Nutrient capture and sustainable yield maximized by a gear modification in artisanal fishing traps

Coral reef artisanal fisheries are an important source of nutrition and economic wellbeing for coastal communities, but their management is subject to conflicts and tradeoffs between short-term food security benefits and long-term ecological function. One potential tradeoff is between nutrient capture and fish yields, where targeting small, nutrient-dense species may be more valuable for food security than maximizing fish yields, which is more closely aligned with supporting biodiversity and ecological function. We explored these potential tradeoffs by comparing two similar gears: traditional African basket traps and traps modified with an escape gap. Traps without escape gaps captured a higher frequency of fish with body sizes below their estimated lengths at maximum sustainable yield than gated traps. Estimates of nutrient yields for six micronutrients among the 208 captured species indicated high hump-shaped relationships for gated traps and low and linear positive relationships for traditional traps. Maximum nutrients in gated traps frequently corresponded to body sizes at maximum sustainable yield. Daily capture rates of nutrients were above daily needs more often in gated than traditional traps, but calcium values were low in both trap designs. Gated traps were more likely to capture species with unique and potentially important functional traits, including browsing herbivores, which could have negative effects on ecological functions and reef recovery. However, gated traps also catch fewer immature fish and fewer predators. Our results indicate that nutrient yields can be maximized while using a gear that captures larger and more sustainable body sizes in coral reef artisanal fisheries. Preferential targeting of nutrient-dense fishes is only one of many metrics for evaluating a nutrition-centered management strategy and may only be a management target in specific contexts

Fast Ray Tracing of Lunar Digital Elevation Models

Ray-tracing (RT) of Lunar Digital Elevation Models (DEM)'s is performed to virtually derive the degree of radiation incident to terrain as a function of time, orbital and ephemeris constraints [I- 4]. This process is an integral modeling process in lunar polar research and exploration due to the present paucity of terrain information at the poles and mission planning activities for the anticipated spring 2009 launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). As part of the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) preparations RI methods are used to estimate the critical conditions presented by the combined effects of high latitude, terrain and the moons low obliquity [5-7]. These factors yield low incident solar illumination and subsequently extreme thermal, and radiation conditions. The presented research uses RT methods both for radiation transport modeling in space and regolith related research as well as to derive permanently shadowed regions (PSR)'s in high latitude topographic minima, e.g craters. These regions are of scientific and human exploration interest due to the near constant low temperatures in PSRs, inferred to be < 100 K. Hydrogen is thought to have accumulated in PSR's through the combined effects of periodic cometary bombardment and/or solar wind processes, and the extreme cold which minimizes hydrogen sublimation [8-9]. RT methods are also of use in surface position optimization for future illumination dependent on surface resources e.g. power and communications equipment

Widespread Hydrogenation of the Moons South Polar Cold Traps

The study shows widespread evidence that the Moons permanently shadowed regions (PSR) are enhanced in hydrogen, likely in the form of water ice, as compared to non-permanently shadowed region locations (non-PSRs), to 79deg S. Results are consistent with the original findings of Watson et al, 1961. We use a novel method to aggregate the hydrogen response from all PSR, greater than 2 km wide pixels. Poleward of 79deg S, the PSR have a consistent hydrogen spatial response, which is enhanced in PSR (where the PSRs area density is highest) and diminishes with distance from any PSR (where the PSR area density is lowest). A correlation between the PSRs diameters and their observed hydrogen, is induced by the instrumental blurring of relatively hydrogenated PSR areas. An anomalously enhanced hydrogen concentration observed at Cabeus-1 PSR suggests a second hydrogen budget process at that location. Linear correlations, derived from the PSRs hydrogen observations, from two independent latitude bands, closely predict the hydrogen observation at Shoemaker, the largest area PSR, 1) 75deg to 83deg S, 2) 83deg to 90deg S. Results are consistent with ongoing processes that introduce volatiles to the surface including outgassing, solar wind production with regolith silicates, and mixing from small-scale meteor impacts and diurnal temperature variation. Results are derived from the Collimated Sensor for EpiThermal Neutrons (CSETN), which part of the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND), onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).Comment: 27 pages, 14 Figure

