Synodic Lunar Cycle Research Articles

Seasonal and interannual variability in population dynamics of planktic foraminifers off Puerto Rico (Caribbean Sea)

Abstract. The state of a population of planktic foraminifers at a certain time reflects multiple processes in the upper ocean, including environmental conditions to which the population was exposed during its growth, the age of the cohorts, and spatiotemporal patchiness. We carried out depth-stratified (0–60, 60–100 m) replicated sampling off Puerto Rico in autumn 2012, revisiting three stations previously sampled in autumn 1994 and spring 1995, in order to analyze seasonal and interannual variability of planktic foraminifers and the stable isotopic composition of their tests. The merged dataset from all three sampling campaigns allows us to assess short- and long-term changes in foraminiferal population dynamics and the spatial assemblage coherency along the shelf edge. All three sample series cover more than 2 weeks during either spring (1995) or autumn (1994, 2012) and include the time of the full moon when reproduction of some surface-dwelling planktic foraminifers has been postulated to take place. Our analyses indicate that interannual variability affected the faunal composition, and both autumn assemblages were characterized by oligotrophic tropical species, dominated by Trilobatus sacculifer and Globigerinoides ruber (white and pink variety). However, G. ruber (white) had a higher abundance in 1994 (37 %) than in 2012 (3.5 %), which may be partially due to increasing sea surface temperatures since the 1990s. Between 60 and 100 m water depth, a different faunal composition with a specific stable oxygen isotope signature provides evidence for the presence of the Subtropical Underwater at the sampling site. Measurements on T. sacculifer sampled in autumn 2012 revealed that test size, calcification and incidence of sac-like chambers continued to increase after full moon, and thus no relation to the synodic lunar reproduction cycle was recognized. During autumn 2012, outer bands of hurricane Sandy passed the Greater Antilles and likely affected the foraminifers. Lower standing stocks of living planktic foraminifers and lower stable carbon isotope values from individuals collected in the mixed layer likely indicate the response to increased rainfall and turbidity in the wake of the hurricane.

Growth of Sphagnum is strongly rhythmic: contribution of the seasonal, circalunar and third components.

Among the bryophytes, biological growth rhythms have not yet been identified due to a lack of long‐term precision observations. Here, we carry out precision field monitoring of the growth of the peat moss Sphagnum riparium using the recent geotropic curvature method. For 4 years, using the observation intervals of 2–5 days, we measured 116 469 shoots and received 4493 estimates of growth rates. We found three rhythmic growth components. The seasonal rhythm of growth has a period of about 180 days, which coincides with the seasonal temperature cycle. The circalunar growth rhythm has a period of about 29.5 days and coincides with the synodic lunar cycle. There is an acceleration near the new moon, and a slowdown in growth near the full moon. The third rhythm has a period of 7–16 days and is always synchronized with the circalunar growth rhythm. From the models of the sums of sinusoids, we found that the total contribution of all three rhythms to the growth rate is R2 = 0.51–0.78, and without taking into account the seasonal rhythm, R2 = 0.36–0.42. Thus, our study provides the first data on the biological rhythms and the contribution of these rhythms to the growth process of bryophytes. We attribute the unexpectedly high contribution of rhythms to the synchronous growth of the Sphagnum mat, which is necessary to reduce the loss of moisture.

Impacts of "supermoon" events on the physiology of a wild bird.

The position of the Moon in relation to the Earth and the Sun gives rise to several predictable cycles, and natural changes in nighttime light intensity are known to cause alterations to physiological processes and behaviors in many animals. The limited research undertaken to date on the physiological responses of animals to the lunar illumination has exclusively focused on the synodic lunar cycle (full moon to full moon, or moon phase) but the moon's orbit—its distance from the Earth—may also be relevant. Every month, the moon moves from apogee, its most distant point from Earth—and then to perigee, its closest point to Earth. Here, we studied wild barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) to investigate the influence of multiple interacting lunar cycles on the physiology of diurnally active animals. Our study, which uses biologging technology to continually monitor body temperature and heart rate for an entire annual cycle, asks whether there is evidence for a physiological response to natural cycles in lunar brightness in wild birds, particularly “supermoon” phenomena, where perigee coincides with a full moon. There was a three‐way interaction between lunar phase, lunar distance, and cloud cover as predictors of nighttime mean body temperature, such that body temperature was highest on clear nights when the full moon coincided with perigee moon. Our study is the first to report the physiological responses of wild birds to “supermoon” events; the wild geese responded to the combination of two independent lunar cycles, by significantly increasing their body temperature at night. That wild birds respond to natural fluctuations in nighttime ambient light levels support the documented responses of many species to anthropogenic sources of artificial light, that birds seem unable to override. As most biological systems are arguably organized foremost by light, this suggests that any interactions between lunar cycles and local weather conditions could have significant impacts on the energy budgets of birds.

