Small-scale, high-precision and high-accuracy determination of Poisson’s ratios in cohesive marine sediments

Poisson’s ratio (static) appears as a parameter in models of soft-sediment geomechanical processes such as gas bubble formation and bioturbation, and in a number of practical applications, including acoustic imaging, but is rarely measured in soft near-surface (upper 20 cm) marine sediments. A new uniaxial apparatus was developed to assess Poisson’s ratios of cylindrical samples of soft cohesive sediments under finite-strain, unconfined, undrained conditions. No constraining membrane around the sample is necessary in the instrument. By monitoring the fluid level in a capillary, changes in sample volume can be determined to high precision (reproducibility). Measurements on reference materials, i.e., gelatine and polyurethane, also indicate high accuracy (veracity). For natural sediments from Nova Scotia, Canada, Poisson’s ratios range from 0.4951 to 0.5 with no indication of anisotropy; therefore, such sediments act as incompressible solids to short-term/small-magnitude stresses, as occur during bubble formation and infaunal movement.     

Food of predatory demersal fish in Hauraki Gulf

Feeding was examined in 1,194 snapper, Chrysophrys auratus (Forster), from Hauraki Gulf and north‐west Bay of Plenty. Occurrence and points (bulk) methods of food analysis were used in this study. By occurrence and bulk, crustaceans, polychaetes, echinoderms, molluscs, and teleosts formed the main snapper food groups, with crustaceans being the most important. Size of snapper, bottom type, depth, time of day and geographical regions affected the occurrence and importance of food items, while sex of fish probably did not.     

Land‐use impacts and water quality targets in the intensive dairying catchment of the Toenepi Stream,New Zealand

Water quality monitoring in Toenepi Stream, New Zealand, started in 1995 in a study of dairy farming influences on lowland stream quality and has continued since then with brief interruptions. Surveys have provided information about changes in farm and soil management practices as they relate to environmental sustainability. Although average water quality in Toenepi Stream has changed little during 1995–2004, there have been some notable improvements. Water clarity measured by black disc has improved from 0.6m to 1.5m, and median ammonia‐N and nitrate‐N concentrations have declined by 70% and 57%, respectively. The frequency and magnitude of extreme concentrations have declined—most notably for nitrogen (N) forms, which also had decreased mean values. Specific yields for suspended solids (SS) and phosphorus (P) forms in 2002–04 were 47–67% of 1995–97 values, mainly because of lower water yields. Reduced specific yields for N forms in 2002–04 (34–37% of 1995–97 yields) were also attributable to lower mean concentrations in stream water. Faecal bacteria concentrations have not abated and are on average 2–3 times recommended guideline values for contact recreation. Fewer dairy farms and an increased proportion irrigating dairyshed effluent to land, rather than discharging it to the stream via two‐pond systems, were likely causes of improvement in water quality. Water quality targets were developed for Toenepi Stream to achieve contact recreation criteria for the Piako River (downstream) and for intrinsic habitat values for Toenepi Stream. A range of mitigation measures has been formulated to meet these targets, but substantial uptake of sustainable farming practices is needed to improve water quality in Toenepi Stream.     

Characterization of rocking shallow foundations using centrifuge model tests

This paper presents new results of centrifuge model tests exploring the behavior of rocking shallow foundations embedded in dry sand, which provides a variety of factors of safety for vertical bearing. The results of slow (quasi‐static) cyclic tests of rocking shear walls and dynamic shaking tests of single‐column rocking bridge models are presented. The moment–rotation and settlement–rotation relationships of rocking footings are investigated. Concrete pads were placed in the ground soil to support some models with the objective of reducing the settlement induced by rocking. The behavior of rocking foundation was shown to be sensitive to the geometric factor of safety with respect to bearing failure, L_f/L_c, where L_f was the footing length, and the L_c was the critical soil‐footing contact length that would be required to support pure axial loading. Settlements were shown to be small if L_f/L_c was reasonably large. Placement of concrete pads under the edges of the footing was shown to be a promising approach to reduce settlements resulting from rocking, if settlements were deemed to be excessive and also had impacts on the energy dissipation and rocking moment capacity. A general discussion of the tradeoffs between energy dissipation and re‐centering of rocking foundations and other devices is included. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fine‐scale diet of the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) using DNA‐based analysis of faeces

We applied DNA‐based faecal analysis to determine the diet of female Australian sea lions (n = 12) from two breeding colonies in South Australia. DNA dietary components of fish and cephalopods were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and mitochondrial DNA primers targeting the short (~100 base pair) section of the 16S gene region. Prey diversity was determined by sequencing ~50 amplicons generated from clone libraries developed for each individual. Faecal DNA was also combined and cloned from multiple individuals at each colony and fish diversity determined. Diets varied between individuals and sites. Overall, DNA analysis identified a broad diversity of prey comprising 23 fish and five cephalopod taxa, including many species not previously described as prey of the Australian sea lion. Labridae (wrasse), Monacanthidae (leatherjackets) and Mullidae (goat fish) were important fish prey taxa. Commonly identified cephalopods were Octopodidae (octopus), Loliginidae (calamary squid) and Sepiidae (cuttlefish). Comparisons of fish prey diversity determined by pooling faecal DNA from several samples provided a reasonable but incomplete resemblance (55–71%) to the total fish diversity identified across individual diets at each site. Interpretation of diet based on the recovery of prey hard‐parts identified one cephalopod beak (Octopus sp.) and one fish otolith (Parapriacanthus elongatus). The present study highlights the value of DNA‐based analyses and their capabilities to enhance information of trophic interactions.     

