Welfare and Environmental Implications of Farmed Sea Turtles

Various captivity-related health problems have been described as arising in the farming of sea turtles at the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF). Our study included a desktop review of turtle farming, direct onsite inspection at the CTF, assessment of visual materials and reports provided by investigators from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), and a limited analysis of water quality for potential pathogens. In particular, we assessed physical and behavioural condition of animals for signs of stress, injury and disease. During the onsite inspection we identified three distinct signs of physical injury and disease, six distinct signs of abnormal and problematic arousal- and discomfort-related behaviour; and three distinct signs of normal quiescence- and comfort-related behaviour. On evaluation of evidence provided by the WSPA we identified ten distinct signs of physical injury and disease, and management- or genetic-related conditions; six distinct signs of abnormal and problematic arousal- and discomfort-related behaviour; and three distinct signs of normal quiescence- and comfort-related behaviour. We conclude that sea turtles at the CTF manifested important physical and behavioural signs that are indicative of problematic management and captivity-related stress, and the limitations of sea turtle adaptive plasticity in captivity. The problematic physical and behavioural signs, in our view, related to the inherent nature of intensive turtle propagation which in particular involves overt- and crypto-overcrowding and understimulating environments, and an associated failure to meet all the physical, biological and innate behavioural needs of sea turtles.     

EFFECTIVENESS OF POLYACRYLAMIDE (PAM) IN IMPROVING RUNOFF WATER QUALITY FROM CONSTRUCTION SITES1

ABSTRACT: Erosion from construction sites significantly affects water quality in receiving streams. A rainfall simulator was used to evaluate the effectiveness of different methods for controlling erosion from construction sites. Erosion control methods investigated included dry and liquid applications of polyacrylamide (PAM), hydroseed, and straw mulch. Fertilizer was also applied to each plot to examine the effectiveness of the methods in reducing nutrient losses in runoff. Runoff samples were analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), nitrate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ammonium, total phosphorus (TP), and orthophosphate. Among all treatments investigated, straw mulch was the most effective treatment for controlling TSS and nutrient losses during short term and long term simulations. The low liquid PAM (half the recommended PAM) treatment resulted in the highest reduction in runoff, TSS bound nitrogen, and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations and loadings. The study results indicate that a high application rate (twice the recommended rate) of PAM could actually increase runoff and TSS losses. At a low application rate, both liquid and dry PAM were effective in reducing TSS and nutrient losses in runoff. However, application of the liquid form of PAM to construction sites is more practical and perhaps more economical than applying the PAM in the dry form.     

Utility of North Atlantic Right Whale Museum Specimens for Assessing Changes in Genetic Diversity

Abstract: We examined six historical specimens of the endangered North Atlantic right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis ) using DNA isolated from documented baleen plates from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sequences from the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region from these samples were compared with those from a near-exhaustive survey (269 of approximately 320 individuals) of the remaining right whales in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Our results suggest that there has been only relatively modest change in maternal lineage diversity over the past century in the North Atlantic right whale population. Any significant reduction in genetic variation in the species most likely occurred prior to the late nineteenth century. One historical specimen was from the last documented female capable of propagating one of the maternal lineages in the population today; no females in the existing population have been found to carry this mtDNA haplotype. Analysis of the only specimens from the eastern North Atlantic right whale population ever to be examined revealed that eastern and western North Atlantic right whales may not have been genetically differentiated populations. Loss of gene diversity experienced by North Atlantic right whales over the last century has been modest, and the six decades of protection have been successful in maintaining much of the maternal lineage diversity that was present in the late nineteenth century.     

The consequences of failure should be considered in siting geologic carbon sequestration projects

Geologic carbon sequestration is the injection of anthropogenic CO₂ into deep geologic formations where the CO₂ is intended to remain indefinitely. If successfully implemented, geologic carbon sequestration will have little or no impact on terrestrial ecosystems aside from the mitigation of climate change. However, failure of a geologic carbon sequestration site, such as large-scale leakage of CO₂ into a potable groundwater aquifer, could cause impacts that would require costly remediation measures. Governments are attempting to develop regulations for permitting geologic carbon sequestration sites to ensure their safety and effectiveness. At present, these regulations focus largely on decreasing the probability of failure. In this paper we propose that regulations for the siting of early geologic carbon sequestration projects should emphasize limiting the consequences of failure because consequences are easier to quantify than failure probability.     

