Effects of Tidal Elevation on Recruitment and Survival of Barnacles

Conservation and restoration of natural habitats ensures the establishment of species diversity and richness. In the San Francisco Bay, local efforts have been enacted to replenish the Olympia oyster population (Ostrea lurida) whose numbers are dwindling due to the presence of an invasive, non-native whelk, the Atlantic oyster drill (Urosalpinx cinerea). The goal of this study is to better understand the effects of the oyster drill on the local marine population in Richardson Bay by examining the recruitment and survival of the Olympia oyster. The initial absence of oyster recruits required the use of the local barnacle species (Balanus and Chthamalus) as a proxy, looking at the effect of tidal elevation on the recruitment and survival to better understand the ecological pressures faced by other organisms living in similar ecological conditions. Twelve PVC frames were placed in the intertidal zone at our study site, Richardson Bay, in predetermined elevations: +0.5 feet, +1.5 feet, and +2.5 feet above mean lower low water. Each frame held three porcelain tiles and was either a “Recruitment” or “Survival” frame (two of each type at each tidal elevation). Every two weeks, tiles from each frame were retrieved, with “Recruitment” frames receiving new tiles; “Survival” tiles were returned the following day to their respective frame. Tiles were examined under the microscope for the presence of oysters, oyster drills, and barnacles and these data were recorded on specified datasheets; this process occurred for a total of six weeks. Analysis showed the highest recruitment and the highest survival at the +2.5 tidal elevation, while barnacles recruited in the lowest numbers at +0.5 and had the least survival at +1.5. While these conclusions align with ongoing studies, a small sample size complicates the power of this study and considerations have been offered for added power of future studies

Fucus distichus: Investigating Humidity and Temperature Between Tides

Environmental elements such as changing rapidly changing temperature, prolonged periods of low to no water exposure, desiccation, predation and increased wave action can influence the diversity of microhabitats that inhabit the littoral zones. When making observations of various shorelines, specifically the physical conditions of the surrounding marine vegetation (i.e. Fucus distichus), an inquiry is made as to the role of Fucus in the amelioration of stressors on the marine habitat during low tide (MLLW), however, due to time considerations, temperature and humidity are the focus of this study. Using temperature and humidity probes, monitoring data shows that Fucus provides relatively humid and cooler conditions for organisms residing beneath the canopy during low tide. Varied weather during the experimental trials allows for monitoring during cool, overcast, and sunny days, allowing for evaluation of Fucus distichus\u27 efficacy in innate conditions. Further investigation, requiring warmer conditions and additional replicates are needed to fully assess the ability of Fucus to moderate environmental conditions beneath its canopy

How will vessels be inspected to meet emerging biofouling regulations for the prevention of marine invasions?

International and national guidelines and regulations to limit the inadvertent transfer of non-native species on the submerged surfaces of vessels and mobile infrastructure are progressing. However, methods to assess compliance must be developed to assist both regulators and industry. While there is a history of biofouling inspections in maritime industries, including commercial shipping and infrastructure, such surveys are tailored for vessel safety and performance rather than being driven by biosecurity purposes. Thus, these inspections are likely inadequate for confirming compliance with biosecurity regulations. To determine regulatory compliance, agencies will likely rely on a combination of risk profiling, assessment of documentation of biofouling management, archival data and images, and real-time in-water surveys made by divers or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) specific to biosecurity regulations. Divers may exceed ROVs at finding organisms in recesses and other topographically complex areas, and when regulations require confirmation of species identity or viability. In contrast, ROVs may be well suited for regulations that establish upper thresholds on biofouling levels with little concern for organism identity or condition. Several factors will inform how a survey is conducted, including cost, the type of data required by regulations, environmental conditions, safety, and logistics. Survey designs and requirements should be transparent to manage industry’s expectations of border procedures, to increase the efficiency with which industry and agencies manage biofouling and potentially align the evaluation of best practices in hull and niche area maintenance across jurisdictions

Establishment of a taxonomic and molecular reference collection to support the identification of species regulated by the Western Australian Prevention List for Introduced Marine Pests

