Mysticetes, or baleen whales, make up one of two sub-orders of the Order Cetacea within the Class Mammalia (Drikamer et al, 2013). It contains three families, each characterized by baleen plates (Drikamer et al, 2013). These baleen plates consist of keratin that replaced the tooth structures for feeding in these mammals (Drikamer et al, 2013). Other biological characteristics of these animals include paired external nares (blowholes), a sternum consisting of a single bone, symmetrical skull and the most conspicuous of all, the body length of between ten to thirty metres (Drikamer et al, 2013). It is thought that the size characteristic was probably the main factor when categorising them as cetaceans, with the Latin word ‘Cetus’ referring to ‘sea monster’ (Carnaby, 2006). In this literature review, the focus will fall on two species of mysticetes from separate families, namely that of the southern right whale, Eubalaena australis of the Balaenidae family, and the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae of the Balaenopteridae family. Emphasis in this review will fall on the aspect of site fidelity of the mother-calf pairs.

xiv, 158 p. / Print copies of this title are available through the UO Libraries under the call number: SCIENCE QL444.M34 D38 2006; OIMB QL444.M34 D38 2006 / The Australasian burrowing isopod (Sphaeroma quoianum) was discovered in Coos Bay, Oregon in 1995. After approximately ten years, S. quoianum has become a common member of the intertidal community and appears to be accelerating shoreline erosion. Surveys, density measurements, and a field experiment were conducted to determine the intertidal distribution, density, and substratum preference of this bioeroder within Coos Bay. Results were compared to two Australian embayments (Port Phillip Bay and the Tamar Estuary) to examine how the ecology of S. quoianum differs. In all bays examined, isopod presence was dependent upon salinity and densities varied between substrata (marsh bank, wood, and friable rock). Densities in marsh banks and friable rock were significantly higher within Coos Bay than the Australian embayments surveyed. In experimental trials, S. quoianum greatly preferred wood to other substrata. The wide distribution and high densities S. quoianum attains have clear environmental and economic implications.

Typescript Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 1983 Includes vita and abstract Bibliography: leaves 134-145 Another copy on microfilm is located in Archives

Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-64). Description: x, 64 leaves : ill. (some col.), maps ; 29 cm.

