Woods Hole Authors Research

Ecosystem responses to recent oceanographic variability in high-latitude Northern Hemisphere ecosystems

Mueter,Franz J. — 2009

Schistosoma mansoni P-glycoprotein levels increase in response to praziquantel exposure and correlate with reduced praziquantel susceptibility

Messerli,Shanta M. — 2009

One potential physiological target for new antischistosomals is the parasite's system for excretion of wastes and xenobiotics. P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a member of the ATP-binding-cassette superfamily of proteins, is an ATP-dependent efflux pump involved in transport of toxins and xenobiotics from cells. In vertebrates, increased expression of Pgp is associated with multidrug resistance in tumor cells. Pgp may also play a role in drug resistance in helminths. In this report, we examine the relationship between praziquantel (PZQ), the current drug of choice against schistosomiasis, and Pgp expression in Schistosoma mansoni. We show that levels of RNA for SMDR2, a Pgp homolog from S. mansoni, increase transiently in adult male worms following exposure to sub-lethal concentrations (100–500 nM) of PZQ. A corresponding, though delayed, increase in anti-Pgp immunoreactive protein expression occurs in adult males following exposure to PZQ. The level of anti-Pgp immunoreactivity in particular regions of adult worms also increases in response to PZQ. Adult worms from an Egyptian S. mansoni isolate with reduced sensitivity to PZQ express increased levels of SMDR2 RNA and anti-Pgp-immunoreactive protein, perhaps indicating a role for multidrug resistance proteins in development or maintenance of PZQ resistance.

The developing brain on PCBs

Kreiling,Jill A. — 2009

No Abstract.

Modeling rule-based behavior: habitat selection and the growth-survival trade-off in larval cod

Kristiansen,T. — 2009

Environmental variation can cause significant fluctuations in the survival of larval fish and plankton. Understanding these fluctuations is critical for developing more accurate fisheries models, which are needed for both scientific and socioeconomic research. Growth, survival, and dispersal of marine planktonic larvae rely strongly on their behavior. Larval fish change their vertical positioning due to strong vertical gradients in light, temperature, predation pressure, and prey availability. Here, we explore how various behavioral rules predict vertical distribution, growth, and survival of larval cod (Gadus morhua) in a numerical model. The rules determine the trade-offs between larval growth, feeding rate, and predation rate, including their dependence on gut fullness and body mass. We evaluated the survival through size classes for different rules and random behavior and compared model predictions with observed larval distribution patterns. The rules predicted the correct average depth position with larval size, but failed to predict the timing of the observed vertical distribution pattern. However, model simulations revealed significant increases in survival for larval and juvenile cod with active behavior compared with larvae with random behavior. Behavior was important across all sizes of fish, and this study illustrates the value or added information of incorporating behavior in biophysical models.

{delta}37Cl systematics of a backarc spreading system: The Lau Basin

Layne,Graham D. — 2009

Determinations of {delta}37Cl in glasses and melt inclusions from backarc basin basalts of the Lau Basin (southern Pacific Ocean) constrain the effects of mantle source, subduction, and shallow assimilation. In sections of the Lau Basin not heavily affected by subduction input (central and eastern Lau spreading centers), Cl derived from unfractionated seawater via assimilation in shallow crustal environments is the predominant source of "excess Cl," and moderates {delta}37Cl to near zero values. In contrast, low-Cl glasses from the Mangatolu triple junction have distinctly negative {delta}37Cl, compatible with recent estimates for {delta}37Cl of the depleted mantle source. Along the Valu Fa Ridge, subduction input manifests as {delta}37Cl that is variable but dispersed toward more negative values in both lavas and melt inclusions. These values are compatible with a second source of lighter Cl within a slab-derived flux derived from altered ocean crust, sediments, and/or serpentinized mantle wedge.

Gas Bubbles in Seals, Dolphins, and Porpoises Entangled and Drowned at Depth in Gillnets

Moore,M. J. — 2009

Gas bubbles were found in 15 of 23 gillnet-drowned bycaught harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus), harbor (Phoca vitulina) and gray (Halichoerus grypus) seals, common (Delphinus delphis) and white-sided (Lagenorhyncus acutus) dolphins, and harbor porpoises (Phocaena phocaena) but in only 1 of 41 stranded marine mammals. Cases with minimal scavenging and bloating were chilled as practical and necropsied within 24 to 72 hours of collection. Bubbles were commonly visible grossly and histologically in bycaught cases. Affected tissues included lung, liver, heart, brain, skeletal muscle, gonad, lymph nodes, blood, intestine, pancreas, spleen, and eye. Computed tomography performed on 4 animals also identified gas bubbles in various tissues. Mean {+/-} SD net lead line depths (m) were 92 {+/-} 44 and ascent rates (ms-1) 0.3 {+/-} 0.2 for affected animals and 76 {+/-} 33 and 0.2 {+/-} 0.1, respectively, for unaffected animals. The relatively good carcass condition of these cases, comparable to 2 stranded cases that showed no gas formation on computed tomography (even after 3 days of refrigeration in one case), along with the histologic absence of bacteria and autolytic changes, indicate that peri- or postmortem phase change of supersaturated blood and tissues is most likely. Studies have suggested that under some circumstances, diving mammals are routinely supersaturated and that these mammals presumably manage gas exchange and decompression anatomically and behaviorally. This study provides a unique illustration of such supersaturated tissues. We suggest that greater attention be paid to the radiology and pathology of bycatch mortality as a possible model to better understand gas bubble disease in marine mammals.

Using computational fluid dynamics to calculate the stimulus to the lateral line of a fish in still water

Rapo,Mark A. — 2009

This paper presents the first computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of viscous flow due to a small sphere vibrating near a fish, a configuration that is frequently used for experiments on dipole source localization by the lateral line. Both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) meshes were constructed, reproducing a previously published account of a mottled sculpin approaching an artificial prey. Both the fish-body geometry and the sphere vibration were explicitly included in the simulations. For comparison purposes, calculations using potential flow theory (PFT) of a 3-D dipole without a fish body being present were also performed. Comparisons between the 2-D and 3-D CFD simulations showed that the 2-D calculations did not accurately represent the 3-D flow and therefore did not produce realistic results. The 3-D CFD simulations showed that the presence of the fish body perturbed the dipole source pressure field near the fish body, an effect that was obviously absent in the PFT calculations of the dipole alone. In spite of this discrepancy, the pressure-gradient patterns to the lateral line system calculated from 3-D CFD simulations and PFT were similar. Conversely, the velocity field, which acted on the superficial neuromasts (SNs), was altered by the oscillatory boundary layer that formed at the fish's skin due to the flow produced by the vibrating sphere (accounted for in CFD but not PFT). An analytical solution of an oscillatory boundary layer above a flat plate, which was validated with CFD, was used to represent the flow near the fish's skin and to calculate the detection thresholds of the SNs in terms of flow velocity and strain rate. These calculations show that the boundary layer effects can be important, especially when the height of the cupula is less than the oscillatory boundary layer's Stokes viscous length scale.

