scholarly journals Health and Survival of Moon Jellies (Aurelia Aurita) in Hand-Built Pseudo-Kreisel Aquaria

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Schweizer ◽  
Christine Geiger ◽  
Adam Pillot ◽  
Melissa Meadows
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Aurelia Aurita ◽  
Water Current ◽  
Water Currents ◽  
Limited Budget ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Fine Screen

Jellies are typically considered difficult organisms to raise in the lab by many scientists. This is due to their requirements for constant water current and the absence of corners. In the wild, jellies such as moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) rarely encounter habitats outside of the open ocean where they are part of the plankton, so they are not adapted to navigate obstacles or get out of small spaces such as the corners of aquaria. In order to conduct an experiment utilizing live moon jellies to assess their utility in bioremediation of oil spills, we designed and built 4 pseudo-kreisel aquaria to house our jellies using a limited budget and many readily-available materials. Here, we present the methods used to construct these aquaria inexpensively (important for undergraduate research!) and evidence of their effectiveness in long-term housing of live jellies so that other researchers interested in jelly research can construct similar housing. Briefly, we removed the corners from 10 gallon aquaria and also provided for continuous circular water currents by adding quarter pieces of the sides of 5 gallon buckets attached via silicon sealant. Current was provided by spray bars that provided even water flow in all areas of the aquaria, driven by pumps in the external sump and filtration systems. We built the sump/filtration systems using 5-gallon buckets containing bio-balls and filter floss. Water was delivered to the sumps via PVC overflow plumbed into the aquaria via a bulkhead set into the glass at the desired water level. The overflows were covered with a small piece of fine screen and directly behind the spray bars in order to prevent jellies from becoming stuck as water leaves the system for filtration. Results of husbandry including survival and indicators of jelly health such as pulsing rate and holes in their bells over approximately 3 months will be presented.

An Autonomous Robotic Platform for Detecting, Monitoring and Tracking of Oil Spill on Water Surface

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swarn Singh Rathour ◽  
Naomi Kato ◽  
H. Senga ◽  
N. Tanabe ◽  
M. Yoshie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Physical Constraints ◽  
Water Currents ◽  
Autonomous Surface Vehicle ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Control

With the aim of aiding mitigation efforts, in mapping and simulating the transport of the discharged hydrocarbon this paper proposes an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV), propelled by wind and water currents for the long-term monitoring of spilled oil on the ocean surface. This paper makes a unique contribution to the literature in proposing a cluster-based decision-making algorithm for sailing the ASV based on a complete scanning history of the area surrounding the vehicle by the oil detection sensor. A Gaussian-based oil cluster filtering algorithm is introduced to identify the largest oil slick patch. The physical constraints of the ASV have been taken in account to allow for the computation of feasible maneuvering headings for sailing to avoid sailing upwind (i.e., in the direction from which the wind is coming). Finally, using neoprene sheets to simulate oil spills, field test experiments are described to validate the operation of the ASV with respect to oil spill tracking using a guidance, navigation, and control system based on onboard sensor data for tracking the artificial oil targets.

An ER–Golgi Tethering Factor SLOH4/MIP3 Is Involved in Long-term Heat Tolerance of Arabidopsis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuho Isono ◽  
Ryo Tsukimoto ◽  
Satoshi Iuchi ◽  
Akihisa Shinozawa ◽  
Izumi Yotsui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Heat Tolerance ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Additional Function ◽  
Transcript Levels ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Protein Response

