Temporal patterns in three-dimensional structure and activity of schools of the Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia

Temporal patterns in the structure and activity of schools of the Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia were investigated under laboratory conditions using a new computerized video technique for three-dimensional analysis. Fish were collected by seining at Middle Bridge, Pettaquamscutt River, South Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA. Approximately once a week from May to December, 1979, the behavior of a school was videotape-recorded in the laboratory at 30 min intervals from sunrise to sunset under a temperature and photoperiod regime simulating ambient field conditions. Four measurements of structure and activity were computed: (1) swimming speed (SPEED); (2) distance to nearest neighbor (NN); (3) mean direction of travel (DOT); (4) depth in the tank (DEPTH). Results demonstrated a strong seasonal rhythm in the behavior of schools, but were inconclusive in showing periodicities associated with daily, tidal or lunar cycles. NN and DEPTH were significantly different between spring, summer, fall and winter while SPEED changed significantly across 3 seasons (summer and winter were not significantly different). DOT was bimodally distributed, with peaks in spring and fall. Changes in these variables corresponded to shifts in the behavior of silversides from active, synchronized schools in spring and fall to inactive mills in summer and inactive non-schooling groups in winter. Changes in schooling behavior were only partly related to changes in temperature and photoperiod. Patterns of silverside schooling behavior correlated with their reproductive and migratory cycles and may represent an anti-predator strategy.     

Photoperiodic regulation of gametogenesis and gonadal growth in the sea star Pisaster ochraceus

A photoperiod regime 6 mo out of phase between December 1978 and August 1980 resulted in gametogenesis, gonadal growth, and spawning in laboratory-maintained sea stars [Pisaster ochraceus (Brandt)] 6 mo out of phase with individuals in the field or laboratory on normal celestial photoperiods at Santa Cruz, California (USA). The seasonal fluctuation of pyloric cecum size also was shifted when the sea stars were held on the out-of-phase photoperiod regime. Phase shift of all these events was evident within 6 to 9 mo. Long daylengths (or short nightlengths) in spring and summer apparently synchronize or entrain the initiaion of gametogenesis and gonadal growth in fall.     

Social dominance and migratory restlessness in the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis)

Summary I investigated the effect of restricted food and social dominance on nocturnal migratory activity (Zugunruhe) in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) in late fall and winter. Highly restricted food tended to increase Zugunruhe in both dominant and subordinate members of pairs, however, subordinates showed significantly more migratory activity than dominants or solitary controls. Further, subordinate birds continued Zugunruhe after dominants and solitary controls had ceased this activity for the remainder of the winter. From mid-December through mid-January when birds had access to food ad lib, migratory activity decreased significantly. These results indicate that toward the end of fall migration, migratory behavior is subject to ecological and social conditions that influence the probability of overwinter survival. Presumably, such a system enables these birds to minimize the distance of migration; at the same time, they are able to track a relatively unpredictable, temperate, winter environment by prolonging migration if necessary.     

Elevated testosterone advances onset of migratory restlessness in a nearctic-neotropical landbird

The primary cue for initiation of spring migratory restlessness (Zugunruhe) in landbird migrants is photoperiod. Gonadal hormones are known to have a role in the regulation of migratory disposition; however, the extent of their effect is not well understood. We examined the impact of exogenous testosterone on the onset of migratory restlessness in gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis). Catbirds were stratified by sex and randomly assigned to two rooms; individuals in one room were photoadvanced to initiate migratory restlessness and the other room was maintained on a 12:12 light/dark photoperiod. Each room had three groups (n?=?10/group); males with testosterone implants, males with empty implants, and females. We predicted that in the photoadvanced room males with testosterone implants would initiate migratory activity earlier than empty-implanted males. We found that in the photoadvanced group, testosterone-implanted males initiated migration 2 weeks prior to empty-implanted males, and 3 weeks prior to females. In the non-photoadvanced males, the testosterone-implanted males initiated migration at the same time as the corresponding group in the photoadvanced room, while the empty-implanted males and females did not exhibit Zugunruhe. Our results illustrate that elevated testosterone can advance the onset of Zugunruhe, even in the absence of an extended photoperiod. Additionally, the onset of migratory restlessness observed in the photoadvanced, non-testosterone-implanted males and females further supports the importance of photoperiod as a cue for migratory restlessness. An interesting observation was the intersexual differences in the onset of migratory activity in gray catbirds, a species not previously known to exhibit protandry.     

