Sea Island Research Articles

Teshima — From Island Art to the Art Island: Art on/for a previously declining Japanese Inland Sea Island

Teshima — From Island Art to the Art Island: Art on/for a previously declining Japanese Inland Sea Island

Construction of Gossypium barbadense Mutant Library Provides Genetic Resources for Cotton Germplasm Improvement.

Allotetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense) are cultivated worldwide for its white fiber. For centuries, conventional breeding approaches increase cotton yield at the cost of extensive erosion of natural genetic variability. Sea Island cotton (G. barbadense) is known for its superior fiber quality, but show poor adaptability as compared to Upland cotton. Here, in this study, we use ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) as a mutagenic agent to induce genome-wide point mutations to improve the current germplasm resources of Sea Island cotton and develop diverse breeding lines with improved adaptability and excellent economic traits. We determined the optimal EMS experimental procedure suitable for construction of cotton mutant library. At M6 generation, mutant library comprised of lines with distinguished phenotypes of the plant architecture, leaf, flower, boll, and fiber. Genome-wide analysis of SNP distribution and density in yellow leaf mutant reflected the better quality of mutant library. Reduced photosynthetic efficiency and transmission electron microscopy of yellow leaf mutants revealed the effect of induced mutations at physiological and cellular level. Our mutant collection will serve as the valuable resource for basic research on cotton functional genomics, as well as cotton breeding.

Heat stress responses and population genetics of the kelp Laminaria digitata (Phaeophyceae) across latitudes reveal differentiation among North Atlantic populations.

To understand the thermal plasticity of a coastal foundation species across its latitudinal distribution, we assess physiological responses to high temperature stress in the kelp Laminaria digitata in combination with population genetic characteristics and relate heat resilience to genetic features and phylogeography. We hypothesize that populations from Arctic and cold‐temperate locations are less heat resilient than populations from warm distributional edges. Using meristems of natural L. digitata populations from six locations ranging between Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen (79°N), and Quiberon, France (47°N), we performed a common‐garden heat stress experiment applying 15°C to 23°C over eight days. We assessed growth, photosynthetic quantum yield, carbon and nitrogen storage, and xanthophyll pigment contents as response traits. Population connectivity and genetic diversity were analyzed with microsatellite markers. Results from the heat stress experiment suggest that the upper temperature limit of L. digitata is nearly identical across its distribution range, but subtle differences in growth and stress responses were revealed for three populations from the species’ ecological range margins. Two populations at the species’ warm distribution limit showed higher temperature tolerance compared to other populations in growth at 19°C and recovery from 21°C (Quiberon, France), and photosynthetic quantum yield and xanthophyll pigment responses at 23°C (Helgoland, Germany). In L. digitata from the northernmost population (Spitsbergen, Norway), quantum yield indicated the highest heat sensitivity. Microsatellite genotyping revealed all sampled populations to be genetically distinct, with a strong hierarchical structure between southern and northern clades. Genetic diversity was lowest in the isolated population of the North Sea island of Helgoland and highest in Roscoff in the English Channel. All together, these results support the hypothesis of moderate local differentiation across L. digitata's European distribution, whereas effects are likely too weak to ameliorate the species’ capacity to withstand ocean warming and marine heatwaves at the southern range edge.

Characterization and transcriptome analysis of a dominant genic male sterile cotton mutant

