Viewpoint: A Contributory Role of Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) for Human Longevity in Okinawa, Japan?

PubMed Central

Teschke, Rolf

2018-01-01

The longevity of the population in the Okinawa Islands of Japan has been ascribed to genetic factors and the traditional Okinawa cuisine, which is low in calories and high in plant content. This diet includes shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt & R.M. Sm) of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Due to its local popularity, Alpinia zerumbet has become the subject of a good deal of study at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa. Personal local experience and review of the literature now suggest that culinary shell ginger may contribute to longevity among the population in Okinawa. This is supported by its abundant phytochemical content, with antioxidant and anti-obesity properties. The major bioactive phytochemicals are dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain (DDK; 80–410 mg g−1 fresh weight), 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK; ≤100 mg g−1), and essential oils, phenols, phenolic acids, and fatty acids (≤150 mg g−1 each). Further, Alpinia zerumbet extends the lifespan in animals by 22.6%. In conclusion, culinary shell ginger may significantly contribute to human longevity in Okinawa. PMID:29385084

The ecology of medical care on an isolated island in Okinawa, Japan: a retrospective open cohort study.

PubMed

Kaneko, Makoto; Matsushima, Masato; Irving, Greg

2017-01-14

We aimed to describe the ecology of medical care on an isolated island with limited access to secondary care, and to evaluate the gatekeeping function of the island's primary care clinic through comparison with a previous nationwide survey. We conducted this retrospective, open cohort study on Iheya, an isolated island in Okinawa Prefecture that has one primary care clinic. We considered Iheya as unique location in which to examine the role of primary care in Japan. Participants were patients who visited the island's clinic between February 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014. We calculated the number of visits to the clinic and referrals to off-island medical facilities using electronic medical records. We also compared data for Iheya with a nationwide survey conducted in 2003. Iheya had 1314 inhabitants in 2013. Of the 5682 visits to the clinic in the 1-year study period, 290 people were referred to off-island medical institutions. There were 64 referrals to emergency departments; of these, 57 people were admitted to hospital. The rate of visits to the clinic per month per 1000 inhabitants was 360.4 visits (95% confidence interval: 351.0-369.7). Of these, 18.4 (16.3-20.5) were referred off-island, with 4.1 (3.1-5.1) referrals to emergency departments and 3.6 (2.6-4.6) hospitalizations. Despite the high incidence of visits to the primary care clinic, the rates of hospital-based outpatient clinic visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations were lower than rates reported in a previous Japanese study. This suggests that several dimensions of primary care, its gatekeeping function in particular, are likely to play important roles in this geographical setting.

Deepest and hottest hydrothermal activity in the Okinawa Trough: the Yokosuka site at Yaeyama Knoll

PubMed Central

Miyazaki, Junichi; Kawagucci, Shinsuke; Makabe, Akiko; Takahashi, Ayu; Kitada, Kazuya; Torimoto, Junji; Matsui, Yohei; Tasumi, Eiji; Shibuya, Takazo; Nakamura, Kentaro; Horai, Shunsuke; Sato, Shun; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Kanzaki, Hayato; Nakagawa, Satoshi; Hirai, Miho; Takaki, Yoshihiro; Okino, Kyoko; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Kumagai, Hidenori

2017-01-01

Since the initial discovery of hydrothermal vents in 1977, these ‘extreme’ chemosynthetic systems have been a focus of interdisciplinary research. The Okinawa Trough (OT), located in the semi-enclosed East China Sea between the Eurasian continent and the Ryukyu arc, hosts more than 20 known vent sites but all within a relatively narrow depth range (600–1880 m). Depth is a significant factor in determining fluid temperature and chemistry, as well as biological composition. However, due to the narrow depth range of known sites, the actual influence of depth here has been poorly resolved. Here, the Yokosuka site (2190 m), the first OT vent exceeding 2000 m depth is reported. A highly active hydrothermal vent site centred around four active vent chimneys reaching 364°C in temperature, it is the hottest in the OT. Notable Cl depletion (130 mM) and both high H2 and CH4 concentrations (approx. 10 mM) probably result from subcritical phase separation and thermal decomposition of sedimentary organic matter. Microbiota and fauna were generally similar to other sites in the OT, although with some different characteristics. In terms of microbiota, the H2-rich vent fluids in Neuschwanstein chimney resulted in the dominance of hydrogenotrophic chemolithoautotrophs such as Thioreductor and Desulfobacterium. For fauna, the dominance of the deep-sea mussel Bathymodiolus aduloides is surprising given other nearby vent sites are usually dominated by B. platifrons and/or B. japonicus, and a sponge field in the periphery dominated by Poecilosclerida is unusual for OT vents. Our insights from the Yokosuka site implies that although the distribution of animal species may be linked to depth, the constraint is perhaps not water pressure and resulting chemical properties of the vent fluid but instead physical properties of the surrounding seawater. The potential significance of these preliminary results and prospect for future research on this unique site are discussed

Deepest and hottest hydrothermal activity in the Okinawa Trough: the Yokosuka site at Yaeyama Knoll

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyazaki, Junichi; Kawagucci, Shinsuke; Makabe, Akiko; Takahashi, Ayu; Kitada, Kazuya; Torimoto, Junji; Matsui, Yohei; Tasumi, Eiji; Shibuya, Takazo; Nakamura, Kentaro; Horai, Shunsuke; Sato, Shun; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Kanzaki, Hayato; Nakagawa, Satoshi; Hirai, Miho; Takaki, Yoshihiro; Okino, Kyoko; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Kumagai, Hidenori; Chen, Chong

2017-12-01

Since the initial discovery of hydrothermal vents in 1977, these `extreme' chemosynthetic systems have been a focus of interdisciplinary research. The Okinawa Trough (OT), located in the semi-enclosed East China Sea between the Eurasian continent and the Ryukyu arc, hosts more than 20 known vent sites but all within a relatively narrow depth range (600-1880 m). Depth is a significant factor in determining fluid temperature and chemistry, as well as biological composition. However, due to the narrow depth range of known sites, the actual influence of depth here has been poorly resolved. Here, the Yokosuka site (2190 m), the first OT vent exceeding 2000 m depth is reported. A highly active hydrothermal vent site centred around four active vent chimneys reaching 364°C in temperature, it is the hottest in the OT. Notable Cl depletion (130 mM) and both high H2 and CH4 concentrations (approx. 10 mM) probably result from subcritical phase separation and thermal decomposition of sedimentary organic matter. Microbiota and fauna were generally similar to other sites in the OT, although with some different characteristics. In terms of microbiota, the H2-rich vent fluids in Neuschwanstein chimney resulted in the dominance of hydrogenotrophic chemolithoautotrophs such as Thioreductor and Desulfobacterium. For fauna, the dominance of the deep-sea mussel Bathymodiolus aduloides is surprising given other nearby vent sites are usually dominated by B. platifrons and/or B. japonicus, and a sponge field in the periphery dominated by Poecilosclerida is unusual for OT vents. Our insights from the Yokosuka site implies that although the distribution of animal species may be linked to depth, the constraint is perhaps not water pressure and resulting chemical properties of the vent fluid but instead physical properties of the surrounding seawater. The potential significance of these preliminary results and prospect for future research on this unique site are discussed.

Organic tracers of primary biological aerosol particles at subtropical Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Chunmao; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Kunwar, Bhagawati

2015-06-01

Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) play an important role in affecting atmospheric physical and chemical properties. Aerosol samples were collected at Cape Hedo, Okinawa Island, Japan, from October 2009 to February 2012 and analyzed for five primary saccharides and four sugar alcohols as PBAP tracers. We detected high levels of sucrose in spring when blossoming of plants happens and prolifically emits pollen to the air. Concentrations of glucose, fructose, and trehalose showed levels higher than the other saccharides in spring in 2010. In comparison, primary saccharide levels were mutually comparable in spring, summer, and autumn in 2011, indicating the interannual variability of their local production in subtropical forests, which is driven by local temperature and radiation. High trehalose events were found to be associated with Asian dust outflows, indicating that Asian dust also contributes to PBAPs at Okinawa. Sugar alcohols peaked in summer and correlated with local precipitation and temperature, indicating high microbial activities. Positive matrix factorization analysis confirmed that the PBAPs are mainly derived from local vegetation, pollen, and fungal spores. A higher contribution of PBAP tracers to water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) was found in summer (14.9%). The annual mean ambient loadings of fungal spores and PBAPs were estimated as 0.49 µg m-3 and 4.12 µg m-3, respectively, using the tracer method. We report, for the first time, year-round biomarkers of PBAP and soil dust and their contributions to WSOC in the subtropical outflow region of the Asian continent.

Spatial and temporal behavior and acute ecotoxicological effects of Tributyltin (TBT) on coral reef and adjacent ecosystems around Okinawa Island, Japan.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheikh, M. A.; Higuchi, T.; Imo, T. S.; Fujimura, H.; Oomori, T.

2007-12-01

Spatial and temporal behavior of the tributyl tin (TBT) were investigated in the coastal areas around Okinawa Island, Japan. A seasonal monitoring study was conducted between February and October 2006. The effects of TBT on the carbon metabolisms (net production and calcification) on the intact coral-alga association Galaxea fascicularis were also investigated. Mean concentration of TBT (2.45 ng/L) found in the Manko estuary waters have exceeded some international permissible targets of waters quality guideline for TBT (1ng/L). The sediments in Manko estuary sediments can be considered lightly contaminated (0-20 ng/g dw) and Okukubi estuary as uncontaminated (below 3ng/g dw) with TBT. The seasonal concentration pattern of TBT at the Manko estuary was autumn > spring > summer > winter. The acute ecotoxicological results show that the photosynthesis rate and calcification rate were significantly reduced by 78 % and 72 % relative to the control (ANOVA, p<0.001) when corals were exposed to 5000 ng/LTBT, respectively. No significant effects (ANOVA, p>0.05) were observed when corals were exposed to 1000 ng/LTBT. The present study reports the occurrence and continuous input of TBT in the coastal areas around Okinawa Island, even 16 years after legal restriction of TBT usage in coastal waters was implemented by the Japanese Environmental Authorities. However, the nominal sensitive concentration of TBT that causes alteration of carbon metabolisms of coral within 96 hrs exposure are much higher than those recently found in the coral reef waters and adjacent ecosystems.

A Critical Analysis of Changing Radon Concentration Patterns on Gyokusen-dou Cave in Okinawa Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanahara, A.; Iha, H.

2009-04-01

Radon concentrations were measured at 1 hour intervals for a year in Gyokuse-dou Cave, Okinawa Island. An apparatus for continuous radon monitoring connected to a data logger was installed in a large chamber of the cave along the tour route for visitors. Radon concentration ranged from 8000 Bq/m3 in the summer to 100 Bq/m3 in the winter. Seasonal changes in radon concentration correlate with difference between outside and inside air densities. The same effect seems to occur in a short time period. However, changing radon concentration pattern does not synchronize with air density difference pattern in the sites. The results of statistical treatment show that the outside air takes about 8-18 hours to reach the measuring point of radon in the Cave. The average airflow velocity from the site to the exit was estimated to be about 0.52-0.23 m/min. During the summer, the south wind blowing into the cave also affects the radon concentration.

Back-Arc Opening in the Western End of the Okinawa Trough Revealed From GNSS/Acoustic Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Horng-Yue; Ikuta, Ryoya; Lin, Cheng-Horng; Hsu, Ya-Ju; Kohmi, Takeru; Wang, Chau-Chang; Yu, Shui-Beih; Tu, Yoko; Tsujii, Toshiaki; Ando, Masataka

2018-01-01

We measured seafloor movement using a Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)/Acoustic technique at the south of the rifting valley in the western end of the Okinawa Trough back-arc basin, 60 km east of northeastern corner of Taiwan. The horizontal position of the seafloor benchmark, measured eight times between July 2012 and May 2016, showed a southeastward movement suggesting a back-arc opening of the Okinawa Trough. The average velocity of the seafloor benchmark shows a block motion together with Yonaguni Island. The westernmost part of the Ryukyu Arc rotates clockwise and is pulled apart from the Taiwan Island, which should cause the expansion of the Yilan Plain, Taiwan. Comparing the motion of the seafloor benchmark with adjacent seismicity, we suggest a gentle episodic opening of the rifting valley accompanying a moderate seismic activation, which differs from the case in the segment north off-Yonaguni Island where a rapid dyke intrusion occurs with a significant seismic activity.

Tetrodotoxin and Its Analogues in the Pufferfish Arothron hispidus and A. nigropunctatus from the Solomon Islands: A Comparison of Their Toxin Profiles with the Same Species from Okinawa, Japan

PubMed Central

Gorapava Puilingi, Clyde; Kudo, Yuta; Cho, Yuko; Konoki, Keiichi; Yotsu-Yamashita, Mari

2015-01-01

Pufferfish poisoning has not been well documented in the South Pacific, although fish and other seafood are sources of protein in these island nations. In this study, tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its analogues in each organ of the pufferfish Arothron hispidus and A. nigropunctatus collected in the Solomon Islands were investigated using high resolution LC-MS. The toxin profiles of the same two species of pufferfish from Okinawa, Japan were also examined for comparison. TTXs concentrations were higher in the skin of both species from both regions, and relatively lower in the liver, ovary, testis, stomach, intestine, and flesh. Due to higher TTX concentrations (51.0 and 28.7 µg/g at highest) detected in the skin of the two species from the Solomon Islands (saxitoxin was <0.02 µg/g), these species should be banned from consumption. Similar results were obtained from fish collected in Okinawa, Japan: TTX in the skin of A. hispidus and A. nigropunctatus were 12.7 and 255 µg/g, respectively, at highest, and saxitoxin was also detected in the skin (2.80 µg/g at highest) and ovary of A. hispidus. TTX, 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX (with its 4-epi form), and its anhydro forms were the most abundant, and 11-oxoTTX was commonly detected in the skin. PMID:26343722

Three new brackish-water thalassocypridine species (Crustacea: Ostracoda: Paracyprididae) from the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan.

PubMed

Hiruta, Shimpei F; Kakui, Keiichi

2016-09-21

We describe three new species of brackish-water ostracods representing two genera in the ostracod tribe Thalassocypridini from mangrove forests in the Ryukyu Islands, subtropical southwestern Japan, and provide their barcoding sequences for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Mangalocypria ryukyuensis sp. nov. was found on Okinawa Island. We also found a Mangalocypria population on Ishigaki Island that was morphologically identical to M. ryukyuensis on Okinawa, but an individual differed by 4.7% in COI sequence (K2P distance) from an individual from Okinawa. This is the first record for Japan of a species in Mangalocypria. Paracypria longiseta sp. nov., obtained from Okinawa Island, is similar to Pontoparta hartmanni. Paracypria plumosa sp. nov. from Ishigaki Island is similar to Pa. adnata described from Yakushima Island, Japan. The COI genetic distance between individuals of Pa. longiseta and Pa. plumosa was roughly as large as that between either of these species and individuals in the Mangalocypria populations. Our study underscores that genera in Thalassocypridini may not represent natural groups, and that this tribe needs taxonomic revision.

Long-Range Transport of Perchlorate Observed in the Atmospheric Aerosols Collected at Okinawa Island, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handa, D.; Okada, K.; Kuroki, Y.; Nakama, Y.; Nakajima, H.; Arakaki, T.; Tanahara, A.; Oomori, T.; Miyagi, T.; Kadena, H.; Ishizaki, T.; Nakama, F.

