Long-finned pilot whale population diversity and structure in Atlantic waters assessed through biogeochemical and genetic markers

Acknowledgements. Cetacean samples were collected under the auspices of stranding monitoring programs run by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, the Coordinadora para o Estudio dos Mamíferos Mariños (supported by the regional government Xunta de Galicia), the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme and the Scottish Agriculture College Veterinary Science Division (jointly funded by Defra and the Devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales), the Marine Mammals Research Group of the Institute of Marine Research (Norway), the Museum of Natural History of the Faroe Islands and the International Fund for Animal Welfare Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program (USA). The authors thank all the members of these institutions and organizations for their assistance with data and sample collection. S.S.M., P.M.F. and M.F. were supported by PhD grants from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (POPH/FSE ref SFRH/BD/ 38735/ 2007, SFRH/BD/36766/2007 and SFRH/BD/30240/ 2006, respectively). A.L. was supported by a postdoctoral grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (ref SFRH/BPD/82407/2011). The work related to strandings and tissue collection in Portugal was partially supported by the SafeSea project EEAGrants PT 0039 (supported by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Financial Mechanism), the MarPro project Life09 NAT/PT/000038 (funded by the European Union program LIFE+) and the project CetSenti FCT RECI/AAG-GLO/0470/2012 (FCOMP- 01-0124-FEDER-027472) (funded by the program COMPETE and the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia). G.J.P. thanks the University of Aveiro and Caixa Geral de Depósitos (Portugal) for financial support. The authors acknowledge the assistance of the chemical analysts at Marine Scotland Science with the fatty acid analysis.

Long-finned pilot whale population diversity and structure in Atlantic waters assessed through biogeochemical and genetic markers

Acknowledgements. Cetacean samples were collected under the auspices of stranding monitoring programs run by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, the Coordinadora para o Estudio dos Mamíferos Mariños (supported by the regional government Xunta de Galicia), the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme and the Scottish Agriculture College Veterinary Science Division (jointly funded by Defra and the Devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales), the Marine Mammals Research Group of the Institute of Marine Research (Norway), the Museum of Natural History of the Faroe Islands and the International Fund for Animal Welfare Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program (USA). The authors thank all the members of these institutions and organizations for their assistance with data and sample collection. S.S.M., P.M.F. and M.F. were supported by PhD grants from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (POPH/FSE ref SFRH/BD/ 38735/ 2007, SFRH/BD/36766/2007 and SFRH/BD/30240/ 2006, respectively). A.L. was supported by a postdoctoral grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (ref SFRH/BPD/82407/2011). The work related to strandings and tissue collection in Portugal was partially supported by the SafeSea project EEAGrants PT 0039 (supported by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Financial Mechanism), the MarPro project Life09 NAT/PT/000038 (funded by the European Union program LIFE+) and the project CetSenti FCT RECI/AAG-GLO/0470/2012 (FCOMP- 01-0124-FEDER-027472) (funded by the program COMPETE and the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia). G.J.P. thanks the University of Aveiro and Caixa Geral de Depósitos (Portugal) for financial support. The authors acknowledge the assistance of the chemical analysts at Marine Scotland Science with the fatty acid analysis.

The EU landing obligation and European small-scale fisheries: What are the odds for success?

A landing obligation was formally implemented in the European Union (EU) for the first time, as part of the recent reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Given the reasonable success of the landing obligation in some countries such as the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway, this policy is seen as a viable approach to tackle the long-recognized discarding problem in EU waters. However, there has been some debate on whether there is sufficient evidence to support the feasibility of such a measure in the EU-CFP. The EU landing obligation will implicitly include all small-scale fisheries (SSF) provided the species captured are subject to catch limits or minimum sizes (in the case of the Mediterranean). SSF were included irrespective of the fact that the discarding problem in the EU has been historically associated with medium- to large-scale fleets (in particular largely mixed species trawl fisheries). Additionally, past experiences with a discard ban policy are still limited to specific countries and/or specific fisheries. This paper examined the appropriateness and feasibility of the recently implemented EU landing obligation in SSF. The effects in the long-term are unpredictable, but available evidence suggests that in the short to medium-term a landing obligation is likely to bring more negative social, economic and ecological impacts than benefits. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution of basalt boulders and ice rafted debris in the region of the Iceland-Faroe-Ridge (Fig. 6-12)