Introduced Marine Pests (IMP, = non-indigenous marine species) prevention, early detection and risk-based management strategies have become the priority for biosecurity operations worldwide, in recognition of the fact that, once established, the effective management of marine pests can rapidly become cost prohibitive or impractical. In Western Australia (WA), biosecurity management is guided by the “Western Australian Prevention List for Introduced Marine Pests” which is a policy tool that details species or genera as being of high risk to the region. This list forms the basis of management efforts to prevent introduction of these species, monitoring efforts to detect them at an early stage, and rapid response should they be detected. It is therefore essential that the species listed can be rapid and confidently identified and discriminated from native species by a range of government and industry stakeholders. Recognising that identification of these species requires very specialist expertise which may be in short supply and not readily accessible in a regulatory environment, and the fact that much publicly available data is not verifiable or suitable for regulatory enforcement, the WA government commissioned the current project to collate a reference collection of these marine pest specimens. In this work, we thus established collaboration with researchers worldwide in order to source representative specimens of the species listed. Our main objective was to build a reference collection of taxonomically vouchered specimens and subsequently to generate species-specific DNA barcodes suited to supporting their future identification. To date, we were able to obtain specimens of 75 species (representative of all but four of the pests listed) which have been identified by experts and placed with the WA Government Department of Fisheries and, where possible, in accessible museums and institutions in Australasia. The reference collection supports the fast and reliable taxonomic and molecular identification of marine pests in WA and constitutes a valuable resource for training of stakeholders with interest in IMP recognition in Australia. The reference collection is also useful in supporting the development of a variety of DNA-based detection strategies such as real-time PCR and metabarcoding of complex environmental samples (e.g. biofouling communities). ThePrevention List is under regular review to ensure its continued relevance and that it remains evidence and risk-based. Similarly, its associated reference collection also remains to some extent a work in progress. In recognition of this fact, this report seeks to provide details of this continually evolving information repository publicly available to the biosecurity management community worldwid

The National Early Warning Score and its subcomponents recorded within ±24 hours of emergency medical admission are poor predictors of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury

YesBackground: Hospital-acquired Acute Kidney Injury (H-AKI) is a common cause of avoidable morbidity and mortality. Aim: To determine if the patients’ vital signs data as defined by a National Early Warning Score (NEWS), can predict H-AKI following emergency admission to hospital. Methods: Analyses of emergency admissions to York hospital over 24-months with NEWS data. We report the area under the curve (AUC) for logistic regression models that used the index NEWS (model A0), plus age and sex (A1), plus subcomponents of NEWS (A2) and two-way interactions (A3). Likewise for maximum NEWS (models B0,B1,B2,B3). Results: 4.05% (1361/33608) of emergency admissions had H-AKI. Models using the index NEWS had the lower AUCs (0.59 to 0.68) than models using the maximum NEWS AUCs (0.75 to 0.77). The maximum NEWS model (B3) was more sensitivity than the index NEWS model (A0) (67.60% vs 19.84%) but identified twice as many cases as being at risk of H-AKI (9581 vs 4099) at a NEWS of 5. Conclusions: The index NEWS is a poor predictor of H-AKI. The maximum NEWS is a better predictor but seems unfeasible because it is only knowable in retrospect and is associated with a substantial increase in workload albeit with improved sensitivity.The Health Foundatio

Community ecology of the invasive intertidal barnacle Chthamalus Proteus in Hawaiʻi

Mode of access: World Wide Web.Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-210).Electronic reproduction.Also available by subscription via World Wide Webxv, 210 leaves, bound ill., maps 29 c

Investigating the Limits of Native Oyster Recovery and Restoration

The project hypotheses were as follows: A. Oyster recruitment will be higher at inner bay sites than the outer bay sites and density of recruits will be positively associated with adult oyster density. B. Mortality due to predators will be greater in the inner bay than the outer bay sites. C. Introduced predators have a greater per capita impact on oysters than native predators. D. Growth rates of oysters will be higher in the inner bay than the outer bay. E. Mortality due to overgrowth by space competitors will be higher in the inner bay than the outer bay. F. Oyster growth and survival will be higher at inner bay sites and will show a positive linear increase with increasing temperature and phytoplankton abundance

Investigating the Limits of Native Oyster Recovery and Restoration

Why does one native Olympia oyster restoration project succeed while a seemingly identical one fails? This project sought to answer the question by collecting recruitment, growth and survivorship statistics for oysters in Tomales Bay. Scientists also measured oyster predation by Atlantic oyster drills and are quantifying the effects of fouling organisms and “space competitors” (i.e., tunicates and sponges) on the availability of suitable oyster habitat. Findings are providing information on where and how to go about restoring oysters in California