Striped bass are both a major predator of native fishes and support a recreational fishery in the San Francisco Estuary (the estuary). Quantifying their demands on their prey is important for understanding long-term trends of fish in the estuary. In this study, we: (i) applied a bioenergetics model of sub-adult (age 1 and age 2) and adult (age 3+) striped bass (Morone saxatilis) to quantify long-term consumption patterns from 1969 through 2004 in the estuary; (ii) developed a method to estimate the abundances of sub-adult striped bass; (iii) evaluated how consumption varied by age and gender; and (iv) identified factors that affect the resulting consumption estimates. On a 'per capita' basis, modeled individual prey fish consumption increased after 1990, and individual total and prey fish consumption by age-2 striped bass increased after 1994. Conversely, individual total and prey fish consumption by adult striped bass decreased over the period analyzed. This decline in individual consumption over the study period was related to a decline in mean length at age of adults. As expected, long-term trends in population consumption (total and prey fish) by all ages of striped bass (ages 1 through 6) closely followed their respective population-abundance trends. Population total consumption and prey fish-specific consumption by sub-adult striped bass was found to be similar to the population consumption by adult striped bass, largely because of the high abundance of sub-adults. Unlike adult striped bass that may emigrate and forage in the Pacific Ocean, the majority of sub-adult striped bass reside within the estuary; hence, consumption by the relatively abundant sub-adult population may have significant effects upon their estuarine prey species.
Although seasonal floodplains represent one of the most dynamic and productive of aquatic ecosystems, the sources of this productivity are poorly understood. We examined composition and sources of chironomid drift in the Yolo Bypass, the primary floodplain of the Sacramento River. We found that invertebrate drift during winter floodplain inundation is dominated by a single species, the newly identified chironomid Hydrobaenus saetheri (Diptera: Chironomidae). In order to determine sources of chironomids in the Yolo Bypass, invertebrates were sampled from several potential sources prior to and during initial floodplain inundation. Rehydration of dried floodplain sediments from several locations showed that H. saetheri dominated insect emergence from this colonization pathway. By contrast, H. saetheri was not a substantial component of inundated floodplain ponds or of tributary inputs to the floodplain. We conclude that the initial pulse of invertebrate abundance in Yolo Bypass floodwaters is dominated by chironomid emergence from sediments in multiple regions of the floodplain.
Venus, with a surface temperature of 450°C and an atmospheric pressure 90 times higher than that of the Earth, is a difficult target for exploration. However, high-temperature electronics and power systems now being developed make it possible that future missions may be able to operate in the Venus environment. Powering such a rover within the scope of a Discovery class mission will be difficult, but harnessing Venus' surface winds provides a possible way to keep a powered rover small and light. This project scopes out the feasibility of a wind-powered rover for Venus surface missions. Two rover concepts, a landsailing rover and a wind-turbine-powered rover, were considered. The turbine-powered rover design is selected as being a low-risk and low-cost strategy. Turbine detailed analysis and design shows that the turbine can meet mission requirements across the desired range of wind speeds by utilizing three constant voltage generators at fixed gear ratios.
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