Urban coral reefs: Degradation and resilience of hard coral assemblages in coastal cities of East and Southeast Asia

© 2018 The Author(s) Given predicted increases in urbanization in tropical and subtropical regions, understanding the processes shaping urban coral reefs may be essential for anticipating future conservation challenges. We used a case study approach to identify unifying patterns of urban coral reefs and clarify the effects of urbanization on hard coral assemblages. Data were compiled from 11 cities throughout East and Southeast Asia, with particular focus on Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Naha (Okinawa). Our review highlights several key characteristics of urban coral reefs, including “reef compression” (a decline in bathymetric range with increasing turbidity and decreasing water clarity over time and relative to shore), dominance by domed coral growth forms and low reef complexity, variable city-specific inshore-offshore gradients, early declines in coral cover with recent fluctuating periods of acute impacts and rapid recovery, and colonization of urban infrastructure by hard corals. We present hypotheses for urban reef community dynamics and discuss potential of ecological engineering for corals in urban areas

Estimating population birth rates of zooplankton when rates of egg deposition and hatching are periodic

I present a general method of computing finite birth and death rates of natural zooplankton populations from changes in the age distribution of eggs and changes in population size. The method is applicable to cases in which eggs hatch periodically owing to variable rates of oviposition. When morphological criteria are used to determine the age distribution of eggs at the beginning and end of a sampling interval, egg mortality can be incorporated in estimates of population birth rate. I raised laboratory populations of Asplanchna priodonta , a common planktonic rotifer, in semicontinuous culture to evaluate my method of computing finite birth rate. The Asplanchna population became synchronized to a daily addition of food but grew by the same amount each day once steady state was achieved. The steady-state rate of growth, which can be computed from the volume-specific dilution rate of the culture, was consistent with the finite birth rate predicted from the population's egg ratio and egg age distribution.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47764/1/442_2004_Article_BF00410359.pd

Ecological risk assessment for a mine pit lake, Nevada, USA

Closure of an open pit gold mine in central Nevada, USA, will result in cessation of dewatering at the mine and formation of a pit lake. The future pit lake will occur in a desert shrub community and have no surface water inflows or outflows. An ecological risk assessment far the pit lake was conducted as part of an environmental impact statement required for expansion of mine facilities. Because the pit lake does not yet exist, ecological risks were estimated from the results of predictive water quality models and measurement of chemical concentrations in the rock wall of the pit. The exposure of birds and mammals to individual metals through food and water ingestion was estimated on the basis of concentrations of metals in water and bioconcentration factors and through sediment ingestion was estimated from concentrations of metals in wall rock. Exposure estimates, which were expressed as daily rates of intake of individual metals, were compared to no-effects and lowest-effects doses reported in the literature for those metals. Results of the risk assessment demonstrated minimal risks to dabbling ducks from exposure to zinc and no risk to other wildlife from chemical exposures.Non UBCUnreviewedOthe

CREAM: A European project on mechanistic effect models for ecological risk assessment of chemicals

Examples that clearly demonstrate the power of mechanistic effect models (MEMs) for risk assessment are urgently needed, and industry, academia, and regulatory authorities across Europe need scientists that are trained in MEMs, principles of ecotoxicology, and regulatory risk assessment. To meet these needs, Chemical Risk Effects Assessment Models (CREAM), a European project including 20 Ph.D. and three postdoctoral projects, has been launched for September 2009 and will last for 4 years. CREAM is a “Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN)” funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Programme. ITNs are part of the commission’s “People” Programme and focus on mobility and first-class training of early stage researchers. CREAM is very likely the largest joint project worldwide developing MEMs for risk assessment of chemicals. The aims and scope of CREAM are: 1. Formulate and test guidance for Good Modeling Practice (GMoP) that ensures transparent and reliable decision support for chemical risk assessment. 2. Develop a suite of well-tested and validated mechanistic ecological effect models for a range of organisms and ecosystems relevant for chemical risk assessments. 3. Provide world-class training for the next generation of modelers, emphasizing transparency and rigorous model evaluation as core elements of models for decision support