Iron solubility driven by speciation in dust sources to the ocean

Schroth,Andrew W. — 2009

Although abundant in the Earth's crust, iron is present at trace concentrations in sea water and is a limiting nutrient for phytoplankton in approximately 40% of the ocean1, 2. Current literature suggests that aerosols are the primary external source of iron to offshore waters, yet controls on iron aerosol solubility remain unclear3, 4. Here we demonstrate that iron speciation (oxidation state and bonding environment) drives iron solubility in arid region soils, glacial weathering products (flour) and oil combustion products (oil fly ash). Iron speciation varies by aerosol source, with soils in arid regions dominated by ferric (oxy)hydroxides, glacial flour by primary and secondary ferrous silicates and oil fly ash by ferric sulphate salts. Variation in iron speciation produces systematic differences in iron solubility: less than 1% of the iron in arid soils was soluble, compared with 2â€“3% in glacial products and 77â€“81% in oil combustion products, which is directly linked to fractions of more soluble phases. We conclude that spatial and temporal variations in aerosol iron speciation, driven by the distribution of deserts, glaciers and fossil-fuel combustion, could have a pronounced effect on aerosol iron solubility and therefore on biological productivity and the carbon cycle in the ocean.

Effects of Temperature Acclimation on a Central Neural Circuit and Its Behavioral Output

Szabo,Theresa M. — 2008

In this study, we address the impact of temperature acclimation on neuronal properties in the Mauthner (M-) system, a brain stem network that initiates the startle-escape behavior in goldfish. The M- cell can be studied at cellular and behavioral levels, since it is uniquely identifiable physiologically within the intact vertebrate brain, and a single action potential in this neuron determines not only whether a startle response will occur but also the direction of the escape. Using animals acclimated to 15 degrees C as a control, 25 degrees C-acclimated fish showed a significant increase in escape probability and a decrease in the ability to discriminate escape directionality. Intracellular recordings demonstrated that M- cells in this population possessed decreased input resistance and reduced strength and duration of inhibitory inputs. In contrast, fish acclimated to 5 degrees C were behaviorally similar to 15 degrees C fish and had increased input resistance, increased strength of inhibitory transmission, and reduced excitatory transmission. We show here that alterations in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the M- cell circuit underlie differences in behavioral responsiveness in acclimated populations. Specifically, during warm acclimation, synaptic inputs are weighted on the side of excitation and fish demonstrate hyperexcitability and reduced left-right discrimination during rapid escapes. In contrast, cold acclimation results in transmission weighted on the side of inhibition and these fish are less excitable and show improved directional discrimination.

An unstructured-grid finite-volume surface wave model (FVCOM-SWAVE): Implementation, validations and applications

Qi,Jianhua — 2009

The structured-grid surface wave model SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore) has been converted into an unstructured-grid finite-volume version (hereafter referred to as FVCOM-SWAVE) for use in coastal ocean regions with complex irregular geometry. The implementation is made using the Flux-Corrected Transport (FCT) algorithm in frequency space, the implicit Crank-Nicolson method in directional space and options of explicit or implicit second-order upwind finite-volume schemes in geographic space. FVCCM-SWAVE is validated using four idealized benchmark test problems with emphasis on numerical dispersion, wave-current interactions, wave propagation over a varying-bathymetry shallow water region, and the basic wave grow curves. Results demonstrate that in the rectangular geometric domain, the second-order finite-volume method used in FVCCM-SWAVE has the same accuracy as the third-order finite-difference method used in SWAN. FVCOM-SWAVE was then applied to simulate wind-induced surface waves on the US northeast shelf with a central focus in the Gulf of Maine and New England Shelf. Through improved geometric fitting of the complex irregular coastline, FVCOM-SWAVE was able to robustly capture the spatial and temporal variation of surface waves in both deep and shallow regions along the US northeast coast. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Fraction images derived from Terra Modis data for mapping burnt areas in Brazilian Amazonia

Shimabukuro,Y. E. — 2009

The objective of this paper is to present a method for mapping burnt areas in Brazilian Amazonia using Terra MODIS data. The proposed approach is based on image segmentation of the shade fraction images derived from MODIS, using a non-supervised classification algorithm followed by an image editing procedure for minimizing misclassifications. Acre State, the focus of this study, is located in the western region of Brazilian Amazonia and undergoing tropical deforestation. The extended dry season in 2005 affected this region creating conditions for extensive forest fires in addition to fires associated with deforestation and land management. The high temporal resolution of MODIS provides information for studying the resulting burnt areas. Landsat 5 TM images and field observations were also used as ground data for supporting and validating the MODIS results. Multitemporal analysis with MODIS showed that about 6500km2 of land surface were burnt in Acre State. Of this, 3700km2 corresponded to the previously deforested areas and 2800km2 corresponded to areas of standing forests. This type of information and its timely availability are critical for regional and global environmental studies. The results showed that daily MODIS sensor data are useful sources of information for mapping burnt areas, and the proposed method can be used in an operational project in Brazilian Amazonia.

Stable isotopes of planktonic foraminifera from tropical Atlantic/Caribbean core-tops: Implications for reconstructing upper ocean stratification

Steph,Silke — 2009

delta O-18 values of nine tropical-subtropical planktonic foraminiferal species with different preferential habitat depths collected from 62 core-top samples along an east-west transect across the tropical Atlantic/Caribbean were used to test the applicability of interspecific delta O-18 gradients for reconstructions of tropical upper ocean stratification. In general, the delta O-18 difference (Delta delta O-18) between intermediate- and shallow-dwelling species decreases, and Delta delta O-18 between deep and intermediate dwellers increases with increasing thermocline depth towards the west. The statistical significance of regional differences in Delta delta O-18 highlights Delta delta O-18 between the intermediate dwellers (in particular Globorotalia scitula and Globorotalia tumida) and the shallow dweller Globigerinoides ruber pink, as well as Delta delta O-18 between the deep dwellers Globorotalia crassaformis or Globorotalia truncatulinoides dextral and intermediate dwellers as most sensitive to changes in tropical Atlantic thermocline depth. Based on the observed regional variations in interspecific Delta delta O-18, we propose a multispecies stratification index "STRA(trop)" (delta O-18(intermediate) - delta O-18(shallow)) / (delta O-18(deep) - delta O-18(shallow)) for the tropical ocean. Statistically significant differences in STRA(trop) values between the E-Atlantic and the Caribbean suggest that this index may be a useful tool to monitor variations in tropical upper ocean stratification in the geological record. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid shifts in dominant taxa among microbial eukaryotes in estuarine ecosystems

Vigil,Patrick — 2009

Studies in several estuarine ecosystems along the mid-Atlantic coast of the USA were carried out to examine short-term (every 1 to 3 wk) to long-term (seasonal-annual) shifts in the phylotypic composition of the planktonic microbial eukaryotic assemblage using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses. Fragment patterns revealed relatively rapid and striking shifts in the dominant phylotypes observed. Although the presence of some phylotypes was persistent or repetitive, dramatic changes in the overall composition of the microbial eukaryotic assemblage were observed for samples collected from a single environment at 1 to 2 wk intervals, samples collected on the same day from neighboring locales, and samples collected from different seasons. Bray-Curtis similarity values rarely indicated >= 70% similarity for any 2 sample pairs. Nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling and detrended correspondence analysis revealed a weak degree of relatedness among samples by location and season. Putative identifications of taxa comprising fragments of specific lengths were determined for 63 of the observed 162 fragment sizes from in silico restriction digests of partial 18S gene sequences obtained from the samples. This approach identified a wide phylogenetic diversity of protistan taxa, despite the presence of significant 'brown tides' caused by the pelagophyte Aureococcus anophagefferens at some sampling times and locations, The regularity and rapidity with which the protistan assemblage restructured itself to yield unique combinations of dominant taxa indicates the existence of a highly dynamic and resilient microbial community that responded swiftly to changing environmental conditions in these estuaries.

