Effect of crab size and habitat type on the locomotory activity of juvenile shore crabs, Carcinus maenas

Post-settlement processes are a major focus in the study of the dynamics of marine populations and communities. Post-settlement movement of juveniles is an important, but often ignored, process which affects local predator–prey and competitive interactions. We used benthic suction sampling and pitfall traps to examine density and locomotory activity of Carcinus maenas juveniles in different intertidal habitat types in the Rio Mira Estuary, Portugal, to better understand intra-specific interactions in a system where density-dependent processes are known to regulate population dynamics. As expected, significantly higher densities of juvenile shore crabs were found from bare mud compared to densely vegetated habitats. At the time of sampling, small and intermediate stages together outnumbered by far the larger juveniles. Conversely, larger crabs were much more frequent than smaller ones in traps. A locomotory index (LI), i.e. the ratio between crab catch in pitfall traps and their density within their moving range, is proposed as a measure of movement. LI analyses indicated that: (1) movement is an order of magnitude higher in large than small juveniles and much higher in sparse than dense vegetation cover; (2) activity of small juveniles is mostly crepuscular, regardless of vegetation cover; and (3) movement of large juveniles is very limited in dense Zostera patches, but very high in sparsely vegetated areas, during the day and night. These results suggest that small juveniles are relatively protected under dense vegetation cover due to lower mobility of larger crabs, and provide evidence of temporal segregation of activity windows between juvenile crabs of different sizes, which may be a key mechanism to reduce cannibalism and therefore increase the carrying capacity of nursery habitats.     

The role of basement inheritance faults in the recent fracture system of the inner shelf around Alboran Island,Western Mediterranean

Fractures associated with volcanic rock outcrops on the inner shelf of Alboran Island, Western Mediterranean, were mapped on the basis of a side-scan sonar mosaic. Absolute maximum fracture orientation frequency is NW–SE to NNW–SSE, with several sub-maxima oriented NNE–SSW, NE–SW and ENE–WSW. The origin of the main fracture systems in Neogene and Quaternary rocks of the Alboran Basin (south Spain) appears to be controlled by older structures, namely NE–SW and WNW–ESE to NW–SE faults which cross-cut the basement. These faults, pre-Tortonian in origin, have been reactivated since the early Neogene in the form of strike-slip and extensional movements linked to the recent stress field in this area. Fracture analysis of volcanic outcrops on the inner continental shelf of Alboran Island suggests that the shelf has been deformed into a narrow shear zone limited by two NE–SW-trending, sub-parallel high-angle faults, the main orientation and density of which have been influenced by previous WNW–ESE to NW–SE basement fractures.     

The profitability of the artisanal galician fleet

A large artisanal fleet made up of small-sized vessels fishes along the Galician coastline using passive gear and traps. The aim of this study is to analyse the economic profitability of this fleet in the last 5 years by looking at the average rate of return on the vessel and the investment payback period. The results show a slight drop in the return per vessel half-way through the period studied caused by the effects of the Prestige oil spill, to quickly recover over the following 2 years. Considerably high profitability rates from fishing activity were observed, especially in the second half of the period, and slightly lower payback periods, in general, than the average life of a standard fleet vessel.     

44 years hindcast of sea level in the Atlantic Coast of Europe

The sea level of Northeast Atlantic Ocean is calculated for the period between 1958 and 2001 using a state-of-the-art barotropic model with a grid size of 10′ × 15′ (long × lat). The model includes astronomic effects, considering seven components of the tide, and the meteorological effects of wind and atmospheric pressure, allowing obtaining the astronomic tide, the atmospheric residuals and the non-linear addition of both components of sea level.     

