Stable isotope (SI) ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) are now widely used as biomarkers in ecological studies to provide information about food web structuring. However, understanding trophic relationships using SI analysis requires not only knowledge of SI values of predator and prey, but also accurate discrimination factors (DFs), which can differ among species and by physiological state. This thesis examined three questions using captive birds from the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB). First, the effects of ontogeny on δ13C and δ15N ratios of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) were assessed. Blood samples were collected from penguins in four age classes (P3 chicks, blues, juveniles and adults) concurrently with their diet (sardine (Sardinops sagax) and formula). Second, to assess the influence of breeding physiology on SI ratios, the blood of ten breeding pairs of penguins was sampled over a five-month period from June to October 2016. Following laying, each pair was categorised into one of three (four for whole blood) egg production phases (initial yolk deposition, rapid yolk deposition and post-laying) and their influences on SI ratios were tested. Third, species differences in DFs were evaluated for African penguins, kelp and Hartlaub’s gulls (Larus dominicanus and L. hartlaubii), greater crested terns (Thalasseus bergii) and Cape cormorants (Phalacrocorax capensis). Flying birds were mostly fed sardine with a small but unknown amount of sardinella (Sardinella aurita), DFs were therefore estimated for a 50:50 sardine:sardinella diet, a 75:25 sardine:sardinella diet and a 100% sardine diet for each flying bird species. The DFs were assessed for the whole blood (WB), red blood cells (RBC), plasma (PL) and delipidated plasma of the penguins, and only WB for the flying birds as well as flesh, whole fish, delipidated flesh and delipidated whole fish for fish species, and for formula. Results indicated that age influenced both the δ13C and δ15N of WB, only the δ15N of RBC and the δ13C of delipidated PL. The assessment of breeding physiology yielded a significant interaction between the effects of egg production phase and sex on the δ13C of WB; females had significantly lower δ13C in the rapid yolk deposition phase than the other two phases and all males. The δ13C of PL was affected only by sex, with females having a significantly lower δ13C value than males. Neither physiological state nor sex influenced the other blood components. Differences were found among the three DFs in the non-penguin species, but not for all consumer – prey tissue combinations. There were also significant differences among species with a DF calculated from a diet with the most probable prey proportions eaten. Depending on the combination of consumer and prey tissue used to calculate the DF, a different conclusion regarding trophic information can be reached. A literature review updated with the present data showed that no general pattern or grouping of similar species with regards to DF values could be drawn, highlighting the importance of determining species- and tissue-specific DFs. Thus age, egg production, tissue and species all influenced the SI values of bird blood and therefore their DFs. Not all physiological conditions affect all blood components in the same way, making different components more or less sensitive to physiological influences. Though their influence is at a small enough scale that it is unlikely to hamper correct conclusion in ecological studies, it is crucial that these factors are considered when using SI analysis (SIA). When uncertainties exist for some coefficients in wild studies, SIA should therefore be combined to other dietary techniques to determine the food web structure as best as possible.

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Na pesquisa Club Penguin: a produção de subjetividade capitalística na narrativa interativa nos videogames vamos realizar a cartografia (Deleuze & Guattari) do gameplay do Club Penguin, em sua plataforma principal, online. É uma pesquisa em andamento, já que o jogo não tem um objetivo único a ser alcançado e sua narrativa não é conclusiva, pois depende integralmente do agenciamento entre formas de pensar, agir e sentir do usuário com a programação do jogo, produzindo um rizoma que nunca se fecha. Para poder verificar seus efeitos na produção da subjetividade capitalística das primeiras pistas que seguimos foi a presença das tecnologias de informação e comunicação, que, ao mesmo tempo em que permitem a autonomia do usuário, exercem uma vigilância e um controle consentidos, produzindo dados que servem de base para a manutenção e preservação da sociedade de controle (Gilles Deleuze). Nossa segunda pista está ligada às práticas e laços que se formam no decorrer do jogo, que refletem os efeitos das relações presentes no capitalismo contemporâneo, que tem como base o consumo e a produção de signos e afetos, tal como descritas por Hardt & Negri. O percurso da terceira pista está ligado às linhas de enunciação e visibilidade cujos efeitos se refletem nos processos de subjetivação das crianças que participam do jogo, visto que o público alvo deste jogo está na faixa dos 6 aos 14 anos de idade. / In the study "The production of capitalistic subjectivity in the Club Penguin games interactive narrative" we will map (Deleuze & Guattari) Club Penguins gameplay in its primary platform, which is online. This is an ongoing study, since the game does not have a single goal to be achieved and its narrative is inconclusive. Its narrative depends entirely on the users arrangement of his/her thinking, acting and feeling with the games programming, resulting in a rhizome that never closes. Therefore, in order to evaluate the games effects on the production of capitalist subjectivity, one of the first clues that we followed was the presence of information technologies and communication, which allow the users autonomy while exercising permitted vigilance and control, producing data that are the basis for the maintenance and preservation of the control society (Deleuze). Our second clue is linked to practices and bonds created during the course of the game, reflecting the effects of the relationships in contemporary capitalism, which is based on the consumption and production of signs and affections as described by Hardt & Negri. The course of the third clue is connected to the lines of enunciation and visibility effects, which are reflected in the processes of subjectification of children who participate in the game, since the target audience for this game are children between the ages of 6 to 14 years old.