Using sequential extraction techniques to assess the partitioning of plutonium and neptunium-237 from multiple sources in sediments from the Ob River (Siberia)

Kenna,Timothy C. — 2009

Sequential extraction techniques have been developed to assess partitioning of anthropogenic radionuclides (240Pu, 239Pu, and 237Np), originating from a variety of sources, as identified by using bulk sediment isotopic composition. Sediments were leached sequentially with a series of six chemical treatments designed to approximate different environmental processes that may occur or to selectively extract trace metals contained in different solid phases of the sediments (i.e., exchangeable, reducible, carbonate, organic, acid leachable, and refractory). Results indicate the majority of Pu and Np is similarly distributed within many of the extracted fractions, with the largest percentage (66–97%) of both elements being observed in sediments treated with buffered citrate dithionite (CDB), which targets easily reduced constituents such as Mn and Fe hydrous oxides. While these results do indicate an association of Pu and Np with redox sensitive elements, the environmental implications are unclear given that the CDB treatment is more extreme than naturally occurring conditions. Minor amounts of Np partition differently from Pu in sediments. The NH4-acetate treatment, which is designed to liberate trace metals that are loosely adsorbed onto the surfaces of sedimentary materials such as hydrated iron oxides and humic substances, or present at exchangeable sites in clay minerals, mobilized ∼12% of the total Np while Pu levels were below detection. The H2O2 treatment, which is designed to liberate trace metals bound to organic matter, mobilized ∼8 and ∼1% of Np and Pu, respectively. These results indicate that a minor portion of the total Np may be affected by environmental conditions that have little or no effect on Pu. Between 7 and 24% of the Pu was observed in treatments designed to liberate Pu and Np that are tightly bound to lithogenic phases or refractory silicates. The 240Pu/239Pu observed in accessible and refractory fractions ranged between 0.11 and 0.18. With the exception of one sample, the 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios measured in the refractory fractions are essentially identical having a mean ratio value of 0.123 ± 0.001 (1σ). The 240Pu/239Pu ratios provide isotopic evidence that suggests a portion of non-fallout contamination has a refractory nature. The presence of similarly low 240Pu/239Pu ratios in refractory fractions of sediments from the Ob and Irtysh Rivers suggests the existence of a source of refractory Pu which is consistent with refractory “hot particles” derived from surface tests at the Semipalitinsk test site.

Empirical Leucine-to-Carbon Conversion Factors for Estimating Heterotrophic Bacterial Production: Seasonality and Predictability in a Temperate Coastal Ecosystem

Calvo-Diaz,Alejandra — 2009

Leucine-to-carbon conversion factors (CFs) are needed for converting substrate incorporation into biomass production of heterotrophic bacteria. During 2006 we performed 20 dilution experiments for determining the spatiotemporal variability of empirical CFs in temperate Atlantic coastal waters. Values (0.49 to 1.92 kg C mol Leu-1) showed maxima in autumn to early winter and minima in summer. Spatially averaged CFs were significantly negatively correlated with in situ leucine incorporation rates (r = -0.91) and positively correlated with phosphate concentrations (r = 0.76). These relationships, together with a strong positive covariation between cell-specific leucine incorporation rates and carbon contents (r = 0.85), were interpreted as a strategy to maximize survival through protein synthesis and low growth rates under nutrient limitation (low CFs) until favorable conditions stimulate cell division relative to protein synthesis (high CFs). A multiple regression with in situ leucine incorporation rates and cellular carbon contents explained 96% of CF variance in our ecosystem, suggesting their potential prediction from more easily measurable routine variables. The use of the theoretical CF of 1.55 kg C mol Leu-1 would have resulted in a serious overestimation (73%) of annual bacterial production rates. Our results emphasize the need for considering the temporal scale in CFs for bacterial production studies.

Arc-continent collision and the formation of continental crust: a new geochemical and isotopic record from the Ordovician Tyrone Igneous Complex, Ireland

Draut,Amy E. — 2009

Collisions between oceanic island-arc terranes and passive continental margins are thought to have been important in the formation of continental crust throughout much of Earth's history. Magmatic evolution during this stage of the plate-tectonic cycle is evident in several areas of the Ordovician Grampian-Taconic orogen, as we demonstrate in the first detailed geochemical study of the Tyrone Igneous Complex, Ireland. New U-Pb zircon dating yields ages of 493 {+/-} 2 Ma from a primitive mafic intrusion, indicating intra-oceanic subduction in Tremadoc time, and 475 {+/-} 10 Ma from a light rare earth element (LREE)-enriched tonalite intrusion that incorporated Laurentian continental material by early Arenig time (Early Ordovician, Stage 2) during arc-continent collision. Notably, LREE enrichment in volcanism and silicic intrusions of the Tyrone Igneous Complex exceeds that of average Dalradian (Laurentian) continental material that would have been thrust under the colliding forearc and potentially recycled into arc magmatism. This implies that crystal fractionation, in addition to magmatic mixing and assimilation, was important to the formation of new crust in the Grampian-Taconic orogeny. Because similar super-enrichment of orogenic melts occurred elsewhere in the Caledonides in the British Isles and Newfoundland, the addition of new, highly enriched melt to this accreted arc terrane was apparently widespread spatially and temporally. Such super-enrichment of magmatism, especially if accompanied by loss of corresponding lower crustal residues, supports the theory that arc-continent collision plays an important role in altering bulk crustal composition toward typical values for ancient continental crust.

Physiological evidence for binaural directional computations in the brainstem of the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau (L.)

Edds-Walton,Peggy L. — 2009

Comparisons of left and right auditory input are required for sound source localization in most terrestrial vertebrates. Previous physiological and neuroanatomical studies have indicated that binaural convergence is present in the ascending auditory system of the toadfish. In this study, we introduce a new technique, otolith tipping, to reversibly alter directional auditory input to the central nervous system of a fish. The normal directional response pattern (DRP) was recorded extracellularly for auditory cells in the first-order descending octaval nucleus (DON) or the midbrain torus semicircularis (TS) using particle motion stimuli in the horizontal and mid-sagittal planes. The same stimuli were used during tipping of the saccular otolith to evaluate changes in the DRPs. Post-tipping DRPs were generated and compared with the pre-tipping DRPs to ensure that the data had been collected consistently from the same unit. In the DON, ipsilateral or contralateral tipping most often eliminated spike activity, but changes in spike rate ({+/-}) and DRP shape were also documented. In the TS, tipping most often caused a change in spike rate ({+/-}) and altered the shape or best axis of the DRP. The data indicate that there are complex interactions of excitatory and inhibitory inputs in the DON and TS resulting from the convergence of binaural inputs. As in anurans, but unlike other terrestrial vertebrates, binaural processing associated with encoding the direction of a sound source begins in the first-order auditory nucleus of this teleost.