2007-12-01

The study of perchlorate has become quite active in the U.S. in the last several years. Perchlorate has been recognized as a new environmental pollutant and it attracted much attention quickly in the world. The health concern about perchlorate stems from the fact that it displaces iodide in the thyroid gland, while iodine-containing thyroid hormones are essential for proper neural development from the fetal stage through the first years of life. In this study, we determined the concentrations of perchlorate ion present in the atmospheric aerosols collected in Okinawa Island, Japan. We then examined the relationships between the perchlorate concentrations and the environmental parameters and the climatic conditions peculiar to Okinawa. Bulk aerosol samples were collected on quartz filters by using a high volume air sampler at Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS). Each sampling duration was one week. The quartz filters with aerosols were stirred with Milli-Q pure water for three hours before perchlorate ion was extracted. The extracted perchlorate ion concentrations were determined by ion chromatography (ICS-2000, DIONEX). The mean perchlorate concentration for the samples collected at CHAAMS was 1.83 ng/m3, and the minimum was 0.18 ng/m3. The samples collected during November 21-27, 2005, January 23-30, 2006 and April 24-01, 2006 had highest perchlorate concentrations. For these three samples, we performed back trajectory analysis, and found that the air mass for the three samples arrived from the Asian continent. A relatively strong correlation (r2 = 0.55) was found between perchlorate and nss-sulfate concentrations for the CHAAMS samples. Furthermore, we analyzed perchlorate in the soils and the fertilizers used for sugar cane farming around the CHAAMS area. The Milli-Q extract of the soil and the fertilizers did not contain any detectable levels of perchlorate ions. Therefore, it was suggested that perchlorate found in the atmospheric

Detailed magnetic and gravity surveys around the hydrothermal area off Kumejima Island in the Mid-Okinawa Trough, southwestern Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitada, K.; Kasaya, T.; Iwamoto, H.; Nogi, Y.

2017-12-01

The Okinawa Trough is an active back-arc basin formed by the rifting associated with extension of the continental margin behind the Ryukyu trench. New hydrothermal sites were recently discovered off Kumejima Island in the Mid-Okinawa Trough and the hydrothermal mineral deposits were identified by seafloor surveys and rock samplings by ROV (e.g., JOGMEC, 2015). In order to characterize the sub-seafloor structures and the spatial distribution of the magmatic activity around the sites, we conducted the dense magnetic, gravity and bathymetric surveys with a line spacing of 0.5 nmi aboard the R/Vs Yokosuka and Kairei, operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) in 2016. The geophysical data collected during the previous cruises in the area by JAMSTEC were additionally used for this study. Magnetic anomaly was calculated by subtracting the IGRF model and the magnetization intensity was estimated by the method of Parker and Huestis (1974). Free-air gravity anomaly was calculated with subtracting the normal gravity field and with corrections of the drift and of the Eötvös effect. Bouguer gravity anomaly was calculated based on the method of Parker (1972). The magnetization intensity and the Bouguer gravity anomaly reveal three characteristics of the hydrothermal area off Kumejima Island: 1) The distribution of magnetization around the hydrothermal sites shows two different types of sub-seafloor magnetic features. One is corresponded to the submarine knolls with a relatively high magnetization of 4 A/M. The other is an ENE-WSW trending magnetization distribution with relatively high and low intensities, which is consistent with the trend of the bathymetric lineament. These features are considered to be formed by magmatism associated with submarine volcanoes and back-arc rifting. 2) The reduced magnetization zone corresponding to the hydrothermal area probably attributes to hydrothermal alteration of the host rock. 3) The hydrothermal

Impact assessment of climate change on tourism in the Pacific small islands based on the database of long-term high-resolution climate ensemble experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, S.; Utsumi, N.; Take, M.; Iida, A.

2016-12-01

This study aims to develop a new approach to assess the impact of climate change on the small oceanic islands in the Pacific. In the new approach, the change of the probabilities of various situations was projected with considering the spread of projection derived from ensemble simulations, instead of projecting the most probable situation. The database for Policy Decision making for Future climate change (d4PDF) is a database of long-term high-resolution climate ensemble experiments, which has the results of 100 ensemble simulations. We utilized the database for Policy Decision making for Future climate change (d4PDF), which was (a long-term and high-resolution database) composed of results of 100 ensemble experiments. A new methodology, Multi Threshold Ensemble Assessment (MTEA), was developed using the d4PDF in order to assess the impact of climate change. We focused on the impact of climate change on tourism because it has played an important role in the economy of the Pacific Islands. The Yaeyama Region, one of the tourist destinations in Okinawa, Japan, was selected as the case study site. Two kinds of impact were assessed: change in probability of extreme climate phenomena and tourist satisfaction associated with weather. The database of long-term high-resolution climate ensemble experiments and the questionnaire survey conducted by a local government were used for the assessment. The result indicated that the strength of extreme events would be increased, whereas the probability of occurrence would be decreased. This change should result in increase of the number of clear days and it could contribute to improve the tourist satisfaction.

Entamoeba marina n. sp.; a New Species of Entamoeba Isolated from Tidal Flat Sediment of Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan.

PubMed

Shiratori, Takashi; Ishida, Ken-Ichiro

2016-05-01

The genus Entamoeba includes anaerobic lobose amoebae, most of which are parasites of various vertebrates and invertebrates. We report a new Entamoeba species, E. marina n. sp. that was isolated from a sample of tidal flat sediment collected at Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan. Trophozoites of E. marina were 12.8-32.1 μm in length and 6.8-15.9 μm in width, whereas the cysts were 8.9-15.8 μm in diam. and contained four nuclei. The E. marina cells contained a rounded nucleus with a small centric karyosome and uniformly arranged peripheral chromatin. Although E. marina is morphologically indistinguishable from other tetranucleated cyst-forming Entamoeba species, E. marina can be distinguished from them based on the combination of molecular phylogenetic analyses using SSU rDNA gene and the difference of collection sites. Therefore, we propose E. marina as a new species of the genus Entamoeba. © 2015 The Author(s) Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology © 2015 International Society of Protistologists.

Transformer Efficiency Assessment - Okinawa, Japan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas L. Baldwin; Robert J. Turk; Kurt S. Myers

The US Army Engineering & Support Center, Huntsville (USAESCH), and the US Marine Corps Base (MCB), Okinawa, Japan retained Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to conduct a Transformer Efficiency Assessment of “key” transformers located at multiple military bases in Okinawa, Japan. The purpose of this assessment is to support the Marine Corps Base, Okinawa in evaluating medium voltage distribution transformers for potential efficiency upgrades. The original scope of work included the MCB providing actual transformer nameplate data, manufacturer’s factory test sheets, electrical system data (kWh), demand data (kWd), power factor data, and electricity cost data. Unfortunately, the MCB’s actual data ismore » not available and therefore making it necessary to de-scope the original assessment. Note: Any similar nameplate data, photos of similar transformer nameplates, and basic electrical details from one-line drawings (provided by MCB) are not a replacement for actual load loss test data. It is recommended that load measurements are performed on the high and low sides of transformers to better quantify actual load losses, demand data, and power factor data. We also recommend that actual data, when available, be inserted by MCB Okinawa where assumptions have been made and then the LCC analysis updated. This report covers a generalized assessment of modern U.S. transformers in a three level efficiency category, Low-Level efficiency, Medium-Level efficiency, and High-Level efficiency.« less

Transformer Efficiency Assessment - Okinawa, Japan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas L. Baldwin; Robert J. Turk; Kurt S. Myers

2012-05-01

The US Army Engineering & Support Center, Huntsville (USAESCH), and the US Marine Corps Base (MCB), Okinawa, Japan retained Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to conduct a Transformer Efficiency Assessment of “key” transformers located at multiple military bases in Okinawa, Japan. The purpose of this assessment is to support the Marine Corps Base, Okinawa in evaluating medium voltage distribution transformers for potential efficiency upgrades. The original scope of work included the MCB providing actual transformer nameplate data, manufacturer’s factory test sheets, electrical system data (kWh), demand data (kWd), power factor data, and electricity cost data. Unfortunately, the MCB’s actual data ismore » not available and therefore making it necessary to de-scope the original assessment. Note: Any similar nameplate data, photos of similar transformer nameplates, and basic electrical details from one-line drawings (provided by MCB) are not a replacement for actual load loss test data. It is recommended that load measurements are performed on the high and low sides of transformers to better quantify actual load losses, demand data, and power factor data. We also recommend that actual data, when available, be inserted by MCB Okinawa where assumptions have been made and then the LCC analysis updated. This report covers a generalized assessment of modern U.S. transformers in a three level efficiency category, Low-Level efficiency, Medium-Level efficiency, and High-Level efficiency.« less

Island-enhanced cooling mechanism in typhoon events revealed by field observations and numerical simulations for a coral reef area, Sekisei Lagoon, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernardo, Lawrence Patrick C.; Nadaoka, Kazuo; Nakamura, Takashi; Watanabe, Atsushi

2017-11-01

While widely known for their destructive power, typhoon events can also bring benefit to coral reef ecosystems through typhoon-induced cooling which can mitigate against thermally stressful conditions causing coral bleaching. Sensor deployments in Sekisei Lagoon, Japan's largest coral reef area, during the summer months of 2013, 2014, and 2015 were able to capture local hydrodynamic features of numerous typhoon passages. In particular, typhoons 2015-13 and 2015-15 featured steep drops in near-bottom temperature of 5 °C or more in the north and south sides of Sekisei Lagoon, respectively, indicating local cooling patterns which appeared to depend on the track and intensity of the passing typhoon. This was further investigated using Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) numerical simulations conducted for the summer of 2015. The modeling results showed a cooling trend to the north of the Yaeyama Islands during the passage of typhoon 2015-13, and a cooling trend that moved clockwise from north to south of the islands during the passage of typhoon 2015-15. These local cooling events may have been initiated by the Yaeyama Islands acting as an obstacle to a strong typhoon-generated flow which was modulated and led to prominent cooling of waters on the leeward sides. These lower temperature waters from offshore may then be transported to the shallower inner parts of the lagoon area, which may partly be due to density-driven currents generated by the offshore-inner area temperature difference.

Melon Fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae), Infestation in Host Fruits in the Southwestern Islands of Japan Before the Initiation of Island-wide Population Suppression, as Recorded in Publications of Japanese Public Institutions

PubMed Central

McQuate, Grant T.; Teruya, Tadashi

2015-01-01

Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) is a tephritid fruit fly native to the Indo-Malayan region. Its distribution, though, has extended to include Africa, temperate Asia, and a number of Pacific islands. It became established in Japan in 1919 in the Yaeyama Islands and spread north in the Southwestern Islands of Japan. It was subsequently eradicated from these islands by an eradication program that extended from 1972 to 1993. As part of an effort to develop a worldwide database on the status of fruits as hosts of melon fly, the infestation data gathered from host fruits collected in this eradication program, before the initiation of suppression activities, are summarized here. Bactrocera cucurbitae infestation was documented in 24 plant taxa of four plant families (Caricaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Moraceae, and Solanaceae), with the following four new hosts identified: Ficus erecta Thunb., F. pumila L. (Moraceae), Solanum erianthum D. Don (Solanaceae), and Zehneria liukiuensis Jeffrey ex Walker (Cucurbitaceae). PMID:26816487

Structural features related to the volcanic gases in Southern Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H. F.; Hsu, S. K.; Tsia, C. H.; Chen, S. C.; Wu, M. F.

2016-12-01

The Okinawa Trough is a rifted back-arc basin, heavily sedimented and formed in an intracontinental rift zone behind the Ryukyu trench-arc system. The Southern Okinawa Trough (SOT) east of Taiwan is the place where post-collisional extension happened. The collision moved southwestward and the Ryukyu trench-arc extension westward, Arc volcanism is dominant in the Northern Ryukyu volcanic arc and back-arc volcanism in the Southern Okinawa Trough. Marine geophysical data including side-scan sonar (SSS), sub-bottom profiler (SBP) and echo sounder system (EK60) data are used in this study. Active fluid activities out of seafloor are obvious from various images observed on these data, such as gas plumes. These hydrothermal vents have been located at a water depth of 1400 m. Our preliminary results show that gas seepage structures appear in the location where is a week zone, such as a normal fault in the slope. The hydrothermal activity within the Okinawa Trough is associated with volcanism located in rift zones in the Southern Okinawa Trough. However, the origin of the submarine hydrothermal fluids within the Okinawa Trough is diverse with contributions from volcanic, sedimentary and magmatic sources, needed further investigations.

Rifting Process and Geomorphic Development of the Okinawa Tough, Southwest Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, T.; Arai, K.; Inoue, T.; Matsumoto, D.

2012-12-01

The Ryukyu Island Arc extends from Kyushu to Taiwan, a distance of 1,200 km, along the Ryukyu Trench where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate. The Okinawa Trough, a back arc basin has formed behind the Ryukyu Island Arc in late Pliocene to early Pleistocene. The research cruises of GH11 (from 14 July to 15 August, 2011) and GH12 (from 20 to 30 July, 2012) were carried out around the Okinawa Trough. More than 3,600 miles multi channel high-resolution seismic profiles were acquired during these cruises by the GI-gun (Generator 250 cu inch and Injector 105 cu. inch) systems with 16ch digital streamer cable. As a result, two unconformities and three depositional sequence divided by the unconformities are recognized in the trough. The lower and the midlle sequence are tilted and blocked by many normal faults, on the other hand the upper one is not tilted and shows the pattern of onlap fill. From this result, the upper sequence started to deposit after start of the rifting. Additionally, internal reflection of the upper sequence shows the cyclic activities of the rifting. The position of the rifting axis was revealed based on dip of the normal faults. As a result, rifting axis shows echelon arrangement and the displacement of the faults are varied with the segment of the arrangement. The location of the segment boundaries is correlated with geometrical boundary of the adjacent slope. Steep slope with incised valley is distributed in southwestern part where the displacement of the normal fault is large, on the other hand, gentle slope without incised valley is distributed in northeastern part where the displacement is small. This difference of the displacement strongly controls the geometry of the adjacent slope.

Size Distributions and Formation Pathways of Organic and Inorganic Constituents in Spring Aerosols from Okinawa Island in the Western North Pacific Rim: An Outflow Region of Asian Dusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, D. K.; Lazaar, M.; Kawamura, K.; Kunwar, B.; Tachibana, E.; Boreddy, S. K. R.

2015-12-01

Size-segregated aerosols (9-stages) were collected at Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim in spring 2008. The samples were analyzed for diacids (C2-C12), ω-oxoacids (ωC2-ωC9), a-dicarbonyls (C2-C3), organic carbon (OC), water-soluble OC (WSOC) and major ions to understand the sources and atmospheric processes in the outflow region of Asian pollutants. The molecular distribution of diacids showed the predominance of oxalic acid (C2) followed by malonic and succinic acids in all the size-segregated aerosols. ω-Oxoacids showed the predominance of glyoxylic acid (ωC2) whereas glyoxal (Gly) was more abundant than methylglyoxal in all the sizes. The abundant presence of sulfate as well as phthalic and adipic acids in Okinawa aerosols suggested a significant contribution of anthropogenic sources in East Asia via long-range atmospheric transport. Diacids (C2-C5), ωC2 and Gly as well as WSOC and OC peaked at 0.65-1.1 µm in fine mode whereas azelaic (C9) and 9-oxononanoic (ωC9) acids peaked at 3.3-4.7 µm in coarse mode. Sulfate and ammonium are enriched in fine mode whereas sodium and chloride are in coarse mode. An important mechanism for the formation of these organic species in Okinawa aerosols is probably gas phase oxidation of VOCs and subsequent in-cloud processing during long-range transport. Their characteristics size distribution implies that fine particles enriched with these organic and inorganic species could act as CCN to develop the cloud cover over the western North Pacific. The major peak of C9 and ωC9 on coarse mode suggest that they are produced by photooxidation of unsaturated fatty acids mainly derived from phytoplankton via heterogeneous reactions on sea spray particles. This study demonstrates that anthropogenic aerosols emitted from East Asia have significant influence on the compositions of organic and inorganic aerosols in the western North Pacific Rim.