Comparison of Marine Spatial Planning Methods in Madagascar Demonstrates Value of Alternative Approaches

The Government of Madagascar plans to increase marine protected area coverage by over one million hectares. To assist this process, we compare four methods for marine spatial planning of Madagascar's west coast. Input data for each method was drawn from the same variables: fishing pressure, exposure to climate change, and biodiversity (habitats, species distributions, biological richness, and biodiversity value). The first method compares visual color classifications of primary variables, the second uses binary combinations of these variables to produce a categorical classification of management actions, the third is a target-based optimization using Marxan, and the fourth is conservation ranking with Zonation. We present results from each method, and compare the latter three approaches for spatial coverage, biodiversity representation, fishing cost and persistence probability. All results included large areas in the north, central, and southern parts of western Madagascar. Achieving 30% representation targets with Marxan required twice the fish catch loss than the categorical method. The categorical classification and Zonation do not consider targets for conservation features. However, when we reduced Marxan targets to 16.3%, matching the representation level of the “strict protection” class of the categorical result, the methods show similar catch losses. The management category portfolio has complete coverage, and presents several management recommendations including strict protection. Zonation produces rapid conservation rankings across large, diverse datasets. Marxan is useful for identifying strict protected areas that meet representation targets, and minimize exposure probabilities for conservation features at low economic cost. We show that methods based on Zonation and a simple combination of variables can produce results comparable to Marxan for species representation and catch losses, demonstrating the value of comparing alternative approaches during initial stages of the planning process. Choosing an appropriate approach ultimately depends on scientific and political factors including representation targets, likelihood of adoption, and persistence goals

Correlation of Lunar South Polar Epithermal Neutron Maps: Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector and Lunar Prospector Neutron Detector

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's (LRO), Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) was developed to refine the lunar surface hydrogen (H) measurements generated by the Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer. LPNS measurements indicated a approx.4,6% decrease in polar epithermal fluxes equivalent to (1.5+/-0,8)% H concentration and are direct geochemical evidence indicating water /high H at the poles. Given the similar operational and instrumental objectives of the LEND and LPNS systems, an important science analysis step for LEND is to test correlation with existing research including LPNS measurements. In this analysis, we compare corrected low altitude epithermal rate data from LPNS available via NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) with calibrated LEND epithermal maps using a cross-correlation techniqu

Automated Energy Calibration and Fitting of LaCl3(Ce) y-Spectra Using Peak Likelihood and Tabu Search

An automated method for ?-emission spectrum calibration and deconvolution is presented for spaceflight applications for a Cerium doped Lanthanum Chloride, (LaCl3(Ce)) ?-ray detector system. This detector will be coupled with a pulsed neutron generator (PNG) to induce and enhance nuclide signal quality and rates, yielding large volumes of spectral information. Automated analytical methods are required to deconvolve and quantify nuclide signals from spectra; this will both reduce human interactions in spectrum analysis and facilitate feedback to automated robotic and operations planning. Initial system tests indicate significant energy calibration drifts (>6%), that which must be mitigated for spectrum analysis. A linear energy calibration model is presently considered, with gain and zero factors. Deconvolution methods incorporate a tabu search heuristic to formulate and optimize searches using memory structures. Iterative use of a peak likelihood methodology identifies global calibration minima and peak areas. The method is compared to manual methods of calibration and indicates superior performance using tabu methods. Performance of the Tabu enhanced calibration method is superior to similar unoptimized local search. The techniques are also applicable to other emission spectroscopy, eg. X-ray and neutron

