Modeling larval connectivity of coral reef organisms in the Kenya-Tanzania region

Most coral reef organisms have a bipartite life-cycle; they are site attached to reefs as adults but have pelagic larval stages that allow them to disperse to other reefs. Connectivity among coral reef patches is critical to the survival of local populations of reef organisms, and requires movement across gaps that are not suitable habitat for recruitment. Knowledge of population connectivity among individual reef habitats within a broader geographic region of coral reefs has been identified as key to developing efficient spatial management strategies to protect marine ecosystems. The study of larval connectivity of marine organisms is a complex multidisciplinary challenge that is difficult to address by direct observation alone. An approach that couples ocean circulation models with individual based models (IBMs) of larvae with different degrees of life-history complexity has been previously used to assess connectivity patterns in several coral reef regions (e.g., the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and the Caribbean). We applied the IBM particle tracking approach to the Kenya-Tanzania region, which exhibits strong seasonality in the alongshore currents due to the influence of the monsoon. A 3-dimensional (3D) ocean circulation model with 2 km horizontal resolution was coupled to IBMs that track virtual larvae released from each of 661 reef habitats, associated with 15 distinct regions. Given that reefs provide homes to numerous species, each with distinctive, and in aggregate very diverse life-histories, several life-history scenarios were modeled to examine the variety of dispersal and connectivity patterns possible. We characterize virtual larvae of Acropora corals and Acanthurus surgeonfish, two coral reef inhabitants with greatly differing pelagic life-histories, to examine the effects of short (50 days) pelagic larval durations (PLD), differences in swimming abilities (implemented as reef perception distances), and active depth keeping in reef connectivity. Acropora virtual larvae were modeled as 3D passive particles with a precompetency period of 4 days, a total PLD of 12 days and a perception distance of 10 m. Acanthurus virtual larvae were characterized by 50 days precompetency period, a total PLD of 72 days and a perception distance of 4 km. Acanthurus virtual larvae were modeled in two ways — as 3D passive particles and including an idealized ontogenetic vertical migration behavior. A range of distances within which larvae were able to perceive reefs and directionally swim to settle on them during the competency period were evaluated. The influence of interannual environmental variations was assessed for two years (2000, 2005) of contrasting physics. The spatial scale of connectivity is much smaller for the short PLD coral, with successful connections restricted to a 1° radius (~100 km) around source reefs. In contrast, long distance connections from the southern to the northernmost reefs (~950 km) are common for virtual Acanthurids. Successful settlement for virtual Acropora larvae was 20% overall, with cross-region recruitment much increased compared to the coral larvae. Approximately 8% of Acropora larvae that successfully settled, recruited to their source reef (self-recruitment), an important proportion compared to only 1-2 % self-recruitment for Acanthurus. These rates and dispersal distances are similar to previous modelling studies of similar species in other coral reef regions and agree well with the few observational studies within the Kenya-Tanzania region

William (Bill) Peterson's contributions to ocean science, management, and policy

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Schwing, F. B., Sissenwine, M. J., Batchelder, H., Dam, H. G., Gomez-Gutierrez, J., Keister, J. E., Liu, H., & Peterson, J. O. William (Bill) Peterson's contributions to ocean science, management, and policy. Progress in Oceanography, 182, (2020): 102241, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2019.102241.In addition to being an esteemed marine ecologist and oceanographer, William T. (Bill) Peterson was a dedicated public servant, a leader in the ocean science community, and a mentor to a generation of scientists. Bill recognized the importance of applied science and the need for integrated “big science” programs to advance our understanding of ecosystems and to guide their management. As the first US GLOBEC program manager, he was pivotal in transitioning the concept of understanding how climate change impacts marine ecosystems to an operational national research program. The scientific insight and knowledge generated by US GLOBEC informed and advanced the ecosystem-based management approaches now being implemented for fishery management in the US. Bill held significant leadership roles in numerous international efforts to understand global and regional ecological processes, and organized and chaired a number of influential scientific conferences and their proceedings. He was passionate about working with and training young researchers. Bill’s academic affiliations, notably at Stony Brook and Oregon State Universities, enabled him to advise, train, and mentor a host of students, post-doctoral researchers, and laboratory technicians. Under his collegial guidance they became critical independent thinkers and diligent investigators. His former students and colleagues carry on Bill Peterson’s legacy of research that helps us understand marine ecosystems and informs more effective resource stewardship and conservation

Relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov description of the deformed ground-state proton emitters

Ground-state properties of deformed proton-rich odd-Z nuclei in the region $59 \leq Z \leq 69$ are described in the framework of Relativistic Hartree Bogoliubov (RHB) theory. One-proton separation energies and ground-state quadrupole deformations that result from fully self-consistent microscopic calculations are compared with available experimental data. The model predicts the location of the proton drip-line, the properties of proton emitters beyond the drip-line, and provides information about the deformed single-particle orbitals occupied by the odd valence proton.Comment: 9 pages, RevTeX, 3 PS figures, submitted Phys. Rev. Letter

Predicted Sea Level Rise on Plum Island, MA

ArcGIS 10.2.2 and NAD1983 Massachusetts Stateplane Mainland FIPS 2001 projection was used to model sea level rise on Plum Island, Massachusetts. Under high sea level rise conditions of 3m, 81.9% of the buildings on the island will be inundated in addition to a total of 11.06km2 or 75.44% of the islands land area. 86.5% of the wetlands would be inundated, the most loss of any vegetation type on the island. The modeled sea level rise assumes catastrophic conditions such as the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (National Snow and Ice Data Center). Based upon elevation data, this model provides a basic analysis of the impacts of extreme sea level rise on Plum Island

