SEXUAL COMPOSITION and ANALYSIS OF REPRODUCTIVE FEMALES IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE, EUBALAENA GLACIALIS, POPULATION

To test hypotheses involving reproduction and demographics, the sex of individuals must be established, but many species of Cetacea are not obviously dimorphic. In the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis , population, the sex of 61 males and 55 females had been determined previously by observation of the urogenital region, and the sex of 43 more females had been inferred from repeated sightings with a calf. To confirm the sex of some of these animals and to identify the sex of mote animals, genomic DNA was isolated from skin samples of 95 individual right whales (54 from among those described above and 41 additional recognizable individuals). The DNA was surveyed using the human Y-chromosome probe pDP1007. With Eco RI-digested DNA, a clear, sex-discriminating banding pattern was apparent. This method verified the sex of all 54 animals whose sex was previously known or inferred and identified the sex of an additional 41 recognizable individuals. A total of 89 male and 111 female right whales was identified in the population. The most unbiased estimate of sex ratio available is the 36 male and 34 female calves identified by genital morphology and DNA techniques. The sex ratio of this sample does not differ significantly from unity (P = 0.811). Only 38% (58/152) of the females in the North Atlantic population are known to have been reproductively successful compared with 54% in the population of right whales in the western South Atlantic. The population growth rate reported for the North Atlantic population is only 33% of that reported for right whales in the South Atlantic. Thirteen adult North Atlantic females have been identified that have not been known to calve during the past 11 yr. These data suggest that the absence of measurable recovery may be due to a combination of fewer actively reproducing females and lower reproductive rates of some females.     

NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE DISTRIBUTION IN RELATION TO SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES CALVING GROUNDS

Standardized aerial surveys were used to document the winter (December–March) distribution of North Atlantic right whales in their calving area off the coasts of Georgia and northeastern Florida (1991–1998). Survey data were collected within four survey zones in and adjacent to federally designated critical habitat. These data, including whale‐sighting locations and sampling effort, were used to describe right whale distribution in relation to sea‐surface temperature (SST) from satellite‐derived images. Locations where whales were sighted (n= 609) had an overall mean SST of 14.3°C ± 2.1° (range 8°–22°C). Data from two survey zones having sufficient data (including the “early warning system” (EWS) zone and the Florida nearshore) were pooled by season and stratified by month to investigate changes in monthly ambient SST and fine‐scale distribution patterns of right whales in relation to SST within spatially explicit search areas. Using Monte Carlo techniques, SSTs and latitudes (means and standard deviations) of locations where whales were sighted were compared to a sampling distribution of each variable derived from daily‐search areas. Overall, results support a nonrandom distribution of right whales in relation to SST: during resident months (January and February), whales exhibited low variability in observed SST and a suggested southward shift in whale distribution toward warmer SSTs in the EWS zone; while in the relatively warmer and southernmost survey zone (Florida nearshore), right whales were concentrated in the northern, cooler portion. Our results support that warm Gulf Stream waters, generally found south and east of delineated critical habitat, represent a thermal limit for right whales and play an important role in their distribution within the calving grounds. These results affirm the inclusion of SST in a multivariate predictive model for right whale distribution in their southeastern habitat.     

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON THE MACROCRUSTACEA OF COASTAL LAKES IN THE VICINITY OF RICHARDS BAY,ZULULAND, SOUTH AFRICA

SUMMARY

A limited amount of research has been carried out on the four coastal lakes in the Richards Bay area. Due to the impending threat of water pollution from industrial, mining and residential areas within the catchments of these lakes there is an urgent need for the collection of baseline data before it is too late.

This paper reports on preliminary observations on Macrocrustacea of the lakes. A total of 27 species were recorded, of which 8 are new distribution records for the species in fresh water and one, an isopod, is a species new to science from a family previously unrecorded on the African continent. Sixteen of the Macrocrustacea recorded were found to be relict estuarine species.

The relationship between the Macrocrustacea are discussed in terms of habitat and dietary associations. The former category was found to be variable in the shallower Richards Bay lakes as opposed to Lake Sibaya whose depth (40 m) plays an important role in species distribution. Information is provided on habitat, substrata preference, associations with plant communities, and known depth distribution. Dietary data on the Macrocrustacea present in the four coastal lakes showed that seven major feeding groups are present: benthic filter feeders, nektonic filter feeders, periphyton grazers, shredders of dead macrophytes, benthic scavengers, partial carnivores and fish ectoparasites.     

THE DISTRIBUTION OF WETLANDS IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE,SOUTH AFRICA

Summary

The hydrological and habitat value of wetlands is beginning to be recognised in South Africa, but only in parts of Natal Province has an effort been made to map wetlands and to record their status over large areas. While the most accurate method of mapping wetlands is a combination of photogrammetry and field surveys, this is time-consuming and expensive. An alternative “desktop” method was therefore used to draw up a preliminary distribution of wetlands in the south-western Cape Province, and this approach consisted of summarising the information contained on 1:50 000 topographical survey maps. The summary shows that shallow, vegetated wetlands (vleis) occur mainly in the wetter south and south-west of the region, while the non-perennial wetlands (pans) predominate inland, where the land is dryer and flatter. There are many estuarine wetlands along the coast, resulting from the tendency of river mouths to be blocked by sand-bars. Farming requirements and suitable topography account for the many small artificial wetlands (farm dams) in the central southern parts. Farm dams predominate in the region (15067 were counted), followed by pans (1741), riverine wetlands (261), vleis (216) and estuarine wetlands (15).     

