Are Cetacea Ecologically Important?
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Understanding the Sexual Recruitment of One of the Oldest and Largest Organisms on Earth, the Seagrass Posidonia Oceanica
RESEARCH ARTICLE Understanding the sexual recruitment of one of the oldest and largest organisms on Earth, the seagrass Posidonia oceanica 1☯ 2☯ 1☯ Laura Guerrero-MeseguerID *, Carlos Sanz-LaÂzaro , Arnaldo MarõÂn 1 Departamento de EcologõÂa e HidrologõÂa. Facultad de BiologõÂa, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain, 2 Departamento de EcologõÂa, PabelloÂn 13, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain ☯ These authors contributed equally to this work. * [email protected] a1111111111 Abstract a1111111111 a1111111111 The seagrass Posidonia oceanica is considered one of the oldest and largest living organ- a1111111111 isms on Earth. Notwithstanding, given the difficulty of monitoring its fruits and seeds in the a1111111111 field, the development of P. oceanica during its sexual recruitment is not completely under- stood. We studied the stages of development of P. oceanica seeds from their dispersion in the fruit interior to their settlement in sediment through histological, ultrastructural and meso- cosm experiments. P. oceanica sexual recruitment can be divided into three main stages OPEN ACCESS that focus on maximising photosynthesis and anchoring the seedlings to the sediment. In Citation: Guerrero-Meseguer L, Sanz-LaÂzaro C, the first stage (fruit dispersion), seeds perform photosynthesis while being transported MarõÂn A (2018) Understanding the sexual recruitment of one of the oldest and largest inside the fruit along the sea surface. In the second stage (seed adhesion), seeds develop organisms on Earth, the seagrass Posidonia adhesive microscopic hairs that cover the primary and secondary roots and favour seed oceanica. PLoS ONE 13(11): e0207345. https://doi. adhesion to the substrate. In the last stage (seedling anchorage), roots attach the seedlings org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207345 to the substrate by orienting them towards the direction of light to maximise photosynthesis. -
Eubalaena Glacialis (North Atlantic Right Whale)
Maine 2015 Wildlife Action Plan Revision Report Date: January 13, 2016 Eubalaena glacialis (North Atlantic Right Whale) Priority 1 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) Class: Mammalia (Mammals) Order: Cetacea (Whales) Family: Balaenidae (Right Whales) General comments: none No Species Conservation Range Maps Available for North Atlantic Right Whale SGCN Priority Ranking - Designation Criteria: Risk of Extirpation: Maine Status: Endangered Federal Status: Endangered IUCN Red List Status: Endangered State Special Concern or NMFS Species of Concern: NA Recent Significant Declines: NA Regional Endemic: NA High Regional Conservation Priority: NatureServe: Global Rank: G1 High Climate Change Vulnerability: NA Understudied rare taxa: NA Historical: NA Culturally Significant: NA Habitats Assigned to North Atlantic Right Whale: Formation Name Subtidal Macrogroup Name Subtidal Pelagic (Water Column) Habitat System Name: Offshore **Primary Habitat** Notes: adult, juvenile, calf Habitat System Name: Upwelling Zones **Primary Habitat** Notes: adult, juvenile, calf, assumed feeding area Stressors Assigned to North Atlantic Right Whale: Moderate Severity High Severity Highly Actionable Medium-High High Stressor Priority Level based on Moderately Actionable Medium Medium-High Severity and Actionability Actionable with Difficulty Low Low IUCN Level 1 Threat Biological Resource Use IUCNStressor Level Priority: 2 Threat: High Fishing and Harvesting of Aquatic Resources Severity: Severe Actionability: Highly actionable Notes: Large whales, namely the right and humpback whale, are being taken in too large of numbers as bycatch in fixed gear fisheries as a result of entanglements in rope. This issue is at the center of an evolving Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan to mitigate the risk, but large data gaps exist and entanglement rates are not decreasing. -
The Anthropocene Biosphere
