South Coast Of Newfoundland Research Articles

Histology and Mucous Histochemistry of the Integument and Body Wall of a Marine Polychaete Worm,Ophryotrochan. sp. (Annelida: Dorvilleidae) Associated with Steelhead Trout Cage Sites on the South Coast of Newfoundland

Histology and mucous histochemistry of the integument and body wall of a marine polychaete worm,Ophryotrochan. sp. (Annelida: Dorvilleidae) associated with Steelhead trout cage sites on the south coast of Newfoundland. A new species of polychaete (Ophryotrochan. sp. (Annelida: Dorvilleidae)) was identified from sediment below Steelhead trout cages on the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The organisms were observed to produce a network of mucus in which groups of individuals would reside. Questions regarding the nature and cellular source of the mucus were addressed in this study. Samples of worms were taken from below cages and transported to the laboratory where individuals were fixed for histological study of the cuticle and associated mucus histochemistry. The body wall was organized into segments with an outer cuticle that stained strongly for acid mucopolysaccharides. The epidermis was thin and supported by loose fibrous connective tissue layers. Channels separating individual segments were lined with cells staining positive for Alcian blue. Mucoid cellular secretions appeared thick and viscous, strongly staining with Alcian blue and Periodic Acid Schiff Reagent. It was noted that lateral channels were connected via a second channel running through the anterior/posterior axis. The role of mucus secretion is discussed.

Residency time, migration route and survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in a Canadian fjord

Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts (n = 181) from two rivers were surgically implanted with acoustic transmitters and released to determine migration route, residency time and survival in a 50 km long estuarine fjord located on the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Data obtained from automated receivers placed throughout the Bay d'Espoir fjord indicated that migrating smolts used different routes to reach the outer areas of the fjord. The duration of time that smolts spent in the immediate estuary zone also differed between the two localities (7 and 17 days) although the total time smolts were resident in the fjord was similar and extensive (40 days). Many smolts were resident for periods of 4-8 weeks moving back and forth in the outer part of the fjord where maximum water depths range from 300 to 700 m. Survival in the estuary zone was greater for smolts with prolonged residency in estuarine habitat. Overall smolt survival to the fjord exit was moderately high (54-85%), indicating that the initial phase of migration did not coincide with a period of unusually high mortality.

Environmental conditions and occurrence of hypoxia within production cages of Atlantic salmon on the south coast of Newfoundland

Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were monitored in two marine Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) cage sites on the south coast of Newfoundland (Canada) during the summer and fall of 2008 and 2009. In 2008, sites A and B had cages with stocking densities of approximately 9 kg m−3. In 2009, site A was being fallowed while stocking density at site B was of 10 kg m−3. During 2008 and 2009, few hypoxic events (defined as DO <6 mg L−1 O2) were recorded at site A; however, at site B intermittent hypoxic events (4–6 mg L−1 O2) were observed. Our study provides a description of intermittent hypoxia occurring in salmon cages. These hypoxic events occur mostly during the summer season and last for as long as 2.5 months. Fish swimming behaviour show that water layers exhibiting low DO did not cause avoidance behaviour. This confirms results found by other authors. Site B exhibited low water currents below 5 m suggesting that caution should be taken before considering an increase in stocking densities in cages. Questions remain about the effect of this intermittent hypoxia on fish health and growth, and will be the focus of future research.

Estimating the negative binomial dispersion parameter with highly stratified surveys

We investigate several estimators of the negative binomial (NB) dispersion parameter for highly stratified count data for which the statistical model has a separate mean parameter for each stratum. If the number of samples per stratum is small then the model is highly parameterized and the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the NB dispersion parameter can be biased and inefficient. Some of the estimators we investigate include adjustments for the number of mean parameters to reduce bias. We extend other estimators that were developed for the iid case, to reduce bias when there are many mean parameters. We demonstrate using simulations that an adjusted double extended quasi-likelihood estimator we proposed gives much improved estimates compared to the MLE. Adjusted extended quasi-likelihood and adjusted maximum likelihood estimators also give much-improved results. We illustrate the various estimators with stratified random bottom trawl survey data for cod ( Gadus morhua) off the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Numerical simulation of extreme waves during the storm of 20–22 January 2000 using winds generated by the CMC weather prediction model

