From Ethiopia to America: The Music and Message of Alula

In celebration of The 9th Annual Daniel Pearl Music Days, the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies at Fairfield University presents… Alula Yohanes Tzadik, Composer and performer whose music expresses the intertwining strands of his life.https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/bennettcenter-posters/1281/thumbnail.jp

Frontiers in Otolith Chemistry: Insights, Advances and Applications

The rapid proliferation of publications employing chemical assays of fish hard parts, and otoliths in particular, has led to many novel insights into the migration patterns, life history strategies and mixed stock dynamics of fishes across the globe (Campana et al., 2000; Elsdon et al., 2008; Walther & Limburg, 2012). These insights include uncovering diverse migratory strategies within species and populations (Kerr et al., 2009; Hogan et al., 2014; Schoen et al., 2016), quantifying rates of mixing among stocks across management boundaries (Rooker et al., 2008; Walther & Thorrold, 2010) and estimating the relative importance of particular natal habitats for recruitment (Thorrold et al., 2001; Schaffler et al., 2015; Anstead et al., 2016). Much of this work has been driven by advances in instrumentation that allow more precise and higher throughput analyses with greater spatial and temporal resolution for in situ assays of elemental and isotope constituents across otolith growth increments. Simultaneously, a smaller but growing number of carefully‐designed experiments have provided essential validation for uptake and incorporation dynamics of elements into otoliths that underlie accurate interpretations of chemical composition patterns in wild‐captured individuals (Sturrock et al., 2014, 2015). This work has been increasingly focused on the possible confounding role of physiology in driving uptake dynamics, and the degree to which environmental and physiological factors influence specific elements. Together, these advances have prompted an increasing number of researchers to turn to otolith chemistry as a valuable tool to use alone or in combination with complementary approaches that may unravel critical questions in fish ecology. Much work, however, remains to be done to further develop this approach both to expand its utility and fully validate the environmental and biological mechanisms driving observed chemical patterns. To this end, the frontiers of otolith chemistry must be explored to ensure the field continues to mature during this period of explosive growth and widespread adoption

Novel Techniques in Chemical Ecology to Examine Life Histories in Fishes

Diet and movements in fishes are often logistically challenging to study. Trace element and stable isotope analyses have advanced these fields considerably, but are still constrained by methodological impediments, such as the tendency towards lethal sampling. Studying endangered fishes is particularly challenging as representative samples are difficult to obtain. However, the information gained from such studies is often critical to the recovery of endangered fishes as knowledge of life history attributes has the potential to greatly influence the success of management strategies. I tested the viability of using fin rays in fishes as a non-lethal approach to study diet and movement patterns over time. I then applied the methods I developed to study the life history of the critically endangered Goliath Grouper, Epinephelus itajara. Fin ray analyses have traditionally been used in age and growth studies, as well as in a limited number of projects that study the chemical constituents of the ray itself. Therefore, I first tested whether fin rays could be used as chronological recorders of chemical properties over time using a pseudo-experimental design. By using samples from various aquaria, I had documentation of the time of capture of every animal used. Based on the assumption that the otolith in fishes represents a conserved, chronological matrix, I compared trace element concentrations between the otolith and the fin ray of each individual. In addition I tested whether stable isotope values of δ13C and δ15N differed between the wild and captive life phases of each individual. Divalent ions and positively-charged transition metals (e.g., Fe, Co) in particular showed strong associations between the two structures, suggesting conservation of material. Stable isotope values of δ13C and δ15N differed between the wild and captive life phases in most of the fishes sampled, also suggestive of conserved matrices. I then tested and modeled the differences in δ15N values over time between the populations of Goliath Groupers on the west and east coasts of Florida. In general, individuals on the west coast had lower overall values and a larger difference between juvenile and adult values. The mechanism that caused the differences between coastal populations may have been an artifact of the environment, rather than different feeding behaviors. Last, I investigated different nursery habitats for Goliath Groupers in southwestern Florida. I characterized juvenile nurseries based on the chemical fingerprints of trace elements within the inorganic matrix of the fin rays. Groupings based on these fingerprints were surprisingly accurate and can be used to identify essential nursery habitat for the species in years to come. This research demonstrated the efficacy of novel techniques that were used to gather information on the life history of a critically endangered fish in the state of Florida. The results can be used to influence management strategies in the future, particularly with regard to nursery habitat use

