The generalized data management and collection protocol for Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Satellite Relay Data Loggers

Abstract The software routines for data sampling and processing that are implemented on-board telemetry devices (tags) called Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Satellite Relay Data Loggers (CTD-SRDLs) enable the simultaneous collection of biological and in-situ environmental data by animal-platforms over periods of weeks to months, despite severe energy and bandwidth limitations imposed by their relatively small size. This extended operational lifetime is made possible by the use of software protocols on-board the tags that manage sensors, data collection, storage, compression and transmission to ensure that the most useful data are sent at appropriate resolution while minimizing redundancy. While tag software is tailored to the particular species under study and the questions being addressed with a given field deployment, the philosophy behind Sea Mammal Research Unit Instrumentation Group (SMRU-IG) software protocols is to adopt a general set of principles to achieve the best results within the energy and bandwidth constraints. Here, we discuss these and review the general protocol that is used to simultaneously collect information on geographical movements, diving behaviour and in-situ oceanographic information from marine mammals

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The Role of the Amundsen Sea Continental Shelf in Exchanges Between Ocean and Ice Shelves

The Amundsen Sea is a key region of Antarctica where ocean, atmosphere, sea ice, and ice sheet interact. For much of Antarctica, the relatively warm water of the open Southern Ocean (a few degrees above freezing) does not reach the Antarctic continental shelf in large volumes under current climate conditions. However, in the Amundsen Sea, warm water penetrates onto the continental shelf and provides heat that can melt the underside of the area’s floating ice shelves, thinning them. Here, we discuss how the ocean’s role in melting has come under increased scrutiny, present 2014 observations from the Amundsen Sea, and discuss their implications, highlighting aspects where understanding is still incomplete

International consensus statement on nomenclature and classification of the congenital bicuspid aortic valve and its aortopathy, for clinical, surgical, interventional and research purposes.

peer reviewedThis International Consensus Classification and Nomenclature for the congenital bicuspid aortic valve condition recognizes 3 types of bicuspid valves: 1. The fused type (right-left cusp fusion, right-non-coronary cusp fusion and left-non-coronary cusp fusion phenotypes); 2. The 2-sinus type (latero-lateral and antero-posterior phenotypes); and 3. The partial-fusion (forme fruste) type. The presence of raphe and the symmetry of the fused type phenotypes are critical aspects to describe. The International Consensus also recognizes 3 types of bicuspid valve-associated aortopathy: 1. The ascending phenotype; 2. The root phenotype; and 3. Extended phenotypes

Summary: International Consensus Statement on Nomenclature and Classification of the Congenital Bicuspid Aortic Valve and Its Aortopathy, for Clinical, Surgical, Interventional and Research Purposes.

peer reviewedThis International evidence-based nomenclature and classification consensus on the congenital bicuspid aortic valve and its aortopathy recognizes 3 types of bicuspid aortic valve: 1. Fused type, with 3 phenotypes: right-left cusp fusion, right-non cusp fusion and left-non cusp fusion; 2. 2-sinus type with 2 phenotypes: Latero-lateral and antero-posterior; and 3. Partial-fusion or forme fruste. This consensus recognizes 3 bicuspid-aortopathy types: 1. Ascending phenotype; root phenotype; and 3. extended phenotypes

Wintertime ocean conditions over the southern Weddell Sea continental shelf, Antarctica

During the austral winter of 2007 a Weddell Seal tagged with a miniaturized conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) instrument travelled over the central southern Weddell Sea continental shelf. The instrument yielded 750 CTD profiles, 250 of them to the sea floor. The data show a full depth flow of water onto the shelf via a sill at the shelf break (74°S 44°W). The warmth from the core of the flow was able to maintain the surface mixed layer above the freezing point, resulting in a band of reduced ice-production. An estimate of the on-shelf flux suggests that this flow accounts for most of the estimated 3 Sv of water draining from the southern Weddell Sea continental shelf

Reappraisal of energetics of locomotion shows identical cost in bipeds and quadrupeds including ostrich and horse [15]

Animals use different amounts of energy to move from place to place depending on their size and mode of locomotion 1. Flyers and swimmers use less energy to move a unit mass a unit distance than do running animals, and small animals use more energy than large ones. For terrestrial animals Taylor et al.2 have defined cost of transport as the slope of the regression line relating weight-specific metabolic power and running speed. Cost of transport, so defined, is a comparative index of the relative energy-cost of locomotion of different animals. Fedak et al.3 had reported that bipeds and quadrupeds have different costs and that, extrapolating from their data, the difference between them would be greatest among large animals. Now, after considering new data from 100-kg ostrich and horse, and reviewing the data collected in the past 5 yr, we find that there are no consistent differences in energy-cost between bipeds and quadrupeds of any size. The apparent differences reported earlier was biased by an unfortunate choice of animals. The new, much more extensive, evidence shows no difference of the scaling of energy requirements for locomotion between bipeds and quadrupeds, but suggests a difference between apparently clumsy and graceful animals.</p