The Cabo Frio upwelling overrides geographical patterns in the population dynamics of the shrimp Artemesia longinaris Spence Bate, 1888 (Decapoda: Penaeidae)

Upwelling areas are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet, influencing the biology of marine organisms. This study investigated the population dynamics of the shrimp Artemesia longinaris in two regions in southeastern Brazil, one inside (Macaé—Rio de Janeiro State) and one outside (Ubatuba—State of São Paulo) the Cabo Frio upwelling area. The aim was to verify the influence of the upwelling phenomenon on the abundance, growth, longevity, size of sexual maturity, and reproductive period of the species. In total, 188,902 individuals were captured at Macaé and 3,461 at Ubatuba. Individuals captured at Macaé showed larger maximum size, higher longevity, and slower growth rate, besides reaching sexual maturity at larger sizes than at Ubatuba. Continuous reproduction was observed in both regions, with juvenile recruitment peaks in spring and summer. Local conditions observed at Macaé were influenced by the Cabo Frio upwelling zone, characterized by productive and cooler waters that are around 20°C during most of the year. The upwelling phenomenon is probably the main factor influencing the population parameters studied here, changing the geographic patterns previously observed for the variation of these parameters in A. longinaris.     

High Resolution Optical Spectroscopy of a B-type Abundance Standard Candidate in Ori OB1—HD 35039

Astronomy Letters - We present LTE analysis of high resolution optical spectra for the B-type abundance standard candidate HD 35039 (HR 1765, 22 Ori) with an ambigous binary nature. The spectra...     

Orbite de L'Étoile Burnham 1164 – ADS 1156 B–765 (95 Piscium)

The physical and orbital elements of the binary star ADS 1156 = B 1164 (α₁₉₀₀ = 01^h 22^m.0, δ₁₉₀₀ = + 04°50′) are determined. The absolute visual magnitudes of the two components are 3^m.72 resp. 3^m.97, the masses 1.43 M⊙ resp. 1.33 M⊙.     

冲绳海槽轴线地质特征

冲绳海槽位于东海大陆架与琉球岛弧之间，海槽中发育着一系列平行轴向延伸的地堑型正断层。穿越海槽的地震剖面证实了海槽扩张中心的存在，扩张轴沿海槽轴线方向延伸。由于地堑构造中心的扩张速率较大，由某引起的海槽中心下陷的速率大于沉积作用的补偿速率，使海槽中心海底出现明显的下陷。在轴线的大陆坡一侧，陆源沉积占绝对优势；轴线的岛坡一侧，以火山坡碎屑、浮岩、有孔虫软泥为沉积特征。     

Characterisation and preliminary quantification of the methane reservoir in a coastal sedimentary source: San Simón Bay,Ría de Vigo,NW Spain

Ría de Vigo is a river valley flooded by the sea, with a bay (San Simón Bay) at its innermost part. The accumulation of Holocene sediment in San Simón Bay has been studied by the integration of 1) large scale high resolution seismic data, and 2) detailed geochemical analysis of a gravity core. In San Simón Bay the majority of the seismic records are obscured by acoustic turbidity which represents gassy sediments, but on records from Rande Strait it is possible to distinguish two Quaternary seismic sequences; an Upper Pleistocene sequence (SQ1) and a Holocene sequence (SQ2). Only SQ2 is recognized in San Simón Bay where it is comprised of two seismic units; the upper unit represents the HST sediment, i.e. the period of highest sea level. A gravity core taken within the gassy zone at 10 m water depth provided 3.55 m of fine-grained sediments (muds) from the youngest seismic unit (4 m thick). Geochemical analysis show high values (4 to 10%) of TOC. Sediment and porewater analyses indicate a distinct sulphate–methane transition zone (SMTZ) between 60 and 80 cm where sulphate is depleted (to <1.7 mM) and methane increases (to >0.4 mM). The top of the acoustic turbidity (the gas front) at 80 cm corresponds to the lower limit of the SMTZ. The methane cannot have been derived from the underlying metamorphic and granitic rocks, but was probably derived by microbial degradation of the organic matter in the Holocene sediments. We estimate that the sediments of the Bay contain approximately 1.8 × 10⁶ m³ of organic carbon and 275 ton of methane.     

Bistatic Radar Detection in the Luna-Resurs Mission

An overview of radiophysical investigations of the lunar soil and plasma shell by active radar detection with the use of spacecraft is presented. The possibility is analyzed of conducting bistatic measurements using the Irkutsk Incoherent Scattering Radar and the onboard radar system RLK-L which is being developed for the orbital station of the Luna-Resurs mission.