Autumn migratory fuelling: a response to simulated magnetic displacements in juvenile wheatears, Oenanthe oenanthe

Recent experiments exposing migratory birds to altered magnetic fields simulating geographical displacements have shown that the geomagnetic field acts as an external cue affecting migratory fuelling behaviour. This is the first study investigating fuel deposition in relation to geomagnetic cues in long-distance migrants using the western passage of the Mediterranean region. Juvenile wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) were exposed to a magnetically simulated autumn migration from southern Sweden to West Africa. Birds displaced parallel to the west of their natural migration route, simulating an unnatural flight over the Atlantic Ocean, increased their fuel deposition compared to birds experiencing a simulated migration along the natural route. These birds, on the other hand, showed relatively low fuel loads in agreement with earlier data on wheatears trapped during stopover. The experimental displacement to the west, corresponding to novel sites in the Atlantic Ocean, led to a simulated longer distance to the wintering area, probably explaining the observed larger fuel loads. Our data verify previous results suggesting that migratory birds use geomagnetic cues for fuelling decisions and, for the first time, show that birds, on their first migration, can use geomagnetic cues to compensate for a displacement outside their normal migratory route, by adjusting fuel deposition.     

Night sky orientation of migratory pied flycatchers raised in different magnetic fields

Summary To test whether the initial night sky orientation response of migratory pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) is calibrated from the ambient magnetic field experienced by birds during their first summer, three groups of pied flycatchers were hand-reared and then held under different magnetic field conditions during the course of the summer. All groups were held outdoors and given full exposure to the day and night sky. One group was exposed to the local earth's magnetic field. A second group was exposed to a magnetic field of local earth strength, local earth inclination shifted 105° counter-clockwise relative to the local earth's field. The last group was exposed to a vertical, and thus nondirectional magnetic field.In autumn, the birds were tested for their orientation under the night sky in the absence of a directional magnetic field. When tested, all three groups were oriented with mean directions varying from south to southeast. No statistical differences emerged in any between group comparisons. The data indicate that earth's magnetism does not serve as a calibrating reference in the development of a pied flycatcher's initial orientation response to the night sky.     

Seasonal stresses shift optimal intertidal algal habitats

We studied how the growth, reproduction, and survival of a common intertidal rockweed (Fucus distichus) varied across its tidal elevation at 14 sites around San Juan Island, Washington, USA in spring–summer and fall-winter seasons. We also measured a suite of environmental factors including temperature, light, emersion time, slope, fetch, and herbivory. To interpret the response of Fucus we included measurements of phlorotannins and carbon storage compounds (mannitol, laminarin). Growth and reproduction exhibited parallel patterns across tidal zones and sites. Tidal zone was a significant source of variation for many Fucus response variables, whereas variation between sites was high but not generally a significant factor explaining Fucus growth and physiology. Unexpectedly, the tidal zone in which Fucus achieved its highest growth and reproduction switched between seasons. High zone thalli grew and reproduced better than Mid zone thalli in fall but not in spring. This result can be explained by different combinations of factors influencing Fucus in each season. In spring, longer emersion times due to daytime low tides resulted in lower growth rates higher on the shore, likely due to carbon limitation. In fall during nighttime low tides, emersion and carbon limitation stresses were minimal. Overall, fall growth was lower than spring growth, but low fall light was not responsible. Instead, warmer average fall temperatures in the High zone apparently favored growth and reproduction relative to the Mid zone. In contrast, Mid zone thalli were subjected to more intense herbivory and hydrodynamic stress associated with wave exposure and steep substrata during the fall. At least for some seaweeds, living in the presumably more stressful high zone can actually confer higher integrated performance.     