Effect of PCR amplicon size on assessments of clone library microbial diversity and community structure

Huber,Julie A. — 2009

PCR-based surveys of microbial communities commonly use regions of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene to determine taxonomic membership and estimate total diversity. Here we show that the length of the target amplicon has a significant effect on assessments of microbial richness and community membership. Using operational taxonomic unit (OTU)- and taxonomy-based tools, we compared the V6 hypervariable region of the bacterial SSU rRNA gene of three amplicon libraries of c. 100, 400 and 1000 base pairs (bp) from each of two hydrothermal vent fluid samples. We found that the smallest amplicon libraries contained more unique sequences, higher diversity estimates and a different community structure than the other two libraries from each sample. We hypothesize that a combination of polymerase dissociation, cloning bias and mispriming due to secondary structure accounts for the differences. While this relationship is not linear, it is clear that the smallest amplicon libraries contained more different types of sequences, and accordingly, more diverse members of the community. Because divergent and lower abundant taxa can be more readily detected with smaller amplicons, they may provide better assessments of total community diversity and taxonomic membership than longer amplicons in molecular studies of microbial communities.

Basin-Scale Coherence in Phenology of Shrimps and Phytoplankton in the North Atlantic Ocean

Koeller,P. — 2009

Climate change could lead to mismatches between the reproductive cycles of marine organisms and their planktonic food. We tested this hypothesis by comparing shrimp (Pandalus borealis) egg hatching times and satellite-derived phytoplankton bloom dynamics throughout the North Atlantic. At large spatial and long temporal (10 years or longer) scales, hatching was correlated with the timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom. Annual egg development and hatching times were determined locally by bottom water temperature. We conclude that different populations of P. borealis have adapted to local temperatures and bloom timing, matching egg hatching to food availability under average conditions. This strategy is vulnerable to interannual oceanographic variability and long-term climatic changes.

Sensitivity and elasticity of density-dependent population models

Caswell,Hal — 2009

The sensitivity analysis of linear matrix population models is well-developed, but no comparable approach exists for the nonlinear models appropriate for density-dependent populations. This paper presents such an approach, using matrix differential calculus to obtain the derivatives of equilibria and cycles with respect to arbitrary demographic parameters. The method readily calculates the sensitivity and elasticity of the population vector or of weighted densities, ratios of age classes or stages, proportional structures or temporal means and variances calculated from the population vector. Examples are presented using data on flour beetles of the genus Tribolium. An attempt is made to extend the approach to the sensitivity of averages over strange attractors, but the resulting calculations fail to converge, apparently due to a positive Lyapunov exponent for the sensitivity equation.

Satellite observations of large atmospheric gravity waves in the Mozambique Channel

Da Silva,Jose C. B. — 2009

Satellite imagery (MODIS-Terra and Aqua, ASAR and MERIS-Envisat) has revealed signatures consistent with horizontally propagating large-scale atmospheric gravity waves which are frequently observed during the winter season in the Mozambique Channel. We examine and characterize statistically the full horizontal structure of these atmospheric gravity waves. The waves were found to have dispersive average wavelengths ranging from 8.5 to 3.5km and a mean along-crest 'coherence' length of 443km. The propagation characteristics of these waves are examined using in situ and remote sensing measurements. The propagation speeds are estimated using two consecutive satellite images of the same wave-packet and are used as a proxy for the waves' phase speeds. The Scorer parameter vertical profiles, calculated from available atmospheric soundings nearest to the satellite observations, were found to support wave propagation conditions. The vertical structure of stability and wind determine the favourable conditions for wave propagation. Air subsidence associated with high-pressure systems is an important factor setting the pre-conditions for wave propagation. Some suggestions are presented regarding the influence of Moving Polar Highs in the generation and propagation of the observed waves.

Fire in the Earth System

Bowman,David M. J. S. — 2009

Fire is a worldwide phenomenon that appears in the geological record soon after the appearance of terrestrial plants. Fire influences global ecosystem patterns and processes, including vegetation distribution and structure, the carbon cycle, and climate. Although humans and fire have always coexisted, our capacity to manage fire remains imperfect and may become more difficult in the future as climate change alters fire regimes. This risk is difficult to assess, however, because fires are still poorly represented in global models. Here, we discuss some of the most important issues involved in developing a better understanding of the role of fire in the Earth system.

Optimal Dynamic Harvest of a Mobile Renewable Resource

Joshi,Hem Raj — 2009

We present a mathematical model for the growth, movement, and harvesting of a renewable resource, and characterize the spatiotemporal distribution of harvest effort which maximizes the present value of harvest (yield) over a finite time horizon. We derive the optimality system for this model and show that the yield-maximizing solution often includes one or more no-take reserves that change in size over time. We explore how the results change with varying parameter values. The results inform ongoing debate about the use of reserves, and are increasingly relevant as technology enables enforcement of spatially structured harvest constraints.

Comparison of a sediment trap and plankton pump for time-series sampling of larvae near deep-sea hydrothermal vents

Beaulieu,Stace E. — 2009

Studies of larval dispersal and supply are critical to understanding benthic population and community dynamics. A major limitation to these studies in the deep sea has been the restriction of larval sampling to infrequent research cruises. In this study, we investigated the utility of a sediment trap for autonomous, time-series sampling of larvae near deep-sea hydrothermal vents. We conducted simultaneous deployments of a time-series sediment trap and a large-volume plankton pump in close proximity on the East Pacific Rise (2510-m depth). Grouped and species-specific downward fluxes of larvae into the sediment trap were not correlated to larval abundances in pump samples, mean horizontal flow speeds, or mean horizontal larval fluxes. The sediment trap collected a higher ratio of gastropod to polychaete larvae, a lower diversity of gastropod species, and over- or undercollected some gastropod species relative to frequencies in pump sampling. These differences between the two sampling methods indicate that larval concentrations in the plankton are not well predicted by fluxes of larvae into the sediment trap. Future studies of deep-sea larvae should choose a sampling device based on specific research goals. Limited by battery power, a plankton pump in combination with a current meter is useful for estimating horizontal advective fluxes in short-term (days to weeks) studies of larval dispersal. A sediment trap, selecting for larvae with downward trajectories, is more appropriate for studies of larval supply to the benthos. For some species, a time-series sediment trap can collect sequential larval samples for long-term studies (months to years) for correlation to larval settlement and recruitment patterns.