BackgroundMale sterility is an efficient trait for hybrid seed production and germplasm innovation. Until now, most studies on male sterility were on cytoplasmic and recessive genic sterility, with few on dominant genic male sterility, especially in cotton, due to lack of such mutant.ResultsWe discovered a natural male sterile (MS) Sea Island cotton (G. barbadense) mutant. Genetic analysis showed the mutation was caused by a dominant mutation in a single nuclear gene. Comparative cytological observation of anther sections from MS and wild-type (WT) uncovered cellular differences in anther at and after the tetrad stage of pollen mother cells (PMC). In the MS anthers, the outer wall of pollen grains was free of spinules, the tapetum was vacuolated and showed delayed degradation, consequently, no functional pollen grains. Comparison of transcriptomes from meiosis, tetrad, mononuclear and binuclear pollen, and pollen maturation stages identified 13,783 non-redundant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between MS and WT. Based on the number of DEGs, analyses of enriched GO terms and KEGG pathways, it was evident that significant transcriptomic changes occurred at and after the tetrad stage, consistent with cytological observation, and that the major differences were on metabolism of starch, sucrose, ascorbate, aldarate, alanine, aspartate and glutamate, and biosynthesis of cutin, suberine and wax. WGCNA analysis identified five modules containing 920 genes highly related to anther development, especially the greenyellow module with 54 genes that was highly associated with PMC meiosis and tetrad formation. A NAC transcription factor (Gh_D11G2469) was identified as a hub gene for this module, which warrants further functional characterization.ConclusionsWe demonstrated that the MS trait was controlled by a single dominant nuclear gene and caused by delayed tapetum degradation at the tetrad stage. Comparative transcriptome analysis and gene network construction identified DEGs, enriched GO terms and metabolic pathways, and hub genes potentially associated with anther development and the MS trait. These results contribute to our understanding of dominant genic male sterility (DGMS) and provided source for innovation of cotton germplasm.

First record of Stylostomum ellipse (Dalyell, 1853) (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida) from the Pacific Ocean

The polyclad flatworm Stylostomum ellipse (Dalyell, 1853) has hitherto been recorded from the Antarctic region, Mediterranean Sea, Patagonian region, Scandinavia, South Africa, and South Georgia Island. In this study, we report S. ellipse for the first time from the Pacific Ocean based on specimens collected in Hokkaido, northern Japan. Our specimens are morphologically identifiable as S. ellipse, but may represent a biologically different species from a population of the Mediterranean Sea. This is because, based on the previous genetic data of other cotylean species, the observed uncorrected p-distance 0.02160 between the two distinct populations in terms of a partial 972 bp region of the 28S rDNA sequence may be great enough to separate the species biologically.

Genome-wide association analysis reveals loci and candidate genes involved in fiber quality traits in sea island cotton (Gossypium barbadense)

BackgroundSea island cotton (Gossypium barbadense) has markedly superior high quality fibers, which plays an important role in the textile industry and acts as a donor for upland cotton (G. hirsutum) fiber quality improvement. The genetic characteristics analysis and the identification of key genes will be helpful to understand the mechanism of fiber development and breeding utilization in sea island cotton.ResultsIn this study, 279 sea island cotton accessions were collected from different origins for genotyping and phenotyping fiber quality traits. A set of 6303 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained by high-density CottonSNP80K array. The population characteristics showed that the sea island cotton accessions had wide genetic diversity and were clustered into three groups, with Group1 closely related to Menoufi, an original sea island cotton landrace, and Group2 and Group3 related to widely introduced accessions from Egypt, USA and Former Soviet Union. Further, we used 249 accessions and evaluated five fiber quality traits under normal and salt environments over 2 years. Except for fiber uniformity (FU), fiber length (FL) and fiber elongation (FE) were significantly decreased in salt conditions, while fiber strength (FS) and fiber micronaire (MIC) were increased. Based on 6303 SNPs and genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis, a total of 34 stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified for the five fiber quality traits with 25 detected simultaneously under normal and salt environments. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that candidate genes in the 25 overlapped QTLs were enriched mostly in “cellular and biological process”. In addition, “xylem development” and “response to hormone” pathways were also found. Haplotype analyses found that GB_A03G0335 encoding an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase in QTL TM6004 had SNP variation (A/C) in gene region, was significantly correlated with FL, FS, FU, and FE, implying a crucial role in fiber quality.ConclusionsThe present study provides a foundation for genetic diversity of sea island cotton accessions and will contribute to fiber quality improvement in breeding practice.