Linking social and ecological systems to sustain coral reef fisheries

The ecosystem goods and services provided by coral reefs\ud are critical to the social and economic welfare of hundreds\ud of millions of people, overwhelmingly in developing coun-\ud tries [1]. Widespread reef degradation is severely eroding\ud these goods and services, but the socioeconomic factors\ud shaping the ways that societies use coral reefs are poorly\ud understood [2]. We examine relationships between human\ud population density, a multidimensional index of socioeco-\ud nomic development, reef complexity, and the condition of\ud coral reef fish populations in five countries across the Indian Ocean. In fished sites, fish biomasswas negatively related to human population density, but it was best explained by reef complexity and a U-shaped relationship with socioeconomic development. The biomass of reef fishes was four times\ud lower at locations with intermediate levels of economic\ud development than at locations with both low and high devel-\ud opment. In contrast, average biomass inside fishery closures\ud was three times higher than in fished sites and was not asso-\ud ciated with socioeconomic development. Sustaining coral\ud reef fisheries requires an integrated approach that uses tools\ud such as protected areas to quickly build reef resources while\ud also building capacities and capital in societies over longer\ud time frames to address the complex underlying causes of\ud reef degradatio

Background and Lunar Neutron Populations Detected by LEND and Average Concentration of Near-Surface Hydrogen near the Moon's Poles

Neutron flux measurements by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) enable quantifying hydrogen-bearing volatiles in the lunar surface from orbit. Accurately determining hydrogen abundance requires discriminating between the instrument background detection rate and the population of lunar-sourced neutrons that are sensitive to surficial hydrogen. We have investigated the detection rate for lunar and non-lunar (spacecraft-sourced) neutrons in LEND by modeling maps of measured count rate in three LEND detector systems using linear combinations of maps compiled from LEND detectors and from the Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer. We find that 30% of the global-average 24.926 0.020 neutron counts per second (cps) detected by the LEND STN3 thermal-energy neutron sensor are lunar-sourced neutrons in the thermal energy range (E < 0.4 eV), 65% are lunar-sourced neutrons in the epithermal and fast energy range (E > 0.4 eV), and 5% are from spacecraft-sourced background signal. In the SETN epithermal neutron detector, 90% of the 10.622 0.002 neutron detections per second are consistent with a lunar source of epithermal and fast neutrons combined (E > 0.4 eV), with 3% due to lunar-sourced thermal neutron leakage into the detector (E < 0.4 eV), and background signal accounting for 7% of total detections. Background signal due to spacecraft-derived neutrons is substantial in the CSETN collimated detector system, accounting for 57% of the global average detection rate of 5.082 0.001 cps, greater than the 48% estimated from cruise-phase data. Lunar-sourced epithermal and fast neutrons account for 43% of detected neutrons, including neutrons in collimation as well as neutrons that penetrate the collimator wall to reach the detector. We estimate a lower limit of 17% of lunar-sourced neutrons detected by CSETN are epithermal neutrons in collimation (0.37 cps), with an upper limit estimate of 54 11% of lunar-sourced neutrons received in collimation, or 1.2 0.2 cps global average. The pole-to-equator contrast ratio inepithermal and high-energy epithermal neutron flux indicates that the average concentration of hydrogen in the polar regolith above 80 north or south latitude is ~105 ppmw (parts per million by weight), or 0.095 0.01 wt% water-equivalent hydrogen. Above 88 north or south, the concentration increases to ~140 ppmw, or 0.13 0.02 wt% water-equivalent hydrogen. The similar pattern of neutron flux suppression at both poles suggests that hydrogen concentration generally increases nearer the pole and is not closely associated with a specific feature such as Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole that has no northern counterpart. Epithermal neutron flux decreases with increasing latitude outside the polar regions, consistent with surface hydration that increases with latitude if that hydration extends to ~13-40 cm into the surface

Crater Age and Hydrogen Content in Lunar Regolith from LEND Neutron Data

Analysis of Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) neutron count rates for a large set of mid-latitude craters provides evidence for lower hydrogen content in the crater interiors compared to typical highland values. Epithermal neutron count rates for crater interiors measured by the LEND Sensor for Epithermal Neutrons (SETN) were compared to crater exteriors for 301 craters and displayed an increase in mean count rate at the approx. 9-sigma confidence level, consistent with a lower hydrogen content. A smaller subset of 31 craters also shows a significant increase in Optical Maturity parameter implying an immature regolith. The increase in SETN count rate for these craters is greater than the increase for the full set of craters by more than a factor of two