Biosonar adjustments to target range of echolocating bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in the wild

Jensen,F. H. — 2009

Toothed whales use echolocation to locate and track prey. Most knowledge of toothed whale echolocation stems from studies on trained animals, and little is known about how toothed whales regulate and use their biosonar systems in the wild. Recent research suggests that an automatic gain control mechanism in delphinid biosonars adjusts the biosonar output to the one-way transmission loss to the target, possibly a consequence of pneumatic restrictions in how fast the sound generator can be actuated and still maintain high outputs. This study examines the relationships between target range (R), click intervals, and source levels of wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) by recording regular (non-buzz) echolocation clicks with a linear hydrophone array. Dolphins clicked faster with decreasing distance to the array, reflecting a decreasing delay between the outgoing echolocation click and the returning array echo. However, for interclick intervals longer than 30-40 ms, source levels were not limited by the repetition rate. Thus, pneumatic constraints in the sound-production apparatus cannot account for source level adjustments to range as a possible automatic gain control mechanism for target ranges longer than a few body lengths of the dolphin. Source level estimates drop with reducing range between the echolocating dolphins and the target as a function of 17 log(R). This may indicate either (1) an active form of time-varying gain in the biosonar independent of click intervals or (2) a bias in array recordings towards a 20 log(R) relationship for apparent source levels introduced by a threshold on received click levels included in the analysis.

Kinetic constraints on acylated homoserine lactone-based quorum sensing in marine environments

Hmelo,Laura — 2009

Quorum sensing (QS) via acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) was discovered in the ocean, yet AHLs are expected to be very short-lived at seawater pH due to rapid abiotic degradation. Quorum quenching, the enzymatic. degradation of AHLs, is also likely. To better understand the potential for QS to regulate behaviors of marine bacteria, we investigated the degradation of a variety of AHL molecules in several types of seawater media. We did this by incubating AHLs and tracking their concentration using HPLC/electrospray-ionization mass-spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS). AHL concentrations decreased with time, and degradation rate coefficients were calculated by applying a first-order rate law, The rate of abiotic degradation showed strong dependence on acyl chain length and the presence of 3-oxo substitutions on the acyl chain. We found that the rate of abiotic degradation of AHLs in artificial seawater was much slower than that predicted by an oft-cited equation for non-marine media that takes only pH into account. However, AHLs degraded more rapidly in natural seawater than in artificial seawater, an observation we found to be due to quorum quenching enzyme activity, By applying calculated degradation rates in a simple steady-state calculation, we suggest that despite the observed quorum quenching activity, AHLs are likely to be viable signals in organic particles and in other microbial 'hotpsots' in marine environments.

Smallholder timber sale decisions on the Amazon frontier

Amacher,Gregory S. — 2009

We use data from a survey of 2401 households living along the Transamazon highway to study timber sales decisions of smallholders settling in Amazon native forests. We develop an econometric approach, to study both the decision to harvest timber and the volume of timber sold, that corrects for limited access to loggers leading to possible selection bias, incomplete labor markets, and differences in property rights regimes that characterize the area. We find that, irrespective of distance to markets, smallholders, that have either been settled by INCRA or have access to credit are more likely to sell wood, but those with outside income sources are less likely to sell. Higher timber prices decrease the likelihood of timber sales. The results suggest that timber sales are viewed only as a means for smallholders to reduce immediate cash constraints. With some exceptions these results hold across property rights regimes. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Mixotrophy: a widespread and important ecological strategy for planktonic and sea-ice nanoflagellates in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Moorthi,Stefanie — 2009

Mixotrophic nanoflagellates (MNF) were quantified in plankton and sea ice of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, during austral spring. Tracer experiments using fluorescently labeled bacteria (FLB) were conducted to enumerate MNF and determine their contribution to total chloroplastidic and total bacterivorous nanoflagellates. Absolute abundances of MNF were typically <200 ml(-1) in plankton assemblages south of the Polar Front, but they comprised 8 to 42% and 3 to 25% of bacterivorous nanoflagellates in the water column and ice cores, respectively. Moreover, they represented up to 10% of all chloroplastidic nanoflagellates in the water column when the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis antarctica was blooming (up to 23% if P. antarctica, which did not ingest FLB, was excluded from calculations). In ice cores, MNF comprised 5 to 10% of chloroplastidic nanoflagellates. The highest proportions of MNF were found in some surface water samples and in plankton assemblages beneath ice, suggesting a potentially large effect as bacterial grazers in those locations. This study is the first to report abundances and distributions of mixotrophic flagellates in the Southern Ocean. The presence of MNF in every ice and water sample examined suggests that mixotrophy is an important alternative dietary strategy in this region.

Serendipity

Sussman,Raquel — 2009

Comparative Marine Ecosystem Analysis: Applications, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned

Megrey,Bernard A. — 2009

The papers in this special issue seek to evaluate how ecosystem structure and function interact to support fisheries production, and what processes amplify or dampen spatial and temporal variation in that production within and between ecosystems. This paper attempts to assess the contribution of marine comparative ecosystem analysis to knowledge of the factors that affect the structure and function of marine ecosystems. We introduce the reader to the special volume, briefly highlighting the manuscripts in this special issue as organized by various thematic emphases. Papers in this volume are reviewed and briefly summarized with respect to current approaches, applications, opportunities, and lessons learned. Several approaches, applied to ecosystems over different spatial and temporal periods as well as the application of innovative statistical methods, facilitated comparisons and revealed basic underlying patterns that would not have been observable if only one ecosystem had been examined.

A cross-ecosystem comparison of spatial and temporal patterns of covariation in the recruitment of functionally analogous fish stocks

Megrey,Bernard A. — 2009

Temporal and spatial patterns of recruitment (R) and spawning stock biomass (S) variability were compared among functionally analogous species and similar feeding guilds from six marine ecosystems. Data were aggregated into four regions including the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank, the Norwegian/Barents Seas, and the eastern Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. Variability was characterized by calculating coefficients of variation and anomalies for three response variables: ln(R), ln(R/S) and stock-recruit model residuals. Patterns of synchrony and asynchrony in the response variables were examined among and between ecosystems, between-and within-ocean basins and among functionally analogous species groups using pair-wise correlation analysis corrected for within time series autocorrelation, multivariate cross-correlation analyses and regime shift detectors. Time series trends in response variables showed consistent within basin similarities and consistent and coherent differences between the Atlantic and Pacific basin ecosystems. Regime shift detection algorithms identified two broad-scale regime shift time periods for the pelagic feeding guild (1972–1976 and 1999–2002) and possibly one for the benthic feeding guild (1999–2002). No spatial patterns in response variable coefficients of variation were observed. Results from multivariate cross-correlation analysis showed similar trends. The data suggest common external factors act in synchrony on stocks within ocean basins but temporal stock patterns, often of the same species or functional group, between basins change in opposition to each other. Basin-scale results (similar within but different between) suggest that the two geographically broad areas are connected by unknown mechanisms that, depending on the year, may influence the two basins in opposite ways. This work demonstrates that commonalities and synchronies in recruitment fluctuations can be found across geographically distant ecosystems but biophysical causes of the fluctuations remain difficult to identify.