Abstract B102: Body mass index, physical activity, and breast cancer subtype in European American, African American, and Sea Island breast cancer survivors

Abstract BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BCa) is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States and large racial/ethnic disparities are evident. Higher levels of body mass index (BMI), lower rates of physical activity (PA), and hormone receptor-negative BCa sub-type are associated with poorer BCa treatment outcomes. PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of high BMI, low PA level, and BCa sub-type among three BCa survivor groups: European Americans (EAs), African Americans without Sea Island ancestry (AAs), and AAs with SI ancestry (SIs). METHODS: A state central cancer registry database was used to identify 137 (42 EAs, 66 AAs, and 29 SIs) women diagnosed with BCa between May 2012 and October 2013, who were within 6-21 months of diagnosis at the time of the study. RESULTS: Regardless of racial/ethnic group, most participants (82%) were overweight/obese (p=0.46). BMI was highest in younger AAs (p=0.02). The CDC PA guidelines (≥150 minutes/week) were met by only 28% of participants. In terms of BCa sub-type, among the 86 participants who provided saliva samples, the frequency of triple-negative BCa and estrogen-receptor-negative BCa was lower in EAs and SIs than in AAs (p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to identify differences in obesity rates, PA rates, and BCa sub-type in EAs, AAs, and SIs. Future research could explore dietary and PA behavioral interventions to reduce BCa recurrence risk, and could evaluate potential differential immune responses linked to the frequency of triple-negative BCa in AAs. Citation Format: Marvella E Ford, Colleen E Bauza, Victoria J Findlay, David P Turner, Latecia M Abraham-Hilaire, Leslie A Moore, Gayenell Magwood, Anthony J Alberg, Kadeidre Gaymon, Kendrea D Knight, Ebony Hilton, Angela M Malek, Rita M Kramer, Lindsay L Peterson, Susan Bolick, Deborah Hurley, Catishia Mosley, Tonya R Hazelton, Dana R Burshell, Lourdes Nogueira, Franshawn Mack, Erika T Brown, Judith D Salley, Keith E Whitfield, Joan E Cunningham. Body mass index, physical activity, and breast cancer subtype in European American, African American, and Sea Island breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr B102.

Records of the rare deep-sea threetooth puffer fish, Triodon macropterus (Tetraodontiformes: Triodontidae) from Molucca and Sawu seas, Indonesia

The Indo-West Pacific species of rare deep-sea threetooth puffer fish, Triodon macropterus Lesson 1931 was recorded on the basis of two voucher specimens from southern coasts of Lembeh Island, North Sulawesi, Molucca Sea and Solor Island, Sawu Sea and a photograph of fresh individual after captured from Sawu Sea. In Indonesia waters, the species has previously been known only from Banda Sea, thus the specimens and a photograph in this study represent the first records of T. macropterus from Molucca Sea and Sawu Sea.

Subpolar marginal seas fuel the North Pacific through the intermediate water at the termination of the global ocean circulation

The mechanism by which nutrients in the deep ocean are uplifted to maintain nutrient-rich surface waters in the subarctic Pacific has not been properly described. The iron (Fe) supply processes that control biological production in the nutrient-rich waters are also still under debate. Here, we report the processes that determine the chemical properties of intermediate water and the uplift of Fe and nutrients to the main thermocline, which eventually maintains surface biological productivity. Extremely nutrient-rich water is pooled in intermediate water (26.8 to 27.6 σθ) in the western subarctic area, especially in the Bering Sea basin. Increases of two to four orders in the upward turbulent fluxes of nutrients were observed around the marginal sea island chains, indicating that nutrients are uplifted to the surface and are returned to the subarctic intermediate nutrient pool as sinking particles through the biological production and microbial degradation of organic substances. This nutrient circulation coupled with the dissolved Fe in upper-intermediate water (26.6 to 27.0 σθ) derived from the Okhotsk Sea evidently constructs an area that has one of the largest biological CO2 drawdowns in the world ocean. These results highlight the pivotal roles of the marginal seas and the formation of intermediate water at the end of the ocean conveyor belt.