Assessment of the Effect of Increasing Temperature On the Ecology and Assemblage Structure of Modern Planktic Foraminifers in the Caribbean and Surrounding Seas

Abstract Habitat patterns of subtropical and tropical planktic foraminifers in the Caribbean Sea were obtained from plankton samples collected in spring 2009 and 2013. The spatial distribution in surface waters (3.5 m water depth) and depth habitat patterns (surface to 400 m) of 33 species were compared with prevailing water-mass conditions (temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll-a concentration) and planktic foraminiferal test assemblages in surface sediments. Distribution patterns indicate a significant relationship with seawater temperature and trophic conditions. A reduction in standing stocks was observed close to the Orinoco River plume and in the Gulf of Paria, associated with high turbidity and concomitant low surface-water salinity. In contrast, a transient mesoscale patch of high chlorophyll concentration in the eastern Caribbean Sea was associated with higher standing stocks in near surface waters, including high abundances of Globigerinita glutinata and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei. Globorotalia truncatulinoides mainly lives close to the seasonal pycnocline and can be linked to winter conditions indicated by lower sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) of ∼20°C. Globigerinoides sacculifer and Globoturborotalita rubescens were associated with oligotrophic conditions in the pelagic Caribbean Sea during early spring and showed a synodic lunar reproduction cycle. The live assemblages in the water column from 2009 and 2013 were similar to those reported in earlier studies from the 1960s and 1990s and to assemblages of tests in the surface sediments. Minor differences in faunal proportions were attributed to seasonal variability and environmental differences at the local scale. An exception was the low relative abundance of Globigerinoides ruber in the Caribbean Sea in 2009 compared to surface sediment samples and plankton net samples collected in the 1960s and 1990s. Decreasing abundance of Gs. ruber white in the Caribbean Sea may be associated with increasing SSTs over past decades and changes in nutrient flux and primary production.

Interpretasi Global Hadis Rukyat Hilal

Before Islamic Calendar begins, Muslims were used to wait for the earliest visible crescent (hilâl), which marks the beginning of Ramadan. The determination of the beginning of Ramadan is based on the rukyat al-hilâl hadith. Because the hilâl visibility on the earth surface is not the same, it results the differences on the beginning of Ramadan fasting. In addition, the sighting hilâl method can only determine the next 29 days, it cannot reach for the next month and even for the next year. These are the main reasons for re-interpretation of the rukyat al-hilâl hadith from global perspective. From this study, it is found that the context in the Qur’an, related to the Ramadan fasting, is fasting in one full month, 29 or 30 days, according to the duration of the lunar synodic cycle. However, the condition of the people and the science at that time has not developed yet, which is the cause of calculation (h}isâb) verses in the Qur’an cannot be used. When they have developed, the calculation verses in the Qur’an can be used to determine the number of days in a calendar month. This will produce a global calendar for mankind.