The role of daytime cues in the development of magnetic orientation in a night-migrating bird

To assess the role of celestial rotation during daytime in the development of the magnetic compass course, pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca Pallas, Muscicapidae) were handraised in Latvia under various celestial and magnetic conditions. Tests were performed during autumn migration in the local geomagnetic field (50 000 nT, 73° inclination) in the absence of celestial cues. A group of birds that had never seen the sky showed a bimodal preference for the migratory southwest-northeast axis, whereas a second group that had been exposed to the natural sky from sunrise to sunset in the local geomagnetic field showed a unimodal preference for the seasonally appropriate southwesterly direction. A third group that had also been exposed to the daytime sky, but in the absence of magnetic compass information, also oriented bimodally along a southwest-northeast axis. These findings demonstrate that observing celestial rotation during daytime enables birds to choose the right end of the migratory axis for autumn migration at the Latvian test location. This transformation of axial behavior into appropriate migratory orientation, however, requires the birds to have simultaneous access to information on both celestial rotation and the geomagnetic field. Received: 19 September 1997 / Accepted after revision: 22 November 1997     

Monarch butterfly migration and parasite transmission in eastern North America

Seasonal migration occurs in many animal systems and is likely to influence interactions between animals and their parasites. Here, we focus on monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) and a protozoan parasite (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha) to investigate how host migration affects infectious disease processes. Previous work showed that parasite prevalence was lower among migratory than nonmigratory monarch populations; two explanations for this pattern are that (1) migration allows animals to periodically escape contaminated habitats (i.e., migratory escape), and (2) long-distance migration weeds out infected animals (i.e., migratory culling). We combined field-sampling and analysis of citizen science data to examine spatiotemporal trends of parasite prevalence and evaluate evidence for these two mechanisms. Analysis of within-breeding-season variation in eastern North America showed that parasite prevalence increased from early to late in the breeding season, consistent with the hypothesis of migratory escape. Prevalence was also positively related to monarch breeding activity, as indexed by larval density. Among adult monarchs captured at different points along the east coast fall migratory flyway, parasite prevalence declined as monarchs progressed southward, consistent with the hypothesis of migratory culling. Parasite prevalence was also lower among monarchs sampled at two overwintering sites in Mexico than among monarchs sampled during the summer breeding period. Collectively, these results indicate that seasonal migration can affect parasite transmission in wild animal populations, with implications for predicting disease risks for species with threatened migrations.     

Corticosterone levels in relation to migratory readiness in red-eyed vireos (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vireo olivaceus</Emphasis>)

We examined the relationship between plasma levels of corticosterone and the migratory activity and directional preference of red-eyed vireos during fall migration at the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Corticosterone is thought to play a role in physiological and behavioural processes before, during, and after long-distance migratory flights. An increase in corticosterone at the onset of migratory flights can be expected in birds that are energetically prepared to migrate in a seasonally appropriate southerly direction. Red-eyed vireos ( Vireo olivaceus) were tested in orientation cages under clear twilight skies. Just prior to the orientation experiments, blood was sampled to assay baseline corticosterone levels. Average corticosterone level for all birds was 22.8 ng/ml. Red-eyed vireos with higher than average baseline levels of corticosterone were significantly more active in orientation cages compared to birds with lower levels of corticosterone. Moreover, birds with higher than average levels oriented in a southwesterly direction, which is consistent with a trans-Gulf flight, whereas individuals with levels below average showed a NNW mean direction. Although there was no significant difference in baseline levels of corticosterone between fat and lean birds, individual mass loss between capture and test was negatively correlated with corticosterone levels. Results from this study clearly demonstrate that corticosterone influences departure decisions and the choice of direction during migration.     

Light regulation of nitrate reductase in Ulya fenestrata (Chlorophyceae)

Observations were made on the behavior of nitrate reductase activity in the green alga Ulva fenestrata under controlled light:dark regimes. The activity of nitrate reductase (NR) was examined in response to normal seasonal photoperiods as well as in response to shortened or extended periods of darkness. NR activity exhibits a light-dependent diurnal rhythm under both normal summer and winter photoperiods, with a maximum in the early morning (2 to 2.5 h after the start of illumination). This peak of activity is followed by a lower steady-state level of activity which is sustained throughout the light period. There is a sustained minimal level of activity in darkness. The morning peak in activity is always observed as long as tissue is illuminated, irrespective of the previous light or dark treatments. As such, it appears that nitrate reductase activity in U. fenestrata is under circadian control. There is no major difference in the NR activity pattern between summer and winter plants, except that the peak activity values in winter plants are consistently much higher (5 times) than in summer plants. The study also suggests that illumination prior to the normal start of photoperiod triggers a different set of regulatory mechanisms, indicating that the physiological state of plants is important in dictating the NR activity response to illumination.Please address all correpondence and requests for reprints to G. J. Smith at his present address (Hopkins Marine Station)     

