Coastal directories and beyond: providing multidisciplinary coastal zone resource information for resource management

Baseline resource information in an easily accessible form is a vital starting point for developing coastal zone management. On behalf of a wide-ranging group of organizations involved in the management of the U.K. maritime zone, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is compiling a series of 16 regional volumes. The volumes contain multi-disciplinary coastal zone resource information arranged in ten chapters under the general title ‘Coasts and Seas of the UK’. These volumes form part of a series of paper and electronic publications of coastal information being produced by JNCC’s Coastal Directories Project and are designed to meet the needs of planners and all others involved in decision-making and management of the coast.     

A new model for the CBL growth based on the turbulent kinetic energy equation

Starting from the evolution equation for the turbulent energy density spectrum (EDS), we develop a new model for the growth of the Convective boundary layer (CBL). We apply dimensional analysis to parameterize the unknown inertial transport and convective source term in the dynamic equation for the three-dimensional (3-D) spectrum and solve the 3-D EDS equation. The one-dimensional vertical spectrum is derived from the 3-D spectrum, employing a weight function. This allows us to select the magnitude of the vertical spectral component for the construction of the growing 3-D EDS. Furthermore, we employ the vertical component of the energy spectrum to calculate the eddy diffusivity (required in dispersion models). Currently there are no available experimental data to directly verify our EDS model.     

Ecological and hormonal correlates of antipredator behavior in adult Belding’s ground squirrels (Spermophilus beldingi)

Predator–prey relationships provide an excellent opportunity to study coevolved adaptations. Decades of theoretical and empirical research have illuminated the various behavioral adaptations exhibited by prey animals to avoid detection and capture, and recent work has begun to characterize physiological adaptations, such as immune reactions, metabolic changes, and hormonal responses to predators or their cues. A 2-year study quantified the activity budgets and antipredator responses of adult Belding’s ground squirrels (Spermophilus beldingi) living in three different California habitats and likely experiencing different predation pressures. At one of these sites, which is visually closed and predators and escape burrows are difficult to see, animals responding to alarm calls remain alert longer and show more exaggerated responses than adults living in two populations that likely experience less intense predation pressure. They also spend more time alert and less time foraging than adults at the other two sites. A 4-year study using noninvasive fecal sampling of cortisol metabolites revealed that S. beldingi living in the closed site also have lower corticoid levels than adults at the other two sites. The lower corticoids likely reflect that predation risk at this closed site is predictable, and might allow animals to mount large acute cortisol responses, facilitating escape from predators and enhanced vigilance while also promoting glucose storage for the approaching hibernation. Collectively, these data demonstrate that local environments and perceived predation risk influence not only foraging, vigilance, and antipredator behaviors, but adrenal functioning as well, which may be especially important for obligate hibernators that face competing demands on glucose storage and mobilization.     

Multiple stressors and amphibian declines: dual impacts of pesticides and fish on yellow-legged frogs.

More than 40% of Earth's 5700+ amphibian species have undergone recent declines. Despite the likely involvement of multiple factors in driving these declines, most studies continue to focus on single stressors. In California (USA), separate studies have implicated either introduced fish or pesticides as causal agents. To date, however, no study has simultaneously evaluated the respective roles of these two potential stressors nor attempted to assess their relative importance, information critical for the development of effective conservation efforts and environmental policies. We examined the role and relative effect of fish and pesticides on the mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa) using unusually detailed data sets for a large portion of R. muscosa's historic range in California's Sierra Nevada. Habitat characteristics and presence/absence of R. muscosa and fish were quantified at each of 6831 sites during field surveys. Pesticide use upwind of each site was calculated from pesticide application records and predominant wind directions. Using generalized additive models, we found that, after accounting for habitat effects, the probability of R. muscosa presence was significantly reduced by both fish and pesticides, with the landscape-scale effect of pesticides much stronger than that of fish. The degree to which a site was sheltered from the predominant wind (and associated pesticides) was also a significant predictor of R. muscosa presence. Taken together, these results represent the strongest evidence to date that windborne pesticides are contributing to amphibian declines in pristine locations. Our results suggest that amphibian declines may have complex multi-factorial causes, and caution that single-factor studies that demonstrate the importance of one factor should not be used as evidence against the importance of other factors.     

Effects of UV-B irradiation on growth and survival of Antarctic marine diatoms

Growth rate, survival, and stimulation of the production of UV-B (280 to 320 nm) absorbing compounds were investigated in cultures of five commonly occurring Antarctic marine diatoms exposed to a range of UV-B irradiances. Experimental UV-B exposures ranged from 20 to 650% of the measured peak surface irradiance at an Antarctic coastal site (0.533 J m^-2 s^-1). The five diatom species (Nitzschia lecointei, Proboscia alata, P. inermis, Thalassiosira tumida and Stellarima microtrias) appear capable of surviving two to four times this irradiance. In contrast to Phaeocystis cf. pouchetii, another major component of the Antarctic phytoplankton, the concentrations of pigments with discrete UV absorption peaks in diatoms were low and did not change significantly under increasing UV-B irradiance. Absorbance of UV-B by cells from which pigments had been extracted commonly greatly exceeded that of the pigments themselves. Most of this absorbance was due to oxidisable cell contents, with the frustule providing the remainder. Survival of diatoms did not correlate with absorption by either pigments, frustules or oxidisable cell contents, indicating that their survival under elevated UV-B irradiances results from processes other than screening mechanisms.     

