This thesis focuses upon the traditional ecological knowledge of southeastern Hudson Bay Inuit. It provides a detailed assessment of Inuit use and knowledge of a single species, the Hudson Bay Eider (Somateria mollissima sedentaria). Data collected on Inuit classifications of animals reveal the highly-ordered systems whereby Inuit structure their extensive knowledge of the biological diversity of their environment. A lexicon of Inuktitut terms illustrates the refinement of their anatomical knowledge, while detailed data on one anatomical element, the eider skin, serve to indicate the considerable volume of information lying behind these labeled categories. Furthermore, Inuit knowledge of eider ecology provides exacting biogeographical information and identifies important ecological patterns and processes for the species. These findings run counter to preconceptions about traditional knowledge which linger in the wildlife professionals' milieu. Neither anecdotal, narrowly pragmatic, unverified nor non-ecological, traditional knowledge provides a sound argument for greater Native autonomy in wildlife management.

Tuna-dolphin-bird feeding assemblages are unique to the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP). These multiple species groups are believed to forage together in response to the physical properties of the near surface ocean as these constrain the distribution of prey. In the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), intra-annual and interannual changes affect the properties of the water column, inducing mesoscale and fine scale temporal variability. Four three-week oceanographic surveys took place, in September 2008, April 2009, October 2009, and September 2010, between the coast of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands and one small boat survey took place in June 2010 within the GMR. Marine mammal surveys were conducted during daylight hours and Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) sensor casts were taken throughout the survey. Data were analyzed to determine the types of water masses present and the strength and depth of the thermocline layer. These data were compared with the sightings of marine mammals, bird feeding groups, and tuna-dolphin-bird assemblages. Additionally, these data were used to predict where tuna would be likely to associate with dolphin groups. Results show Equatorial Surface Water was the dominant water mass throughout the archipelago, regardless of season or ENSO index. High salinity, cold water west of Isla Isabela indicated topographic upwelling of the Equatorial Undercurrent. Tropical Surface Waters from the Panama Current were detected north of the Equatorial Front to the east of the islands. Obvious changes in the water column properties were observed between El Niño and La Niña events in the GMR. Most mixed groups were sighted west and south of Isla Isabela during the four oceanographic surveys, as well as north and west of Isla San Cristobal in June 2010. Most sightings were in cool, high salinity waters, and high chlorophyll concentrations. There were a greater number of sightings during the April 2009 survey (ENSO-neutral conditions) than during any of the three fall surveys. Additionally, tuna-dolphin-bird groups were more likely to be seen near Isla Isabela, with the majority of them sighted during the April 2009 survey and a few sighted in each of the September 2008 and October 2009 surveys. No tuna-dolphin-bird groups were sighted during the September 2010 surveys. Results show that the presence and location of these multi-species groups may be controlled by the inter-annual cycles, the intra-annual cycles, or a combination of both types of changes seen within the Galapagos.

Oceanic island volcanoes such as those in the Hawaiian, Canary and Galapagos Islands are known to become unstable, causing failures of the subaerial and submarine slopes of the volcanic edifices. These mass wasting events appear to be the primary source of destruction and loss of volume of many oceanic islands, but our knowledge of mass wasting is still rudimentary in many seamount and island chains. To better understand mass wasting in the western Galapagos Islands, multi-beam bathymetry and backscatter sidescan sonar images were used to examine topography and acoustic backscatter signatures that are characteristic of mass wasting. Observations show that mass wasting plays an important role in the development of Galapagos volcanoes. While volcanic activity continues to conceal the submarine terrain, the data show that four forms of mass wasting are identified including debris flows, slumps sheets, chaotic slumps, and detached blocks. A total of 23 mass wasting features were found to exist in the western Galapagos Islands, including fourteen debris flows with one that incorporated a set of detached blocks, seven slump sheets, and one chaotic slump. Some of the indentified features have obvious origination zones while the sources of others are not clearly identifiable. Approximately 73 percent of the surveyed coastlines are affected by slumping on the steep upper slopes and ~64 percent are affected by debris flows on the lower slopes. Unlike the giant landslides documented by GLORIA imagery around the Hawaiian Islands, the western Galapagos Islands appear to be characterized by small slump sheets existing along the steep shallow submarine flanks of the island and by debris flows that are flanked by rift zones and extend off the platform. This study indicates that submarine mass wasting is widespread in the western Galapagos, suggesting that the production of small-scale downslope movement is part of the erosive nature of these oceanic volcanic islands.

Understandings of the Marshall Islands require attention to the interplay of multiple discourses of tradition, modernity, chiefs, development, and democracy from multiple sources that critically interact and mutually construct the Marshall Islands. This multi-sited, multi-vocal ethnography explores the reproduction and transformation of historic power relationships between Marshallese chiefs and commoners who incorporate and "indigenize" foreign discourses and resources into culturally informed models and practices of authority. In relationships of unequal power, such as that defined by the Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, dominant global discourses about culture and progress enable both local and transnational hegemonies. These discourses are contextually analyzed as they are invoked and challenged in Nitijela [parliament] debates, in evaluations of the Compact of Free Association, in elites' autobiographical reflections on Marshallese-American relationships, and in foreign media representations. Historical shifts in the political and economic powers of Marshallese chiefs through three colonial administrations, and the growth of a commoner elite class since World War II further highlight the ways foreign resources are appropriated for specific local purposes that transform understandings of power and authority. With discourse as both object and method of analysis, the agency of local actors is both foregrounded and contextualized. Simplistic characterizations of chiefs, elites, commoners, and foreigners' are complicated through close attention to the ways local loyalties, colonial histories, political rivalries, and global discourses inform and frame expressions of Marshallese identities.