Year-round spatiotemporal distribution pattern of a threatened sea duck species breeding on Kolguev Island, south-eastern Barents Sea

BackgroundThe long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) was categorized as ´Vulnerable` by the IUCN after a study revealed a rapid wintering population decline of 65% between 1992–1993 and 2007–2009 in the Baltic Sea. As knowledge about the European long-tailed duck’s life cycle and movement ecology is limited, we investigate its year-round spatiotemporal distribution patterns. Specifically, we aimed to identify the wintering grounds, timing of migration and staging of this population via light-level geolocation.ResultsOf the 48 female long-tailed ducks tagged on Kolguev Island (western Russian Arctic), 19 were recaptured to obtain data. After breeding and moulting at freshwater lakes, ducks went out to sea around Kolguev Island and to marine waters ranging from the White Sea to Novaya Zemlya Archipelago for 33 ± 10 days. After a rapid autumn migration, 18 of 19 birds spent their winter in the Baltic Sea and one bird in the White Sea, where they stayed for 212 ± 3 days. There, they used areas known to host long-tailed ducks, but areas differed among individuals. After a rapid spring migration in mid-May, the birds spent 23 ± 3 days at sea in coastal areas between the White Sea and Kolguev Island, before returning to their freshwater breeding habitats in June.ConclusionsThe Baltic Sea represents the most important wintering area for female long-tailed ducks from Kolguev Island. Important spring and autumn staging areas include the Barents Sea and the White Sea. Climate change will render these habitats more exposed to human impacts in the form of fisheries, marine traffic and oil exploitation in near future. Threats that now operate in the wintering areas may thus spread to the higher latitude staging areas and further increase the pressure on long-tailed ducks.

Particles, protists, and zooplankton in glacier-influenced coastal Svalbard waters

Glacier retreat is an eminent consequence of exacerbating climate change. In the Svalbard archipelago, most of the glaciers are discharging fresh and turbid waters directly to the sea, substantially impacting the coastal Arctic marine ecosystems. This study attempted to characterise the environmental conditions (hydrography, turbidity, marine aggregates) in the glacial-influenced waters and relate them to the abundance and species composition of protists and zooplankton. The study was conducted in the summer of 2016 in two Svalbard fjords (Wijdefjorden and Rijpfjorden) as well as in coastal waters close to glacier terminations on two islands (Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya). Well-recognised gradients in seawater salinity, turbidity, and particle aggregates that spread from glacier fronts towards open waters were not directly associated with the corresponding horizontal gradients in plankton communities. However, the studied environmental parameters explained the high overall variability in protists and zooplankton abundance (70 and 62% of explained variation, respectively). Different vertical distribution patterns and composition of plankton and marine aggregates were observed between fjords compared to open sea island locations suggesting different origin and transport of pelagic organisms and aggregate suspensions among study locations. The results do not support the hypothesis of synchronised horizontal change in environmental and biological components, which indicates that the relation between glacier meltwaters and plankton dynamics is a derivative of complex interactions driven by several physical and ecological processes that occur at different spatiotemporal scales. Nevertheless, this investigation provides new data pertaining to particle and plankton concentrations and structure in coastal waters near glaciers, which is essential for further understanding of the future coastal Arctic ecosystems functioning under rapid glacier retreat caused by climate change.

Morphology, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Co-Continuous Porous Structure of PLA/PVA Blends by Phase Separation.

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) was blended with poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in the composition of 70/30 (L7V3), 60/40 (L6V4), and 50/50 (L5V5) wt.%. L7V3 exhibits a sea–island morphology, while L6V4 and L5V5 show co-continuous phase morphologies. These polymers exhibited a solitary glass transition temperature, which obeyed the Fox equation. Thereafter, the blends were made porous by an etching process in hot water (35 °C) for 0–7 days, to remove PVA. The maximum etched PVA content of L7V3, L6V4, and L5V5 was 0.5%, 13.4%, and 36.1%, respectively; hence, L5V5 exhibited a co-continuous porous morphology with the porosity of 43.4%, the degree of swelling of 47.5%, and the pore size of 2 µm. The degree of crystallinity of PLA, exposed PLA, and L7V3 showed an insignificant change. L5V5, having the highest porosity, demonstrated the highest increase in the degree of crystallinity of approximately two times, because water induced the crystallization of PLA. The high porosity of L5V5 exhibited an excellent absorption property by increasing absorption energy more than two times, as obtained by micro indention. It had the maximum indentation depth more than 250 µm. Flexural and tensile properties considerably decreased with an increase in the porosity.

