Reproductive cues in Panulirus ornatus

Two experiments were performed to assess the effect of photoperiod and temperature on spawning of Panulirus ornatus. In experiment 1, sexually mature lobsters taken from the wild during summer were held at one of two photoperiods, winter (13 Light: 11 Dark) and summer (14.5 Light:9.5 Dark). Additionally, lobsters were also exposed to either summer (29°C) or winter (24°C) average water temperatures. Spawning was significantly greater when animals were exposed to summer photoperiod than to winter photoperiod, irrespective of temperature. Although a higher percentage of lobsters spawned when placed under a higher temperature, this trend was not statistically significant. In experiment 2, sexually mature lobsters were taken from the wild during winter and exposed to the same two photoperiods as in experiment 1, at a summer equivalent temperature of 29°C. Breeding started earlier and was more successful at the summer photoperiod. Time to first breeding was 17 weeks after exposure to summer photoperiod, compared with less than 1 week in experiment 1, and did not occur until individuals had moulted. Moulting occurred in 81% of lobsters, primarily after an increase in temperature to 29°C. The time between moulting and mating was varied and there was no significant difference in moult frequency between the two experimental photoperiods. After the lobsters had moulted, breeding success was reached earlier if photoperiod was lengthened. Results suggest photoperiod is the primary cue for the onset of gonad maturity and mating activity, with temperature playing a less important role. Physiological rest and possibly a moult may be required between breeding seasons before spawning can occur. Furthermore, temperature may be an important cue for pre‐reproduction moulting.     

Abergasilus amplexus Hewitt, 1978 (Ergasilidae: Copepoda) from New Zealand,with a description of the male

The male of Abergasilus amplexus Hewitt, 1978 is described for the first time. Previous records of A. amplexus are discussed and a new locality, Te Whanga Lagoon, Chatham Islands, is reported.     

Temporal and environmental significance of microbial lamination: Insights from Recent fluvial stromatolites in the River Piedra,Spain

Despite extensive research, the environmental and temporal significance of microbial lamination is still ambiguous because of the complexity of the parameters that control its development. A 13 year monitored record of modern fast‐accreting calcite stromatolites (mean 14 mm year^?1) from artificial substrates installed in rapid flow in the River Piedra (north‐east Spain) allows comparison of the sedimentological attributes of successive six‐month depositional packages with the known climatic, hydrophysical and hydrochemical parameters of the depositional system. The stromatolites are formed of dense, porous and macrocrystalline composite laminae. The dense and porous composite laminae, which are composed of two to eight laminae consisting largely of calcified cyanobacteria, are characterized by: (i) dense composite laminae, up to 15 mm thick, mostly with successive dense laminae and minor alternating dense and porous laminae; and (ii) porous composite laminae, up to 12 mm thick, consisting mainly of porous laminae alternating with thinner dense laminae. Most of the dense composite laminae formed during the warm periods (April to September), whereas most of the porous composite laminae developed in the cool periods (October to March). Each dense and porous composite lamina represents up to or slightly longer than six months. The alternation of these two types of composite laminae parallels seasonal changes in temperature. The dense and porous laminae result from shorter (for example, intraseasonal) variations in temperature, insolation and hydrological conditions. The macrocrystalline laminae, with crystals >100 μm long, occur isolated and grouped into composite laminae up to 1·7 mm thick. Their occurrence suggests the absence or poor development of microbial mats over periods of weeks to several months. Thus, stromatolite lamination can record different‐order, periodic and non‐periodic changes in the magnitude of environmental parameters over a single year. These results hold important implications for the temporal and environmental interpretation of lamination in microbial structures.     