The coralline soils of atolls suffer from multiple nutrient deficiencies that severely limit crop growth. This study was conducted to assess the nutrient status of the soils of the inhabited atolls within the Marshall Islands (MI), and to determine what local materials could be used to correct deficiencies limiting crop growth. Surface and subsoils from 25 atolls were collected and analyzed for their chemical properties, and soil test results were evaluated with a missing element pot study. Soil tests revealed that the MI soils were severely deficient in K (0.12 cmol c kg -1 ) and marginally deficient in Cu (0.13 ug g -1 ). The missing element study showed that the soil was deficient in K, S, N, P, and Cu. An incubation experiment and a series of greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the ability of locally available organic materials to mineralize N and supply adequate nutrients to crops. Vigna marina and fish meal showed the highest N mineralization capacity, and the Gompertz equation provided the best fit. Chinese cabbage plants grew as well in soils amended with chicken manure, Vigna marina , and copra cake as they did in soil treated with chemical fertilizers. Plants grown in soil amended with fish meal did not grow as well due to inadequate K supply. Nitrogen recovery was highest in V. marina treatment at 92% followed by the chemical control (83%), chicken manure (34%), fish-meal (18%), and copra cake (9%). Added coconut leaves immobilized N and resulted in very poor cabbage growth. Comparisons between relative growth rate (RGR) and nutrient relative accumulation rate (RAR) showed that nutrients supplied from the V. marina amendment to the cabbage plant matched plant demand. In a rate experiment in the greenhouse, adding 10.1 g kg -1 of V. marina leaves (dry weight) supplied 350 mg N kg -1 to 5 week-old corn plants representing 38% of the total amount of N added in the amendment. Splitting the application quantity improved corn growth at the highest addition rate. Copra cake showed less promise as a suitable organic amendment. Supplementing copra with chemical N and P, and V. marina leaves with and without Cu and B did not improve crop growth compared with copra alone. The soil exhibited low P adsorption capacity, and corn and lettuce growth responded to high Olsen P soil levels. The results of the greenhouse experiments showed that V. marina is a potential organic fertilizer material to correct soil nutrient deficiencies for good crop growth in the Marshall Islands.

Missing leaves: 170. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-203). / Electronic reproduction. / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xvi, 203 leaves, bound ill. (chiefly col.), col. maps 29 cm

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-76). / vii, 99 leaves, bound ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) 29 cm

No description available.

Fetal pig islet-like cell clusters (ICCs) were transplanted into the thymus or omentum of STZ-induced diabetic pigs immunosuppressed with cyclosporine (CsA) and deoxyspergualin (DSG), as a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes. C-peptide levels in response to glucagon and arginine significantly increased over time using 1 litter of ICCs with highest levels obtained at 100 days post-transplantation. Increasing the number of ICCs to 2 litters was not advantageous. Histology of the graft showed all 4 pancreatic endocrine cells. Normoglycaemia was achieved for transient periods without insulin administration in 4 out of 12 pigs. These results suggest sub-optimal insulin production, possibly due to the adverse effects of CsA on the grafted β cells. The effect of CsA on adult porcine β cells was investigated and adverse effects were shown. Renal toxicity and adverse changes to the haematological parameters did not occur despite high CsA levels although minimal toxicity to the liver was observed. The results indicate that the use of CsA monotherapy in the maintenance phase to prevent rejection of allografted pancreatic β cells may become a subsequent problem over time. As an alternative to chronic immunossuppression, anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody was administered for 10 days in pigs. Using anti-CD3 alone, only 1 out 4 pigs showed cells positive for insulin. The addition of a 5-day CsA course administered the day before transplantation did not promote allograft survival. The use of DSG for 10 days with anti-CD3 promoted graft survival with the histology showing the 4 endocrine cells 3 weeks post-transplantation. An attempt was made to replace any form of immunossuppression by encapsulating fetal pig ICCs in barium alginate, which were able to remain viable when transplanted in NOD/SCID mice. Fibrosis was detected in BALB/c mice transplanted with encapsulated fetal ICCs suggesting that fetal pig ICCs shed antigens that elicit an immune response. Results from this study show that although fetal pig ICCs may be a viable source of insulin-producing cells, the use of CsA to prevent rejection has adverse effects on graft function. Encapsulation as well as transient immunosuppression is worthy of further investigation to prevent rejection of fetal pig ICCs.

Typescript / Copies of two published papers by the author, in back / Bibliography: leaves 111-133 / 133 leaves : ill ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, 1986