The overall aim of this thesis, as required by the funders, was to provide research that would contribute towards the development of a bay management plan, specifically information on the local fisheries. The thesis therefore includes an assessment of the local shore-based linefishery in terms of catch and effort and socio-economics, and the development of indicators from this information with which to assess the sustainability of the fishery. Finally an implementation strategy for an integrated coastal management approach for local resource governance is proposed The shore-based linefishery of Plettenberg Bay was assessed through a combination of roving creel and access point surveys which included questions aimed at the quantification of total effort, total catch and cpue, as well as the spatial trends in catch and effort. Angler demographics as well as opinions and knowledge of current fisheries regulations were obtained and the efficiency of the fishery inspectorate was assessed. The survey period extended from August 2003 to September 2004 during which 1189 angler interviews were conducted. Catch data obtained during this study was compared to catch data gathered during a research tagging program conducted in an area closed to fishing (Tsitsikamma National Park) and a semi-open area (Rebelsrus – Cape St. Francis), thereby highlighting differences in species composition, abundance and size distribution of certain species between areas of differing fishing pressures. The fishery surveys revealed that the shore-based fishery is primarily recreational (99%) and dominated by white males. Most anglers agreed with the current fisheries regulations (60%) and admitted to abiding by them, however when tested on the regulations of their target species, their knowledge was poor. Effort in the fishery was highly seasonal with peaks coinciding with major school holidays. Total annual effort was estimated at 102 566 angler-hours, with distinct spatial patterns in effort. Total annual catch for the Plettenberg Bay shore-based linefishery was estimated at 31 217 fish.year⁻¹ with a total mass of 13.6 tons. Thirty-six fish species (26 teleost species and 10 elasmobranchs species) were identified during the survey period with Blacktail Diplodus capensis, Strepie Sarpa salpa, Red tjor-tjor Pagellus natalensis, Shad Pomatomus saltatrix and Sand steenbras Lithognathus mormyrus being the five most commonly caught species. Only 32% of interviewed anglers were successful in catching a fish with just 22% catching their primary target species. In addition, a large proportion of the anglers (69%) reported a decline in catch rate, with most blaming the commercial sector as a reason for the decline. The overall catch rate was (cpue) 0.374 fish.angler.hour⁻¹ or 170 grams.angler.hour⁻¹, considerably lower than that obtained from the fishery exempt area (TNP = 1. 02 fish.angler.hour⁻¹) and the partially exploited area (Rebelsrus = 0.91 fish.angler.hour⁻¹). In terms of species composition the most obvious difference between the three areas was the low proportion of non-migratory reef-associated species like red roman, poenskop, John brown, santer and bronze bream in Plettenberg Bay. Size comparisons revealed that the majority of species (particularly reef-associated species) were larger in the TNP than both the semi-exploited (Rebelsrus) and exploited area (Plettenberg Bay). Collectively theses findings suggest that certain species have been locally depleted, that recreational fishing has impacted heavily on the fish stocks and that even partial closure or limited access to an area can offer protection. From the results key issues were identified and sustainability indicators proposed according to the three sustainability domains (ecological, institutional and social) proposed by Pajak (2000). Within the ecological domain the most pertinent issue was the low catch rate, particularly for reef-associated species. Indicators to track these issues included: percentage of successful trips (where fish were caught), percentage of anglers that reached their daily bag limits and the proportion of the overall catch that comprised larger, more desirable species. Institutionally the most pertinent issue was the apparent inability of management institutions to manage effectively marine resources within Plettenberg Bay. Indicators within this domain included the proportion of anglers who were inspected, the existence of a localised management plan and an associated monitoring programme. Socially the fishery proved to be fairly sustainable. Indicators included in this domain were the proportion of subsistence anglers in the local fishing community, the percentage of correct answers pertaining to current fishery regulations, the level of noncompliance and the percentage of undersize fish retained. Aggregation of all the indicators within a sustainability matrix revealed that the Plettenberg Bay shore-based linefishery was unsustainable and thus requires increased local management effort. Since there is no local management strategy in place, an integrated coastal management approach for the governance of the coastal resources in Plettenberg Bay has been proposed. The development of a Coastal Management Plan and a subsidiary Bay Management Plan provide the frameworks within which management strategies can be put into operation.

This study investigated the potential impacts of several anthropogenic stressors on the movement and survival of African penguins in Algoa Bay, taking into account prey availability and environmental conditions (sea surface temperature and chlorophyll productivity). The primary drive for the study was based on the seismic exploration, which took place in the habitat of the endangered African penguin. The research was also carried out to understand how pelagic fishing and prey availability influence the broader behavioural and mortality aspects of penguins. To achieve this goal, I used monthly beach surveys to assess seabird mortality, admissions of penguins in rehabilitation centres and the monitoring of breeding penguins’ movement at sea through individual GPS tracking. In addition, prey distribution and abundance were monitored with acoustic surveys to assess potential changes in relation anthropogenic stressors. Breeding African penguins did not react dramatically to seismic activities, except on St Croix Island where they changed their foraging direction during the seismic period. There was no evidence of a siginficant increase in African penguin carcasses encountered or strandings along the beaches during the period of seismic activity. However, a sharp increase in encounter rate was recorded soon after seismic operations, which may potentially indicate a delay between the effect of seismic activities on penguin mortality and the encounter of the related carcasses after the operation. However, the impact of seismic surveys on penguins may be long-term rather than short term, and additional studies would be needed to reveal long-term effects of seismic activities, if any. Foraging effort of breeding African penguins increased substantially in the presence of commercial fishing activities within close proximity to the colonies. To a greater extent, at-sea movement patterns and counts of beach cast carcasses were largely influenced by prey availability. Penguins spent more time at sea, traveled longer and covered a larger foraging area during periods of relatvely low pelagic fish abundance. There was also a sharp increase in African penguin mortality during periods of low prey availability in the Bay. However, environmental conditions showed some influence over these interactions. Foraging effort of breeding African penguins increased substantially in the presence of commercial fishing activities within close proximity to the colonies. To a greater extent, at-sea movement patterns and counts of beach cast carcasses were largely influenced by prey availability. Penguins spent more time at sea, traveled longer and covered a larger foraging area during periods of relatvely low pelagic fish abundance. There was also a sharp increase in African penguin mortality during periods of low prey availability in the Bay. However, environmental conditions showed some influence over these interactions. For example a red tide event during in period of low prey availability, made it difficult to understand impacts of prey on penguins difficult. Both anthropogenic stressors and environmental conditions influenced African penguins’ behaviour and survival. Due to the worrying trend of African penguins in South Africa for the past few years, all conservation management efforts to increase penguin numbers and limit their mortality are necessary. This study highlights the negative impact of industrial fishing on this Endangered species and the rapid increase in mortality of penguins during times of low prey availability. A network of Marine Protected Areas would certainly increase food availability to African penguins by limiting competition with fisheries, and contribute to increasing the population numbers.

