting a tropical evergreen forest in southern India was examined. The six available microhabitats included leaf litter-covered ground, tree trunks, dead logs, brambles, understorey and canopy foliage. The area offered by the six microhabitats was estimated using standard methods of forest structure measurement. Of the six microhabitats, the understorey and canopy accounted for approximately 70% of the total available area. 5. The use of different microhabitats by the 13 species was investigated using acoustic sampling of crickets to locate calling individuals. Using RSF, it was found that of 13 cricket species examined, 10 showed 100% selection for a specific microhabitat. Of these, two species showed fairly high selection for brambles and dead logs, which were rare microhabitats, highlighting the importance of preserving all components of forest structure.

Recovery of tropical rainforest avifauna in relation to vegetation succession following shifting cultivation in Mizoram, north-east India

1. Recovery of rainforest bird community structure and composition, in relation to forest succession after slash-and-burn shifting cultivation or jhum was studied in Mizoram, north-east India. Replicate fallow sites abandoned after shifting cultivation 1, 5, 10, 25 and approximate to 100 years ago, were compared with primary evergreen and semi-evergreen forest using transect and quadrat sampling. 2. Vegetation variables such as woody plant species richness, tree density and vertical stratification increased with fallow age in a rapid. nun-linear, asymptotic manner. Principal components analysis of vegetation variables summarized 92.8% of the variation into two axes: PC1 reflecting forest development and woody plant succession (variables such as tree density, woody plant species richness), and PC2 depicting bamboo density, which increased from 1 to 25 years and declined thereafter. 3. Bird species richness, abundance and diversity, increased rapidly and asymptotically during succession paralleling vegetation recovery as shown by positive correlations with fallow age and PC1 scores of sites. Bamboo density reflected by PC2 had a negative effect on bird species richness and abundance. 4. The bird community similarity (Morisita index) of sites with primary forest also increased asymptotically with fallow age indicating sequential species turnover during succession. Bird community similarity of sites with primary forest (or between sites) was positively correlated with both physiognomic and floristic similarities with primary forest (or between sites). 5. The number of bird species in guilds associated with forest development and woody plants (canopy insectivores, frugivores: bark feeders) was correlated with PCI scores of the sites. Species in other guilds (e. g. granivores, understorey insectivores) appeared to dominate during early and mid-succession. 6. The non-linear relationships imply that fallow periods less than a threshold of 25 years for birds, and about 50-75 years for woody plants, are likely to cause substantial community alteration. 7. As 5-10-year rotation periods or jhum cycles prevail in many parts of north-east India. there is a need to protect and conserve tracts of late-successional and primary forest.

Quantum phenomena in magnetic nano clusters

One of the fascinating fields of study in magnetism in recent years has been the study of quantum phenomena in nanosystems. While semiconductor structures have provided paradigms of nanosystems from the stand point of electronic phenomena the synthesis of high nuclearity transition metal complexes have provided examples of nano magnets. The range and diversity of the properties exhibited by these systems rivals its electronic counterparts. Qualitative understanding of these phenomena requires only a knowledge of basic physics, but quantitative study throws up many challenges that are similar to those encountered in the study of correlated electronic systems. In this article, a brief overview of the current trends in this area arc highlighted and some of the efforts of our group in developing a quantitative understanding of this field are outlined.

Nature's Swiss Army Knives: Ovipositor Structure Mirrors Ecology in a Multitrophic Fig Wasp Community

Background: Resource partitioning is facilitated by adaptations along niche dimensions that range from morphology to behaviour. The exploitation of hidden resources may require specially adapted morphological or sensory tools for resource location and utilisation. Differences in tool diversity and complexity can determine not only how many species can utilize these hidden resources but also how they do so. Methodology and Principal Findings: The sclerotisation, gross morphology and ultrastructure of the ovipositors of a seven-member community of parasitic wasps comprising of gallers and parasitoids developing within the globular syconia (closed inflorescences) of Ficus racemosa (Moraceae) was investigated. These wasps also differ in their parasitism mode (external versus internal oviposition) and their timing of oviposition into the expanding syconium during its development. The number and diversity of sensilla, as well as ovipositor teeth, increased from internally ovipositing to externally ovipositing species and from gallers to parasitoids. The extent of sclerotisation of the ovipositor tip matched the force required to penetrate the syconium at the time of oviposition of each species. The internally ovipositing pollinator had only one type of sensillum and a single notch on the ovipositor tip. Externally ovipositing species had multiple sensilla types and teeth on their ovipositors. Chemosensilla were most concentrated at ovipositor tips while mechanoreceptors were more widely distributed, facilitating the precise location of hidden hosts in these wasps which lack larval host-seeking behaviour. Ovipositor traits of one parasitoid differed from those of its syntopic galler congeners and clustered with those of parasitoids within a different wasp subfamily. Thus ovipositor tools can show lability based on adaptive necessity, and are not constrained by phylogeny. Conclusions/Significance: Ovipositor structure mirrored the increasingly complex trophic ecology and requirements for host accessibility in this parasite community. Ovipositor structure could be a useful surrogate for predicting the biology of parasites in other communities.

