R. Olmi, M. Bittelli, G. Picard, L. Arnaud, A. Mialon, S. Priori. (2021). Investigating the influence of the grain size and distribution on the macroscopic dielectric properties of Antarctic firn (Vol. 185).
Abstract: This study is based on the analysis of detailed measurements of firn dielectric properties performed in Antarctica through coring down to 106 m. Dielectric measurements in the frequency band (0.4–2.5 GHz) have been carried out using an open−resonator probe. Density was also measured for the same samples. The experimental results confirmed the well−known dependence of the real part of permittivity ε′ on depth and density, showing an increase of ε′ with density. The imaginary part also increases with depth with a rather complex dependence on frequency, probably due to the presence of salts or impurities. The analysis of the experimental data was performed by implementing 3D and 2D full wave numerical models, to simulate a mixture of firn crystals at prescribed densities, corresponding to the measured densities on the ice cores. The numerical analysis of the ensemble of inclusions showed that the usual symmetric formulae used for modeling ice dielectric properties agree with the average results of the simulation, but they are not able to explain the spreading of the measured data at given density. A dielectric model was then developed allowing for quantification of the dependence of dielectric properties on density, by combining two models: one consisting in firn crystals into an air host, the other assuming the presence of air inclusions into a homogeneous firn host. The weighted equation is based on the volume fraction. A simple geometric shape (ellipsoidal) is assumed for both ice crystals and air inclusions. This kind of shape is reasonable for the purpose of the dielectric study. The result is a mixture, smoothly changing from firn particles in air (low density) to air bubbles in an ice matrix (high density). A statistical analysis has been accomplished to investigate the dependence of the dielectric properties on the geometrical arrangement of the inclusions. For that purpose, a large number of simulations with different arrangements (micro−states) giving rise to the same average density (macro−states) has been carried out. The permittivity change due to micro−state variability appears to be at least two−three times the model variation due to density alone, and comparable to the measured variability at a given depth, suggesting that firn structure has a significant effect on the dielectric properties.
Keywords: Antarctica Close−off Dielectric measurements Dielectric model Firn Full wave EM simulations Ice cores
Programme: 1110
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M. Afroosa, B. Rohith, Arya Paul, Fabien Durand, Romain Bourdallé-Badie, P. V. Sreedevi, Olivier de Viron, Valérie Ballu, S. S. C. Shenoi. (2021). Madden-Julian oscillation winds excite an intraseasonal see-saw of ocean mass that affects Earth’s polar motion (Vol. 2).
Abstract: Strong large-scale winds can relay their energy to the ocean bottom and elicit an almost immediate intraseasonal barotropic (depth independent) response in the ocean. The intense winds associated with the Madden-Julian Oscillation over the Maritime Continent generate significant intraseasonal basin-wide barotropic sea level variability in the tropical Indian Ocean. Here we show, using a numerical model and a network of in-situ bottom pressure recorders, that the concerted barotropic response of the Indian and the Pacific Ocean to these winds leads to an intraseasonal see-saw of oceanic mass in the Indo-Pacific basin. This global-scale mass shift is unexpectedly fast, as we show that the mass field of the entire Indo-Pacific basin is dynamically adjusted to Madden-Julian Oscillation in a few days. We find this large-scale ocean see-saw, induced by the Madden-Julian Oscillation, has a detectable influence on the Earth’s polar axis motion, in particular during the strong see-saw of early 2013.
Keywords: Physical oceanography
Programme: 688
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Alice Bernard, Ana S. L. Rodrigues, Victor Cazalis, David Grémillet. (2021). Toward a global strategy for seabird tracking (Vol. 14).