The Cape gannet has undergone considerable population change and redistribution over the past 50 years. This has been linked to shifts in the abundance and distribution of their dominant prey, sardine and anchovy. Five breeding colonies, along the west coast of Southern Africa, have shown rapid population declines as a result of reduced prey availability. In contrast, a single colony (Bird Island, Algoa Bay) on the south coast of South Africa has, over the same period, grown fivefold and now supports approximately two thirds of the total population. Due to its conservation importance, and isolation from other breeding localities, it is important to assess the health of the Bird Island colony, and determine how foraging distribution relates to the environment to evaluate current measures of protection. This was achieved through two related studies; a long-term dietary analysis spanning 34 years, and a spatial foraging study, which related three years of tracking data to estimates of prey availability, oceanographic features and marine protected areas (MPAs). The results of the dietary study showed that the dietary constituents of Cape gannets breeding at Bird Island have remained similar over the last three decades, but the importance of sardine and anchovy has increased significantly. For sardine, in particular, this reflects an increased availability of this species (as deduced from hydroacoustic surveys) within the foraging range of the Bird Island colony. The dietary abundance of anchovy was found to be negatively correlated with that of sardine. Surprisingly,.the dietary abundance of anchovy was also negatively correlated with estimates of its availability based on acoustic surveys. The latter is likely to be due to sardine being a preferred prey item. Recent decreases in the dietary contribution of sardine (since 2005) suggest that this species is becoming less available to gannets, with profound implications in terms of nutrient gain associated with foraging. However, this has been mediated by an increase in the dietary contribution of anchovy, which now accounts for the vast majority of prey taken. Spatially, the foraging range of the Bird Island colony expanded during the three years of study, indicating an increase in effort. This increase was likely in an effort to track a distributional change of sardine and anchovy, which showed an apparent westward shift during the study period. There was, however, no evidence of birds tracking features associated with high productivity. This may have been partly due to anomalously warm conditions during the summer of 2012/2013, in which an absence of coastal upwelling prevented surface cooling. Nonetheless, low sea surface temperatures and high chlorophyll a concentrations do not seem to be reliable indicators of important Cape gannet foragingareas. Foraging effort was largely concentrated outside of MPAs, indicating that the current MPA network provides little protection for foraging gannets. This could change with the additional protection of the proposed Greater Addo Elephant National Park MPA expansion, as prey species are allowed to recover following the removal of fishing pressure. Overall, the colony appears to be in good condition as the diet is still dominated by live prey items, and the foraging range remains smaller than many of the colonies along the west coast. However, it is important that monitoring be continued, in particular with respect to changes in the availability of sardine and anchovy. Long-term shifts of these species out of the colony‘s foraging range could negatively influence the population in the future. This might be worsened by interspecific competition for prey resources. Considering the conservation importance of this population, maintenance of healthy prey stocks within the home range of breeding Cape gannets should be prioritised in order to prevent declines similar to those observed at west coast colonies.

