Apparent Periodic and Long-Term Changes in AAIW and UCDW Properties at Fixed Depths in the Southwest Pacific, With Indications of a Regime Shift in the 1930s

Metal/calcium ratios in two long-lived deep-sea gorgonian corals (Lepidisis and Corallium spp.) in the Southwest Pacific evidence periodic decadal variability at depths that correspond to Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) and shallow Upper Circumpolar Deep Water, and a shift in the mid-1930s to late-1930s in mean ambient temperatures, barium/silicate concentrations and possibly pH, the rate at which these properties change over time, and the relationship between temperatures at fixed depth and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). The decadal periodicity, which is evident in other biological indices in the study area, can be accounted for by water mass heave on the order of 100–150 m, which is consistent with observed scales of variability in the AAIW. The proximate and ultimate causes of the midcentury shifts are unclear, but could be related to suggested mid-20th century changes in climate parameters globally and, more specifically, in the subpolar SW Pacific

Movement of deep-sea coral populations on climatic timescales

During the past 40,000 years, global climate has moved into and out of a full glacial period, with the deglaciation marked by several millennial-scale rapid climate change events. Here we investigate the ecological response of deep-sea coral communities to both glaciation and these rapid climate change events. We find that the deep-sea coral populations of Desmophyllum dianthus in both the North Atlantic and the Tasmanian seamounts expand at times of rapid climate change. However, during the more stable Last Glacial Maximum, the coral population globally retreats to a more restricted depth range. Holocene populations show regional patterns that provide some insight into what causes these dramatic changes in population structure. The most important factors are likely responses to climatically driven changes in productivity, [O_2] and [CO_3^(2–)]

First ROV exploration of the Perth Canyon: Canyon setting, faunal observations, and anthropogenic impacts.

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Trotter, J. A., Pattiaratchi, C., Montagna, P., Taviani, M., Falter, J., Thresher, R., Hosie, A., Haig, D., Foglini, F., Hua, Q., & McCulloch, M. T. First ROV exploration of the Perth Canyon: Canyon setting, faunal observations, and anthropogenic impacts. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, (2019):173, doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00173.This study represents the first ROV-based exploration of the Perth Canyon, a prominent submarine valley system in the southeast Indian Ocean offshore Fremantle (Perth), Western Australia. This multi-disciplinary study characterizes the canyon topography, hydrography, anthropogenic impacts, and provides a general overview of the fauna and habitats encountered during the cruise. ROV surveys and sample collections, with a specific focus on deep-sea corals, were conducted at six sites extending from the head to the mouth of the canyon. Multi-beam maps of the canyon topography show near vertical cliff walls, scarps, and broad terraces. Biostratigraphic analyses of the canyon lithologies indicate Late Paleocene to Late Oligocene depositional ages within upper bathyal depths (200–700 m). The video footage has revealed a quiescent ‘fossil canyon’ system with sporadic, localized concentrations of mega- and macro-benthos (∼680–1,800 m), which include corals, sponges, molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans, brachiopods, and worms, as well as plankton and nekton (fish species). Solitary (Desmophyllum dianthus, Caryophyllia sp., Vaughanella sp., and Polymyces sp.) and colonial (Solenosmilia variabilis) scleractinians were sporadically distributed along the walls and under overhangs within the canyon valleys and along its rim. Gorgonian, bamboo, and proteinaceous corals were present, with live Corallium often hosting a diverse community of organisms. Extensive coral graveyards, discovered at two disparate sites between ∼690–720 m and 1,560–1,790 m, comprise colonial (S. variabilis) and solitary (D. dianthus) scleractinians that flourished during the last ice age (∼18 ka to 33 ka BP). ROV sampling (674–1,815 m) spanned intermediate (Antarctic Intermediate Water) and deep waters (Upper Circumpolar Deep Water) with temperatures from ∼2.5 to 6°C. Seawater CTD profiles of these waters show consistent physical and chemical conditions at equivalent depths between dive sites. Their carbonate chemistry indicate supersaturation (Ωcalcite ∼ 1.3–2.2) with respect to calcite, but mild saturation to undersaturation (Ωaragonite ∼ 0.8–1.4) of aragonite; notably some scleractinians were found living below the aragonite saturation horizon (∼1,000 m). Seawater δ13C and nuclear bomb produced Δ14C compositions decrease in the upper canyon waters by up to ∼0.8‰ (<800 m) and 95‰ (<500 m), respectively, relative to measurements taken nearby in 1978, reflecting the ingress of anthropogenic carbon into upper intermediate waters.This work was supported by research funding from the Australian Research Council to MM (FL120100049) and JT (FT160100259), the Italian National Programme of Antarctic Research (PNRA16-00069 Graceful Project) to PM and MT, the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering to MM, JT, JF, RT, MT, PM (AINSE Award 16/009). Supplementary oceanographic data are funded through Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) supported by the Australian Government

