Hand harvesting of seaweed: evidence review to support sustainable management

Natural Resources Wales commissioned this literature review to improve understanding of the range of potential impacts of hand gathering seaweed and to review potential management measures. The report will support managers to provide clear, evidence based and consistent advice to applications while protecting the seaweed resource. The majority of hand harvesting activity is for food use, with limited amount taken for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Little evidence for collection of beach cast weed was found in Wales and England, which is thought to be opportunistic and seasonal following winter storms, with applications as fertilizer or soil conditioner. A small amount of mature adult plants are also hand harvested to provide fertile material for seaweed cultivation. Commercially in Wales and England, Sea spaghetti (Himanthalia elongata), dulse (Palmaria palmata), Ulva spp., Porphyra spp., carrageen (Chondrus crispus), Fucus serratus (some F. vesiculosus) and the kelps Laminaria digitata and Saccharina latissima are the key species targeted. Recreational harvesting activity targets a range of species, with some overlaps with commercially harvested species. Of these, Laver, (Porphyra spp). is of particular importance to recreational harvesters in South Wales, followed by F. vesiculosus, pepper dulse (Osmundea spp), kelps, carrageen (C. crispus and Mastocarpus stellatus) and P. palmata). Growth rates, life history, seasonality and reproduction underpin recovery from harvesting. These are species and site specific and may vary over time. Dispersal potential of propagules is poorly understood, but is a key recovery mechanism and is thought to be low for most species. For key targeted species, evidence for distribution and these life history parameters is presented in the appendices as a series of species dossiers. The report identifies how management should take these into consideration and highlights differences between species. The wrack Ascophyllum nodosum is the most slow growing and long lived of harvested species, followed by the kelp Laminaria hyperborea, other kelp and wrack species, and perennial red seaweeds. Conversely Ulva spp. and Porphyra spp. are fast growing and quick to mature and able to rapidly colonise newly cleared rock. Seaweeds support the natural ecosystem and people through primary production/ carbon fixation and nutrient cycling that underpins marine food webs. Seaweeds provide and modify habitats for a wide range of organisms, including commercially targeted fish and shellfish species. The contribution to ecosystem function and services varies with kelps and brown seaweeds being of particular ecological importance. The impact of harvesting varies according to species, scale, technique and local environmental conditions. By removing seaweeds, harvesting reduces growth rates and population dynamics, this reduces nutrient cycling and reduces habitat availability and provision. While recovery may take place in some instances, changes in community composition can occur as a result of competition and grazing pressure. These impacts should be considered within harvesting management plans to mitigate adverse effects. Invasive non-native species are a key risk for native species and habitats. A rapid evidence assessment identified 33 invasive species of concern, likely to be associated with harvested seaweeds, these include thirteen invasive seaweeds, thirteen attached or 19 fouling species and seven mobile species that may shelter amongst seaweeds. The risks from these were prioritised based on impact on native species and habitats, relevance of seaweed harvesting to dispersal and current distribution. Fourteen priority species were identified, three of which may be of commercial interest. Measures to reduce risk of spread include avoiding or reducing by-catch and ‘check clean dry’ equipment are suggested. Existing harvesting guidance documents are centred around codes of conduct which are not legally binding. Effective management will be site and species specific. Management approaches may be voluntary (e.g. codes of conduct) or statutory (e.g. quotas), and can be summarised as follows. • Harvesting methods - Cutting height, leave a proportion of the plant (holdfast and some frond) remaining at the base; - Selectively cut with scissors rather than plucking or uprooting to support recovery and reduce by-catch; - Avoid by-catch of epiphytes and vulnerable species - Avoid harvesting reproductive material if possible (or only take half from each plant in the case of H. elongata); - For certain species (e.g. for F. serratus and F. vesiculosus), only harvest part of mature plants • Harvesting period - Harvest during active growing season; - Avoid harvesting during the reproductive season; • Harvesting frequency - Fallow periods for recovery of canopy in A. nodosum and perennial kelps • Harvest limits - Quotas, volumes or bag limits; - Proportion of standing stock biomass removed/left remaining • Harvesting spatial considerations - Harvest sparsely, leaving unharvested plants between those taken; - Shape, size and spacing of harvested areas (i.e. between harvested plants or patches); Knowledge of the available resource is essential for sustainable management of hand harvesting of seaweeds. Simple methods of assessing and monitoring biomass were discussed and some initial estimates of biomass of intertidal seaweed provided. Due to gaps in evidence uncertainty remains regarding the lifecycle and recovery capacity of certain species, particularly red seaweeds and the standing stock biomass of all species available for harvest. This report has identified management approaches that are well supported and based on ecological considerations such as life-history and recovery mechanisms. However, it is recognised that advice and action by managers for those seaweeds where uncertainty exists regarding biomass and recoverability will need to be precautionary. Effective management will be site and species specific, utilising a combination of management approaches. Seaweed harvesting activities provide an opportunity to involve stakeholders to conduct applied research projects, monitoring sites before, during and after harvesting and to trial effective management issues. Continued monitoring in some form by harvesters could be a condition of any license to exploit wild stocks