Na pesquisa Club Penguin: a produção de subjetividade capitalística na narrativa interativa nos videogames vamos realizar a cartografia (Deleuze & Guattari) do gameplay do Club Penguin, em sua plataforma principal, online. É uma pesquisa em andamento, já que o jogo não tem um objetivo único a ser alcançado e sua narrativa não é conclusiva, pois depende integralmente do agenciamento entre formas de pensar, agir e sentir do usuário com a programação do jogo, produzindo um rizoma que nunca se fecha. Para poder verificar seus efeitos na produção da subjetividade capitalística das primeiras pistas que seguimos foi a presença das tecnologias de informação e comunicação, que, ao mesmo tempo em que permitem a autonomia do usuário, exercem uma vigilância e um controle consentidos, produzindo dados que servem de base para a manutenção e preservação da sociedade de controle (Gilles Deleuze). Nossa segunda pista está ligada às práticas e laços que se formam no decorrer do jogo, que refletem os efeitos das relações presentes no capitalismo contemporâneo, que tem como base o consumo e a produção de signos e afetos, tal como descritas por Hardt & Negri. O percurso da terceira pista está ligado às linhas de enunciação e visibilidade cujos efeitos se refletem nos processos de subjetivação das crianças que participam do jogo, visto que o público alvo deste jogo está na faixa dos 6 aos 14 anos de idade. / In the study "The production of capitalistic subjectivity in the Club Penguin games interactive narrative" we will map (Deleuze & Guattari) Club Penguins gameplay in its primary platform, which is online. This is an ongoing study, since the game does not have a single goal to be achieved and its narrative is inconclusive. Its narrative depends entirely on the users arrangement of his/her thinking, acting and feeling with the games programming, resulting in a rhizome that never closes. Therefore, in order to evaluate the games effects on the production of capitalist subjectivity, one of the first clues that we followed was the presence of information technologies and communication, which allow the users autonomy while exercising permitted vigilance and control, producing data that are the basis for the maintenance and preservation of the control society (Deleuze). Our second clue is linked to practices and bonds created during the course of the game, reflecting the effects of the relationships in contemporary capitalism, which is based on the consumption and production of signs and affections as described by Hardt & Negri. The course of the third clue is connected to the lines of enunciation and visibility effects, which are reflected in the processes of subjectification of children who participate in the game, since the target audience for this game are children between the ages of 6 to 14 years old.