Abstract Plants are often exposed not only to short-term (S-) heat stress but also to diurnal long-term (L-) heat stress over several consecutive days. To reveal the mechanisms underlying L-heat stress tolerance, we here used a forward genetic screening for sensitive to long-term heat (sloh) mutants and isolated sloh4. The mutant was hypersensitive to L- but not S-heat stress. The causal gene of sloh4 was identical to MIP3 encoding a member of the MAIGO2 (MAG2) tethering complex, which is composed of the MAG2, MIP1, MIP2, and MIP3 subunits and is localized at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Although sloh4/mip3 was hypersensitive to L-heat stress, the sensitivity of the mag2-3 and mip1–1 mutants was similar to that of the wild type. Under L-heat stress, the ER stress and the following unfolded protein response (UPR) were more pronounced in sloh4 than in the wild type. Transcript levels of bZIP60-regulated UPR genes were strongly increased in sloh4 under L-heat stress. Two processes known to be mediated by INOSITOL REQUIRING ENZYME1 (IRE1)—accumulation of the spliced bZIP60 transcript and a decrease in the transcript levels of PR4 and PRX34, encoding secretory proteins—were observed in sloh4 in response to L-heat stress. These findings suggest that misfolded proteins generated in sloh4 under L-heat stress may be recognized by IRE1 but not bZIP28, resulting in initiation of the UPR via activated bZIP60. Therefore, it would be possible that only MIP3 in MAG2 complex has an additional function in L-heat tolerance, which is not related to the ER–Golgi vesicle tethering.

scholarly journals Oil Pollution Affects the Central Metabolism of Keystone Vachellia (Acacia) Trees

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6660
Author(s):  
Marco Ferrante ◽  
Anuma Dangol ◽  
Shoshana Didi-Cohen ◽  
Gidon Winters ◽  
Vered Tzin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Desert Ecosystem ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Central Metabolism ◽  
Adult Trees ◽  
Metabolite Profiles ◽  
One Year

Vachellia (formerly Acacia) trees are native to arid environments in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where they often support the local animal and plant communities acting as keystone species. The aim of this study was to examine whether oil pollution affected the central metabolism of the native keystone trees Vachellia tortilis (Forssk.) and V. raddiana (Savi), as either adults or seedlings. The study was conducted in the Evrona Nature Reserve, a desert ecosystem in southern Israel where two major oil spills occurred in 1975 and in 2014. Leaf samples were collected to analyze the central metabolite profiles from oil-polluted and unpolluted adult trees and from Vachellia seedlings growing in oil-polluted and unpolluted soils in an outdoor setup. We found that oil pollution had a stronger effect on one-year-old seedlings than on adult trees, reducing the levels of amino acids, sugars, and organic acids. While adult trees are mildly affected by oil pollution, the effects on young seedlings can cause a long-term reduction in the population of these keystone desert trees, ultimately threatening this entire ecosystem.

scholarly journals Assessing Stream-Aquifer Connectivity in a Coastal California Watershed

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 416
Author(s):  
Bwalya Malama ◽  
Devin Pritchard-Peterson ◽  
John J. Jasbinsek ◽  
Christopher Surfleet
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Spectral Analysis ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Low Permeability ◽  
Pumping Tests ◽  
Stream Flows ◽  
The Impact

We report the results of field and laboratory investigations of stream-aquifer interactions in a watershed along the California coast to assess the impact of groundwater pumping for irrigation on stream flows. The methods used include subsurface sediment sampling using direct-push drilling, laboratory permeability and particle size analyses of sediment, piezometer installation and instrumentation, stream discharge and stage monitoring, pumping tests for aquifer characterization, resistivity surveys, and long-term passive monitoring of stream stage and groundwater levels. Spectral analysis of long-term water level data was used to assess correlation between stream and groundwater level time series data. The investigations revealed the presence of a thin low permeability silt-clay aquitard unit between the main aquifer and the stream. This suggested a three layer conceptual model of the subsurface comprising unconfined and confined aquifers separated by an aquitard layer. This was broadly confirmed by resistivity surveys and pumping tests, the latter of which indicated the occurrence of leakage across the aquitard. The aquitard was determined to be 2–3 orders of magnitude less permeable than the aquifer, which is indicative of weak stream-aquifer connectivity and was confirmed by spectral analysis of stream-aquifer water level time series. The results illustrate the importance of site-specific investigations and suggest that even in systems where the stream is not in direct hydraulic contact with the producing aquifer, long-term stream depletion can occur due to leakage across low permeability units. This has implications for management of stream flows, groundwater abstraction, and water resources management during prolonged periods of drought.