Influence of body condition and weather on departures of first-year European robins, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erithacus rubecula</Emphasis>, from an autumn migratory stopover site

How migratory birds decide when to leave a stopover site is important to the understanding of bird migration strategies. Our study looks at how body condition and the weather affect the decision to depart on nocturnal migratory flight. During two autumn migration seasons (2002–2003), we radio tracked 51 first-year European robins, Erithacus rubecula, at a stopover site on the Courish Spit (Eastern Baltic) from the first day after landing until their migratory departure. The tagged robins stopped over for 1–14 days. There was no clear relationship between stopover duration and energetic condition on arrival. Weather conditions (wind, precipitation, and cloud cover) on departure differed measurably between years. In 2002, robins took off mainly under following winds and clear skies. In 2003, there were mainly light head winds and partially cloudy or overcast skies. This could be explained by the year-specific role of weather factors in making the decision to depart. In both years, robins making short (1–2 days) stopovers took off in more varied weather situations than those individuals with long stopovers. This suggests that robins from the former group were more inclined to continue with migration than longer-stay birds that, apart from re-fuelling, could be waiting for favourable weather. The lack of a relationship between stopover duration and body condition and some departures under unfavourable weather conditions suggest that endogenous spatiotemporal programmes may play an important role in controlling stopover duration in robins.     

Vertical distribution and nocturnal migration of zooplankton in relation to the development of the seasonal thermocline in Patraikos Gulf

Vertical distribution and nocturnal migration of zooplankton species in relation to the development of the seasonal thermocline in the shallow waters (90 m) of Patraikos Gulf (Ionian Sea, Greece) were investigated using a WP-2 closing net. Juvenile and adult copepods accounted for a mean of 91% of the total collected in three sampling periods, i.e. May, July and September 1985.Ctenocalananus vanus, Paracalanus parvus andOithona plumifera were the dominant copepods. The majority of the zooplankton tend to aggregate at the thermocline layer. Among copepods the two congeneric speciesClausocalanus pergens andC. furcatus exhibited different migratory responses to the development of the thermocline.C. pergens occurred in the lower part of the thermocline andC. furcatus in the upper region or above. The diel vertical migration of all species could be divided into four types: (1) no vertical migration; (2) upward migration at night; (3) occasional migration; and (4) reverse migration (down at night). In July when the strongest thermocline developed, most zooplankters rose close to the surface at night. For most species, temperature discontinuity did not limit their diel migration.Please address all correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr J.J. Lykakis     

Photoperiodic regulation of parturition in the self-fertilizing viviparous polychaete Neanthes limnicola from central California

Seasonally-changing photoperiod controls the timing of parturition in the viviparous, self-fertilizing polychaete Neanthes limnicola (Johnson, 1901) from Watsonville Slough, a central California estuary. During 1987 to 1989, worms in the field gave birth mainly in the spring. Those born in late February from field-collected parents and maintained in the laboratory under in-phase photoperiodic conditions reproduced in 12 to 13 mo, under spring light-regimes. When maintained under light conditions 6 mo out of phase,they required only about 6 to 8 mo to reproduce, giving birth in the fall, but under spring light-regimes. Worms born in the laboratory in fall and then maintained in phase reproduced in the ambient spring, at 6 to 8 mo of age; those maintained out of phase took 12 to 13 mo, giving birth the following fall under spring light-regimes. Photoperiod treatments had no consistent effect on the number of young produced, and age and fecundity were only weakly correlated. Highest fecundities were in salinities of 15 to 20,with lower fecundities at higher salinities. Worms maintained in fullstrength sea water(33 S) showed abnormal development and produced very few or no young. Salinity did not affect timing of parturition. Temperature differences of 3 to 7 C° between treatments had no effect on timing of parturition or number of young produced, and marginal effects on life span. These results indicate that photoperiod regulates the timing of reproduction in N. limnicola in central California, while salinity mainly influences fecundity.     

