Rocky Bay Research Articles

Comparative assessment of antioxidant activity and biochemical composition of four seaweeds, Rocky Bay of Abu Qir in Alexandria, Egypt

The current study estimated the antioxidant activity and biochemical composition of four seaweeds; Toania atomaria (Phaeophyta), Padina pavonia (Phaeophyta), Jania rubens (Rhodophyta) and Corallina elongate (Rhodophyta). The highest total antioxidant activity was observed with ethanol extract of T. atomaria (44.6 ± 1.6 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g crude extract). Among the four seaweeds, ethanol extract of T. atomaria has recorded the highest value in ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay (32.3 ± 0.0 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g crude extract). The uppermost level of carbohydrates was (20.4% ± 0.4 and 19.5% ± 0.7 dry wt.) in P. pavonia and T. atomaria. Proteins were maximum (10.5% ± 0.6 and 8.0% ± 0.0 dry wt.) in P. pavonia and T. atomaria. The results detected that T. atomaria had the largest amounts of lipids (5.92% ± 0.09 dry wt.). The polyunsaturated ω6 essential fatty acids were recorded in T.atomaria, P. pavonia, and J. rubens (11.39%, 8.09%, and 6.28%), and ω3 essential fatty acids were recorded in T. atomaria and P. pavonia (0.65% and 0.97%). The seaweeds are interesting candidates for medicinal, pharmaceutical, and nutritional applications owing to their antioxidant activities, biochemical composition; they are not widespread in the coastal waters of Egypt and has few studies, especially T. atomaria.

Meltwater pulse recorded in Last Interglacial mollusk shells from Bermuda

AbstractThe warm climate of Bermuda today is modulated by the nearby presence of the Gulf Stream current. However, iceberg scours in the Florida Strait and the presence of ice‐rafted debris in Bermuda Rise sediments indicate that, during the last deglaciation, icebergs discharged from the Laurentide Ice Sheet traveled as far south as subtropical latitudes. We present evidence that an event of similar magnitude affected the subtropics during the Last Interglacial, potentially due to melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Using the clumped isotope paleothermometer, we found temperatures ~10°C colder and seawater δ18O values ~2‰ lower than modern in Last Interglacial Cittarium pica shells from Grape Bay, Bermuda. In contrast, Last Interglacial shells from Rocky Bay, Bermuda, record temperatures only slightly colder and seawater δ18O values similar to modern, likely representing more typical Last Interglacial conditions in Bermuda outside of a meltwater event. The significantly colder ocean temperatures observed in Grape Bay samples illustrate the extreme sensitivity of Bermudian climate to broad‐scale ocean circulation changes. They indicate routine meltwater transport in the North Atlantic to near‐equatorial latitudes, which would likely have resulted in disruption of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. These data demonstrate that future melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet, a potential source of the Last Interglacial meltwater event, could have dramatic climate effects outside of the high latitudes.

The Path towards Endangered Species: Prehistoric Fisheries in Southeastern Brazil.

Brazilian shellmounds are archaeological sites with a high concentration of marine faunal remains. There are more than 2000 sites along the coast of Brazil that range in age from 8,720 to 985 cal BP. Here, we studied the ichthyoarchaeological remains (i.e., cranial/postcranial bones, otoliths, and teeth, among others) at 13 shellmounds on the southern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, which are located in coastal landscapes, including a sandy plain with coastal lagoons, rocky islands, islets and rocky bays. We identified patterns of similarity between shellmounds based on fish diversity, the ages of the assemblages, littoral geomorphology and prehistoric fisheries. Our new radiocarbon dating, based on otolith samples, was used for fishery characterization over time. A taxonomical study of the ichthyoarchaeological remains includes a diversity of 97 marine species, representing 37% of all modern species (i.e., 265 spp.) that have been documented along the coast of Rio de Janeiro state. This high fish diversity recovered from the shellmounds is clear evidence of well-developed prehistoric fishery activity that targeted sharks, rays and finfishes in a productive area influenced by coastal marine upwelling. The presence of adult and neonate shark, especially oceanic species, is here interpreted as evidence of prehistoric fisheries capacity for exploitation and possibly overexploitation in nursery areas. Various tools and strategies were used to capture finfish in seasonal fisheries, over rocky reef bottoms and in sandy littoral environments. Massive catches of whitemouth croaker, main target dermersal species of South Atlantic coast, show evidence of a reduction in body size of approximately 28% compared with modern fisheries. Fishery activity involving vulnerable species, especially in nursery areas, could mark the beginning of fish depletion along the southeastern Brazilian coast and the collapse of natural fish populations.