The storm of 20–22 January 2000 over Canada's Atlantic Provinces was an exceptional storm for several reasons, these include extremely high coastal ocean waves, widespread coastal damage due to the storm surge, very strong winds over a large area, an extremely fast deepening rate, and a very low central pressure. It produced unusually large waves which caused significant damage in communities along the south coast of Newfoundland and the eastern shores of Nova Scotia. Bottom scouring was observed around the feet of three mobile offshore oil and gas drilling platforms operating near Sable Island. Using buoy data enhanced with a detailed data set from one of the platforms, this study examines the growth of destructive waves and the performance of two state‐of‐the‐art third generation ocean wave models running in shallow water mode. The wave models perform well in numerically simulating the extreme waves associated with this storm. They correctly predict the growth of wind waves and handle the arrival of long‐period swells well. Unprecedented waves that damaged buildings and a lighthouse in the Channel Head area of Port‐Aux‐Basques retained most of their deep‐water energy until they were less than one wavelength from the beach. Computations show that dynamic (or trapped) fetch was not a contributing factor in the generation of the observed extreme sea states although the long‐period swells were supported by winds for a significant part of their transit northward. However, it appears that the model‐generated enhanced wave growth at the buoy location just off the southwestern coast of Newfoundland may be partially linked to the creation of model trapped fetch. The January 2000 storm was indeed an extreme storm and was the most intense non‐tropical storm to form over Atlantic Canada in decades.

Gastrointestinal parasites in dogs from the Island of St. Pierre off the south coast of Newfoundland

The present work was performed to survey the gastrointestinal parasites of domestic dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris) and also to determine if any were infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum (French Heartworm), on the French Island of St. Pierre off the south coast of Newfoundland. A total of 57 fecal samples were collected and examined for intestinal parasites. The overall prevalence of parasitism was 57.9% and the six species found were: Uncinaria stenocephala/ Ancylostoma caninum (47.4%), Toxocara canis (22.8%), Isospora canis (8.8%), Trichuris vulpis (7.0%), and Alaria canis (1.8%). There was no significant difference in overall prevalence between genders, except for T. canis, which was more common in female dogs than male dogs ( p < 0.05).

It’s Time for Another One: Folksongs from the South Coast of Newfoundland: Ramea and Grole

This DOI is not currently attached to any metadata records. DOIs can’t actually ever be deleted (they’re persistent), but sometimes our members create DOIs in error. We do have a process to approximate deletion which we follow only in rare cases where the DOI has been genuinely created in error, and most crucially, if the DOI has never been published anywhere online or in print and never otherwise distributed to or communicated with anyone (authors, readers, reviewers, etc.

The Brown Alga Delmarea attenuata Does Not Occur in New England

Delamarea attenuata (Kjellman) Rosenvinge is a species of brown algae restricted to cold waters of the North Atlantic and the North Pacific. This monotypic genus is distinguished by its unbranched cylindrical parenchymatous axes with a surface layer of large, loosely connected vesicular pigmented cells called paraphyses (Hariot 1889; Kawai and Kurogi 1980; Rosenvinge and Lund 1947). Ovate unilocular sporangia or elongate plurilocular sporangia are typically produced on separate thalli but sometimes on the same thallus (Pedersen 1984). The family Delamareaceae has been recognized by Zinova (1953), primarily on the unique structure of the paraphyses. The order Delamareales was established by Lund (1959), but Pedersen (1974, 1984) argued against ordinal recognition, placing the Delamareaceae within the Dictyosiphonales. Evidence from gene-sequencing analyses, which have included Delamarea, currently places the Dictyosiphonales within a broadly circumscribed Ectocarpales (Draisma et al. 2001). This note is to point out that an error has persisted in the literature regarding the alleged occurrence of this distinctive species in New England (Guiry and Guiry 2007; Sears 1998, 2002; Taylor 1957). Taylor (1957) reported it to occur from both ‘‘southern Massachusetts and Ile Miquelon’’ off the south coast of Newfoundland. The latter location is correct in that Hariot (1889) first described Delamarea from there (as D. paradoxa Hariot). Later, Rosenvinge (1893) recognized that Kjellman’s (1883) Scytosiphon attenuatus, described from Spetsbergen, was a taxonomic synonym that had priority over Hariot’s binomial. Taylor’s (1957) record of Delamarea attenuata from Massachusetts is here questioned. Taylor cited Doty’s (1948) report of Scytosiphon attenuatus from Woods Hole, Massachusetts. It is RHODORA, Vol. 110, No. 942, pp. 231–234, 2008 E Copyright 2008 by the New England Botanical Club

