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Selected AbstractsENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES (EUBALAENA AUSTRALIS) ON THE SOUTH COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA I: BROAD SCALE PATTERNSMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2004Simon H. Elwen Abstract Aerial surveys over the last 32 yr have shown that the distribution of southern right whales Eubalaena australis along the south coast of South Africa is markedly discontinuous, but highly predictable. A GIS was used at a variety of scales to investigate whether this pattern was related to environmental characteristics. Whale distribution was analyzed as density per 20-min bin of longitude over two temporal and spatial scales, namely 15 bins for 32 yr, and a wider scale but shorter time period, 23 bins for 19 yr, as well as using three years of GPS accuracy data (15 bins) for finer scale analysis. Environmental factors tested were depth, distance from shore, sea floor slope, protection from swell, protection from wind, and shore type. The majority of whales were concentrated in areas that provided reasonable protection from open ocean swell and seasonal winds, and had sedimentary floors with gentle slopes. They generally avoided exposed rocky shorelines. Cow-calf pairs were found significantly closer to shore and in shallower water than unaccompanied whales, particularly off sandy beaches. Habitat choice at this time of year may be related both to energy conservation for calves and lactating females (calm sea conditions) and to protection of the new-born. [source] ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES (EUBALAENA AUSTRALIS) ON THE SOUTH COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA II: WITHIN BAY DISTRIBUTIONMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2004Simon H. Elwen Abstract Environmental factors are thought to strongly influence the distribution and predictability of the coastal distribution of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) off South Africa. Preferred habitat had generally shallow sloping sedimentary floors and was characteristically protected from open ocean swell and prevalent seasonal winds. This study investigated whether habitat choices at smaller scales (within bays) were similar. Fine scale distribution patterns (GPS) from three years' surveys (1997, 1999, 2000) were analyzed separately within the three main concentration areas St Sebastian Bay, De Hoop, and Walker Bay (containing ,73% of cow-calf pairs and ,49% of unaccompanied adults in the whole survey region). Whale density at this scale of within particular bays did not correlate well with predicted variables, but Chi-squared analysis strongly supported results at broader scales, in all bays. Post-hoc"choice" tests between similar areas differing in only one variable revealed that cow-calves preferred (presumed) sandy substrates and especially protection from swell. The strength and predictability of preferences shown at fine scale (where individual movement and weather variability could have great influence) provide strong support for findings at larger scales and emphasize the importance of environmental factors in the habitat choice of wintering right whales. [source] Hydrogeological and Hydrogeochemical Studies for Salt Water Intrusion on the South Coast of Laizhou Bay, ChinaGROUND WATER, Issue 1 2000Yuqun Xue Sea water intrusion has occurred on the east and southeast coasts of Laizhou Bay, China, since the 1970s (Wu et al. 1993). In 1981, on the adjacent south coast, the intrusion of salt water originating from brine was observed. In this area, the salt water intrusion was caused by the excessive pumping of fresh water in aquifers. Moreover, the simultaneous pumping of fresh water and salt water/brine formed a complicated ground water flow field. The data obtained from observation wells were used to analyze the origin of the salt water and brine, and the genesis of the bicarbonate/sodium water zone. All data suggest that the brine originated from ancient sea water, and that the bicarbonate/sodium water was formed by cation exchange. The variations of chemical compositions along representative flowpaths and the relationships between such variations and salt water intrusion were also discussed. [source] Variation of metallothionein and metal concentrations in the digestive gland of the clam Ruditapes decussatus: Sex and seasonal effectsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2001Maria A. Serafim Abstract Metallothionein (MT) and metal (Cd, Cu, and Zn) concentrations were determined in the digestive gland of male and female Ruditapes decussatus. Clams were collected monthly during the period of sexual development, from June to September, at two different sites of a coastal lagoon, the Ria Formosa Lagoon, on the south coast of Portugal. The MT concentrations were determined in the heat-treated