Changes in nutrient content and stable isotope ratios of C and N during decomposition of seagrasses and mangrove leaves along a nutrient availability gradient in Florida Bay, USA

The decomposition of the mangrove Rhizophora mangle and the seagrass Thalassia testudinum was examined using litterbags along a natural gradient in nutrient availability. Seagrass leaves had a higher fraction of their biomass in the labile pool (57%), compared to mangrove leaves (36%) and seagrass rhizomes (29%); the overall decomposition rates of the starting material reflected the fractionation into labile and refractory components. There was no relationship between the N or P content of the starting material and the decomposition rate.

Nutrient availability had no influence on decomposition rate, and mass was lost at the same rate from litterbags that were buried in the sediment and litterbags that were left on the sediment surface. The dynamics of N and P content during decomposition varied as a function of starting material and burial state. N content of decomposing mangrove leaves increased, but seagrass rhizomes decreased in N content during decomposition while there was no change in seagrass leaf N content. These same general patterns held for P content, but buried seagrass leaves increased in P content while surficial leaves decreased. δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N changed by as much as 2‰ during decomposition.     

Stratified flow interactions with a suspended canopy

Field observations of the interactions between a stratified flow and a canopy suspended from the free surface above a solid boundary are described and analysed. Data were recorded in and around the canopy formed by a large long-line mussel farm. The canopy causes a partial blockage of the water flow, reducing velocities in the upper water column. Deceleration of the approaching flow results in a deepening of isopycnals upstream of the canopy. Energy considerations show that the potential for an approaching stratified flow to be diverted beneath a porous canopy is indicated by a densimetric Froude number. Strong stratification or low-velocities inhibit vertical diversion beneath the canopy, instead favouring a horizontal diversion around the sides. The effect on vertical mixing is also considered with a shear layer generated beneath the canopy and turbulence generated from drag within the canopy. In the observations, stratification is shown to be of sufficient strength to limit the effectiveness of the first mixing process, while the turbulence within the canopy is likely to enhance vertical exchange. Velocity and temperature microstructure measurements are used to investigate the effect of the canopy on turbulent dissipation and show that dissipation is enhanced within the canopy.     

The role of herbicides in the erosion of salt marshes in eastern England

Laboratory studies and field trials were conducted to investigate the role of herbicides on saltmarsh vegetation, and their possible significance to saltmarsh erosion. Herbicide concentrations within the ranges present in the aquatic environment were found to reduce the photosynthetic efficiency and growth of both epipelic diatoms and higher saltmarsh plants in the laboratory and in situ. The addition of sublethal concentrations of herbicides resulted in decreased growth rates and photosynthetic efficiency of diatoms and photosynthetic efficiency of higher plants. Sediment stability also decreased due to a reduction in diatom EPS production. There was qualitative evidence that diatoms migrated deeper into the sediment when the surface was exposed to simazine, reducing surface sediment stability by the absence of a cohesive biofilm. Sediment loads on leaves severely reduced photosynthesis in Limonium vulgare. This, coupled with reduced carbon assimilation from the effects of herbicides, could have large negative consequences for plant productivity and over winter survival of saltmarsh plants. The data support the hypothesis that sublethal herbicide concentrations could be playing a role in the increased erosion of salt marshes that has occurred over the past 40 years.     

Levels of cadmium and zinc in soil and plants following the toxic spill from a pyrite mine,Aznalcollar, Spain

On 25 April 1998, a breach of the tailings dam of the Los Frailes pyrite mine in southwestern Spain resulted in the release of 6 million m3 of acidic water and toxic sludge high in heavy metals. Contaminated material extended 40 km downstream, affecting agricultural land and parts of the wildlife-rich Do?ana Natural and National Parks, including the Entremuros, a very important area for birds. We report on the concentrations, distributions and bioavailability of zinc and cadmium in soil and vegetation from the Entremuros in November 1998 and October 1999, following 2 'cleanup' operations. Levels of Zn and Cd in soil increased significantly over this period, although this was not reflected consistently in metal concentrations in emergent macrophytes. We recommend monitoring of further cleanup attempts in order to develop means of minimizing potential impacts to wildlife in the area.     

Recommendations on the use of satellite remote-sensing data for urban air quality

In the last 5 yr, the capabilities of earth-observing satellites and the technological tools to share and use satellite data have advanced sufficiently to consider using satellite imagery in conjunction with ground-based data for urban-scale air quality monitoring. Satellite data can add synoptic and geospatial information to ground-based air quality data and modeling. An assessment of the integrated use of ground-based and satellite data for air quality monitoring, including several short case studies, was conducted. Findings identified current U.S. satellites with potential for air quality applications, with others available internationally and several more to be launched within the next 5 yr; several of these sensors are described in this paper as illustrations. However, use of these data for air quality applications has been hindered by historical lack of collaboration between air quality and satellite scientists, difficulty accessing and understanding new data, limited resources and agency priorities to develop new techniques, ill-defined needs, and poor understanding of the potential and limitations of the data. Specialization in organizations and funding sources has limited the resources for cross-disciplinary projects. To successfully use these new data sets requires increased collaboration between organizations, streamlined access to data, and resources for project implementation.