Psephitic particles in the region of the Iceland-Faeroe-Ridge have been transported and deposited by means of a complex interplay of glacier movements and drifting icebergs. The composition of the particle association is controlled by the sedimentation of basaltic rock particles derived from the ridge itself and, in addition to that and in southern parts of the ridge, from the Faeroe Islands, the Faeroe-Bank and the Bill Baileys-Bank. Besides, there are crystalline and sedimentary dropstones showing a very varied petrography and a wide range of particle sizes. Their percentage becomes greater as the distance from the ridge increases. The association of dropstones is relatively homogeneous in the region of the ridge and only at greater distances from the ridge it becomes more differentiated. Owing to their composition and distribution, as well as on the basis of characteristic fossils and rock types, the drop-stones are derived from Scandianvia and Great Britain. During periods of maximum glaciation, the Icland-Faeroe-Ridge, th eFaeroe-Bank and the Bill Baileys-Bank were under ice.

Continuous measurement of carbon dioxid partial pressure in seawater in the region of the Iceland-Faroe Ridge (Table 1)

During the 14th expedition of the research vessel "Meteor" from the 2nd of July to the 7th of August 1968 continously recording instruments for measuring the CO2 partial pressure of seawater and atmospheric CO2 were developped by the Meteorological Institute, University of Frankfurt/M. During the Faroer expedition instrumental constants, such as relative and absolute accuracy, inertia and solvent power were tested. The performance of discontinous analyses of water samples was adopted to shipboard conditiones and correction factors depending on water volume, depth of sampling and water temperature were measured. After having computed average values of the continous records (atmosp. CO2 content, CO2 partial pressure, water temperature) geographical distribution, diurnal variation and dependence of diurnal averages were tested. At four different locations CO2 partial pressure was measured in various depths. During the voyage from the Faroer islands to Helgoland the measured concentrations of atmospheric CO2 content and CO2 partial pressure were tested with respect to a correlation of the geographical latitude.

Ordering of Ge islands on Si(001) substrates patterned by nanoindentation

Spatial organization of Ge islands, grown by physical vapor deposition, on prepatterned Si(001) substrates has been investigated. The substrates were patterned prior to Ge deposition by nanoindentation. Characterization of Ge dots is performed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The nanoindents act as trapping sites, allowing ripening of Ge islands at those locations during subsequent deposition and diffusion of Ge on the surface. The results show that island ordering is intrinsically linked to the nucleation and growth at indented sites and it strongly depends on pattern parameters.

Xiamen Hai Cang tourism project : landscape planning and design of five islands

International practice-led design research in landscape architecture has identified the need for addressing the loss of biodiversity in urban environments. China has lost much of its biodiversity in rural and urban environments over thousands of years. However some Chinese cities have attempted to conserve what remains and enhance existing vegetation communities in isolated pockets. Island biogeography has been used as the basis for planning and designing landscapes in Australia and North America but not as yet in China, as far as we know. A gap in landscape design knowledge exists regarding how to apply landscape ecology concepts to urban islands of remaining biodiversity being developed for heavy Chinese domestic tourism impacts in the future. This project responded to the demands for harbour-side tourism opportunities in Xiamen City, Fujian Province, by proposing a range of eco-design innovations using concepts of patch, edge and interior to interconnect people and nature in a Chinese setting.