Abstract: Electronic tracking technologies revolutionized wildlife ecology, notably for studying the movements of elusive species such as seabirds. Those advances are key to seabird conservation, for example in guiding the design of marine protected areas for this highly threatened group. Tracking data are also boosting scientific understanding of marine ecosystem dynamics in the context of global change. To optimize future tracking efforts, we performed a global assessment of seabird tracking data. We identified and mined 689 seabird tracking studies, reporting on > 28,000 individuals of 216 species from 17 families over the last four decades. We found substantial knowledge gaps, reflecting a historical neglect of tropical seabird ecology, with biases toward species that are heavier, oceanic, and from high-latitude regions. Conservation status had little influence on seabird tracking propensity. We identified 54 threatened species for which we did not find published tracking records, and 19 with very little data. Additionally, much of the existing tracking data are not yet available to other researchers and decision-makers in online databases. We highlight priority species and regions for future tracking efforts. More broadly, we provide guidance toward an ethical, rational, and efficient global tracking program for seabirds, as a contribution to their conservation.
Keywords: biogeography biologging biotelemetry ecological monitoring marine conservation oceanography spatial planning threatened species
Programme: 388
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Tammy E. Davies, Ana P.B. Carneiro, Marguerite Tarzia, Ewan Wakefield, Janos C. Hennicke, Morten Frederiksen, Erpur Snær Hansen, Bruna Campos, Carolina Hazin, Ben Lascelles, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Hólmfríður Arnardóttir, Robert T. Barrett, Manuel Biscoito, Loïc Bollache, Thierry Boulinier, Paulo Catry, Filipe R. Ceia, Olivier Chastel, Signe Christensen-Dalsgaard, Marta Cruz-Flores, Jóhannis Danielsen, Francis Daunt, Euan Dunn, Carsten Egevang, Ana Isabel Fagundes, Annette L. Fayet, Jérôme Fort, Robert W. Furness, Olivier Gilg, Jacob González-Solís, José Pedro Granadeiro, David Grémillet, Tim Guilford, Sveinn Are Hanssen, Michael P. Harris, April Hedd, Nicholas Per Huffeldt, Mark Jessopp, Yann Kolbeinsson, Johannes Krietsch, Johannes Lang, Jannie Fries Linnebjerg, Svein-Håkon Lorentsen, Jeremy Madeiros, Ellen Magnusdottir, Mark L. Mallory, Laura McFarlane Tranquilla, Flemming R. Merkel, Teresa Militão, Børge Moe, William A. Montevecchi, Virginia Morera-Pujol, Anders Mosbech, Verónica Neves, Mark A. Newell, Bergur Olsen, Vitor H. Paiva, Hans-Ulrich Peter, Aevar Petersen, Richard A. Phillips, Iván Ramírez, Jaime A. Ramos, Raül Ramos, Robert A. Ronconi, Peter G. Ryan, Niels Martin Schmidt, Ingvar A. Sigurðsson, Benoît Sittler, Harald Steen, Iain J. Stenhouse, Hallvard Strøm, Geir H. R. Systad, Paul Thompson, Thorkell L. Thórarinsson, Rob S.A. van Bemmelen, Sarah Wanless, Francis Zino, Maria P. Dias. (2021). Multispecies tracking reveals a major seabird hotspot in the North Atlantic (Vol. 14). Bachelor's thesis, , .
Abstract: The conservation of migratory marine species, including pelagic seabirds, is challenging because their movements span vast distances frequently beyond national jurisdictions. Here, we aim to identify important aggregations of seabirds in the North Atlantic to inform ongoing regional conservation efforts. Using tracking, phenology, and population data, we mapped the abundance and diversity of 21 seabird species. This revealed a major hotspot associated with a discrete area of the subpolar frontal zone, used annually by 2.9–5 million seabirds from ≥56 colonies in the Atlantic: the first time this magnitude of seabird concentrations has been documented in the high seas. The hotspot is temporally stable and amenable to site-based conservation and is under consideration as a marine protected area by the OSPAR Commission. Protection could help mitigate current and future threats facing species in the area. Overall, our approach provides an exemplar data-driven pathway for future conservation efforts on the high seas.
Keywords: area beyond national jurisdiction Atlantic biologging conservation high seas marine protected area regional seas convention
Programme: 330,333,388,1036
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Anzhou Cao, Zheng Guo, Xiaoyu Qi, Peiliang Li, Hailun He. (2021). Seasonal and nodal variations of predominant tidal constituents in the global ocean (Vol. 217).