For several decades now, seabirds have been considered to be useful indicators of the state of their prey resources because of how they reflect lower-level trophic variability through proxies such as diet or behaviour. However, collection of appropriate data is often challenging in the marine environment because of logistical or financial constraints. In this study, time-activity budgets were studied in the Cape gannet (Morus capensis), a seabird which has been advocated as a potential bioindicator for local epipelagic prey. VHF transmitters attached to PVC leg-rings were fitted to 50 adult breeding pairs during the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 breeding seasons at Bird Island, Algoa Bay, to determine whether an automated method of continuously collecting time-activity budget data can replace conventional laborious direct observations. To validate that the foraging trip duration data generated from the automated method was a reflection of foraging effort, Time-Depth Recorders (TDRs) were simultaneously equipped to birds with VHF transmitters for three weeks. In order to assess the influence of factors other than prey availability on parent time-activity budgets, sex, chick age and body condition were measured. Additionally, chick growth and survival were recorded in order to investigate the gender-specific effects of parental time-activity budget variability on these parameters. Attachment of VHF transmitters to leg-rings of adult Cape gannets had no observable negative effects on the adults or their chicks in terms of adult body condition, nest attendance and foraging trip durations, or chick growth and survival. Furthermore, the frequency distribution of behaviour bout (foraging trip and nest attendance) durations was no different between automated and directly observed data. However, the automated method did record shorter behaviour bouts, largely attributed to the increased likelihood of direct observations missing birds returning briefly to their nests during older chick provisioning. Additionally, foraging trip duration was highly correlated to foraging effort in terms of time spent resting on the sea surface, flying and diving. The automated method therefore appears to be a good reflection of direct nest attendance observations and foraging effort. Cape gannet time-activity budgets were related to chick age and parental sex. Especially as chicks neared fledging, females spent significantly longer periods of time foraging than males, with males consequently provisioning their chicks more often. Furthermore, adults departing their nests earlier spent more time away from the nest foraging as more same-day daylight hours were available. Chick growth was a function of parent foraging trip duration and associated prey delivery rates. Chick survival was most strongly affected by the amount of time which chicks were left unattended by both parents and consequently exposed to predation by kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) or to adverse weather conditions. Additionally, for females (but not males) there appeared to be a trade-off between foraging trip duration and chick survival. The Cape gannet appears to demonstrate a strategy whereby the costs of reproduction to the female are shifted towards male-dominated chick provisioning as the chick nears fledging. Drivers of time-activity budget variability such as chick age and parental sex therefore need to be considered if using data on foraging trip duration as a proxy of foraging effort and prey availability.

As one of the most impoverished provinces in South Africa with a high unemployment rate the Eastern Cape (Stats SA, 2011) was more suited for a study of this nature. In executing the research aims and objectives the study will be limited to focus specifically on one of the provinces cities, the Nelson Mandela Bay. The investigation will be focused on women street vendors mainly trading with fruits and vegetables, as well as other perishables. This industry was chosen because according to the Labour Force Survey (2000), there was an estimated 500,000 street traders operating in South Africa and more than 70 percent of them were found to be dealing in the trade of food items (Motala, 2002). The focus on women was driven by mainly by the fact that they constitute a majority of the street traders that are involed in the sale perishables/food items (Skinner, 2008).

Polychaetes are important components of the intertidal sandflat community in Lawson’s Flat, Dillon Beach, California. Little is known about the factors that control the relative abundance of these species. In view of the extensive evidence of the importance of interactions between component species in intertidal communities it is of interest to obtain information that would facilitate future experimental work of such interactions. This study documents seasonal changes in the abundance of the polychaete component of the intertidal community. Attention is directed at possible factors that might affect seasonal changes in distribution. A major finding is that certain herbivorous polychaetes exhibit seasonal fluctuations in abundance that appear to be correlated with changes in algal cover. These findings might suggest more detailed future experimentation. Some aspects of recruitment of major species are considered and the presence of a parasite in one of the species is noted. Aspects of benthic community ecology are discussed.