GENETIC OPTIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF INVASIVE VERTEBRATE PESTS: PROSPECTS AND CONSTRAINTS

Conventional methods for the control of invasive pests are generally effective only on small-space scales or short-time frames. For most well established pest populations, longer-term efforts to manage the problem have been largely abandoned. I examine the potential of using “autocidal” genetic techniques to control terrestrial vertebrate pests, based on the inheritance through males of transgenes that either sterilize females or convert them into functional males (“daughterless”). Simulation analysis of two high profile pest species, the cane toad (Bufo marinus) in Australia and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in an urban environment, using realistic parameters, suggests that virtual eradication could be achieved at apparently realistic stocking rates within 100 years for toads, and in less than 20 years for rats. The essential genetic requirements for autocidal technology (the ability to genetically transform the pest, genes that when blocked cause sex-specific infertility or sex change, and a means of shutting off the construct for breeding purposes) have already been demonstrated in rodents and are likely to be available in other pests, based on broad conservatism of genetic mechanisms of sex differentiation in vertebrates. Hence, there appear to be no major logistical or technical impediments to developing a genetic control program against many pest species. However, the models also indicate that a recombinant pest control program would be difficult against species whose populations are under strong density dependent regulation or are so large that absolutely high numbers of carriers need to be stocked to achieve control. More potent genetic options than those modelled could be feasible, but their use needs to be tested against public acceptability, due to the apparently higher risk they pose for non-target populations and species

Supplement 1. Detailed worked tutorials of analyses performed in this paper, including R code for mixed effects models and example data.

<h2>File List</h2><div> <p><a href="S1_tutorial.pdf">S1_tutorial.pdf</a> (MD5: b9ce89e5e69463afbfc055a2943824e6)  --  worked examples for the analysis of growth variation within and among individuals and populations</p> <p><a href="S2_R_code.txt">S2_R_code.txt</a> (MD5: 6028e6cddbdf1473a4eef0faa8bd310a)  --  R code to perform analyses in S1</p> <p><a href="S3_within_zone_example_data.csv">S3_within_zone_example_data.csv</a> (MD5: ab86c1dd8ca7bcd2115f23a14b746bd8)  --  within-zone fish growth data</p> <p><a href="S4_among_zone_example_data.csv">S4_among_zone_example_data.csv</a> (MD5: d601bea4192d1f1c4c513fac34e39306)  --  among-zone fish growth data</p> <p><a href="S5_example_temperature.csv">S5_example_temperature.csv</a> (MD5: f7ae18b64af07ec4b4d7ff94966bbf46)  --  temperature data used in among-zone analyses</p> </div><h2>Description</h2><div> <p>These supplements are designed to assist the reader to implement hierarchical growth models using the statistical software R. The first supplement (S1_tutorial.pdf) provides detailed model descriptions, formulations and analytical steps used in the paper, complementing models presented in Table 3. The second supplement (S2_R_code.txt) provides executable R code for analyses in S1. The third, fourth, and fifth supplements (S3_within_zone_example_data.csv, S4_among_zone_example_data.csv, and S5_example_temperature.csv) are example data sets. </p> <p>Our analyses rely heavily on the R packages lme4, AICcmodavg, effects, lattice and plyr, all available on the comprehensive R archive network (CRAN; cran.r-project.org). </p> <p>Each row in S3_within_zone_example_data.csv and S4_among_zone_example_data.csv represents a measurement of growth in mm (Increment). These observations are associated with an Age (in years) and belong to a fish (FishID) of a given sex (M or F). Each fish has an age-at-capture (ACC, in years). Associated with each Increment is its year of deposition (Year) and the annual bottom temperature (Temp) experienced by the individual at this time. In addition, the S4_among_zone_example_data.csv and S5_example_temperature.csv files contain a variable called zone that assigns each fish to a fictitious fishing area. See Table 2 for additional descriptions of these parameters.</p> </div

Evaluating active genetic options for the control of Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in the Laurentian Great Lakes

For more than two decades the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has sought tactics to complement, and potentially replace, the use of barriers and lampricides to control Sea Lamprey in the Great Lakes, but thus far without success. This paper examines the potential of modern genetic technology to suppress these invasive populations. We identified six recombinant options that appeared to be moderately to highly feasible, most of which were judged by an expert panel as extremely low or low risk, and for which R was broadly supported by stakeholders. The two options judged to overall best combine high efficacy and low risks were a Mendelian â sex ratio driveâ and genetically modifying a prey species as to kill or sterilize Sea Lamprey that fed on it. Core issues regarding use of genetic biocontrol in the Great Lakes include technical problems associated with maintaining a Sea Lamprey brood line, information gaps for most options, the extent of broader public support, and the extent and nature of national and international consultation required in making decisions about control options.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Appendix A. Supplementary results: Age-class specific fish length ~ otolith radius relationships.

Supplementary results: Age-class specific fish length ~ otolith radius relationships

Appendix D. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and R2 equations for mixed models.

Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and R2 equations for mixed models