ANR0010.1177/2053019615591020The Anthropocene ReviewWilliams et al. 591020research-article2015 Review The Anthropocene Review 1 –24 The Anthropocene biosphere © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/2053019615591020 anr.sagepub.com Mark Williams,1 Jan Zalasiewicz,1 PK Haff,2 Christian Schwägerl,3 Anthony D Barnosky4,5,6 and Erle C Ellis7 Abstract The geological record preserves evidence for two fundamental stages in the evolution of Earth’s biosphere, a microbial stage from ~3.5 to 0.65 Ga, and a metazoan stage evident by c. 650 Ma. We suggest that the modern biosphere differs significantly from these previous stages and shows early signs of a new, third stage of biosphere evolution characterised by: (1) global homogenisation of flora and fauna; (2) a single species (Homo sapiens) commandeering 25–40% of net primary production and also mining fossil net primary production (fossil fuels) to break through the photosynthetic energy barrier; (3) human-directed evolution of other species; and (4) increasing interaction of the biosphere with the technosphere (the global emergent system that includes humans, technological artefacts, and associated social and technological networks). These unique features of today’s biosphere may herald a new era in the planet’s history that could persist over geological timescales. Keywords biosphere, evolution, global ecosystem, neobiotic species, planetary state, production and consumption, technosphere Introduction Humans transport organisms around the globe (McNeely, 2001 and references therein), con- struct unique agricultural and urban ‘anthromes’ for organisms to live in (e.g. Ellis, 2013; Ellis et al., 2012, 2013a, 2013b), and have concentrated biomass into a particular set of plants and animals (e.g. -
Order CETACEA Suborder MYSTICETI BALAENIDAE Eubalaena Glacialis (Müller, 1776) EUG En - Northern Right Whale; Fr - Baleine De Biscaye; Sp - Ballena Franca
click for previous page Cetacea 2041 Order CETACEA Suborder MYSTICETI BALAENIDAE Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776) EUG En - Northern right whale; Fr - Baleine de Biscaye; Sp - Ballena franca. Adults common to 17 m, maximum to 18 m long.Body rotund with head to 1/3 of total length;no pleats in throat; dorsal fin absent. Mostly black or dark brown, may have white splotches on chin and belly.Commonly travel in groups of less than 12 in shallow water regions. IUCN Status: Endangered. BALAENOPTERIDAE Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacepède, 1804 MIW En - Minke whale; Fr - Petit rorqual; Sp - Rorcual enano. Adult males maximum to slightly over 9 m long, females to 10.7 m.Head extremely pointed with prominent me- dian ridge. Body dark grey to black dorsally and white ventrally with streaks and lobes of intermediate shades along sides.Commonly travel singly or in groups of 2 or 3 in coastal and shore areas;may be found in groups of several hundred on feeding grounds. IUCN Status: Lower risk, near threatened. Balaenoptera borealis Lesson, 1828 SIW En - Sei whale; Fr - Rorqual de Rudolphi; Sp - Rorcual del norte. Adults to 18 m long. Typical rorqual body shape; dorsal fin tall and strongly curved, rises at a steep angle from back.Colour of body is mostly dark grey or blue-grey with a whitish area on belly and ventral pleats.Commonly travel in groups of 2 to 5 in open ocean waters. IUCN Status: Endangered. 2042 Marine Mammals Balaenoptera edeni Anderson, 1878 BRW En - Bryde’s whale; Fr - Rorqual de Bryde; Sp - Rorcual tropical. -
Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles of the Mediterranean and Black Seas
Marine mammals and sea turtles of the Mediterranean and Black Seas MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEA BASINS Main seas, straits and gulfs in the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins, together with locations mentioned in the text for the distribution of marine mammals and sea turtles Ukraine Russia SEA OF AZOV Kerch Strait Crimea Romania Georgia Slovenia France Croatia BLACK SEA Bosnia & Herzegovina Bulgaria Monaco Bosphorus LIGURIAN SEA Montenegro Strait Pelagos Sanctuary Gulf of Italy Lion ADRIATIC SEA Albania Corsica Drini Bay Spain Dardanelles Strait Greece BALEARIC SEA Turkey Sardinia Algerian- TYRRHENIAN SEA AEGEAN SEA Balearic Islands Provençal IONIAN SEA Syria Basin Strait of Sicily Cyprus Strait of Sicily Gibraltar ALBORAN SEA Hellenic Trench Lebanon Tunisia Malta LEVANTINE SEA Israel Algeria West Morocco Bank Tunisian Plateau/Gulf of SirteMEDITERRANEAN SEA Gaza Strip Jordan Suez Canal Egypt Gulf of Sirte Libya RED SEA Marine mammals and sea turtles of the Mediterranean and Black Seas Compiled by María del Mar Otero and Michela Conigliaro The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN. Published by Compiled by María del Mar Otero IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain © IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Malaga, Spain Michela Conigliaro IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain Copyright © 2012 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources With the support of Catherine Numa IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain Annabelle Cuttelod IUCN Species Programme, United Kingdom Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the sources are fully acknowledged. -
NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE Scientific Name: Eubalaena
Common Name: NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE Scientific Name: Eubalaena glacialis Müeller Other Commonly Used Names: Northern right whale, right whale Previously Used Names: Balaena glacialis Family: Balaenidae Rarity Ranks: G1/S1 State Legal Status: Endangered Federal Legal Status: Endangered Description: North Atlantic right whales are robust baleen whales weighing as much as 63 metric tons (70 U.S. tons) and growing upwards of 15 meters (50 feet) in length. Newborn calves are approximately 4 meters (13 feet) long at birth. Distinctive characteristics include a strongly arched lower jaw, no dorsal fin, a V-shaped blow when the whale surfaces to breathe, large white patches on the head (callosities), paddle-shaped flippers, and a large head that may exceed one fourth of total body length. Most right whales are uniformly black, but some individuals have areas of white pigmentation on the belly. Two rows of black baleen plates up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) in length grow from the roof of the mouth . Each baleen plate is fringed with fine hair-like structures that enable the whales to filter plankton from the surrounding water. Right whale callosities are areas of raised, jagged skin located near the whale’s blowhole, eyes, rostrum, lip- line, and chin. The callosities are black in color but appear white because they are colonized by populations of white amphipod crustaceans called cyamids or “whale lice.” Each right whale has a unique callosity pattern, enabling scientists to distinguish individuals. Similar Species: Three species of right whales inhabit the world’s temperate oceans: the North Atlantic right whale, the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica), and the southern right whale (E. -
Mandible Allometry in Extant and Fossil Balaenopteridae (Cetacea: Mammalia): the Largest Vertebrate Skeletal Element and Its Role in Rorqual Lunge Feeding
bs_bs_banner Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 108, 586–599. With 6 figures Mandible allometry in extant and fossil Balaenopteridae (Cetacea: Mammalia): the largest vertebrate skeletal element and its role in rorqual lunge feeding NICHOLAS D. PYENSON1,2*, JEREMY A. GOLDBOGEN3 and ROBERT E. SHADWICK4 1Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7013, USA 2Departments of Mammalogy and Paleontology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA 98195, USA 3Cascadia Research Collective, 218½ West 4th Avenue, Olympia, WA, USA 4Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Received 4 July 2012; revised 10 September 2012; accepted for publication 10 September 2012 Rorqual whales (crown Balaenopteridae) are unique among aquatic vertebrates in their ability to lunge feed. During a single lunge, rorquals rapidly engulf a large volume of prey-laden water at high speed, which they then filter to capture suspended prey. Engulfment biomechanics are mostly governed by the coordinated opening and closing of the mandibles at large gape angles, which differentially exposes the floor of the oral cavity to oncoming flow. The mouth area in rorquals is delimited by unfused bony mandibles that form kinetic linkages to each other and with the skull. The relative scale and morphology of these skeletal elements have profound consequences for the energetic efficiency of foraging in these gigantic predators. Here, we performed a morphometric study of rorqual mandibles using a data set derived from a survey of museum specimens. Across adult specimens of extant balaenopterids, mandibles range in size from ~1–6 m in length, and at their upper limit they represent the single largest osteological element of any vertebrate, living or extinct. -
New Version of Labour Ministry's Mobile App Offers 33 Services
