Assessment of Behavior, Home Range, Population Size, and Intermixing Among the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, in New Jersey

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are known to exhibit a range of different social structures and habitat use profiles. To investigate the structure of the population off Cape May, NJ, photo identification techniques were employed. Between April 2013 and November 2014, 209 survey days with 989 individual sightings were observed from a platform of opportunity, the whale watching vessel the American Star. The primary goals of this study were to assess the population size in this area; determine whether or not the inshore ecotype were mixing with the offshore ecotype; determine home range size for dolphins sighted multiple times; and to assess their behavior throughout the day, between trips, and between months. Using distinct markings on the dolphin’s dorsal fins, data were collected on individuals between 1-3 times daily. Data collected included weather and water conditions, GPS locations, group size, behaviors observed, and presence of calves. The program Flukebook was utilized to help determine population size and help photo identify individual dolphins. The program ArcGIS was used to map home range distances and areas. The Cape May, NJ dolphin population was estimated at approximately 1,039 individuals. 97 of these individuals were sighted more than once, and 17 of these were observed in both inshore and offshore habitats. The linear home range average for coastal dolphins was 2.75km. The linear home range average for inshore/offshore dolphins was 30.65 km. The average home range areas (dolphins sighted three or more times) for coastal dolphins were 4.1km2, while the average for inshore/offshore dolphins was 217.22km2. The Cape May population of bottlenose dolphins was observed traveling most often in September in 2013. In both years, traveling had comparable observations. Feeding was observed more often during the morning during 2013, and during the morning and evening trips in 2014. In both years feeding observations decreased as it got later in the season. Mating was observed more often during the morning and during July and August, and fell in September 2013. In 2014, mating was observed more often during the evening, and also decreased after June. Surfing and breaching behaviors showed little to no variation in both years. This study shows that this population may be less habitat-limited than other populations and that the individuals are utilizing both inshore and offshore habitats. Interactions may be occurring between the two ecotypes, which may include mating, behavior, and culture transfer, especially during the months of June, July, and August. The home range analysis has provided insights into the habitat use of the animals in the area, which is relatively consistent with the published literature. Behaviors were found to be significantly different throughout the day, as well as seasonally. Traveling was seen more during the later months in 2013, which may indicate the dolphins preparing to travel down south. Feeding was seen more often in the mornings in 2013, and more often during the morning and evenings in 2014. Mating was seen more often in the mornings in 2013, and during the evenings in 2014. In both years less mating was seen later in the season, most likely due to females already being pregnant or not wanting to calve during that time the following year. Future research should include a more detailed photoidentification analysis of dolphins sighted in 2014, which focuses on population size, differences in habitats, and behavioral changes from different years

Taking Action During Covid-19: An Essay on Indigenous Pride and Anger

It’s winter, and at the beginning of the bridge to the Penobscot Nation, bolted to a cold streetlamp, is a red sign that reads: “CHECK POINT AHEAD: BE PREPARED TO STOP.” Put up to protect the community from COVID-19, I can’t say for certain how long it’s been there. At least since last summer. But what I can say is that the first time I saw this sign, and another one, red too, expressing that anyone not authorized to be on the reservation would be asked to leave or be removed by Tribal police, I was deeply moved. I was proud, but then, as time passed, I felt a sense of anger as well

EFFECT OF FATIGUE ON THE COORDINATION VARIABILITY IN ROWERS

According to the Dynamical Systems Theory (DST), movement variability is an essential feature of human motor behaviour. This theory of motor control has led to a paradigm shift in sport biomechanics research. Whereas previously, variability in sports biomechanics data was viewed as erroneous and in need of elimination, more recently the existence, amount and effect of variability on different aspects of sports biomechanics has been considered (Hamill et al., 1999). Numerous studies have also considered the effect of fatigue on coordination. Aune et al. (2008) found that fatigue induced a reduction in variability in segment positioning for highly skilled table-tennis players. Also a high level of performance was maintained by reducing racket velocity and thus altering the racket position at the point of racket-ball contact. In rowing, the athlete is seated throughout the event the back is continuously in a flexed position, this leads to high levels of lower back pain (LBP) among rowers (Perich et al., 2006). The current study will investigate coordination variability using an ergometer based rowing protocol designed to induce fatigue. The current research question is how does coordination variability react to fatigue and how does this relate to LBP

The Text as Gameboard; The Critic as Player

Last spring a group of readers found they had a lot of words to talk about. Their mission was to uncover the meaning, the buried treasure, within Henry James\u27s short story The Figure in the Carpet.” The language within this short story made the mission a complex game, with each reader a player

Agility demands of Gaelic football match-play: a time-motion analysis

Research into the physical demands of Gaelic football is limited with no research into the agility or change of direction (CoD) demands of the sport. This study examined the CoD demands of Gaelic football via a time-motion analysis of senior inter-county match play. The Bloomfield movement classification (BMC) was adapted for application to Gaelic football. A new “descriptor” was used in an effort to account for the decision-making component of agility by isolating actions that occurred during active engagement with play. Of 1,899 changes of direction (CoDs) identified, 1,035 occurred during active engagement in play. The left/right split for CoDs during active engagement in play was 47.1/49.9%, indicating no preference for completing actions to one side over the other. Whilst the most common CoDs were ≤90° (74.9%), 80% of CoDs greater than 270° took place during active engagement in play. CoD actions are very common in Gaelic football and may be more common than in other field and court sports. It is important that athletes are physically prepared to cope with the demands of very acute CoDs during meaningful periods of match play

Examining the psychological and financial impact of travel restrictions on citizens and permanent residents stranded abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic: International cross-sectional study

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the psychological and financial distress reported by citizens and permanent residents stranded abroad due to international travel restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Design An international cross-sectional study. Setting A primary analysis of data collected between July and September 2021 through an online survey targeting individuals stranded abroad and unable to return to their country of residence due to international travel restrictions. Respondents A total of 1054 individuals aged 18-84 years. Data analysis Multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the relationship between higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress and participant variables. Outcome measures The survey answered questions regarding COVID-19 travel restriction-related impacts: personal stress, anxiety and depression (using the validated 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) tool), as well as impacts on housing and financial security and demographic data. Results A total of 75.4% of respondents reported wanting to return to the Oceania region (75.4%), with 45% stranded in Europe. 64.2% reported financial distress while stranded abroad. 64.4% (xÌ.,=9.43, SD=5.81) reported moderate-to-extremely severe (based on the DASS-21 classification) levels of depression, 41.7% for anxiety (xÌ.,=5.46, SD=4.74), and 58.1% for stress (xÌ.,=10.64, SD=5.26). Multivariable analysis indicated that financial stress, an employment change, being 2 months were significantly related to scores of moderate-to-extremely severe depression, anxiety and stress. Conclusion The study is among the first to explore the psychological and financial distress-related impacts associated with being stranded abroad due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. It highlights a range of unintended consequences that arise from pandemic-related travel restrictions, identifies the health and social needs of a particularly vulnerable population, and provides clues as to the types of support that may be adopted to best support them