Biomonitoring of Lotic habitats through Diatoms

Freshwater ecosystems vary in size and composition and contain a wide range of organisms which interact with each other and with the environment. These interactions are between organisms and the environment as nutrient cycling, biomass formation and transfer, maintenance of internal environment and interactions with the external environment. The range of organisms present in aquatic communities decides the generation and transfer function of biomass, which defines and characterises the system. These organisms have distinct roles as they occupy particular trophic levels, forming an interconnected system in a food chain. Availability of resources and competition would primarily determine the balance of individual species within the food web, which in turn influences the variety and proportions of the different organisms, with important implications for the overall functioning of the system. This dynamic and diverse relationship decides the physical, chemical and biological elements across spatial and temporal scales in the aquatic ecosystem, which can be recorded by regular inventorying and monitoring to maintain the integrity and conserve the ecosystem. Regular environmental monitoring, particularly water quality monitoring allows us to detect, assess and manage the overall impacts on the rivers. The appreciation of water quality is in constant flux. Water quality assessments derived through the biotic indices, i.e. assessments based on observations of the resident floral and faunal communities has gained importance in recent years. Biological evaluations provide a description of the water quality that is often not achievable from elemental analyses alone. A biological indicator (or bioindicator) is a taxon or taxa selected based on its sensitivity to a particular attribute, and then assessed to make inferences about that attribute. In other words, they are a substitute for directly measuring abiotic features or other biota. Bioindicators are evaluated through presence or absence, condition, relative abundance, reproductive success, community structure (i.e. composition and diversity), community function (i.e. trophic structure), or any combination thereof.Biological communities reflect the overall ecological integrity by integrating various stresses, thus providing a broad measure of their synergistic impacts. Aquatic communities, both plants and animals, integrate and reflect the effects of chemical and physical disturbances that occur over extended periods of time. Monitoring procedures based on the biota measure the health of a river and the ability of aquatic ecosystems to support life as opposed to simply characterising the chemical and physical components of a particular system. This is the central purpose of assessing the biological condition of aquatic communities of a river.Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), blue green algae (Cyanophyceae), green algae (Chlorophyceae), and red algae (Rhodphyceae) are the main groups of algae in flowing water. These organisms are widely used as biological indicators of environmental health in the aquatic ecosystem because algae occupy the most basic level in the transfer of energy through natural aquatic systems. The distribution of algae in an aquatic ecosystem is directly related to the fundamental factors such as physical, chemical and biological constituents. Soft algae (all the algal groups except diatoms) have also been used as indicators of biological integrity, but they may have less efficiency than diatoms in this respect due to their highly variable morphology. The diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) comprise a ubiquitous, highly successful and distinctive group of unicellular algae with the most obvious distinguishing characteristic feature being siliceous cell walls (frustules). The photosynthetic organisms living within its photic zone are responsible for about one-half of global primary productivity. The most successful organisms are thought to be photosynthetic prokaryotes (cyanobacteria and prochlorophytes) and a class of eukaryotic unicellular algae known as diatoms. Diatoms are likely to have arisen around 240 million years ago following an endosymbiotic event between a red eukaryotic alga and a heterotrophic flagellate related to the Oomycetes.The importance of algae to riverine ecology is easily appreciated when one considers that they are primary producers that convert inorganic nutrients into biologically active organic compounds while providing physical habitat for other organisms. As primary producers, algae transform solar energy into food from which many invertebrates obtain their energy. Algae also transform inorganic nutrients, such as atmospheric nitrogen into organic forms such as ammonia and amino acids that can be used by other organisms. Algae stabilises the substrate and creates mats that form structural habitats for fish and invertebrates. Algae are a source of organic matter and provide habitat for other organisms such as non-photosynthetic bacteria, protists, invertebrates, and fish. Algae's crucial role in stream ecosystems and their excellent indicator properties make them an important component of environmental studies to assess the effects of human activities on stream health. Diatoms are used as biological indicators for a number of reasons: 1. They occur in all types of aquatic ecosystems. 2. They collectively show a broad range of tolerance along a gradient of aquatic productivity, individual species have specific water chemistry requirements. 3. They have one of the shortest generation times of all biological indicators (~2 weeks). They reproduce and respond rapidly to environmental change and provide early measures of both pollution impacts and habitat restoration. 4. It takes two to three weeks before changes are reflected to a measurable extent in the assemblage composition.

