Outmigration pathways of stocked juvenile European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio L., 1758) in the Lower Rhine River,as revealed by telemetry

Working towards a future Rhine Sturgeon Action Plan the outmigration pathways of stocked juvenile European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio L., 1758) were studied in the River Rhine in 2012 and 2015 using the NEDAP Trail system. A total of 87 sturgeon of 3 to 5 years old (n = 43 in 2012, n = 44 in 2015) were implanted with transponders and released in May and June in the river Rhine at the Dutch‐German border, approximately 160 km from the sea. In total three sturgeons (3%) were found dead on river banks within seven days after the release. Based upon their wounds these sturgeons were likely hit by ship‐propellers. Tracking results were obtained from 57 (66%) of the sturgeons, of which 39 (45%) indicated movement into the Port of Rotterdam. Here the sturgeons remained for an average of two weeks, which suggests they spent time to acclimatize to higher salinities before entering the North Sea. Of the 45 (52%) sturgeons that were confirmed to have entered the North Sea, ten (22%) were recaptured (mainly by shrimpers and gill‐nets) close to the Dutch coastline; nine were alive and were released. From the results we obtained the preferred outmigration pathways, movement speeds and an indication of impacting factors (i.e. ship propellers and bycatch). Bycatches provided also localisations information in the coastal area. A next step to complete this work would be to assess habitat selection in freshwater and downstream migration of young of the year (YOY sturgeons) in the Lower Rhine.     

A late Pleistocene progradational clastic shoreface succession in Jamaica: Implications for the preservation potential of the echinoid Leodia

A section in the Late Pleistocene Port Morant Formation of Jamaica shows a progradational deltaic succession passing from offshore muddy sands, through shoreface to foreshore deposits. The transition zone/lower shoreface has abundant Ophiomorpha burrows and contains common examples of the echinoid Leodia cf. sexiesperforata (Leske). Modern Leodia occur in shallow marine carbonate sands, and the Port Morant occurrence is the first record of abundant Leodia in the geological record. Despite their strong test construction that should give Leodia a high preservation potential, these echinoids have a poor fossil record because the environments in which they lived are rarely preserved. Consequently, the fossil record is biased towards species that occur in environments with high preservation potential.     

Activity budget of inshore Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus): A critical evaluation of methods and comparison among other populations

Activity budgets are widely used to compare behavior patterns but sampling methods vary, rendering comparisons difficult. The two main methods used are instantaneous and continuous sampling. Their comparability was examined by applying them to data obtained from bottlenose dolphins in the Port River estuary, South Australia. They gave comparable results for activity budgets, but instantaneous sampling did not detect most of the behavioral events. Individual differences in behavior and/or follow duration influenced results. Variability in activity definitions and categories among studies makes comparative analysis difficult. Comparison of the Port River dolphin's activity budget with other inshore populations indicated the former spent more time feeding and resting, and less time traveling. The greater feeding time seemed to be due to small prey size rather than reduced abundance or unpredictable distribution. The reduced traveling time, possibly the result of low predation pressure and/or evenly distributed prey, gave them more time to rest. They traveled mostly at 2.5 kn or less, consistent with studies from other shallow areas. Most feeding was individual, probably on demersal species. Surface feeding incorporated physical barriers rather than cooperative behavior. Activity durations ranged from 2 s to 2.9 h, with mean durations varying from 7.8 to 22.9 min.     

A Regional Multiple-Stressor Rank-Based Ecological Risk Assessment for the Fjord of Port Valdez,Alaska

We conducted an ecological risk assessment of the marine environment of Port Valdez, a fjord in south-central Alaska. Because the assessment was regional rather than site-specific and contained a large number of different stressors in a variety of environments, we required a nontraditional method to estimate risks. We created a Relative Risk Model to rank and sum individual risks numerically within each subarea, from each source, and to each habitat. Application of this model involved division of Port Valdez into 11 subareas containing specific ecological and anthropogenic structures and activities. Within each subarea, the stressor sources were analyzed to estimate exposure of receptors within habitats leading to effects relevant to the chosen assessment endpoints. The subareas were analyzed and compared to form a Port-wide perspective of ecological risk. Available chemical concentrations from sediment and mussels collected from the Port were compared to various toxicological benchmarks as a partial confirmation of the risk analysis. An estimation of the risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to marine invertebrates indicated low risk. The municipal boat harbor had the highest estimate, which reflected our relative risk rankings. The Relative Risk Model approach appears robust and has potential for use in situations where multiple stressors are of concern and for assessments covering broad geographic areas. In the Port Valdez assessment the approach provided relative risk rankings for chemical and physical stressors from various sources. But data were available for confirmation of risk estimates only for the chemical stressors. The rankings are relative, and extrapolation beyond the scenario in which they were developed is not warranted. Uncertainty is large, and the numerical scores collapse a multidimensional space into a single value. Use of just the numerical score out of context is more valid than with other indexes. The value of the approach lies in the relative rankings and the accounting of the components of the relative risk score.     