Harlequin Ducks in Newfoundland

Abstract Relatively low numbers of Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) are present year-round in Newfoundland, with breeding, molting and wintering at specific areas. Breeding is largely restricted to the Great Northern Peninsula, but there is some evidence of breeding in remote areas of the eastern part of the island. A large molting concentration is present on the Grey Islands, east of the Northern Peninsula. Harlequin Ducks winter on the south coast of Newfoundland, with the largest concentration at Cape St. Mary's. Counts from Cape St. Mary's indicated Harlequin Ducks decreased through the 1980s, but have been increasing rapidly since the early 1990s. Although anecdotal, information from early sources suggests populations of Harlequin Ducks in Newfoundland are much reduced. Chronic oiling and misidentification of Harlequin Ducks by hunters remain as threats, while forestry and hydroelectric development may be potential sources of habitat reduction.

Back on Track CD Series. Various. It’s Time for Another One: Folk Songs from the South Coast of Newfoundland; Folklore of Newfoundland and Labrador: A Sampler of Songs, Narrations, and Tunes; Saturday Nite Jamboree. By Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media and Place, Memorial University of Newfoundland CDs, 2005, 2006, 2007 (available )

Back on Track CD Series. Various. It’s Time for Another One: Folk Songs from the South Coast of Newfoundland; Folklore of Newfoundland and Labrador: A Sampler of Songs, Narrations, and Tunes; Saturday Nite Jamboree. By Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media and Place, Memorial University of Newfoundland CDs, 2005, 2006, 2007 (available )

Active, Small-Scale, Periglacial Features on the South Coast of Newfoundland

Small-scale, patterned ground is currently forming on the south coast of Newfoundland. Small, sorted circles and stripes form in the vicinity of the coast under the influence of marine climate with numerous, short duration, freeze-thaw cycles, high humidity, abundant rainfall and a thin snow cover throughout the winter, inland, no more than 15 to 25 km from the coast, the marine influence has decreased sufficiently that the patterned ground is no longer forming.

The Use of a Vortex Insertion Technique to Simulate the Extratropical Transition of Hurricane Michael (2000)

Abstract On 19 October 2000, Hurricane Michael merged with an approaching baroclinic trough over the western North Atlantic Ocean south of Nova Scotia. As the hurricane moved over cooler sea surface temperatures (SSTs; less than 25°C), it intensified to category-2 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale [maximum sustained wind speeds of 44 m s−1 (85 kt)] while tapping energy from the baroclinic environment. The large “hybrid” storm made landfall on the south coast of Newfoundland with maximum sustained winds of 39 m s−1 (75 kt) causing moderate damage to coastal communities east of landfall. Hurricane Michael presented significant challenges to weather forecasters. The fundamental issue was determining which of two cyclones (a newly formed baroclinic low south of Nova Scotia or the hurricane) would become the dominant circulation center during the early stages of the extratropical transition (ET) process. Second, it was difficult to predict the intensity of the storm at landfall owing to competing factors: 1) decreasing SSTs conducive to weakening and 2) the approaching negatively tilted upper-level trough, favoring intensification. Numerical hindcast simulations using the limited-area Mesoscale Compressible Community model with synthetic vortex insertion (cyclone bogus) prior to the ET of Hurricane Michael led to a more realistic evolution of wind and pressure compared to running the model without vortex insertion. Specifically, the mesoscale model correctly simulates the hurricane as the dominant circulation center early in the transition process, versus the baroclinic low to its north, which was the favored development in the runs not employing vortex insertion. A suite of experiments is conducted to establish the sensitivity of the ET to various initial conditions, lateral driving fields, domain sizes, and model parameters. The resulting storm tracks and intensities fall within the range of the operational guidance, lending support to the possibility of improving numerical forecasts using synthetic vortex insertion prior to ET in such a model.