Generalized bidirectional multi-pair multi-antennawireless network coding

In this paper, we focus on increasing the throughput and diversity of network coded MIMO transmissions in bidirectional multi-pair wireless relay networks. All nodes have multi-antenna capability. Pairs of nodes want to exchange messages via a relay having multi-antenna and encoding/decoding capability. Nodes transmit their messages to the relay in the first (MAC) phase. The relay decodes all the messages and XORs them and broadcasts the XORed message in the second (BC) phase. We develop a generalized framework for bidirectional multi-pair multi-antenna wireless network coding, which models different MIMO transmission schemes including spatial multiplexing (V-BLAST), orthogonal STBC (OSTBC), and non-orthogonal STBC (NO-STBC) in a unified way. Enhanced throughputs are achieved by allowing all nodes to simultaneously transmit at their full rate. High diversity orders are achieved through the use of NO-STBCs, characterized by full rate and full transmit diversity. We evaluate and compare the performance of VBLAST, OSTBC, and NO-STBC schemes in one-dimensional 1-pair linear network (one pair of nodes and a relay) and two-dimensional 2-pair `cross' network (two pairs of nodes and a relay).

Pressure Controlled Self-Assembly of High Quality Three-Dimensional Colloidal Photonic Crystals

A concise pressure controlled isothermal heating vertical deposition (PCIHVD) method is developed, which provides an optimal growing condition with better stability and reproducibility for fabricating photonic crystals (PCs) without the limitation of colloidal sphere materials and sizes. High quality PCs are fabricated with PCIHVD from polystyrene spheres with diameters ranging from 200 nm to 1 mu m. The deep photonic band gap and steep photonic band edge of the samples are most favorable for realizing ultrafast optical devices, photonic chips, and communications. This method makes a meaningful advance in the quality and diversity of PCs and greatly promotes their wide applications.

Sistema recomendador de recursos educativos para la enseñanza de las ciencias

Resumen: En el dominio de la educación existe gran cantidad y diversidad de material multimedial que puede ser utilizado en la enseñanza y que constituye una importante contribución al proceso enseñanzaaprendizaje. Mucho de este material es accesible a través de diferentes repositorios de objetos de aprendizaje, donde cada objeto tiene metadatos descriptivos. Estos metadatos permiten recuperar aquellos objetos que satisfagan no sólo el tema de la consulta, sino también el perfil de usuario, teniendo en cuenta sus características y preferencias. En este trabajo se presenta una propuesta de un sistema recomendador de objetos de aprendizaje que ayuda a un usuario a encontrar

Physical Constraints to Aquatic Plant Growth in New Zealand Lakes

The nature of aquatic plant communities often defines benthic habitat within oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes and lake management increasingly recognizes the importance of maintaining plant diversity in order to sustain biological diversity and capacity within lakes. We have developed simple statistical relationships between key physical and vegetation variables that define the habitat requirements, or “habitat-templates”, of key vegetation types to facilitate management of plant communities in New Zealand lakes. Statistical relationships were derived from two datasets. The first was a multi-lake dataset to determine the effects of water level fluctuation and water clarity. The second dataset was from a comprehensive shoreline survey of Lake Wanaka, which allowed us to examine within-lake variables such as beach slope and wave action. Sufficient statistical relationships were established to develop a habitat template for each of the major species or assemblages. The relationships suggested that the extent and diversity of shallow-growing species was related to a combination of the extent of water level fluctuation and wave exposure. (PDF contains 9 pages.)

Processing Simulation of Virtual Manufacture in Laser Surface Treatmenthang

Processing simulation is at the bottom of the coral technology of VM and is also difficult due to the complexity of mechanism and diversity of parameters. Previously much research has been mainly carried out on the geometrical simulation or physical simulation respectively. The aim of this paper is to study the processing simulation in laser surface treatment based on the mechanism, put forward the architecture of the whole processing simulation and give the models of the processing. As a result the data structure layers in the whole simulation is presented.

