Using the optical plankton recorder LOKI (Lightframe On-sight Key species Investigations) to elucidate high-resolution vertical distribution patterns of Arctic zooplankton species in Fram Strait

The plankton recorder LOKI provides high-resolution pictures, continuously taken by a 4 Megapixel camera during vertical hauls from 1000 depth to the surface. Linked to each picture, hydrographical parameters are being recorded, e.g. salinity, temperature, oxygen concentration and fluorescence. This allows to exactly identifying distribution patterns in relation to environmental conditions. In order to analyse the community composition, abundance and depth distribution of the species in the Fram Strait, we have conducted two hauls during a RV Polarstern cruise in July/August 2015 (PS93.2) to the deep-sea observatory “Hausgarten” of the Alfred-Wegener-Institute, Germany. We sampled the most northern (79°56’35” N, 3°11’45” E) and the most southern station (78°35’97” N, 5°4”11” E) of the “Hausgarten” monitoring stations. The two stations were similar with regard to zooplankton community composition. Copepods, among which Calanus, Oncaea and Microcalanus were the most frequent genera, dominated with a contribution of more than 80%. Calanus reached the highest abundances in surface layers ( 300m. Abundances at the northern station were twice as high as at the southern station. Mean weighted depths of the dominant taxa were significantly deeper at the northern than at the southern station, which corresponded to the deeper location of the Return Atlantic Intermediate Water

Qualitätsentwicklung in der Aus- und Weiterbildung mit ontologiebasierten Supportsystemen

Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Konzeption eines ontologiebasierten Supportsystems, welches die an Bildungsprozessen beteiligten Akteure bei der Einführung und Optimierung eines expliziten Qualitätsmanagements organisationsübergreifend unterstützt. Das Leben in einer Informationsgesellschaft zeichnet sich durch steten Wandel und einen extremen Bedarf an Informationsverarbeitung aus. Durch immer kürzere Produktlebenszyklen und die sich beständig wandelnden Prozessabläufe ist Flexibilität zu einem essentiellen Bestandteil unseres (Berufs-)Lebens geworden. Die hierdurch gestiegenen Anforderungen an die Aus- und Weiterbildung im Sinne eines lebenslangen Lernens unter gleichzeitig steigendem Kostendruck sowie die zunehmende Flexibilisierung der Lernprozesse durch E-Learning bzw. Blended Learning-Szenarien stellen zunehmend höhere Anforderungen an die Qualität von Bildungsprodukten und -prozessen. Bei Qualität handelt es sich dabei um ein abstraktes Konstrukt, welches im jeweiligen Anwendungskontext unter Berücksichtigung der verschiedenen Perspektiven und zum Teil konträren Anforderungen der verschiedenen an Bildungsprozessen beteiligten Akteure mit Hilfe konkreter Kriterien und Instrumente greifbar definiert werden muss. Dabei gibt es keine ‚One-fits-All’-Lösungen, sondern die Eignung anwendbarer Aspekte muss jeweils kontextspezifisch immer wieder untersucht und konkret definiert werden. Hierbei bedarf es geeigneter Unterstützungsmethoden. Eine Basis für die Definition und Steigerung der Qualität von Bildungsprozessen bieten Qualitätsansätze, die eine dezidierte Prozessorientierung basierend auf einheitlichen Standards unter Einbeziehung möglichst aller Stakeholder-Perspektiven ermöglichen. Die Einführung und Etablierung erfolgreicher Qualitätsmanagement-Maßnahmen erfordert Qualitätskompetenz bei den beteiligten Akteuren. Bei Qualitätskompetenz handelt es sich um ein Konstrukt, das sich aus dem Wissen über Maßnahmen des Qualitätsmanagements und Erfahrung in deren praktischer Anwendung zusammensetzt. Zur Erreichung einer ganzheitlichen organisationsübergreifenden Qualitätsentwicklung ist umfangreiche Qualitätskompetenz auf verschiedenen Ebenen erforderlich. Zugrunde liegt hierbei ein dreistufiges Modell, welches ausgehend von dem Qualitätsbewusstsein auf der Ebene der beteiligten Individuen über eine organisationsweite Qualitätsstrategie schließlich mit der Integration entsprechender Methoden und Instrumente in die eigentlichen Geschäfts- und Bildungsprozesse für eine nachhaltige Qualitätsentwicklung sorgt. Im Vordergrund dieser Arbeit steht die Frage, wie Supportsysteme gestaltet sein müssen, um die Entwicklung von Qualität in Bildungsprojekten und -prozessen zu unterstützen. Der Fokus liegt hierbei auf der Steigerung der Qualitätskompetenz aller an Bildungsprozessen Beteiligten über alle Managementebenen hinweg. Zentraler Aspekt der vorliegenden Arbeit ist dabei die Frage, wie und warum eine Implementierung auf Basis von Ontologien die Anforderungen an Qualitätsentwicklung insbesondere erfüllt und in wie weit die Ontologien einen Beitrag dazu leisten, durch strukturierte und gleichzeitig flexibel gehaltene kontextspezifische Informationsaufbereitung zur Bildung und Steigerung von Qualitätskompetenz bei allen an Bildungsprozessen beteiligten Akteuren beizutragen

