Recolonization of Raoul Island by Kermadec red-crowned parakeets Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae cyanurus after eradication of invasive predators, Kermadec Islands archipelago, New Zealand

The Kermadec red-crowned parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae was driven to extinction on Raoul Island over 150 years ago by introduced cats Felis catus and rats (Rattus norvegicus and R. exulans). These predators were eradicated from the island (2,938 ha) between 2002-04 during the world’s largest multispecies eradication project. In 2008 we documented a unique recolonisation event when parakeets were observed to have returned to Raoul, presumably from a nearby island group, The Herald Islets (51 ha). We captured and aged 100 parakeets, of which 44% were born in 2008, and breeding was observed on Raoul Island. This represents the first evidence of nesting of this species on Raoul Island since 1836. Our findings highlight the global conservation potential for island avifaunas by prioritising eradication areas through consideration of proximity of remnant populations to target management locations, instead of the classical translocation approach alone. The natural recolonization of parakeets on Raoul Island from a satellite source population is to our knowledge, a first for parrot conservation and the first documented population expansion and island recolonization of a parrot species after removal of invasive predators

The Effects of Interfacial Properties on the Mechanical Behavior of Layered Aluminum Matrix Composites

Al/SiC-composites are not only ajfected by inelastic deformation processes in the metallic matrix but also by debonding occurring at the fiber-matrix-interface. Therefore a viscoplastic material law including damage evolution and growth, as well as a cohesive zone model for the interface, are integrated into a finite element technique. By this the influence of interfacial characteristics on the stress-strain behavior of a laminated Al/SiC-composite is ezramined

Morphology of the recently re-classified Tasman masked booby (Sula dactylatra tasmani) breeding on the Kermadec Islands

Once thought to be extinct, the Tasman Booby Sula tasmani has recently been re-classified as a subspecies of the Masked Booby S. dactylatra on the basis of genetic data. This re-classification raises the issue of whether this novel clade has a distinct morphology. Morphological differences in size, as well as coloration of integuments, bill and iris have been found in other subspecies of the Masked Booby but have not yet been reported for live Kermadec Islands breeding individuals. Museum specimens from this breeding location have been separated from other Pacific breeding subspecies by their longer wings. We sampled a total of 21 individuals from North Meyer Islet, Kermadec Group, New Zealand, and applied molecular sexing to obtain sex-specific morphometric measurements. We matched dimorphism in vocalization with genetic sexing results and photographic documentation of human-assessed bill, foot and eye coloration. While culmen measurements were consistent with reports from museum specimens, wing chords from living specimens of Tasman Masked Boobies were 3% and 4% larger in males and females, respectively. Females had larger culmens and wings than males, consistent with the low extent of sexual dimorphism reported from museum skins. Adult Tasman Masked Boobies had yellow to buff-yellow feet, while fledglings, as in most sulids, had grey to greyish-yellow feet. Our findings confirm the distinctively long wing and particular iris coloration previously reported for the taxon and provide the first description of integument coloration of live specimens. This study highlights the importance of including in situ assessment in taxon descriptions

Effect of Uniaxial Tensile Loading on the Stiffness of Two-Dimensional Woven SiC/SiC - Modeling and Numerical Simulation

The behavior of two-dimensional woven SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMC) is studied by numerical simulations based on the finite element method (FEM). Starting point of the investigations is amicromechanical model regarding a three-dimensional unit cell. Damage as well as fracture of the singlecomponents - fiber bundles and inter yarn matrix - are regarded from a statistical point of view usingWeibull distribution. Statements of the behavior of the whole composite are possible by building up amacrostructure. The purpose of the current study is set on the stifiness reduction of the 2Dw compositesubjected to tensile loading in one of the fiber directions. Because of the strong anisotropy of the dam-age a tensor approach is used considering the terms of the elasticity matrix, which are determined forincreasing load. Regarding the elasticity matrix the behavior of the composite for any loading situationcan be predicted after an arbitrary preloading in one of the fiber direction