Submitted by William Justo Figueiro (williamjf) on 2015-08-11T21:04:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 13e.pdf: 3156102 bytes, checksum: da00a19d9782f6ac017289a5d272ac1f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-11T21:04:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 13e.pdf: 3156102 bytes, checksum: da00a19d9782f6ac017289a5d272ac1f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / CNPQ – Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / INCT-APA - Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Antártico de Pesquisas Ambientais / PROANTAR - Programa Antártico Brasileiro / SECIRM - Secretaria Interministerial para os Recursos do Mar / MMA - Ministério do meio Ambiente / INCT-APA - Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Antártico de Pesquisas Ambientais / UNISINOS - Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos / O nicho realizado de duas espécies precisa ser diferente, para que estas espécies possam coexistir de maneira estável. Pygoscelis papua e P. antarcticus reproduzem simpatricamente na Ilha Elefante, Antártica. Foram coletadas amostras de conteúdo estomacal e realizado biometria das duas espécies para analisar a dieta e a sobreposição de nicho. Um total de 56 amostras de P. papua e 71 amostras de P. antarcticus foram coletadas durante dois períodos de reprodução austral, 2010/11 e 2011/12, na região de Stinker Point. A proporção de itens variou entre as espécies de pinguins e entre os táxons representados. E. superba foi a presa de maior abundância comparado com outros itens alimentares, com aproximadamente 69% FO para P. papua e 98% FO para P. antarcticus. Foram encontradas nove espécies de peixe, seis espécies de crustáceos e uma espécie de cefalópode, identificados a nível específico. Existe uma diferença significativa entre os fatores, espécie de pinguim, tamanho da carapaça e sexo de krill antártico, quando comparados entre si. Além disso, a biometria indica que o comprimento do bico e peso de P. papua são maiores que em P. antarcticus, da mesma forma que o bico é mais alto e mais largo em P. antarcticus. Tais diferenças morfológicas podem explicar as diferenças no forrageio. Foi observada uma sobreposição de nicho trófico entre as espécies, pela utilização dos mesmos recursos, uma vez que estas espécies ocorrem simpatricamente na mesma região. Este estudo demonstra que a variação específica do nicho trófico ocupado pelas espécies pode ser definida pelo comportamento de forrageio e pela seleção dos recursos alimentares de cada espécie. É importante a recomendação destas espécies como indicadores de qualidade ambiental, adicionando questões como a variabilidade local, pois o nicho trófico pode alterar ao longo do tempo. / The two species realized niche needs to be different, since these species can coexist stably. Pygoscelis papua and P. antarcticus breed simpatricaly on Elephant Island, Antarctica. Stomach content samples were collected and biometrics of both species was measured in order to analyze the diet and the niche overlap. A total of 56 P. papua samples and 71 P. antarcticuss samples were collected, during the two austral breeding seasons, 2010/11 and 2011/12, on the Stinker Point region. The proportion of items ranged from the penguin species and among the taxa represented. E. superba was the most abundant prey compared with other food items, with approximately 69% FO for P. papua, and 98% FO for P. antarcticus. We found nine species of fish, six species of crustaceans and one species of cephalopod, identified by the specific level. There is a significant difference between the factors, species of penguin, carapace length and sex of antarctic krill, when compared with each other. In addition, the biometrics indicates that length of P. papua’s beak and weight are larger than P. antarcticus, but P. antarcticus has the highest and widest beak measures. Such morphological differences may explain differences in foraging. We observed a niche overlap of species, by the use of the same food resources, once these species occurs simpatricaly in the same region. This study also demonstrated that the specific variation of trophic niches occupied by the species may be defined by the foraging behavior and by the selection of the food resources. It is important the recommendation of these species as indicators of environmental quality, adding issues such as local variability since the trophic niche may change over the time.

Studien som gjorts på Stenungsbaden Yacht Club, SYC, syftar till att undersöka den problematik som upplevs i samband med implementeringen av miljöledningssystemet ISO 14001. Ledningen tror att det rör sig om ett kommunikationsproblem, dock håller vi sinnet öppet för att undersöka om situationen inrymmer en komplexare frågeställning. Vår problemdiskussion utmynnar i frågeställningar som behandlar hur handlingsrecept i miljöarbetet med dess generella lösningar kan översättas till SYC:s särskilda situation. Studien syftar även till att undersöka vilka problem som kan urskiljas i arbetet samt vilka kommunikativa verktyg som kan fungera i den specifika situationen.Studien är av relevans då vi anser att de generella lösningar som olika handlingsrecept erbjuder många gånger lovar mer än de kan hålla. I SYC:s fall har lösningarna som främst avser mätbarhet av miljöpåverkan medfört att miljöfrågan kommit att kretsa kring sådant som vi tror upplevs som tråkigt. Den svaga retoriken lyckas inte förmedla det högre syfte som miljöarbetet eftersträvar. Symbolen för miljösatsningen har förskjutits från Penguin till lastbryggan och dess problem.I ett försök att komma närmare den problematik som ledningen uttrycker har nio kvalitativa öppna intervjuer gjorts. I enlighet med den abduktiva metoden har förståelsen vuxit fram för fenomenet genom en växelverkan mellan teori och erfarenheter från fältet. Därtill kompletterades det insamlade materialet med tio spontanintervjuer för att kunna bekräfta våra resonemang och således ytterligare styrka det vi kommit fram till. Vi framhåller dock att vi inte är ute efter att göra anspråk på en sanning, utan istället intresserar vi oss för att förhoppningsvis kunna formulera en alternativ spännande och stark berättelse som kan skapa reflektion hos läsaren.Den narrativa tolkningsmodellen användes för att undersöka bakomliggande orsaker och motiv i respondenternas berättelser. På så vis kunde vi lämna det naiva synsättet och röra oss mot ett mer ifrågasättande och undersökande. Resultatet av tolkningsarbetet gav en förståelse för att en utbredd avsaknad av kunskap hos personalen fanns kring miljöarbetet. Det berodde troligtvis på att arbetet med de praktiska frågorna kommit att hamna i fokus.De erfarenheter vi har samlat på oss under arbetets gång ger oss en förståelse för hur generella lösningar kan begränsa en organisation i ett förändringsarbete. Det är därför viktigt att kunna lämna naiva föreställningar och våga utsätta sig för de prövningar som ledarskapet medför. En fallenhet för att tala väl för sin sak kan bli en av ledarens viktigaste kommunikativa verktyg då denne formulerar en strategi för förändringsarbetet.