Anomalous MIS 7 sea level recorded on Bermuda

Three new U-series ages from coral fragments found in the Belmont Formation of Bermuda fall in a range of ∼198 ka to ∼196 ka. These late MIS 7 ages are consistent with those of ∼201 ka and ∼199 ka measured in a previous study. The disputed interpretation of the Belmont Formation as a unit that is allostratigraphically distinct from subsequent MIS 5e deposits, of the Rocky Bay Formation, is vindicated by a minimum age of 196 ± 3 ka for the total of 6 coral fragments it has yielded. Emergent marine deposits of the Belmont Formation include sedimentary lithofacies that are considered to be reliable relative sea level indicators. Prominent among these is a facies representing the “beach step”: a feature that develops sub-tidally, directly at the base of the swash zone. From this facies, and others preserved along 6 km of Belmont Formation coastal exposure, it is concluded that MIS 7 relative mean sea level reached +4.5 m, and likely peaked at or above +6.0 m, relative to present sea level at Bermuda. Lower MIS 7 sea level positions that are evidenced and that have been quoted, in the past, are considered transitory positions, not maxima. The MIS 7 sea-level elevations on Bermuda, reconstructed in this study, are above the majority of those reported from elsewhere in the world. This challenges the long-standing notion of Bermuda as a vertically stable “tide-gauge”, but is consistent with glacio-hydroisostatic models which predict land-mass subsidence at intermediate field sites, such as Bermuda, at the end of long interglacials. However, because of evidence of instability at Bermuda in the form of seismic activity and faulting, which require further investigation, judgement is reserved on the global implications of this palaeo-sea-level anomaly.

Extremely shallow spawning of perch (Perca fluviatilisL.) : the roles of sheltered bays, dense semi-terrestrial vegetation and low visibility in deeper water

The roles of wind protected bays, presence of littoral vegetation and light attenuation in the water column on spawning site selection and depth of egg strands deposition by perch Perca fluviatilis was studied in Řimov Reservoir, Czech Republic, in the years 2007 and 2011 using boat observation and SCUBA divers. The data were compared with results from Chabařovice Lake, Czech Republic, where similar monitoring took place in 2007–2010 and 2012. In shallow water of Řimov Reservoir, the density of egg strands was significantly higher in grass bays compared to both rocky bays and the main reservoir body. Most egg strands were deposited in water less than 0.5 m deep on reed canarygrass Phalaris arudinacea . In year when the littoral vegetation was absent perch were forced to spawn significantly deeper on various types of woody structures. In Řimov Reservoir, which is less vulnerable to wind, 91.1% of egg strands were spawned in water ≤3 m deep. In contrast, in the wind exposed Chabařovice Lake, even in the presence of littoral vegetation, 90.5% of egg strands were found at depths greater than 3 m. In Chabařovice Lake, the light penetrated to three times greater depth compared to Řimov Reservoir and, similarly, the depth limit to which 95% of egg strands were spawned was three times greater in this lake compared to Řimov Reservoir. This study is the first contribution showing the role of water transparency in controlling the depth distribution of perch egg strands in lakes and reservoirs.