Jaina Figurines: The Survey, Characterization of Materials, and Treatment of Figures from the Fowler Museum Collection

The ancient Maya civilization, inhabiting a territory that spanned through the Yucat�n peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador, for over three millennia is responsible for great artistic and architectural achievements. Their legacy includes the production of ceramic figurines, some of the most famous being those known as Jaina figurines, and the invention of a blue pigment called Maya blue. The aim of this study was to view and organize a full holding of Jaina figurines within a museum collection while assessing their condition, evaluate the potential of non-invasive analytical techniques, and provide examples of treatment types that are required by the current condition of figurines in the collection. Using x-ray fluorescence (XRF), Ultraviolet/Visible/Near Infrared reflectance spectroscopy (UV/Vis/NIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD), analysis was conducted on the clay body and pigments utilized in the manufacture of 92 Jaina figurines from the Fowler Museum collection. Treatment protocols were also established based on the needs of the figurines studied in order to facilitate the expedient stabilization of the collection

Differential Habitat Use of Reef Fishes on a Shelf-edge Reef off La Parguera, Puerto Rico

The biotic community at a shelf-edge reef, which abruptly delineates a continuous fringing reef from the adjacent mesophotic reef off southwestern Puerto Rico, USA, was used to identify patterns of differential habitat use in reef fishes. Our study used multivariate analyses to identify groupings within the fish community associated with this area. These groups were suggestive of differential habitat use by the fish community, in particular with respect to the reef-terrace vs slope locations. The benthic composition among these two location stratifications differed while remaining surprisingly consistent within each location strata (i.e., reef-terrace vs slope). The variability in both the fish and benthic communities was best explained in our model by the location stratifications within each site as opposed to the physical position of the site itself along the shelf edge. Food resources, structure (i.e., habitat complexity), or both may contribute to differential habitat use within the reef-fish communities observed. A lesser division was apparent within the reef-terrace locations that grouped the western samples separately from the eastern. The results presented in the present study suggest that the fish communities along the shelf-edge reef adjacent to La Parguera, Puerto Rico, are divided by habitat type and location as determined by food and shelter availability. Here, we present an analysis whereby community structure can be identified at varying spatial scales within a single depth zone to inform managers prior to strategy implementation

Non-lethal Approach Identifies Variability of δ\u3csup\u3e15\u3c/sup\u3eN Values in the Fin Rays of Atlantic Goliath Grouper, \u3cem\u3eEpinephelus itajara\u3c/em\u3e

The Atlantic Goliath Grouper, Epinephelus itajara, is critically endangered throughout its range but has begun to show initial signs of recovery in Florida state waters. As the population continues to rebound, researchers face a pressing need to fill the knowledge gaps about this iconic species. Here, we examined the δ15N isotopic records in fin rays collected from Atlantic Goliath Grouper, and related changes of isotopic ratios over time to life history characteristics. Fin-ray analysis was used as a non-lethal technique to sample individuals from two locations at similar latitudes from the west and east coasts of Florida, USA. δ15N data were acquired by mechanically separating the annuli of each fin ray and then analyzing the material in an Irradiance Elemental Analyzer Mass Spectrometer. The δ15N values were consistent among individuals within populations from each coast of Florida, and mirrored the expected changes over the lives of the fish. Overall, differences were found between δ15N values at juvenile life history phases versus adult phases, but the patterns associated with these differences were unique to each coastal group. We demonstrated, for the first time, that δ15N values from fin rays can be used to assess the life histories of Atlantic Goliath Grouper. The non-lethal strategies outlined here can be used to acquire information essential to the management of species of concern, such as those that are threatened or endangered