A simulation model of population dynamics of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella

A simulation model has been developed that predicts numbers and phenology of a population of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), in an apple orchard. The model is a general insect population model based on the interative-cohort technique. It operates at two time scales: a fine time scale (1 h) for temperature-dependent physiological processes, and a coarse time scale (1 day) for population processes. The population is divided into a specifiable number of stages, and each stage is described by four process functions, which may be of any convenient mathematical form, and may differ among stages. Each stage is divided into cohorts of individuals born or emerged on the same day, and individuals within a cohort are considered probabilistically identical. The model simulates the processes of development, transition among stages, and mortality by using probability distributions representing these processes, and incorporates the effects of pesticides on mortality of the insect. Model output was evaluated by comparison with records of pheromone trap catches of codling moths in commercial apple orchards in North Carolina. The model predicts timing of the first spring flight well, depending on the initial age distribution used. Time between peaks of numbers of adults in the model is about 15 days longer than the observed period between flight peaks in orchards. Sensitivity analysis indicates that this discrepancy may be related to differences between measured ambient temperature and tree canopy temperature. The sensitivities of numbers of insects produced by the model, and timing of peaks in numbers present were determined for each of the parameters in the model. The parameters with greatest effect on the model output were those which control the locations of developmental rate functions and survival functions on the temperature scale. In the model, pesticides had a much larger effect on numbers of adults present than records of moths caught in pheromone traps indicate actually occurred, suggesting that moths caught in traps in commercial orchards where effective pesticides are applied may be largely immigrants.     

Multiple-resource modeling as a tool for conservation: Its applicability in Mexico

The current Mexican environmental law provides the legal basis for comprehensive land-use planning. Under the law, development of natural ecosystems must combine goals, policies, and practices towards the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of biological diversity. Thus, ecosystem manipulation must be able to counter fragmentation of natural ecosystems and isolation of natural reserves, while providing for human needs. Assessment of the potential of natural ecosystems and management impacts are required. Multiple-resource simulation is an assessment and land-use planning tool that permits managers and decision makers to comply with the law, providing a flexible, user-oriented system that can meet the needs of managers, conservationists, and researchers. A multiple-resource model and an example of how it can be applied to meet planning needs is presented for discussion.     

Invasion costs,impacts, and human agency: response to Sagoff 2020

Article impact statement: In an era of profound biodiversity crisis, invasion costs, invader impacts, and human agency should not be dismissed.     

Environmental emergency decision support system based on Artificial Neural Network

We present a general methodology for developing environmental emergency decision support systems (EEDSS) based on an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). We highlight the method for developing the system using an illustrative example of an unexpected atmospheric accident with an ANN prototype system for a district in Shanghai. The network architecture of the ANN is introduced. Then the development process and key technologies are addressed. The procedures for matching the environmental emergency decision support characteristics are as follows: (1) digitization (coding) of case information and emergency measures, in which the information of cases are divided into the input attributes and decision-making information, and standardized and digitized through the Feature Evaluation (FE) method and the Intensity Hierarchical (IH) method, respectively; (2) construction of environmental emergency ANN, in which Gradient Descent with Momentum and Adaptive Learning Rate (GDMALR) method (traingdx function), a modified back-propagation algorithm, is employed to do training; and (3) translation (decoding) of decision-making information, in which output data of ANN is interpreted into practical contingency measures with Translation Based on Conventional Import Ratios (TBCIR) method. The training features, time, errors, accuracy, and input attribute weights of the prototype system are analyzed. The usage of the prototype system is demonstrated through a hypothetical case. This article encounters the challenge of ANN’s own lack of training samples. We discuss to the concept of integrating Case-Based Reasoning (CBR), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and ANN to overcome this difficulty and form a technology system for generating useful decision support information for environmental emergency response.