The influence of immersed water level on the short- and long-term mechanical behavior of sandstone

2021 ◽  
Vol 138 ◽  
pp. 104631
Author(s):  
Peizhao Chen ◽  
Shibin Tang ◽  
Xin Liang ◽  
Yongjun Zhang ◽  
Chunan Tang
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Behavior ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Short And Long Term

scholarly journals Evaluating Simple Methodology for Piezoelectric Level Sensors Protection

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Luis Hamilton Pospissil Garbossa ◽  
Argeu Vanz ◽  
Matias Guilherme Boll ◽  
Hamilton Justino Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Sewer Systems ◽  
Continuous Monitor ◽  
Level Monitoring ◽  
Water Level Monitoring

The increasing frequency of extreme storm events has implications for the operation of sewer systems, storm water, flood control monitoring and tide level variations. Accurate and continuous monitor water level monitoring is demanded in different environments. Piezoelectric sensors are widely used for water level monitoring and work submerged in waters subject to the presence of solid particles, biological fouling and saltwater oxidation. This work aimed to develop a simple, low-cost methodology to protect sensors over long-term deployment. The results show that simple actions, costing less than 2 EUR, can protect and extend the lifecycle of equipment worth over 2000 EUR, ensuring continuous monitoring and maintaining quality measurements.

scholarly journals Non-breeding feather concentrations of testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol are associated with subsequent survival in wild house sparrows

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1733) ◽  
pp. 1560-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Koren ◽  
Shinichi Nakagawa ◽  
Terry Burke ◽  
Kiran K. Soma ◽  
Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Darwinian Fitness ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Subject ◽  
As Stress

Potential mechanistic mediators of Darwinian fitness, such as stress hormones or sex hormones, have been the focus of many studies. An inverse relationship between fitness and stress or sex hormone concentrations has been widely assumed, although empirical evidence is scarce. Feathers gradually accumulate hormones during their growth and provide a novel way to measure hormone concentrations integrated over time. Using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we measured testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol in the feathers of house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) in a wild population which is the subject of a long-term study. Although corticosterone is considered the dominant avian glucocorticoid, we unambiguously identified cortisol in feathers. In addition, we found that feathers grown during the post-nuptial moult in autumn contained testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol levels that were significantly higher in birds that subsequently died over the following winter than in birds that survived. Thus, feather steroids are candidate prospective biomarkers to predict the future survival of individuals in the wild.

Swimbladder Function and Buoyancy Regulation in the Killifish Fundulus Heterochtus

1992 ◽  
Vol 166 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-81
Author(s):  
EDWARD M. GOOLISH
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Center Of Gravity ◽  
Water Current ◽  
Control Fish ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Vertical Force ◽  
Water Currents ◽  
Pectoral Fins ◽  
Artificial Lift ◽  
Rate Of Increase

Killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, subjected to artificial lift above their center of gravity (10% of body weight) required a minimum of 7–8 days to resorb swimbladder gases completely. The swimbladders of some fish, however, did not fall below 50% of normal volume. The rate of increase in swimbladder volume upon removal of lift varied little among individuals, with approximately 6 days required for complete refilling. Previous deflation of the swimbladder (by syringe) did not result in faster or more complete gas resorption when the fish were subjected to artificial lift. This suggests that the constraint to resorption observed in some fish is not mechanical, e.g. connective tissue, but may reflect individual variability in perception of the stimulus. Swimbladder dry mass, which scaled as (body mass)0.79, was not affected by exposure to artificial lift. However, fish subjected to 7–11 days of artificial lift displayed slower rates of gas secretion upon removal of lift than control fish whose swimbladders had been evacuated by syringe. The initial rate was 65 % of that of control fish, with two additional days required to achieve normal buoyancy. Also, the rate of swimbladder gas resorption was 24 % faster the second time fish were exposed to artificial lift. These results demonstrate that the capacity for gas secretion and resorption can be altered by previous exposure to hydrostatic challenges. Killifish buoyancy, expressed as swimbladder volume per weight of the gas-free fish in water, fell from 0.95 to 0.70 mlg−1 after 5 days of exposure to water current. Removal of the pectoral fins eliminated 70% of this decrease, while removal of the pelvic fins had no effect. The rate of gas resorption by fish subjected to artificial lift was also not affected by removal of the pectoral fins. From these results it appears that the decrease in swimbladder volume in fish exposed to water currents is a consequence of lift forces produced by the pectoral fins, but that they are not required for regulation. Fish exposed to water currents or artificial lift swim with a head-down angle of attack. Theoretical estimates show that the vertical force component generated by this swimming behavior is of the appropriate magnitude to compensate for the additional lift. Fish confined in transparent cages near the surface of the water were less buoyant (0.91 mlg−1) than fish similarly maintained at the bottom of the tank (0.98mlg−1). However, because this effect was small, 10% of swimbladder volume, visual perception of vertical position is apparently not the primary stimulus for volume regulation. Partial lift (2.65 % of body weight) resulted in the resorption of twice as much swimbladder gas when attachment was anterior to the fish's center of gravity than when it was an equal distance posterior to the center of gravity. When equal amounts of partial lift and weight were added, lift anterior and weight posterior, no change in swimbladder volume occurred. With the position of these forces reversed, swimbladder volume increased by 31 % to 1.27 ml g−1. These results suggest that fish respond to pitching forces, i.e. longitudinal lift moments, as a stimulus for swimbladder gas secretion and resorption.

Effects of the Belo Monte hydro-electric-dam complex on crocodilians in the Xingu River, Brazilian Amazonia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Zilca Campos ◽  
Fábio Muniz ◽  
William E. Magnusson ◽  
Guilherme Mourão
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Xingu River ◽  
Hydroelectric Dam ◽  
River Reservoir ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Collateral Effects ◽  
Generating Capacity ◽  
Reservoir Filling ◽  
Belo Monte

Abstract The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River has the third largest generating capacity of any hydroelectric dam in the world. We conducted surveys of crocodilians (Caiman crocodilus, Paleosuchus trigonatus) by boat in the Xingu River at the site of the dam prior to (2013-2015), and after filling (2016-2017). While the number of C. crocodilus sighted decreased with increasing water level, there was no difference in numbers prior to, and after reservoir filling. The number of P. trigonatus was unaffected by both water level prior to and after reservoir filling. Reservoir filling had little effect on the number of crocodilians using the forest around the Xingu River reservoir. Most crocodilians seen in forest surveys were P. trigonatus, both before and after reservoir filling, but C. crocodilus was recorded occasionally in the forest. It seems that most Amazonian crocodilians are sufficiently generalist to adapt to the new conditions created by the construction of dams, at least in the short-term. However, there may be long-term collateral effects on crocodilian populations from dams, due to as deforestation and improved access for hunters.

EFFECT OF WATER CURRENT ON UNDERWATER GLIDER VELOCITY AND RANGE

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (10-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Yasar Javaid ◽  
Mark Ovinis ◽  
Fakhruldin Mohd Hashim ◽  
Adi Maimun ◽  
Yasser M. Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Relative Motion ◽  
Water Current ◽  
Underwater Glider ◽  
Water Currents ◽  
Effect Of Water ◽  
Actuation System ◽  
Autonomous Underwater Glider

An autonomous underwater glider speed and range is influenced by water currents. This is compounded by a weak actuation system for controlling its movement. In this work, the effects of water currents on the speed and range of an underwater glider at steady state glide conditions are investigated. Extensive numerical simulations have been performed to determine the speed and range of a glider with and without water current at different net buoyancies. The results show that the effect of water current on the glider speed and range depends on the current relative motion and direction. In the presence of water current, for a given glide angle, glide speed can be increased by increasing the net buoyancy of the glider.

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