Do Harpacticoids (Copepoda) Use Water‐Borne Cues to Aid in Locating Food Parcels?

Abstract.  Harpacticoid copepod food is patchily distributed and individuals must episodically move to new food patches. Key questions in harpacticoid feeding ecology include how individuals detect food patches and how rapidly they move toward patches. Based on literature reports, we hypothesized that harpacticoids locate food parcels by sensing a water-borne cue. We tested this idea using individuals of Leptastacus coulli Huys, 1992 and Praeleptomesochra similis Lang, 1965 from a sandy beach in north Florida (29.948° N, 84.341° W). Individuals from both species selected seawater that had been exposed to food significantly more frequently than they selected control seawater. The rate of movement of these species was millimeters per second, which agreed with previous reports.     

Isotopic signatures of organic matter in sediments of the continental shelf facing the Orinoco Delta: Possible contribution of organic carbon from savannas

The ⁸⁷Sr, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N isotopic signatures of organic matter in sediments from the continental shelf facing the Orinoco Delta were measured to determine the contribution of sediments transported from the Amazon River by the coastal Guayana current and the sediments transported by the Orinoco River. Box core samples between 60 and 300 m water depth collected along 4 transects located eastwards to the Orinoco Delta were analyzed. Carbon and nitrogen concentrations decreased with depth under water on the shelf, and were strongly correlated indicating homogeneity of organic matter composition. Phosphorus content was also associated to organic matter in most samples, but some of them revealed deposition of P-enriched sediments. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios showed a strong continental signature averaging 0.7117, therefore, limiting the possible carbon and nitrogen sources associated with these sediments to C3 trees, C4 grasses, or freshwater phytoplankton. The δ¹³C values were relatively high averaging −21‰, above values reported for sediments on the Amapá shelf and the Amazon River in Brazil. Average δ¹³C values did not differ significantly among transects. High δ¹³C values point to the influence of organic matter transported from the C4-plants dominated savannas in the northern fringe of the Orinoco River. δ¹⁵N values were positive and averaged 5‰, being within the range of values measured in the Marajo island (Amazon River) and the estuary of the Pará River. The δ¹⁵N values differed significantly among transects (4.9–5.2‰), lowest values corresponding to the northernmost transect near the coast of Trinidad, and the highest values corresponding to the transect located at the southernmost position.     

A fungal epizootic in mussels at a deep-sea hydrothermal vent

Mass mortalities due to disease are important determinants of population and community structure in marine ecosystems, but the speed at which an epizootic may sweep through a population, combined with rapid selection for disease‐resistant stocks, can mask the ecological impact of disease in all but the most closely monitored populations. We document an emergent epizootic event in the deep sea that is occurring in mussels (Bathymodiolus brevior) at the Mussel Hill hydrothermal vent in Fiji Basin and we identify the causal agent as a black yeast (order Chaetothyriales) that elicits a pronounced host immune response and is associated with tissue deterioration. The yeast was not observed in other invertebrate taxa (the gastropods Ifremeria nautilei, Alviniconcha aff. hessleri; the limpets Lepetodrilus schrolli, Symmetromphalus aff. hageni; the polychaetes Branchipolynoe pettiboneae, Amphisamytha cf. galapagensis) associated with the mussel bed, nor in mussels (Bathymodiolus brevior) collected from adjacent Lau Basin mussel beds. Massive mussel mortality resulting from the fungal infection is anticipated at the Mussel Hill site in Fiji Basin; we expect that epizootic outbreaks in dense invertebrate communities have the potential to be major determinants of community structure in deep‐sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. The possibility that submersible assets may serve as vectors for transport of the fungus warrants further attention.     

Relationship of Caspian tern foraging ecology to nesting success in the Columbia River estuary, Oregon, USA

