Advances in Road Infrastructure, both Physical and Digital, for Mixed Vehicle Traffic Flows

Over the last years, significant resources have been devoted to developing new automation technologies for vehicles, whereas investment and resources for road infrastructure in general have steadily dwindled. INFRAMIX is preparing the road infrastructure to support the transition period and the coexistence of conventional and automated vehicles. Its main target is to design, upgrade, adapt and test both physical and digital elements of the road infrastructure, ensuring an uninterrupted, predictable, safe and efficient traffic. Towards this objective different technologies are deployed; mature simulation tools adapted to automated vehicles characteristics, new methods for traffic flow modelling to study the traffic-level influence of different levels of automated vehicles in different penetration rates, traffic estimation and traffic control algorithms. Moreover, ways of informing all types of vehicles about the control commands issued by the road operator and new kind of visual and electronic signals are developed. The project outcomes will be assessed via simulation and in real stretches of advanced highways

A simple technique for measuring buoyant weight increment of entire, transplanted coral colonies in the field

Estimating the impacts of global and local threats on coral reefs requires monitoring reef health and measuring coral growth and calcification rates at different time scales. This has traditionally been mostly performed in short-term experimental studies in which coral fragments were grown in the laboratory or in the field but measured ex situ. Practical techniques in which growth and measurements are performed over the long term in situ are rare. Apart from photographic approaches, weight increment measurements have also been applied. Past buoyant weight measurements under water involved a complicated and little-used apparatus. We introduce a new method that combines previous field and laboratory techniques to measure the buoyant weight of entire, transplanted corals under water. This method uses an electronic balance fitted into an acrylic glass underwater housing and placed atop of an acrylic glass cube. Within this cube, corals transplanted onto artificial bases can be attached to the balance and weighed at predetermined intervals while they continue growth in the field. We also provide a set of simple equations for the volume and weight determinations required to calculate net growth rates. The new technique is highly accurate: low error of weight determinations due to variation of coral density (< 0.08%) and low standard error (< 0.01%) for repeated measurements of the same corals. We outline a transplantation technique for properly preparing corals for such long-term in situ experiments and measurements

Postsettlement movement patterns and homing in a coral-associated fish

Coral-associated gobies are highly specialized reef fishes with high host-coral fidelity. Flexibility in habitat choice, however, is important to compensate for potential habitat alteration or loss, but detailed information about the postsettlement movement behavior of such gobies is lacking. We examined movement patterns in Gobiodon histrio, both under natural conditions and during subsequent field experiments, involving breeding pair or partner removal from 3 of the 4 investigation plots. Additionally, we investigated homing behavior, and 2 aquaria experiments were designed to assess home coral and partner recognition of adult fish taken from breeding pairs. Under natural conditions, the movement rate was high for single adults, whereas breeding pairs showed high home-coral fidelity. Manipulations revealed little change of natural patterns except in single adults, which slightly decreased their movement rate in the breeding pair removal plot. In the homing experiment, 17% of tested fish returned to their home coral even after displacement of 4 m, and homing success was much higher at shorter distances (100% at 0.5 m, 53% at 2.25 m). In the aquarium, G. histrio exhibited higher recognition of its home-coral colony (75%) than of its breeding pair partner (60%). Our study shows that G. histrio frequently moves between corals, although this depends on the social status (juvenile, single adult, breeding pair) of the individuals. The high proportion and movement rate of single adults indicate low sensitivity to habitat alteration but also limited high-quality habitats in which breeding pairs could be established. Hence, vulnerability to habitat loss increases when individuals breed. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.

Snorkelling and trampling in shallow-water fringing reefs: Risk assessment and proposed management strategy

Shallow reefs (reef flats <1.5 m) in the northern Red Sea are impacted by growing tourism that includes swimmers, snorkellers and reef walkers but have largely been neglected in past studies. We selected a fringing reef along the lagoon of Dahab (Sinai, Egypt) as a model for a management strategy. Point-intercept line transects were used to determine substrate composition, coral community and condition, and the coral damage index (CDI) was applied. Approximately 84% of the coral colonies showed signs of damage such as breakage, partial mortality or algal overgrowth, especially affecting the most frequent coral genus Acropora. Questionnaires were used to determine the visitors’ socio-economic background and personal attitudes regarding snorkelling, SCUBA-diving and interest in visiting a prospective snorkelling trail. Experiencing nature (97%) was by far the strongest motivation, and interest in further education about reef ecology and skill training was high. Less experienced snorkellers and divers – the target group for further education and skill training – were those most prepared to financially support such a trail. We therefore recommend a guided underwater snorkelling trail and restricting recreational use to a less sensitive ‘ecotourism zone’ while protecting the shallow reef flat. Artificial structures can complete the trail and offer the opportunity to snorkel over deeper areas at unfavourable tide or wind conditions. This approach provides a strategy for the management and conservation of shallow-water reefs, which are facing increasing human impact here and elsewhere