A Customization of the Arc Marine Data Model to Support Whale Tracking via Satellite Telemetry

The Arc Marine data model is a generalized template to guide the implementation of geographic information systems (GIS) projects in the marine environment. It developed out of a collaborative process involving research and industry shareholders in coastal and marine research. This template models and attempts to standardize common ocean and coastal data types to facilitate data sharing and analytical tool development. In this study, Arc Marine is extended from its core model to fit the research goals of the whale satellite-telemetry-tagging program of the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute (MMI). The study sought the best customization of the generic Arc Marine data model to enhance the key advantages of satellite telemetry for mapping the distribution and movement of endangered marine mammal species. It was found that three new groups of object classes were needed (Animal, Telemetry, and Operations). Further customization involved the development of a comprehensive framework for animal tracking with Argos satellite telemetry data. A new multidimensional data cube model was also devised, showing how this extension of Arc Marine serves as an appropriate target schema for the application of on-line analytical processing (OLAP) tools and spatial data mining of satellite telemetry tracking datasets.     

Late quaternary paleoclimatic reconstructions for interior Alaska based on paleolake-level data and hydrologic models

Hydrologic models are developed for two lakes in interior Alaska to determine quantitative estimates of precipitation over the past 12,500 yrs. Lake levels were reconstructed from core transects for these basins, which probably formed prior to the late Wisconsin. Lake sediment cores indicate that these lakes were shallow prior to 12,500 yr B.P. and increased in level with some fluctuation until they reached their modern levels 4,000-8,000 yr B.P. Evaporation (E), evapotranspiration (ET), and precipitation (P) were adjusted in a water-balance model to determine solutions that would maintain the lakes at reconstructed levels at key times in the past (12,500, 9,000 and 6,000 yr B.P.). Similar paleoclimatic solutions can be obtained for both basins for these times. Results indicate that P was 35-75% less than modern at 12,500 yr B.P., 25-45% less than modern at 9,000 yr B.P. and 10-20% less than modern at 6,000 yr B.P. Estimates for E and ET in the past were based on modern studies of vegetation types indicated by fossil pollen assemblages. Although interior Alaska is predominantly forested at the present, pollen analyses indicate tundra vegetation prior to about 12,000 yr B.P. The lakes show differing sensitivities to changing hydrologic parameters; sensitivity depends on the ratio of lake area (AL) to drainage basin (DA) size. This ratio also changed over time as lake level and lake area increased. Smaller AL to DA ratios make a lake more sensitive to ET, if all other factors are constant.     

Comparison of cytochrome P450 in three butterflyfish species: Ecological implications of elevated CYP2B and CYP3A in Chaetodon capistratus

The relationship between cytochrome P450 and feeding on terpenoid-rich gorgonian corals was investigated in a species of tropical butterflyfish and compared with two other sympatric congeners that do not feed on gorgonians. Fish were collected from non-polluted waters in Belize and the levels of two cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYP2B and CYP3A) were immunoquantitated in addition to quantification of total P450. Chaetodon capistratus regularly feeds on gorgonian corals and has higher levels of total hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 than C. ocellatus or C. striatus. The content of hepatic P450 (0.588–0.794 nmol mg⁻¹) in C. capistratus is among the highest ever reported in teleosts from non-polluted waters and is significantly greater than detected in C. ocellatus or C. striatus. Chaetodon capistratus also had a larger hepatic index (g liver per g fish) and more microsomal protein (mg protein per g liver), factors that translate into 3.3- to 8-fold more total P450 per g fish. Sexual differences in total P450 were observed between male and female C. capistratus, but not among the other species. The contents of proteins detected by immunoassay with polyclonal anti-scup P450B (CYP2B) and anti-human P4503A (CYP3A) were 2- to 10-fold and 2- to 20-fold greater, respectively, in C. capistratus than in the congeneric species. CYP2 and CYP3 gene families in mammals are thought to have evolved partially in response to dietary allelochemicals. These results suggest that these P450 isozymes may also be important in marine teleosts that feed on terpenoid-rich prey.     

Risks of shifting baselines highlighted by anecdotal accounts of New Zealand's snapper (Pagrus auratus) fishery

Anecdotal data sources may constitute an important component of the information available about an exploited species, as record keeping may not have occurred until after exploitation began. Here, we aimed to fill any gaps in the exploitative history of the sparid snapper (Pagrus auratus), using social and historical research methods. Social research consisted of interviews with recreational fishers, focusing on the most and largest snapper they had caught. In addition, the diary‐logs of two recreational fishers were analysed. Historical research consisted of investigation of old books, photos, archives and unpublished sources unconventional to fishery science. Interviews with fishers demonstrated no or weak trends in snapper abundance or size, and were likely impeded by a lack of ability to detect change in a fish stock that may still be considered abundant. The fishers’ perception of change, however, largely reflected recent experiences (last c. 10 years), when biomass is understood to have increased, and mostly did not consider experiences before the 1980s. Alternatively, diary‐logs of fisher catch rates produced a pattern that matched formal stock assessments of snapper biomass, suggesting declines in abundance up until the 1990s and an increase in biomass after that time. Historical research, although more qualitative, had the ability to investigate periods where formal records were not kept and described a fishery vastly different from the current one. Snapper were easily caught, in great abundance and in unusual locations. Localised depletion of snapper was first noticed in the early 20th century, despite spectacular catches of snapper occurring after that time. Snapper behaviour was also likely different, with visual sightings of snapper by onlookers a common occurrence. Although predictions from stock assessment models are consistent with that of the anecdotes listed here (i.e., high biomass in the past), these anecdotes are valuable as they explain lost biomass in a perspective meaningful to all. This perspective may be valuable for managers trying to consider the non‐financial value of a shared fishery but, if unrecognised, represents a shifting baseline.