Ornamental Marine Species Culture in the Coral Triangle: Seahorse Demonstration Project in the Spermonde Islands,Sulawesi, Indonesia

Ornamental marine species (‘OMS’) provide valuable income for developing nations in the Indo-Pacific Coral Triangle, from which most of the specimens are exported. OMS culture can help diversify livelihoods in the region, in support of management and conservation efforts to reduce destructive fishing and collection practices that threaten coral reef and seagrass ecosystems. Adoption of OMS culture depends on demonstrating its success as a livelihood, yet few studies of OMS culture exist in the region. We present a case study of a land-based culture project for an endangered seahorse (Hippocampus barbouri) in the Spermonde Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia. The business model demonstrated that culturing can increase family income by seven times. A Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis indicated good collaboration among diverse stakeholders and opportunities for culturing non-endangered species and for offshoot projects, but complicated permitting was an issue as were threats of market flooding and production declines. The OMS international market is strong, Indonesian exporters expressed great interest in cultured product, and Indonesia is the largest exporting country for H. barbouri. Yet, a comparison of Indonesia ornamental marine fish exports to fish abundance in a single local market indicated that OMS culture cannot replace fishing livelihoods. Nevertheless, seahorse and other OMS culture can play a role in management and conservation by supplementing and diversifying the fishing and collecting livelihoods in the developing nations that provide the majority of the global OMS.     

Genetic population structure in a commercial marine invertebrate with long-lived lecithotrophic larvae: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumaria</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">frondosa</Emphasis> (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

The patterns of genetic diversity and connectivity were investigated in Cucumaria frondosa, the most abundant sea cucumber in the North Atlantic, to assist in the management and conservation of this ecologically important marine invertebrate, which is the target of an emerging fishery. Mitochondrial DNA COI sequences of 334 C. frondosa were obtained and analyzed, mainly from its western North Atlantic range, where the commercial fishery is being developed, with complementary sampling in the mid- and eastern North Atlantic. Analysis of molecular variance showed no significant (P > 0.05) differences among subpopulations in the western region suggesting that it constitutes one panmictic population. The same analysis showed low, but significant differences between eastern and western Atlantic populations. Coalescent analyses using isolation with migration models and a Bayesian skyline plot indicated historical divergence and a general increase in population size prior to the last glacial maximum and highly asymmetric gene flow (nearly 100 times lower from west to east) between sea cucumbers from North America and Norway. Results suggest that subpopulations of C. frondosa within the western North Atlantic have been highly connected. We propose that aided by the high-connectivity local subpopulations can recover rapidly from natural (i.e., ice ages) or anthropogenic (i.e., overfishing) population declines through recruitment from deep refugia.     

Regional differences in behaviour in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus): dyadic encounters

North Scandinavian bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) differ from south Scandinavian conspecifics both in population dynamics and in activity, social behaviour, density-related sensitivity in sexual maturation and in reproduction. Some ecologists think that cyclically fluctuating rodents are particularly aggressive, at least in certain cycle phases. This hypothesis was tested in dyadic encounters between animals from southern and northern Sweden, respectively. Univariate analyses showed significant differences between regions in four separate behavioural traits, but not in behaviour related to aggression. Laboratory breeding for several generations did not affect the level of aggressivity. Multivariate analyses revealed two main components of activity and sociability, both with regional variation. Activity components (also including “freezing” behaviour) were chiefly related to age while sociability showed mainly regional variation. Differences observed may be due to the geographic location or earlier cyclicity, as the cyclic pattern was weak at the time when the test animals were sampled. An adaptation to high-density situations appears likely as the sympatric field vole (Microtus agrestis) shows similar regional differences although it lives in a different habitat. Cyclic animals appear to disperse at increasing densities while non-cyclic animals show clumped distributions. Received: 19 February 1996/Accepted after revision: 17 August 1996     