The magnetic compass mechanism of birds and its possible association with the shifting course directions of migrants

Summary Many birds of the northern hemisphere shift their migratory course to more southerly directions when moving from northern to southern latitudes. Birds from Central Europe, for example, change their course from SW to S or from SE to S respectively (Fig. 1). This also seems to apply to some other animals.The hypothesis presented here explains the observed shifts in migratory direction on the basis of changes in the parameters of the earth's magnetic field and hence would make a genetic fixation of shifts in the migratory direction unnecessary.To determine the direction of migration birds do not refer to the polarity of the magnetic field but to its dip (=). According to the hypothesis presented here, the birds, however, do not refer to the direction of dip as previously believed but to the individual apparent angle of dip (=), this angle changes depending on the heading of the bird (see Fig. 3 and Eq. 1). Maintaining a species specific or population specific the bird will move in its predetermined migratory direction. Changes in the dip of the earth's magnetic field correspond to changes in latitude. According to the hypothesis with fixed, the migratory direction will change when the dip changes. Given the hypothesis and the parameters of the earth's field theoretical migratory paths of birds between summer and winter quarters may be calculated (Figs. 8–11). The calculated tracks and the actually observed migratory routes agree well. This is also confirmed by radar and other observations of migratory directions in areas of different dip angles (Fig. 13). Displacing migrating birds to areas of smaller dip angles (= lower magnetic latitudes) results in predeterminable shifts in the birds migratory direction (Figs. 5, 6). The hypothesis also accounts for the so far unexplained orientation behaviour of transequatorial migrants under the magnetic equator.A very simple model of this hypothetical compass mechanism may be based on the assumption of the sensor axis is supposed to correspond to the apparent angle of dip when moving in the migratory direction. In this position the difference between the apparent angle of dip and the angle of the sensor is zero. Any change in the direction of movement, however, will result in a difference leading to a response of an assumed receptor. When maintaining the zero difference the bird invariably sticks to its migratory course. The proposed mechanism is a null instrument unaffected by changes in field intensity and not depending on the measurement of absolute values.     

Copepod photobehavior in a simulated natural light environment and its relation to nocturnal vertical migration

To investigate the roles of light in initiating, controlling and directing nocturnal vertical migration, photoresponses of the adult, female copepod Acartia tonsa Dana were measured under simulated natural underwater light conditions using a video system. Copepods were adapted to a range of background light levels and tested with the following stimuli: absolute quantal intensity, absolute change in quantal intensity and relative (%) change in quantal intensity. The stimulus initiating vertical movements was relative change in quantal intensity, while responsiveness was controlled by the level of light adaptation. A. tonsa swam upward in response to decreases. Response with minimal stimulation occurred at an adaptation intensity close to that in the copepod's natural habitat at the time of the migratory ascent (near the bottom of the Newport River estuary, North Carolina, near sunset). Analysis of the angles of upward movement showed that light is not a directional cue. Relative increases in intensity resulted in sinking, with minimal stimulation required at an adaptation intensity close to that in the field when the migratory descent occurs near sunrise. These results offer a reasonable explanation of how light cues may shape nocturnal vertical migratory patterns.     

Migratory orientation of red-eyed vireos,Vireo olivaceus,in relation to energetic condition and ecological context