Endogenous cytokinins, auxins and abscisic acid in Ulva fasciata (Chlorophyta) and Dictyota humifusa (Phaeophyta): towards understanding their biosynthesis and homoeostasis

Hormones are present in seaweeds, but little is known about their biosynthesis and regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate variation in concentration and composition of endogenous cytokinins, auxins and abscisic acid in two seaweeds collected over a 1 year period to gain a more complete picture of the types of hormones present during a range of environmental and developmental conditions. Ulva fasciata (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) and Dictyota humifusa (Dictyotales, Phaeophyta) were collected bimonthly from the inter-tidal zone at Rocky Bay, South Africa. Ethanol extracts of the samples containing a mixture of internal standards were purified using a combined DEAE-Sephadex-octadecylsilica column, followed by immuno-affinity chromatography and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry to quantify different cytokinins, auxins and abscisic acid. cis-Zeatin, isopentenyladenine and their ribotide and riboside conjugates were the main cytokinins present in both U. fasciata and D. humifusa with low concentrations of trans-zeatin, dihydrozeatin and aromatic cytokinins. Very low concentrations of O-glucosides and riboside-O-glucosides and no N-glucosides were detected in any of the samples. Based on the cytokinins detected, we propose that as in higher plants, the ribotides are also the first intermediates formed during de novo biosynthesis in seaweeds and are subsequently converted to free-bases and ribosides. The only indole compounds detected in both species were free indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-acetamide (IAM), suggesting that IAM is the intermediate in auxin biosynthesis. Endogenous abscisic acid was detected in most samples with levels in U. fasciata generally being higher than those measured in D. humifusa.

The source and fate of organic matter and the significance of detrital pathways in a tropical coastal ecosystem

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) and fatty acid profiling were used to elucidate the supply and fate of energy in a tropical coastal ecosystem in Hong Kong, southern China. To investigate seasonal changes in source supply on the diets of different trophic guilds, measurements were taken in three rocky bays before and after the onset of the summer monsoon, when supply of both marine macroalgal and streamborne terrestrial detritus increases. Particulate organic matter, comprising a mixture of marine and terrestrial sources, was the ultimate food source (>60%) for suspension feeders, which were the major prey items of a predatory gastropod (Thais). Increased levels of bacterial fatty acid biomarkers (BaFA) were recorded after the onset of the summer monsoon, indicating amplified dependence on detrital materials in both primary and secondary consumers. The considerable increase in the detritus fraction of sedimentary organic matter at the onset of the summer monsoon was reflected by enhanced levels of BaFA, possibly due to the degeneration of macroalgae. Significant contributions of this marine algal detritus to deposit feeders (Holothuria, 36%) and of terrestrial detritus to an echinoid grazer (Salmacis, 14%) were revealed by SIA mixing models as well as elevated BaFA concentrations. These results indicate a higher dependence on heterotrophic food chains based on decomposing marine algae and terrestrial detritus after the onset of the summer monsoon. Such seasonal variation in the importance of detrital energy sources is, therefore, likely to be important to coastal ecosystem functioning in the monsoonal tropics.

Seasonal variation in antifungal, antibacterial and acetylcholinesterase activity in seven South African seaweeds

Seven seaweeds were collected from the intertidal zone at Rocky Bay on the east coast of South Africa. The species were Caulerpa racemosa var. laetevirens, Codium capitatum, Halimeda cuneata, Ulva fasciata, Amphiroa bowerbankii, Amphiroa ephedraea and Dictyota humifusa. Six bimonthly collections were made within a few days of the new moon to correspond with spring tide. Methanol extracts were tested for antifungal, antibacterial and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. No seasonal variation was observed in antifungal activity, with D. humifusa extracts being the most active. The seaweed extracts inhibited the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria, with Bacillus subtilis being more susceptible than Staphylococcus aureus. Dictyota humifusa was the only seaweed able to inhibit the Gram-negative Escherichia coli. Seasonal variation in antibacterial activity was observed, with the extracts generally having no activity in summer and having antibacterial activity in late winter (July collection) and early spring (September and November collections). Dictyota humifusa was the most effective seaweed species, having antibacterial activity throughout the year. All the extracts tested had AChE inhibitory activity, with no seasonal variation in the levels of activity. Dictyota humifusa extracts were the most effective at inhibiting AChE activity.