Transcriptome dynamics over a lunar month in a broadcast spawning acroporid coral

On one night per year, at a specific point in the lunar cycle, one of the most extraordinary reproductive events on the planet unfolds as hundreds of millions of broadcast spawning corals release their trillions of gametes into the waters of the tropical seas. Each species spawns on a specific night within the lunar cycle, typically from full moon to third quarter moon, and in a specific time window after sunset. This accuracy is essential to achieve efficient fertilization in the vastness of the oceans. In this report, we use transcriptome sequencing at noon and midnight across an entire lunar cycle to explore how acroporid corals interpret lunar signals. The data were interrogated by both time-of-day-dependent and time-of-day-independent methods to identify different types of lunar cycles. Time-of-day methods found that genes associated with biological clocks and circadian processes change their diurnal cycles over the course of a synodic lunar cycle. Some genes have large differences between day and night at some lunar phases, but little or no diurnal differences at other phases. Many clock genes display an oscillation pattern indicative of phase shifts linked to the lunar cycle. Time-independent methods found that signal transduction, protein secretion and modification, cell cycle and ion transport change over the lunar timescale and peak at various phases of the moon. Together these data provide unique insights into how the moon impinges on coral transcription cycles and how lunar light may regulate circalunar timing systems and coral biology.

Do Atmospheric Changes and the Synodic Lunar Cycle Affect the Development of Spontaneous Pneumothorax ?

Background: Pneumothorax is defined as air in pleural space. The etiology of spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) is still under investigation and, despite many studies, remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the lunar cycle and daily weather changes on SP development.Methods: The data of patients admitted to our clinic with SP were analysed retrospectively. The daily atmospheric pressure, relative ratio of humidity and temperature in degrees Celsius of each day were obtained. The mean values for each day, from the first to the 29th day, of the synodic lunar cycle (SLC) were calculated for the five-year study period. The attacks were allocated to the appropriate day of an ideal 29-day SLC, irrespective of the calendar date. Results: A total of 131 patients who were admitted to our hospital with SP (130 males and 1 female with an average age of 32.4 ± 12.2) were included in this study. The number of patients with SP showed a statistically significant correlation with mean atmospheric pressure (p = 0.005), relative humidity (p = 0.007) and outdoor temperature (p = 0.02) but not with the SLC.Conclusions: SP is significantly influenced by weather-related factors. Changes in atmospheric pressure, humidity and outdoor temperature had obvious effects on the development of SP. However, the SLC had no effect on SP.

Sea snake harvest in the gulf of Thailand.

Conservation of sea snakes is virtually nonexistent in Asia, and its role in human-snake interactions in terms of catch, trade, and snakebites as an occupational hazard is mostly unexplored. We collected data on sea snake landings from the Gulf of Thailand, a hotspot for sea snake harvest by squid fishers operating out of the ports of Song Doc and Khanh Hoi, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam. The data were collected during documentation of the steps of the trading process and through interviewers with participants in the trade. Squid vessels return to ports once per lunar synodic cycle and fishers sell snakes to merchants who sort, package, and ship the snakes to various destinations in Vietnam and China for human consumption and as a source of traditional remedies. Annually, 82 t, roughly equal to 225,500 individuals, of live sea snakes are brought to ports. To our knowledge, this rate of harvest constitutes one of the largest venomous snake and marine reptile harvest activities in the world today. Lapemis curtus and Hydrophis cyanocinctus constituted about 85% of the snake biomass, and Acalyptophis peronii, Aipysurus eydouxii, Hydrophis atriceps, H. belcheri, H. lamberti, and H. ornatus made up the remainder. Our results establish a quantitative baseline for characteristics of catch, trade, and uses of sea snakes. Other key observations include the timing of the trade to the lunar cycle, a decline of sea snakes harvested over the study period (approximately 30% decline in mass over 4 years), and the treatment of sea snake bites with rhinoceros horn. Emerging markets in Southeast Asia drive the harvest of venomous sea snakes in the Gulf of Thailand and sea snake bites present a potentially lethal occupational hazard. We call for implementation of monitoring programs to further address the conservation implications of this large-scale marine reptile exploitation.