Association between Helicobacter pylori Virulence Factors and Gastroduodenal Diseases in Okinawa, Japan

PubMed Central

Matsunari, Osamu; Shiota, Seiji; Suzuki, Rumiko; Watada, Masahide; Kinjo, Nagisa; Murakami, Kazunari; Fujioka, Toshio; Kinjo, Fukunori

2012-01-01

The incidence of gastric cancer in Okinawa is lowest in Japan. Some previous reports using small number of strains suggested that the high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori with Western-type cagA in Okinawa compared to other areas in Japan might contribute to the low incidence of gastric cancer. It has still not been confirmed why the prevalence of Western-type cagA strains is high in Okinawa. We examined the association between the virulence factors of H. pylori and gastroduodenal diseases in Okinawa. The genotypes of cagA and vacA of 337 H. pylori strains were determined by PCR and gene sequencing. The genealogy of these Western-type cagA strains in Okinawa was analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Overall, 86.4% of the strains possessed cagA: 70.3% were East-Asian type and 16.0% were Western type. After adjustment by age and sex, the presence of East-Asian-type cagA/vacA s1m1 genotypes was significantly associated with gastric cancer compared to gastritis (odds ratio = 6.68, 95% confidence interval = 1.73 to 25.8). The structure of Western-type CagA in Okinawa was different from that of typical Western-type CagA found in Western countries. Intriguingly, MLST analysis revealed that the majority of Western-type cagA strains formed individual clusters but not hpEurope. Overall, low prevalence of gastric cancer in Okinawa may result from the high prevalence of non-East-Asian-type cagA strains. The origin of Western-type cagA strains in Okinawa may be different from those of Western countries. PMID:22189111

Decadal Modulation of Repeating Slow Slip Event Activity in the Southwestern Ryukyu Arc Possibly Driven by Rifting Episodes at the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Yoko; Heki, Kosuke

2017-09-01

We studied 38 slow slip events (SSEs) in 1997-2016 beneath the Iriomote Island, southwestern Ryukyu Arc, Japan, using continuous Global Navigation Satellite Systems data. These SSEs occur biannually on the same fault patch at a depth of 30 km on the subducting Philippine Sea Plate slab with average moment magnitudes (Mw) of 6.6. Here we show that the slip accumulation rate (cumulative slip/lapse time) of these SSEs fluctuated over a decadal time scale. The rate increased twice around 2002 and 2013 concurrently with earthquake swarms in the Okinawa Trough. This suggests that episodic activations of the back-arc spreading at the Okinawa Trough caused extra southward movement of the block south of the trough and accelerated convergence at the Ryukyu Trench.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective actions of medicinal herb, Terminalia catappa L. from Okinawa Island and its tannin corilagin.

PubMed

Kinoshita, S; Inoue, Y; Nakama, S; Ichiba, T; Aniya, Y

2007-11-01

The antioxidant and hepatoprotective actions of Terminalia catappa L. collected from Okinawa Island were evaluated in vitro and in vivo using leaves extract and isolated antioxidants. A water extract of the leaves of T. catappa showed a strong radical scavenging action for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide (O(2)(.-)) anion. Chebulagic acid and corilagin were isolated as the active components from T. catappa. Both antioxidants showed a strong scavenging action for O(2)(.-) and peroxyl radicals and also inhibited reactive oxygen species production from leukocytes stimulated by phorbol-12-myristate acetate. Galactosamine (GalN, 600 mg/kg, s.c.,) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.5 microg/kg, i.p.)-induced hepatotoxicity of rats as seen by an elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities was significantly reduced when the herb extract or corilagin was given intraperitoneally to rats prior to GalN/LPS treatment. Increase of free radical formation and lipid peroxidation in mitochondria caused by GalN/LPS treatment were also decreased by pretreatment with the herb/corilagin. In addition, apoptotic events such as DNA fragmentation and the increase in caspase-3 activity in the liver observed with GalN/LPS treatment were prevented by the pretreatment with the herb/corilagin. These results show that the extract of T. catappa and its antioxidant, corilagin are protective against GalN/LPS-induced liver injury through suppression of oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Pseudocyclops schminkei (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pseudocyclopidae): a new species from Okinawa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chullasorn, Supawadee; Ferrari, Frank D.; Dahms, Hans-Uwe

2010-03-01

Both genders of Pseudocyclops schminkei n. sp. are described from a pearl fishery aquarium on Zamami Island, Okinawa, Japan; it is the 37th species of the genus. Pseudocyclops schminkei sp. nov. differs from other species of the magnus species group in the shape of the lobes of distal exopodal segment of the male left leg 5, and the morphology of setae on middle and distal exopodal segment of male right swimming leg 2. Aspects of the morphology of P. xiphophorus and P. bilobatus are redescribed, and an unnamed Pseudocyclops sp. from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL, is briefly noted. Females of P. schminkei sp. nov., P. xiphophorus and Pseudocyclops sp. could not be separated from each other with the small number of specimens available in this study for the former two species.

The Battle of Okinawa, 1945: Final Turning Point in the Pacific.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tzeng, Megan

2000-01-01

Reviews the last major battle of World War II that occurred at Okinawa (Japan) in 1945. Explains why the Battle of Okinawa was the turning point in World War II. Includes two maps in the appendix and an annotated bibliography. (CMK)

Plutonium activities and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in sediment cores from the east China sea and Okinawa Trough: Sources and inventories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhong-liang; Yamada, Masatoshi

2005-05-01

Plutonium concentrations and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediment cores were determined by isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after separation using ion-exchange chromatography. The results showed that 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediments, ranging from 0.21 to 0.33, were much higher than the reported value of global fallout (0.18). The highest 240Pu/ 239Pu ratios (0.32-0.33) were observed in the deepest Okinawa Trough sediment samples. These ratios suggested the US nuclear weapons tests in the early 1950s at the Pacific Proving Grounds in the Marshall Islands were a major source of plutonium in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediments, in addition to the global fallout source. It was proposed that close-in fallout plutonium was delivered from the Pacific Proving Grounds test sites via early direct tropospheric fallout and transportation by the North Pacific Equatorial Circulation system and Kuroshio Current into the Okinawa Trough and East China Sea. The total 239 + 240 Pu inventories in the cores were about 150-200% of that expected from direct global fallout; about 46-67% of the total inventories were delivered from the Pacific Proving Grounds. Much higher 239 + 240 Pu inventories were observed in the East China Sea sediments than in sediments of the Okinawa Trough, because in the open oceans, part of the 239 + 240 Pu was still retained in the water column, and continued Pu scavenging was higher over the margin than the trough. According to the vertical distributions of 239 + 240 Pu activities and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in these cores, it was concluded that sediment mixing was the dominant process in controlling profiles of plutonium in this area. Faster mixing in the coastal samples has homogenized the entire 240Pu/ 239Pu ratio record today; slightly slower mixing and less scavenging in the Okinawa Trough have left the surface sediment ratios closer

Inhomogeneous Crustal Structure of the Rifting in the Okinawa Trough, a Backarc Basin West of Kyushu, Japan, Deduced from Seismic Reflection and Refraction Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishizawa, A.; Kaneda, K.; Oikawa, M.; Horiuchi, D.; Fujioka, Y.; Okada, C.

2017-12-01

Several depressions found under the thick sediments in the East China Sea shelf have been considered as failed rift basins. Their formation age becomes progressively younger from NW to SE and the youngest rift basin is the Okinawa Trough, an active backarc basin of the Ryukyu (Nansei-Shoto) arc-trench system, to the southwest of Kyusyu, Japan. Its rifting is in progress and related hydrothermal activity is present in the trough. The knowledge of the crustal structure of the trough is fundamental to understand the current active tectonics and predict the future of the trough. We, Japan Coast Guard, have conducted extensive seismic reflection and refraction surveys in the Ryukyu region since 2008 and compiled the seismic structures of the Okinawa Trough. We will show the crustal structures along seven along-trough and ten across-trough seismic survey lines. The P-wave velocity models beneath the Okinawa Trough generally show a thinned continental/island arc crust consisting of upper, middle, and lower crusts. Moho depths below the trough were estimated mainly from Moho reflection (PmP) travel times. The crustal thickness of the trough is thinner than those of the East China Sea shelf and of the Ryukyu Islands. The depth of the Moho below the trough decreases from over 30 km in the north to about 13 km in the south, indicating a difference in degree of the rifting process. The position of the shallowest Moho along the across-trough lines in the northern trough does not necessarily correspond to the center of the trough defined as the deepest water depth, but it corresponds to the transition area between the East China Sea shelf and the Okinawa Trough. An M7.1 earthquake occurred at the transition area on Nov. 14, 2015 (JST) and many aftershocks were observed along the transition. This seismic activity demonstrated that the area is under rifting tectonics in the present.

Studies on physiological responses of residents in Okinawa to a hot environment.

PubMed

Hori, S; Ihzuka, H; Nakamura, M

1976-01-01

In an attempt to reconfirm Kuno's observation that changes in sweating reaction during long-term heat acclimatization differ from those during short-term heat acclimatization, Ohara's sweating test was performed in summer in Okinawa on 37 male subjects, including 19 residents born and raised in Okinawa (group O) and 18 residents born and raised on one of the main Japanese islands (group M). Seasonal variation of adaptability to heat was also studied in some subjects of both groups. Group O showed significantly less sweat loss, lower Na concentration in sweat and a longer latent period for onset of sweating than group M. Group O showed no seasonal variation in sweat loss, while group M showed considerably greater sweat loss in summer than in winter. In both groups, lower Na concentration in sweat, lower rise in rectal temperature and lesser increase in heart rate in summer than in winter were observed. Seasonal difference in physiological responses of group O to heat exposure was less than that of group M. In conclusion, it was assumed that acclimatization to heat of group O had advanced further than that of group M and this was the reason for longer latent period of sweating and lesser sweat loss in group O in spite of the same rise in rectal temperature in both groups. Discussions were carried out to explain how the sweating pattern and mechanism of acclimatization in group O were different from those in group M.

Military Emergency Medical Service System Assessment: Application of the National Park Service Needs Assessment and Program Audit to Objectively Evaluate the Military EMS System of Okinawa, Japan.

PubMed

Ross, Elliot M; Harper, Stephen A; Cunningham, Cord; Walrath, Benjamin D; DeMers, Gerard; Kharod, Chetan U

2017-03-01

As part of a Military Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system process improvement initiative, the authors sought to objectively evaluate the U.S. military EMS system for the island of Okinawa. They applied a program evaluation tool currently utilized by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). A comprehensive needs assessment was conducted to evaluate the current Military EMS system in Okinawa, Japan. The NPS EMS Program Audit Worksheet was used to get an overall "score" of our assessment. After all the data had been collected, a joint committee of Military EMS physicians reviewed the findings and made formal recommendations. From 2011 to 2014, U.S. military EMS on Okinawa averaged 1,345 ± 137 patient transports annually. An advanced life support (ALS) provider would have been dispatched on 558 EMS runs (38%) based on chief complaint in 2014 had they been available. Over 36,000 man-hours were expended during this period to provide National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-accredited instruction to certify 141 Navy Corpsman as EMT Basics. The NPS EMS Program Audit Worksheet was used and the program scored a total of 31, suggesting the program is well planned and operating within standards. This evaluation of the Military EMS system on Okinawa using the NPS program assessment and audit worksheet demonstrates the NPS evaluation instruments may offer a useful assessment tool for the evaluation of Military EMS systems. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Source area of the 1858 earthquake swarm in the central Ryukyu Islands revealed by the observations of Father Louis Furet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oda, Takuma; Nakamura, Mamoru

2017-09-01

We estimated the location and magnitude of earthquakes constituting the 1858 earthquake swarm in the central Ryukyu Islands using the felt earthquakes recorded by Father Louis Furet who lived in Naha, Okinawa Island, in the middle of the nineteenth century. First, we estimated the JMA seismic intensity of the earthquakes by interpreting the words used to describe the shaking. Next, using the seismic intensity and shaking duration of the felt earthquakes, we estimated the epicentral distance and magnitude range of three earthquakes in the swarm. The results showed that the epicentral distances of the earthquakes were 20-250 km and that magnitudes ranged between 4.5 and 6.5, with a strong correlation between epicentral distance and magnitude. Since the rumblings accompanying some earthquakes in the swarm were heard from a northward direction, the swarm probably occurred to the north of Naha. The most likely source area for the 1858 swarm is the central Okinawa Trough, where a similar swarm event occurred in 1980. If the 1858 swarm occurred in the central Okinawa Trough, the estimated maximum magnitude would have reached 6-7. In contrast, if the 1858 swarm occurred in the vicinity of Amami Island, which is the second most likely candidate area, it would have produced a cluster of magnitude 7-8 earthquakes.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

International Collaboration and the Management of Linguistic Resources at a Diaspora Festival in Okinawa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrucci, Peter R.; Miyahira, Katsuyuki

2009-01-01

This article uses Jernudd and Neustupny's (1987) theory of language management to address the planning, management and distribution of linguistic resources at the 4th Worldwide Uchinaanchu Festival (WUF), a diaspora festival held in Okinawa, Japan. WUF organizers--from Okinawa and diaspora communities abroad--were concerned with both international…

Long-term observation of water-soluble chemical components in the bulk atmospheric aerosols collected at Okinawa, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handa, Daishi; Somada, Yuka; Ijyu, Moriaki; Azechi, Sotaro; Nakaema, Fumiya; Arakaki, Takemitsu; Tanahara, Akira

2010-05-01

The economic development and population growth in recent Asia spread air pollution. Emission rate of air pollutants from Asia, in particular oxides of nitrogen, surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them for decades. The study of the long-range transported air pollution from Asian continent has gained a special attention in Japan because of increase in photochemical oxidants in relatively remote islands. Okinawa Island is situated approximately 1500 km south of Tokyo, Japan, 2000 km southeast of Beijing, China, and 1000 km south of South Korea. Its location in Asia is well suited for studying long-range transport of air pollutants in East Asia because maritime air mass prevails during summer, while continental air mass dominates during fall, winter, and spring. The maritime air mass data can be seen as background and can be compared with continental air masses which have been affected by anthropogenic activities. Bulk aerosol samples were collected on quartz filters by using a high volume air sampler. Sampling duration was one week for each sample. We determined the concentrations of water-soluble anions, cations and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the bulk aerosols collected at the Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS) using ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometry, and total organic carbon analyzer, respectively. We will report water-soluble chemical components data of anions, cations and DOC in bulk atmospheric aerosols collected at CHAAMS during August, 2005 to April, 2010. Seasonal variation of water-soluble chemical components showed that the concentrations were relatively low in summer, higher in fall and winter, and the highest in spring. When air mass came from Asian Continent, the concentrations of water-soluble chemical components were much higher compared to the other directions. In addition, we calculated background concentration of water-soluble chemical components at Okinawa

Situation Report--Antigua, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Philippines, Ryukyu Islands, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Planned Parenthood Federation, London (England).