Obstacles for CCS deployment: an analysis of discrepancies of perceptions

The potential for CO₂ emission reductions through carbon capture and storage (CCS) is depending on investments that can bring the technology from the current R&D through to commercial applications. The intermediate step in this development is demonstration plants that can prove the technical, economic, social, and ecological feasibility of CCS technologies. Based on a CCS stakeholder questionnaire survey and a literature review, we critically analyse discrepancies regarding perceptions of deployment obstacles and experiences from early demonstration plants. The analysis identifies discrepancies between CCS policies versus important deployment considerations and CCS stakeholder policy demands. The discrepancy gap is emphasised by lessons from restructured, postponed, and cancelled CCS projects. To bridge this cognitive gap towards proving CCS through demonstration activities, the article highlights policy implications of establishing a broad understanding of deployment obstacles. Attention to these obstacles is important for policymakers and industry in channelling efforts to demonstrating CCS, hence validating the current focus on CCS as a key abatement potential. Under present conditions, the findings question the robustness of current CCS abatement potential estimates and deployment goals as established by policymakers and in scenarios.     

Emissions from a controlled fire in municipal solid waste bales

Environmental and safety aspects of seasonal storage of baled municipal solid waste to be used as fuel for energy production (waste fuel), was investigated and experiments were carried out on burning of bales. The flammability, combustion processes and emissions were studied by simulating, in small-scale, potential effects of a possible fire in full-scale bale storage area. Despite the high water content and the high density of the bales, after setting fire, the bales burned well, even though no risk for self-ignition exists. The following parameters of the combustion product were measured continuously: O2, CO2, CO, SO2, NO, NO2, NOx, THC, smoke gas rate and the temperature of the smoke. Soot particles in the smoke were collected and analysed for Hg, Pb, Cd, As, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cu, Co, Sb and V concentrations. The analysis of the moisture content, concentrations of Hg, Cd, HCl, HF, HBr, NH3, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), chlorinated and brominated dioxins (PCDD/F and PBrDD/F, respectively) were carried out. It was found that the PCDD/F levels (TEQs) varied according to the system used: 12.53 ng (I-TEF-88)/Nm3; 14.09 ng (I-TEF-99)/Nm3; 13.86 ng (Eadons)/Nm3. The PAH concentration was 3.04 microg/Nm3. The contents of the metals in the smoke (with the exceptions of Pb and Cd with mean values of 1.74 and 0.36 mg/m3, respectively) were below the limit values established by the Swedish Ministry of Environment for emissions from incineration plants [Swedish Ministry of Environment, (2002:1060), F?rordning 2002:1060 om avfallsf?rbr?nning. Available from http://www.notisum.se/rnp/SLS/LAG/20021060.HTM]/EU-directive [(2000/76/EC), Directive 2000/76/EC, of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 December 2000 on the Incineration of Waste. http://www.Scotland. gov.uk/library5/environment/iecda.pdf]. The HCl concentration was 10 times higher than the limit value (mean value of 99 mg/m3).     

New epizooic symbioses between sponges of the genera Plakortis and Xestospongia in cryptic habitats of the Caribbean

Three new cases of sponge symbiosis between species of Plakortis and Xestospongia were found in reef caves and mesophotic reef habitats of the Caribbean. Plakortis sp. 1 from the Bahamas associates exclusively with Xestospongia deweerdtae which was originally described living freely on the deep fore-reef and caves of Jamaica. In addition, we found Plakortis sp. 2 from Puerto Rico which associates with both X. deweerdtae and a different Xestospongia sp. Sponge specimens were identified using cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequence fragments, spicule analysis, and histological sections with SEM. Unlike previous sponge pairs, Xestospongia spp. not only grew as a thin veneer of tissue over the Plakortis host sponge but through the mesohyl, forming inner channels (0.1–1 cm) that may provide a benefit by facilitating more efficient water transport through the dense Plakortis tissue. Symbioses with both Plakortis spp. were documented from an early recruit stage through adulthood. Spicule measurements conducted on symbiotic versus free-living X. deweerdtae revealed significantly smaller spicule sizes for symbiotic individuals, suggesting a cost in terms of silicon availability, or a benefit in terms of a lower investment in skeleton synthesis for support. This study reveals new specialized symbiotic associations between distantly related sponge genera that likely represent an alternative strategy of adaptation for life in reef caves and mesophotic reefs.     

A performance-based tabular approach for joint systematic improvement of risk control and resilience applied to telecommunication grid,gas network,and ultrasound localization system

Environment Systems and Decisions - Organizational and technical approaches have proven successful in increasing the performance and preventing risks at socio-technical systems at all scales....