Build it and they will come. Or will they? Golden Perch in Koondrook Perricoota Forest

The Gunbower and Koondrook-Perricoota Forest (KPF) includes a natural floodplain wetland system that has suffered for many years from a lack of water as a result of water extraction practices in the Murray River. The site was targeted with a combination of environmental water allocations and environmental works programs to manage the distribution and retention of water and ultimately improve its ecological health. A major ecological objective for the Gunbower Koondrook-Perricoota Forest is ‘healthy populations of resident native fish in wetlands’. Golden perch, a large-bodied native species utilise similar habitat on the floodplain proper and floodplain channels between nearby Cobram and Yarrawonga and were documented utilising drying waterholes in the vicinity of the nearby Murrumbidgee River as far back as 1917. We report on an acoustic monitoring survey in 2016 when during a natural flood, none of 14 tagged Golden Perch tagged in the adjacent main river channel entered the forest. Yet at the same time, 34 of 44 tagged Common carp moved into the forest when passage became available from rising waters. Further, seven years of consecutive autumn condition monitoring on the KPF floodplain has failed to sample a single golden perch young-of-year in KPF, and only two adults have been sampled within KPF during that time. In addition, intensive electrofishing and fyke netting of the inlet channel during the first managed event in 2014 failed to collect any golden perch, and none were trapped in the fishways. We suggest that it is important that golden perch and other native large-bodied fish continue to be considered when operating the regulators during future events, including monitoring of fish accumulations at the outlet regulator and fishway trapping

Whole-genome sequence analysis shows that two endemic species of North American wolf are admixtures of the coyote and gray wolf.

Protection of populations comprising admixed genomes is a challenge under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is regarded as the most powerful species protection legislation ever passed in the United States but lacks specific provisions for hybrids. The eastern wolf is a newly recognized wolf-like species that is highly admixed and inhabits the Great Lakes and eastern United States, a region previously thought to be included in the geographic range of only the gray wolf. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has argued that the presence of the eastern wolf, rather than the gray wolf, in this area is grounds for removing ESA protection (delisting) from the gray wolf across its geographic range. In contrast, the red wolf from the southeastern United States was one of the first species protected under the ESA and was protected despite admixture with coyotes. We use whole-genome sequence data to demonstrate a lack of unique ancestry in eastern and red wolves that would not be expected if they represented long divergent North American lineages. These results suggest that arguments for delisting the gray wolf are not valid. Our findings demonstrate how a strict designation of a species under the ESA that does not consider admixture can threaten the protection of endangered entities. We argue for a more balanced approach that focuses on the ecological context of admixture and allows for evolutionary processes to potentially restore historical patterns of genetic variation

Retrieving marine inherent optical properties from satellites using temperature and salinitydependent backscattering by seawater

Time-series of marine inherent optical properties (IOPs) from ocean color satellite instruments provide valuable data records for studying long-term time changes in ocean ecosystems. Semi-Analytical algorithms (SAAs) provide a common method for estimating IOPs from radiometric measurements of the marine light field. Most SAAs assign constant spectral values for seawater absorption and backscattering, assume spectral shape functions of the remaining constituent absorption and scattering components (e.g., phytoplankton, non-Algal particles, and colored dissolved organic matter), and retrieve the magnitudes of each remaining constituent required to match the spectral distribution of measured radiances. Here, we explore the use of temperature- and salinity-dependent values for seawater backscattering in lieu of the constant spectrum currently employed by most SAAs. Our results suggest that use of temperature- and salinity-dependent seawater spectra elevate the SAA-derived particle backscattering, reduce the non-Algal particles plus colored dissolved organic matter absorption, and leave the derived absorption by phytoplankton unchanged. © 2013 Optical Society of America

Genomic signatures of extensive inbreeding in Isle Royale wolves, a population on the threshold of extinction

The observation that small isolated populations often suffer reduced fitness from inbreeding depression has guided conservation theory and practice for decades. However, investigating the genome-wide dynamics associated with inbreeding depression in natural populations is only now feasible with relatively inexpensive sequencing technology and annotated reference genomes. To characterize the genome-wide effects of intense inbreeding and isolation, we performed whole-genome sequencing and morphological analysis of an iconic inbred population, the gray wolves (Canis lupus) of Isle Royale. Through population genetic simulations and comparison with wolf genomes from a variety of demographic histories, we find evidence that severe inbreeding depression in this population is due to increased homozygosity of strongly deleterious recessive mutations. Our results have particular relevance in light of the recent translocation of wolves from the mainland to Isle Royale, as well as broader implications for management of genetic variation in the fragmented landscape of the modern world

Addressing the Needs of Sara Holbrook Community Center Caregivers

Previous research: parental stress can negatively impact behavioral and cognitive development of children. Each year, over 4,000 people use SHCC resources: preschool, after school care, teen programs, food shelf, ESL services, etc. SHCC supports families at the center itself, but many families still experience difficulties at home that contribute to caregiver stress. The purpose of this study: understand the needs of the caregivers of students who attend SHCC and propose actionable solutions to address the top identified needs.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1315/thumbnail.jp

Co-Culture of Endothelial Cells and Smooth Muscle Cells in a Flow Environment: An Improved Culture Model of the Vascular Wall?

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the neighboring smooth muscle cells (SMC) influence the morphology, cytoskeleton and growth of co-cultured endothelial cells (EC). Also, flow-induced laminar shear stress has been shown to induce cell elongation, F-actin reorganization and growth inhibition in cultured EC. We investigated the effect of neighboring SMC and collagen matrix on the response of EC to shear stress. The co-culture system was made by growing porcine aortic SMC in a gel of collagen type I and then seeding porcine aortic EC (P AEC) on the top surface. Then the co-culture was exposed to steady, laminar shear stress of 10 and 30 dynes/cm2 in a parallel-plate flow chamber. EC had a different morphology when cultured on top of collagen gels as compared to cells grown on plastic. When grown in static co-culture with SMC, EC were already elongated and showed a random wavy pattern of orientation. When exposed to 30 dynes/cm2, the EC aligned with the direction of flow after 24 to 48 hours. We suggest that the elongation and orientation of the EC, when cultured on a collagen matrix under static conditions, may be due to contact guidance on the collagen fibers previously rearranged by the SMC during gel retraction. Shear stress, however, was sufficient to induce cell orientation along the direction of flow

Suomi NPP VIIRS Ocean Color Data Product Early Mission Assessment

Following the launch of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polarorbiting Partnership (NPP) spacecraft, the NASA NPP VIIRS Ocean Science Team (VOST) began an evaluation of ocean color data products to determine whether they could continue the existing NASA ocean color climate data record (CDR). The VOST developed an independent evaluation product based on NASA algorithms with a reprocessing capability. Here we present a preliminary assessment of both the operational ocean color data products and the NASA evaluation data products regarding their applicability to NASA science objectives