Foraging strategies and prey encounter rate of free-ranging Little Penguins

There is little information on the effort put into foraging by seabirds, even though it is fundamental to many issues in behavioural ecology. Recent researchers have used changes in the underwater cruising speed of penguins to allude to prey ingestion since accelerations are thought to reflect the encounter and pursuit of prey. In this study, we attached minute accelerometers, to determine flipper beat frequency as a proxy for prey pursuit, to Little Penguins Eudyptula minor foraging in shallow waters in Western Australia. During diving, Little Penguins flapped continuously and at a regular pace of 3.16 Hz while descending the water column and throughout the bottom phase of most dives. However, the frequency and amplitude of wingbeats increased transitorily, reaching 3.5–5.5 Hz, during some dives indicating prey pursuit. Pursuit phases lasted a mean of 2.9±3.3 s and occurred principally during the bottom phases of dives (75.4%). Most dives in all birds (86%) had a clear square-shaped depth profile indicating feeding activity near the seabed in the shallow waters of the bays. Hourly maximum depth, time spent underwater, percentage of dives with pursuit events and catch per unit effort showed an overall increase from zero at ca. 0500 h to a maximum during the hours around mid-day before decreasing to zero by 1900 h. During pursuit phases, Little Penguins headed predominantly downward, probably using the seabed to assist them in trapping their prey. In the light of our results, we discuss depth use by Little Penguins and their allocation of foraging effort and prey capture success as a function of environmental conditions.     

Photodecomposition of humic acid and natural organic matter in swamp water using a TiO2-coated ceramic foam filter: Potential for the formation of disinfection byproducts

This paper reports on the photodecomposition of aqueous humic acid (HA) by a TiO₂-coated ceramic foam filter (TCF) reactor and on the potential for the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) upon chlorination of the photocatalytically treated solutions. This photocatalytic reactor can also be applied to the removal of natural organic matter (NOM) in swamp waters. The proposed photocatalytic reaction system was operated as per standardized methodologies. First, the ability of the TCF to decompose HA (a representative compound of NOM) was evaluated from the changes in the total organic carbon (TOC) and UV₂₅₄ with the reaction time. Remarkably, TOC removal and UV₂₅₄ values ranging from 44% to 61% and from 60% to 83%, respectively, were achieved. The potential for the formation of DBPs (total trihalomethane and total haloacetic acid) by chlorination of the phototreated solution was strongly dependent on the TOC removal and UV₂₅₄ values in the solution. The degree of photodecomposition of NOMs in the swamp water samples and the DBP formation potential showed similar trends as in the case of the standard solutions containing HA. The method used in this study could be effectively used to evaluate the efficiency of TCF for reducing HA and NOM, while suppressing the formation of DBP products.     

Addressing global responsibility for conservation through cross-cultural collaboration: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kodama Forest,a forest of tree spirits</Emphasis>

A commitment to conservation of a place is based on the sense of place expressed by its “conceptual community”, including those who are not its residents in the geographical sense, but who nonetheless identify with it for various reasons. With the global nature of environmental issues being clearly recognized, such communities form a “terrain of consciousness” (Berg and Dasmann 1978), extending responsibility for conservation across cultures, time and space. Although the social mobility and diversity brought about by today’s technology often work against the development of a sense of place, they also allow the formation of such conceptual communities, who can highlight local distinctiveness while at the same time positioning local issues in a global context, so generating a sense of global responsibility. In the case of Tasmania, Australia, recent international interest in its ecologically and culturally significant places, such as Recherche Bay and the Styx Valley, has intensified the focus on forest issues, building on Tasmania’s already well-recognized history of environmentalism. It is important that these issues be recognized in Japan in particular, where a rising awareness about climate change and mass consumerism has alerted the public to the problem of deforestation; however the fact that Tasmania is one of the major sources of woodchips for paper production is not widely known. Awareness by the consumer, it is argued, is a foundation for forming a sense of global responsibility and it is necessary to form a conceptual community of those committed to the same issue. Cross-cultural collaboration is therefore necessary, and creativity can be an effective facilitating agent for this. This paper illustrates this point, through the example of the Kodama Forest, a forest of tree spirits, in North East Tasmania, that arose from such a collaboration between a group of Japanese students and a local community group. The collaboration also facilitated meaningful learning opportunities for the students, who chose to study in Tasmania because of its natural environment. The forest now provides a cultural heritage that also defines the evolution of this conceptual community through on-going collaboration. The importance of human connection at all levels, local, regional and global, in promoting environmental sustainability is addressed through the example of this forest.     

Medaka (Oryzias latipes) for use in evaluating developmental effects of endocrine active chemicals with special reference to gonadal intersex (testis-ova).

Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) has been widely used for the evaluation of the toxicity of endocrine active chemicals (EACs) and other chemicals as well as for monitoring the adverse effects of effluent discharges in relation to sexual development and function. It is useful for these evaluations for many reasons including the following: 1) it has a short life cycle facilitating studies extending over long phases of development and over multigenerations, 2) it is easy to rear, 3) male and female phenotypes can easily be distinguished on the basis of secondary sex characteristics, and 4) a genetic marker (DMY) is available for identifying the true genotypic sex. Several biomarkers have been found to be useful for identifying the effects of exposure to estrogenic and androgenic chemicals in medaka and they include increased levels of hepatic vitellogenin (VTG) and testis-ova induction in males for exposure to estrogenic chemicals, and decreased levels of hepatic VTG in females and an altered morphology of dorsal and anal fins and formation of papillae for androgenic chemicals. In this paper, we present a critical analysis of the use of medaka as a test species for studies of endocrine disruption and report on the use of sex-related genetic markers and alterations in gonadal development, including the induction of testis-ova formation, for assessing the disruptive effects of EACs. In this paper, we focus on some of the more recent studies and findings.     