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF ALIEN INVASIVE VEGETATION ON THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF RIVER CHANNELS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Summary

Invasion of the riparian zone by alien vegetation is recognised as a serious problem in many areas of South Africa. Vegetation is a dynamic component of river channels. It is an important control variable affecting channel form whereas the flow and sediment regime influences vegetation growth. Wherever alien vegetation invades the riparian zone it can be expected that there will be some impact on the physical structure of the riparian habitat. This paper reviews the effect of riparian vegetation on channel processes and channel form and discusses the implications of the invasion of riparian zones by alien vegetation. Woody species in particular are seen as having a significant potential for inducing channel modification, whilst their removal could lead to significant channel instability and mobilisation of sediment. The need for further research into the impact of alien vegetation on the geomorphology of South African river channels is stressed.     

VENTILATORY RATE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SURFACE-FEEDING AND NON-SURFACE-FEEDING FIN WHALES (BALAENOPTERA PHYSALUS) IN THE WATERS OFF EASTERN LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1981–1987

Observations of feeding and ventilatory behavior of individual fin whales ( Balaenoptera physalus )were made from various vessels during the months of May–September, 1981–1987, in the waters off eastern Long Island, N.Y., U.S.A. Intervals between blows were measured and recorded to the nearest second. Information about behavior was recorded, as were location, depth, and surface temperature at sounding dives. Animals observed feeding at the surface were noted as such, ail others were considered non-surface-feeding animals. Data were compiled by individual, month, year, and analyzed for mean interblow interval during surface activity bouts; mean dive duration; and overall mean blow interval.
Overall mean blow intervals (±SE) of 47.89 ± 0.81 set for surface-feeding ( n = 10,411), and 57.92 ±0.97 sec for non-surface-feeding animals ( n = 11,024), differed significantly (Mann-Whitney U, P < 0.001). Interblow intervals for surface activity bouts (±SE) of 12.29 ± 0.05 set for surface-feeding ( n = 7,894), and 13.58 ± 0.06 set, for non-surface-feeding animals (n = 8,187), also differed significantly (Mann-Whitney U, P < 0.001), as did mean dive duration (159.53 ± 2.16 sec, n = 2,517, for surface-feeding animals; 185.86 ± 2.53 set, n = 2,837, for non-surface-feeding animals). Yearly comparisons of blow intervals between surface-feeding and non-surface-feeding animals during surface activity bouts yielded significant differences for each year except 1981, while comparisons of dive durations yielded significant differences for all years except 1981, 1982, and 1985.     

ESTIMATES OF THE NUMBERS OF HUMPBACK WHALES OBSERVED MIGRATING PAST CAPE VIDAL, SOUTH AFRICA, 1988–1991

A recovery-monitoring program of the African east coast humpback whale population was carried out through shore-based visual surveys from Cape Vidal, northern Natal. Surveys of the northward migration were undertaken each winter from 1988 to 1991, and a survey of the southward migration was undertaken in 1990. Independent observer surveys were undertaken during June 1990 and during the entire 1991 survey. Hourly densities of groups sighted each day were adjusted for groups missed by observers with distance from the shore and under different sighting conditions. Densities were multiplied by 24 h and the mean group size of the survey year to give resulting daily densities of individuals, which were summed to provide totals of whales sighted during each year's survey. The best estimate of population size was 1,711 (made during the northward migration of 1990), although this is likely to be biased downwards by a proportion of the population passing outside of observers'view. Bootstrapping of the 1991 daily data resulted in CVs between 11.4% and 12.2%. The numbers sighted show the population to have undergone considerable recovery since protection in October 1963.     

基于耳石微结构的南海春季鸢乌贼日龄、生长与种群结构的研究

2015年春季在南海开展灯光罩网渔船鸢乌贼(Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis)采样, 样品胴长为10.22—199.01 mm, 体质量为1.3—328.8 g。研究根据鸢乌贼耳石微结构对其日龄、生长和种群结构进行研究, 结果显示:南海存在2个鸢乌贼群体, 中型群体(有发光器, 占59.38%)和微型群体(无发光器, 占40.62%), 无胴长大于500 mm的大型群体; 样品日龄范围为38—126d, 优势日龄组为51—80d, 占其总数的81.33%。分别计算不同海域和群体间5种生长模型的AIC权重值, 发现南海北部海域和南沙附近海域都以指数生长模型最适合描述鸢乌贼的生长关系, 中型群体以指数模型最为适合, 微型群体则以幂函数生长模型最适合; 南海北部海域的鸢乌贼个体生长速率略低于南沙附近海域鸢乌贼个体; 微型群体呈现急剧生长到逐渐缓慢生长的趋势, 中型群体的生长趋势与微型群体正好相反。同类相食现象表明微型群体的生长受到中型群体的影响而被抑制。     

南海断面春季放射虫残骸的空间分布及其与表层沉积记录对比

放射虫是揭示古海洋环境信息的重要载体。本文采用虎红染色方法,首次揭示了南海典型断面现代放射虫残骸群的空间分布特征,并比较分析现代水体中放射虫残骸群与海底表层沉积物中放射虫化石群的相互关系。结果表明:南海春季放射虫残骸群比较丰富,其丰度一般呈现出随深度增加而增高的趋势,最高值主要出现在75—300m深即位于叶绿素最大值层和活体高峰深度之下;分析发现研究区放射虫残骸丰度的深度分布受到海流的横向输运影响;春季水体和表层沉积物中放射虫属种组成和丰度分布的差异表明,除了现代放射虫具有季节性变化之外,海流的横向传输也是一个很重要的原因。在150—300m水体中除了Cornutella profunda和Cyrtopera laguncula,还发现了Cycladophora davisiana的残骸,推测典型冷水种C.davisiana由于受到径向翻转流的作用,从中深层水被带到了中上层水体中。