Ongoing monitoring of Tortugas Ecological Reserve: Assessing the consequences of reserve designation

Over the past five years, a biogeographic characterization of Tortugas Ecological Reserve(TER) has been carried out to measure the post-implementation effects of TER as a refuge for exploited species. Our results demonstrate that there is substantial microalgal biomass at depths between 10 and 30 m in the soft sediments at the coral reef interface, and that this community may play an important role in the food web supporting reef organisms. In addition, preliminary stable isotope data, in conjunction with prior results from the west Florida shelf, suggest that the shallow water benthic habitats surrounding the coral reefs of TER will prove to be an important source of the primary production ultimately fueling fish production throughout TER. The majority of the fish analyzed so far have exhibited a C isotope signature consistent with a food web which relies heavily on benthic primary production. Fish counts indicate a marked increase in the abundance of large fish (>20 cm) within the Reserve relative to the Out and Park strata, across years. Faunal collections from open and protected soft bottom habitat near the northern boundary of Tortugas North strongly suggest that relaxation of trawling pressure has increased benthic biomass and diversity in this area of TER. These data, employing an integrated Before - After Control Impact (BACI) design at multiple spatial scales, will allow us to continue to document and quantify the post-implementation effects of TER. (PDF contains 58 pages)

Ecological condition of coastal ocean waters along the U.S. Western Continental Shelf: 2003