Seepage rate variability in Florida Bay driven by Atlantic tidal height

Atlantic tidal fluctuations drive pressure head variations in shallow offshore wells drilled into the limestone subsurface on both the Florida Bay and Atlantic sides of Key Largo, Florida, USA. We tested the hypothesis that these pressure head variations influence groundwater flow and that flux rate variability is associated with tidal variability. We used an automated Rn monitor to make continuous measurements of 222Rn, a natural tracer of groundwater discharge, in Florida Bay waters. We also deployed three types of seepage meters, including an automated heat pulse meter to collect a continuous record of seepage from the sediments. Drum type seepage meters inserted into soft sediments and fiberglass meters cemented to the rocky bay floor were utilized with pre-filled 4-l bag collectors, and monitored on an hourly basis. Maximum Rn inventories in Florida Bay waters were associated with high tide on the Atlantic side of the island. Modeling of the Rn variation indicated variable groundwater discharge rates with maximum flux occurring at high Atlantic tide. Seepage meter results in Florida Bay were consistent with 222Rn modeling. Florida Bay seepage meter rates showed positive correlation with Atlantic tide, meter 1, r = 0.63, n = 12, p < 0.025 and meter 2, r = 0.67, n = 12, p < 0.025. A seepage meter offshore of the Atlantic side of Key Largo exhibited rates that were inversely correlated with Atlantic tide (r = 0.87, n = 9, p < 0.005) showing negative rates when the tide was high, and positive rates when the tide was low. Overall, our results are consistent with the hypothesis of Reich et al. (2002), that pressure head variations driven by Atlantic tide influence groundwater seepage rate variability in Florida Bay off Key Largo. Effectively, as proposed by Reich et al. (2002), Key Largo functions as a semi-permeable dam separating Florida Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Revision of the late Pleistocene stratigraphy of Bermuda

The Quaternary stratigraphy of Bermuda is one of the world's most complete sedimentary records of interglacial highstands, representing at least the past million years. Yet in terms of the last interglacial (Rocky Bay Formation), marine isotope substage (MIS) 5e, only scanty deposits are preserved. In contrast, MIS 7, generally regarded as a diminutive interglaciation, exposes widespread emergent subtidal deposits of the Belmont Formation indicating a prolonged sea level highstand at ca. +2.5±0.3 m. This “Belmont paradox” has prompted a reexamination of the geology of key sites along the South Shore of Bermuda. This revision of the late Quaternary stratigraphy of Bermuda is based on geological field observations; primarily the questionable origin of red soil-like deposits. It is concluded here that there is no physical evidence of the exposure of the upper Belmont surface for a full glacial cycle (∼70–100 ka), and that interbedded, reddish soil-like, lenticular deposits are the result of colluvial activity during mid-MIS 5e. Reexamination of previously published uranium-series (U/Th) ages indicates that several “+3-m notches” contain a mix of ca. 125 ka and older coral ages. Contrary to previous works, this study favors an early MIS 5e interpretation of the coral ages from the +2.5-m Belmont shoreline, which is further supported by amino acid racemization (AAR) ratios on whole-rock, Poecilozonites, Glycymeris, and Brachiodontes samples from shore and notch deposits. An updated AAR kinetic model demonstrates that the bulk of epimerization occurred during warm interglacial intervals between 130 and 80 ka and the last 10 ka of the Holocene. This revised stratigraphy of Bermuda now falls into accordance with a more general view of middle and late Pleistocene sea level history.

The Macrobenthos of Sites within Prince William Sound, Alaska, Prior to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Benthic fauna within three bays (Rocky and Zaikof Bays, and Port Etches) of outer Prince William Sound, Alaska are examined. The data represent the only detailed benthic faunal information available for the period prior to a major oil spill by the tanker Exxon Valdez within the Sound. The spatial distribution of fauna determined by classification and ordination resulted in eight station groups. Stepwise multiple discriminant analysis demonstrated a relationship between station groups, sediment grain size and nitrogen. Major faunal differences were observed within Rocky and Zaikof Bays between 1982 and 1990. The faunal differences between the two time periods demonstrate the extreme temporal variability that might be expected within Prince William Sound. The study serves as a cautionary note to avoid conclusions about the effects of disturbance to the benthos on a single data set. An explanation for temporal differences within the bays is presented.

