Protected areas in the North Sea: An absolute need for future marine research

There are many signals that different human activities affect the marine ecosystem on local and sometimes regional scales. There is evidence that in the Dutch sector of the North Sea at least 25 species have decreased tremendously in numbers or have totally disappeared. But what has caused their disappearance: fisheries, pollution, eutrophication, climatic changes, or a combination of causes? On the Dutch Continental Shelf, the fisheries are now so intensive that every square metre is trawled, on an average, once to twice a year. Furthermore, it has been shown that trawling causes direct damage to the marine ecosystem. This indicates that the “natural” North Sea ecosystem we are studying is already a heavily influenced system. And what is the value of data on the diversity and production of benthic animals, if the research area has been raked by beamtrawl gear an unknown amount of times before sampling? To be able to study the natural trends in the marine ecosystem, or to answer the question which human activity has most influenced the ecosystem, there is an absolute and immediate need for protected areas to be established. The size of the protected areas must be determined by the behaviour of that species characteristic for the area. In such areas, where fisheries and local pollution would be forbidden or very limited, scientific research into the species composition and age distribution of different populations should be carried out and trends should be established.     

Temporal variability of coastal Planctomycetes clades at Kabeltonne station, North Sea

Members of the bacterial phylum Planctomycetes are reported in marine water samples worldwide, but quantitative information is scarce. Here we investigated the phylogenetic diversity, abundance, and distribution of Planctomycetes in surface waters off the German North Sea island Helgoland during different seasons by 16S rRNA gene analysis and catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH). Generally Planctomycetes are more abundant in samples collected in summer and autumn than in samples collected in winter and spring. Statistical analysis revealed that Planctomycetes abundance was correlated to the Centrales diatom bloom in spring 2007. The analysis of size-fractionated seawater samples and of macroaggregates showed that ~90% of the Planctomycetes reside in the >3-μm size fraction. Comparative sequence analysis of 184 almost full-length 16S rRNA genes revealed three dominant clades. The clades, named Planctomyces-related group A, uncultured Planctomycetes group B, and Pirellula-related group D, were monitored by CARD-FISH using newly developed oligonucleotide probes. All three clades showed recurrent abundance patterns during two annual sampling campaigns. Uncultured Planctomycetes group B was most abundant in autumn samples, while Planctomyces-related group A was present in high numbers only during late autumn and winter. The levels of Pirellula-related group D were more constant throughout the year, with elevated counts in summer. Our analyses suggest that the seasonal succession of the Planctomycetes is correlated with algal blooms. We hypothesize that the niche partitioning of the different clades might be caused by their algal substrates.     

A failing anthropology of colonial failure: following a driver's uniform found at Amani research station,Tanzania

The remains of Amani, a century-old scientific laboratory in Tanzania, are quintessential modern relics. When anthropologists turn to such infrastructures of, originally colonial, knowledge-making, their own implication with the object of their study – and with its epistemological and political-economic origins and order – becomes part of the ethnographic pursuit. This entanglement between researcher and research material should challenge familiar realist modes of ethnographic writing ‘about’ such places that elude the anthropologists’ own, compromised position within them. Matters are complicated further when the studied knowledge-making sites already are broken, having failed their purpose – as in the case of the vestiges of an abandoned colonial institution. In this essay, I wonder how such ruins of knowledge-making might transform the knowledge made by anthropologists working within them. Instead of just adding ‘reflexive’ confessions to realist accounts, could writing take part in the defeat that the scientific station's remains seem to embody – writing not ‘after/beyond’ but ‘going along with’ failure? Drawing on non-representational ethnography, and poet-anthropologist Hubert Fichte's embrace of epistemic defeat as anticolonial method, I trace my engagements with just one fragment of the scientific station – a driver's uniform. In doing so, I experiment with an object ethnography that ‘fails’ to detach author and object, or settle the question of failure, and instead foregrounds performativity, ambiguity, and mirth as starting points for an ethnography of, and in, our modern ruins.     

A comparative analysis of nematocysts in Pelagia noctiluca and Rhizostoma pulmo from the North Adriatic Sea

Nematocysts of the scyphozoans Pelagia noctiluca and Rhizostoma pulmo were examined. In R. pulmo 4 types of nematocyst were observed: heterotrichous microbasic euryteles; holotrichous isorhizas; atrichous a-isorhizas; and atrichous -isorhizas. In P. noctiluca 5 types of nematocyst were seen: heterotrichous microbasic euryteles; heterotrichous isorhizas (previously described as atrichous isorhizas); holotrichous O-isorhizas; atrichous a-isorhizas; and an undescribed type, which in its structure and discharge mechanism resembles microbasic p-mastigophores. The results show, in both P. noctiluca and R. pulmo, a greater variety of nematocysts than described in previous studies.     