cytosolic fraction of the digestive gland of both male and female clams. Total metal (Cd, Cu, and Zn) concentrations in the heat-treated cytosol of the digestive gland were also determined in both sexes. The MT and metal concentrations in the digestive gland were not sex dependent in this species. Therefore, these results suggest that random samples can be used to determine MT and metal concentrations in the digestive gland of R. decussatus. Seasonal and site-specific dependency, however, were detected for MT, Cd, and Cu concentrations. The maximum concentration levels of MT, Cd, and Cu were detected in July and August for both sexes in the same area. Zinc concentrations, however, did not show marked seasonal variations, indicating that this species is able to regulate zinc concentrations. The highest MT concentrations were significantly related to the highest metal concentrations. [source] Hydrogeological and Hydrogeochemical Studies for Salt Water Intrusion on the South Coast of Laizhou Bay, ChinaGROUND WATER, Issue 1 2000Yuqun Xue Sea water intrusion has occurred on the east and southeast coasts of Laizhou Bay, China, since the 1970s (Wu et al. 1993). In 1981, on the adjacent south coast, the intrusion of salt water originating from brine was observed. In this area, the salt water intrusion was caused by the excessive pumping of fresh water in aquifers. Moreover, the simultaneous pumping of fresh water and salt water/brine formed a complicated ground water flow field. The data obtained from observation wells were used to analyze the origin of the salt water and brine, and the genesis of the bicarbonate/sodium water zone. All data suggest that the brine originated from ancient sea water, and that the bicarbonate/sodium water was formed by cation exchange. The variations of chemical compositions along representative flowpaths and the relationships between such variations and salt water intrusion were also discussed. [source] Age and growth, mortality, reproduction and relative yield per recruit of the bogue, Boops boops Linné, 1758 (Sparidae), from the Algarve (south of Portugal) longline fisheryJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 5 2006P. Monteiro Summary Samples of Boops boops ranging from 7.4 to 30.5 cm were obtained mainly by longline, supplemented by beach seining in the Ria Formosa lagoon, and by market sampling in the Algarve (southern Portugal). The macroscopic analyses of the gonads and the gonad somatic index showed that the south coast of Portugal B. boops spawn mainly from late winter to spring, between February and May. The length at first maturity was similar for males and females and the value for both sexes combined was estimated to be 15.22 cm, corresponding to an age range of 1,3. Age was determined by reading growth bands on otoliths. Age determination was validated by marginal increment analysis. The estimated parameters were L, = 28.06, K = 0.22 and t0 = ,1.42. Mortality rates were calculated for fish captured with longlines, and the estimated parameters were M = 0.33, Z = 1.04 and F = 0.71. Relative yield per recruit analysis and sensitivity analysis showed that the resource is moderately exploited. From the perspective of sustainability, these results provide support for the use of longlines as a gear that is among the least harmful for species such as the bogue. [source] Weight,length relationships for eight species of the family Triglidae discarded on the south coast of PortugalJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 4 2006S. Olim Summary Gurnards or triglids are medium-size marine bottom fishes that live in tropical and temperate seas. Four genera (Aspitrigla, Chelidonichthys, Lepidotrigla, Trigla) and eight species are found in the eastern Atlantic. In this study, we report the weight,length relationships for eight species, with 75 specimens of A. cuculus, 45 of C. obscurus, 84 C. gurnardus, 21 C. lucernus, 45 C. lastoviza, 550 L. cavillone, 255 L. dieuzeidei and 40 T. lyra. These triglids were caught by three different methods: crustacean trawl, fish trawl and purse seine off the Algarve coast; all specimens sampled were part of the discards. Samples were obtained from depths ranging between 20 and 540 m, during 27 trips and 86 hauls. To the best knowledge of the authors, this study presents the first reference on weight,length relationships for four fish species from the Algarve coast (southern Portugal). [source] Growth and reproductive biology of the foxfish Bodianus frenchii, a very long-lived and monandric protogynous hermaphroditic labridJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010S. Cossington Samples of the foxfish Bodianus frenchii, collected over reefs on the lower west and south coasts of Western Australia, contained individuals ranging up to 78 years old. Although B. frenchii is far smaller than many other species within the Labridae, its maximum age is the