Jumping in lantern bugs (Hemiptera, Fulgoridae)

Lantern bugs are amongst the largest of the jumping hemipteran bugs with body lengths reaching 44 mm and their masses 0.7 g. They are up to 600 times heavier than smaller hemipterans that jump powerfully using catapult mechanisms to store energy. Does a similar mechanism also propel jumping in these much larger insects? The jumping performance of two species of lantern bugs (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, family Fulgoridae) from India and Malaysia was therefore analysed from high-speed videos. The kinematics showed that jumps were propelled by rapid and synchronous movements of both hind legs with their trochantera moving first. The hind legs were 20-40% longer than the front legs, which was attributable to longer tibiae. It took 5-6 ms to accelerate to take-off velocities reaching 4.65 m s-1 in the best jumps by female Kalidasa lanata. During these jumps, adults experienced an acceleration of 77 g, required an energy expenditure of 4800 μJ, a power output of 900 mW and exerted a force of 400 mN. The required power output of the thoracic jumping muscles was 21,000 W kg−1, 40 times greater than the maximum active contractile limit of muscle. Such a jumping performance therefore required a power amplification mechanism with energy storage in advance of the movement as in their smaller relatives. These large lantern bugs are near isometrically scaled up versions of their smaller relatives, still achieve comparable, if not higher, take-off velocities, and outperform other large jumping insects such as grasshoppers

Seaweed aquaculture and mechanical harvesting: an evidence review to support sustainable management

Natural England currently advise on a range of seaweed gathering and aquaculture enquiries and advice is given by specialists on the specific enquiry / application using the best available evidence and knowledge, using the precautionary principle. The aim of this contract was to increase understanding of the methods used for mechanised harvesting and seaweed aquaculture, potential environmental effects or impacts, potential management measures, and to develop recommendations for best practices. A key part of this project was to highlight evidence gaps and identify how these can be addressed

The first legal mortgagor: a consumer without adequate protection?

This article contends that the UK government’s attempt to create a well-functioning consumer credit market will be undermined if it fails to reform the private law framework relating to the first legal mortgage. Such agreements are governed by two distinct regulatory regimes that are founded upon very different conceptions of the mortgagor. The first, the regulation of financial services overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority, derives from public law and is founded upon a conception of the mortgagor as “consumer”. The other is land law, private law regulation implemented by the judiciary and underpinned by a conception of the mortgagor as “landowner”. Evidence suggests that the operation of these two regimes prevents mortgagors from receiving fair and consistent treatment. The current reform of financial services regulation therefore will change only one part of this governance regime and will leave mortgagors heavily reliant upon a regulator that still has to prove itself. What this article argues is that reform of the rules of private law must also be undertaken with the aim of initiating a paradigm shift in the conception of the mortgagor from “landowner” to “consumer”. Cultural shifts of this kind take time but the hope is that this conceptual transformation will occur in time to deter the predicted rise in mortgage possessions

Relationship of Adiposity and Insulin Resistance Mediated by Inflammation in a Group of Overweight and Obese Chilean Adolescents

The mild chronic inflammatory state associated with obesity may be an important link between adiposity and insulin resistance (IR). In a sample of 137 overweight and obese Chilean adolescents, we assessed associations between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), IR and adiposity; explored sex differences; and evaluated whether hs-CRP mediated the relationship between adiposity and IR. Positive relationships between hs-CRP, IR and 2 measures of adiposity were found. Hs-CRP was associated with waist circumference (WC) in boys and fat mass index (FMI) in girls. Using path analysis, we found that hs-CRP mediated the relationship between adiposity (WC and FMI) and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p < 0.05) in both sexes. Our novel finding is that inflammation statistically mediated the well described link between increased adiposity and IR

Visual ecology of aphids – a critical review on the role of colours in host finding

We review the rich literature on behavioural responses of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to stimuli of different colours. Only in one species there are adequate physiological data on spectral sensitivity to explain behaviour crisply in mechanistic terms. Because of the great interest in aphid responses to coloured targets from an evolutionary, ecological and applied perspective, there is a substantial need to expand these studies to more species of aphids, and to quantify spectral properties of stimuli rigorously. We show that aphid responses to colours, at least for some species, are likely based on a specific colour opponency mechanism, with positive input from the green domain of the spectrum and negative input from the blue and/or UV region. We further demonstrate that the usual yellow preference of aphids encountered in field experiments is not a true colour preference but involves additional brightness effects. We discuss the implications for agriculture and sensory ecology, with special respect to the recent debate on autumn leaf colouration. We illustrate that recent evolutionary theories concerning aphid–tree interactions imply far-reaching assumptions on aphid responses to colours that are not likely to hold. Finally we also discuss the implications for developing and optimising strategies of aphid control and monitoring

What works for wellbeing in culture and sport? Report of a DELPHI process to support coproduction and establish principles and parameters of an evidence review