Diel variability in catch rate of juvenile flatfish on two small nursery grounds (Port Erin Bay, Isle of Man and Porto Pirn Bay, Faial, Azores)

Variation in beach seine catches was examined in two juvenile flatfish populations (Port Erin, Isle of Man and Porto Pirn, Azores) to determine the importance of diel cycles while controlling for tidal rhythmicity. At Port Erin sampling was undertaken at each low water on consecutive days over a 2-week period in May/June and September 1991. There was no periodicity in the catches of plaice ( Pleuronectes platessa ) in May/June, but in September catches were higher at night. Other flatfish species ( Limanda limanda, Pleuronectes flesus, Scophthalmus maximus and S. rhombus ) sampled at Port Erin were nocturnal. At Porto Pirn, Azores, fish were sampled over 24 h each month from July 1989 to June 1990 and at each low water over a 2-week period in July 1991. The only flatfish species present was Bothuspodas , which had a diurnal pattern in catches over a 1-year period. Sampling at low water in July gave high catches at both midnight and midday.     

动植物检疫在生物多样性保护中的作用

生物多样性保护不仅包括对野生物种的保护,也包含对栽培和驯化物种的遗传多样性的保护,动植物检疫在保护栽培和驯化物种的安全和防止野生物种资源外流两个方面发挥了重要作用。可以认为,动植物检疫系统是生物多样性保护中的一支生力军。文章强调,一要加强动植物检疫,减少国际贸易对生物多样性的影响;二要增强口岸把关,有效地保护我国濒危、珍稀物种资源。文中例举了过去我国濒危、珍稀生物资源破坏和流失情况,并介绍了在加强对濒危、珍稀物种进出口管理中,动植物检疫机关所起的把关作用。     

The intra-annual variability of soft-bottom macrobenthos abundance patterns in the North Channel of the Seine estuary

Temporal and spatial variability of the Abra alba–Pectinaria koreni and Macoma balthica communities was examined in the northern part of the Seine estuary (North Channel) over different space and time scales in order to assess the role that the hydrologic regime and/or anthropogenic influences play in defining benthic communities over time. Sediment in the North Channel displayed strong spatial and temporal variability, sustained by intense sediment transport episodes. Total macrobenthic abundances ranged widely on the course of the year and there was no evidence of a seasonal signal for the density fluctuations, whatever the spatial scale considered. The bio-sedimentary dynamics can be divided into two periods: the first corresponds to the high flow rate period (January–May) during which fauna is influenced by fine silt/clay deposition, and the second to the low flow rate period (June–December) during which sandy deposits prevail. Despite the absence of significant correlations between sediment composition and abundance, episodes of sediment transport seem to be an important structuring mechanism in the Seine estuary. As a consequence, the faunal composition varied throughout the year. The winter and spring fauna, characterised by species living on muddy fine-sands or muds, were enriched during the summer and autumn by species living in clean fine sand, such as Donax vittatus, Nephtys cirrosa or Spio decoratus, mainly represented by adult individuals. Secondary settlement of drifters may explain the rapid structuration of assemblages a few days after the sandy deposits. Our results suggest the importance of the bentho-pelagic coupling, primarily induced by the sedimentary instability, on the macrobenthic fauna dynamics. The intra-annual variability of assemblages at the mouth of the Seine river and the silted situation of the North Channel might simply be the result of the silting up and alteration of the inner estuary, generated by several decades of man-made modifications and natural processes.     

洋山港潮间带大型底栖动物群落结构及多样性

2009-2010年在洋山港海域大洋山岛和圣姑礁进行四个季度潮间带大型底栖动物生态学研究。共采集到大型底栖动物61种,以广布种为主,部分为河口低盐种,其中软体动物22种,环节动物16种,节肢动物12种,苔藓动物5种,腔肠动物4种,星虫动物和棘皮动物各1种。优势种为短滨螺(Littorina brevicula)、多齿围沙蚕(Perinereis nuntia)、日本笠藤壶(Tetraclita japonica)、齿纹蜒螺(Nerita yoldii)和特异大权蟹(Macromedaeus distinguendus)。丰度和生物量在不同季节明显不同(P<0.05):丰度的最高值出现在春季,为(3204.9±837.84)个/m²,最低值出现在秋季,仅为(2213.2±731.27)个/m²;生物量的最高值则出现在夏季(2233.2±1493.42)g/m²,冬季最少,仅为(819.95±484.80) g/m²。大洋山岛和圣姑礁的丰度和生物量具有较大差异(P<0.05):年均丰度以大洋山断面较高,为(3090±742.74)个/m²,圣姑礁断面较低,为(2133±372.51)个/m²;而年均生物量则以圣姑礁断面较高,为(1711.1±1180.76) g/m²,大洋山断面较低,仅为(1028.5±627.61) g/m²。运用ABC曲线、等级聚类和MDS对大型底栖动物群落结构分析发现:大洋山潮带间大型底栖动物群落尚未受到干扰或干扰较轻,群落结构相对稳定;而圣姑礁断面的潮间带大型底栖动物群落受到了中度的干扰,群落结构稳定性下降。与15年前的研究相比,圣姑礁大型底栖动物的密度和生物量均有大幅度的降低,这与洋山港海域盐度的升高、生态环境变化和人为干扰强度增加等有关。     

基于血流多普勒原理的血压测量系统设计

血流信号的采集可基于超声多普勒技术。利用多普勒超声探头在肢体主动脉脉搏处采集到血流多普勒频移信号,对信号电压进行放大,一方面直接输入扬声器转变为音频信号,得到多普勒音;同时用频率/电压变换器LM331变换多普勒频移信号,得到脉搏波信号。基于此原理,设计了使用无创、直观的方法获得肢体血流参数,并经PC机处理,最终在显示器上显示脉搏波形和血压数值的方法。