Amphibians’ response to the lunar synodic cycle—a review of current knowledge, recommendations, and implications for conservation

The way in which amphibians respond to the geophysical changes brought about by the lunar synodic cycle is a neglected area of their ecology, but one which has recently generated interest. Knowledge of how amphibians respond to lunar phase is of intrinsic interest and also may be important for conservation and monitoring of populations. We surveyed the literature on amphibians’ responses to the lunar cycle and found 79 examples where moon phase in relation to amphibian behavior and ecology had been studied, across diverse amphibian taxa. Of the examples reviewed, most of them show some type of response to lunar phase, with only a few species being unaffected. We found that there is no significant difference between the numbers of species which increase, and those that decrease activity or reproductive behavior (including calling) during a full moon. The responses to the lunar cycle can not be generalized across taxonomic group, but instead are highly species specific and relate directly to the species’ ecology. The primary reasons for changes in amphibian behavior in response to the lunar cycle appear to be temporal synchronization of breeding and predator avoidance. Responses to changes in prey availability, facilitation of visual signalling and use of lunar cues in navigation and homing are less prevalent but merit further investigation. Comparisons between studies are hampered by differences in field and analytical methods; we therefore make a number of recommendations for future collection and analysis of data related to lunar phase.

Lunar Cycle and the Number of Births: A Spectral Analysis of 4,071,669 Births From South-Western Germany

Lunar Cycle and the Number of Births: A Spectral Analysis of 4,071,669 Births From South-Western Germany

Lunar cycle and the number of births: A spectral analysis of 4,071,669 births from South‐Western Germany

Lunar cycle and the number of births: A spectral analysis of 4,071,669 births from South‐Western Germany

The Mitotic Activity of Norway Spruce Polyembryonic Culture Oscillates During the Synodic Lunar Cycle

The present paper tests the hypothesis, that a periodic fluctuation of mitotic activity of the embryonal tissue of the Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) is synchronnous with synodic lunar cycling. The increased mitotic index (MI) was observed under full moon, and the decreased MI around the first and third quarter.

Onset of spontaneous pneumothorax and the synodic lunar cycle

The relation between spontaneous pneumothorax events and synodic lunar cycle was studied in a retrospective analysis of patients with a first or recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. The study included a total of 244 patients, 203 males and 41 females. The data were arranged along the first (new moon) to 28th day (one day before another new moon) of the synodic lunar cycle. Periodogram analysis revealed a 14-day rhythm, significant for the male and pooled sample. Cosinor analysis found the whole synodic lunar cycle and its 2nd, 4th and 5th harmonics as significant. Maximal accumulation of cases happened 1 week before and 1 week after the new moon. Mechanisms of a putative moon influence are not clear.

Gout attacks and lunar cycle

The aim was to search for periodical fluctuations in daily occurrence of gout attacks during the synodic lunar cycle. 126 gout attacks were recorded between 1972 and 1994 at known calendar dates. The synodic plexogram, displaying the number of attacks for each day of the cycle, was processed by cosinor regression. A pronounced cycling was found, with highest peaks under the new and full moon (syzygigies). Thus, the maximal occurrence of attacks coincides with the peaking lunisolar tidal effect. Similar relation of attacks to synodic moon was seen in bronchial asthma of children, and a reciprocal one in paroxysmal tachyarrhythmia. Differing pathogenetic backgrounds of these diseases substantiate the observed differences in their putative reactions on the changing cosmogeophysical environment.

PLANKTIC FORAMINIFERS IN THE OUTER LAPTEV SEA AND THE FRAM STRAIT--MODERN DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY

Planktic foraminifers were studied in the Arctic Ocean in the outer Laptev Sea (76–80°N, 100–150°E) in 1995, in the Fram Strait (81–82°N, 10°W–15°E) and in the western Barents Sea (76°N, 33°E) in 1997. Five depth intervals were sampled vertically between 500 m water depth and the sea surface. In the 125–250 μm size class, highest abundances of living individuals were present in the western Fram Strait (17 ind/m3) and the Barents Sea (14 ind/m3), decreasing to 4 ind/m3 near Severnaya Zemlya and less than 2 ind/m3 at the eastern Laptev Sea continental margin. The most common species Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral coiling) occured in cold Polar water masses between 50 and 100 m water depth, where they accounted for >70% of all shells. A synodic lunar reproductive cycle is demonstrated in all sampled areas, where reproduction takes place around full moon. In warmer Atlantic water masses of the West Spitzbergen Current and the Barents Sea, Turborotalita auinqueloba contributes >85% to the total assemblage. Most individuals were obtained between 50 and 200 m water depth. In the western Fram Strait affected by the East Greenland Current and at the outer Laptev Sea relative abundances decrease to 2–10%. All other species combined make up only 5% of the total fauna. In general, empty tests are most abundant in water depths deeper than 200 m as a result of gametogenesis and due to high juvenile mortality. The strong gradient in absolute abundances seems to be determined by the availability of food, low salinity due to freshwater discharge from the Siberian rivers and the ice coverage of the Arctic Ocean. The relative abundances, however, reflect the complex hydrographic interaction between relatively warm Atlantic water inflow and cold polar water export in the Arctic Ocean.