PASADENA Hyperpolarization of Succinic Acid for MRI and NMR Spectroscopy

We use the PASADENA (parahydrogen and synthesis allow dramatically enhanced nuclear alignment) method to achieve ^(13)C polarization of ∼20% in seconds in 1-^(13)C-succinic-d_2 acid. The high-field ^(13)C multiplets are observed as a function of pH, and the line broadening of C1 is pronounced in the region of the pK values. The ^2J_(CH), ^3J_(CH), and ^3J_(HH) couplings needed for spin order transfer vary with pH and are best resolved at low pH leading to our use of pH ∼3 for both the molecular addition of parahydrogen to 1-^(13)C-fumaric acid-d_2 and the subsequent transfer of spin order from the nascent protons to C1 of the succinic acid product. The methods described here may generalize to hyperpolarization of other carboxylic acids. The C1 spin−lattice relaxation time at neutral pH and 4.7 T is measured as 27 s in H_2O and 56 s in D_2O. Together with known rates of succinate uptake in kidneys, this allows an estimate of the prospects for the molecular spectroscopy of metabolism

University Budget Models, Institutional Size, and Student Outcomes

The purpose of the non-experimental quantitative research study was to identify if there is a significant difference between the types of budget model an institution utilizes, institutional size, and student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. This study was to identify if there is significant difference between institutional size and the type budget model utilized. Member institutions of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) were selected to participate in this study due to their similarities of mission and admissions policy. AASCU institutions share a common mission that focuses on access, innovation, regional support, and inclusion. AASCU institutions are all public regional institutions. Larger institutions within the study presented significantly higher retention and graduation rates compared to medium size institutions. I used the Carnegie classification of size as institutions that have enrollments less than 3,000 as small, institutions that have enrollments less than 10,000 as medium, and institutions with enrollments greater than 10,000 as large. I study found no significant difference in the types of budget model utilized and the student outcomes related to enrollment, retention, or graduation rates. I did indicate that institutions that utilized a more decentralized budgeting approach had higher enrollment percentages and higher retention and graduation rates than institutions that utilized a centralized budget model. I also did not identify any significant difference in the size of an institution and the type of budget model utilized

The Single-Particle Structure of Neutron-Rich Nuclei of Astrophysical Interest at the Ornl Hribf

The rapid nuetron-capture process (r process) produces roughly half of the elements heavier than iron. The path and abundances produced are uncertain, however, because of the lack of nuclear strucure information on important neutron-rich nuclei. We are studying nuclei on or near the r-process path via single-nucleon transfer reactions on neutron-rich radioactive beams at ORNL's Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF). Owing to the difficulties in studying these reactions in inverse kinematics, a variety of experimental approaches are being developed. We present the experimental methods and initial results.Comment: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Fission and Properties of Neutron-Rich Nucle

Orbital dependent nucleonic pairing in the lightest known isotopes of tin

By studying the 109Xe-->105Te-->101Sn superallowed alpha-decay chain, we observe low-lying states in 101Sn, the one-neutron system outside doubly magic 100Sn. We find that the spins of the ground state (J = 7=2) and first excited state (J = 5=2) in 101Sn are reversed with respect to the traditional level ordering postulated for 103Sn and the heavier tin isotopes. Through simple arguments and state-of-the-art shell model calculations we explain this unexpected switch in terms of a transition from the single-particle regime to the collective mode in which orbital-dependent pairing correlations, dominate.Comment: 5 pages 3 figure

Planar digital nanoliter dispensing system based on thermocapillary actuation

We provide guidelines for the design and operation of a planar digital nanodispensing system based on thermocapillary actuation. Thin metallic microheaters embedded within a chemically patterned glass substrate are electronically activated to generate and control 2D surface temperature distributions which either arrest or trigger liquid flow and droplet formation on demand. This flow control is a consequence of the variation of a liquid’s surface tension with temperature, which is used to draw liquid toward cooler regions of the supporting substrate. A liquid sample consisting of several microliters is placed on a flat rectangular supply cell defined by chemical patterning. Thermocapillary switches are then activated to extract a slender fluid filament from the cell and to divide the filament into an array of droplets whose position and volume are digitally controlled. Experimental results for the power required to extract a filament and to divide it into two or more droplets as a function of geometric and operating parameters are in excellent agreement with hydrodynamic simulations. The capability to dispense ultralow volumes onto a 2D substrate extends the functionality of microfluidic devices based on thermocapillary actuation previously shown effective in routing and mixing nanoliter liquid samples on glass or silicon substrates

Dissociation constants and thermodynamic properties of amino acids used in CO2 absorption from (293 to 353) K

The second dissociation constants of the amino acids βalanine, taurine, sarcosine, 6-aminohexanoic acid, DL-methionine, glycine, L-phenylalanine, and L-proline and the third dissociation constants of L-glutamic acid and L-aspartic acid have been determined from electromotive force measurements at temperatures from (293 to 353) K. Experimental results are reported and compared to literature values. Values of the standard state thermodynamic properties are derived from the experimental results and compared to the values of commercially available amines used as absorbents for CO 2 capture.