Data relating to population and family planning in nine foreign countries are presented in these situation reports. Countries included are: Antigua, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Philippines, Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa), St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. Information is provided under two topics, general background and family planning…

Quality of Life for Marines on Okinawa.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-03-01

A comprehensive assessment of Quality of Life (QOL) in the Marine Corps, using a life domain framework, in which were included the domains of...other relatives, income/standard of living, job, and self, was conducted in 1993. This report focuses on data for Okinawa only. Global quality of life was

Stress Fields Along Okinawa Trough and Ryukyu Arc Inferred From Regional Broadband Moment Tensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, A.; Fukuyama, E.

2001-12-01

Most shallow earthquakes along Okinawa trough and Ryukyu arc are relatively small (M<5.5). Focal mechanism estimations for such events were difficult due to insufficient dataset. However, this situation is improved by regional broadband network (FREESIA). Lower limit of magnitude of the earthquakes determined becomes 1.5 smaller in M{}w than that of Harvard moment tensors. As a result, we could examine the stress field in more detail than Fournier et al.(2001, JGR, 106, 13751-) did based on surface geology and teleseismic moment tensors. In the NE Okinawa trough, extension axes are oblique to the trough strike, while in SW Okinawa trough, they are perpendicular to the trough. Fault type in SW is normal fault and gradually changes to mixture of normal and strike slip toward NE. In the Ryukyu arc, extension axes are parallel to the arc. Although this feature is not clear in the NW Ryukyu arc, arc parallel extension may be a major property of entire arc. Dominant fault type is normal fault and several strike slips with the same extensional component are included. The volcanic train is located at the edge of arc parallel extension field faced A simple explanation of the arc parallel extension is the response to the opening motion of the Okinawa trough. Another possible mechanism is forearc movement due to oblique subduction which is enhanced in SW. We consider that the Okinawa trough and the Ryukyu arc are independent stress provinces.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax genotype analysis in Okinawa, the southernmost and remotest islands of Japan: Different distributions compared with mainland Japan and the potential value for the prognosis of aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

PubMed

Sakihama, Shugo; Saito, Mineki; Kuba-Miyara, Megumi; Tomoyose, Takeaki; Taira, Naoya; Miyagi, Takashi; Hayashi, Masaki; Kinjo, Shigeko; Nakachi, Sawako; Tedokon, Iori; Nishi, Yukiko; Tamaki, Keita; Morichika, Kazuho; Uchihara, Jun-Nosuke; Morishima, Satoko; Karube, Ken-Nosuke; Tanaka, Yuetsu; Masuzaki, Hiroaki; Fukushima, Takuya

2017-10-01

Okinawa, comprising remote islands off the mainland of Japan, is an endemic area of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1), the causative virus of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM). We investigated the tax genotype of HTLV-1 among 29 HTLV-1 carriers, 74 ATL patients, and 33 HAM patients in Okinawa. The genotype distribution-60 (44%) taxA cases and 76 (56%) taxB cases-differed from that of a previous report from Kagoshima Prefecture in mainland Japan (taxA, 10%; taxB, 90%). A comparison of the clinical outcomes of 45 patients (taxA, 14; taxB, 31) with aggressive ATL revealed that the overall response and 1-year overall survival rates for taxA (50% and 35%, respectively) were lower than those for taxB (71% and 49%, respectively). In a multivariate analysis of two prognostic indices for aggressive ATL, Japan Clinical Oncology Group-Prognostic Index and Prognostic Index for acute and lymphoma ATL, with respect to age, performance status, corrected calcium, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and tax genotype, the estimated hazard ratio of taxA compared with taxB was 2.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.87-8.25; P=0.086). Our results suggest that the tax genotype has clinical value as a prognostic factor for aggressive ATL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Island health: hope and challenges for public health.

PubMed

Binns, Colin; Hokama, Tomiko; Low, Wah Yun

2010-01-01

The Asia-Pacific region is a region of small islands, perhaps 100 000 of them. The health, communication, and development problems of islands present difficult challenges for the delivery of health care. The discussions at the Okinawa Symposium centred on how health can be provided to all in the region, not only those in metropolitan areas, but also the poor in rural areas and those on living on far-flung island archipelagos. It is important to apply principles of "public health" and "primary health care" so that all island residents may have a reasonable expectation of health care. Schools of public health have a special responsibility to educate those who are responsible for the delivery and management of health care in these remote locations. The development of telehealth systems will be important to support health workers in remote locations and to deliver continuing education programs.

Comparative analyses of the bacterial community of hydrothermal deposits and seafloor sediments across Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Long; Yu, Min; Liu, Yan; Liu, Jiwen; Wu, Yonghua; Li, Li; Liu, Jihua; Wang, Min; Zhang, Xiao-Hua

2018-04-01

As an ideal place to study back-arc basins and hydrothermal eco-system, Okinawa Trough has attracted the interests of scientists for decades. However, there are still no in-depth studies targeting the bacterial community of the seafloor sediments and hydrothermal deposits in Okinawa Trough. In the present study, we reported the bacterial community of the surface deposits of a newly found hydrothermal field in the southern Okinawa Trough, and the horizontal and vertical variation of bacterial communities in the sediments of the northern Okinawa Trough. The hydrothermal deposits had a relatively high 16S rRNA gene abundance but low bacterial richness and diversity. Epsilonproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were predominant in hydrothermal deposits whereas Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Chloroflexi were abundant across all samples. The bacterial distribution in the seafloor of Okinawa Trough was significantly correlated to the content of total nitrogen, and had consistent relationship with total carbon. Gradual changes of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were found with the distance away from hydrothermal fields, while the hydrothermal activity did not influence the distribution of the major clades of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Higher abundance of the sulfur cycle related genes (aprA and dsrB), and lower abundance of the bacterial ammonia-oxidizing related gene (amoA) were quantified in hydrothermal deposits. In addition, the present study also compared the inter-field variation of Epsilonproteobacteria among multi-types of hydrothermal vents, revealing that the proportion and diversity of this clade were quite various.

Quisarctus yasumurai gen. et sp. nov. (Arthrotardigrada: Halechiniscidae) from a submarine cave, off Iejima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

PubMed

Fujimoto, Shinta

2015-04-20

Quisarctus yasumurai gen. et sp. nov. (Arthrotardigrada: Halechiniscidae) is described from the submarine cave 'Daidokutsu', off Iejima, Okinawa Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. It is characterised by a cylindrical body, long primary clava and shorter lateral cirrus inserted on a common cirrophore, and simple digits of unequal lengths (without folds, peduncles, proximal pads, pretarsi, or wrinkles) that terminate in a sheathed, small, crescent-shaped claw with a minute calcar. Quisarctinae subfam. nov. is erected for this unique new genus.

Okinawa: an exception to the social gradient of life expectancy in Japan.

PubMed

Cockerham, W C; Yamori, Y

2001-01-01

This paper examines why the social gradient of life expectancy does not apply in Japan when Okinawa is considered. The social gradient thesis links differences in longevity to social rank, with people and populations in higher status hierarchical positions having lower mortality and longer life expectancies than those beneath them in the social scale. Japan has been cited as a major example of this thesis in that Japanese life expectancy improved dramatically as Japan rose to the top echelon of nations in economic rank in the late 20th century. Thus it follows that Japan's most affluent and leading prefectures should be the major catalysts behind the nation's rise in life expectancy as well to the number one position in the world. However, this is not the case as life expectancy in Okinawa, Japan's poorest prefecture, exceeds that of Japan as a whole. We find that the social gradient of life expectancy does not apply at the prefectural level and question its validity for geographical areas. We suggest that healthy lifestyles, especially diet and the social support of family and friends, are more important than sense of hierarchy for longevity in Okinawa.

Springtime variations of organic and inorganic constituents in submicron aerosols (PM1.0) from Cape Hedo, Okinawa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunwar, Bhagawati; Torii, K.; Zhu, Chunmao; Fu, Pingqing; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2016-04-01

During the spring season with enhanced Asian outflow, we collected submicron aerosol (PM1.0) samples at Cape Hedo, Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim. We analyzed the filter samples for diacids, oxoacids, pyruvic acid, α-dicarbonyls and fatty acids to better understand the sources and atmospheric processes in the outflow regions of Asian pollutants. Molecular distributions of diacids show a predominance of oxalic acid (C2) followed by malonic (C3) and succinic (C4) acids. Total diacids strongly correlated with secondary source tracers such as SO42- (r = 0.87), NH4+ (0.90) and methanesulfonate (MSA-) (0.84), suggesting that diacids are secondarily formed from their precursor compounds. We also found good correlations among C2, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in the Okinawa aerosols, suggesting that diacids are mainly derived from anthropogenic sources. However, a weak correlation of diacids with levoglucosan, a biomass burning tracer, suggests that biomass buring is not the main source of diacids, rather diacids are secondarily formed by photochemical oxidation of organic precursors derived from fossil fuel combustion. We found a strong correlation (r = 0.98) between inorganic nitrogen (NO3-N + NH4-N) and total nitrogen (TN), to which organic nitrogen (ON) contributed 23%. Fatty acids were characterized by even carbon number predominance, suggesting that they are derived from biogenic sources. The higher abundances of short chain fatty acids (C20) further suggest that fatty acids are largely derived from marine phytoplankton during spring bloom.

What do medical residents learn on a rural Japanese island?

PubMed Central

Ohta, Ryuichi; Son, Daisuke

2018-01-01

Objective: Community-based medical education (CBME) serves as a complement to university medical education, and it is practiced in several urban undergraduate and postgraduate curriculums. However, there are few reports on CBME learning content in rural Japanese settings. Materials and Methods: This research aimed to clarify learning content through semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis of second-year residents who studied on a remote, rural island located 400 km from the mainland of Okinawa, Japan. Analysis was based on Steps for Coding and Theorization (SCAT). Results: Fifteen concepts were extracted, and four categories were generated: a strong connection among the islanders, the necessary abilities for rural physicians, islander-centered care, and the differences between rural and hospital medicine. In contrast to hospital medicine, various kinds of learning occurred in deep relationships with the islanders. Conclusion: Through CBME on a remote island, the residents learned not only about medical aspects, but also the importance of community health through the social and cultural aspects, whole-person medical care in a remote location, and the importance of reflection in their self-directed learning. PMID:29875892

The Tokashiki Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Richard

1979-01-01

Selected students from elementary and middle schools serving American military personnel on Okinawa spend one week on a small island near Okinawa. During the week they study the environment of the island and join in Japanese cultural activities. (RE)

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of ambient aerosols collected from Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim, an outflow region of Asian dusts and pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunwar, Bhagawati; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Zhu, Chunmao

2016-04-01

Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios were measured for total carbon (TC) and nitrogen (TN), respectively, in aerosol (TSP) samples collected at Cape Hedo, Okinawa, an outflow region of Asian pollutants, during 2009-2010. The averaged δ13C and δ15N ratios are -22.2‰ and +12.5‰, respectively. The δ13C values are similar in both spring (-22.5‰) and winter (-22.5‰), suggesting the similar sources and/or source regions. We found that δ13C from Okinawa aerosols are ca. 2‰ higher than those reported from Chinese megacities probably due to photochemical aging of organic aerosols. A strong correlation (r = 0.81) was found between nss-Ca and TSP, suggesting that springtime aerosols are influenced from Asian dusts. However, carbonates in the Asian dusts were titrated with acidic species such as sulfuric acid and oxalic acid during atmospheric transport although two samples suggested the presence of remaining carbonate. No correlations were found between δ13C and tracer compounds (levoglucosan, elemental carbon, oxalic acid, and Na+). During winter and spring, coal burning is significant source in China. Based on isotopic mass balance, contribution of coal burning origin particles to total aerosol carbon was estimated as ca. 97% in winter, which is probably associated with the high emissions in China. Contribution of NO3- to TN was on average 45% whereas that of NH4+ was 18%. These results suggest that vehicular exhaust is an important source of TN in Okinawa aerosols. Concentration of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) is higher in summer, suggesting that WSON is more emitted from the ocean in warmer season whereas inorganic nitrogen is more emitted in winter and spring from pollution sources in the Asian continent.

Tsunami preparedness at the resort facilities along the coast of the Ryukyu Islands - their actions against the 27 February 2010 Okinawan and Chilean tsunami warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, T.

2010-12-01

The economy (including tourism) in tropical and subtropical coastal areas, such as Okinawa Prefecture (Ryukyu) is highly relying on the sea. The sea has both “gentle” side to give people healing and “fierce” side to kill people. If we are going to utilise the sea for marine tourism such as constructing resort facilities on the oceanfront, we should know the whole nature of the sea, Tsunami is the typical case of the “fierce” side of the sea. We have already learned a lesson about this issue from the Sumatra tsunami in 2004. Early morning (5:31 am Japanese Standard Time = JST) on 27 February 2010, a M6.9 earthquake occurred near the coast of Okinawa Ryukyu Island Japan, and just after that Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning along the coastal area of Okinawa Prefecture. About one hour later the tsunami warning was cancelled. The CMT solution of this earthquake was found to be strike-slip type with NE-SW P-axis. Therefore this did not induce a tsunami. However, in the afternoon on the same day (JST) a M8.6 earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile and soon after that a tsunami warning issued along the Pacific coastal area including Japan and Ryukyu Islands. Indeed maximum 1m tsunami hit the eastern coast of Okinawa Island on 28th February (Nakamura, 2010, personal communication). The author conducted a survey about the actions against the both tsunami after the 27 February tsunami warming to the major resort hotels along the coast of the Ryukyu Islands. A questionnaire was sent to about 20 hotels and 6 hotels replied to the questionnaire. Most of these hotels reported the regular training against tsunami attack, preparation of a disaster prevention manual, close communication with the local fire station authority, evacuation procedure towards high stories of the hotel building etc. It was “winter season” when the tsunami took place. However, if that were “summer season,” the other problem such as how they make the people

U.S. Military Aviation Mishaps In Japan and Okinawan Political Controversy

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

political controversy over U.S. bases in Japan, the American presence in the island country has proven its strategic advantages for the United States...CONTEMPORARY OKINAWAN HISTORY Located approximately 400 miles south of mainland Japan, Okinawa is the largest island in the Ryukyu Island chain. In the 17th...century, Okinawa served as tributary state to both China and Japan. Commerce brought additional influences to the island , helping to shape a

Seasonal Variations of Low Molecular Weight Dicarboxylic Acids in Atmospheric Aerosols at Okinawa Islands, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakaema, F.; Handa, D.; Tanahara, A.; Arakaki, T.

2009-04-01

Low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids are major fraction of water soluble organic compounds in the atmospheric aerosols. Recently, economy of East Asia grows up remarkably, and atmospheric aerosols discharged from this area have been transported to Japan. In this study, we collected aerosol at Cape Hedo (CH) and University of the Ryukyus(UR), and studied the distribution and origin of low molecule dicarboxylic acid. Aerosols were collected on a quartz filter with a high volume air sampler. Low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids extracted by pure water were derivatized to dibutyl esters by reactions with BF3/butanol and were measured by GC-FID. In many samples, oxalic acid showed the highest concentration. Concentration of oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid and malic acid were strongly correlated between the two sampling sites. Oxalic acid occupied on the average 83% and 76% of all the dicarboxylic acid measured for CH samples and UR samples. It is suggested that the aerosols in Okinawa were affected by secondary photochemical reactions, not by the primary emissions from local sources. The seasonal variation of the dicarboxylic acids concentrations in CH and UR showed higher in spring and fall, and a lower in summer. From the back trajectory analysis, dicarboxylic acids concentrations showed higher when an air mass came from East Asia area, and showed lower when it came from Pacific Ocean.

Influence of motorization and supermarket-proliferation on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the inhabitants of a small town on Okinawa, Japan.

