The Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean marine mammals

• 1. In February 2002, France, Italy and Monaco agreed to establish an international sanctuary for Mediterranean marine mammals. The resulting Pelagos Sanctuary encompasses over 87500 km² of the north‐western Mediterranean Sea, extending between south‐eastern France, Monaco, north‐western Italy and northern Sardinia, and surrounding Corsica and the Tuscan Archipelago.
• 2. The Pelagos Sanctuary illustrates how the tenets of Marine Protected Area (MPA) design can be reconciled with the dynamic nature of oceanic systems, because its spatial scale was defined by oceanographic and ecological considerations, specifically the location of the Ligurian permanent frontal system.
• 3. By expanding protective measures beyond national waters, the Pelagos Sanctuary also sets a precedent for the implementation of pelagic protected areas in the high seas. The Pelagos Sanctuary will contribute to the conservation of the Mediterranean Sea at two scales: (i) locally, by protecting important cetacean foraging and breeding grounds in the Ligurian Sea, and by providing ‘umbrella’ protection to other marine predators in this area; and (ii) regionally, by empowering other conservation measures, such as the Specially Protected Areas Protocol of the Barcelona Convention and the wider goals of the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black and Mediterranean Seas (ACCOBAMS).
• 4. However, because few cetacean species are resident within the Sanctuary, their effective long‐term conservation will require large‐scale management and coordinated monitoring throughout the Mediterranean basin.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fetal mummification in a mare

A single mummified fetus was removed from the uterus of a 23-year-old mare that had been bred approximately 30 months previously. The mare had received supplemental progestin therapy for approximately 150 days after ovulation. This case represents the longest recorded occurrence of fetal mummification in the mare. Progestion administration may have contributed to the initial retention of the fetus in the uterus.     

Structural and physiological studies of paraquat-resistant Conyza

Structural and physiological studies were conducted with a population of Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronq. that segregates into paraquat-resistant and -susceptible biotypes. Leaf disks from resistant seedlings, when incubated on 10 μM paraquat for 24 hr, exhibited little difference from the control disks incubated on H₂O as measured by conductivity change, malondialdehyde formation, or plastid ultrastructure. Leaf disks from the susceptible seedlings incubated on 10^?5M paraquat for 24 hr were uniformly bleached, had elevated malondialdehyde content, and leaked more electrolytes than control disks. Plastids of the susceptible biotype incubated on 10^?5M paraquat for 24 hr were swollen organelles with gross rearrangements of the lamella system. Most of the chloroplasts from the central area of the leaf disk of the resistant biotype incubated on a paraquat solution were structurally normal. Swollen plastids and plastids with twisted lamellae were also noted, although much less frequently. Plastids from the edges of the leaf disks of paraquat-resistant clones were structurally similar to those found throughout the leaf disks in susceptible seedlings. When the size of the leaf disk was increased, paraquat-resistant clones exhibited more “resistance” toward paraquat compared to similar-sized leaf disks of the susceptible seedlings. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the paraquat-resistant seedlings have an altered uptake and/or compartmentalization of paraquat. Superoxide dismutase isozymes, which were previously considered to be related to paraquat resistance in Conyza, did not correlate with the segregation of paraquat resistance in this population.     

Evaluating foliar nitrogen compounds as indicators of nitrogen status in Prunus persica trees

Mobile nitrogen (N) forms may be better N indicators of the N status of trees than total nitrogen (TN) due to their higher sensitivity to increasing N supply. A field experiment was carried out over a 3-year period to compare foliar concentrations of total N (TN), soluble N (SN), chlorophyll (Minolta SPAD readings), NH₄–N and NO₃–N as indicators of soil N availability in nectarine, Prunus persica L. Batsch, cv. ‘Fantasia’ (grafted on ‘Nemaguard’ peach, P. persica × P. davidiana) trees. Young trees were exposed to a range of fertilizer-N application rates. Based on correlation analysis, the best association between leaf N compounds with soil N supply and trunk diameter and/or fruit yield was obtained with TN and chlorophyll SPAD readings. Leaf concentrations of mobile N compounds (NH₄–N and NO₃–N) increased more than any other N compound under high N supply; however, their inconsistency among years and low leaf concentration difficult their use as N indicators. The optimum foliar TN for growth decreased with tree age, 4.4%, 3.6% and 3.3% in non-bearing 1-year-old trees, non-bearing 2-year-old trees and 3.3 fruit-bearing 3-year-old trees. The optimum SPAD readings were 40 in 2-year-old trees and 42 in 3-year-old trees. Stable N compounds (TN and chlorophyll SPAD) could be used to N diagnosis in the zone of N deficiency, and soluble N compounds (NH₄–N and NO₃–N) to diagnoses N excess.     

