Dispersal of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) larvae on the southeast U.S. continental shelf: results of a coupled vertical larval behavior – 3D circulation model

In the marine environment, pelagic dispersal is important for determining the distribution and abundance of populations, as well as providing connections among populations. Estimates of larval dispersal from spawning grounds are important to determining temporal and spatial patterns in recruitment that may have significant influences on the dynamics of the population. We present a case study of the dispersal of Centropristis striata (black sea bass) larvae on the southeast U.S. continental shelf. We use a coupled larval behavior – 3D circulation model to compare the effects of the timing and location of spawning against that of larval vertical migration on larval dispersal. Using the results of field data on larval vertical distributions, we compare the dispersal of virtual 'larvae' which have ontogenetic changes in vertical behavior with that of particles fixed near the surface and near the bottom. Larvae were released at potential spawning sites four times throughout the spawning season (February through May) for 3 yr (2002–04) and tracked for the assumed larval duration (from 27 to 37 days including the egg stage). Results indicate that adult behavior, in the form of spawning time and location, may be more important than larval vertical behavior in determining larval dispersal on the inner- and mid- continental shelves of this region.     

A Perspective of Urban Forestry Policy and Management Methodologies in China

INTRODUCTION China is the country with the largest number of people in the world. In the past 20 years, the rapid urbanization proceeding had brought huge pressure on the ecology, environment and economy. The European practice showed that the ecological and environmental problem in the city could be solved by developing Urban Forestry (Konijnendijk 2003; Chai Yixin et al. 2004; Konijnendijk et al. 2005). Additionally, urban forestry policy formulation and management methodologies are t…     

Amino acids in the proteins from aragonite and calcite in the shells of Mytilus californianus

Hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline are absent in the calcified proteins of Mytilus. The organic matrices from the calcite layers have a consistently higher ratio of acidic to basic amino acids than the aragonitic shell units. The uncalcified shell units periostracum and outer ligament, have very few acidic residues, which may in part account for the lack of mineralization.     

Bottom-up forcing and the decline of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska: assessing the ocean climate hypothesis

Declines of Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) populations in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska could be a consequence of physical oceanographic changes associated with the 1976–77 climate regime shift. Changes in ocean climate are hypothesized to have affected the quantity, quality, and accessibility of prey, which in turn may have affected the rates of birth and death of sea lions. Recent studies of the spatial and temporal variations in the ocean climate system of the North Pacific support this hypothesis. Ocean climate changes appear to have created adaptive opportunities for various species that are preyed upon by Steller sea lions at mid‐trophic levels. The east–west asymmetry of the oceanic response to climate forcing after 1976–77 is consistent with both the temporal aspect (populations decreased after the late 1970s) and the spatial aspect of the decline (western, but not eastern, sea lion populations decreased). These broad‐scale climate variations appear to be modulated by regionally sensitive biogeographic structures along the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska, which include a transition point from coastal to open‐ocean conditions at Samalga Pass westward along the Aleutian Islands. These transition points delineate distinct clusterings of different combinations of prey species, which are in turn correlated with differential population sizes and trajectories of Steller sea lions. Archaeological records spanning 4000 yr further indicate that sea lion populations have experienced major shifts in abundance in the past. Shifts in ocean climate are the most parsimonious underlying explanation for the broad suite of ecosystem changes that have been observed in the North Pacific Ocean in recent decades.     

Effect of sodium cromoglycate on light racehorses with elevated metachromatic cell numbers on bronchoalveolar lavage and reduced exercise tolerance

Some young horses with clinical signs of small airway disease demonstrate increased metachromatic cell numbers on bronchoalveolar lavage. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sodium cromoglycate treatment on clinical signs, bronchoalveolar lavage cytology and bronchoalveolar lavage histamine parameters in these horses. Twelve racehorses (age: 3.4 ± 1.6 years) with a history of respiratory embarrassment at exercise, clinical signs of obstructive airway disease and bronchoalveolar lavage metachromatic cell differential greater than 2% were selected. Horses were randomly assigned to receive either 200 mg sodium cromoglycate or saline placebo nebulized twice daily for 7 days. A clinical respiratory score was assigned and bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on each animal on days 0 and 7. Measurements were made of the following bronchoalveolar lavage fluid parameters: total nucleated cell concentration, differential cell percentage and concentration, supernatant and lysate histamine concentration, lysate: supernatant histamine ratio and metachromatic cell histamine content. Between the two evaluation periods, sodium cromoglycate treated horses demonstrated an improvement in respiratory score (P = 0.01) and a stabilizing of metachromatic cell histamine content (P = 0.04) when compared with placebo treated horses. We conclude that sodium cromoglycate is effective for the treatment of small airway disease in this population of young racehorses although the pharmacodynamics of this drug in the horse require further investigation.     

Mechanistic links between climate and fisheries along the east coast of the United States: explaining population outbursts of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus)

Climate has been linked to variation in marine fish abundance and distribution, but often the mechanistic processes are unknown. Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) is a common species in estuarine and coastal areas of the mid‐Atlantic and southeast coasts of the U.S. Previous studies have identified a correlation between Atlantic croaker abundance and winter temperatures in Chesapeake Bay, and have determined thermal tolerances of juveniles. Here we re‐examine the hypothesis that winter temperature variability controls Atlantic croaker population dynamics. Abundance indices were analyzed at four life history stages from three regions along the east coast of the U.S. Correlations suggest that year‐class strength is decoupled from larval supply and is determined by temperature‐linked, overwinter survival of juveniles. Using a relation between air and water temperatures, estuarine water temperature was estimated from 1930 to 2002. Periods of high adult catch corresponded with warm winter water temperatures. Prior studies indicate that winter temperature along the east coast is related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO); variability in catch is also correlated with the NAO, thereby demonstrating a link between Atlantic croaker dynamics, thermal limited overwinter survival, and the larger climate system of the North Atlantic. We hypothesize that the environment drives the large‐scale variability in Atlantic croaker abundance and distribution, but fishing and habitat loss decrease the resiliency of the population to periods of poor environmental conditions and subsequent weak year classes.