Executive Summary: The western National Coastal Assessment (NCA-West) program of EPA, in conjunction with the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS), conducted an assessment of the status of ecological condition of soft sediment habitats and overlying waters along the western U.S. continental shelf, between the target depths of 30 and 120 m, during June 2003. NCA-West and NOAA/NOS partnered with the West Coast states (Washington (WA), Oregon (OR), and California (CA)), and the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) Bight ’03 program to conduct the survey. A total of 257 stations were sampled from Cape Flattery, WA to the Mexican border using standard methods and indicators applied in previous coastal NCA projects. A key study feature was the incorporation of a stratified-random sampling design with stations stratified by state and National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) status. Each of the three states was represented by at least 50 random stations. There also were a total of 84 random stations located within NOAA’s five NMSs along the West Coast including the Olympic Coast NMS (OCNMS), Cordell Bank NMS (CBNMS), Gulf of Farallones NMS (GFNMS), Monterey Bay NMS (MBNMS), and Channel Islands NMS (CINMS). Collection of flatfish via hook-and-line for fish-tissue contaminant analysis was successful at 50 EMAP/NCA-West stations. Through a collaboration developed with the FRAM Division of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, fish from an additional 63 stations in the same region and depth range were also analyzed for fish-tissue contaminants. Bottom depth throughout the region ranged from 28 m to 125 m for most stations. Two slightly deeper stations from the Southern California Bight (SCB) (131, 134 m) were included in the data set. About 44% of the survey area had sediments composed of sands (< 20% silt-clay), about 47% was composed of intermediate muddy sands (20-80% silt-clay), and about 9% was composed of muds (> 80% silt-clay). The majority of the survey area (97%) had relatively low percent total organic carbon (TOC) levels of < 2%, while a small portion (< 1%) had high TOC levels (> 5%), in a range potentially harmful to benthic fauna. Salinity of surface waters for 92% of the survey area were > 31 psu, with most stations < 31 psu associated with the Columbia River plume. Bottom salinities ranged only between 31.6 and 34.4 psu. There was virtually no difference in mean bottom salinities among states or between NMS and non-NMS stations. Temperatures of surface water (range 8.5 -19.9 °C) and bottom water (range 5.8 -14.7 °C) averaged several degrees higher in CA in comparison to WA and OR. The Δσt index of watercolumn stratification indicated that about 31% of the survey area had strong vertical stratification of the water column. The index was greatest for waters off WA and lowest for CA waters. Only about 2.6 % of the survey area had surface dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations ≤ 4.8 mg/L, and there were no values below the lower threshold (2.3 mg/L) considered harmful to the survival and growth of marine animals. Surface DO concentrations were higher in WA and OR waters than in CA, and higher in the OC NMS than in the CA sanctuaries. An estimated 94.3% of the area had bottom-water DO concentrations ≤ 4.8 mg/L and 6.6% had concentrations ≤ 2.3 mg/L. The high prevalence of DO from 2.3 to 4.8 mg/L (85% of survey area) is believed to be associated with the upwelling of naturally low DO water across the West Coast shelf. Mean TSS and transmissivity in surface waters (excluding OR due to sample problems) were slightly higher and lower, respectively, for stations in WA than for those in CA. There was little difference in mean TSS or transmissivity between NMS and non-NMS locations. Mean transmissivity in bottom waters, though higher in comparison to surface waters, showed little difference among geographic regions or between NMS and non-NMS locations. Concentrations of nitrate + nitrite, ammonium, total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and orthophosphate (P) in surface waters tended to be highest in CA compared to WA and OR, and higher in the CA NMS stations compared to CA non-sanctuary stations. Measurements of silicate in surface waters were limited to WA and CA (exclusive of the SCB) and showed that concentrations were similar between the two states and approximately twice as high in CA sanctuaries compared to OCNMS or nonsanctuary locations in either state. The elevated nutrient concentrations observed at CA NMS stations are consistent with the presence of strong upwelling at these sites at the time of sampling. Approximately 93% of the area had DIN/P values ≤ 16, indicative of nitrogen limitation. Mean DIN/P ratios were similar among the three states, although the mean for the OCNMS was less than half that of the CA sanctuaries or nonsanctuary locations. Concentrations of chlorophyll a in surface waters ranged from 0 to 28 μg L-1, with 50% of the area having values < 3.9 μg L-1 and 10% having values > 14.5 μg L-1. The mean concentration of chlorophyll a for CA was less than half that of WA and OR locations, and concentrations were lowest in non-sanctuary sites in CA and highest at the OCNMS. Shelf sediments throughout the survey area were relatively uncontaminated with the exception of a group of stations within the SCB. Overall, about 99% of the total survey area was rated in good condition (<5 chemicals measured above corresponding effect range low (ERL) concentrations). Only the pesticides 4,4′-DDE and total DDT exceeded corresponding effect range-median (ERM) values, all at stations in CA near Los Angeles. Ten other contaminants including seven metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ag, Zn), 2-methylnaphthalene, low molecular weight PAHs, and total PCBs exceeded corresponding ERLs. The most prevalent in terms of area were chromium (31%), arsenic (8%), 2-methylnaphthalene (6%), cadmium (5%), and mercury (4%). The chromium contamination may be related to natural background sources common to the region. The 2-methylnaphthalene exceedances were conspicuously grouped around the CINMS. The mercury exceedances were all at non-sanctuary sites in CA, particularly in the Los Angeles area. Concentrations of cadmium in fish tissues exceeded the lower end of EPA’s non-cancer, human-health-risk range at nine of 50 EMAP/NCA-West and nine of 60 FRAM groundfish-survey stations, including a total of seven NMS stations in CA and two in the OCNMS. The human-health guidelines for all other contaminants were only exceeded for total PCBs at one station located in WA near the mouth of the Columbia River. Benthic species richness was relatively high in these offshore assemblages, ranging from 19 to 190 taxa per 0.1-m2 grab and averaging 79 taxa/grab. The high species richness was reflected over large areas of the shelf and was nearly three times greater than levels observed in estuarine samples along the