How and when migrants integrate directional information from different sources may depend not only on the bird’s internal state, including fat stores, but also on the ecological context during passage. We designed experiments to (1) examine the influence of stored fat on the decision to migrate and on the choice of migratory direction and (2) investigate how the integration of orientation cue information is tied to energetic status in relation to migration across an ecological barrier. Migratory orientation of red-eyed vireos (Vireo olivaceus) at twilight was recorded using two different techniques, orientation cage experiments and free-flight release tests, during both fall and spring migration. During fall migration, the amount of stored fat proved decisive for directional selections of the vireos. Fat birds chose directions in accordance with migration across the Gulf of Mexico. Lean birds oriented either parallel to the coast line (cage tests) or moved inland (free-flight releases). Whereas only fat birds showed significant responses to experimental deflections of the geomagnetic field, lean birds displayed a tendency to shift their activity in the expected direction, making it difficult to evaluate the prediction that use of the magnetic compass is context dependent. Fat loads also had a significant effect on the decision to migrate, i.e., fat individuals were more likely to embark on migration than were lean birds (true for both cage and release experiments). During spring migration, a majority of experimental subjects were classified as lean, following their arrival after crossing the Gulf of Mexico, and oriented in seasonally appropriate directions. The vireos also showed significant responses to experimental deflections of the geomagnetic field regardless of their energetic status. Free-flight release experiments during spring migration revealed a significant difference in mean directions between clear sky and overcast tests. The difference may indicate a compensatory response to wind drift or possibly a need for celestial cues to calibrate the magnetic compass. Finally, this is the first demonstration of magnetic compass orientation in a North American vireo. Received: 15 December 1995/Accepted after revision: 24 March 1996     

Life history correlates of alternative migratory strategies in American Dippers

Partial migration is thought to be a critical step in the evolution of avian migration, but data on the life history correlates of alternative migratory strategies are extremely limited. We have studied a partially migratory population of American Dippers since 1999. This population is composed of sedentary individuals (residents) that maintain the same territory year round and altitudinal migrants that share winter grounds with residents, but move to higher elevations to breed. We used seven years of data on individually marked birds to (1) determine if individuals consistently use the same migratory strategy, (2) determine if offspring have the same strategy as their parents, and (3) estimate reproductive and survival rates of the two migratory strategies. We evaluate hypotheses for the persistence of partial migration and discuss their implication for the evolution of migration in sedentary populations. Individual American Dippers rarely switched migratory strategy (4/169 monitored more than one year). An individual's strategy, however, was not always that of its parents, indicating that, while migratory behavior may have a genetic component, environmental or social conditions probably influence the migratory strategy that an individual adopts. Sedentary dippers consistently had higher annual productivity (approximately 1.4 more fledglings/year) than migratory dippers, but mark-recapture models suggested that migratory dippers may have slightly higher survival than residents (approximately 3.4%). Migrants were estimated to have lower lifetime reproductive success than residents because their higher survival was insufficient to offset their lower productivity. Our data suggest that alternative migratory strategies in American Dippers are unlikely to be a fixed genetic dimorphism that persists because the two strategies have equal fitness, or because the relative fitness of the two strategies fluctuates over time. Migratory strategies in American Dippers are more likely to be condition dependent, and the two strategies persist because migrants "make the best of a bad job" by moving to higher elevations to breed. Because migrants obtained no fitness benefits by moving to seasonal breeding territories, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that migration could evolve in sedentary populations if competition for limited resources forces some individuals to seek breeding opportunities outside their initial range.     

Can photoperiod manipulation affect gonad development of a boreo-arctic echinoid (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) following exposure in the wild after the autumnal equinox?