The Long Gestation of the Small Naked Mole-Rat (Heterocephalus glaber RÜPPELL, 1842) Studied with Ultrasound Biomicroscopy and 3D-Ultrasonography

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is one of the two known mammalian species that live in a eusocial population structure. Here we investigate the exceptionally long gestation period of 70 days observed in the mole-rat queen. The course of seven successful pregnancies in two individuals was recorded in a colony of captive naked mole-rats using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and 3D-ultrasonography. We establish a catalogue of basic reference ultrasound data for this species by describing the ultrasonographic appearance of reproductive organs, calculating growth curves to predict gestational age and defining ultrasonographic milestones to characterize pregnancy stages. Mean litter size was 10.9±2.7, of which 7.2±1.5 survived the weaning period. Mean interbirth interval was 128.8±63.0 days. The reproductive success in our colony did not differ from previously published data. In the queen the active corpora lutea had an anechoic, fluid filled centre. Using UBM, pregnancy could be detected 53 days before parturition. The period of embryonic development is assumed to last until 30 days before parturition. Embryonic resorptions were detected frequently in the queen, indicating that this might be an ordinary event in this species. We discuss the extraordinary long gestation period of this small rodent and postulate that the long gestation is beneficial to both the eusocial structure and longevity. An increased litter size, twice as large as for other rodents of similar size, seemingly compensates for the doubling of pregnancy length. We demonstrate that the lifetime reproductive effort of a naked mole-rat queen is equivalent to the mass of offspring that would be produced if all of the females of a colony would be reproducing

Ocean acidification does not alter grazing in the calanoid copepods Calanus finmarchicus and Calanus glacialis

It is currently under debate whether organisms that regulate their acid–base status under environmental hypercapnia demand additional energy. This could impair animal fitness, but might be compensated for via increased ingestion rates when food is available. No data are yet available for dominant Calanus spp. from boreal and Arctic waters. To fill this gap, we incubated Calanus glacialis at 390, 1120, and 3000 µatm for 16 d with Thalassiosira weissflogii (diatom) as food source on-board RV Polarstern in Fram Strait in 2012. Every 4 d copepods were subsampled from all CO2 treatments and clearance and ingestion rates were determined. During the SOPRAN mesocosm experiment in Bergen, Norway, 2011, we weekly collected Calanus finmarchicus from mesocosms initially adjusted to 390 and 3000 µatm CO2 and measured grazing at low and high pCO2. In addition, copepods were deep frozen for body mass analyses. Elevated pCO2 did not directly affect grazing activities and body mass, suggesting that the copepods did not have additional energy demands for coping with acidification, neither during long-term exposure nor after immediate changes in pCO2. Shifts in seawater pH thus do not seem to challenge these copepod species

Comparison on vertical distribution of pelagic copepod abundance, biomass and community structure between Atlantic and Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean

Recently, a great reduction of sea ice coverage has been reported for the Arctic Ocean during summer. The reduction has been reported to be greater for regions which connect the Arctic with the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean, respectively. Since the pelagic fauna differs between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean, the effects of sea ice loss on the species and, thus, the Arctic ecosystems are expected to be different. However, little information is available on the differences in pelagic community between the Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the Arctic Ocean. In this study, we investigated planktonic copepod abundance, biomass and community structure in the Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the Arctic Ocean, and address their differences

Understandability of Hybrid Process Models Using DCR Graphs

While the understandability of process models has been extensively investigated for different process modeling notations, it has not been yet broadened to cover hybrid models. This paper proposes a new research model to investigate the understandability of hybrid model representations using a variety of psycho-physiological measurements including eye tracking and galvanic skin response (GSR) together with verbal data analysis. The aim of this research is to ensure a smooth integrationof hybrid modelling technologies in public administrations by investigating the way end-users (i.e., case workers) rely on the different parts of the hybrid process model representation in DCR Graphs, i.e., the graph, the textual annotations describing the law, and the simulation tools to interpret the process model

Testing the usefulness of optical data for zooplankton long‐term monitoring: Taxonomic composition, abundance, biomass, and size spectra from ZooScan image analysis