West Coast (e.g NCA-West estuarine mean of 26 taxa/grab). Mean species richness was highest off CA (94 taxa/grab) and lower in OR and WA (55 and 56 taxa/grab, respectively). Mean species richness was very similar between sanctuary vs. non-sanctuary stations for both the CA and OR/WA regions. Mean diversity index H′ was highest in CA (5.36) and lowest in WA (4.27). There were no major differences in mean H′ between sanctuary vs. nonsanctuary stations for both the CA and OR/WA regions. A total of 1,482 taxa (1,108 to species) and 99,135 individuals were identified region-wide. Polychaetes, crustaceans and molluscs were the dominant taxa, both by percent abundance (59%, 17%, 12% respectively) and percent species (44%, 25%, 17%, respectively). There were no major differences in the percent composition of benthic communities among states or between NMSs and corresponding non-sanctuary sites. Densities averaged 3,788 m-2, about 30% of the average density for West Coast estuaries. Mean density of benthic fauna in the present offshore survey, averaged by state, was highest in CA (4,351 m-2) and lowest in OR (2,310 m-2). Mean densities were slightly higher at NMS stations vs. non-sanctuary stations for both the CA and OR/WA regions. The 10 most abundant taxa were the polychaetes Mediomastus spp., Magelona longicornis, Spiophanes berkeleyorum, Spiophanes bombyx, Spiophanes duplex, and Prionospio jubata; the bivalve Axinopsida serricata, the ophiuroid Amphiodia urtica, the decapod Pinnixa occidentalis, and the ostracod Euphilomedes carcharodonta. Mediomastus spp. and A. serricata were the two most abundant taxa overall. Although many of these taxa have broad geographic distributions throughout the region, the same species were not ranked among the 10 most abundant taxa consistently across states. The closest similarities among states were between OR and WA. At least half of the 10 most abundant taxa in NMSs were also dominant in corresponding nonsanctuary waters. Many of the abundant benthic species have wide latitudinal distributions along the West Coast shelf, with some species ranging from southern CA into the Gulf of Alaska or even the Aleutians. Of the 39 taxa on the list of 50 most abundant taxa that could be identified to species level, 85% have been reported at least once from estuaries of CA, OR, or WA exclusive of Puget Sound. Such broad latitudinal and estuarine distributions are suggestive of wide habitat tolerances. Thirteen (1.2%) of the 1,108 identified species are nonindigenous, with another 121 species classified as cryptogenic (of uncertain origin), and 208 species unclassified with respect to potential invasiveness. Despite uncertainties of classification, the number and densities of nonindigenous species appear to be much lower on the shelf than in the estuarine ecosystems of the Pacific Coast. Spionid polychaetes and the ampharetid polychaete Anobothrus gracilis were a major component of the nonindigenous species collected on the shelf. NOAA’s five NMSs along the West Coast of the U.S. appeared to be in good ecological condition, based on the measured indicators, with no evidence of major anthropogenic impacts or unusual environmental qualities compared to nearby nonsanctuary waters. Benthic communities in sanctuaries resembled those in corresponding non-sanctuary waters, with similarly high levels of species richness and diversity and low incidence of nonindigenous species. Most oceanographic features were also similar between sanctuary and non-sanctuary locations. Exceptions (e.g., higher concentrations of some nutrients in sanctuaries along the CA coast) appeared to be attributable to natural upwelling events in the area at the time of sampling. In addition, sediments within the sanctuaries were relatively uncontaminated, with none of the samples having any measured chemical in excess of ERM values. The ERL value for chromium was exceeded in sediments at the OCNMS, but at a much lower percentage of stations (four of 30) compared to WA and OR non-sanctuary areas (31 of 70 stations). ERL values were exceeded for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, 2- methylnaphthalene, low molecular weight PAHs, total DDT, and 4,4′-DDE at multiple sites within the CINMS. However, cases where total DDT, 4,4′-DDE, and chromium exceeded the ERL values were notably less prevalent at CINMS than in non-sanctuary waters of CA. In contrast, 2-methylnaphthalene above the ERL was much more prevalent in sediments at the CINMS compared to non-sanctuary waters off the coast of CA. While there are natural background sources of PAHs from oil seeps throughout the SCB, this does not explain the higher incidence of 2-methylnaphthalene contamination around CINMS. Two stations in CINMS also had levels of TOC (> 5%) potentially harmful to benthic fauna, though none of these sites exhibited symptoms of impaired benthic condition. This study showed no major evidence of extensive biological impacts linked to measured stressors. There were only two stations, both in CA, where low numbers of benthic species, diversity, or total faunal abundance co-occurred with high sediment contamination or low DO in bottom water. Such general lack of concordance suggests that these offshore waters are currently in good condition, with the lower-end values of the various biological attributes representing parts of a normal reference range controlled by natural factors. Results of multiple linear regression, performed using full model procedures to test for effects of combined abiotic environmental factors, suggested that latitude and depth had significant influences on benthic variables regionwide. Latitude had a significant inverse influence on all three of the above benthic variables, i.e. with values increasing as latitude decreased (p< 0.01), while depth had a significant direct influence on diversity (p < 0.001) and inverse effect on density (p <0.01). None of these variables varied significantly in relation to sediment % fines (at p< 0.1), although in general there was a tendency for muddier sediments (higher % fines) to have lower species richness and diversity and higher densities than coarser sediments. Alternatively, it is possible that for some of these sites the lower values of benthic variables reflect symptoms of disturbance induced by other unmeasured stressors. The indicators in this study included measures of stressors (e.g., chemical contaminants, eutrophication) that are often associated with adverse biological impacts in shallower estuarine and inland ecosystems. However, there may be other sources of humaninduced stress in these offshore systems (e.g., bottom trawling) that pose greater risks to ambient living resources and which have not been captured. Future monitoring efforts in these offshore areas should include indicators of such alternative sources of disturbance. (137pp.) (PDF contains 167 pages)

The Expanded mtDNA Phylogeny of the Franco-Cantabrian Region Upholds the Pre-Neolithic Genetic Substrate of Basques

9 p.