greatest yet recorded for this highly speciose family and, together with Achoerodus gouldii, provides an example of a temperate hypsigenyine with exceptional longevity. Length and age compositions of females and males and the histological characteristics of gonads of a wide length range of individuals demonstrated that B. frenchii is a protogynous hermaphrodite. Furthermore, as, on both coasts, the length of the smallest male was greater than that at which all females had become mature, B. frenchii is a monandric protogynous hermaphrodite, i.e. all of its males are derived from functional females. Attainment of maturity by females is related more to length than age, whereas the reverse is true for sex change. On the basis of Schnute growth equations and length-to-body mass regression equations, the predicted length at age and body mass at length of fish on the south coast were greater than those on the west coast throughout life. Although B. frenchii spawns daily during the main spawning season, which extends from October to February on both coasts, its fecundity at any given length is substantially greater on the south than on the west coast. The more rapid growth of juveniles and earlier attainment of maturity by B. frenchii on the south coast than on the warmer west coast, together with maturation at a similar size on both coasts, run counter to the trends observed in many species and certain ecological theories regarding the relationships between life-cycle traits and latitude and temperature. The attainment by B. frenchii of a larger body length at age, of greater body mass at length and of greater fecundity at both length and body mass in fish on the south than on the west coast strongly suggests that conditions on the former, cooler coast are more favourable for this labrid, which belongs to a sub-genus whose other species typically live in cool, deep, temperate waters. [source] Recruitment and growth of two small-bodied resident fish species (Gobiidae and Atherinidae) in oligohaline, seasonally open lagoonsJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2010P. G. Close Spatio-temporal recruitment patterns, growth and survival of the Swan River goby Pseudogobius olorum and western hardyhead Leptatherina wallacei are described from two small, coastal lagoons on the south coast of Western Australia. In these lagoons, estuarine salinity dynamics were relatively stable over much of the autumn,spring period when freshwater inputs from rivers were reduced and there was no oceanic connection. Preflexion and flexion stages of both fish species contributed strongly to population size structure in downstream reaches, whereas upstream reaches were dominated by postflexion larvae and juvenile stages. Spawning of both species was protracted and largely asynchronous, although the episodic presence of stronger preflexion and flexion cohorts suggested some synchronized spawning had occurred. Comparison with estuarine conditions over this period provided evidence that synchronized spawning may be related to temperature and salinity variations from a combination of freshwater inputs and periods of marine exchange. Uninterrupted growth and the progression of cohorts through to juvenile stages were consistent with the generally stable estuarine conditions. Larval and juvenile stages of both species were also tolerant of abrupt changes in salinity and temperature, which occurred due to a non-seasonal oceanic connection. These findings were consistent with the euryhaline nature of adults of both species. [source] Verrucophora farcimen gen. et sp. nov. (Dictyochophyceae, Heterokonta),a bloom-forming ichthyotoxic flagellate from the Skagerrak, Norway,JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Bente Edvardsen Since 1998, a heterokont flagellate initially named Chattonella aff. verruculosa has formed recurrent extensive blooms in the North Sea and the Skagerrak, causing fish mortalities. Cells were isolated from the 2001 bloom off the south coast of Norway, and monoalgal cultures were established and compared with the Chattonella verruculosa Y. Hara et Chihara reference strain NIES 670 from Japan. The cells in Norwegian cultured isolates were very variable in size and form, being large oblong (up to 34 ,m long) to small rounded (5,9 ,m in diameter) with two unequal flagella, numerous chloroplasts, and mucocysts. The SSU and partial LSU rDNA sequences of strains from Norway and Japan were compared and differed by 0.4% (SSU) and 1.3% (LSU), respectively. Five strains from Norway were identical in the LSU rDNA region. Phylogenetic analyses based on heterokont SSU and concatenated SSU + LSU rDNA sequences placed C. aff. verruculosa and the Japanese C. verruculosa within the clade of Dictyochophyceae, with the picoflagellate Florenciella parvula Eikrem as the closest relative. Ultrastructure, morphology, and pigment composition supported this affinity. We propose