Petrology and geochemistry of the Quaternary Caldera-forming, Phonolitic Granadilla Eruption, Tenerife (Canary Islands)

The Granadilla eruption at 600 ka was one of the largest phonolitic explosive eruptions from the Las Cañadas volcano on Tenerife, producing a classical plinian eruptive sequence of a widespread pumice fall deposit overlain by an ignimbrite. The eruption resulted in a major phase of caldera collapse that probably destroyed the shallow-level magma chamber system. Granadilla pumices contain a diverse phenocryst assemblage of alkali feldspar + biotite + sodian diopside to aegirine–augite + titanomagnetite + ilmenite + nosean/haüyne + titanite + apatite; alkali feldspar is the dominant phenocryst and biotite is the main ferromagnesian phase. Kaersutite and partially resorbed plagioclase (oligoclase to sodic andesine) are present in some eruptive units, particularly in pumice erupted during the early plinian phase, and in the Granadilla ignimbrite at the top of the sequence. Associated with the kaersutite and plagioclase are small clots of microlitic plagioclase and kaersutite interpreted as quenched blebs of tephriphonolitic magma within the phonolite pumice. The Granadilla Member has previously been recognized as an example of reverse-then-normal compositional zonation, where the zonation is primarily expressed in terms of substantial variations in trace element abundances with limited major element variation (cryptic zonation). Evidence for cryptic zonation is also provided by the chemistry of the phenocryst phases, and corresponding changes in intensive parameters (e.g. T, f O2, f  H2O). Geothermometry estimates indicate that the main body of phonolite magma had a temperature gradient from 860 °C to ∼790 °C, with hotter magma (≥900 °C) tapped at the onset and terminal phases of the eruption. The reverse-then-normal chemical and thermal zonation reflects the initial tapping of a partially hybridized magma (mixing of phonolite and tephriphonolite), followed by the more sequential tapping of a zoned and relatively large body of highly evolved phonolite at a new vent and during the main plinian phase. This suggests that the different magma types within the main holding chamber could have been laterally juxtaposed, as well as in a density-stratified arrangement. Correlations between the presence of mixed phenocryst populations (i.e. presence of plagioclase and kaersutite) and coarser pumice fall layers suggest that increased eruption vigour led to the tapping of hybridized and/or less evolved magma probably from greater depths in the chamber. New oxygen isotope data for glass and mineral separates preclude syn-eruptive interaction between the vesiculating magma and hydrothermal fluids as the cause of the Sr isotope disequilibrium identified previously for the deposit. Enrichment in radiogenic Sr in the pumice glass has more likely been due to low-temperature exchange with meteoric water that was enriched in 87Sr by sea spray, which may be a common process affecting porous and glassy pyroclastic deposits on oceanic islands.

The Galapagos Islands and Darwin's (en)tangled bank

The body of the article concerns itself with the vulnerability of islands and focuses on the Galapagos Archipelago where the author spent three years studying flamingoes and flightless cormorants.The article suggests practical, simple behavioural changes that individuals might adopt to help increase biodiversity and extend natural corridors and islands of vegetation throughout cities and suburbs. It will ask some questions about human motives for behaviour change and moral decisions.

Living Science: Three years in the Galapagos Islands.

The paper is an outline of work done from 1977-1979 by the authors, as visiting scientists at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.They were funded for three years by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund)and the Bird Preservation Society of UK to study the breeding biology and ethology of Flightless cormorants and the Greater Flamingo. The presentation includes human aspects of living on and travelling between uninhabited islands.

Meeting under the “Omei” Tree in the Torres Strait Islands : networks and funds of knowledge of mathematical ideas

This paper focuses on the turning point experiences that worked to transform the researcher during a preliminary consultation process to seek permission to conduct of a small pilot project on one Torres Strait Island. The project aimed to learn from parents how they support their children in their mathematics learning. Drawing on a community research design, a consultative meeting was held with one Torres Strait Islander community to discuss the possibility of piloting a small project that focused on working with parents and children to learn about early mathematics processes. Preliminary data indicated that parents use networks in their community. It highlighted the funds of knowledge of mathematics that exist in the community and which are used to teach their children. Such knowledges are situated within a community’s unique histories, culture and the voices of the people. “Omei” tree means the Tree of Wisdom in the Island community.