Algal turf assemblages of the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, were sampled to determine the nutritional value of detritus and algae. Samples were collected with a suction apparatus across an exposure gradient from (1) the reef crest at highly exposed outer barrier reefs, (2) the reef crest of moderately exposed midshelf reefs, and (3) the reef slope of sheltered midshelf reefs. The biomass of algae and detritus decreased from sheltered midshelf reefs to moderately exposed midshelf reefs to highly exposed outer barrier reefs. This decrease was significant only for detritus (P Ͻ 0.005). Wave energies were calculated across the exposure gradient with the wave model WAMGBR. Detrital mass was inversely correlated with predicted wave energies and fitted a polynomial relationship (P Ͻ 0.001) and explained 52.8% of the variation. A similar relationship was also found between algal mass and wave energy (P Ͻ 0.001) but only explained 30.0% of the variation. The nutritional value of samples in protein amino acids and starch was assessed. The amino acid composition of detritus and algae was similar and not considered nutritionally different, whereas the concentration of protein amino acids was significantly (P Ͻ 0.001) higher in detritus (21.2 Ϯ 2.0 mg g Ϫ1 ) than in algae (11.8 Ϯ 1.0 mg g Ϫ1 ). Starch content was significantly (P Ͻ 0.05) higher in algae (7.7 Ϯ 0.9 mg g Ϫ1 ) than in detritus (6.0 Ϯ 1.0 mg g Ϫ1). These results demonstrate that detritus is a potentially valuable food source to grazing fishes on coral reefs.Two predominant views of coral reef trophic biology are that shallow-water epilithic algal communities (EAC) are the major sites of primary production and that grazing fish and invertebrates are the predominant consumers of this resource (Hatcher 1997). Grazing fish are classified as herbivores and are assumed to derive the significant component of their nutrition through consumption, digestion, and assimilation of living turf algae
Basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus have undergone widespread historic exploitation in the northeast Atlantic and are of conservation concern. A greater knowledge of their spatial and temporal habitat use is required to better inform subsequent monitoring and management strategies. Techniques such as light-based geolocation have provided great insights into individual movements, but currently available data do not permit extrapolation to the population level. Public recording schemes may, however, help to fill shortfalls in data gathering, especially when analysed in conjunction with data from these other techniques. We analysed 11 781 records (from 1988 to 2008) from 2 public recording databases operating in the UK. We describe 3 sightings hotspots: western Scotland, Isle of Man and southwest England, and highlight the marked seasonality of basking shark sightings, which were at their greatest during the northeast Atlantic summer (June to August). We further highlight a significant correlation between the duration of the sightings season in each year and the North Atlantic Oscillation, an atmosphere−ocean climate oscillation that has been linked to forcing of marine ecosystems. We augment patterns from public sightings records with effort-related data collected by boat-based transects at 2 regional sightings hotspots (western Scotland and southwest England). Analysis of reported body size data indicated that the annual proportion of small sharks (< 4 m length) sighted by the public decreased, the proportion of medium-sized sharks sighted (4−6 m) increased, and the proportion of large sharks sighted (> 6 m) remained constant. These patterns may be indicative of a population recovery following systematic harvesting in the 20th century. KEY WORDS: Basking shark · Cetorhinus maximus · Public sightings · Citizen-science · Marine vertebrates · ConservationResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher Mar Ecol Prog Ser 459: 121-134, 2012 (see Hammerschlag et al. 2011 andGodley et al. 2008 for examples of taxon-specific reviews), the method can only provide information at the level of the individual, and scaling observed behaviours to infer population level insights is complex. However, with comprehensive coverage and large sample sizes (Hawkes et al. 2011), or by synthesizing data from multiple taxa (Burger & Shaffer 2008, Block et al. 2011, such insights can be gained.More knowledge, but at a coarse scale (spatial and temporal), on the abundance, distribution and be haviour of large marine vertebrates can be obtained using dedicated in situ census techniques, such as distance surveying (Buckland et al. 2001), which can provide wide spatial scale 'snap-shots' of distribution and abundance and help highlight regions of relative importance, e.g. the SCANS II project for small ceta ceans (Hammond 2006). These types of approaches can be expensive and, in general, monitoring programmes are of comparatively short durations when compared to the multi-decadal lifespans of long-lived...
Cetacean species and their habitats are under threat and effective marine management mitigation strategies require knowledge and understanding of cetacean ecology. This requires data that are challenging and expensive to obtain; incidental sightings/strandings data are potential underused resources. In this study, incidental cetacean sightings (N = 6631) and strandings (N = 1856) in coastal waters of Cornwall, south-west Britain (1991 to 2008) were analysed for evidence of spatial and temporal patterns or trends. Eighteen species were recorded sighted and/or stranded; key species were identified as bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). There were significant decreases in bottlenose dolphin sightings and pod size but an increase in harbour porpoise and minke whale sightings. Cetacean strandings showed a recent decrease over time although there was a significant positive trend in harbour porpoise strandings that correlated with sightings. Incidence of sightings and strandings were both greater on the south coast than the north coast. When Marine Tour Operator data were analysed, distinct species-specific inshore and offshore habitat use was evident. With rigorous interrogation and editing, significant patterns and trends were gained from incidentally collected data, highlighting the importance of public engagement with such recording schemes and the potential of these underused resources.
Several types of water treatment technologies including adsorption are now being used to treat polluted water. In this paper the removal of phenol by adsorption will be discussed. Activated carbons are successfully applied for purification of potable water and the removal of organic pollutants in wastwater. This paper is concerned with a low cost approach to treating waste water that is significant especially for those countries where oil palm is an available agricultural product like Malaysia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Thailand, Papua New Guinea. In the coastal region coconut is an available agricultural product and activated carbon prepared using coconut shell is also an economical method of water treatment. The materials used in this study were Commercial Activated Carbon (CAC), prepared from coconut shell and Modified Oil Palm Shell (MOPAS) of 1 to 2 mm diameters. The surface area of CAC and MOPAS was 38.5 m2/g and 38.2 m2/g respectively and the iodine number was determined as 674 and 454 for CAC and MOPAS, respectively. From the study the result shows above 70% removal efficiency for 5 mg/L and 40% removal efficiency for 20 mg/L of phenol solution. The performance efficiency will be discussed based on batch test, following Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The results indicate that CAC exhibits a higher adsorptive capacity (Kf of 0.079) as compared to MOPAS (Kf of 0.048). Hence a better removal efficiency for CAC at lower concentration of phenol. Results from column tests show a better adsorptive capacity for CAC (2.73) as compared to MOPAS (2.48).
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