A comparison of biological trends from four marine ecosystems: synchronies, differences, and commonalities

Link,Jason S. — 2009

Major features of four marine ecosystems were analyzed based on a broad range of fisheries-associated datasets and a suite of oceanographic surveys. The ecosystems analyzed included the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, the Norwegian/Barents Seas in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, and the eastern Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. We examined survey trends in major fish abundances, total system fish biomass, and zooplankton biomasses. We standardized each time series and examined trends and anomalies over time, using both time series and cross-correlational statistical methods. We compared dynamics of functionally analogous species from each of these four ecosystems. Major commonalities among ecosystems included a relatively stable amount of total fish biomass and the importance of large calanoid copepods, small pelagic fishes and gadids. Some of the changes in these components were synchronous across ecosystems. Major differences between ecosystems included gradients in the magnitude of total fish biomass, commercial fish biomass, and the timing of major detected events. This work demonstrates the value of comparative analysis across a wide range of marine ecosystems, suggestive of very few but none-the-less detectable common features across all northern hemisphere ocean systems.

Individual, temporal, and population-level variations in circulating 11-ketotestosterone and 17 beta-estradiol concentrations in the oyster toadfish Opsanus tau

Maruska,Karen P. — 2009

Sex steroid hormones are important for reproduction in all vertebrates, but few studies examine inter-individual, temporal, and population-level variations, as well as environmental influences on circulating steroid levels within the same species. In this study we analyzed plasma 11-ketotoestosterone (11-KT) and 17 beta-estradiol (E-2) levels in the oyster toadfish to test for 1) individual and temporal variations by serially sampling the same individuals during the reproductive and post-reproductive period, 2) variations in steroid levels among toadfish obtained from different sources or maintained under different holding conditions, and 3) correlations with environmental parameters. Results from serial sampling showed marked inter-individual variations in male 11-KT levels in two separate groups of toadfish, but no temporal differences from June to September. Females also showed inter-individual variations in E-2 concentrations, but most had elevated levels late in the reproductive season coincident with oocyte growth prior to winter quiescence. E-2 concentration, but not 11-KT, was positively correlated with water temperature, and negatively correlated with daylength and lunar phase. Maricultured toadfish held under constant conditions had elevated levels of E-2 and 11-KT that should be considered when using these fish for experimentation. This study provides important comparative information on the relationship between individual variations in steroid levels, and how they relate to physiological and environmental correlates in a model marine teleost. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Membrane activity of a C-reactive protein

Harrington,John M. — 2009

C-reactive protein (CRP) from the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, exhibits complex membrane activities. Here, we describe the behavior of protein and lipid as CRP interacts with model liposomes and bacterial membranes. Limulus C-reactive protein (L-CRP) forms extended fibrilar structures that encapsulate liposomes in the presence of Ca2+. We have observed structures consistent in size and shape with these fibers bound to the surface of Gram-negative bacteria. The membranes of Limulus CRP-treated bacteria exhibit significantly different mechano-elastic properties than those of untreated bacteria. In vitro, bilayer lipids undergo a rigidification and reorganization of small domains. We suggest that these interactions reflect the protein’s role as a primary defense molecule, functioning in the entrapment and killing of potential pathogens.

A comparison of community and trophic structure in five marine ecosystems based on energy budgets and system metrics

Gaichas,Sarah — 2009

Energy budget models for five marine ecosystems were compared to identify differences and similarities in trophic and community structure. We examined the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, the combined Norwegian/Barents Seas in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, and the eastern Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Comparable energy budgets were constructed for each ecosystem by aggregating information for similar species groups into consistent functional groups. Several ecosystem indices (e.g., functional group production, consumption and biomass ratios, cumulative biomass, food web macrodescriptors, and network metrics) were compared for each ecosystem. The comparative approach clearly identified data gaps for each ecosystem, an important outcome of this work. Commonalities across the ecosystems included overall high primary production and energy flow at low trophic levels, high production and consumption by carnivorous zooplankton, and similar proportions of apex predator to lower trophic level biomass. Major differences included distinct biomass ratios of pelagic to demersal fish, ranging from highest in the combined Norwegian/Barents ecosystem to lowest in the Alaskan systems, and notable differences in primary production per unit area, highest in the Alaskan and Georges Bank/Gulf of Maine ecosystems, and lowest in the Norwegian ecosystems. While comparing a disparate group of organisms across a wide range of marine ecosystems is challenging, this work demonstrates that standardized metrics both elucidate properties common to marine ecosystems and identify key distinctions useful for fisheries management.

Functional Overlap of Microtubule Assembly Factors in Chromatin-Promoted Spindle Assembly

Groen,Aaron C. — 2009

Distinct pathways from centrosomes and chromatin are thought to contribute in parallel to microtubule nucleation and stabilization during animal cell mitotic spindle assembly, but their full mechanisms are not known. We investigated the function of three proposed nucleation/stabilization factors, TPX2, {gamma}-tubulin and XMAP215, in chromatin-promoted assembly of anastral spindles in Xenopus laevis egg extract. In addition to conventional depletion-add back experiments, we tested whether factors could substitute for each other, indicative of functional redundancy. All three factors were required for microtubule polymerization and bipolar spindle assembly around chromatin beads. Depletion of TPX2 was partially rescued by the addition of excess XMAP215 or EB1, or inhibiting MCAK (a Kinesin-13). Depletion of either {gamma}-tubulin or XMAP215 was partially rescued by adding back XMAP215, but not by adding any of the other factors. These data reveal functional redundancy between specific assembly factors in the chromatin pathway, suggesting individual proteins or pathways commonly viewed to be essential may not have entirely unique functions.

Mapping and monitoring carbon stocks with satellite observations: a comparison of methods

Goetz,Scott — 2009

Mapping and monitoring carbon stocks in forested regions of the world, particularly the tropics, has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years as deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 30% of anthropogenic carbon emissions, and are now included in climate change negotiations. We review the potential for satellites to measure carbon stocks, specifically aboveground biomass (AGB), and provide an overview of a range of approaches that have been developed and used to map AGB across a diverse set of conditions and geographic areas. We provide a summary of types of remote sensing measurements relevant to mapping AGB, and assess the relative merits and limitations of each. We then provide an overview of traditional techniques of mapping AGB based on ascribing field measurements to vegetation or land cover type classes, and describe the merits and limitations of those relative to recent data mining algorithms used in the context of an approach based on direct utilization of remote sensing measurements, whether optical or lidar reflectance, or radar backscatter. We conclude that while satellite remote sensing has often been discounted as inadequate for the task, attempts to map AGB without satellite imagery are insufficient. Moreover, the direct remote sensing approach provided more coherent maps of AGB relative to traditional approaches. We demonstrate this with a case study focused on continental Africa and discuss the work in the context of reducing uncertainty for carbon monitoring and markets.