Abstract: Tides are one of the basic types of ocean water motions. Previous studies have reported that the M2 constituent exhibits seasonal variations (annual cycles) in some regions. However, based on the newly proposed method of modified two-step harmonic analysis (HA) and its application at 240 global tide gauges, we find that the M2 constituent as well as the S2 and K1 do not have significant seasonal variations at these tide gauges. The seasonal variations of the M2 constituent reported in previous studies are caused by its satellites, the H1 and H2 constituents, which are not resolved in these studies due to the short time window (one month or three months) used in HA. Because the frequency of the H1 (H2) constituent is equal to that of the M2 minus (plus) the frequency of annual cycles, the superposition of the M2, H1 and H2 constituents with constant amplitudes is equivalent to the M2 constituent with seasonally varying amplitudes. Compared with the new method, some adaptations to traditional HA aiming to capture variations in amplitudes and phase lags of constituents have some limitations, because they either neglect some satellites of the major constitutes or introduce spurious fluctuations resulting from an unreasonably large number of independent points. The nodal modulations of predominant constituents are also explored in this study. On the global scale, the nodal modulations of the M2, K1 and O1 constituents agree with the theoretical predictions, except a cold spot region with reduced nodal modulation in the Gulf of Maine and a hot spot region with enhanced nodal modulation in the South China Sea for the M2. Nodal modulation is also found for the S2 constituent (in theory, the S2 has no nodal modulation), which is 0.8% averaged at 164 tide gauges where the S2 is not too weak.
Keywords: Fitting Modified two-step harmonic analysis Nodal modulation Seasonal variation Tide gauge Tides
Programme: 688
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Jean-Pierre Féral, Marc Verlaque, Sebastián Rosenfeld, Elie Poulin, Anne Chenuil, Thomas Saucède. (2021). The Marine Vegetation of the Kerguelen Islands: History of Scientific Campaigns, Inventory of the Flora and First Analysis of Its Biogeographical Affinities (Vol. 42).
Abstract: Conceived as a baseline for the management and conservation of the marine protected area of the French Southern Territories (réserve naturelle nationale des Terres australes françaises), the checklist of marine macroalgae of the Kerguelen Islands was updated based on an extensive review of the literature and scientific databases, from the first report of the Ross expedition, in 1840, to the most recent works. This work was also conceived as a starting point for forthcoming investigations using molecular systematics tools and for monitoring the effects of global change on sub-Antarctic marine ecosystems. After a brief history of scientific campaigns, a list of 166 species was established (103 Rhodophyta, 35 Chlorophyta and 28 Ochrophyta [Phaeophyceae]). Molecular systematics studiess have shown the existence of recurrent discrepancies between the established, morphology-based taxonomy and molecular species delimitation, calling for a revision of systematics. Nevertheless, a first analysis of biogeographical affinities of the marine flora of the Kerguelen Islands is carried out and preliminary results are partially congruent with the main regions currently recognized in the Southern Ocean suggesting the importance of long-distance dispersal to explain the observed distribution patterns.
Programme: 1044
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Manon Clairbaux, Paul Mathewson, Warren Porter, Jérôme Fort, Hallvard Strøm, Børge Moe, Per Fauchald, Sebastien Descamps, Hálfdán H. Helgason, Vegard S. Bråthen, Benjamin Merkel, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Ingar S. Bringsvor, Olivier Chastel, Signe Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jóhannis Danielsen, Francis Daunt, Nina Dehnhard, Kjell Einar Erikstad, Alexey Ezhov, Maria Gavrilo, Yuri Krasnov, Magdalene Langset, Svein-H. Lorentsen, Mark Newell, Bergur Olsen, Tone K. Reiertsen, Geir Helge Systad, Thorkell L. Thórarinsson, Mark Baran, Tony Diamond, Annette L. Fayet, Michelle G. Fitzsimmons, Morten Frederiksen, Hugh G. Gilchrist, Tim Guilford, Nicholas P. Huffeldt, Mark Jessopp, Kasper L. Johansen, Amy-Lee Kouwenberg, Jannie F. Linnebjerg, Heather L. Major, Laura McFarlane Tranquilla, Mark Mallory, Flemming R. Merkel, William Montevecchi, Anders Mosbech, Aevar Petersen, David Grémillet. (2021). North Atlantic winter cyclones starve seabirds (Vol. 31). Bachelor's thesis, , .