The application of a radar-based depth inversion method to monitor near-shore nourishments on an open sandy coast and an ebb-tidal delta

Coastal management in the Netherlands has the aim to defend coastal zones by preventing flooding and mitigating erosion. To that end, large-scale nourishments are placed in the nearshore, which are supposed to dynamically preserve the coastal zone over a timescale of years. To assess their effectiveness, these nourishments are monitored over large areas and long durations. As repetitive, in-situ measurements become too expensive, remote sensing offers an attractive alternative, mapping depth and near-surface current fields via depth inversion algorithms (DIA). However, the information that can be derived from remotely-sensed data is subject to improvement. In this study a 3D-FFT based DIA named XMFit (X-Band Matlab Fitting) is introduced, which is robust, accurate and fast enough for operational use. Focusing on depth estimates, the algorithm was validated for two case studies in the Netherlands: (1) the “Sand Engine”, a beach mega nourishment at a uniform open coast, and (2) the tidal inlet of the Dutch Wadden Sea island Ameland, characterizing a more complex coast. Considering both sites, the algorithm performance was characterized by a spatially averaged depth bias of −0.9 m at the Sand Engine and a time-varying bias of approximately -2 – 0 m at the Ameland Inlet. When compared to in-situ depth surveys the accuracy was lower, but the time resolution higher. Depth estimates from the Ameland tidal inlet were produced every 50 min by an operational system using a navigational X-Band radar to monitor the placement of a 5 million m3 ebb-tidal delta nourishment – a pilot measure for coastal management. Volumetric changes in the nourishment area over the year 2018, occurring at 7 km distance from the radar, were estimated with an error of 7%. Depth errors statistically correlated with the direction and magnitude of simultaneous near-surface current estimates. Additional experiments on Sand Engine data demonstrated that depth errors may be significantly reduced using an alternative spectral approach and/or by using a Kalman filter.

Cellular structure and mechanical strength of straw fiber/polypropylene plastics under chemical foam molding

Plant fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites are low-cost, good-performance and resource-saving, so has wide application prospect in automotive components. While the density of composites increases with the increase in the plant fiber content, the chemical foaming injection process was used to prepare straw fiber/PP foamed composites with exothermic foaming agent azodicarbonamide, in order to reduce the density of composite products and meet the requirements for lightweight automotive trim parts. The effects of temperature and fiber content on the mechanical properties and microstructures of the composites were investigated. Research results show that the microporous straw fiber/PP composites have close bond with the core layer fibers, the matrix, and the cells. The cells evenly distributed around the fibers to form a ‘sea island’ phase structure of the fiber microporous matrix, and the toughness of microporous sample is better than solid composites. Within a certain range, the cell density and the impact resistance of the microporous composites increases first and then decreases as the molding temperature increases, and maximize at 185 °C. Straw fiber plays a role of nucleation and toughening in the microporous straw fiber/PP composite system. And as its content increases, the cell density increases, similarly the toughness of the composites increases.

Chemical Characteristics and Source Apportionment of Water-Soluble Ions in Atmosphere Aerosols over the East China Sea Island During Winter and Summer

