Thirty years of research on Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (1986–2016): Scientific advances and emerging opportunities

Research on the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) has waxed and waned over the last few decades, mostly in response to population outbreaks at specific locations. This review considers advances in our understanding of the biology and ecology of CoTS based on the resurgence of research interest, which culminated in this current special issue on the Biology, Ecology and Management of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish. More specifically, this review considers progress in addressing 41 specific research questions posed in a seminal review by P. Moran 30 years ago, as well as exploring new directions for CoTS research. Despite the plethora of research on CoTS ( > 1200 research articles), there are persistent knowledge gaps that constrain effective management of outbreaks. Although directly addressing some of these questions will be extremely difficult, there have been considerable advances in understanding the biology of CoTS, if not the proximate and ultimate cause(s) of outbreaks. Moving forward, researchers need to embrace new technologies and opportunities to advance our understanding of CoTS biology and behavior, focusing on key questions that will improve effectiveness of management in reducing the frequency and likelihood of outbreaks, if not preventing them altogether

Utilização da TDR para monitoramento da solução de nitrato de potássio em Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo Use of tdr for monitoring the potassium nitrate solution in dystrophic Red-Yellow Latossol

O conhecimento da distribuição e armazenamento da solução no solo é de grande importância para a agricultura, pois a interação entre os nutrientes e a água é um dos fatores que influenciam diretamente no rendimento das culturas. Das várias técnicas utilizadas para o monitoramento da solução no solo, a reflectometria no domínio do tempo (TDR) vem sendo bastante difundida entre os pesquisadores por apresentar inúmeras vantagens, dentre as quais a mensuração em tempo real e a possibilidade de leituras automatizadas. O principal objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a distribuição da solução de KNO3 no perfil de um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo. Sondas de Reflectometria no Domínio do Tempo (TDR) foram utilizadas para monitorar a distribuição de solução no solo aplicada por gotejadores de fluxo constante nas vazões de 2; 4 e 8 L h-1. Considerando-se os resultados de diferentes perfis, observou-se maior armazenamento da solução próxima ao gotejador, diminuindo progressivamente para frente de molhamento. Pouco mais da metade da solução aplicada (65%) foi armazenada na primeira camada (0-0,10 m) para todos os ensaios, e 22% foi armazenada na próxima camada (0,10-0,20 m). Comparando-se diferentes taxas de aplicação, observou-se maior armazenamento de água para o gotejador de 4 L h-1, com 60; 72 e 63% de solução de KNO3 aplicada acumulada na primeira camada (0-0,10 m) para gotejadores de 2; 4 e 8 L h-1, respectivamente. Os resultados sugerem que, com base no volume e frequência utilizada neste experimento, seria vantajoso aplicar pequenas quantidades de água em intervalos mais frequentes para reduzir perdas por percolação.<br>Knowledge of water distribution in soil is of great importance to agriculture, since water is one of the factors that most influence the yield of crops. There are many techniques used for monitoring of soil water content, the Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) has been widespread among researchers to present several advantages, among which the determination in real time and possibility of automated readings. The main goal of this research was to evaluate the KNO3 solution distribution in a profile of a Dystrophic Red-Yellow latossol. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) probes were used to monitor the soil solution distribution from drippers discharging at constant flow rates of 2, 4 and 8 L h-1 in soil. Considering the results from different profiles, we observed greater solute storage near the dripper decreasing gradually towards the wetting front. About half of the applied KNO3 solution (65%) was stored in the first layer (0-0.10 m) for all experiments and 22 % was stored in the next layer (0.10-0.20 m). Comparing different dripper flow rates, we observed higher solution storage for 4 L h-1, with 60, 72 and 63 % of the applied KNO3 solution accumulated in the first layer (0-0.10 m) for dripper flow rates of 2, 4 and 8 L h-1, respectively. The results suggest that based on the volume and frequency used in this experiment, it would be advantageous to apply small amounts of solution at more frequent intervals to reduce deep percolation losses of applied water and solutes