the name Verrucophora farcimen sp. et gen. nov. for this flagellate and systematically place it within the class Dictyochophyceae. Our studies also show that C. verruculosa from Japan is genetically and morphologically different but closely related to V. farcimen. The species is transferred from the class Raphidophyceae to the class Dictyochophyceae and renamed Verrucophora verruculosa. We propose a new order, Florenciellales, to accommodate V. farcimen, V. verruculosa, and F. parvula. [source] Environmental limits to the distribution of Scaevola plumieri along the South African coastJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 1 2003Craig I. Peter Dyer (1967) Abstract. Scaevola plumieri is an important pioneer on many tropical and subtropical sand dunes, forming a large perennial subterranean plant with only the tips of the branches emerging above accreting sand. In South Africa it is the dominant pioneer on sandy beaches along the east coast, less abundant on the south coast and absent from the southwest and west coasts. Transpiration rates (E) of S. plumieri are predictably related to atmospheric vapour pressure deficit under a wide range of conditions and can therefore be predicted from measurement of ambient temperature and relative humidity. Scaling measurements of E at the leaf level to the canopy level has been demonstrated previously. Using a geographic information system, digital maps of regional climatic variables were used to calculate digital maps of potential transpiration from mean monthly temperature and relative humidity values, effectively scaling canopy level transpiration rates to a regional level. Monthly potential transpiration was subtracted from the monthly median rainfall to produce a map of mean monthly water balance. Seasonal growth was correlated with seasonal water balance. Localities along the coast with water deficits in summer corresponded with the recorded absence of S. plumieri, which grows and reproduces most actively in the summer months. This suggests that reduced water availability during the summer growth period limits the distribution of S. plumieri along the southwest coast, where water deficits develop in summer. Temperature is also important in limiting the distribution of S. plumieri on the southwest coast of South Africa through its effects on the growth and phenology of the plant. [source] Trawl-induced bottom disturbances off the south coast of Portugal: direct observations by the ,Delta' manned-submersible on the Submarine Canyon of PortimãoMARINE ECOLOGY, Issue 2007Paulo Morais Abstract The effects of marine fishing activities on benthic habitat and communities have become an important environmental issue. In addition to the direct removal of target species, effects include by-catch, damage to benthic organisms and alteration of habitat structure. The growing number of studies on the impact of fishing on bottom habitats indicates that the effects vary with the physical nature of the seabed and with the local natural disturbance regime. Several studies have been conducted on fisheries by-catch and discards off the south coast of Portugal since 1996. The results provide an idea of the impact on biodiversity: more than 60% of the species caught by the trawl fishery are discarded. The crustacean trawl captures the greatest number of species, probably due to the greater fishing depth range. In April 2004, the manned submersible ,Delta' (from DELTA Oceanographics, USA) conducted a sea campaign integrated in the SEMAPP programme (Science, Education, and Marine Archaeology Program in Portugal) to directly observe and assess the biological, geological, and archaeological aspects. A total of 15 dives were conducted mainly near the head and in the flanks inside Portimão canyon, down to 300 m. Observations showed variations in bottom type, the sedimentary framework and biological communities. These dives (150,300 m depth) also revealed a heavily trawled canyon bottom and erosion structures leading to changes in habitat structure and biodiversity. Of special interest was the occurrence of low-relief boulder substrates with relatively high densities of demersal finfish and shellfish. These sites served as a refuge for several species, whose abundance here was greater than on the surrounding areas of fine-grained substrates. Strong marks on the bottom are apparently caused by the doors of the trawl nets. Their impact will be examined in greater detail in future studies. [source] ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES (EUBALAENA AUSTRALIS) ON THE SOUTH COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA I: BROAD SCALE PATTERNSMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2004Simon H. Elwen Abstract Aerial surveys over the last 32 yr have shown that the distribution of southern right whales Eubalaena australis along the south coast of South Africa is markedly discontinuous, but