Modelling of Plastic Anisotropy and Plastic Volume Change

An anisotropic material law for metallic materials is presented which is able to describe plastic volume changes in the elastic-plastic transition area. The modelling includes a mixed isotropic-kinematic hardening rule. The strategy of evolution is used to fit the material law to yield loci of X5CrNi18.10. The additional extension of the model by anisotropic hardening permits the description of the deformation anisotropy. Finally, the plane compression of a thick cylinder is used to show the effect of the material law used. Therefore the outer radius is equally reduced and the deformation behaviour of the inner radius is observed

Brood patch and sex-ratio observations indicate breeding provenance and timing in New Zealand storm petrel (Fregetta maoriana)

We used measurements of brood patch and moult status to estimate the breeding phenology of New Zealand Storm-Petrel, using birds caught at sea within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park near Auckland, New Zealand. Birds caught October–January had completely downy brood patches, whereas birds caught February–April had bare brood patches with an observed male bias in the February sex-ratio, consistent with a female pre-laying exodus typical of petrels and with the existence of an unknown colony in the region. No birds captured exhibited primary moult, which is known to occur in storm-petrels during their non-breeding season. Our data support the conclusion that the New Zealand storm-petrel breeds during January–June in northern New Zealand and that field surveys for the species on offshore islands in this region during this period are warrante

Transcriptome, biochemical and growth responses of the marine phytoplankter Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin (Bacillariophyta) to copepod grazer presence

Background/Aims: As a model organism for a pleiomorphic marine planktonic primary producer, Phaeodactylum tricornutum has been studied on a molecular level under diverse cultural conditions. But little is known about its morphological, nutritional or transcriptomic responses under grazing stress. Methods: To assess microalgal molecular and cellular responses to grazer presence, we conducted transcriptome profiling in combination with growth rate, biovolume, fatty acid content, carbon and nitrogen content measurements in the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. RNA-sequencing was used to evaluate the transcriptomic response to grazing stress for P. tricornutum strain CCAP 1055/1. Results: Among the differentially expressed genes, we found down-regulation of genes involved in pathogen resistance, and in fatty acid biosynthesis pathways, while mitosis-involved genes were up-regulated. Experimentally testing morphological and biochemical responses in five strains of the species, we detected strain-specific significant effects of simulated grazing pressure in altered growth rates, biovolume and nutritional composition. Conclusion: Our research reveals the associated molecular and cellular responses to grazing effects in P. tricornutum and extends the understanding of co-evolutionary roles in regulating grazing defence between P. tricornutum and its grazer

Ocean-related global change alters lipid biomarker production in common marine phytoplankton

Lipids, in their function as trophic markers in food webs and organic matter source indicators in the water column and sediments, provide a tool for reconstructing the complexity of global change effects on aquatic ecosystems. It remains unclear how ongoing changes in multiple environmental drivers affect the production of key lipid biomarkers in marine phytoplankton. Here, we tested the responses of sterols, alkenones and fatty acids (FAs) in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, the cryptophyte Rhodomonas sp. and the haptophyte Emiliania huxleyi under a full-factorial combination of three temperatures (12, 18 and 24 ∘C), three N : P supply ratios (molar ratios 10 : 1, 24 : 1 and 63 : 1) and two pCO2 levels (560 and 2400 µatm) in semicontinuous culturing experiments. Overall, N and P deficiency had a stronger effect on per-cell contents of sterols, alkenones and FAs than warming and enhanced pCO2. Specifically, P deficiency caused an overall increase in biomarker production in most cases, while N deficiency, warming and high pCO2 caused nonsystematic changes. Under future ocean scenarios, we predict an overall decrease in carbon-normalized contents of sterols and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in E. huxleyi and P. tricornutum and a decrease in sterols but an increase in PUFAs in Rhodomonas sp. Variable contents of lipid biomarkers indicate a diverse carbon allocation between marine phytoplankton species in response to changing environments. Thus, it is necessary to consider the changes in key lipids and their consequences for food-web dynamics and biogeochemical cycles, when predicting the influence of global change on marine ecosystems