SCALE-DEPENDENT RECRUITMENT AND DIVERGENCE OF INTERTIDAL COMMUNITIES

Sheltered rocky bays in the Gulf of Maine support communities usually dominated either by the fucoid rockweed Ascophyllum nodosum or the mussel Mytilus edulis. In order to test whether clearing size determines the subsequent pattern of recruitment by intertidal organisms, we examined four common species in clearings in stands of A. nodosum. Circular experimental clearings of 1, 2, 4, and 8 m in diameter, which mimicked severe ice scour, and uncleared controls were established at 12 sites spread across four bays. Recruitment of A. nodosum and of three species not common in A. nodosum stands (mussels, barnacles, and the rockweed Fucus vesiculosus) varied with clearing size and the patterns did not vary among bays. Recruitment of A. nodosum declined exponentially with clearing size. Fucus and barnacles recruited in greater densities to large clearings (≥4 m) compared to small clearings (<4 m). Recruitment of F. vesiculosus was also site specific, reflecting patterns of local abundance, but that of A. nodosum was not. Mussels recruited onto artificial substrates in fewer numbers in large clearings, but in marginally greater numbers to rock underneath these substrates in large clearings. Recruitment densities of mussels and barnacles were strongly site specific. These results suggest that (1) the rate of succession varies site specifically, and (2) the trajectory of succession, either convergence toward or divergence from the surrounding community, is contingent upon the interplay between species interactions and the size of the clearing.

Seagrass loss associated with boat moorings at Rottnest Island, Western Australia

Loss of seagrasses caused by mooring damage at Rottnest Island, Western Australia, was studied using aerial photographs taken between 1941 and 1992. The temporal decline of seagrass beds damaged by moorings was studied by comparing areal coverages of seagrasses and sand patches, and increases in the length of the exposed seagrass edge within seagrass beds. The study concentrated on Rocky Bay and Thomson Bay where the bulk of permanent moorings are located. Rocky Bay is more exposed to the prevailing westerly swell direction and Thomson Bay is a protected east facing bay. The loss of seagrasses associated with moorings in Rocky Bay has been dramatic, with 18% of seagrass area lost between 1941 and 1992, and 13% between 1981 and 1992. The exposed edge of the beds increased by 230% between 1981 and 1992. Sand patches associated with moorings have coalesced in the shallow central west part of the bay. The change from single weighted swing moorings to three chained cyclone moorings has resulted in greater loss of seagrasses. Single cyclone moorings produce three circular holes in the seagrass bed. The areal loss recorded from Thomson Bay was less than 5%, yet the exposed edge of the seagrass beds doubled between 1941 and 1992. Fragmentation of the bed was visible near heavy use areas. Some regrowth was recorded to the north of the main ferry jetty where the sedimentary environment is depositional. The effects of moorings on seagrasses at Rottnest Island varied from devastating in Rocky Bay to small in Thomson Bay. The differences seem to be related to exposure to prevailing swell and whether the environments are erosional or depositional. Thus a single management protocol, such as cyclone moorings versus swing moorings, is inappropriate. Physical environments need to be assessed before determining the number and types of moorings allowable in bays at Rottnest Island.

Stemflow influences on the formation of solution pipes in Bermuda eolianite

Soil-filled pipes consisting of calcite casings were found in all of the eolianite formations of Bermuda except the Rocky Bay Formation. The pipes are cylindrical in shape, taper vertically downwards, and occur in aggregated clusters. They are most commonly exposed in areas of shoreline erosion in the form of soil-filled cylindrical rims of calcite projecting up from the surrounding host eolianite. In the early literature on the geology of Bermuda, it was suggested that these features were fossilized stumps of the Bermuda palmetto tree Sabal bermudiana. In the study presented here, this hypothesis is rejected on the basis of the morphology and stratigraphic position of these geomorphic features and their basal area and areal density compared with existing natural stands of S. bermudiana. The soil-filled pipes of Bermuda, however, cannot be simply explained as random solutional features that correspond to points where percolating soil water happened to converge and cause localized subsurface dissolution. In situ measurements of stemflow from indigenous tree species suggest that the soil-filled solution pipes of Bermuda may be the product of stemflow drainage from particular tree species. Stemflow from S. bermudiana was the most acidic, with pH values as low as 4.29 compared to the gross rainfall in the open, which had a pH of 5.58. The crowns of the Bermuda cedar ( Juniperus bermudiana) and the subtropical tree species Eugenia axillaris had the most significant funnelling effect. Stemflow volumes from individual trees representing these two species were 20 times greater than the volume of water that would have been collected in rain gauges with orifice areas equivalent to the trees' trunk basal areas. Tree species capable of acidifying intercepted rainwater and funnelling large quantities down their trunks as stemflow may be the cause of subsurface dissolution loci extending vertically downward through Bermuda's soluble eolianite formations. Stemflow from long-lived trees representing these species could account for the diameters, the cyclindrical shape, the vertical orientation, and the soil-filled interiors of the pipes. Successive generations of these trees in preferred habitats could explain their clustered distribution and high areal densities (>10 3 pipes/ha).