A total of 70 total suspended particulate (TSP) samples were collected from December 2017 to February 2018 and June to August 2018 in Shengsi Islet, East China Sea. In this study, the mass concentrations of water-soluble ions in the TSP (including Na+, K+, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, and MSA) samplers were determined by ion chromatography. The chemical characteristics, seasonal differences, and main sources of water-soluble ions in this background aerosol site were investigated by a multiple-technique analysis combining a HYSPLIT model, correlation analysis of water-soluble ions, and primary component analysis. The results showed that the average mass concentrations of TSP and the main water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) were both high in winter and low in summer; the average mass concentration of total WSIIs in winter was (26.5±16.3) μg·m-3, and in summer was (8.8±3.8) μg·m-3. Secondary inorganic ions (NO3-, SO42-, and NH4+) are the most important ionic components in TSP, which accounted for 86.2% and 74.9% of TWSIIs in winter and summer, respectively. Meanwhile, the study site was affected by seasonal temperature change, long-distance transmission, and summer biogenic sulfates. The mass concentration of nitrate was highest in winter, and the mass concentration of sulfate was highest in summer. Anthropogenic sources were the main source of nss-SO42- in atmospheric aerosols. The analysis of sulfate sources showed that contributions of biogenic sulfates to nss-SO42- were 28.1% and 5.9% in summer and winter, respectively. The results of principal component analysis indicated that the main sources of aerosol chemical composition were marine and anthropogenic sources in summer and winter, respectively. In winter, Cl- showed a certain degree of enrichment due to the influence of human activities, and the average value of the enrichment factor was 38.5%.

Wave Energy in Korean Seas from 12-Year Wave Hindcasting

In this study, a numerical simulation is performed to produce wave hindcasting data from 2007 to 2018 for the assessment of wave energy resources in the sea waters of Korea. The hindcasting data are obtained with a relatively fine spatial resolution of 1/20° covering 120–150 °E longitude and 22.4–47.6 °N latitude using the Simulating WAves Nearshore wave model (SWAN). Three different wind fields, those of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather (ECMWF), National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), are used for the numerical wave simulation. It is observed that the wind field dataset of JMA exhibits the best agreement with available field observation data. For this reason, the wave energy resources are evaluated based on the data hindcasted using the JMA wind field. It is found that the overall magnitudes of wave energy are larger in winter than in summer. The wave energy in August, however, is comparable to the mean wave energy during winter because of the influence of frequent high wave events caused by typhoons. The highest monthly average wave power around Yellow Sea, South Sea, East Sea, and Jeju Island are 13.3, 18.2, 13.7, and 40 kW/m, respectively.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Sex Hormone Concentrations in Ringed and Grey Seals: A Possible Link to Endocrine Disruption?

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are recognised reproductive and immune system toxicants in marine mammals mediated by endocrine-disrupting mechanisms. As with other predators, seals are exposed to elevated bioaccumulated concentrations of PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Cryopreserved plasma samples from adult ringed (Phoca hispida; n = 39) and grey (Halichoerus grypus; n = 38) seals, sampled between 1998 and 2002 from Baltic Sea, Svalbard, and Sable Island (Canada) were used to investigate relationships between PCB exposure and sex hormone concentrations (progesterone; P4, 17α-hydroxy progesterone; 17α-OH-P4, testosterone; T4, 17β-estradiol; E2, estrone; E3). Immunoassay methods were used for quantification of analytes due to the limited sample volumes available. PCB concentrations were found to be significantly higher in Baltic seals than other sampling locations and were classed as “Exposed” seals while Svalbard and Sable Is seal were classed “Reference” seals (sexes and species separate). Mean hormone concentrations in Exposed seal were lower than Reference seals, and this was statistically significantly for 17α-OH-P4 (both sexes and both species), E2 (ringed and grey seal females), and E3 (grey seal females). Regression analyses (PCB v hormone concentrations) for each sex and species revealed significant correlations for P4 (Sable Is. female grey seals and female ringed seals), 17α-OH-P4 (Sable Is. male grey seals and Svalbard male ringed seals), T4 (Svalbard male ringed seals), E2 (female ringed seals), and E3 (female ringed seals and Baltic female grey seals). Although significant correlations are not evidence of cause and effect, the potential impact of hormone changes on endocrine homeostasis and reproductive health for seal populations warrants further investigation given that PCB concentrations found here are in the same range as those currently reported in seals from these populations.

