Brown leaf spot of pearl millet caused by Bipolaris urochloae in Zimbabwe

A leaf spot disease of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [P. americanum]), characterized by the presence of extremely variable symptoms ranging from small dots or flecks to large, rectangular or spindle-shaped spots, was caused by B. urochloae. The disease was observed at several locations in Zimbabwe during 1985-87. Limited observations suggest that the disease is potentially important. This is the first report of B. urochloae attacking P. americanu

European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, in a changing ocean

Ocean acidification, caused by rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂), is widely considered to be a major global threat to marine ecosystems. To investigate the potential effects of ocean acidification on the early life stages of a commercially important fish species, European sea bass (<i>Dicentrarchus labrax</i>), 12 000 larvae were incubated from hatch through metamorphosis under a matrix of two temperatures (17 and 19 °C) and two seawater <i>p</i>CO₂ levels (ambient and 1,000 μatm) and sampled regularly for 42 days. Calculated daily mortality was significantly affected by both temperature and <i>p</i>CO₂, with both increased temperature and elevated <i>p</i>CO₂ associated with lower daily mortality and a significant interaction between these two factors. There was no significant <i>p</i>CO₂ effect noted on larval morphology during this period but larvae raised at 19 °C possessed significantly larger eyes and lower carbon:nitrogen ratios at the end of the study compared to those raised under 17 °C. Similarly, when the incubation was continued to post-metamorphic (juvenile) animals (day 67–69), fish raised under a combination of 19 °C and 1000 μatm <i>p</i>CO₂ were significantly heavier. However, juvenile <i>D. labrax</i> raised under this combination of 19 °C and 1000 μatm <i>p</i>CO₂ also exhibited lower aerobic scopes than those incubated at 19 °C and ambient <i>p</i>CO₂. Most studies investigating the effects of near-future oceanic conditions on the early life stages of marine fish have used incubations of relatively short durations and suggested that these animals are resilient to ocean acidification. Whilst the increased survival and growth observed in this study supports this view, we conclude that more work is required to investigate whether the differences in juvenile physiology observed in this study manifest as negative impacts in adult fish

Taking Children's Voices in Disaster Risk Reduction a Step Forward

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) continues to gain momentum globally and locally, but there is a notable void in the DRR literature on the role of children in community-level disaster risk management in Zimbabwe. Children are among the most vulnerable groups when disasters occur, yet their voices in disaster risk reduction are rarely heard. Using a qualitative methodology, this article examines the extent to which children are involved in disaster risk reduction in Muzarabani District, Zimbabwe. Despite evidence of the potential positive impact that children can have on DRR, their involvement in risk reduction planning in Zimbabwe is negligible. To achieve greater resilience to disasters requires that children's voices are heard and recognized as central to improved disaster risk reduction

European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, in a changing ocean

Ocean acidification, caused by rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), is widely considered to be a major global threat to marine ecosystems. To investigate the potential effects of ocean acidification on the early life stages of a commercially important fish species, European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), 12 000 larvae were incubated from hatch through metamorphosis under a matrix of two temperatures (17 and 19 °C) and two seawater pCO2 levels (ambient and 1,000 µatm) and sampled regularly for 42 days. Calculated daily mortality was significantly affected by both temperature and pCO2, with both increased temperature and elevated pCO2 associated with lower daily mortality and a significant interaction between these two factors. There was no significant pCO2 effect noted on larval morphology during this period but larvae raised at 19 °C possessed significantly larger eyes and lower carbon:nitrogen ratios at the end of the study compared to those raised under 17 °C. Similarly, when the incubation was continued to post-metamorphic (juvenile) animals (day 67-69), fish raised under a combination of 19 °C and 1000 µatm pCO2 were significantly heavier. However, juvenile D. labrax raised under this combination of 19 °C and 1000 µatm pCO2 also exhibited lower aerobic scopes than those incubated at 19 °C and ambient pCO2. Most studies investigating the effects of near-future oceanic conditions on the early life stages of marine fish have used incubations of relatively short durations and suggested that these animals are resilient to ocean acidification. Whilst the increased survival and growth observed in this study supports this view, we conclude that more work is required to investigate whether the differences in juvenile physiology observed in this study manifest as negative impacts in adult fish