Recent climate forcing and physical oceanographic changes in Northern Hemisphere regions: A review and comparison of four marine ecosystems

Drinkwater,K. F. — 2009

Millennial-scale climatic variability between 340 000 and 270 000 years ago in SW Europe: evidence from a NW Iberian margin pollen sequence

Desprat,S. — 2009

We present a new high-resolution marine pollen record from NW Iberian margin sediments (core MD03-2697) covering the interval between 340 000 and 270 000 years ago, a time period centred on Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9 and characterized by particular baseline climate states. This study enables the documentation of vegetation changes in the north-western Iberian Peninsula and therefore the terrestrial climatic variability at orbital and in particular at millennial scales during MIS 9, directly on a marine stratigraphy. Suborbital vegetation changes in NW Iberia in response to cool/cold events are detected throughout the studied interval even during MIS 9e ice volume minimum. However, they appear more frequent and of higher amplitude during the 30 000 years following the MIS 9e interglacial period and during the MIS 9a-8 transition, which correspond to intervals of an intermediate to high ice volume and mainly periods of ice growth. Each suborbital cold event detected in NW Iberia has a counterpart in the Southern Iberian margin SST record. High to moderate amplitude cold episodes detected on land and in the ocean appear to be related to changes in deep water circulation and probably to iceberg discharges at least during MIS 9d, the mid-MIS 9c cold event and MIS 9b. This work provides therefore additional evidence of pervasive millennial-scale climatic variability in the North Atlantic borderlands throughout past climatic cycles of the Late Pleistocene, regardless of glacial state. However, ice volume might have an indirect influence on the amplitude of the millennial climatic changes in Southern Europe.

Anthropogenic CO2 emissions in Africa

Canadell,J. G. — 2009

An understanding of the regional contributions and trends of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is critical to design mitigation strategies aimed at stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gases. Here we report CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and land use change in Africa for various time periods. Africa was responsible for an average of 500 Tg C y(-1) for the period 2000-2005. These emissions resulted from the combustion of fossil fuels (260 Tg C y(-1)) and land use change (240 Tg C y(-1)). Over this period, the African share of global emissions from land use change was 17%. For 2005, the last year reported in this study, African fossil fuel emissions were 285 Tg C accounting for 3.7% of the global emissions. The 2000-2005 growth rate in African fossil fuel emissions was 3.2% y(-1), very close to the global average. Fossil fuel emissions per capita in Africa are among the lowest in the world, at 0.32 t C y(-1) compared to the global average of 1.2 t C y(-1). The average amount of carbon (C) emitted as CO2 to produce 1 US$ of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa was 187 g C/$ in 2005, close to the world average of 199 g C/$. With the fastest population growth in the world and rising per capita GDP, Africa is likely to increase its share of global emissions over the coming decades although emissions from Africa will remain low compared to other continents.

Effects of microzooplankton growth and trophic interactions on herbivory in coastal and offshore environments

First,Matthew R. — 2009

We performed serial dilution experiments to estimate rates of gross phytoplankton growth (L) and grazing mortality (m) in both eutrophic (Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, USA) and oligotrophic (offshore Gulf of Mexico) waters. Two parallel experiments were performed in both environments, with seawater pre-screened through 153 or 25 Inn mesh to observe the responses of microzooplankton (MZP) to dilution treatments. MZP biomass changed over the duration of the experimental incubations; in several treatments, MZP net growth rates were >1 d(-1). Patterns of growth varied between dilutions and initial screening size. In the eutrophic system, the ratio of phytoplankton grazing mortality rate to gross phytoplankton growth rate (m/mu) was 1.10 +/- 0.54 (mean +/- SD) versus 0.41 +/- 0.65 when screened through 153 and 25 pm mesh, respectively. This difference was attributed to cascading trophic interactions among MZP size groups leading to suppression of the primary herbivores in the 25 pm fraction and, in turn, a lower value of m. A food web model consisting of multiple trophic levels was constructed to examine the role of MZP growth and trophic interactions on measurements of p and m. The model, using 3 interacting groups of MZP, was able to reproduce experimental results. Model simulations demonstrated that MZP growth during incubation leads to an overestimation of m. Non-linearity in the phytoplankton growth response curves was due to MZP growth and trophic interactions in these model simulations, as variable feeding responses were not incorporated into the models. Trophic interactions among MZP can provide context to measurements of P. and m and insight into microbial food web efficiency.

Revisiting experimental methods for studies of acidity-dependent ocean sound absorption

Duda,Timothy F. — 2009

The practical usefulness of long-range acoustic measurements of ocean acidity-linked sound absorption is analyzed. There are two applications: Determining spatially-averaged pH via absorption measurement and verifying absorption effects in an area of known pH. The method is a differential-attenuation technique, with the difference taken across frequency. Measurement performance versus mean frequency and range is examined. It is found that frequencies below 500 Hz are optimal. These are lower than the frequency where the measurement would be most sensitive in the absence of noise and signal fluctuation (scintillation). However, attenuation serves to reduce signal-to-noise ratio with increasing distance and frequency, improving performance potential at lower frequencies. Use of low frequency allows longer paths to be used, with potentially better spatial averaging. Averaging intervals required for detection of fluctuations or trends with the required precision are computed.

Flow and geochemistry of groundwater beneath a back-barrier lagoon: The subterranean estuary at Chincoteague Bay, Maryland, USA

Bratton,John F. — 2009

To better understand large-scale interactions between fresh and saline groundwater beneath an Atlantic coastal estuary, an offshore drilling and sampling study was performed in a large barrier-bounded lagoon, Chincoteague Bay, Maryland, USA. Groundwater that was significantly fresher than overlying bay water was found in shallow plumes up to 8 m thick extending more than 1700 m offshore. Groundwater saltier than bay surface water was found locally beneath the lagoon and the barrier island, indicating recharge by saline water concentrated by evaporation prior to infiltration. Steep salinity and nutrient gradients occur within a few meters of the sediment surface in most locations studied, with buried peats and estuarine muds acting as confining units. Groundwater ages were generally more than 50 years in both fresh and brackish waters as deep as 23 m below the bay bottom. Water chemistry and isotopic data indicate that freshened plumes beneath the estuary are mixtures of water originally recharged on land and varying amounts of estuarine surface water that circulated through the bay floor, possibly at some distance from the sampling location. Ammonium is the dominant fixed nitrogen species in saline groundwater beneath the estuary at the locations sampled. Isotopic and dissolved-gas data from one location indicate that denitrification within the subsurface flow system removed terrestrial nitrate from fresh groundwater prior to discharge along the western side of the estuary. Similar situations, with one or more shallow semi-confined flow systems where groundwater geochemistry is strongly influenced by circulation of surface estuary water through organicrich sediments, may be common on the Atlantic margin and elsewhere. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Palaeolimnology of Lake Sapanca and identification of historic earthquake signals, Northern Anatolian Fault Zone (Turkey)

Schwab,Markus J. — 2009

Lake Sapanca is located on a strand of the Northern Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ, Turkey), where a series of strong earthquakes (Ms >6.0) have occurred over the past hundred years. Identifying prehistoric earthquakes in and around Lake Sapanca is key to a better understanding of plate movements along the NAFZ. This study contributes to the development of palaeolimnological tools to identify past earthquakes in Lake Sapanca. To this end several promising proxies were investigated, specifically lithology, magnetic susceptibility, grain size (thin-section and laser analysis), geochemistry, pollen concentration, diatom assemblages, 137Cs and 210Pb. Sedimentological indicators provided evidence for reworked, turbidite-like or homogeneous facies (event layers) in several short cores (<45 cm). Other indicators of sediment input and the historical chronicles available for the area suggest that three of these event layers likely originated from the AD 1957, 1967 and 1999 earthquakes. Recent changes in sediment deposition and nutrient levels have also been identified, but are probably not related to earthquakes. This study demonstrates that a combination of indicators can be used to recognize earthquake-related event layers in cores that encompass a longer period of time.