highly predictable. A GIS was used at a variety of scales to investigate whether this pattern was related to environmental characteristics. Whale distribution was analyzed as density per 20-min bin of longitude over two temporal and spatial scales, namely 15 bins for 32 yr, and a wider scale but shorter time period, 23 bins for 19 yr, as well as using three years of GPS accuracy data (15 bins) for finer scale analysis. Environmental factors tested were depth, distance from shore, sea floor slope, protection from swell, protection from wind, and shore type. The majority of whales were concentrated in areas that provided reasonable protection from open ocean swell and seasonal winds, and had sedimentary floors with gentle slopes. They generally avoided exposed rocky shorelines. Cow-calf pairs were found significantly closer to shore and in shallower water than unaccompanied whales, particularly off sandy beaches. Habitat choice at this time of year may be related both to energy conservation for calves and lactating females (calm sea conditions) and to protection of the new-born. [source] Genetic structure of Euclea schimperi (Ebenaceae) populations in monsoonal fog oases of the southern Arabian PeninsulaNORDIC JOURNAL OF BOTANY, Issue 3-4 2007Jörg Meister Euclea schimperi, a widespread Afromontane shrub or tree, occurs in the Arabian Peninsula in fragmented, semi-evergreen or evergreen woodland refugia in wet escarpment localities of the western and southern mountain chains. In the southern coastal mountains, the (semi-) evergreen woodland with E. schimperi is close to its ecological limit and consequently today very rare, with the exception of the monsoonal fog oases of east Yemen and south Oman in the central south coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Due to the steep precipitation gradient from the centre to the western edge in this monsoon affected area, E. schimperi is found in two different habitat types: in continuous woodland belts in the Hawf and Dhofar mountains, and in isolated, scattered woodland patches in the Fartak Mountains. Ten populations (138 individuals) from across the southern Arabian distribution area of the species were analysed using chloroplast microsatellites and AFLP fingerprinting to a) reconstruct the phylogeographical pattern of E. schimperi on the southern Arabian Peninsula and b) to evaluate the consequences of population fragmentation on the genetic diversity harboured in isolated patches vs cohering stands. Phylogeographical reconstructions show that the distribution area of E. schimperi in the southern Arabian Peninsula is characterised by a geographical split that separates the southwestern populations (representated by material from Jabal Eraf and Jabal Uthmar), from the southcentral populations, which themselves are split from each other into a western (Ras Fartak) and an eastern refugium (Hawf/Dhofar). The analysis of the within-population genetic diversity in E. schimperi populations resulted in a slightly, but not significantly higher genetic variation in small and isolated woodland patches (HS=0.302) compared to larger, cohering stands (HS=0.291). [source] The Roman invasion of Britain (AD 43) in imperial perspective: a response to Frere and FulfordOXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Eberhard Sauer Few subjects have been more passionately discussed recently than the question of whether the invasion force in AD 43 landed in Kent or on the south coast or simultaneously in both areas. Recently Professor Frere and Professor Fulford joined forces to produce a series of arguments, each independently, supporting a landing in Kent. It is argued here that while archaeological or strategic considerations do not exclude either theory, some of the new ,evidence', especially Frere's and Fulford's logistical and linguistic arguments , is demonstrably incorrect. Furthermore, the Kent hypothesis relies on the assumption of an unmentioned far,distance embassy and other non,straightforward interpretations of our main textual source, Cassius Dio. It is, however, not the aim of this paper to replace one one,sided hypothesis by another, but to point out the dangers of dogma. [source] Polymorphic analysis of microsatellite DNA in wild populations of Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis)AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 6 2006Ping Liu Abstract Primers were designed for eight microsatellite loci from Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. Microsatellites were used to characterize three wild populations from the China coast of the Yellow and Bohai Seas (HB), and the west coast (KX) and south coast of the Korean Peninsula (KN). A total of sixty-one alleles were obtained, and the average observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.660 to 0.756. Six of the 24 population-locus cases showed a significant departure from the Hardy,Weinberg