Application of a finite element model to the computation of tides in the Mersey Estuary and Eastern Irish Sea

A variable mesh finite element model of the Irish and Celtic Sea regions with/without the inclusion of the Mersey estuary is used to examine the influence of grid resolution and the Mersey upon the higher harmonics of the tide in the region. Comparisons are made with observations and published results from finite difference models of the area. Although including a high resolution representation of the Mersey had little effect upon computed tides in the western Irish Sea it had a significant effect upon tidal currents in the eastern Irish Sea. In addition the higher harmonics of the M₂ tide in near-shore regions of the eastern Irish Sea particularly the Solway and Mersey estuary together with Morecambe Bay showed significant small scale variability. The Mersey was used to test the sensitivity to including estuaries because high resolution accurate topography was available. The results presented here suggest that comparable detailed topographic data sets are required in all estuaries and near-shore regions. In addition comparisons clearly show the need for an unstructured grid model of the region that can include all the estuaries. Such an unstructured grid solution was developed here within a finite element approach, although other methods in particular the finite volume, or coordinate transformations/curvilinear grids and nesting could be applied.     

A Tripartite Conceptualisation of Urban Public Space as a Site for Play: Evidence from South Bank,London

Public space is a feature of the urban built environment that has received increasing attention in recent years. Discussion has focused on the theoretical decline of public space, as private and institutional forces take on increasing influence. At the same time, many such “in-between spaces,” even privately owned ones, are used and experienced as public on a daily basis. Few studies, however, have explored how spaces understood as public are used and practised as such. To address this gap in the literature this paper draws upon ethnographic data collected on the “South Bank” in London (United Kingdom) to argue that “play” is a recurrent trait of sociospatial practices enacted in public space. Three interrelated typologies of playful practices in public space are discussed: child's play, plays on meaning, and play as simulation.     

Derivation of a resilient polygon centroid for natural resource management applications

This paper reviews the utility of polygon centroid algorithms for natural resource management applications. Following a review of ‘standard’ centroid derivation algorithms, and their limitations, alternative approaches are proposed. Building upon current polygon-reduction algorithms an iterative edge-erosion model is presented. Resilient centroids derived via this model are shown to: (1) maximise the distance to all internal and external edges; (2) be located within the polygon boundary; and (3) be insensitive to patch vertex outliers.

The resilient centroid is demonstrated to have utility in a range of natural resource management applications including the matching of disparate data sources. Exemplar studies conclude that resilient centroids support an appropriate allocation of vegetation condition point samples both within and between native vegetation patches. Further, the utilisation of resilient centroids enables the (1) sub-division of vegetation patches into homogenous regions (core areas) and (2) interrogation of the relationship between vegetation condition and core area proximity.     

Effect of galvanic distortions on the series and parallel magnetotelluric impedances and comparison with other responses

The series and parallel impedances of the magnetotelluric tensor are appraised in relation to their relative immunity to galvanic electric distortions. The distorted responses are modeled using the Groom-Bailey decomposition of the tensor in terms of twist, shear, statics and strike direction. These four parameters and the undistorted responses are normally considered as unknowns, and are obtained from field data through the solution of an inverse problem. In the present work we use the decomposition as a forward model to simulate distorted sounding curves. Starting with undistorted 2-d te and tm responses, the tensor is distorted by assuming arbitrary values of twist, shear, static and strike direction. By default, both series and parallel responses are immune to the strike direction because they are invariants under rotation. In addition, series responses are immune to twist and shear and parallel responses only to twist. The dependence of the latter on shear is in the form of a real factor that shifts downwards the amplitude curves. On the other hand, the effect of statics on both series and parallel responses is more complicated than that on the impedance tensor because it cannot be accounted for by a simple shift of the curves. On the whole, there is a positive balance on the part of the series and parallel impedances over the te and tm responses because some of the distortions are filtered out by the invariants. It is shown that invariance is not sufficient to be immune to any of the distortions. The example chosen is Eggers’ eigenvalues, which are immune only to the by-the-fault strike direction. Invariance is not necessary either, as evidenced by the phase tensor, whose elements depend on strike but are immune to all distortions. The derivations are illustrated using soundings from the synthetic coprod2s1 and field-recorded coprod2 and bc87 data sets.