The prevalence of juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) and marine forage fishes in the diet of Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia) nesting in the Columbia River estuary has been established, but the relationship between diet composition, foraging distribution, and productivity of these birds has received little attention. We used radio-telemetry and on-colony observations to relate changes in off-colony distribution to patterns of colony attendance, diet composition, and productivity of adult terns nesting on East Sand Island during two years of different river and prey conditions. Average distance from the East Sand Island colony (located in the marine zone of the estuary) was 38% (6.6 km) greater in 2000 compared to 2001, associated with lower availability of marine forage fish near East Sand Island and lower prevalence of marine prey in tern diets. Colony attendance was much lower (37.0% vs. 62.5% of daylight hours), average trip duration was 40% longer (38.9 min), and nesting success was much lower (0.57 young fledged pair⁻¹ vs. 1.40 young fledged pair⁻¹) in 2000 compared to 2001. Higher proportions of juvenile salmonids in the diet were associated with relatively high use of the freshwater zone of the estuary by radio-tagged terns, which occurred prior to chick-rearing and when out-migrating salmonid smolts were relatively abundant. Lower availability of marine prey in 2000 apparently limited Caspian tern nesting success by markedly reducing colony attendance and lengthening foraging trips by nesting terns, thereby increasing chick mortality rates from predation, exposure, and starvation.     

Properties of sea ice and overlying snow in the Southern Sea of Okhotsk

The general properties of sea ice and overlying snow in the southern Sea of Okhotsk were examined during early February of 2003 to 2005 with the P/V “Soya”. Thin section analysis of crystal structure revealed that frazil ice (48% of total core length) was more prevalent than columnar ice (39%) and that stratigraphic layering was prominent with a mean layer thickness of 12 cm, indicating that dynamic processes are essential to ice growth. The mean thickness of ice blocks and visual observations suggest that ridging dominates the deformation process above thicknesses of 30 to 40 cm. As for snow, it was found that faceted crystals and depth hoar are dominant (78%), as which is also common in the Antarctic sea ice, and is indicative of the strong vertical temperature gradients within the snow. Stable isotope measurements (δ¹⁸O) indicate that snow ice occupies 9% of total core length and that the mass fraction of meteoric ice accounts for 1 to 2% of total ice volume, which is lower than the Antarctic sea ice. Associated with this, the effective fractionation coefficient during the freezing of seawater was also derived. Snow ice was characterized by lower density, higher salinity, and nearly twice the gas content of ice of seawater origin. In addition, it is shown that the surface brine volume fraction and freeboard are well correlated with ice thickness, indicating some promise for remote sensing approaches to the estimation of ice thickness.     

Creation and destruction of lower continental crust

Bulk continental crustal composition results from the net mass exchange between crust and mantle. Crustal addition is mainly by the rise of mantle-derived melts into and through the crust at convergent plate margins and (at a lower rate) within plate interiors. Crustal subtraction occurs by subduction of uppermost crust (sediment, continent-derived elements in hydrothermally altered oceanic crust), by subcrustal erosion at convergent margins and by delamination of lowermost crust following densifying gabbro-eclogite phase transformations that result in a crust-mantle density inversion. As the phase transformations only occur at high pressure, tectonic overthickening of the crust (to > 50 km) is required. The lowermost crust at continent-ocean and continent-continent convergent plate margins is more likely to experience these transient overthickening events (compressional orogenies) than is intraplate crust. Correspondingly, the preservation probability of mafic lower crust is greater for intraplate than for plate margin localities. Delamination of mafic lower crust is the main process for removing basic composition rocks from the crust, thereby creating »andesitic« crustal composition. Evidence for lower crustal delamination comes from »geochemically balanced« cross section of compressional belts, and from the high La/Yb ratios, lack of Eu anomalies, and high Sr contents in deep crustallyderived magmas from the base of tectonically over-thickened crust. These crustal magmas are often accompanied by mantle-derived basalts associated with crustal uplift and extension, both related to the coincident delamination of underlying mantle lithosphere.