PubMed

Takasu, Nobuyuki; Yogi, Hiroyuki; Takara, Masaki; Higa, Moritake; Kouki, Tsuyoshi; Ohshiro, Yuzuru; Mimura, Goro; Komiya, Ichiro

2007-01-01

Motorization and supermarket-proliferation affect lifestyles. About 15 years ago, Okinawans went to several shops on foot, but now they go to supermarkets by car. The influences of these changes on the prevalence of diabetes are uncertain. OBJECTIVE AND MEASUREMENTS: The influence of motorization and supermarket-proliferation on the prevalence of diabetes was studied in the inhabitants of a town on Okinawa, Japan. Measurements were composed of anthropometry and blood chemistry. Participants were asked where they buy food and daily necessities (several shops or a supermarket) and how they get there (by car or on foot). Serial cross-sectional. Inhabitants of the island of Okinawa were studied. In 1991, 24% went to several shops and 20% to a supermarket. However, in 2004, only 3.1% went to several shops and 83% to a supermarket. In 1991, 55% went to shopping places on foot and 38% by car. However, in 2004, only 14% went on foot and 76% by car. The prevalence of diabetes in Okinawa increased from 4.7% in 1991 to 8.4% in 2004. The prevalence of diabetes correlated positively with the percent of inhabitants going to supermarkets, and those going there by car. In 1991, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 4.7% in men and 4.6% in women; no difference was noted between men and women. In 2004, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased to 9.2% in men and to 7.5% in women. The increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes from 1991 to 2004 was higher in men than in women. About 15 years ago, Okinawans went to shops on foot, but now they go to supermarkets by car. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing. Motorization and supermarket-proliferation are associated with the increases of the prevalence of diabetes. The increase in diabetes prevalence was higher in men than in women.

Tracing subducted sediment inputs to the Ryukyu arc-Okinawa Trough system: Evidence from thallium isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shu, Yunchao; Nielsen, Sune G.; Zeng, Zhigang; Shinjo, Ryuichi; Blusztajn, Jerzy; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Chen, Shuai

2017-11-01

Sediments are actively subducted in virtually every arc worldwide. However, quantifying their contributions to arc lavas and thereby establishing budgets of how sediments participate in slab-mantle interaction is challenging. In this contribution we use thallium (Tl) abundances and isotopic compositions of lavas from the Ryukyu arc (including south Kyushu) and its back-arc basin, Okinawa Trough, to investigate the influence of sediments from arc to back-arc. We also present extensive geochemical data for sediments and altered oceanic crust (AOC) outboard of the northern (DSDP Sites 296, 442B, 443 and 444) and central (DSDP Sites 294 and 295) part of the Ryukyu arc. The Tl isotopic compositions of sediments change systematically from lighter outboard of northern Ryukyu arc to heavier outboard of central Ryukyu arc. The feature reflects the dominance of terrigenous material and pelagic sedimentation outboard of the northern and central Ryukyu arc, respectively. Central and northern sections of Ryukyu arc and Okinawa Trough display larger range of Tl isotopic variation than southern section, which is consistent with more pelagic provenance for sediments outboard of central and northern Ryukyu arcs than that of expected sediments outboard of southern Ryukyu arc. Identical Tl, Sr, Nd and Pb isotope variations are found when comparing arc and back arc lavas, which indicates that sediments fluxes also account for the Tl isotopic variations in the Okinawa Trough lavas. Two-end-member mixing models of Tl with Pb, Sr and Nd isotopes require sediment inputs of< 1%, 0.1-1% and 0.3-2% by weight to the depleted mantle source to account for all these isotopic compositions of lavas from northern, central and southern portion of the Ryukyu arc and Okinawa Trough. Bulk mixing between mantle and sediment end members predict very similar sediment fluxes when using Tl, Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes, which indicates that fractionation of these elements must have happened after mixing between

Long-term observation of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals in the total suspended particles collected at Okinawa, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handa, D.; Okada, K.; Kuroki, Y.; Nakama, Y.; Nakajima, H.; Somada, Y.; Ijyu, M.; Azechi, S.; Oshiro, Y.; Nakaema, F.; Miyagi, Y.; Arakaki, T.; Tanahara, A.

2011-12-01

The economic growth and population increase in recent Asia have been increasing air pollution. Emission rate of air pollutants from Asia, in particular oxides of nitrogen, surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them for decades. Okinawa Island is situated approximately 1500 km south of Tokyo, Japan, 2000 km southeast of Beijing, China, and 1000 km south of South Korea. Its location is ideal in observing East Asia's air quality because maritime air mass prevails during summer, while continental air mass dominates during fall, winter, and spring. The maritime air mass data can be seen as background clean air and can be compared with continental air masses which have been affected by anthropogenic activities. We collected total suspended particles (TSP) on quartz filters by using a high volume air sampler at the Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS), Okinawa, Japan during August 2005 and August 2010. Sampling duration was one week for each sample. We determined the concentrations of water-soluble anions, cations, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and acid-digested metals in TSP samples using ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometry, total organic carbon analyzer and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), respectively. Seasonal variation of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals showed that the concentrations were the lowest in summer, higher in fall and winter, and the highest in spring. When air mass came from Asian continent, the concentrations of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals were much higher compared to the other directions, suggesting long-range transport of air pollutants from Asian continent. Also, when the air mass came from Asian continent (75-100% dominant), the mean concentrations of non-sea salt sulfate and nitrate increased ca. 1.8 times and ca. 3.7 times, respectively between 2005 and 2010, and the ratio of nitrate to

Two new nematodes from the Iriomote cat, Prionailurus iriomotensis, from Okinawa: Uncinaria (Uncinaria) maya n. sp. (Ancylostomatoidea) and Molineus springsmithi yayeyamanus n. subsp. (Trichostrongyloidea).

PubMed

Hasegawa, H

1989-12-01

Uncinaria (Uncinaria) maya n. sp. (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae) and Molineus springsmithi yayeyamanus n. subsp. (Nematoda: Molineidae) are described from the Iriomote cat, Prionailurus iriomotensis, on Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan. Uncinaria (U.) maya resembles Uncinaria (Uncinaria) felidis Maplestone, 1939, from Prionailurus bengalensis of India but is distinguished in that the body is much smaller, the ventral rays are set closely with the lateral rays, and the externolateral ray is much shorter than other laterals. Molineus springsmithi yayeyamanus differs from Molineus springsmithi springsmithi Inglis and Ogden, 1965, from Prionailurus bengalensis horsfieldi of East Nepal in that the body is much longer, whereas the esophagus is somewhat shorter and the spicules are divided more distally. Presence of the closely related nematodes in both the Iriomote cat and P. bengalensis suggests a close evolutionary relationship of the 2 hosts.

A Revision of the Adult and Larval Mosquitoes of Japan (Including the Ryukyu Archipelago and the Ogasawara Islands) and Korea (Diptera: Culicidae)

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

Ryukyu Archipelago Ogasawara and Volcano islands Prefectures of Japan (large bold numerals) 13. Hyogo 14. Ibaraki 15. Ishikawa 16. Iwate 17...Kishimoto, 1969: 33, Haneji and Ishikawa , Okinawa Is. ; &omi and Sonae, Iriomote Is. ; Ryukyu Archipelago. Descriptions based on specimens from Taiwan...d, 9, P, L). Type-locality: Mt. Hakusan, Ishikawa Pref., Japan. FEMALE (Fig. 216). Wing length 5.1-5.4 mm. Head. Eyes narrowly narrowly separated

Seismic evidence for mass-transport deposits and BSR occurrence on the forearc region along the central Ryukyu Islands, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Y.; Kobayashi, T.; Fujii, T.

2017-12-01

Mass-transport deposits (MTDs) are widely observed from many continental margins and are a significant component of both slope and basin-floor settings. Although MTDs are typically mud-prone, some MTDs above certain porosity thresholds can act as important hydrocarbon reservoirs. MTDs associated with gas hydrate occurrence in the Ulleung basin were documented. The recovery of gas hydrate by drilling and piston coring has confirmed the gas hydrate accumulations in the basin. Gas hydrate dissociation may have played a role in the slide-initiation at the Storegga Slide offshore Norway. In this study, to identify the gas hydrate reservoir potential of MTDs, we focus on seismic characteristics (seismic facies, attributes, and velocity) of MTDs associated with bottom simulating reflectors (BSR). Our study area is in the forearc region along the central Ryukyu Islands (southeast Japan). In this area, BSR have been widely observed. However, the studies were insufficient for the evaluation of gas hydrate due to poor-quality 2-D seismic data. We use high-quality 3-D seismic volumes in water depths ranging from approximately 150 to 2000 m between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island. BSR in the eastern region of the study area was interpreted within Neogene to Quaternary MTDs. Strata in MTDs are correlated with the upper Shimajiri group based on the characteristics of well data outside of the seismic exploration area and stratigraphy of land areas. The Shimajiri group is composed of homogeneous siltstone intercalated with lenticular, thin-bedded, fine sandstone. Their group is water-dissolved gas reservoir in Okinawa Island and Miyako Island. On our seismic data, MTDs are shown as chaotic, poorly discontinuous strata of low amplitude, partially continuous moderate- to high-amplitude reflections. The seismic velocity profile shows a relative increase in MTD intervals above the BSR, similar to gas hydrate-bearing sediments. It is also indicative of over-consolidation that was

Exploring fungal diversity in deep-sea sediments from Okinawa Trough using high-throughput Illumina sequencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao-Yong; Wang, Guang-Hua; Xu, Xin-Ya; Nong, Xu-Hua; Wang, Jie; Amin, Muhammad; Qi, Shu-Hua

2016-10-01

The present study investigated the fungal diversity in four different deep-sea sediments from Okinawa Trough using high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS1). A total of 40,297 fungal ITS1 sequences clustered into 420 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with 97% sequence similarity and 170 taxa were recovered from these sediments. Most ITS1 sequences (78%) belonged to the phylum Ascomycota, followed by Basidiomycota (17.3%), Zygomycota (1.5%) and Chytridiomycota (0.8%), and a small proportion (2.4%) belonged to unassigned fungal phyla. Compared with previous studies on fungal diversity of sediments from deep-sea environments by culture-dependent approach and clone library analysis, the present result suggested that Illumina sequencing had been dramatically accelerating the discovery of fungal community of deep-sea sediments. Furthermore, our results revealed that Sordariomycetes was the most diverse and abundant fungal class in this study, challenging the traditional view that the diversity of Sordariomycetes phylotypes was low in the deep-sea environments. In addition, more than 12 taxa accounted for 21.5% sequences were found to be rarely reported as deep-sea fungi, suggesting the deep-sea sediments from Okinawa Trough harbored a plethora of different fungal communities compared with other deep-sea environments. To our knowledge, this study is the first exploration of the fungal diversity in deep-sea sediments from Okinawa Trough using high-throughput Illumina sequencing.

Child Development in Okinawa Compared with Tokyo and Denver, and the Implications for Developmental Screening.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ueda, Reiko

1978-01-01

Developmental differences in the Denver Developmental Screening Test items were demonstrated between samples of children from Okinawa (n=615) and Tokyo (n=1171), who were 16 days to 6 years old. Journal availability: see EC 112 661. (Author)

A new species and new record of deep-sea scale-worms (Polynoidae: Polychaeta) from the Okinawa Trough and the South China Sea.

PubMed

Sui, Jixing; Li, Xinzheng

2017-03-06

A new species of scale-worm, Lepidonotopodium okinawae sp. nov. from the Okinawa Trough is described. The new species differs from the other species of Lepidonotopodium by having 24 segments and numerous foveolae on the surface of elytra with one globular micropapilla in every foveola. A new record of the mussel commensal Branchipolynoe pettiboneae Miura & Hashimoto, 1991 is reported and described from the northern South China Sea, where for the first time the scale-worm is noted as occurring at a cold-seep. Keys to distinguish the species of Branchipolynoe and Lepidonotopodium are provided.

Evaluation of two prognostic indices for adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma in the subtropical endemic area, Okinawa, Japan.

PubMed

Tamaki, Keita; Morishima, Satoko; Nomura, Shogo; Nishi, Yukiko; Nakachi, Sawako; Kitamura, Sakiko; Uchibori, Sachie; Tomori, Shouhei; Hanashiro, Taeko; Shimabukuro, Natsuki; Tedokon, Iori; Morichika, Kazuho; Taira, Naoya; Tomoyose, Takeaki; Miyagi, Takashi; Karimata, Kaori; Ohama, Masayo; Yamanoha, Atsushi; Tamaki, Kazumitsu; Hayashi, Masaki; Uchihara, Jun-Nosuke; Ohshiro, Kazuiku; Asakura, Yoshitaka; Kuba-Miyara, Megumi; Karube, Kennosuke; Fukushima, Takuya; Masuzaki, Hiroaki

2018-05-17

Aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) has an extremely poor prognosis and is hyperendemic in Okinawa, Japan. This study evaluated two prognostic indices (PIs) for aggressive ATL, the ATL-PI and Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG)-PI, in a cohort from Okinawa. The PIs were developed using two different Japanese cohorts that included few patients from Okinawa. The endpoint was overall survival (OS). Multivariable Cox regression analyses in the cohort of 433 patients revealed that all seven factors for calculating each PI were statistically significant prognostic predictors. Three-year OS rates for ATL-PI were 35.9% (low-risk, n=66), 10.4% (intermediate-risk, n=256), and 1.6% (high-risk, n=111), and those for JCOG-PI were 22.4% (moderate-risk, n=176) and 5.3% (high-risk, n=257). The JCOG-PI moderate-risk group included both the ATL-PI low- and intermediate-risk groups. ATL-PI more clearly identified the low-risk patient subgroup than JCOG-PI. To evaluate the external validity of the two PIs, we also assessed prognostic discriminability among 159 patients who loosely met the eligibility criteria of a previous clinical trial. Three-year OS rates for ATL-PI were 34.5% (low-risk, n=42), 9.2% (intermediate-risk, n=109), and 12.5% (high-risk, n = 8). Those for JCOG-PI were 22.4% (moderate-risk, n=95) and 7.6% (high-risk, n=64). The low-risk ATL-PI group had a better prognosis than the JCOG-PI moderate-risk group, suggesting that ATL-PI would be more useful than JCOG-PI for establishing and examining novel treatment strategies for ATL patients with a better prognosis. In addition, strongyloidiasis, previously suggested to be associated with ATL-related deaths in Okinawa, was not a prognostic factor in this study. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

First Report of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae) Infections in Invasive Rodents from Five Islands of the Ogasawara Archipelago, Japan

PubMed Central

Tokiwa, Toshihiro; Hashimoto, Takuma; Yabe, Tatsuo; Komatsu, Noriyuki; Akao, Nobuaki; Ohta, Nobuo

2013-01-01

Background Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935) is a parasite of murid rodents and causative agent of human neuro-angiostrongyliasis. In 2011, the Ogasawara Islands in the western North Pacific were assigned a World Natural Heritage site status. The occurrence of A. cantonensis is well documented in the Chichijima, Hahajima, and Anijima Islands. However, the occurrence of A. cantonensis in the other islands of the Ogasawara Islands has not been reported. Methodology/Principal Findings Between March 2010 and July 2011, 57 Rattus norvegicus and 79 R. rattus were collected from 9 islands (the Hahajima group: Anejima, Imoutojima, Meijima, Mukohjima, and Hirajima; Chichijima group: Minamijima; Mukojima group: Nakoudojima and Yomejima; and Iwojima group: Iwojima). Adult nematodes were found in the pulmonary artery of 46 R. norvegicus collected in the 5 islands of the Hahajima group (Anejima, Meijima, Imoutojima, Hrajima, and Mukohjima Islands). These nematodes were identified by molecular analysis as A. cantonensis. Comparison of the mitochondrial DNA sequences confirmed that all the samples from the Ogasawara Islands shared only a single lineage of A. cantonensis, which has been previously detected in the Okinawa, Hawaii, and Brazil. Conclusions/Significance We describe new endemic foci of rat angiostrongyliasis in the Hahajima group (Anejima, Meijima, Imoutojima, Hirajima, and Mukohjima Islands) of the Ogasawara Islands. These findings indicate that the endemic foci of A. cantonensis are widely distributed in the Ogasawara Islands. Although human cases have not yet been reported in the Ogasawara Islands, the widespread detection of A. cantonensis could be of importance from the perspective of public health. PMID:23950989

Distribution patterns of Babesia gibsoni infection in hunting dogs from nine Japanese islands.