equilibrium, three of them from population KN, two from KX and one from HB. The Fst values indicated that genetic variation was greater within populations than between populations. Analysis using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean showed that the relationship between populations HB and KX was closer than between KN and the other two populations. Polymorphic information contents of the eight microsatellites ranged from 0.598 to 0.918. These results indicated that all eight microsatellite loci would be useful for the analysis of genetic variation in Chinese shrimp (F. chinensis) populations. [source] Changes in frigate tuna populations on the south coast of Sri Lanka: evidence of the shifting baseline syndrome from analysis of fisher observationsAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 2 2010A. J. Venkatachalam Abstract 1.This study examines changes in frigate tuna populations in southern Sri Lanka, based on reports from fishers in three age classes. Significantly higher values for best day's catch and largest specimen ever caught were obtained by older fishers than younger ones. Values were also significantly higher during early years, providing clear evidence of a decrease in the resource over time (1951,2007). 2.Older fishers reported best catches further inshore and in shallower waters which, on becoming depleted, forced younger generations to fish in less exploited areas further offshore. Heavy harvesting is also evident from the significantly greater number of sites reported by older fishers as being depleted, compared with observations of younger fishers. 3.These findings contrast markedly with catch and catch per effort patterns from statistics for frigate tuna and bullet tuna (combined) in southern Sri Lanka (1994,2004). No stock decline is evident, and at least one report in the early 1990s advocated increasing exploitation rates by 40% to maximize yields. 4.Although not a primary research objective, fisher observations on frigate tuna populations were also analysed to help evaluate possible effects of the 2004 tsunami. Most fishers reported post-tsunami decline, but mainly from a larger new generation of fishers, rather than extra boats provided by aid money or (direct or indirect) biophysical impacts from the tsunami. 5.Reliance on fishery statistics, especially for mixed species and over a limited period, can be risky and easily mask true stock status. Evidence of harvesting effects on frigate tuna in southern Sri Lanka is evident using questionnaire data over a longer time scale. 6.This study provides another compelling case of the ,shifting baseline syndrome', whereby fishers of different ages have altered perceptions/experiences of their environment. This may be its first reported occurrence in Sri Lanka. Traditional knowledge from this and similar surveys may provide national fishery management with valuable insights and help improve conservation prospects for frigate tuna and other marine resources. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A baseline biological survey of the proposed Taputeranga Marine Reserve (Wellington, New Zealand): spatial and temporal variability along a natural environmental gradientAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 2 2009Anjali Pande Abstract 1.Four macroalgal, four macroinvertebrate and eight fish species were surveyed at eight sites (three inside, five outside the proposed reserve) over three years before the establishment of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve (MR) on Cook Strait (Wellington, New Zealand). This baseline data set was used to estimate temporal and spatial variability in size and abundance of these taxa, and will be used to quantify taxon-specific changes in size and abundance once the MR is established. 2.Statistically significant differences in size and/or abundance were observed for many taxa among the sites. These differences are consistent with the existence of a natural environmental gradient from the west (entrance to Cook Strait) to the east (Wellington Harbour). This gradient highlights the importance of conducting a pre-reserve baseline survey at multiple sites and over multiple years to better understand the conservation or fisheries benefits that MRs are expected to deliver. 3.Two macroalgal, one macroinvertebrate, and six fish species showed statistically significant seasonal variation in abundance. Subsequent multi-taxa monitoring needs to include a seasonal component to capture this natural variability. 4.This multi-site and multi-year data set represents one of the most comprehensive and robust baseline data sets available anywhere in the world. It will be used to quantify the ecological changes associated with a newly established full no-take marine reserve. Ongoing monitoring will enhance understanding of the sizes and abundances of key taxa, allow a detailed determination of the conservation effects of reserve establishment, and inform management decisions for Wellington's south coast. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] STAFF PERCEPTIONS OF CARE FOR DELIBERATE SELF-HARM PATIENTS IN RURAL WESTERN AUSTRALIA: A QUALITATIVE STUDYAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 5 2002Janine Slaven ABSTRACT: Suicide has been a major community concern in Esperance, a geographically isolated port on the south coast of Western Australia. This study to explores the views of regional health staff on barriers to the effective management of deliberate self-harm (DSH) and ways in which those barriers could be addressed. Semi-structured interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Interviewees included 77% of general practitioners (n = 7), 18% of nurses (n = 13) and 55% of mental health professionals (n = 5). The most important barrier was a lack of structure to treating DSH, resulting in deficiencies and inconsistencies in its management. Suggestions to improve the management of DSH included better communication between services, support for nurses in raising the issue of suicide, use of a simple risk assessment tool, the development of a nurse liaison position, and a multidisciplinary planning group. The higher rates of DSH and completed suicide in rural and remote regions compared with metropolitan areas make secondary prevention particularly important. [source] Staff Perceptions of Care for Deliberate Self-Harm Patients in Rural Western Australia: A Qualitative StudyAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 5 2002Janine Slaven Abstract: Suicide has been a major community concern in Esperance, a geographically isolated port on the south coast of Western Australia. This study to explores the views of regional health staff on barriers to the effective management of deliberate self-harm (DSH) and ways in which those barriers could be addressed. Semi-structured interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Interviewees included 77% of general practitioners (n = 7), 18% of nurses (n = 13) and 55% of mental health professionals (n = 5). The most important barrier was a lack of structure to treating DSH, resulting in deficiencies and inconsistencies in its management. Suggestions to improve the management of DSH included better communication between services, support for nurses in raising the issue of suicide, use of a simple risk assessment tool, the development of a nurse liaison position, and a multidisciplinary planning group. The higher rates of DSH and completed suicide in rural and remote regions compared with metropolitan areas make secondary prevention particularly important. [source] A three-way contact zone between forms of Patella rustica (Mollusca: Patellidae) in the central Mediterranean SeaBIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2010ALEXANDRA SÁ-PINTO Previous studies have reported the occurrence of three differentiated mtDNA lineages within Patella rustica in the Mediterranean Sea. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain these observations: (1) the maintenance of ancestral polymorphism within a single species; (2) the occurrence of cryptic species not identified previously. To distinguish between these hypotheses, we screened the genetic variability at nine allozyme loci, an intron from the ,-amylase gene and a mitochondrial gene for 187 individuals of P. rustica sampled from seven Mediterranean localities. Eight additional localities were screened for the last two markers to place the differentiated lineages in a clear geographic context. Our results demonstrate that the three mtDNA lineages correspond to three distinct nuclear genotype clusters and provide further details on their distribution: the cluster corresponding to the mtDNA lineage from the Atlantic and western Mediterranean extends as far as the south coast of Italy, whereas the remaining two clusters occur in sympatry in the eastern Mediterranean. One of the eastern Mediterranean clusters is highly differentiated and seems to be reproductively isolated from the codistributed form; we therefore suggest that it corresponds to a new species. The remaining two clusters are less differentiated and form a contact zone across south Italian shores. This three-way contact zone constitutes an interesting model for the study of speciation in the marine realm. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100, 154,169. [source] Growth and reproductive biology of the foxfish Bodianus frenchii, a very long-lived and monandric protogynous hermaphroditic labridJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010S. Cossington Samples of the foxfish Bodianus frenchii, collected over reefs on the lower west and south coasts of Western Australia, contained individuals ranging up to 78 years old. Although B. frenchii is far smaller than many other species within the Labridae, its maximum age is the greatest yet recorded for this highly speciose family and, together with Achoerodus gouldii, provides an example of a temperate hypsigenyine with exceptional longevity. Length and age compositions of females and males and the histological characteristics of gonads of a wide length range of individuals demonstrated that B. frenchii is a protogynous hermaphrodite. Furthermore, as, on both coasts, the length of the smallest male was greater than that at which all females had become mature, B. frenchii is a monandric protogynous hermaphrodite, i.e. all of its males are derived from functional females. Attainment of maturity by females is related more to length than age, whereas the reverse is true for sex change. On the basis of Schnute growth equations and length-to-body mass regression equations, the predicted length at age and body mass at length of fish on the south coast were greater than those on the west coast throughout life. Although B. frenchii spawns daily during the main spawning season, which extends from October to February on both coasts, its fecundity at any given length is substantially greater on the south than on the west coast. The more rapid growth of juveniles and earlier attainment of maturity by B. frenchii on the south coast than on the warmer west coast, together with maturation at a similar size on both coasts, run counter to the trends observed in many species and certain ecological theories regarding the relationships between life-cycle traits and latitude and temperature. The attainment by B. frenchii of a larger body length at age, of greater body mass at length and of greater fecundity at both length and body mass in fish on the south than on the west coast strongly suggests that conditions on the former, cooler coast are more favourable for this labrid, which belongs to a sub-genus whose other species typically live in cool, deep, temperate waters. [source] Influence of selected factors on the dietary compositions of three targeted and co-occurring temperate species of reef fishes: implications for food partitioningJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2010M. E. Platell The dietary compositions of three medium to large targeted fish species, which co-occur over reefs in temperate waters of south-western Australia, were determined. These data were then used to ascertain statistically the extent to which body size, season and habitat influence the diets of these species and the degree to which food resources were partitioned among and within those species, and thus reduced the potential of interspecific and intraspecific competition. On the west coast, Bodianus frenchii (Labridae) and Epinephelides armatus (Serranidae) spent their whole life over prominent limestone reefs, as did Glaucosoma hebraicum (Glaucosomatidae) in all but juvenile life, when it lived over low-relief, limestone substrata. The dietary composition of each species changed with increasing body size, which, in G. hebraicum, was particularly pronounced at c. 300 mm total length (LT) and therefore at the size when this species shifts habitat. When the three species co-occurred over the same reefs, their dietary compositions were significantly different, with that of B. frenchii being by far the most discrete, reflecting a far greater contribution by sedentary taxa. Thus, the diet of B. frenchii was distinguished from those of the other two species in containing substantial volumes of bivalve and gastropod molluscs and echinoid echinoderms and essentially no teleosts. Although the diets of G. hebraicum and particularly E. armatus were dominated by teleosts, and especially for larger individuals, the former species ingested greater volumes of cephalopods and small crustaceans. The pointed jaws of B. frenchii, with their forwardly directed and interlocking anterior incisors, are ideally adapted for biting and retaining their invertebrate prey, which are attached to or reside within reef crevices. In contrast, the mouths of G. hebraicum and E. armatus are broader and rounder and contain numerous small, slender and inward-pointing teeth. These teeth, in conjunction with prominent backward-curved canines in E. armatus, facilitate the capture and retention of fish prey. Observations in situ indicate that G. hebraicum is a suction feeder, while E. armatus is predominantly a ram feeder. Although reef environments on the west and south coasts differ, the diet of B. frenchii on these coasts differed only slightly. Interspecific differences in diet, combined with size-related changes in dietary compositions and the occupation of different habitats by juvenile and adult G. hebraicum, reduce the potential for competition for food resources among and within B. frenchii, G. hebraicum and E. armatus and thus helps facilitate the coexistence of these species which historically have been abundant over reefs in south-western Australia. [source] | |||||||||||||