Measuring hormonal changes is vital for understanding how the social and physical environment influences behaviour, reproduction and survival. Various methods of hormone measurement exist, potentially explaining variation in results across studies; methods should be cross validated to ensure they correlate. I directly compare faecal and plasma hormone measurements (Chapter 2), and use the most suitable endocrine measure to test the Darling hypothesis (Chapter 3) - that breeding is hastened and synchronized in larger colonies due to increased social stimulation (mediated by the endocrine system). Blood and faecal samples were simultaneously collected from individual Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) for comparison, and assayed for testosterone and corticosterone (or their metabolites). Sex differences and variability within each measure, and correlation of values across measures were compared. For both hormones, plasma samples showed greater variation than faecal samples. Males had higher corticosterone levels than females, but the difference was only significant in faecal samples. Plasma testosterone, but not faecal testosterone, was significantly higher in males than females. Correlation between sample types was poor overall, and weaker in females than in males; perhaps because measures from plasma represent hormones that are both free and bound to globulins, whereas measures from faeces represent only the free portion. Faecal samples also represent a cumulative measure of hormones over time, as opposed to a plasma 'snapshot' concentration. Faecal sampling appears more suitable for assessing baseline hormone levels. In the second study I examined, over two seasons, whether the timing of breeding varied with colony size; larger colonies present occupants with higher levels of social stimulation and are predicted to show earlier, more synchronous breeding. Baseline faecal hormone levels throughout the breeding season, and survival, were measured to investigate possible proximate and ultimate mechanisms for the results. The influence of environmental variability was examined, by relating the timing of breeding, survival, and endocrine changes to sea ice conditions. Colony size did not influence the timing or synchrony of breeding, survival, or hormone levels within years; perhaps because colonies in an Adelie rookery are not independent from the 'social environment' of adjacent colonies. Across years, synchrony in the smaller rookery was higher than in the larger rookery. The scale of these comparisons may exceed the applicability of the Darling hypothesis. Therefore, no support was found for the Darling hypothesis, at the colony or rookery level, in this species. Higher corticosterone metabolite and lower sex hormone levels in the first season correlated to later breeding and lower survival compared to the second season. This is likely due to the persistence of extensive sea ice conditions late into the first season. Researchers should take care in selecting the most appropriate method of hormone measurement for their question. Future studies testing the Darling hypothesis must carefully select their definition of a colony (i.e. a truly isolated social unit) and the scale at which the hypothesis is tested. Combining endocrine measurements with behavioural, survival, and environmental information allows for a more comprehensive interpretation of animal ecology.