PubMed

El-Dakhly, Khaled Mohamed; Goto, Minami; Noishiki, Kaori; El-Nahass, El-Shaymaa; Sakai, Hiroki; Yanai, Tokuma; Takashima, Yasuhiro

2015-04-01

Canine babesiosis constitutes a major global veterinary medical problem caused by tick-borne hemoparasites Babesia gibsoni and Babesia canis. Babesia gibsoni induces more severe clinical signs and is mainly transmitted by the ixodid Haemaphysalis longicornis. In Japan, B. gibsoni is primarily found in the western districts, with few records in the eastern parts. The aim of the current investigation was to evaluate distribution patterns of B. gibsoni infection in 9 Japanese islands and peninsulas using direct microscopy and PCR. Therefore, 196 hunting dogs were randomly sampled during the period from March to September 2011. Ages and sexes of dogs were identified. Direct microscopy of Giemsa-stained blood smear revealed pear-shaped piroplasms of B. gibsoni in 3 (1.6%) dogs. PCR was done initially with the universal primer set (B18S-F and B18S-R) amplifying the 1,665-bp portion of the 18S rRNA gene, followed by the specific primer set (Bg18F1 and Bg18R2) amplifying 2,363-bp fragments of the same gene. Accordingly, 84 (42.9%) and 8 (4.1%) dogs were positive, respectively. The current investigation shows that canine babesiosis was recorded in all islands except for Sado Island, Atsumi Peninsula, and Tanegashima Island. The highest infection rate was detected in the main island of Okinawa, while the lowest was on Ishigaki Island. Both sexes were non-significantly infected. However, the diversity of infection in islands was significantly different (P < 0.05). Although B. gibsoni has been previously found in western and eastern Japan, the present work highlights the prevalence of infection in many Japanese districts, including islands and peninsulas, giving realistic data that can facilitate treatment and control.

The Evolution of Japan’s Constitution and Implications for U.S. Forces on Okinawa

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

9 3. The Pentagon’s Transformation and its Relationship to Japan....14 4. Tailoring Transformation for U.S...primarily on Okinawa. The problem is that both nations cannot gamble the analogous scenario at a national level. This argument should not be looked...Pentagon’s Transformation and its Relationship to Japan Transformation in DoD is not new. However, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield institutionalized

Direct measurements of HOx radicals in the marine boundary layer: testing the current tropospheric chemistry mechanism.

PubMed

Kanaya, Yugo; Akimoto, Hajime

2002-01-01

OH and HO(2) radicals, atmospheric detergents, and the reservoir thereof, play central roles in tropospheric chemistry. In spite of their importance, we had no choice but to trust their concentrations predicted by modeling studies based on known chemical processes. However, recent direct measurements of these radicals have enabled us to test and revise our knowledge of the processes by comparing the predicted and observed values of the radical concentrations. We developed a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) instrument and successfully observed OH and HO(2) at three remote islands of Japan (Oki Island, Okinawa Island, and Rishiri Island). At Okinawa Island, the observed daytime level of HO(2) agreed closely with the model estimates, suggesting that the photochemistry at Okinawa is well described by the current chemistry mechanism. At Rishiri Island, in contrast, the observed daytime level of HO(2) was consistently much lower than the calculated values. We proposed that iodine chemistry, usually not incorporated into the mechanism, is at least partly responsible for the discrepancy in the results. At night, HO(2) was detected at levels greater than 1 pptv at all three islands, suggesting the presence of processes in the dark that produce radicals. We showed that ozone reactions with unsaturated hydrocarbons, including monoterpenes, could significantly contribute to radical production. Copyright 2002 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 2: 199-211, 2002: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.10019

Back-arc rifting at a continental margin: A case study from the Okinawa trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, R.; Kaiho, Y.; Takahashi, T.; Nakanishi, A.; Fujie, G.; Kodaira, S.; Kaneda, Y.

2014-12-01

The Okinawa trough, a back-arc basin formed behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system, southwest Japan, represents an active rifting zone associated with extension of the continental lithosphere. The basin is located at the southeastern margin of the Eurasian plate and characterized by axial rift valleys with over 1.0 km depth and ~100 km width. Previous studies suggest that the early rifting phase started late Miocene and crustal extension is currently active at a full rate of 30 to 50 mm/yr. Within the basin, numerous active hydrothermal vents are observed, suggesting that the crustal rifting enhances melt/heat transfer from the deep mantle up to the seafloor. However, internal structure beneath the back-arc basin and its relation to the rifting system are little documented. Complex regional tectonic setting, such as active collision in Taiwan to the west, oblique subduction of the Philippine Sea slab, and changing spreading rate along the rift axis, may also have significant influences on the thermal structure and flow within the mantle wedge, but their relative roles in controlling the rifting mode and magmatic supply are still poorly understood. As a step toward filling this gap in knowledge, we started a new 7-year project that consists of four two-dimensional active-source seismic experiments and extensive passive-source seismic observations along the Ryukyu arc. In 2013, active-source seismic data were collected on the first line that crosses the southernmost part of the Ryukyu arc-trench and Okinawa trough at 124-125°E. For refraction/wide-angle reflection analyses, a total of 60 ocean bottom seismographs were deployed with approximately 6 km spacing on a ~390-km-long profile. On the same line, multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection profiling was also carried out. Seismic velocity models obtained by first arrival tomography show that beneath the volcanic arc a thick layer (~10 km) of the middle crust with Vp = 6.0-6.8 km/s is developed, a typical feature in the

A biomarker record of temperature and phytoplankton community in Okinawa Trough since the last glacial maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruan, Jiaping

2017-04-01

A variety of biomarkers were examined from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) core 1202B to reconstruct temperature and phytoplankton community structures in the southern Okinawa Trough for the past ca. 20000 years. Two molecular temperature proxies (Uk37 and TEX86) show 5-6 ℃ warming during the glacial/interglacial transition. Prior to the Holocene, the Uk37-derived temperature was generally 1-4 ℃ higher than TEX86-derived temperature. This difference, however, was reduced to <1 ℃ in the Holocene when the Kuroshio Current was intensified. Correspondingly, the phytoplankton biomarkers (e.g., C37:2 alkenone, brassicasterol, C30 1,15-diols and dinosterol) suggest a shift of planktonic community assemblages with coccolithophorids becoming more abundant in the Holocene at the expense of diatoms/dinoflagellates. Such a shift is related to the variability of nutrient, temperature and salinity in the Okinawa Trough, controlled by the sea level and the intensity of Kuroshio Current. The phytoplankton community change may have profound implications on atmospheric CO2 fluctuations during glacial/interglacial cycles since diatoms and dinoflagellates have a higher efficiency of biological pump than coccolithophorids.

Refinement of a locus for autosomal dominant hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominancy (HMSN-P) and genetic heterogeneity.

PubMed

Maeda, Kouji; Kaji, Ryuji; Yasuno, Katsuhito; Jambaldorj, Jamiyansuren; Nodera, Hiroyuki; Takashima, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Masanori; Makino, Satoshi; Tamiya, Gen

2007-01-01

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominancy (HMSN-P) is an adult-onset peripheral neurodegenerative disorder which has been reported only in the Okinawa Islands, Japan. The disease locus of "Okinawa-type" HMSN-P has been previously mapped to 3q13.1, with all affected individuals sharing an identical haplotype around the locus, suggesting that the undiscovered causative mutation in HMSN-P originated from a single founder. We have newly found two large families from the western part of Japan within which multiple members developed symptoms similar to those exhibited by HMSN-P patients from Okinawa, with no record of affinal connection between the islands. Using these pedigrees with "Kansai-type" HMSN-P, we carried out a linkage study utilizing eight microsatellite markers and identified a candidate region on 3q13.1 cosegregating with the disease (maximum two-point LOD score of 8.44 at theta=0.0) overlapping with the Okinawa-type HMSN-P locus. However, the disease haplotype shared among all affected members in these families was different from that in the Okinawa kindred, suggesting allelic heterogeneity. Such allelic variation should aid in the identification of the disease-causative gene. Moreover, the allelic heterogeneity of HMSN-P in the Japanese population suggests that HMSN-P may be more common across other ethnic groups, but classified into other disease categories.

Dicarboxylic acids, oxoacids, benzoic acid, α-dicarbonyls, WSOC, OC, and ions in spring aerosols from Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim: size distributions and formation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, Dhananjay K.; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Lazaar, Manuel; Kunwar, Bhagawati; Boreddy, Suresh K. R.

2016-04-01

Size-segregated aerosols (nine stages from < 0.43 to > 11.3 µm in diameter) were collected at Cape Hedo, Okinawa, in spring 2008 and analyzed for water-soluble diacids (C2-C12), ω-oxoacids (ωC2-ωC9), pyruvic acid, benzoic acid, and α-dicarbonyls (C2-C3) as well as water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), organic carbon (OC), and major ions (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, and MSA-). In all the size-segregated aerosols, oxalic acid (C2) was found to be the most abundant species, followed by malonic and succinic acids, whereas glyoxylic acid (ωC2) was the dominant oxoacid and glyoxal (Gly) was more abundant than methylglyoxal. Diacids (C2-C5), ωC2, and Gly as well as WSOC and OC peaked at fine mode (0.65-1.1 µm) whereas azelaic (C9) and 9-oxononanoic (ωC9) acids peaked at coarse mode (3.3-4.7 µm). Sulfate and ammonium were enriched in fine mode, whereas sodium and chloride were in coarse mode. Strong correlations of C2-C5 diacids, ωC2 and Gly with sulfate were observed in fine mode (r = 0.86-0.99), indicating a commonality in their secondary formation. Their significant correlations with liquid water content in fine mode (r = 0.82-0.95) further suggest an importance of the aqueous-phase production in Okinawa aerosols. They may also have been directly emitted from biomass burning in fine mode as supported by strong correlations with potassium (r = 0.85-0.96), which is a tracer of biomass burning. Bimodal size distributions of longer-chain diacid (C9) and oxoacid (ωC9) with a major peak in the coarse mode suggest that they were emitted from the sea surface microlayers and/or produced by heterogeneous oxidation of biogenic unsaturated fatty acids on sea salt particles.

Mineral chemistry indicates the petrogenesis of rhyolite from the southwestern Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zuxing; Zeng, Zhigang; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Zhang, Yuxiang; Yin, Xuebo; Chen, Shuai; Ma, Yao; Li, Xiaohui; Qi, Hanyan

2017-12-01

To reveal the petrogenesis of rhyolite from the southwestern Okinawa Trough, the mineral chemistry of plagioclase, orthopyroxene, amphibole, quartz and Fe-Ti oxide phenocrysts were analyzed using an electron microprobe, and in suit Sr and Ba contents of plagioclase analysed by LA-ICPMS were chosen for fingerprinting plagioclases of different provenances. Results indicate an overall homogeneous composition for each of the mineral phases except for plagioclase phenocrysts which have a wide range of composition (An=39 88). Plagioclase crystals characterized by An contents of >70 are not in equilibrium with their whole-rock compositions, and coarse-sieved plagioclase phenocryst interiors record high An contents (>70) and Sr/Ba ratios (>7), which are similar to the those of plagioclase crystals in basalt. Therefore, these crystals must have been introduced to the rhyolitic magma from a more mafic source. Equilibrium temperatures estimated using orthopyroxene-liquid, iron-titanium oxide, titanium-in-quartz and amphibole geothermometers show consistent values ranging from 792 to 869°C. The equilibrium pressure calculated using amphibole compositions is close to 121 MPa which corresponds to an approximate depth of 4 km. The fO2 conditions estimated from Fe-Ti oxides and amphiboles plot slightly above the NNO buffer, which indicates that the rock formed under more oxidized conditions. Our results suggests that petrogenesis of the rhyolite due to basaltic magma ascend with the high An and Sr/Ba plaigoclases from deep magma chamber into the shallow chamber where the fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation happened. It also indicates that a two-layer magma chamber structure may occur under the southwestern Okinawa Trough.

The analysis and study of fault systems in the Southernmost Part of Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Y.; Tsai, C.; Lee, C.

2004-12-01

Taiwan is located in the boundary between the Eurasian and Philippine Sea plates. Due to different subduction, two arc-trench systems in different direction were happened. One is Luzon arc-trench system in N-S direction; the other one is called Ryukyu arc-trench system in E-W direction. The Okinawa Trough is a back-arc basin which was formed by extension of Eurasian plate, and the tectonic setting in this area has a series of normal-faults and igneous bodies. According to previous studies, we know that Southernmost Part of Okinawa Trough (SPOT) have evolved at least two main tensional phases of Okinawa Trough, the first phase probably came up in early Pleistocene and struck in NE-SW direction; and the second phases occurred during late Pleistocene and Holocene changed the direction to E-W. In this study, we have used seismic data collected by R/V Chiu-Lien, Ocean Research I, and R/V L'Atalante to explain the normal-fault systems in the SPOT area. We integrate seismic profiles with corrected bathymetry to relocate these normal faults. Our results show these normal fault systems has two main strikes, respectively N60° E and N80° E. We find that most of N60° E faults are located in the northern slope of SPOT and landward to Taiwan. The N80° E faults are found in the southern slop and center area of SPOT. Compare with the faults and a new topographic map, we find there were a lot of faults around the canyon, such as North-Mienhua Canyon. We suggest that the origin of the canyon is probably due to these tectonic forces. The canyon is a weak area, and is eroded much fast than the surrounding continental shelf. Passing through a series of erosional processes, the canyon becomes what looks like today. We find a lot of graben structure located in the center of SPOT. This area is the extension axis of SPOT right now. We also find many possible igneous rocks in the seismic profiles, some of them are intrusions and the others penetrate the seabed along the weak zone and

Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections associated with ground beef from a U.S. military installation--Okinawa, Japan, February 2004.

PubMed

2005-01-21

In February 2004, the Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Health Center (OCHC) and the Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Health and Environment (OIHE), Japan, investigated three cases of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection in a Japanese family associated with eating ground beef. Public health officials from multiple agencies in Japan and the United States collaborated on this investigation, which resulted in a voluntary recall of approximately 90,000 pounds of frozen ground beef in the United States and at U.S. military bases in the Far East. This was the first reported instance in which Japanese public health officials identified contaminated, commercially distributed ground beef that was produced in the United States. This report summarizes epidemiologic and laboratory investigations conducted by OCHC and OIHE. The results underscore the importance of using standardized molecular subtyping methods throughout the world to facilitate international public health communication and intervention.

The tug-of-war between the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea Tropical Waters and Intermediate Waters in the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C. T. A.