Facile Preparation of Chitin/Cellulose Composite Films Using Ionic Liquids

In this study, we performed the facile preparation of chitin/cellulose composite films using two ionic liquids, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (AMIMBr) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl); the former dissolves chitin and the latter dissolves cellulose. First, solutions of chitin in AMIMBr and cellulose in BMIMCl were individually prepared by heating each mixture at 100 °C for 24 h. Then, the homogeneous mixture of the two solutions was thinly casted on a glass plate, followed by standing at room temperature for 2 h. After the material was subjected to successive Soxhlet extractions with ethanol for 12 h and with water for 12 h, the residue was dried at room temperature to give a composite film. The crystalline structures of the polysaccharides were evaluated by the X-ray diffraction measurement. Furthermore, the thermal stability and mechanical property of the resulting composite film were estimated by the thermal gravimetric analysis measurement and tensile testing, respectively.     

Synthesis of novel polymer type sulfoxide solid phase combined with the porogen imprinting for enabling selective separation of polychlorinated biphenyls

We developed a novel polymer type sulfoxide-modified solid phase enabling to achieve selective separation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from insulation oil. In this study, firstly we prepared base-polymer based on the concept of the molecular imprinting to capture PCBs in selectively, then, the sulfoxide groups were modified on the pore surface of base-polymers by changing preparation methods. As results of liquid chromatographic analyses for the polymers as columns, the base-polymer prepared by xylene as a porogenic solvent showed selective retention ability for chlorinated aromatic compounds by the porogen imprinting effect. Additionally, the polymer-type sulfoxide solid phases showed highly retention ability for PCBs by increasing amount of introduced sulfoxide groups. Consequently, the results of separation of PCBs comparing to insulation oil suggested that the prepared solid phase can be used for the selective separation of PCBs at the same level as a commercially available media utilized for the regulated method.     

Foraging strategies of male Adélie penguins during their first incubation trip in relation to environmental conditions

Knowledge of habitat use by top marine predators in response to environmental conditions is crucial in the current context of global changes occurring in the Southern Ocean. We examined the at-sea locations of male Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeding at Dumont d’Urville during their first, long incubation trip. Compared with the chick-rearing period, penguins performed longer trips, going to oceanic waters as far as 320 km from the colony. We observed 3 strategies: (1) five individuals covered large distances to the north, targeting open-ocean areas and following the currents of two persistent eddies; (2) five individuals foraged to the north-west, close to the Antarctic shelf slope at the limit of the pack ice; and (3) three individuals covered much shorter distances (northwards or eastwards). The foraging range also seemed to be limited by the body condition of the penguins before their departure to sea.     

Foraging movements and habitat niche of two closely related seabirds breeding in sympatry

As central-place foragers, pelagic seabirds are constrained by spatiotemporal heterogeneity to find productive marine areas and compete for prey. We analysed 97 foraging trips to study the movement and oceanographic characteristics of foraging habitats of two different—yet closely related—species of shearwaters (Scopoli’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea and Cory’s shearwater C. borealis) breeding in sympatry in the Mediterranean. We combined various methodological approaches (GPS-tracking, species distribution modelling and stable isotope analysis) to explore the foraging strategies of these two species. Isotopic results suggested that trophic habits of both shearwater species were similar, mainly based on pelagic fish consumption. Foraging areas of both species were characterized by shallow waters near the colony. Both shearwater species exploited persistent productive marine areas. The foraging areas of the two species broadly overlapped during the incubation period, but during chick-rearing period, Scopoli’s shearwaters apparently foraged in different areas than Cory’s shearwaters.     

Biological removal of selenate in saline wastewater by activated sludge under alternating anoxic/oxic conditions

Removal of selenate in saline wastewater by activated sludge was examined. Sequencing batch reactor was operated under alternating anoxic/oxic conditions. Above 97% removal of soluble selenium (Se) was achieved continuously. Major Se removal mechanism varied depending on the length of aeration period. Various Se-reducing bacteria likely contributed to coordinately to Se removal. Selenium (Se)-containing industrial wastewater is often coupled with notable salinity. However, limited studies have examined biological treatment of Se-containing wastewater under high salinity conditions. In this study, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) inoculated with activated sludge was applied to treat selenate in synthetic saline wastewater (3% w/v NaCl) supplemented with lactate as the carbon source. Start-up of the SBR was performed with addition of 1–5 mM of selenate under oxygen-limiting conditions, which succeeded in removing more than 99% of the soluble Se. Then, the treatment of 1 mM Se with cycle duration of 3 days was carried out under alternating anoxic/oxic conditions by adding aeration period after oxygen-limiting period. Although the SBR maintained soluble Se removal of above 97%, considerable amount of solid Se remained in the effluent as suspended solids and total Se removal fluctuated between about 40 and 80%. Surprisingly, the mass balance calculation found a considerable decrease of Se accumulated in the SBR when the aeration period was prolonged to 7 h, indicating very efficient Se biovolatilization. Furthermore, microbial community analysis suggested that various Se-reducing bacteria coordinately contributed to the removal of Se in the SBR and main contributors varied depending on the operational conditions. This study will offer implications for practical biological treatment of selenium in saline wastewater.