The breeding success of the Little Penguin was significantly higher in northern populations compared with documented southern colonies. Several southern colonies including Phillip Island in Victoria and colonies in Tasmania, have been characterised by poor breeding success, increasingly later commencement of breeding, and declining populations. This study aimed to compare and contrast the ecological attributes of a thriving northern population with other documented colonies. I collected long term data on breeding success (1987 to 1997) of the Little Penguin on Bowen Island, and related variability in breeding success to ocean currents and climate patterns, foraging behaviour and diet, nesting habitat, and inter-specific and fisheries competition. The benefits of successional changes to nesting habitat on Bowen Island since active habitat management commenced in 1989 were examined, including the importance of burrow depth, aspect, distance to water from the burrow, and vegetation type on breeding success of the Little Penguin. Morphological measurements of east coast penguins indicated a north-south cline, similar to that described in New Zealand. The Little Penguin was larger at higher latitudes. Whilst adults were sedentary and displayed a high degree of nest site fidelity, juveniles dispersed widely in their first three years, but then returned to the colony, sometimes to their natal burrow, to breed. This appears to be an adaptive mechanism, which selects for high quality nesting habitat. The study confirmed earlier findings that mature vegetation assemblages, namely woodland and forest, support higher breeding success than structurally simpler grassland and herbland habitat. This may contribute to observed differences in breeding success between northern and southern colonies, because many of the southern colonies have degraded nesting habitat. Most important to the diet of the Little Penguin were clupeoids, which dominated the fish species of Jervis Bay. The substantial clupeoid resources were targeted by the tuna fishery for bait, in the same areas and coinciding with maximum demands (chick raising and fledging), as penguins. The potential quantity of baitfish taken from Jervis Bay was over 10, 000 tonnes per year, which was well beyond the quantities raising concerns in other regions, although the fishery remains unregulated. Nevertheless, the foraging range of Bowen Island penguins was smaller than has previously been described Little Penguins on Bowen Island had a heavy reliance on relatively shallow waters of the Bay, within 5 km of the island. Daily foraging distances exceeding 20 km coincided with low breeding success, sometimes below that required for population replacement. Greater daily foraging range during the breeding season in southern Victoria may explain in part why these populations are declining. The principal mechanism for nutrient enrichment of Jervis Bay waters was the East Australia Current (EAC). This is a large and powerful, warm water boundary current of 250 km diameter and 1000 feet depth, which promoted slope water intrusion through upwelling along the New South Wales coast during the study, particularly during the penguin breeding season. The EAC effects northern colonies, but less so southern colonies. The Bowen Island colony was prone to periodic breeding failure, which was related to the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, indicated in Australia by the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). ENSO warm events, corresponding with negative values of the SOI, depressed the EAC and caused downwelling, leading in some seasons to increased breeding failure. There was a correlation between both fledging success and adult mortality, and the SOI. The mean breeding success of the Bowen Island colony, at 1.46 chicks per pair over the ten-year study, was the highest recorded for the Little Penguin, and the population was increasing.

The ability to understand the complex mechanisms by which species communicate has been the focus of study for many years. The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeds in vocally challenging Antarctic colonies and has evolved a complex system of intra- and intersexual visual and vocal behaviours. Unique to the Adélie penguin, is the presence of two distinct display calls, the Loud Mutual Display (LMD) call and male Ecstatic Display Call (EDC). The EDC is used for both mate choice and territory defence; but apart from general structure and function this call remains basically unstudied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the EDC with regard to its function (during mate choice) and variability over time, with location and with changing conditions. It is predicted that the EDC will be an individual call that is distinct from the LMD call. Additionally, the effects of an inclement breeding season on factors that affect breeding success will be examined using a logistic regression approach. The study took place over two breeding seasons(2000/1 & 2002/3) on Ross Island, Antarctica, with the majority of research being conducted at Cape Bird. Results of the study indicate that the EDC is an individual call that cannot reliably be described as a male display as females also give an EDC that is acoustically comparable. The similarities between the EDC and the LMD call seem to relate only to syllabic organisation (structure), as almost every call parameter was different between call types. Furthermore, several call parameters differed between Ross Island colonies. These parameters varied with both geographical location and colony size. In conjunction with variation in call parameters, the health and breeding success of the colonies was different. The stability of call parameters (from Cape Bird) indicated that parameters that separate colonies not only alter between breeding years, but also vary during a single breeding season. The function of the EDC as an honest signal during mate choice was supported by spectral analyses. These analyses found heavier males had significantly lower Frequency Modulation (FM) in the short repeated syllables of their calls than lighter males. Furthermore, a male’s breeding success could be predicted during the early breeding season by the FM. Logistic regression models showed that early male arrival, weight and good nest quality were most influential in predicting fledging success. The logistic regression method also showed that the parameters measured varied in their predictive ability as the season progressed. This study has not only enhanced the wealth of knowledge regarding Adélie breeding behaviour and developed our understanding of the vocal repertoire of this species, but also has implications for honest signalling theory, and the evolution and stability of vocal variation at different spatial and temporal scales.