2015-12-01

It has been known that Kuroshio subsurface waters are the major source of nutrients to the East China Sea continental shelf, a major fishing ground. It has also been known that subsurface waters that upwell onto the shelf are heavily affected by the South China Sea (SCS) Tropical Water and the SCS Intermediate Water which contain more nutrients than the tropical (Smax) and intermediate (Smin) waters from the West Philippine Sea (WPS). A front has been found to separate the tropical and intermediate waters from the SCS and WPS. The reported front in the Okinawa Trough, however, was identified based only on one-time data from a single cross-section in the central Okinawa Trough. Here historical hydrographic data between Mar. 1950 and Dec. 2011 in the Okinawa Trough and its neighborhood are analyzed. A vertical front tilted toward the west is found in all seasons in all years across the World Ocean Circulation Repeated Lines PR 18 and 19 as well as at the PN cross-section in the central Okinawa Trough. The front at the Smax level (sigma theta=24.6-24.9) shows large seasonal and interannual variations. In winter during normal and La Niña periods the presence of the SCS Tropical Water is the most prominent. It is the weakest in autumn during normal periods and in spring during La Nina periods. Yet during El Niño periods the SCS Tropical Water is the most prominent in spring and it becomes the weakest in winter. As for intermediate waters (Smin at sigma theta= 26.7-26.9) the WPS Intermediate Water and SCS Intermediate Water show much weaker seasonality compared with tropical waters although during normal periods in winter the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is slightly larger than during other times. During El Niño periods the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is the smallest but in spring it is much strengthened. On the other hand, the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is the smallest in spring, and the largest in winter during La Niña periods.

Life at the extreme limit: phenotypic characteristics of supercentenarians in Okinawa.

PubMed

Willcox, D Craig; Willcox, Bradley J; Wang, Nien-Chiang; He, Qimei; Rosenbaum, Matthew; Suzuki, Makoto

2008-11-01

As elite representatives of the rapidly increasing "oldest-old" population, centenarians have become an important model population for understanding human aging. However, as we are beginning to understand more about this important phenotype, another demographic group of even more elite survivors is emerging-so-called "supercentenarians" or those who survive 110-plus years. Little is known about these exceptional survivors. We assessed the Okinawa Centenarian Study (OCS) database for all information on supercentenarians. The database includes dates of birth and year of death for all residents of Okinawa 99 years old or older and a yearly geriatric assessment of all centenarians who consented, enabling prospective study of age-related traits. Of 20 potential supercentenarians identified, 15 had agreed to participate in the OCS interview, physical examination, and blood draw. Of these 15, 12 (3 men and 9 women) met our age validation criteria and were accepted as supercentenarians. Phenotypic variables studied include medical and social history, activities of daily living (ADLs), and clinical phenotypes (physiology, hematology, biochemistry, and immunology). Age at death ranged from 110 to 112 years. The majority of supercentenarians had minimal clinically apparent disease until late in life, with cataracts (42%) and fractures (33%) being common and coronary heart disease (8%), stroke (8%), cancer (0%), and diabetes (0%) rare or not evident on clinical examination. Functionally, most supercentenarians were independent in ADLs at age 100 years, and few were institutionalized before the age of 105 years. Most had normal clinical parameters at age 100 years, but by age 105 exhibited multiple clinical markers of frailty coincident with a rapid ADL decline. Supercentenarians displayed an exceptionally healthy aging phenotype where clinically apparent major chronic diseases and disabilities were markedly delayed, often beyond age 100. They had little clinical history of

New insights into the origin of the bimodal volcanism in the middle Okinawa Trough: not a basalt-rhyolite differentiation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuxiang; Zeng, Zhigang; Chen, Shuai; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Yin, Xuebo

2018-06-01

In the middle Okinawa Trough (MOT), rhyolites have been typically considered as products of crystallization differentiation of basaltic magma as a feature of bimodal volcanism. However, the evidence is insufficient. This paper compared chemical trends of volcanic rocks from the MOT with fractional crystallization simulation models and experimental results and utilized trace element modeling combined with Rayleigh fractionation calculations to re-examine fractional crystallization processes in generating rhyolites. Both qualitative and quantitative studies indicate that andesites, rather than rhyolites, originate by fractional crystallization from basalts in the MOT. Furthermore, we established two batch-melting models for the MOT rhyolites and proposed that type 1 rhyolites are produced by remelting of andesites with amphiboles in the residue, while type 2 rhyolites are derived from remelting of andesites without residual amphiboles. It is difficult to produce melts with a SiO2 content ranging from 62% to 68% either by magmatic differentiation from basalts or by remelting of andesites, and this difficulty might help account for the compositional gap (Daly gap) for bimodal volcanism in the Okinawa Trough.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) genetic typing in Kakeroma Island, an island at the crossroads of the ryukyuans and Wajin in Japan, providing further insights into the origin of the virus in Japan.

PubMed

Eguchi, Katsuyuki; Fujii, Hidefumi; Oshima, Kengo; Otani, Masashi; Matsuo, Toshiaki; Yamamoto, Taro

2009-08-01

Peripheral blood samples were collected from 23 human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) carriers residing in Kakeroma Island, Japan (Kagoshima Prefecture, Oshima County, Setouchi Town), one of the most highly endemic areas in Japan. The samples were subjected to amplification by PCR and sequencing of the Long Terminal Repeat in order to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree of HTLV-1 isolates. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of env region was also conducted for subgrouping of HTLV-1. Although one sample could not be amplified by PCR, and three more could not be sequenced due to the existence of conspicuous nonspecific bands or repeated sequences, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the remaining 19 isolates obtained from Kakeroma Island belonged to either the Transcontinental or the Japanese subgroups of the Cosmopolitan subtype, one of the three major subtypes. The RFLP data corresponded closely with the typing data throughout the sequencing. The proportion of the Transcontinental subgroup among the isolates was 26.3% (5 of 19) by sequence analysis and 27.3% (6 of 22) by RFLP. Unlike in Taiwan, China and Okinawa, the Japanese subgroup was dominant in Kakeroma Island. The analysis would also suggest that the Japanese subgroup seems not to have derived from the Transcontinental subgroup, but rather that the Transcontinental subgroup came to Japan first and was followed later by the Japanese one. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Tsunami hazard mitigation in tourism in the tropical and subtropical coastal areas: a case study in the Ryukyu Islands, southwest of Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, T.

2006-12-01

Life and economy (including tourism) in tropical and subtropical coastal areas, such as Okinawa Prefecture (Ryukyu) are highly relying on the sea. The sea has both "gentle" side to give people healing and "dangerous" side to kill people. If we are going to utilise the sea for marine tourism such as constructing resort facilities on the oceanfront, we should know all of the sea, including the both sides of the sea: especially the nature of tsunamis. And also we islanders should issue accurate information about the sea towards outsiders, especially tourists visiting the island. We have already learned a lesson about this issue from the Sumatra tsunami in 2004. However, measures against the tsunami disaster by marine tourism industry are still inadequate in these areas. The goal of tsunami hazard mitigation for those engaged in tourism industry in tropical and subtropical coastal areas should be as follows. (1) Preparedness against tsunamis: "Be aware of the characteristics of tsunamis." "Prepare tsunamis when you feel an earthquake." "Prepare tsunamis when an earthquake takes place somewhere in the world." (2) Maintenance of an exact tsunami hazard map under quantitative analyses of the characteristics of tsunamis: "Flooding areas by tsunami attacks are dependent not only on altitude but also on amplification and inundation due to the seafloor topography near the coast and the onland topographic relief." "Tsunami damage happens repeatedly." (3) Maintenance of a tsunami disaster prevention manual and training after the manual: "Who should do what in case of tsunamis?" "How should the resort hotel employees lead the guests to the safe place?" Such a policy for disaster prevention is discussed in the class of the general education of "Ocean Sciences" in University of the Ryukyus (UR) and summer school for high school students. The students (most of them are from Okinawa Prefecture) consider, discuss and make reports about what to do in case of tsunamis as an islander

Size distributions of low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids, ketocarboxylic acids, glyoxal and methylglyoxal in the marine aerosols from Okinawa Island, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamura, K.; Lazaar, M.

2008-12-01

Size-segregated marine aerosol samples (5 sets) were collected in 2008 spring at Cape Hedo Station of National Institute of Environmental Studies, Okinawa (128.25° E, 26.87° N), an outflow region of Chinese aerosols and their precursors, using an Andersen middle volume impactor at a flow rate of 100 lpm and pre-combusted quartz fiber filters. The samples were analyzed for low molecular weight diacids and related compounds, using a capillary gas chromatography and GC/MS after BF3/n-butanol derivatization. Particle size cuts (8 stages + BUF) are 0.43, 0.65, 1.1, 2.1, 3.3, 4.7, 7 and 11.3 µm in diameter. Homologous series of aliphatic (C2-C12) and aromatic (phthalic, iso- and tere-phthalic) diacids were detected as well as w-oxoacids (C2-C9), glyoxal and methylglyoxal. Oxalic acid (C2) was found as the dominant diacid in all the size ranges, followed by malonic (C3) and succinic (C4) acids. Glyoxylic (wC2) acid was the most abundant ketoacid followed by wC4 acid. Most of the organic species maximized in fine mode of 0.65-1.1 or 1.1-2.1µm. Oxalic acid (C2, 4.4-70.6 ngm-3, av. 23.9 ngm-3) comprised 54-80% (av. 67%) of total diacid concentrations. The small diacids showed concentration peaks on fine mode, suggesting that they are produced by photochemical oxidation of volatile organic precursors during long-range atmospheric transport from Asian Continent. They may also be produced by heterogeneous reactions in the atmospheric particles (dusts and cloud droplets).

Accumulation of Hg and other heavy metals in the Javan mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) captured on Amamioshima Island, Japan.

PubMed

Horai, Sawako; Minagawa, Mikiko; Ozaki, Hirokazu; Watanabe, Izumi; Takeda, Yasuo; Yamada, Katsushi; Ando, Tetsuo; Akiba, Suminori; Abe, Shintaro; Kuno, Katsuji

2006-10-01

Concentrations of 22 elements (Mg, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, Tl, total Hg (T-Hg), Pb) and organic Hg (O-Hg) were examined in the liver, kidney and brain of the Javan mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) and in liver of the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) from Amamioshima Island in Japan. Relatively high levels of T-Hg levels (from 1.75 to 55.5 microg g-1 wet wt.) were found in the Javan mongoose. As for a comparison of hepatic T-Hg concentrations between the two areas, there was no significant difference between the Javan mongoose in Amamioshima and those in the Okinawa islands. In addition, T-Hg levels in the livers of the Amami rabbit were the same as in the livers of other herbivorous mammals. Taken together, it suggested that T-Hg accumulation in the livers of the Javan mongoose was not affected by the environment but by a specific physiological mechanism. The comparison of Hg and other heavy metal accumulations between terrestrial mammals (13 species, 61 individuals) including the Javan mongoose and marine mammals (18 species, 508 individuals) were also discussed.

Geochemical constraints on the origin of high-Mg andesites in the southernmost Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, C.; Chung, S.; Shinjo, R.; Gallet, S.; Wang, S.; Chen, C.

2007-12-01

The Okinawa Trough, extending from SW Kyushu to NE Taiwan, is a backarc basin of the Ryukyu arc-trench system due to subduction of the Philippine Sea plate under the Eurasian plate. The southernmost part of the Okinawa Trough (SPOT), however, does not situate in a simple backarc setting but is an embryonic rift zone in which early arc volcanism takes place. Kueishantao that consists mainly of andesitic flows dated to be ~7000 yr old is an emerged volcanic islet thus formed in SPOT. Here we report whole-rock major and trace element, and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope compositions of the Kueishantao andesites. Some of the samples have unexpectedly high magnesium, with MgO ≥ 5 wt.% and Mg# > 0.5, relative to their silica contents (SiO2 ~ 60 wt.%), so can be coined as high-Mg andesites (HMAs). These HMAs display enrichments in Cs, Rb, Ba, Th, U, LREE and Pb, and depletions in HFSE, in the incompatible element variation diagram. Their overall geochemical compositions are similar to those of the mean continental crust proposed by Rudnick and Fountain (1995). The HMAs have uniform radiogenic isotope ratios, with low ÕɛNd (-4.3 to -5.0), low ÕɛHf (-0.9 to -2.4), and high 87Sr/86Sr (~0.706) and 206Pb/204Pb (~18.75). In contrast to previous notion that calls for significant contamination of upper continental crust in the magma chamber, we propose the Kueishantao HMAs to have resulted from partial melting of the subducted sediments and altered Philippine Sea crust followed by melt-mantle interaction in the mantle wedge. This interpretation is consistent with seismic tomographic results under the SPOT region marking with a combination of collision/extension/subduction tectonic context off NE Taiwan.

Carbonate system at Iheya North in Okinawa Trough~IODP drilling and post drilling environment~

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noguchi, T.; Hatta, M.; Sunamura, M.; Fukuba, T.; Suzue, T.; Kimoto, H.; Okamura, K.

2012-12-01

The Iheya North hydrothermal field in middle Okinawa Trough is covered with thick hemipelagic and volcanic sediment. Geochemical characteristics of Okinawa Trough is to provide abundant of CO2, CH4, NH4, H2, and H2S which originated from magmatic gases, sedimentary organic matters. On this hydrothermal field, a scientific drilling by Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 331 was conducted to investigate metabolically diverse subseafloor microbial ecosystem and their physical and chemical settings. To clarify the spatial distribution of physical condition beneath seafloor around the hydrothermal filed, we focus on the carbonate species analysis to reconstruct in-situ pH, which regulate the diversities of microbial community and mineral composition. We developed the small sample volume dissolved total inorganic carbon (DIC) analyzer and conducted the onboard analysis for the interstitial water during IODP Exp.331. Total alkalinity, boron, phosphate, and ammonium also analyzed for thermodynamic calculation. In this presentation, we represent the spatial distribution of pH beneath the Iheya North hydrothermal field. In addition, we developed a 128 bottles multiple water sampler (ANEMONE) for post drilling environmental monitoring. ANEMONE sampler was deployed on the manned submersible Shinkai 6500 with other chemical sensors (CTD, turbidity, pH, ORP, and H2S), and collected the hydrothermal plume samples every 5 minutes during YK12-05 cruise by R/V Yokosuka (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, JAMSTEC). DIC concentration of plume samples collected by ANEMONE sampler were analyzed just after submersible retrieve, and nutrients, manganese, density, and total cell counts determination were conducted onshore analysis. Based on these results, we describe the spatial distribution of DIC and carbonate system on Iheya North hydrothermal field (interstitial water, hydrothermal fluid, and hydrothermal plume).

American Influence on Okinawan Culture before 1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trafton, Terry

The Ryukyu Islands form a chain stretching from the southernmost point of mainland Japan to the northern tip of Taiwan. The largest and most important of these islands is Okinawa. This paper documents the influence of other nations and cultures upon the Okinawan culture, and focuses upon U.S. cultural influence. In the mid-nineteenth century,…

Uredo maua, sp. nov., and Uromyces tairae: Additions to the rust flora of Hawai’i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, Donald E.; Flynn, Timothy W.

1998-01-01

Uredo maua, on Xylosma hawaiiense (Flacourtiaceae), an endemic tree of Hawaiian forests, is newly described as an addition to Hawai’i's native rust flora. Uredo wakensis, originally described from Wake Island and reported from other Pacific islands on Tournefortia argentea (Boraginaceae), represents the uredinial state of Uromyces tairae, described from Okinawa. This rust is newly reported from Hawai’i.

