A major increase in snake pipefish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Entelurus aequoreus</Emphasis>) in northern European seas since 2003: potential implications for seabird breeding success

Since the early 2000s routine fish surveys have recorded increasing numbers of snake pipefish, Entelurus aequoreus, in the northeast Atlantic. Fishermen and divers have also commented on this increase and pipefish have started to appear in the diet of seabirds and other marine predators. This paper collates information from these diverse sources and assesses the current status of snake pipefish. We found compelling evidence of a dramatic increase in the abundance of snake pipefish starting around 2003 and continuing up to the present (2006) and a range expansion northwards to Spitzbergen and the Barents Sea. Since 2004 snake pipefish have been increasingly recorded in the diet of many species of seabird breeding in colonies around the coast of the UK, and in Norway, Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. Information on the nutrient value of snake pipefish is currently lacking but their rigid, bony structure makes them difficult for young seabirds to swallow and there are numerous records of chicks choking to death. Thus, in the case of avian predators during the breeding season, it appears unlikely that increased abundance of snake pipefish will provide a useful alternative prey. The reason for the rapid and dramatic increase in numbers of snake pipefish is currently unclear but such events are characteristic of marine ecosystems and will almost certainly have an effect on food web dynamics.     

An unintended experiment in fisheries science: a marine area protected by war results in Mexican waves in fish numbers-at-age

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are attaining increasing importance in the management of marine ecosystems. They are effective for conservation in tropical and subtropical areas (mainly coral and rocky reefs), but it is debated whether they are useful in the management of migratory fish stocks in open temperate regions. World War II created a large marine area within which commercial fishing was prevented for 6 years. Here we analyse scientific trawl data for three important North Sea gadoids, collected between 1928 and 1958. Using statistical models to summarise the data, we demonstrate the potential of MPAs for expediting the recovery of over-exploited fisheries in open temperate regions. Our age-structured data and population models suggest that wild fish stocks will respond rapidly and positively to reductions in harvesting rates and that the numbers of older fish in a population will react before, and in much greater proportion, than their younger counterparts in a kind of Mexican wave. Our analyses demonstrate both the overall increase in survival due to the lack of harvesting in the War and the form of the age-dependent wave in numbers. We conclude that large closed areas can be very useful in the conservation of migratory species from temperate areas and that older fish benefit fastest and in greater proportion. Importantly, any rise in spawning stock biomass may also not immediately result in better recruitment, which can respond more slowly and hence take longer to contribute to higher future harvestable biomass levels.     

Investigation of spatial trends and neurochemical impacts of mercury in herring gulls across the Laurentian Great Lakes

Herring gulls (Larus argentatus) bioaccumulate mercury (Hg) but it is unknown whether they are exposed at levels of neurological concern. Here we studied brain tissues from gulls at five Great Lakes colonies and one non-Great Lakes colony during spring of 2001 and 2003. Total brain Hg concentrations ranged from 0.14 to 2.0 μg/g (dry weight) with a mean of 0.54 μg/g. Gulls from Scotch Bonnet Island, on the easternmost edge of the Great Lakes, had significantly higher brain Hg than other colonies. No association was found between brain Hg concentration and [3H]-ligand binding to neurochemical receptors (N-methyl-d-aspartate, muscarinic cholinergic, nicotinic cholinergic) or nicotinic receptor α-7 relative mRNA expression as previously documented in other wildlife. In conclusion, spatial trends in Hg contamination exist in herring gulls across the Great Lakes basin, and herring gulls accumulate brain Hg but not at levels associated with sub-clinical neurochemical alterations.     

Characterization of African Dust (PM2.5) across the Atlantic Ocean during AEROSE 2004

An Aerosol and Oceanographic Science Expedition (AEROSE) on the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown collected PM_2.5 particles from a Saharan dust storm in March 2004. High levels of PM_2.5 (120 μg m^?3) were measured during this Saharan storm over the Atlantic Ocean. The particles were characterized for trace element content, with Al and Fe the most abundant metals. These metals were detected in high concentrations during the Saharan event and exhibited good correlations with PM_2.5, suggesting its soil origin. Other elements (Pb, Ni, Cd) did not correlate with Al and Fe, indicating their anthropogenic origin. Enrichment factor calculation conducted on these trace elements support our findings. Trace element analyses performed on particulate matter from a reference site on land in Puerto Rico (Fajardo), demonstrated similar results to those obtained in the AEROSE expedition, where high concentrations of PM_2.5 and Fe were present concomitantly with Saharan events at this station.     