The Lower Theatre at Balboura

Amongst the standing remains of Greco-roman Balboura in northern Lycia are those of two theatres (Fig. 1). The smaller and better preserved clings to the steep south slope of the acropolis hill close to the line of the Hellenistic city's defence wall. The reports of early travellers provide little useful information about the monument, concerned as they are more with Balboura's rich epigraphic material than with her architecture. Spratt and Forbes, who visited the site in 1842 during their archaeological survey of the area, wrote a brief account, and nearly half a century later Petersen and Von Luschan published without comment a single photograph of the stage building's fine retaining wall showing its heavily bossed polygonal stones and its buttresses of squared blocks. No detailed picture was available, however, until the appearance in 1969 of the second volume of de Bernardi Ferrero's monumental survey of the ancient theatres in Asia Minor.The second theatre, located in a rocky bay in the hillside at the edge of the valley three hundred metres to the south, has attracted even less attention, and understandably so, for its remains consist of little more than the foundations for the stage building which lie half buried beneath earth and debris. De Bernardi Ferrero has published several photographs but no drawings. Her brief description concentrates on the system of arches supporting the pavement of the proscenium, an unusual feature for which she cites several parallels in the area.

The taxonomic implications of the ultrastucture and cell division of a stigma-containing Chroomonas sp. (Cryptophyceae) from Rocky Bay, Natal, South Africa

The ultrastructure of the interphase cell and the ultrastructural details of mitosis and cytokinesis are described in a blue-green stigma-containing Chroomonas sp. isolated from a tidal pool in the Rocky Bay region of the Natal coast, R.S.A. This taxon resembles Chroomonas sp. 978/2 and C. mesostigmatica but can be separated from Chroomonas sp. (Gantt 1971), C. africana and C. placoidea on the basis of its number of periplast plates. The periplast plates are relatively large in the Rocky Bay isolate and observations of cells undergoing mitosis and cytokinesis have shown that the plates increase in number only during cytokinesis or once the daughter cells have separated. The sequence of events in mitosis and cytokinesis are similar to those observed in C. africana, but are significantly different in some respects from cryptomonads without stigmas. The taxonomic implications of these observations are discussed.

Geochemistry of Paleozoic granitoid plutons from contrasting tectonic zones of northeast Newfoundland

Granitoid plutons of similar (Silurian–Devonian) age intrude four of the tectono-stratigraphic zones of northeastern Newfoundland, and show systematic petrographic and chemical differences corresponding to the tectonic zone in which they occur. Those intruding the dominantly mafic volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Botwood and Exploits Zones are dominated by calc-alkaline hornblende–biotite bearing granodiorite, quartz diorite and granite. Those intruding the metamorphic rocks of the Gander Zone are two-mica garnet-bearing 'leucogranites' mainly in metasedimentary rocks, and microcline – megacrystic biotite granites and quartz monzonites, mainly in gneissic terrains. The Gander Zone plutons are more silicic and have lower Na/(Na + K) and K/Rb ratios than those of the Botwood and Exploits Zones, although the Rocky Bay pluton, close to the boundary between them, shows some transitional features. This close correspondence between granitoid plutons and crustal rocks of different tectonic settings is taken as evidence for their formation by partial melting of the crustal rocks.