Monitoring underwater nourishments using multibeam bathymetric and backscatter time series

Natural and man-induced coastal erosion endanger life and environment in coastal areas worldwide. For sedimentary barrier coasts, beach and underwater nourishments are an efficient coastal protection strategy. To optimize nourishments and to understand their impact on the marine environment, monitoring strategies are required. In this study, we investigate the potential of multibeam echosounder (MBES) data, providing both bathymetry and backscatter (BS), for monitoring the evolution of the nourished sediment and morphodynamics over time. A time series of seven MBES measurements, as well as two sets of box cores, vibrocores and seismic data were acquired of a channel-side nourishment near the Wadden Sea island Ameland (The Netherlands), between April 2017 and May 2019. In general, a high confidence of the acoustic reliability of the BS time series measurements is demonstrated. The unsupervised Bayesian classification method, supported by ground-truthing, is employed to produce a time series of sediment maps, revealing sediments ranging from sandy mud to sand with varying amounts of shell fragments. Based on the sediment maps, the nourished sediment could be distinguished from the natural sediment. Within one year, the shell-rich pre-nourishment seabed is recreated by washing out finer sediments, which are deposited towards the main tidal channel. Using the seismic data and vibrocores, the shell-rich pre-nourishment seabed could be identified in the subsurface after being buried by the nourishments, supporting the general findings. Furthermore, a rapid development of steep bedforms with increasing sediment sorting is observed in parts of the nourished areas. This study shows that high-resolution sediment maps obtained from a time series of MBES BS together with bathymetry reveal morphodynamic and sedimentary processes of nourishment evolution and can advance underwater nourishment strategies.

AMS dating and ancient DNA analysis of bone relics associated with St John the Baptist from Sveti Ivan (Sozopol, Bulgaria)

Excavations in 2010 on the Black Sea island of Sveti Ivan (Bulgaria) revealed the remains of a miniature marble sarcophagus containing human and animal remains, along with an inscribed tufa ossuary, beneath a 4th to 5th-century church floor. We found that the tufa ossuary had strong links with Cappadocian rhyolite tuff. The inscriptions on its surface suggest links to John the Baptist since they refer to him by name and contain a reference to his nativity date of June 24. The ancient Greek text also mentions him in the genitive case, i.e. ‘of Saint John’. Here, we review the historical evidence pertaining to the relics and conclude that they most likely reached Sveti Ivan via Constantinople during the 4–5th century CE. To shed more light on the relics, we sampled three of the remains for radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA analysis. Radiocarbon dating of one of the bones (a metacarpal) yielded a first century AD date (5–75 cal AD, 68.2% probability). Ancient DNA analysis of this bone, as well as a rib fragment and a tooth, using shotgun sequencing yielded very little human DNA, ranging between 0 and 0.9% of sequenced reads. However, the DNA did not show any of the post-mortem damage patterns that are typical for ancient DNA. We conclude that the sequences we obtained are most likely the result of modern contamination.

COTTON GINNERS HANDBOOK: Development of the Cotton Gin

Cotton fiber was first used in 6000 B.C. The two New World cotton species that are most of today’s production include G. hirsutum (Upland) and G. barbadense (Extra Long Staple [ELS]). The first cotton gin existed by the 5th century A.D (single-roller gin). The next development was the churka gin (double-roller gin) which ginned cotton five times faster than the single-roller gin. The churka gin was widely used in North America by 1750 and ginned both Upland and Sea Island (ELS) cotton. The spike-tooth cotton gin was developed by Eli Whitney in 1794. Hodgen Holmes developed a continuous flow gin with toothed saw blades in 1796. These were a different concept than the double-roller gins. Holmes’ saw gin dominated the industry for Upland cotton (and still does), whereas double-roller gin use continued for Sea Island cotton. In 1840, Fones McCarthy developed a reciprocating-knife roller gin. The saw gin had a significantly higher ginning capacity than the McCarthy gin, so it was used with Upland cotton and the McCarthy roller gin was used with Sea Island cotton to preserve the long-staple cotton’s quality. Sea Island production ceased in 1923 because of the boll weevil, but Pima (ELS) cotton had developed by this time in the Southwest, so roller gin use continued. In 1963, a rotary-knife roller gin was developed that ginned at five times the rate of a reciprocating-knife gin. A high-speed roller gin was developed in 2005 with a ginning capacity, on a per-width basis, comparable to modern-day saw gins.