Charcoal affects early development and hormonal concentrations of somatic embryos of hybrid larch

Embryogenic tissue of hybrid larch (Larix x marschlinsii Coaz) was multiplied on Medium M (modified MSG medium supplemented with the plant growth regulators (PGRs) 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D; 9 microM) and N-6-benzyladenine (2.25 microM)). After 1 week, cultures were transferred to either MSG lacking PGRs (Medium C-) or MSG lacking PGRs but supplemented with 1% activated charcoal (Medium C+). Embryos were sampled after 1 week on Medium M, C- or C+. Embryos were analyzed by ELISA for abscisic acid (ABA), abscisic acid-glucose ester, 2,4-D, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-aspartate (IAAsp), zeatin (Z), zeatin riboside (ZR), isopentenyladenine (iP) and isopentenyladenosine (iPA). Transfer of embryos to Medium C+ reduced the embryo concentrations of 2,4-D and iPA, but resulted in elevated concentrations of IAA, IAAsp, ABA, Z, ZR and iP. Charcoal reduced 2,4-D concentrations of embryos by an order of magnitude greater than PGR-free medium alone. Charcoal affected embryo concentrations of five of the eight PGRs quantified. Use of either C+ or C- medium as part of the maturation protocols also affected germination and plantlet establishment of the embryos. A 1-week treatment on Medium C+ positively influenced plantlet establishment and generally reduced variability during both germination and plantlet establishment.     

Wood Moisture Content Measurement by X-Ray Exposure Method

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Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus canis,and Arcanobacterium phocae of healthy Canadian farmed mink and mink with pododermatitis

Pododermatitis is a disease of concern for mink breeders in Canada and worldwide, as it causes discomfort and lowers the breeding rates on farms affected by the disease. Unfortunately, the etiology and pathogenesis of pododermatitis are still unknown. In this study, we compared Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus canis isolates from healthy mink with isolates from animals with pododermatitis on 2 farms in Ontario. Almost all hemolytic Staphylococcus spp. isolated were shown to be Staphylococcus delphini Group A by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequence analysis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) did not reveal any S. delphini or S. canis clonal lineages specifically associated with pododermatitis, which suggests that these bacteria do not act as primary pathogens, but does not dismiss their potential roles as opportunistic pathogens. While S. delphini and S. canis were the most prevalent bacterial pathogens in mink pododermatitis, they were also present in samples from healthy mink. Arcanobacterium phocae is occasionally isolated from pododermatitis cases, but is difficult to recover with conventional culture methods due to its slow growth. A quantitative real-time PCR was developed for the detection of A. phocae and was tested on 138 samples of footpad tissues from 14 farms. The bacterium was detected only in pododermatitis-endemic farms in Canada and was at higher concentrations in tissues from infected footpads than in healthy tissues. This finding suggests that A. phocae is involved in the pathogenesis of pododermatitis.     

The face of conservation responding to a dynamically changing world

In its 40‐year history, the science of conservation has faced unprecedented challenges in terms of environmental damage and rapid global change, and environmental problems are only increasing as greater demands are placed on limited natural resources. Conservation science has been adapting to keep pace with these changes. Here, we highlight contemporary and emerging trends and innovations in conservation science that we believe represent the most effective responses to biodiversity threats. We focus on specific areas where conservation science has had to adjust its approach to address emerging threats to biodiversity, including habitat destruction and degradation, climate change, declining populations and invasive species. We also document changes in attitudes, norms and practices among conservation scientists. A key component to success is engaging and maintaining public support for conservation, which can be facilitated through the use of technology. These recent trends in conservation and management are innovative and will assist in optimizing conservation strategies, increasing our leverage with the general public and tackling our current environmental challenges.