Abstract: Each winter, the North Atlantic Ocean is the stage for numerous cyclones, the most severe ones leading to seabird mass-mortality events called “winter wrecks.”1, 2, 3 During these, thousands of emaciated seabird carcasses are washed ashore along European and North American coasts. Winter cyclones can therefore shape seabird population dynamics4,5 by affecting survival rates as well as the body condition of surviving individuals and thus their future reproduction. However, most often the geographic origins of impacted seabirds and the causes of their deaths remain unclear.6 We performed the first ocean-basin scale assessment of cyclone exposure in a seabird community by coupling winter tracking data for ∼1,500 individuals of five key North Atlantic seabird species (Alle alle, Fratercula arctica, Uria aalge, Uria lomvia, and Rissa tridactyla) and cyclone locations. We then explored the energetic consequences of different cyclonic conditions using a mechanistic bioenergetics model7 and tested the hypothesis that cyclones dramatically increase seabird energy requirements. We demonstrated that cyclones of high intensity impacted birds from all studied species and breeding colonies during winter but especially those aggregating in the Labrador Sea, the Davis Strait, the surroundings of Iceland, and the Barents Sea. Our broad-scale analyses suggested that cyclonic conditions do not increase seabird energy requirements, implying that they die because of the unavailability of their prey and/or their inability to feed during cyclones. Our study provides essential information on seabird cyclone exposure in a context of marked cyclone regime changes due to global warming.8
Keywords: at-sea distribution cyclones energy expenditure GLS tracking seabird migration seascape ecology
Programme: 330,388
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Zachary J. Oppler, Kayleigh R. O’Keeffe, Karen D. McCoy, Dustin Brisson. (2021). Evolutionary Genetics of Borrelia (Vol. 42).
Abstract: The genus Borrelia consists of evolutionarily and genetically diverse bacterial species that cause a variety of diseases in humans and domestic animals. These vector-borne spirochetes can be classified into two major evolutionary groups, the Lyme borreliosis clade and the relapsing fever clade, both of which have complex transmission cycles during which they interact with multiple host species and arthropod vectors. Molecular, ecological, and evolutionary studies have each provided significant contributions towards our understanding of the natural history, biology and evolutionary genetics of Borrelia species; however, integration of these studies is required to identify the evolutionary causes and consequences of the genetic variation within and among Borrelia species. For example, molecular and genetic studies have identified the adaptations that maximize fitness components throughout the Borrelia lifecycle and enhance transmission efficacy but provide limited insights into the evolutionary pressures that have produced them. Ecological studies can identify interactions between Borrelia species and the vertebrate hosts and arthropod vectors they encounter and the resulting impact on the geographic distribution and abundance of spirochetes but not the genetic or molecular basis underlying these interactions. In this review we discuss recent findings on the evolutionary genetics from both of the evolutionarily distinct clades of Borrelia species. We focus on connecting molecular interactions to the ecological processes that have driven the evolution and diversification of Borrelia species in order to understand the current distribution of genetic and molecular variation within and between Borrelia species.
Programme: 333
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María José Frugone, Theresa L. Cole, María Eugenia López, Gemma Clucas, Pável Matos-Maraví, Nicolás A. Lois, Pierre Pistorius, Francesco Bonadonna, Phil Trathan, Andrea Polanowski, Barbara Wienecke, Andrea Raya-Rey, Klemens Pütz, Antje Steinfurth, Ke Bi, Cynthia Y. Wang-Claypool, Jonathan M. Waters, Rauri C. K. Bowie, Elie Poulin, Juliana A. Vianna. (2021). Taxonomy based on limited genomic markers may underestimate species diversity of rockhopper penguins and threaten their conservation (Vol. 27).