Worker honeybee hemolymph lipid composition and synodic lunar cycle periodicities.

The aim of the present investigation was to extend a previous study, showing a correlation of the variations of hemolymph carbohydrates with synodic lunar-like cycle and its circaseptan harmonics to worker honeybee hemolymph lipids. Hemolymph lipid concentrations of emerging worker imagos were analyzed in terms of one ideal synodic lunar cycle and processed by the cosinor method testing the null hypothesis versus the presence of 29.5-, 14.8- or 7.4-day periods in the data. A rhythmicity statistically compatible with a 29.5-day rhythm was observed for triacylglycerols and steroids as well as for body weight. A circadiseptan rhythm was determined for 1,3 diacylglycerols, while fatty acids and phospholipids exhibited a circaseptan rhythm. An agreement of peaks for triacylglycerols, steroids and body weight at the new moon, but not at the full moon, was noted with respect to trehalose and glucose circadiseptan rhythms. The latter moon-phase timing of peaks and nadirs, compared with that previously determined for trehalose and glucose, appeared to be identical to the circadiseptan rhythm and reciprocal for the circaseptan rhythms of 1,3 diacylglycerols. Reciprocal tendencies in circaseptans of trehalose and glucose on the one hand, and fatty acids and phospholipids on the other are indicated. The underlying causal nexus of these relationships is unknown.

Geophysical variables and behavior: LXXII. Barometric pressure, lunar cycle, and traffic accidents.

This study assessed relationships between traffic accidents and variables of the physical environment. Daily data on traffic accidents over a 4-year period were compared with daily records of barometric pressure and synodic lunar cycle. No significant variations in the number of accidents were found related to barometric height but a significant lunar periodicity was observed for one of the years considered. The number of accidents occurring during the full moon day was lowest; the highest occurred two days before the full moon. Accidents occurred more frequently during crescent moon than during waning moon, but no significant differences were noted when the lunar month was divided into four intervals of new moon, first quarter, full moon, and second quarter.

Suicide and lunar cycles: a critical review over 28 years.

20 studies which have examined the relations between completed suicide or attempted suicide and suicide threats with the synodic lunar cycle are reviewed. Most studies indicated no relation between lunar phase and the measures of suicide. The positive findings conflicted, have not been replicated, or were confounded with variables such as season, weekday, weather, or holidays. It is concluded that there is insufficient evidence for assuming a relationship between the synodic lunar cycle and completed or attempted suicide.

Crisis calls and lunar cycles: a twenty-year review.

12 studies are reviewed that have examined the relationships among crisis calls to police stations, poison centers, and crisis intervention centers and the synodic lunar cycle. On the basis of the studies considered it is concluded that no good foundation exists for the belief that lunar phase is related to the frequency of crisis calls. In addition, there is no evidence whatsoever for the contention that calls of a more emotional or "out-of-control" nature occur more often at the full moon.

Precipitation and the Lunar Synodic Cycle: Phase Progression across the United States

Abstract The question of whether there is significant variation in precipitation in the United States at the lunar synodic period (29.531 days) has been examined, based on daily precipitation data for the period 1900–80. Our results confirm previous studies and indicate by a new method that there is statistically significant variation in precipitation at this lunar frequency. We also show for the first time that there is spatial progression over the United States in the phase of the lunar-precipitation relationship. During spring, a precipitation maximum occurs first when the moon is gibbous in the northwestern United States, progressively later during the lunar cycle in the Midwest, and, finally, about the time of the new moon in the East. The recognition of spatial progression in phase raises questions about the reality of previously proposed global, lunar-precipitation mechanisms. We suggest, instead, the actual cause-effect relationship may involve the long-wave circulation of the atmosphere.