Recent vegetation history of the North Adriatic grasslands: Expansion and decay of an anthropogenic habitat

A summary pollen diagram and old cartographic materials were used to reconstruct the recent vegetation history and trends of temporal dynamics of the North Adriatic Karst grasslands. Before the Roman period some evidence about grassland vegetation exists from Neolithic settlements, but deforestation, detectable on the landscape level because of pollen, started 2500-2000 years BP. A large-scale anthropogenically-driven process of clearance started in the Roman period as is reflected in the increasing pollen of grasses (Poaceae) and other herbaceous species (Apiaceae). The presence of pioneer trees (Quercus, Ostrya), juniper and grasses during 1000-400 years BP suggests that cycling processes of cultivation (strong grazing pressure), abandonment and re-cultivation were present. A 250-year-old map shows a peak of probable deforestation, where grasslands have 3.2 times larger surface area than on a recent land-use map in a 665.8 km² large pilot area. More than 60% of grasslands changed into forest since then. On a sub-plot area of 626 ha (1% of the pilot area), where habitat mappings were performed, only 12.8% were still grasslands without tall herb invasions or scrub encroachments. Another 27.1% were grasslands with early signs of reforestation. The traditionally open landscape of the North Adriatic Karst was able to recover to forest due to almost total abandonment and sufficient mesic climate conditions.     

The marine distribution of the Gannet Sula bassana in the North Sea

The overall pattern of counts made at sea reflects the well-known seasonal movements of Gannets. During the breeding season, fishing trips rarely exceed 150 km from colony and most are below one-third of that distance.     

From North to South: A latitudinal look at legume nodulation processes

Legumes and some nodulation processes evolved about 55–60 Ma. Since then they have radiated from their origin at either side of the Tethys seaway, to high latitudes in both the northern and southern hemispheres. In many cases this has involved different tribes and genera, and different nodule processes, but with the common feature that almost all legumes in the higher latitudes are potentially nodulated and, with the exception of some herbaceous species of Chamaecrista, nodulated caesalpinioid legumes are rare. This is not true of tropical regions where all three sub-families are found, with many of their species lacking the ability to nodulate. Whether or not this is related to the availability of combined nitrogen is a matter of current discussion. This review will consider the range of nodulation phenotypes (infection, morphology, structure) and show how many of these are confined to one or other hemisphere. How this might relate to the different genera and species of endophytic (nitrogen fixing) rhizobia in relation to soil conditions will also be discussed. Better knowledge of the wide variation in nodulation parameters is important for understanding the ecology of different regions and for management purposes. Nodule characters are of great potential use in defining taxonomic groupings in legumes.     

A survey of research in North American zoos and aquariums

To assess the current status of research in zoos and aquariums, a 36-item survey, which replicated and expanded upon an earlier survey [Finlay and Maple, 1986], was sent to 173 American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) institutions. A response rate of 71% was achieved after a second mailing. The results show that the role of research in AZA institutions has increased in the last decade. The percentage of zoos and aquariums that report conducting research, that list research as an objective of the institution, and that have a research committee/department have all increased. The number of individuals involved in research per institution has approximately doubled since 1986, and slightly less than half of responding institutions currently have a full-time position dedicated to administering research. Lack of available funds, time, and qualified personnel are the most common reasons reported for not conducting research. Zoo Biol 17:167–180, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Diel vertical migration of the planktonic copepods at an upwelling station north of Taiwan, western North Pacific

A total of 178 copepod species were identified in an upwellingarea of the Mienhua Canyon off northern Taiwan, western NorthPacific during a spring cruise in 1995. Paracalanus aculeatus,Oncaea venusta and Clausocalanus furcatus were the three dominantspecies, comprising 43% of the total copepod numbers. Most copepodspecies performed normal diel vertical migration, descendingduring daytime and ascending at night to different depth zonesand with different rates. Some dominant copepod species, suchas P. aculeatus, C. furcatus, Temora discaudata and Canthocalanuspauper, apparently congregated in the surface water (between0 and