This laboratory study examined the relationship between substrate texture and movement speed of the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. We assessed the movement speed of 14 sea urchins placed on either acrylic, or three types of waterproof sandpaper, on the bottom of a water tank. Images were taken at regular intervals and analyzed to determine the speed of each sea urchin. Light intensity was stronger at one end of the tank. Our analysis showed sea urchins moved away from light, at a speed that was negatively correlated with the roughness of the substrate, with slower movement on rougher surfaces. This result has implications for the design of equipment for capturing sea urchins in areas where their explosive population growth presents a threat to algal growth and reef environments.
This study investigates the development of an automatic lightening buoy that can indicate an aquaculture cage at night or in rough weather. The energy for the light is generated by the linear motion of a magnet along with a coil inside the buoy as the waves cause the buoy to oscillate up and down. The principle of the magnet motion is different between the magnet and body of the buoy because the movement of the latter is dependent on the surface wave, while the former is affected by the damper. To obtain a quantitative performance of the buoy, the voltage as well as up and down motion produced by several waves were measured in the wave tank. A shorter wave period, i.e., faster motion, of the magnet produced a brighter light. It is expected that this study can aid in deciding the optimum design of a buoy capable of producing a bright light at any aquaculture site affected by sea or fresh water waves.
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