Global pollution monitoring of butyltin compounds using skipjack tuna as a bioindicator

Butyltin compounds (BTs) including mono- (MBT), di- (DBT), tri-butyltin (TBT) and total tin (sigmaSn), were determined in the liver of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) collected from Asian offshore waters (off-Japan, the Japan Sea, off-Taiwan, the East China Sea, the South China Sea, off-Philippines, off-Indonesia, the Bay of Bengal), off-Seychelles, off-Brazil and open seas (the North Pacific). BTs were detected in all the skipjack tuna collected, suggesting widespread contamination of BTs even in offshore waters and open seas on a global scale. Considering specific accumulation, Sex-, body length- differences and migration of skipjack tuna did not seem to affect BT concentrations, indicating rapid reflection of the pollution levels in seawater where and when they were collected. Skipjack tuna is a suitable bioindicator for monitoring the global distribution of BTs in offshore waters and open seas. High concentrations of BTs were observed in skipjack tuna from offshore waters around Japan, a highly developed and industrialized region (up to 400 ng/g wet weight). Moreover skipjack tuna collected from offshore waters around Asian developing countries also revealed the levels comparable to those in Japan (up to 270 ng/g wet weight) which may be due to the recent improvement in economic status in Asian developing countries. High percentages (almost 90%) of BTs in total tin (sigmaSn: sum of inorganic tin+organic tin) were found in the liver of skipjack tuna from offshore waters around Asian developing countries. This finding suggests that the anthropogenic BTs represent the major source of Sn accumulation in skipjack tuna from these regions.     

Metabolism and elemental composition of four oncaeid copepods in the western subarctic Pacific

Respiration rates and elemental composition (carbon and nitrogen) were determined for four dominant oncaeid copepods (Triconia borealis, Triconia canadensis, Oncaea grossa and Oncaea parila) from 0–1,000 m depth in the western subarctic Pacific. Across the four species of which dry weight (DW) varied from 2.0 to 32 μg, respiration rates measured at in situ temperature (3°C) increased with DW, ranging from 0.84 to 7.4 nl O₂ individual⁻¹ h⁻¹. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) composition of the four oncaeid species ranged from 49–57% of DW and 7.0–10.3% of DW, respectively, and the resultant C:N ratios were 4.8–8.3. The high C contents and C:N ratios were reflected by large accumulation of lipids in their body. Specific respiration rates (SR, a fraction of body C respired per day) ranged between 0.5 and 1.3% day⁻¹. Respiration rates adjusted to a body size of 1 mg body N (i.e. adjusted metabolic rates, AMR) of the four oncaeid species [0.6–1.1 μl O₂ (mg body N)^−0.8 h⁻¹ at 3°C] were significantly lower than those (1.7–5.1) reported in the literature for oithonid and calanoid copepods at the same temperature. The present results indicate that lower metabolic expenditure due to less active swimming (pseudopelagic life mode) together with rich energy reserve in the body (as lipids) are the characters of oncaeid copepods inhabiting in the epi- and mesopelagic zones of this region.     

Vertical distribution, population structure and life cycle of Neocalanus cristatus (Crustacea: Copepoda) in the Oyashio region, with notes on its regional variations