The pelagic ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean is threatened by severe changes such as the reduction in sea-ice coverage and increased inflow of warmer Atlantic water. The latter is already altering the zooplankton community, highlighting the need for monitoring studies. It is therefore essential to accelerate the taxonomic identification to speed up sample analysis, and to expand the analysis to biomass and size assessments, providing data for modeling efforts. Our case study in Fram Strait illustrates that image-based analyses with the ZooScan provide abundance data and taxonomic resolutions that are comparable to microscopic analyses and are suitable for zooplankton monitoring purposes in the Arctic. We also show that image analysis allows to differentiate developmental stages of the key species Calanus spp. and Metridia longa and, thus, to study their population dynamics. Our results emphasize that older preserved samples can be successfully reanalyzed with ZooScan. To explore the applicability of image parameters for calculating total mesozooplankton and Calanus spp. biomasses, we used (1) conversion factors (CFs) translating wet mass to dry mass (DM), and (2) length–mass (LM) relationships. For Calanus spp., the calculated biomass values yielded similar results as direct DM measurements. Total mesozooplankton biomass ranged between 1.6 and 15 (LM) or 2.4 and 21 (CF) g DM m−2, respectively, which corresponds to previous studies in Fram Strait. Ultimately, a normalized biomass size spectra analysis provides 1st insights into the mesozooplankton size structure at different depths, revealing steep slopes in the linear fit in communities influenced by Atlantic water inflow

Ecosystem mapping in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO) during the MOSAiC Expedition

As a result of global warming, the marine ecosystem around the North Pole, the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO), is in fast transition from a permanently to a seasonally ice-covered ocean. The sea-ice loss will enable summer access to the CAO for non-icebreaking ships, including fishery vessels, in the near future. However, the lack of knowledge on the CAO ecosystem impedes any assessment of the sustainability of potential future fisheries in the CAO. Taking a precautionary approach, nine countries and the EU established in 2021 the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean, which a.o. includes mapping and monitoring of the CAO ecosystem before any commercial fishery is initiated. To reduce the existing lack of knowledge, the EFICA Consortium participated, together with ca. 250 on-board scientists, in sampling and data collection of ecosystem data during four legs of the international MOSAiC expedition in 2019-2020. This report describes the field work performed by the EFICA scientists using water-column acoustics, deep-sea video recording, and fish and eDNA sampling for targeting zooplankton and fish. Further ecosystem data (physical, chemical and biological) were collected by the EFICA scientists in collaboration with other scientists on-board. Together with this report, a metadata database containing lists of all collected samples and data that are relevant for future fishery assessment studies was delivered to the European Commission

Year-round under-ice research on MOSAiC using a remotely operated vehicle

To provide easy and reliable access to the underside of the sea-ice during the MOSAiC expedition, the Alfred-Wegener-Institute will operate its new remotely operated vehicle during the full duration of the drift directly from an access hole on the ice. The vehicle has proven its capabilities during several Arctic field campaigns and provides a stable sensor platform, as well as inspection and intervention capabilities. It has a maximum range of 300m from the designated access hole(s) and a depth rating of 100m. The ROV operations under sea ice will allow repeat measurements during the entire drift with little impact to the sea ice, the upper ocean, the ecosystem and other objects of interest. In the current setup, the vehicle comprises various video cameras, a still camera, single and multibeam bathymetric sonar, scanning sonar, a CTD, triplet fluorometer as well as sensors for hyperspectral irradiance, radiance, extinction, dissolved oxygen, pH and nitrate. The vehicle position is recorded by acoustic positioning tied into the floe fixed reference frame of all observations on the central observatory floe. Beyond this, the vehicle also provides several additional power outlets and data ports that allow connecting additional systems to the vehicle. Currently, the integration of a current profiler (ADCP), a zooplankton camera, different nets for zooplankton sampling, as well as a water sampling system are under development. All data are recorded, timestamped on site, and will be uploaded to an open data portal, which will be easily accessible for the scientific community. The main task of the vehicle will be repeated mapping of the spatial variability of the various parameters on a weekly basis. In addition, we plan to use it for deployment and retrieval of under-ice sensor packages and perform inspection and manipulation tasks. The ROV operations can easily be conducted by a small on-board sea-ice team due to the reliable and redundant system architecture. Altogether, measurements give a comprehensive picture of the spatio-temporal evolution of the sea-ice and its associated ecosystem. They link upper ocean dynamics with the thermodynamic and dynamic development of the ice cover. In combination with surface measurements, like aerial photography and terrestrial laser scanning, a full 3D characterization of the local ice cover will enable areal upscaling of the obtained results also using remote sensing data. Ideally these high resolution measurements at the MOSAiC central observatory will be extended with regular missions of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), which can travel longer distances in spite of a small logistical footprint, to tie the local observations into the context of the larger spatial scale of the MOSAiC distributed measurement network