Assessment Of The Probability Of Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Recovery In The Northwest Atlantic Ocean Within 50 Years Of Federal And State Protection In The US

Systematic implementation of sea turtle conservation measures have occurred in the U.S. since the 1970’s. As such, this dissertation assessed the probability that loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the NW Atlantic will meet or exceed recovery criteria in the minimum timeframe (i.e., 50 years) specified by the Recovery Plan. Mathematical modeling (Chapter 1) of a theoretical population resembling an important nesting assemblage in a stochastic environment for 200 years revealed broad (\u3c20k to \u3e106k) fluctuation in annual nest counts without extinction, as well as strong contemporary environmental influence on annual nest counts. Modeling also substantiated the importance of monitoring the relative abundance of juvenile females as the most reliable forecasting metric for nest count trajectories up to two decades into the future. In-water monitoring of loggerhead sea turtle demographic structure at a coastal foraging ground between South Carolina and north Florida suggests a shift away from a stable size distribution during 2000–2015, but which may eventually be tempered by the relative abundance of cohorts hatched near the turn of the last century (Chapter 2). The high relative abundance of juvenile females captured in this coastal trawl survey bodes well for sustained annual nest counts in the coming decade (Chapter 3). Slightly elevated female frequency among the smallest loggerhead sea turtles captured is consistent with a warming climate, but a 100-year association with the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation suggests that reduced female production should begin to occur in the coming decade

Exploratory Field Evaluation of Hook-Release Mortality in Tautog (Tautoga onitis) in Lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia

In April 1996, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved a Tautog Fishery Management Plan (FMP) requiring states to systematically adopt a 14 in. (356 mm) TL minimum size limit. Release-mortality was assumed to be 25%. Between October and December 1997-1998, 299 tautog (235-520 mm TL; 9-20 in.) were caught using angling gear to estimate release mortality in Virginia\u27s tautog fishery. Fishing occurred at shallow (3-10 m; 10-33 ft.) and deep (12-17 m; 39-56 ft.) water depths at temperatures between 9-l 8°C ( 48-64°F). Tautog were tagged, accumulated in aerated livewells, then returned to depth of capture in galvanized wire cages. Mean fish density per cage was six tautog and mean soak time per cage was 115 h (4.8 days). Releasemortality for tautog (n=5) for both years was 1.67%, all occurring in fish taken from deeper water. Mortality rates were comparable to rates reported in Connecticut waters (1994-98)

Reframing cognition:Getting down to biological basics

The premise of this two-part theme issue is simple: the cognitive sciences should join the rest of the life sciences in how they approach the quarry within their research domain. Specifically, understanding how organisms on the lower branches of the phylogenetic tree become familiar with, value and exploit elements of an ecological niche while avoiding harm can be expected to aid understanding of how organisms that evolved later (including Homo sapiens) do the same or similar things. We call this approach basal cognition. In this introductory essay, we explain what the approach involves. Because no definition of cognition exists that reflects its biological basis, we advance a working definition that can be operationalized; introduce a behaviour-generating toolkit of capacities that comprise the function (e.g. sensing/perception, memory, valence, learning, decision making, communication), each element of which can be studied relatively independently; and identify a (necessarily incomplete) suite of common biophysical mechanisms found throughout the domains of life involved in implementing the toolkit. The articles in this collection illuminate different aspects of basal cognition across different forms of biological organization, from prokaryotes and single-celled eukaryotes—the focus of Part 1—to plants and finally to animals, without and with nervous systems, the focus of Part 2. By showcasing work in diverse, currently disconnected fields, we hope to sketch the outline of a new multidisciplinary approach for comprehending cognition, arguably the most fascinating and hard-to-fathom evolved function on this planet. Doing so has the potential to shed light on problems in a wide variety of research domains, including microbiology, immunology, zoology, biophysics, botany, developmental biology, neurobiology/science, regenerative medicine, computational biology, artificial life and synthetic bioengineering

Seasonal Occurrence And Site-Utilization Patterns Of Adult Tautog, Tautoga Onitis (Labridae), At Manmade And Natural Structures In Lower Chesapeake Bay

Ultrasonic transmitters were surgically implanted into adult tautog (n=27,400-514 mm TL) to document seasonal occurrence and site utilization at four sites situated within known tautog habitat near Cape Charles, Virginia, in lower Chesapeake Bay. Tagged tautog were released at the same sites where originally caught within 2 h of capture. Sites were continuously monitored with automated acoustic receivers between 9 November 1998 and 13 October 1999. Two sites consisted of natural bedform. materials and two sites consisted of manmade materials. Ninety-four percent of tautog (n=15) released in fall 1998 remained inshore during winter at sustained water temperatures of 5-8 degreesC, rather than moved offshore during winter as documented for tautog off New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Ninety-one percent (n=10) of tautog released in spring 1999 remained inshore during summer when water temperature was 27 degreesC and in the absence of an important food item, blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). These findings conflict with assertions that tautog move to cooler water in summer when water temperatures reach 20 degreesC. Tautog released at natural bedform. sites were detected only at these sites throughout the study. Tautog released at manmade structures also displayed high site-utilization patterns, but several tautog periodically moved 2-10.2 km away from these sites over featureless bottom, a known deterrent to emigration for large temperate labrids in other waters. Benthic communities were similar at manmade sites and natural bedform sites, and movement away from manmade sites may have been influenced by habitat size as well as habitat structure. Understanding temporal and spatial utilization of habitats is an important first step to identifying essential fish habitat and to evaluating and protecting fishery resources within Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere

Uncovering cognitive similarities and differences, conservation and innovation

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Basal cognition: multicellularity, neurons and the cognitive lens'