The desire for the ineffable: on the myth of music as absolute

This article proposes to establish and critique connections between religious and musico-aesthetic conceptions of in-effability by exploring the link between neoplatonic thought and romantic aesthetics. The central thesis is that recourse to the ineffable is often made by resorting to theological tenets and, consequently, that romantic aesthetics, although desperately trying to disengage itself from theological thinking, can in fact be interpreted as being inextricably bound up with it. Taking Plotinus’ conception of the relationship between the “One” and “Intellect” as model, the romantic conception of the absolute is revealed to be a fallacy. It is shown that claims of the ineffability of music not only locate music as a false absolute, but also confer on music a quasi-religious authority. This results in an ungrounded secular faith in the power of music and the mastery of its composer-god to lead mankind to the truth. Untangling the myths of ineffability leads the way to a detranscendentalised conception of music with performance at its centre

Population dynamics of the invasive fish, Gambusia affinis, in irrigation impoundments in the Sundays River Valley, Eastern Cape, South Africa

The alien invasive Gambusia affinis is one of the most widely introduced fish species on the planet, and has established in freshwater ecosystems across South Africa. The invasion ecology and, in particular, the population dynamics of the species in this country are, however, poorly understood. In this study the relative abundance and population dynamics of G. affinis were quantified in 5 interconnected irrigation impoundments within the Sundays River Valley, Eastern Cape.Four fish surveys were conducted from early summer (February 2012) to early winter (June 2012). Repeated-measures ANOVA analyses on the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of G. affinis between sampling events and dams revealed significant differences in population dynamics among dams, although an overall trend of rapid increase followed by plateau in summer, with a rapid decline in winter was seen in most dams. A general linear model assessing the role of biotic and abiotic factors on G. affinis CPUE found that water temperature and the presence of the native fish Glossogobius callidus had significant effects on the CPUE of G. affinis. While winter drops in temperature are likely to have caused mortality in G. affinis populations, and may act as the primary regulator of G. affinis establishment success in South African impoundments, the negative effect of G. callidus densities on G. affinis suggests competitive or predator-prey interactions with the native species.Keywords: Mosquitofish, population growth rate, invasive success, establishmen

Photoautotrophic Euendoliths and their complex ecological effects in marine bioengineered ecosystems

Photoautotrophic euendolithic microorganisms are ubiquitous where there are calcium carbonate substrates to bore into and sufficient light to sustain photosynthesis. The most diverse and abundant modern euendolithic communities can be found in the marine environment. Euendoliths, as microorganisms infesting inanimate substrates, were first thought to be ecologically irrelevant. Over the past three decades, numerous studies have subsequently shown that euendoliths can colonize living marine calcifying organisms, such as coral skeletons and bivalve shells, causing both sub-lethal and lethal damage. Moreover, under suitable environmental conditions, their presence can have surprising benefits for the host. Thus, infestation by photoautotrophic euendoliths has significant consequences for calcifying organisms that are of particular importance in the case of ecosystems underpinned by calcifying ecosystem engineers. In this review, we address the nature and diversity of marine euendoliths, as revealed recently through genetic techniques, their bioerosive mechanisms, how environmental conditions influence their incidence in marine ecosystems and their potential as bioindicators, how they affect live calcifiers, and the potential future of euendolithic infestation in the context of global climate change and ocean acidificationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Euendolithic infestation of Mussel Shells indirectly improves the thermal buffering offered by Mussel Beds to associated Molluscs, but one size does not fit all

Mussel beds form important intertidal matrices that provide thermal buffering to associated invertebrate communities, especially under stressful environmental conditions. Mussel shells are often colonized by photoautotrophic euendoliths, which have indirect conditional beneficial thermoregulatory effects on both solitary and aggregated mussels by increasing the albedo of the shell. We investigated whether euendolithic infestation of artificial mussel beds (Perna perna) influences the body temperatures of four associated mollusc species during simulated periods of emersion, using shell temperature obtained via non-invasive infrared thermography as a proxy. Shell temperatures of the limpet Scutellastra granularis and the chiton Acanthochitona garnoti were higher in non-infested than infested mussel beds during simulated low tides under high solar irradiance and low wind speeds. However, this was not the case for the limpet Helcion pectunculus or the top shell Oxystele antoni. Morphological differences in mollusc shape and colour could, in part, explain this contrast between species. Our results indicated that endolith-induced improvements in humidity and temperature in mussel beds could benefit associated molluscs. The beneficial thermal buffering offered by euendolithic infestation of the mussel beds was effective only if the organism was under heat stress. With global climate change, the indirect beneficial effect of euendolithic infestation for invertebrate communities associated with mussel beds may mitigate intertidal local extinction events triggered by marine heatwaves.National Research Foundation - South Africa 64801; French National Research Agency (ANR) SAN22202;info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biological responses to a resumption in river flow in a freshwaterdeprived, permanently open Southern African estuary