Stratigraphy, facies, structure, and setting of the Waiheke and Manaia Hill Groups, east Auckland

Abstract Upper Jurassic, eugeosynclinal sedimentary rocks of the Waiheke Group (belonging to the Hunua Facies) are more than 8.5 km thick at the centre of the Hunua Eugeosyncline. Ponui Subgroup, the oldest, has rare Inoceramus cf. galoi at its base, and consists of two cycles of mainly interbedded, graded sandstone and dark-coloured mudstones that become thinner and finer upwards and end in a common association of chert, red mudstone, cupriferous manganese ore, and spilite. The Subgroup is divided into the following units: Chamberlins Formation (oldest), Waikorariki Formation, Mangatangi Formation, and Rocky Bay Formation. The overlying Otau Subgroup has rare Inoceramus sp. cf. Anopaea sp. at its base and is typified by rapid lateral change in facies, from sandstone (Orere Sandstone) on the margins through zones of interbedded graded sandstone and mudstone (Duders Formation) to a massive mudstone (Mangawheau Mudstone) at the centre of the geosyncline, capped by chert-red mudstone beds (Kiripaka Formation...

Breeding Seasons and Sexual Dimorphism in Rockhopper Penguins

VISITS to Campbell Island (520 33' S, 1690 09' E) from 8 to 26 January 1969 and to Antipodes Island (490 40' S, 1780 50' E) from 28 January to 12 March 1969 permit some comparisons between two breeding populations of the Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) and supplement data gathered at Macquarie Island between 1959 and 1961 (Warham, 1963). The present paper forms part of a series to deal with aspects of the breeding biology of all the Eudyptes penguins. Bailey and Sorensen (1962) describe the distribution and breeding of the Rockhopper Penguin at Campbell Island, which supports many more Rockhoppers than other penguin species. Small numbers of Erectcrested Penguins (E. sclateri) also nest there, and Royal Penguins (E. chrysolophus schlegeli) are not rare though not known to breed. The Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) is the most plentiful penguin after the Rockhopper, but breeds among thick vegetation well away from the latter bird. At Antipodes Island Rockhoppers share breeding beaches and coastal slopes with large numbers of E. sciateri. The latter generally occupy the lower and reasonably flat ground above high water while the Rockhoppers nest higher up, often on steep slopes or within shallow caves. At this island the two species appear to occupy nesting niches equivalent to those Royals and Rockhoppers take up at Macquarie Island where, when the two species are contiguous, the latter again lay higher up among talus debris consolidated by soil, or among tussock grasses. At Campbell Island the data were collected from live birds at a small colony in Rocky Bay below Mt. Dumas and at a larger one at Penguin Bay. At Antipodes Island Rockhoppers occur mainly on the east and south coasts; the data here were gathered at two colonies in the vicinity of the expedition base at Reef Point on the eastern side of the island. Colony locations with indications of size are being mapped and will appear with a general account of Antipodes Island birds (Warham and Bell, MS.). The Expedition was assisted by a grant from the Trans-Antarctic Expedition Research Fund and thanks are also due to the Royal New Zealand Navy for providing transport, to R. Stanley for help in the field, and to K. W. Duncan for advice on statistics.

Report on the Tunicata of Plymouth

The southern shores of the English Channel have long been famous for the wealth of their Tunicate fauna, having furnished material in abundance for the classical researches of Milne-Edwards, Giard, and Lacaze-Duthiers. The Channel Islands also have been repeatedly visited by English zoologists, and have amply supplied those among them who have been in search of Tunicate treasures. Probably the peculiar tidal conditions of this part of the Channel are especially favourable to a rich development of littoral forms; but, as the work of Montagu, Couch, Clark, Alder, Gosse, Cocks, Bate, and Norman sufficiently testifies, the Devon and Cornish coasts of England can lay claim to an almost equally luxuriant shore fauna, the rocky bays and long sheltered estuaries being especially wealthy in this respect. During my residence at Plymouth I found that the Tunicata were among the best represented groups of the fauna, and, as I devoted considerable attention to the search for rare or new, as well as for well-known forms, I trust that a classified report upon the local representatives of the group will not be without its usefulness to other investigators.