Vertical distribution and population structure of Neocalanus cristatus were investigated at Site H in the Oyashio region from September 1996 through October 1997 to evaluate their life cycle mode. Additional temporary samplings were also made at several stations covering the entire subarctic Pacific, Okhotsk Sea and Japan Sea, as a basis for regional comparison of life cycles of this species. At Site H, N. cristatus spawned throughout the year below 500 m depth, with a peak from October to December. The resulting eggs and nauplii floated/migrated upward, and formed an abundance peak of Copepodite Stage 1 (C1) in the surface layer in February. In the surface layer, the C1 developed and reached C5 by early June through a phytoplankton bloom which occurred in mid-March to end of June. The C5 migrated to deeper layers in July and August, where they molted to adults. Apparently, the developmental time from C5 to adults was highly variable (>1 month), and some might overwinter. The life cycle of N. cristatus appeared to be annual for the major portion of the population. Taking into account sampling season, temporal changes in vertical distribution and population structure data collected from regions other than Site H, there was a close correlation in the timing of the life cycle over the entire subarctic Pacific, but the reproduction season (April to June) was observed to be different in the Okhotsk and Japan Sea populations. Regional comparison of prosome length of C5 individuals, including those in the Bering Sea, indicated significantly larger sizes of specimens from the Japan Sea and Okhotsk Sea, as compared with those from the entire subarctic Pacific. Possible causes for regional variability in life cycle patterns and body sizes are discussed. Received: 18 December 1998 / Accepted: 19 April 1999     

Assessing local-scale inclusive wealth: a case study of Sado Island,Japan

Present trends of urbanization are accompanied by increasing demographic and economic shrinkage of rural regions. In countries such as Japan, these rural regions trail behind metropolitan counterparts according to GDP, the conventional measure used to guide governmental policies. Yet, past research suggests that these regions may be undervalued. Further, the Inclusive Wealth Index (IWI), largely only used at the national level, may be able to capture aspects previously missed. As such, our study attempts to highlight the wealth of rural regions by comparing the inclusive wealth of Sado Island and Japan between 1990 and 2014. Minor methodological modifications were made according to data availability at the local level and to improve the accuracy of human capital estimations. Results captured the ongoing shrinkage of Sado and demonstrate the distinct potential of the IWI as a stock measure. Sado’s per capita wealth was about 10% lower than the national averages, but its natural capital was about threefold national averages. Supplementary estimations of the natural capital of fisheries and cultivated forests suggest that inclusion of additional factors in the evaluation would further increase the relative valuation of rural regions. We discuss implications of our estimations for wellbeing, and conclude with a critical appraisal of the IWI calculation towards policy implementation of the index.     

Validation of modeling approach to evaluate congener-specific concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in air and soil near a solid waste incinerator

A concise modeling approach using long-term averaged meteorological data was developed to estimate site-specific concentrations of congeners of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) near a solid waste incinerator. This approach consists of calculation of atmospheric dispersion, dry and wet deposition of gaseous and particle-bound congeners, and non-steady-state concentrations in soil. The predictability of this approach was evaluated by comparison of calculated concentrations of congeners in soil with those measured at eight locations near a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI). The variation of these concentrations due to variability of meteorological parameters is small. A considerable number of mean values show good agreement with measured concentrations within a factor of three. The reasonable agreement between calculated and measured concentrations indicates that algorithms for the calculation of vapor-phase deposition and non-steady-state concentrations in soil must be included in the modeling approach for an accurate estimation of the concentrations of congeners of PCDD/Fs emitted from MSWIs to the atmosphere. For a detailed estimation of site-specific concentrations, it is important to specify the bulk density of soil in the evaluated area, together with meteorological parameters.     

Development, maturation, brood size and generation length of the mesopelagic amphipod Cyphocaris challengeri (Gammaridea: Lysianassidae) off southwest Hokkaido, Japan