Aims: There is a growing recognition of the ways in which culture and sport can contribute to wellbeing. A strong evidence base is needed to support innovative service development and a 3-year research programme is being undertaken to capture best evidence of wellbeing impacts and outcomes of cultural and sporting activities in order to inform UK policy and practice. This article provides an overview of methods and findings from an initial coproduction process with key stakeholders that sought to explore and agree principles and parameters of the evidence review for culture, sport and wellbeing (CSW). Methods: A two-stage DELPHI process was conducted with a purposeful sample of 57 stakeholders between August and December 2015. Participants were drawn from a range of culture and sport organisations and included commissioners and managers, policy makers, representatives of service delivery organisations (SDOs) and scholars. The DELPHI 1 questionnaire was developed from extensive consultation in July and August 2015. It explored definitions of wellbeing, the role of evidence, quality assessment, and the culture and sport populations, settings and interventions that are most likely to deliver wellbeing outcomes. Following further consultation, the results, presented as a series of ranked statements, were sent back to participants (DELPHI 2), which allowed them to reflect on and, if they wished, express agreement or disagreement with the emerging consensus. Results: A total of 40 stakeholders (70.02%) responded to the DELPHI questionnaires. DELPHI 1 mapped areas of agreement and disagreement, confirmed in DELPHI 2. The exercise drew together the key priorities for the CSW evidence review. Conclusion: The DELPHI process, in combination with face-to-face deliberation, enabled stakeholders to engage in complex discussion and express nuanced priorities while also allowing the group to come to an overall consensus and agree outcomes. The results will inform the CSW evidence review programme until its completion in March 2018

The effects of temperature and body mass on jump performance of the locust Locusta migratoria

Locusts jump by rapidly releasing energy from cuticular springs built into the hind femur that deform when the femur muscle contracts. This study is the first to examine the effect of temperature on jump energy at each life stage of any orthopteran. Ballistics and high-speed cinematography were used to quantify the energy, distance, and take-off angle of the jump at 15, 25, and 35°C in the locust Locusta migratoria. Allometric analysis across the five juvenile stages at 35°C reveals that jump distance (D; m) scales with body mass (M; g) according to the power equation D = 0.35M0.17±0.08 (95% CI), jump take-off angle (A; degrees) scales as A = 52.5M0.00±0.06, and jump energy (E; mJ per jump) scales as E = 1.91M1.14±0.09. Temperature has no significant effect on the exponent of these relationships, and only a modest effect on the elevation, with an overall Q10 of 1.08 for jump distance and 1.09 for jump energy. On average, adults jump 87% farther and with 74% more energy than predicted based on juvenile scaling data. The positive allometric scaling of jump distance and jump energy across the juvenile life stages is likely facilitated by the concomitant relative increase in the total length (Lf+t; mm) of the femur and tibia of the hind leg, Lf+t = 34.9M0.37±0.02. The weak temperature-dependence of jump performance can be traced to the maximum tension of the hind femur muscle and the energy storage capacity of the femur's cuticular springs. The disproportionately greater jump energy and jump distance of adults is associated with relatively longer (12%) legs and a relatively larger (11%) femur muscle cross-sectional area, which could allow more strain loading into the femur's cuticular springs. Augmented jump performance in volant adult locusts achieves the take-off velocity required to initiate flight.Edward P. Snelling, Christie L. Becker, Roger S. Seymou

Geographical limits to species-range shifts are suggested by climate velocity

The reorganization of patterns of species diversity driven by anthropogenic climate change, and the consequences for humans, are not yet fully understood or appreciated. Nevertheless, changes in climate conditions are useful for predicting shifts in species distributions at global and local scales. Here we use the velocity of climate change to derive spatial trajectories for climatic niches from 1960 to 2009 (ref. 7) and from 2006 to 2100, and use the properties of these trajectories to infer changes in species distributions. Coastlines act as barriers and locally cooler areas act as attractors for trajectories, creating source and sink areas for local climatic conditions. Climate source areas indicate where locally novel conditions are not connected to areas where similar climates previously occurred, and are thereby inaccessible to climate migrants tracking isotherms: 16% of global surface area for 1960 to 2009, and 34% of ocean for the \u27business as usual\u27 climate scenario (representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5)8 representing continued use of fossil fuels without mitigation. Climate sink areas are where climate conditions locally disappear, potentially blocking the movement of climate migrants. Sink areas comprise 1.0% of ocean area and 3.6% of land and are prevalent on coasts and high ground. Using this approach to infer shifts in species distributions gives global and regional maps of the expected direction and rate of shifts of climate migrants, and suggests areas of potential loss of species richness

Quasi-Normal Modes of Stars and Black Holes

Perturbations of stars and black holes have been one of the main topics of relativistic astrophysics for the last few decades. They are of particular importance today, because of their relevance to gravitational wave astronomy. In this review we present the theory of quasi-normal modes of compact objects from both the mathematical and astrophysical points of view. The discussion includes perturbations of black holes (Schwarzschild, Reissner-Nordstr\"om, Kerr and Kerr-Newman) and relativistic stars (non-rotating and slowly-rotating). The properties of the various families of quasi-normal modes are described, and numerical techniques for calculating quasi-normal modes reviewed. The successes, as well as the limits, of perturbation theory are presented, and its role in the emerging era of numerical relativity and supercomputers is discussed.Comment: 74 pages, 7 figures, Review article for "Living Reviews in Relativity