Abstract: Aim Delimiting recently diverged species is challenging. During speciation, genetic differentiation may be distributed unevenly across the genome, as different genomic regions can be subject to different selective pressures and evolutionary histories. Reliance on limited numbers of genetic markers that may be underpowered can make species delimitation even more challenging, potentially resulting in taxonomic inconsistencies. Rockhopper penguins of the genus Eudyptes comprise three broadly recognized taxa: northern (E. moseleyi), southern (E. chrysocome) and eastern rockhopper (E. filholi). Their taxonomic status has been controversial for decades, with researchers disagreeing about whether E. chrysocome and E. filholi are distinct species or conspecific. Our goal is to evaluate genome-wide patterns of divergence to evaluate genetic differentiation and species delimitation in rockhopper penguins, and to assess which mechanisms may underlie previous discordance among nuclear versus mitochondrial analyses. Location Sub-Antarctic and temperate coastal regions of the Southern Hemisphere. Methods We generated reduced-representation genomic libraries using double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing to evaluate genetic differentiation, contemporary migration rates and admixture among colonies of rockhopper penguins. Results The extent of genetic differentiation among the three taxa was consistently higher than population-level genetic differentiation found within these and other penguin species. There was no evidence of admixture among the three taxa, suggesting the absence of ongoing gene flow among them. Species delimitation analyses based on molecular data, along with other lines of evidence, provide strong support for the taxonomic distinction of three species of rockhopper penguins. Main conclusions Our results provide strong support for the existence of three distinct species of rockhopper penguins. The recognition of this taxonomic diversity is crucial for the management and conservation of this widely distributed species group. This study illustrates that widespread dispersive seabird lineages lacking obvious morphological differences may nevertheless have complex evolutionary histories and comprise cryptic species diversity.
Keywords: Eudyptes genomics rockhopper penguins species delimitation
Programme: 354
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J. Rojas, J. Duprat, C. Engrand, E. Dartois, L. Delauche, M. Godard, M. Gounelle, J. D. Carrillo-Sánchez, P. Pokorný, J. M. C. Plane. (2021). The micrometeorite flux at Dome C (Antarctica), monitoring the accretion of extraterrestrial dust on Earth (Vol. 560).
Abstract: The annual flux of extraterrestrial material on Earth is largely dominated by sub-millimetre particles. The mass distribution and absolute value of this cosmic dust flux at the Earth's surface is however still uncertain due to the difficulty in monitoring both the collection efficiency and the exposure parameter (i.e. the area-time product in m2.yr). In this paper, we present results from micrometeorite collections originating from the vicinity of the CONCORDIA Station located at Dome C (Antarctica), where we performed several independent melts of large volumes of ultra-clean snow. The regular precipitation rate and the exceptional cleanliness of the snow from central Antarctica allow a unique control on both the exposure parameter and the collection efficiency. A total of 1280 unmelted micrometeorites (uMMs) and 808 cosmic spherules (CSs) with diameters ranging from 30 to 350 μm were identified. Within that size range, we measured mass fluxes of 3.0 μg.m−2.yr−1 for uMMs and 5.6 μg.m−2.yr−1 for CSs. Extrapolated to the global flux of particles in the 12-700 μm diameter range, the mass flux of dust at Earth's surface is 5,200±12001500 tons.yr−1 (1,600±500 and 3,600±7001000 tons.yr−1 of uMMs and CSs, respectively). We indicate the statistical uncertainties expected for collections with exposure parameters in the range of 0.1 up to 105 m2.yr. In addition, we estimated the flux of altered and unaltered carbon carried by heated and un-heated particles at Earth's surface. The mass distributions of CSs and uMMs larger than 100 μm are fairly well reproduced by the CABMOD-ZoDy model that includes melting and evaporation during atmospheric entry of the interplanetary dust flux. These numerical simulations suggest that most of the uMMs and CSs originate from Jupiter family comets and a minor part from the main asteroid belt. The total dust mass input before atmospheric entry is estimated at 15,000 tons.yr−1. The existing discrepancy between the flux data and the model for uMMs below 100 μm suggests that small fragile uMMs may evade present day collections, and/or that the amount of small interplanetary particles at 1 AU may be smaller than expected.
Keywords: Antarctic micrometeorites atmospheric entry cosmic spherules extraterrestrial flux interplanetary dust particles zodiacal cloud
Programme: 1120
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