The Kariega Estuary is a freshwater-deprived system due to numerous impoundments in the catchment. This system has had little or no horizontal salinity gradient over the last 15 years, with hypersaline conditions sometimes predominating in the upper reaches. Following high rainfall events in the catchment during the spring of 2006, including a flood event (approximate 1:10 year) in August 2006, a series of riverine pulses entered the estuary and a horizontal salinity gradient was established. This study examined the influence of this freshwater pulse on four components of the biota within the estuary, namely the zooplankton, and larval, littoral and demersal fishes. The study demonstrated that in three of these components elevated densities were recorded following the riverine input, with only the littoral fishes retaining an almost constant density. In addition, changes in the relative contributions of the estuarine utilisation classes for all three fish groups examined indicated that freshwater input into these systems positively influences the abundances. This has significant implications for water managers as it demonstrates the importance of an Ecological Reserve (defined as ‘the water required to protect the aquatic ecosystems of the water resource’) for this system.Keywords: biotic response, freshwater pulse, river inflow, Kariega Estuar

Monitoring the oceanic flow between Africa and Antarctica: Report of the first GoodHope cruise

The southern ocean plays a major role in the global oceanic circulation role in the global oceanic circulation, as a component of the Meridional Overturning Circulation, and it is postulated that it has a great influence on present-day climate. However, our understanding of its complex three-dimensional dynamics and of the impact of its variability on the climate system is rudimentary. The newly constituted, international GoodHope research venture aims to address this knowledge gap by establishing a programme of regular observations across the Southern Ocean between the African and Antarctic continents. The objectives of this programme are fivefold: (1) to improve understanding of Indo-Atlantic inter-ocean exchanges and their impact on the global thermohaline circulation and thus on global climate change; (2) to understand in more detail the influence these exchanges have on the climate variability of the southern African subcontinent; (3) to monitor the variability of the main Southern Ocean frontal systems associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current; (4) to study air–sea exchanges and their role on the global heat budget, with particular emphasis on the intense exchanges occurring within the Agulhas Retroflection region south of South Africa, and (5) to examine the role of major frontal systems as areas of elevated biological activity and as biogeographical barriers to the distribution of plankton. We present here preliminary results on the physical and biological structure of the frontal systems using the first GoodHope transect that was completed during February–March 2004

Monitoring the oceanic flow between Africa and Antarctica: report of the first Good Hope cruise

The Southern Ocean plays a major role in the global oceanic circulation, as a component of the Meridional Overturning Circulation, and it is postulated that it has a great influence on present-day climate. However, our understanding of its complex three-dimensional dynamics and of the impact of its variability on the climate system is rudimentary. The newly constituted, international GoodHope research venture aims to address this knowledge gap by establishing a programme of regular observations across the Southern Ocean between the African and Antarctic continents. The objectives of this programme are fivefold: (1) to improve understanding of Indo-Atlantic inter-ocean exchanges and their impact on the global thermohaline circulation and thus on global climate change; (2) to understand in more detail the influence these exchanges have on the climate variability of the southern African subcontinent; (3) to monitor the variability of the main Southern Ocean frontal systems associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current; (4) to study air-sea exchanges and their role on the global heat budget, with particular emphasis on the intense exchanges occurring within the Agulhas Retroflection region south of South Africa, and (5) to examine the role of major frontal systems as areas of elevated biological activity and as biogeographical barriers to the distribution of plankton. We present here preliminary results on the physical and biological structure of the frontal systems using the first GoodHope transect that was completed during February-March 2004

Physical and biological processes at the Subtropical Convergence in the South-west Indian Ocean

A detailed hydrographic and biological survey was conducted in the region of the Subtropical Convergence in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean in April 2007. Hydrographic data revealed that the subsurface expression of the Subtropical Convergence (at 200 m), marked by the 10°C isotherm, appeared to meander considerably between 41°S and 42°15'S. Total surface chlorophyll-a concentration was low and ranged from 0.03 to 0.42 μg l-1 and was always dominated by the pico- ( 0.05). The Zooplankton community was dominated, numerically and by biomass, by mesozooplankton comprising mainly copepods of the genera, Oithona, Paraeuchaeta, Pleuromamma, Calanus and Clausocalanus. An exception was recorded at those stations in the region of the front where the tunicate, Salpa thompsoni, dominated the total Zooplankton biomass

Conserving pattern and process in the Southern Ocean: designing a Marine Protected Area for the Prince Edward Islands

South Africa is currently proclaiming a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of its sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. The objectives of the MPA are to: 1) contribute to a national and global representative system of MPAs, 2) serve as a scientific reference point to inform future management, 3) contribute to the recovery of the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), and 4) reduce the bird bycatch of the toothfish fishery, particularly of albatrosses and petrels. This study employs systematic conservation planning methods to delineate a MPA within the EEZ that will conserve biodiversity patterns and processes within sensible management boundaries, while minimizing conflict with the legal toothfish fishery. After collating all available distributional data on species, benthic habitats and ecosystem processes, we used C-Plan software to delineate a MPA with three management zones: four IUCN Category Ia reserves (13% of EEZ); two Conservation Zones (21% of EEZ); and three Category IV reserves (remainder of EEZ). Compromises between conservation target achievement and the area required by the MPA are apparent in the final reserve design. The proposed MPA boundaries are expected to change over time as new data become available and as impacts of climate change become more evident