 Using the number of segments of pleopod rami as a marker of instar number, the population structure (instar composition) of the mesopelagic gammarid amphipod Cyphocaris challengeri was investigated by monthly samplings from May 1997 to April 1999 at a station off southwest Hokkaido, Japan. Laboratory-rearing experiments were also conducted to establish the relationship between the number of segments of pleopod rami and instar number, and to estimate the growth pattern of this gammarid based on the intermolt period and molt-increment data. Stratified sampling in the field (0 to 200 and 200 to 400 m depth strata) showed this species occurred mainly at 200 to 400 m depth during the day. Instar analysis indicated that C. challengeri has 12 instars in females and 11 instars in males. Based on observations of secondary sexual characters, Instars 1 to 6 were designated juveniles (Instars 1 to 3 occurred in the marsupia of gravid females); in males, 7 to 9 were immature and 10 and 11 were mature, while in females 7 and 8 were immature and 9 to 12 were mature. Off southwest Hokkaido, Instar 4 (just released from a female's marsupium) was found throughout the year, with a peak abundance occurring in April to July of each year. A sequential development of Instar 4 to 9 (youngest adult instar) through the year was observed. Generation length (i.e. the time required to grow from Instar 4 to 10) was estimated from a laboratory-obtained growth curve to be 216 to 584 d at the in situ temperature range (2 to 5 °C), which is consistent with observations on field populations. Specimens older than Instar 9 were rare in the field and could not be used in laboratory-rearing experiments, so longevity could not be estimated. Eggs were oval and measured 0.6 mm (large diameter). Brood size ranged from 20 to 65. Comparing the present results with those of epipelagic hyperiid amphipods, the nearly identical growth rates together with the production of fewer but larger eggs seen in C. challengeri appear to reflect to the typical life mode of deep-living pelagic crustaceans. Received: 14 February 2000 / Accepted: 6 July 2000     

Keratin decomposition by trogid beetles: evidence from a feeding experiment and stable isotope analysis

The decomposition of vertebrate carcasses is an important ecosystem function. Soft tissues of dead vertebrates are rapidly decomposed by diverse animals. However, decomposition of hard tissues such as hairs and feathers is much slower because only a few animals can digest keratin, a protein that is concentrated in hairs and feathers. Although beetles of the family Trogidae are considered keratin feeders, their ecological function has rarely been explored. Here, we investigated the keratin-decomposition function of trogid beetles in heron-breeding colonies where keratin was frequently supplied as feathers. Three trogid species were collected from the colonies and observed feeding on heron feathers under laboratory conditions. We also measured the nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and carbon (δ¹³C) stable isotope ratios of two trogid species that were maintained on a constant diet (feathers from one heron individual) during 70 days under laboratory conditions. We compared the isotopic signatures of the trogids with the feathers to investigate isotopic shifts from the feathers to the consumers for δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C. We used mixing models (MixSIR and SIAR) to estimate the main diets of individual field-collected trogid beetles. The analysis indicated that heron feathers were more important as food for trogid beetles than were soft tissues under field conditions. Together, the feeding experiment and stable isotope analysis provided strong evidence of keratin decomposition by trogid beetles.     

Metabolic rates of epipelagic marine copepods as a function of body mass and temperature

Metabolic rates (oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, phosphate excretion) have been calculated as a function of body mass (dry, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus weights) and habitat temperature, using multiple regression. The metabolic data used for this analysis were species structured, collected from Arctic to Antarctic seas (temperature range: -1.7°C to 29.0°C). The data were further divided into geographical and/or seasonal groups (35 species and 43 data sets for oxygen consumption; 38 species and 58 data sets for ammonia excretion; 22 species and 31 data sets for phosphate excretion). The results revealed that the variance attributed to body mass and temperature was highest (93-96%) for oxygen consumption rates, followed by ammonia excretion rates (74-80%) and phosphate excretion rates (46-56%). Among the various body mass units, the best correlation was provided by the nitrogen unit, followed by the dry weight unit. The calculated Q₁₀ values varied slightly according to the choice of body mass units; overall ranges were 1.8-2.1 for oxygen consumption rates, 1.8-2.0 for ammonia excretion rates and 1.6-1.9 for phosphate excretion rates. The effects of body mass and temperature on the metabolic quotients (O:N, N:P, O:P) were insignificant in most cases. Although the copepod metabolic data used in the present analysis were for adult and pre-adult stages, possible applications of the resultant regression equations to predict the metabolic rates of naupliar and early copepodite stages are discussed. Finally, global patterns of net growth efficiency [growth (growth+metabolism)^-1] of copepods were deduced by combining the present metabolic equation with Hirst and Lampitt's global growth equation for epipelagic marine copepods.