A laboratory experiment was conducted in the winter of 2003–2004 to assess the effect of varying photoperiod regime on consumption rate, assimilation rate, absorption efficiency, and gonad development of the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. Adult individuals were collected from the wild after they had been exposed to the ambient autumn photoperiod cue (which is the extraneous trigger thought to elicit gametogenesis in this species) and placed at ambient temperature for 12 weeks under five different photoperiod regimes: (1) 24 h light:0 h dark=“0D”, (2) 16 h light:8 h dark=“8D”, (3) 8 h light:16 h dark=“16D”, (4) 0 h light:24 h dark=“24D”, and (5) ambient photoperiod (range: 10.50–15.25 h dark). Urchins in these five treatments were fed ad libitum with bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana. A sixth treatment consisted of starved individuals held under 0D conditions. Various gonad factors including gonad index, percent gonad water, gonad colour (CIE lightness or L*, CIE hue or a*, and CIE chroma or b*), percent area occupation of the gonad by various cell types (nutritive phagocytes, spermatozoa, and secondary oocytes/ova), and stage of development were assessed at the beginning of the experiment and at weeks 4, 8, and 12 of the study. Consumption and assimilation rates were assessed at weeks 4 and 12 and absorption efficiency at week 12 of the experiment. Urchins were predominantly in the growing and premature stages at the beginning of the experiment, but by week 4 at least 20% of individuals in all treatments receiving food were classified as mature. Spawning occurred during all these treatments between weeks 4 and 8, as evidenced by significant decreases in spermatozoa and secondary oocytes/ova and a significant decrease in percent gonad water, but was not accompanied by major declines in gonad indices. Greater than 90% of individuals in all five of the fed treatments were in the recovering and growing stages at the end of the experiment. The 16D treatment had by far the greatest percentage of urchins in the growing stage. In contrast, individuals that were starved were predominantly in the mature stage at weeks 4, 8, and 12, with only ~30% reaching the spawning stage by the end of the experiment. Photoperiod significantly affected gonad indices at the termination of the experiment with gonad index being the highest in the 16D treatment; this was significantly greater than in the 8D and ambient treatments. Photoperiod did not significantly affect gonad percent water, gonad lightness, or gonad hue. Gonad chroma was significantly affected by photoperiod, urchins held under ambient conditions having significantly lower b* readings than individuals in any other treatment. Photoperiod had little or no affect on consumption rate, assimilation rate, or absorption efficiency. Thus, differences among treatments in regards to gonad index, gonad chroma, and stage of development cannot be attributed to variations in feeding, absorption, or assimilation. The results of this experiment indicate that once gametogenesis is initiated, photoperiod manipulation cannot prevent ultimate spawning. However, photoperiod regime can affect the rate at which urchins move through the various stages of the gametogenic cycle. Urchins placed on short days under artificial lighting (16D) moved through the spawning stage into recovering and growing stages the fastest. This photoperiod regime also produced the highest gonad index at the end of the experiment. Since the commercial urchin market prefers large gonads in the growing and premature stages (i.e. before the mature stage is reached and gonads start leaking sperm and eggs), short day-lengths under artificial lighting (16D) appear to be the best photoperiod conditions for optimizing marketability.     

Satellite tracking reveals a dichotomy in migration strategies among juvenile loggerhead turtles in the Northwest Atlantic

Few data are available on the movements and behavior of immature Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from their seasonal neritic foraging grounds within the western north Atlantic. These waters provide developmental habitat for loggerheads originating from several western Atlantic nesting stocks. We examined the long-term movements of 23 immature loggerheads (16 wild-caught and seven headstart turtles) characterizing their seasonal distribution, habitat use, site fidelity, and the oceanographic conditions encountered during their migrations. We identified two movement strategies: (1) a seasonal shelf-constrained north–south migratory pattern; and (2) a year-round oceanic dispersal strategy where turtles travel in the Gulf Stream to the North Atlantic and their northern dispersal is limited by the 10–15°C isotherm. When sea surface temperatures dropped below 20°C, neritic turtles began a migration south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (USA) where they established fidelity to the waters between North Carolina’s Outer Banks and the western edge of the Gulf Stream along outer continental shelf. Two turtles traveled as far south as Florida. Several turtles returned to their seasonal foraging grounds during subsequent summers. Northern movements were associated with both increased sea surface temperature (>21°C) and increased primary productivity. Our results indicate strong seasonal and interannual philopatry to the waters of Virginia (summer foraging habitat) and North Carolina (winter habitat). We suggest that the waters of Virginia and North Carolina provide important seasonal habitat and serve as a seasonal migratory pathway for immature loggerhead sea turtles. North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras acts as a seasonal “migratory bottleneck” for this species; special management consideration should be given to this region. Six turtles spent time farther from the continental shelf. Three entered the Gulf Stream near Cape Hatteras, traveling in the current to the northwest Atlantic. Two of these turtles remained within an oceanic habitat from 1 to 3 years and were associated with mesoscale features and frontal systems. The ability of large benthic subadults to resume an oceanic lifestyle for extended periods indicates plasticity in habitat use and migratory strategies. Therefore, traditional life history models for loggerhead sea turtles should be reevaluated.