www.thepeninsula.qa Saturday 18 January 2020 Volume 24 | Number 8140 23 Jumada I - 1441 2 Riyals BUSINESS | 13 SPORT | 18 US-China trade deal Al Ghazali to ease global guides What uncertainty: A Pleasure IMF Chief to win New version of Labour Ministry’s mobile app offers 33 services SANAULLAH ATAULLAH The e-services of THE PENINSULA ‘Amerni’ application The Ministry of Administrative Devel- include housing opment, Labour and Social Affairs has launched the third patch of electronic application follow up, services for ‘Amerni’ application on smart phones in Arabic and English to rent allowance follow save time and efforts of users — indi- up, house purchase- viduals and companies. The third patch includes five new ownership request, services. As of now, the app offers a total and title deed re- of 33 services including 21 services for individuals and 12 services for com- quest, among others. panies, said the Ministry in a post ‘Mobile Application Guide’ published on its website. Android Users, in both languages Arabic The users will now be able to file and English. The user guide is intended complaints against violating manpower to inform the users how to use an recruitment offices. The domestic e-services application - Amerni - for Al Sadd crowned Qatar Cup champions workers can also file formal complaints, the Ministry of Administrative Devel- in addition to other services provided opment, Labour and Social Affairs in Al Sadd’s players and officials pose with the Qatar Cup trophy at Al Sadd Stadium, yesterday. Al Sadd defeated Al Duhail by the Labour Relations Department. Qatar. -
Role of Cetaceans in Ecosystem Functioning
WORKSHOP REPORT Role of Cetaceans in Ecosystem Functioning: Defining Marine Conservation Policies in the 21st Century 28th International Congress for Conservation Biology Society for Conservation Biology Workshop Report Role of Cetaceans in Ecosystem Functioning: Defining Marine Conservation Policies in the 21st Century 28th International Congress for Conservation Biology Society for Conservation Biology 26 July 2017, Cartagena, Colombia Room Barahona 1, Cartagena Convention Center www.ccc-chile.org www.icb.org.ar www.whales.org www.oceancare.org www.hsi.org csiwhalesalive.org www.nrdc.org www.minrel.gob.cl www.belgium.be For centuries, the great whales (baleen whales and the scientists, but to ecological economists (who ascribe finan- sperm whale) and other cetaceans1 (small whales, dolphins cial values to ecological functions) and to and porpoises) were valued almost exclusively for their oil policymakers concerned with conserving biodiversity. and meat. Widespread commercial hunting reduced great These services confirm what the public, since the early whale numbers by as much as 90 percent, with some ‘Save the Whale’ movement in the 1970s, has always un- populations being hunted to extinction. derstood; cetaceans are special. In recent decades, changing attitudes toward protecting The global implications of the significant contributions of wildlife and the natural world and the growth of ecotourism cetaceans “to ecosystem functioning that are beneficial for provided new cultural and non-extractive economic values the natural environment and people” were first formally for these marine mammals. acknowledged in 2016 when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) adopted a resolution on Cetaceans and Today, whale watching is worth more than $2 billion annu- Their Contributions to Ecosystem Functioning2. -
Southern Right Whale Recovery Plan 2005
SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE RECOVERY PLAN 2005 - 2010 The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This plan outlines the measures necessary to ensure recovery of the Australian population of southern right whales and is set out in accordance with Part 13, Division 5 of the EPBC Act. Objectives for recovery The objectives are: • the recovery of the southern right whale population utilising Australian waters so that the population can be considered secure in the wild; • a distribution of southern right whales utilising Australian waters that is similar to the pre- exploitation distribution of the species; and • to maintain the protection of southern right whales from human threats. For the purposes of this plan ‘secure in the wild’ is defined qualitatively, recognising that stricter definitions are not yet available, but will be refined and where possible quantified during the life of this plan by work currently underway and identified