Disruption of fast axonal transport is a pathogenic mechanism for intraneuronal amyloid beta

Pigino,G. — 2009

The pathological mechanism by which AÎ² causes neuronal dysfunction and death remains largely unknown. Deficiencies in fast axonal transport (FAT) were suggested to play a crucial role in neuronal dysfunction and loss for a diverse set of dying back neuropathologies including Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the molecular basis for pathological changes in FAT were undetermined. Recent findings indicate that soluble intracellular oligomeric AÎ² (oAÎ²) species may play a critical role in AD pathology. Real-time analysis of vesicle mobility in isolated axoplasms perfused with oAÎ² showed bidirectional axonal transport inhibition as a consequence of endogenous casein kinase 2 (CK2) activation. Conversely, neither unaggregated amyloid beta nor fibrillar amyloid beta affected FAT. Inhibition of FAT by oAÎ² was prevented by two specific pharmacological inhibitors of CK2, as well as by competition with a CK2 substrate peptide. Furthermore, perfusion of axoplasms with active CK2 mimics the inhibitory effects of oAÎ² on FAT. Both oAÎ² and CK2 treatment of axoplasm led to increased phosphorylation of kinesin-1 light chains and subsequent release of kinesin from its cargoes. Therefore pharmacological modulation of CK2 activity may represent a promising target for therapeutic intervention in AD.

Larval dispersal connects fish populations in a network of marine protected areas

Planes,Serge — 2009

Networks of no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) have been widely advocated for the conservation of marine biodiversity. But for MPA networks to be successful in protecting marine populations, individual MPAs must be self-sustaining or adequately connected to other MPAs via dispersal. For marine species with a dispersive larval stage, populations within MPAs require either the return of settlement-stage larvae to their natal reserve or connectivity among reserves at the spatial scales at which MPA networks are implemented. To date, larvae have not been tracked when dispersing from one MPA to another, and the relative magnitude of local retention and connectivity among MPAs remains unknown. Here we use DNA parentage analysis to provide the first direct estimates of connectivity of a marine fish, the orange clownfish (), in a proposed network of marine reserves in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. Approximately 40% of larvae settling into anemones in an island MPA at 2 different times were derived from parents resident in the reserve. We also located juveniles spawned by Kimbe Island residents that had dispersed as far as 35 km to other proposed MPAs, the longest distance that marine larvae have been directly tracked. These dispersers accounted for up to 10% of the recruitment in the adjacent MPAs. Our findings suggest that MPA networks can function to sustain resident populations both by local replenishment and through larval dispersal from other reserves. More generally, DNA parentage analysis provides a direct method for measuring larval dispersal for other marine organisms.

Synaptic transmission block by presynaptic injection of oligomeric amyloid beta

Moreno,Herman — 2009

Early Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology is characterized by synaptic changes induced by degradation products of amyloid precursor protein (APP). The exact mechanisms of such modulation are unknown. Here, we report that nanomolar concentrations of intraaxonal oligomeric (o)AÎ²42, but not oAÎ²40 or extracellular oAÎ²42, acutely inhibited synaptic transmission at the squid giant synapse. Further characterization of this phenotype demonstrated that presynaptic calcium currents were unaffected. However, electron microscopy experiments revealed diminished docked synaptic vesicles in oAÎ²42-microinjected terminals, without affecting clathrin-coated vesicles. The molecular events of this modulation involved casein kinase 2 and the synaptic vesicle rapid endocytosis pathway. These findings open the possibility of a new therapeutic target aimed at ameliorating synaptic dysfunction in AD.

Sonar-induced temporary hearing loss in dolphins

Mooney,T. Aran — 2009

There is increasing concern that human-produced ocean noise is adversely affecting marine mammals, as several recent cetacean mass strandings may have been caused by animals' interactions with naval ‘mid-frequency’ sonar. However, it has yet to be empirically demonstrated how sonar could induce these strandings or cause physiological effects. In controlled experimental studies, we show that mid-frequency sonar can induce temporary hearing loss in a bottlenose dolphin (). Mild-behavioural alterations were also associated with the exposures. The auditory effects were induced only by repeated exposures to intense sonar pings with total sound exposure levels of 214 dB re: 1 μPa s. Data support an increasing energy model to predict temporary noise-induced hearing loss and indicate that odontocete noise exposure effects bear trends similar to terrestrial mammals. Thus, sonar can induce physiological and behavioural effects in at least one species of odontocete; however, exposures must be of prolonged, high sound exposures levels to generate these effects.

Distribution of echinoderm larvae relative to the halocline of a salt wedge

Metaxas,Anna — 2009

Aggregations of larvae of marine benthic invertebrates occur near physical and biological features of the water column, and can be the result of hydrodynamics, larval behavior, or a combination of the two. In this study, we examined the effect of flow on the vertical distribution of 4-arm larvae of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus relative to a halocline. In the absence of flow, the larvae did not cross but aggregated at and below haloclines in which the salinity of the bottom layer was 31 and that of the top layer was either 21 or 25. To test the effect of flow on this response, we generated a salt wedge in a 17 m flume, with 2 water layers of different salinity and opposite mainstream flow. Using the same treatments as in the absence of flow, we found that larval aggregation occurred below the halocline under low horizontal flow velocities. We propose that in the presence of laminar sheared flow, the larval vertical distribution relative to a halocline is modified by shear, which retains larvae near the halocline, resulting in a decreased probability of entrainment into the water layer of lower salinity.

LOAPEX: The Long-Range Ocean Acoustic Propagation EXperiment

Mercer,James A. — 2009

This paper provides an overview of the experimental goals and methods of the Long-range Ocean Acoustic Propagation EXperiment (LOAPEX), which took place in the northeast Pacific Ocean between September 10, 2004 and October 10, 2004. This experiment was designed to address a number of unresolved issues in long-range, deep-water acoustic propagation including the effect of ocean fluctuations such as internal waves on acoustic signal coherence, and the scattering of low-frequency sound, in particular, scattering into the deep acoustic shadow zone. Broadband acoustic transmissions centered near 75 Hz were made from various depths to a pair of vertical hydrophone arrays covering 3500 m of the water column, and to several bottom-mounted horizontal line arrays distributed throughout the northeast Pacific Ocean Basin. Path lengths varied from 50 km to several megameters. Beamformed receptions on the horizontal arrays contained 10-20-ms tidal signals, in agreement with a tidal model. Fifteen consecutive receptions on one of the vertical line arrays with a source range of :3200 km showed the potential for incoherent averaging. Finally, shadow zone receptions were observed on an ocean bottom seismometer at a depth of 5000 m from a source at 3200-250-km range.