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Zusammenfassung Die Gesamtzusammenfassung der Kontinentalen Kruste resultiert aus dem Massenaustausch zwischen Kruste und Mantel. Krustenzuwachs erfolgt hauptsächlich beim Aufstieg in und durch die Kruste von aus dem Mantel abstammenden Basalt an konvergierenden Plattengrenzen und zum geringeren Teil Plattenintern. Der Krustenabbau wird erreicht per Subduktion der obersten Kruste, durch subkrustale Erosion an konvergierenden Plattengrenzen (Sedimente, Elemente kontinentaler Herkunft von hydrothermal veränderter ozeanischer Kruste). Dies wird hervorgerufen von der Schichtspaltung der untersten Kruste nach der Verdichtung durch die Gabbro-Eklogit-Phasentransformation, welche in der Krusten-Mantel-Dichte-Inversion resultiert. Da die Phasentransformation nur unter hohen Drücken stattfindet, werden tektonische Mächtigkeitszunahmen der Kruste (> 50 km) benötigt. Die unterste Kruste in Bereichen von konvergierenden Kontinent-Ozean und Kontinent-Kontinent Plattengrenzen unterliegt einer größeren Wahrscheinlichkeit vorübergehende Mächtigkeitszunahmen zu erfahren als platteninterne Kruste. Dementsprechend ist die Erhaltungswahrscheinlichkeit von mafischer unterer Kruste für platteninterne Bereiche größer als für Plattengrenzen. Schichtspaltung von mafischer unterer Kruste ist der Hauptprozeß basisch zusammengesetzte Gesteine aus der Kruste zu entfernen, hierbei wird die Kruste in Richtung »andesitische« Zusammensetzung verändert. Hinweise für Schichtspaltung der unteren Kruste stammen von »geochemisch bilanzierten« Profilen aus druckhaft deformierten Zonen. Weiterhin sprechen dafür hohe La/Yb-Werte, das Fehlen von Eu-Anomalien und hohe Sr-Gehalte, wie sie an der Basis tektonisch verdickter Kruste in Magmen, die aus der tiefen Kruste stammen, gefunden werden. Diese krustalen Magmen werden häufig von Mantelbasalten begleitet, die zu Krustenhebung und Dehnung in Verbindung stehen; beides im Zusammenhang stehend zu der gleichzeitig stattfindenden Schichtspaltung der unterlagernden Mantellithosphäre.

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Résumé La composition d'ensemble de la croûte continentale résulte des échanges entre la croûte et le manteau. L'apport dans la croûte provient en ordre principal de la montée de basalte d'origine mantélique qui s'opère aux bordures des plaques convergentes et, dans une moindre mesure, à l'intérieur des plaques. Le départ hors de la croûte se produit par la subduction de la croûte supérieure (sédiments, éléments dérivés des continents dans la croûte océanique affectée d'altération hydrothermale), par érosion subcrustale le long des marges convergentes et par délamination à la base de la croûte, les transformations de phase gabbro-éclogitiques entraînant une augmentation de densité et une inversion de densité entre croûte et manteau. Comme ces transformations de phases ne se produisent qu'à haute pression, elles impliquent un épaississement tectonique de la croûte (jusqu'à plus de 50 Km). Le domaine probable de tels épaississement est la partie inférieure de la croûte en bordure des plaques convergentes continentocéan ou continent-continent (orogènes de compression), plutôt que la croûte intra-plaque. Inversement, la probabilité de conversion d'une croûte inférieure mafique est plus élevée au milieu des plaques que sur leurs bordures. La délamination de la croûte inférieure est le processus courant d'appauvrissement de la croûte en roches mafiques, avec création d'une composition crustale »andésitique«. Les arguments en faveur de cette delamination sub-crustale sont tirés de profils »géochimiquement équilibrés« dans les ceintures en compression, ainsi que des rapports La/Yb élevés, de l'absence d'anomalie de l'Eu et des hautes teneurs en Sr dans les magmas dérivés de la partie profonde des croûtes tectoniquement épaissies. Ces magmas crustaux sont souvent accompagnés de basaltes d'origine mantélique associés à un soulèvement et à une extension crustale, ces deux processus étant liés à la délamination concommittante de la lithosphère mantélique sousjacente.

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Combined satellite and ground-based observations of the quiescent,high latitude symbiotic variable AG Draconis=BD+67°922

Satellite observations, fromEinstein,IUE, andIRAS, have been combined with ground-based observations to derive the quiescent energy distribution of the symbiotic star AG Draconis. A detailed comparison is made between the combined observations and various steady-state composite models, including blackbody accretion disks.Paper presented at the IAU Colloquium No. 93 on Cataclysmic Variables. Recent Multi-Frequency Observations and Theoretical Developments, held at Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, F.R.G., 16–19 June, 1986.     

Conjoint analysis of small‐boat recreational fishers in New Zealand

Conjoint analysis is a useful technique to assist recreational managers formulate policy, and develop strategies to efficiently and effectively distribute resources. Accurate estimates of the value of natural resources remain challenging, despite the development of a number of decision analysis techniques. This recreation geography study uses conjoint analysis to examine the relative importance of attributes associated with small‐boat recreational fishing experiences and demonstrates the value of conjoint analysis as a non‐market valuation tool. We found that the choices associated with companionship are the most important factors of recreational fishing and more tangible attributes such as the quality of launch facilities and catch probability are the least important factors.