Canada Research Chair in Ethnomusicology

Like most Canada Research Chairs, I have been involved with an array of curricular and community initiatives, as well as new research and new reflective / interpretive work. The primary work in each of these areas is described below. Space In order to have the studio facilities, meeting and resources to undertake a wide array of projects, I established the Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media and Place (MMaP) at Memorial University (www.mun.ca/music/mmap/). The MMaP Centre was officially constituted in January 2003 and, after several years of operating in rather cramped quarters, it has recently moved into new facilities in the Arts and Culture Centre of St. John's. We now have, in addition to office a multimedia library, audio restoration facility, multimedia production studio with excellent video as well as audio capability, and a gallery space that we use for workshops, media training sessions, small performances, and guest lectures. The MMaP Research Centre is now viewed within the province as an interface between the university and local communities, a mobilizer of Applied Ethnomusicology projects, and a collaborator in the organization of numerous conferences, concerts and festivals. Our space, then, operates with a philosophy that differs from myspace: it is responsible to the community (with community representation on the executive board as well as a committee of regional representatives) and is prepared to serve their interests wherever possible. Reaching Out A major initiative that ties directly to the research program described below has been to enable better public access to archival resources at Memorial University, particularly the large audio collection of MUNFLA, the Folklore and Language Archive of Memorial University. We initiated production of an archival CD series in 2004. Each CD is packaged in a DVD case to allow sufficient space for extensive print documentation (usually a booklet of approximately 50 pages). Furthermore, each CD has developed a specific theme that represents a shared concern of academics and practitioners: diverse definitions of tradition and modernity, for instance, or the nature of the Newfoundland song canon. first two releases, It's Time for Another One: Folk Songs from the South Coast of Newfoundland and Folklore of Newfoundland and Labrador: A Sampler of Songs, Narrations, and Tunes, are distributed nationally by Landwash Distribution (www. landwashdistribution.com). Three more CDs are in various stages of planning or preparation: one is a re-release of a popular local radio program, Saturday Nite Jamboree, packaged with a booklet on the history of early radio in the province; a second is a Canada-wide anthology of traditional fiddling and related instrumental practices, with an emphasis on cultural diversity and little known archival sources; the third will feature archival recordings of Atlantic Canadian Mi'kmaw song. Most of the CDs have had guest producers and several have been collaborations. The fiddle anthology, for instance, is being produced with support from Folkways Alive and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. In addition to the CD series, the MMaP Centre has developed a website with the earliest audio recordings made in Atlantic Canada. MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada (www.mun.ca/folklore/ leach) was launched in 2004 with over 300 audio clips, community profiles, biographies of artists and considerable historical and contextual material. Both English and Gaelic language material is included. It was expanded and updated for a relaunch in 2006 and will shortly migrate to the Digital Archive Initiative of the Memorial University libraries. The website has served both as a source of information about songs and a key to university holdings that are of interest to Newfoundland and Labrador families. With much appreciated cooperation of MUNFLA, the MMaP Research Centre has made copies of archival recordings for family members who contact us--over four dozen to date. …

Variation in the frequency of skipped spawning in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) off Newfoundland and Labrador