in the actions of this plan. ‘Secure in the wild’ with respect to southern right whales in Australian waters means: a population with sufficient geographic range and distribution, abundance, and genetic diversity to provide a stable population over long time scales. Criteria to measure performance of the plan against the objectives It is not anticipated that the objectives for recovery will be achieved during the life of this plan. However, the following criteria can be used to measure the ongoing performance of this plan against the objectives: 1. the Australian population of southern right whales continued to recover at, or close to, the optimum biological rate (understood to be approximately 7% per annum at the commencement of this plan); 2. -
Species Assessment for North Atlantic Right Whale
Species Status Assessment Class: Mammalia Family: Balaenidae Scientific Name: Eubalaena glacialis Common Name: North Atlantic right whale Species synopsis: The North Atlantic right whale, which was first listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1973, is considered to be critically endangered (Clapham et al 1999, NMFS 2013). The western population of North Atlantic right whales (NARWs or simply right whales) has seen a recent slight increase. The most recent stock assessment gives a minimum population size of 444 animals with a growth rate of 2.6% per year (NMFS 2013). It is believed that the actual number of right whales is about 500 animals (Pettis 2011, L. Crowe, pers. comm.). At this time, the species includes whales in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans (NMFS 2005). However, recent genetic evidence showed that there were at least three separate lineages of right whales, and there are now three separate species that are recognized. These three species include: the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), which ranges in the North Atlantic Ocean; the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica), which ranges in the North Pacific Ocean; and the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis), which ranges throughout the Southern Hemisphere (NMFS 2005). The distribution of right whales is partially determined by the presence of its prey, which consists of copepods and krill (Baumgartner et al 2003). Most of the population migrates in the winter to calving grounds from in low latitudes from high latitude feeding grounds in the spring and summer. A portion of the population does not migrate to the calving grounds during the winter and it is unknown where they occur during that season (NMFS website, NMFS 2013). -
Balaenidae Balaena Mysticetus: Bowhead Whale/Greenland
APPENDIX MYSTICETE AND ODONTOCETE—WHALES OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC1 Mysticete: Balaenidae Balaena mysticetus: Bowhead whale/Greenland whale Length: 14–18 m Weight: 60–100 tons Group size: 1–6; up to 60 Distribution: Arctic ocean, Davis Strait, Iceland to Jan Mayen, Svalbard. Southern limit at 65°N. Eubalaena glacialis: Northern Right whale Length: 11–18 m Weight: 30–100 tons Group size: 1–3; up to 12 Distribution: Inshore and at sea in North Atlantic. Observations in Faroes and Norwegian coast. Estimation is diffi cult given small remnant population. Mysticete: Balaenopteridae Balaenoptera acutorostrata: Minke whale Length: 7–10 m Weight: 5–10 tons 1 Compiled from S. Ægisson, Jón Ásgeir í Aðaldal, and Jón Baldur Hlíðberg, Icelandic Whales Past and Present (Reykjavík: Forlagið, 1997); Chris Booth and Jean Booth, The Mammals of Orkney (Kirkwall: Chris and Jean Booth, 1994); Mark Carwadine, Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (New York: DK Publishing, 1995); Carl Christian Kinze, Marine Mammals of the North Atlantic, trans. D. A. Christie (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001); Lyall Watson, Sea Guide to Whales of the World (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1981); “Whale Strandings UK species list,” Natural History Museum, London, http://www. nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/strandings/species.html (accessed June 2007). Distribution information largely taken from Kinze. * indicates infrequent presence in Norse North Atlantic as defi ned by this study (50°N–70°N). SZABO_f12-285-292.indd 285 1/18/2008 11:25:34 AM 286 appendix Group size: 1–3, up to 100 Distribution: Oceanic and coastal throughout North Atlantic. Distribu- tion is northern in summer, southern in winter.