Reappraisal of energetics of locomotion shows identical cost in bipeds and quadrupeds including ostrich and horse [15]

Animals use different amounts of energy to move from place to place depending on their size and mode of locomotion 1. Flyers and swimmers use less energy to move a unit mass a unit distance than do running animals, and small animals use more energy than large ones. For terrestrial animals Taylor et al.2 have defined cost of transport as the slope of the regression line relating weight-specific metabolic power and running speed. Cost of transport, so defined, is a comparative index of the relative energy-cost of locomotion of different animals. Fedak et al.3 had reported that bipeds and quadrupeds have different costs and that, extrapolating from their data, the difference between them would be greatest among large animals. Now, after considering new data from 100-kg ostrich and horse, and reviewing the data collected in the past 5 yr, we find that there are no consistent differences in energy-cost between bipeds and quadrupeds of any size. The apparent differences reported earlier was biased by an unfortunate choice of animals. The new, much more extensive, evidence shows no difference of the scaling of energy requirements for locomotion between bipeds and quadrupeds, but suggests a difference between apparently clumsy and graceful animals.</p

Biomass and energy consumption of the south Georgia population of southern elephant seals

The total annual energy expenditure was estimated for different age and sex classes of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, that breed at South Georgia. The estimated energy costs of reproduction, growth, foraging, and molt were used to calculate an annual energy budget for individuals in each age and sex class. This was combined with population size and age structure to estimate population energy requirements. The estimated average metabolic cost of maintenance for adult males and females was 0.17 and 0.39 MJ/year, respectively. Male biomass accounted for 63% of the total population biomass (222,903 metric tonnes), and the metabolic power for the whole population averaged over one year was 190 MWatts. Total energy expenditure of each age class declined during the first two years but then began to increase because of the onset of reproduction in females and because of increased energy costs of foraging and growth in males. Foraging accounted for 63.2% and 68.2% of the annual energy budget in males and females, respectively. The total annual energy expenditure was 6.01 X 109 MJ/year, and 59% of this was accounted for by males. The gross energy requirement was 7.89 X 109 MJ/year. The production efficiency was 8.2% Average daily gross energy intake during potential foraging periods was 77.3 and 43.2 MJ/day for males and females, respectively. This suggested a capture rate of 0.26 and 0.15 kg of fish or muscular squid per dive for males and females, respectively. Biomass of food consumed depended on assumptions about diet composition. If southern elephant seals at South Georgia fed exclusively on squid, the consumption biomass was 2.28 X 106 tonnes/year.</p

Reproductive Behavior

This chapter explores the reproductive behavior of marine mammals. Reproductive behavior is an important part of the process by which this is brought about and must serve to create a situation in which the young can safely be born and nurtured, and one which facilitates mating with suitable partners. Because many marine mammals do not feed where they reproduce, they also must locate breeding areas where reproduction and parental care can take place without compromising nutritional requirements before, during, and after the current effort. The marine habit and the geographic and energetic constraints acting on marine mammals have shaped their life histories and reproductive behaviors to create some of the most dramatic and extreme reproductive patterns among mammals. Size stands out as being of fundamental importance as to how they these animals organize their reproductive behaviors. The chapter also considers the strategies of reproductive behavior within the simple life history model of pinnipeds in which the animal's mass or condition is viewed as the fundamental state variable that determines the constraints on reproductive success. Virtually all species can be fit into this conceptual framework and most aspects of reproductive behavior and the links with foraging and molting can be incorporated within it, in terms of how they affect fecundity and offspring quality. As such, the model provides a useful framework within which to describe the requirements of behavior. © 2009</p

Biomass and energy consumption of the south Georgia population of southern elephant seals

The total annual energy expenditure was estimated for different age and sex classes of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, that breed at South Georgia. The estimated energy costs of reproduction, growth, foraging, and molt were used to calculate an annual energy budget for individuals in each age and sex class. This was combined with population size and age structure to estimate population energy requirements. The estimated average metabolic cost of maintenance for adult males and females was 0.17 and 0.39 MJ/year, respectively. Male biomass accounted for 63% of the total population biomass (222,903 metric tonnes), and the metabolic power for the whole population averaged over one year was 190 MWatts. Total energy expenditure of each age class declined during the first two years but then began to increase because of the onset of reproduction in females and because of increased energy costs of foraging and growth in males. Foraging accounted for 63.2% and 68.2% of the annual energy budget in males and females, respectively. The total annual energy expenditure was 6.01 X 109 MJ/year, and 59% of this was accounted for by males. The gross energy requirement was 7.89 X 109 MJ/year. The production efficiency was 8.2% Average daily gross energy intake during potential foraging periods was 77.3 and 43.2 MJ/day for males and females, respectively. This suggested a capture rate of 0.26 and 0.15 kg of fish or muscular squid per dive for males and females, respectively. Biomass of food consumed depended on assumptions about diet composition. If southern elephant seals at South Georgia fed exclusively on squid, the consumption biomass was 2.28 X 106 tonnes/year.</p