Abstract Macroscopic maturity data collected between January and March of 1978–2004 during groundfish surveys were analysed to determine the frequency of skipped spawning for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) populations in the Northwest Atlantic. Nearly 18% of the 6583 potential female spawners sampled during this period would not have spawned in the subsequent spawning season. The frequency of skipped spawning was much higher on the Flemish Cap (NAFO Division 3M, ∼33%) and off the south coast of Newfoundland (Subdivision 3Ps, ∼21%) than that in three areas off eastern Newfoundland and southern Labrador (Divisions 3L, ∼8%; 3K, ∼3%; and 2J, &lt;1%). Annual variation in the frequency of skipped spawning was apparent in all areas. Skipped spawning was most common in fish of medium size (60–79 cm). Non-reproductive cod were characterized by lower liver condition than reproductive cod, but not a lower gutted condition. Generalized linear models suggested that relative liver weight was the best predictor of spawning probability, and that age, length, and relative body condition were not good predictors. Models of spawning probability based on relative liver condition suggest that female fish in poor condition in 3KL are more likely to spawn than fish of equal condition in areas 3M and 3Ps.

A new late-glacial sea-level record for St. George's Bay, Newfoundland

A new relative sea-level curve is presented for St. George's Bay, southwest Newfoundland, based on (i) a revised stratigraphic framework and depositional model for glacial and marine deposits exposed in coastal sections and (ii) 19 new radiocarbon dates on shells from emerged and submerged marine deposits, including fossiliferous diamictons. The data produce a type B sea-level curve, falling steeply from an extrapolated marine limit of 105 m above sea level at 14.0 14C ka BP, passing below modern sea level at ~10.6 14C ka BP, to a lowstand of –25 m at ~9.4 14C ka BP, and rising again close to modern sea level by 5.0 14C ka BP. Marine limits in the northern part of the bay have lower elevations (27–65 m) due to delayed ice retreat of up to 1.2 ka. Between 12.8 and at least 12.3 14C ka BP, glaciofluvial outwash graded to falling sea levels between 27 and 17 m above present throughout the bay, whereas lowstand deltas were constructed in sheltered locations at the outlets of major river systems, when sea level was 25 m below present. Establishment of the sea-level lowstand at ~9.4 14C ka BP is supported by new seismic data and radiocarbon dates from St. George's Bay and also from White Bear Bay on the south coast of Newfoundland. Short-term fluctuations in emergence rates of 1–2 m/century between 12.5 and 9.5 14C ka BP are attributed to variable eustatic sea-level rise, superimposed on a declining local glacio-isostatic adjustment.

First record of the European Giant File Clam, &lt;em&gt;Acesta excavata&lt;/em&gt; (Bivalvia: Pectinoidea: Limidae), in the Northwest Atlantic

Two large bivalve specimens collected in Bay d’Espoir, a deep fjord situated on the south coast of Newfoundland, are described and identified as belonging to the species Acesta excavata (Fabricius 1779). In situ observations onboard the manned submersible PISCES IV and color videos have provided information on the vertical distribution, density and habitat of the species. Maximum abundances of about 15 large individuals/m2 occurred on sheltered rock outcrops at depth ranging from 550 to 775 m, where warm (6°C) continental slope water is found. Differences in shape and thickness between the valves of the two specimens appear to be related to the degree of exposure to rock falls (i.e., sheltered versus exposed habitat). Prior to this account, the European Giant File Clam had never been encountered west of the Azores Islands in the North Atlantic.

Spatial patterns in sedimentary macrofaunal communities on the south coast of Newfoundland in relation to surface oceanography and sediment characteristics

This is the first comprehensive study of the community structure and spatial distribution of macrofauna in deep, muddy sediments of Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, and the adjacent shelf. The study examines the influence of water column (e.g. chlorophyll a [chl a], temperature and salinity) and sediment characteristics (e.g. grain size, carbon and nitrogen content) on infaunal patterns. Box-core samples were collected at 10 sites in June and July of 1998 from the head of the bay to the edge of the continental shelf. Multivariate analyses of community composition and environmental variation indicated inshore and offshore groupings. Inshore communities had lower species richness, diversity and densities. Fauna living deeper in the sediment were also more abundant in offshore areas. The inshore region was characterised by greater mixed-layer temperatures, higher surface chl a and large amounts of relatively fresh organic carbon (low C/N ratios) in sediments. Within the inshore sites, high levels of organic carbon influenced macrofaunal assemblages that were similar to those characteristic of organic-rich areas. Surface chl a concentration was positively correlated with sedimentary organic carbon, which was the most important predictor of infaunal abundance. At broad scales, surface chl a and sedimentary organic carbon were negatively related to infaunal abundance. Moreover, this pattern was confounded by particularly low densities at 3 inshore sites where organic levels were very high, and elevated densities at 1 productive offshore site. Low densities at these 3 inshore sites may be a result of sulphide production in sediments, or of poor food quality. Broad-scale patterns (inshore vs offshore) of community composition and abundance in Placentia Bay are largely influenced by surface oceanography through production export.