Monitoring and assessment of wetlands using Earth Observation: the GlobWetland project

The overall objective of the Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971, is the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development. This complex and challenging task requires national, local and international bodies involved in the implementation of the convention to rely on suitable geo-information to better understand wetland areas, complete national inventories, perform monitoring activities, carry out assessments and put in practice suitable management plans based on updated and reliable information. In the last years, Earth Observation (EO) technology has been revealed as a key tool and unique information source to support the environmental community in different application domains, including wetlands' conservation and management. In this context, the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the Ramsar Secretariat launched in 2003 the "GlobWetland" project in order to demonstrate the current capabilities of Earth Observation technology to support inventorying, monitoring, and assessment of wetland ecosystems. This paper collects the main results and findings of the "GlobWetland" project, providing an overview of the current capabilities and limits of EO technology as a tool to support the implementation of the Ramsar Convention. The project was carried out in collaboration with several regional, national and local conservation authorities and wetland managers, involving 50 different wetlands across 21 countries on four continents. This large range of users provided an excellent test bed to assess the potential of this technology to be applied in different technical, economic and social conditions.     

Drain-blocking techniques on blanket peat: A framework for best practice

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in artificial drain-blocking in world peatlands. The UK blanket peatlands have been severely drained over the past few decades but now drains are being blocked in an attempt to improve peatland environments. The drain-blocking has been a disparate process with limited knowledge transfer between organisations and within organisations operating in different geographic areas. Consequently, there has been no compilation of techniques used and their effectiveness. During this study thirty-two drain-blocked sites were surveyed and all the key stakeholders interviewed. Drain-blocking using peat turf was preferred by practitioners and was also the most cost-effective method. Peat turves were successful except on steep slopes, in areas of severe erosion, in very wet or very dry locations, or if the mineral substrate was exposed. A drain-blocking best practice guide is offered by this paper, providing information on the most suitable methods for blocking peatland drains under different circumstances. Additional considerations are provided for practitioners to ensure peatland drain-blocking is as successful as possible.     

Use of Small-area Data to Support a Community Agenda in Boston Chinatown

Boston Chinatown is a community that grapples with a constant pressure from the downtown area to build new and larger buildings. The effort to preserve the residential aspect of Chinatown has used data analysis in recent years by forming partnerships with academics. This has allowed for more sophisticated studies of traffic injuries, scientific surveys of residents about environmental health, the measurement of noise levels and the construction of physical and electronic mapping of data. While not the only factor contributing to the community's efforts to question the role of development, these data have added useful tools that reduce, but do not eliminate, the disparity between what the community brings to discussions about the environmental impact of development and what the developers have at their disposal.     

Biotic resistance to green crab, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carcinus maenas</Emphasis>, in California bays

The distribution of the introduced European green crab, Carcinus maenas, was investigated in the central California embayments of Bodega Bay Harbor (BBH), Tomales Bay, and Bolinas Lagoon using baited traps and snorkel surveys. Adult green crabs were very spatially limited in all three embayments and occurred primarily in warm, shallow areas that lacked large native Cancer spp. crabs. The green crabs that were found in closest proximity to populations of Cancer spp. exhibited high levels of limb damage and loss; damage was strongly correlated with low ratios of intertidal area: edge, indicative of narrow areas of intertidal that are more easily accessed by large Cancer spp. moving up to forage during periods of tidal inundation. Up to 70% of the green crabs tethered in areas of BBH that are utilized by Cancer spp. experienced limb loss, while those tethered in the marsh, where there are no Cancer spp., were undamaged. The results suggest that the potential distribution of green crabs in the northeastern Pacific will be far less than has been predicted, and that their impacts may be largely attenuated through predation by and competition with native crab species.     

The design of child restraint system (CRS) labels and warnings affects overall CRS usability

A study was conducted that assessed the effectiveness of different child restraint system (CRS) label/warning designs on users' installation performance. Forty-eight paid participants installed a convertible CRS in a vehicle, and two child test dummies in a CRS, using one of four label conditions. The label conditions were: (1) no labels, (2) the manufacturer's labels that were already affixed to the CRS ("Current"), (3) labels that were designed according to a combination of the current U.S. regulations concerning CRS labels and recently proposed changes to these regulations ("Proposed"), and (4) labels that were designed according to human factors principles and guidelines, and that were based on a hierarchical behavioral task analysis ("Optimal"). Results demonstrated that, overall, the Optimal labels resulted in higher usability ratings and better task performance. This indicates that labels designed using human factors and task analyses that identify critical task information requirements for label features will result in increased user compliance with instructions, higher usability, and improved task performance. Surprisingly, having no labels on the CRS resulted in better installation performance than when either the Current or the Proposed label conditions were used. This indicates that label design can decrease task performance; the actual physical design of a CRS may be just as critical as label content in the installation choices provided to the user. Collectively, results suggest that implementation of the proposed changes to the U.S. regulations concerning CRS labeling would likely not result in increased performance or usability compared to existing manufacturer labels that follow the current guidelines. In order to achieve significantly better ease-of-use and task performance, it would be necessary to implement features of the Optimal label condition.