Transport and development of eggs and larvae of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, in relation to spawning time and location in coastal Newfoundland

We provide evidence that variation in location and timing of spawning of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, has a major impact on occurrence, distribution, and development of eggs and larvae in a large embayment on the south coast of Newfoundland. Atlantic cod egg densities, measured with a series of ichthyoplankton surveys in Placentia Bay during the spawning and postspawning seasons of 1997 and 1998, were highest during the early spring of both years and decreased through the spring and summer. Egg development stages and larval size suggest that eggs and larvae were released from spawning locations within the bay and developed as they were transported in cyclonic flow from the southeast and around the bay towards the southwest, where late-stage eggs and larvae were found to be most abundant. Although egg densities were generally lower in 1998, late-season egg production during the summer of 1998 was elevated in relation to 1997, providing a possible explanation for the observation that larval total densities were more than an order of magnitude higher in 1998 than in 1997. In terms of larval production, late spawners may be particularly important to successful egg hatching in the coastal waters of Newfoundland.

Groundtmthing Multibeam Bathymetric Surveys of Finfish Aquaculture Sites in the Bay d’Espoir Estuarine Fjord, Newfoundland

Current and potential salmonid aquaculture sites in the Bay d’Espoir estuarine fjord on the south coast of Newfoundland were surveyed using multibeam SWATH sonar. In 1997, shallow sites were surveyed using the CSS Puffin EM3000POS/MV system, and deeper sites were surveyed in 1998 using the CCGS Creed hull mounted EM 1000. Sediment cores from representative areas were collected during this period and analyzed for organic matter content, and pore water ammonium and sulfate. We discuss the correlation between the sediment core profiles and the results of the side scan and sun-illuminated bathymetric imagery. Bay d’Espoir is a natural depositional area, and that, coupled with the unique backscatter properties of fish farm wastes, increases the difficulty of interpreting these multibeam sonar images. A fairly accurate broad scale characterization of sediment quality can be made from high-resolution images. However’, much of the fine scale detail and inherent variation of sediment characteristics associated with impacts from aquaculture cannot be determined from multibeam imagery.

Fecundity of Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua) farmed for stock enhancement in Newfoundland bays

In response to the historically low spawning biomass of Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua) off eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, we are investigating the feasibility of enhancing recruitment through the release of wild-produced, captively-grown broodstock into bays with resident, inshore spawning populations. Large numbers of small cod can be trapped, their growth and fecundity increased by feeding in captivity, and then released back into the bay where captured. The released cod would augment the wild spawning population. To estimate the potential contribution of released fish to population fecundity, we determined the fecundity of wild cod held in sea cages for several years and fed a naturally available diet. Cod captured in Placentia Bay on the south coast of Newfoundland were fed capelin or herring at 2–3% of their body weight every second or third day for three growth seasons. These farmed fish exhibited potential fecundities twice that of free-living Placentia Bay cod of the same weight or length. Cod captured in Trinity Bay on Newfoundland's eastern shore were fed capelin, herring, or squid to near satiation over four growth seasons. These fish exhibited potential fecundities 2–4 times that of wild Trinity Bay cod of similar size. Greater vitellogenic oocyte production per unit somatic weight in these farmed fish apparently is related to good nutrition provided early in the annual reproductive cycle. Spawning potential represented by the weight of farmed fish released into Newfoundland bays for stock enhancement would be underestimated if fecundity–weight relationships based on data from free-living cod were used.