Castles in the Far East: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Okinawa and Japan Districts 1945-1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-01

on L Day, April!, 1945, in what was to become the last major battle of World War II. They met with little resistance on the beaches but Okinawa was...facilities and a new handball court, tennis courts and exercise rooms along with larger living quarters. By 1987 several facilities for the F/A-18...completion. was the damage done to Pier Bravo at White Beach . A big chunk of the pier was literally washed away and the remainder of the pier suffered

Marine Subsurface Microbial Communities Across a Hydrothermal Gradient in Okinawa Trough Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandt, L. D.; Hser Wah Saw, J.; Ettema, T.; House, C. H.

2015-12-01

IODP Expedition 331 to the Okinawa backarc basin provided an opportunity to study the microbial stratigraphy within the sediments surrounding a hydrothermal vent. The Okinawa backarc basin is a sedimented region of the seafloor located on a continental margin, and also hosts a hydrothermal network within the subsurface. Site C0014 within the Iheya North hydrothermal field is located 450 m east of the active vent and has a surface temperature of 5°C with no evidence of hydrothermal alteration within the top 10 meters below sea floor (mbsf). Temperature increases with depth at an estimated rate of 3°C/m and transitions from non-hydrothermal margin sediments to a hydrothermally altered regime below 10 mbsf. In this study, we utilized deep 16S rRNA sequencing of DNA from IODP Expedition 331 Site C0014 sediment horizons in order to assess diversity throughout the sediment column as well as determine the potential limits of the biosphere. Analysis of the amplicon data shows a shift over 15 mbsf from a heterogeneous community of cosmopolitan marine subsurface taxa toward an archaeal-dominated community in the deepest horizons of the predicted biosphere. Notably, the phylum Chloroflexi represents a substantial taxon through most horizons, where it appears to be replaced below 10 mbsf by punctuations of thermophilic and methanotrophic Archaea and Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group abundances. DNA from the aforementioned transition horizons was further analyzed using metagenomic sequencing. Preliminary taxonomic analysis of the metagenomic data agrees well with amplicon data in capturing the shift in relative abundance of Archaea increasing with depth. Additionally, reverse gyrase, a gene found exclusively in hyperthermophilic microorganisms, was recovered only in the metagenome of the deepest horizon. A BLAST search of this protein sequence against the GenBank non-redudnant protein database produced top hits with reverse gyrase from Thermococcus and Pyrococcus, which are

The preliminary results of new submarine caldera on the west of Kume-jima island, Central Ryukyu Arc, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harigane, Y.; Ishizuka, O.; Shimoda, G.; Sato, T.

2014-12-01

The Ryukyu Arc occurs between the islands of Kyushu and Taiwan with approximately 1200 km in the full length. This volcanic arc is caused by subduction of the Philippine Sea plate beneath the Eurasia Plate along the Ryukyu trench, and is composed of forearc islands, chains of arc volcanoes, and a back-arc rift called Okinawa Trough. The Ryukyu Arc is commonly divided into three segments (northern, central and southern) that bounded by the Tokara Strait and the Kerama Gap, respectively (e.g., Konishi 1965; Kato et al., 1982). Sato et al. (2014) mentioned that there is no active subaerial volcano in the southwest of Iotori-shima in the Central Ryukyu Arc whereas the Northern Ryukyu Arc (i.e., the Tokara Islands) has active frontal arc volcanoes. Therefore, the existence of volcanoes and volcanotectonic history of active volcanic front in the southwestern part of the Central Ryukyu Arc are still ambiguous. Detailed geophysical and geological survey was mainly conducted using R/V Kaiyou-maru No.7 during GK12 cruise operated by the Geological Survey of Japan/National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan. As a result, we have found a new submarine volcanic caldera on the west of Kume-jima island, where located the southwestern part of Central Ryukyu Arc. Here, we present (1) the bathymetrical feature of this new submarine caldera for the first time and (2) the microstructural and petrological observations of volcanic rocks (20 volcanic samples in 13 dredge sites) sampled from the small volcanic cones of this caldera volcano. The dredged samples from the caldera consist of mainly rhyolite pumice with minor andesites, Mn oxides-crust and hydrothermally altered rocks. Andesite has plagioclase, olivine and pyroxene phenocrysts. Key words: volcanic rock, caldera, arc volcanism, active volcanic front, Kume-jima island, Ryukyu Arc

Deaf Life on Isolated Japanese Islands.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torigoe, Takashi; And Others

1995-01-01

Interviewed 38 adults with deafness and little schooling in Okinawa concerning their social and language environment. Many of the individuals used an indigenous gestural system shared with hearing people that enabled them to participate in the hearing community. Most had only limited contact with the deaf community and Japanese Sign Language.…

Pn tomography of South China Sea, Taiwan Island, Philippine archipelago, and adjacent regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xibing; Song, Xiaodong; Li, Jiangtao

2017-02-01

The South China Sea (SCS) and its surrounding areas are geologically highly heterogeneous from the interactions of multiple plates in Southeast Asia (Eurasian plate, Indian-Australian plate, Philippine Sea plate, and Pacific plate). To understand the tectonics at depth, here we combined bulletin and handpicked data to conduct Pn tomography of the region. The results show distinct features that are correlated with the complex geology at surface, suggesting a lithosphere-scale tectonics of the region. Low Pn velocities are found along a belt of the western Pacific transpressional system from the Okinawa Trough and eastern East China Sea, across central and eastern Taiwan orogeny, to the island arcs of the Luzon Strait and the entire Philippine Islands, as well as under the Palawan Island and part of the continental margin north of the Pearl River Basin. High velocities are found under Ryukyu subduction zone, part of the Philippine subduction zone, part of the Eurasian subduction beneath the southwestern Taiwan, and the continent-ocean boundary between the south China and the SCS basin. The Taiwan Strait, the Mainland SE coast, and the main SCS basin sea are relatively uniform with average Pn values. Crustal thicknesses show large variations in the study region but also coherency with tectonic elements. The Pn pattern in Taiwan shows linear trends of surface geology and suggests strongly lithosphere-scale deformation of the young Taiwan orogenic belt marked by the deformation boundary under the Western Foothill and the Western Coastal Plain at depth, and the crustal thickness shows a complex pattern from the transpressional collision. Our observations are consistent with rifting and extension in the northern margin of the SCS but are not consistent with mantle upwelling as a mechanism for the opening and the subsequent closing of the SCS. The Philippine island arc is affected by volcanisms from both the Asian and Philippine Sea subductions in the south but mainly from

Contrasting behavior of tungsten and molybdenum in the Okinawa Trough, the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohrin, Yoshiki; Matsui, Masakazu; Nakayama, Eiichiro

1999-10-01

By using catalytic current polarography and high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, W and Mo in seawater were determined in the Okinawa Trough, a backarc rift, and in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Mo was distributed conservatively throughout the study area, and its salinity-normalized concentration was 104 ± 6 nM (n = 105). W was also uniformly distributed south of the Kuroshio Current (56 ± 7 pM, n = 51). Anomalous high concentrations of W (maximum 254 pM) were found in the Iheya Graben in the middle Okinawa Trough (>1000 m depth), which were probably supplied by hydrothermal activity. The concentrations of Mo and W in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea showed linear correlation with salinity (26 < S < 35). The Mo data can be explained by mixing of seawater and river water of the Changjiang (Mo = 10 nM; Qu et al., 1993). However, the values of W extrapolated to S = 0 were largely different between two cruises (1200 pM in May-June 1987 and 540 pM in June 1994) and much higher than the reported concentrations of 160 pM for world rivers by Turekian (1969) and 30 pM for unpolluted Japanese rivers by Sohrin et al. (1989). Moreover, significantly high W was observed in the bottom water at stations near the Changjiang River estuary and the western Yellow Sea. While these data may suggest that W is released from the anoxic sediments of the continental shelf, we need more data to elucidate the mechanism controlling the distribution of W.

[Toxin profiles in fish implicated in ciguatera fish poisoning in Amami and Kakeroma Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan].

PubMed

Yogi, Kentaro; Oshiro, Naomasa; Matsuda, Seiko; Sakugawa, Satsuki; Matsuo, Toshiaki; Yasumoto, Takeshi

2013-01-01

Ciguatoxins (CTXs) responsible for ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in Amami Islands, Kagoshima, Japan in 2008 were determined by LC-MS/MS analysis. Ciguatoxin-1B (CTX1B), 54-deoxyCTX1B, and 52-epi-54-deoxyCTX1B were detected in Variola louti and Lutjanus monostigma. The toxin profile distinctly differed from that of a CFP-related fish from Miyazaki, which mainly contained ciguatoxin-3C type toxins. Toxin profiles were species-specific, as observed in fish from Okinawa. The LC-MS/MS and mouse bioassay (MBA) methods produced comparable data, though 54-deoxyCTX1B was not taken into consideration owing to the lack of toxicity data. To improve assessment, toxicity data for this compound are needed. A reef fish caught on the same occasion and judged nontoxic by MBA (<0.025 MU/g) was found to contain low levels of CTX, indicating a potential risk for CFP.

Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb-Li isotopic characteristics of volcanic rocks from the Okinawa Trough: Implications for the influence of subduction components and the contamination of crustal materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Kun; Zhai, Shikui; Yu, Zenghui; Wang, Shujie; Zhang, Xia; Wang, Xiaoyuan

2018-04-01

The Okinawa Trough is an infant back-arc basin developed along the Ryukyu arc. This paper provides new major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Li isotope data of volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough and combines the published geochemical data to discuss the composition of magma source, the influence of subduction component, and the contamination of crustal materials, and calculate the contribution between subduction sediment and altered oceanic crust in the subduction component. The results showed that there are 97% DM and 3% EMI component in the mantle source in middle trough (MS), which have been influenced by subduction sediment. The Li-Nd isotopes indicate that the contribution of subduction sediment and altered oceanic crust in subduction component are 4 and 96%, respectively. The intermediate-acidic rocks suffer from contamination of continental crust material in shallow magma chamber during fractional crystallization. The acidic rocks in south trough have experienced more contamination of crustal material than those from the middle and north trough segments.

Tidal and residual currents across the northern Ryukyu Island chain observed by ferryboat ADCP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhao-Jun; Nakamura, Hirohiko; Zhu, Xiao-Hua; Nishina, Ayako; Dong, Menghong

2017-09-01

Ferryboat Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data from 2003 to 2012 are used to estimate the tidal and residual currents across the northern Ryukyu Island chain (RIC) between the islands of Okinawa and Amamioshima. In this region, the M2 tide current is the strongest tidal component, and the K1 tide current is the strongest diurnal tidal component. The corresponding maximum amplitudes are 40 and 34 cm s-1, respectively. After removal of the tidal currents, the mean volume transport, 1.5 ± 2.7 Sv, flows into the East China Sea (ECS) from the western North Pacific through four channels in this area. In an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis performed to clarify the temporal and spatial variability of currents through the four channels, the first two EOF modes account for 71% and 18% of the total variance, respectively. The EOF1 mode shows a clear bottom-intensified mode through the deep channel, which is likely to be formed by the propagation of bottom-trapped long topographic Rossby wave caused by the impingement of westward-propagating mesoscale eddies upon the eastern slope of the northern RIC. The EOF2 mode has significant seasonal variability and may be driven by the wind stress prevailing over the Kuroshio flow region around the northern RIC in October-November. This study provides observational evidence of the water exchanges across the northern RIC, which is essential for constructing a circulation scheme in the North Pacific subtropical western boundary region.

[AIDS control in industry in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan].

PubMed

Shinjo, M; Ariizumi, M; Onga, N; Asato, Y; Azuma, T; Miyazato, T; Uehara, T; Ohno, A

1995-05-01

To see how industry is responding to AIDS, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted on member companies (n = 407) of the chamber of commerce with 50 or more employees in three large cities in Okinawa, during February to March, 1994. Responses were obtained from 221. The questionnaire looked at type of industry, number of employees, number of business trips to foreign countries, specialists for health management, AIDS control, attitudes and actions taken toward infected persons and AIDS patients, etc. The main results were as follows; In 73 companies foreign business trips had been made. The rate of appointment of specialists in health management was below 50%. In 80% of the companies, AIDS control was not in place. About 1/2 of the companies responded that there was a need to grapple with AIDS control while 40% of the companies were undecided. The majority of the companies felt that there was no chance of their employees having HIV infection within five or six years. Many companies had no regulations for dealing with employees who are infected with HIV. From the survey, three points were made clear: 1. Industry does not have an adequate plan to deal with AIDS. 2. There is no awareness of a crisis. 3. There is insufficient dissemination of information regarding AIDS. HIV/AIDS is predicted to increase in industries in our country and management will be hard-pressed to deal with the intricate problems that arise. HIV/AIDS is not exclusively an individual problem, but should be the concern of industries and society as well.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Characteristics of hydrocarbons in sediment core samples from the northern Okinawa Trough.

PubMed

Huang, Xin; Chen, Shuai; Zeng, Zhigang; Pu, Xiaoqiang; Hou, Qinghua

2017-02-15

Sediment core samples from the northern Okinawa Trough (OT) were analyzed to determine abundances and distributions of hydrocarbons by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results show that the n-alkanes in this sediment core conform to a bimodal distribution, and exhibit an odd-to-even predominance of high molecular weights compared to an even-to-odd predominance in low molecular weight n-alkanes with maxima at C 16 and C 18 . The concentrations of bitumen, alkanes and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were higher in samples S10-07 than all others. Three maturity parameters as well as the ratios between parent phenanthrenes (Ps) and methylphenanthrenes (MPs) in samples S10-07 and S10-17 were higher. The distribution and composition of hydrocarbons in sample S10-07 suggest that one, or several, undetected hydrothermal fields may be present in the region of this sediment core. Results also suggest that volcanism may be the main reason for the observed distribution and composition of hydrocarbons in S10-17 sample. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dating of barite and anhydrite in sea-floor hydrothermal deposits in the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taisei, F.; Toyoda, S.; Uchida, A.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Totsuka, S.; Shimada, K.; Nakai, S.

2016-12-01

Dating of submarine hydrothermal activities has been an important issue in the aspect of the ore formation (Urabe, 1995) and biological systems sustained by the chemical species arising from hydrothermal activities (Macdonald et al., 1980). For this purpose, dating methods using radioactive disequilibrium such as U-Th method (e.g. You and Bickle, 1998) for sulfide, 226Ra-210Pb and 228Ra-228Th (e.g. Noguchi et al., 2011), Ra/Ba, and ESR (Electron Spin Resonance) methods for barite (Okumura et al., 2010) have been employed. In this study, firstly, we will report the first successful dating results on anhydrite using 226Ra-210Pb and 228Ra-228Th methods. The anhydrite samples were taken from the Daiyon-Yonaguni knoll field and the Hatoma knoll field and the Iheya North Knoll field of the Okinawa Trough by research cruises operated by JAMSTEC. The anhydrite crystals were physically scratched out of the samples. 226Ra, 228Ra and daughter nuclei were measured in the same samples for the ESR method by the low background gamma ray spectrometry. From the activity ratios, disequilibrium ages were obtained to be about 7.3 years by 226Ra-210Pb method, and to be 0.6-2.5 years by 228Ra-228Th method. Secondly, the ESR ages of barite taken from hydrothermal areas in the Okinawa trough range from 4.1 to 16000 years, filling the age gap of the maximum age, 150 years, of 226Ra-210Pb method and the minimum age, several thousand years of U-Th method, being the most appropriate age range to discuss the evolution of the hydrothermal systems. Interestingly, the 226Ra-210Pb and 228Ra-228Th ages for the same samples are the same or younger than the ESR ages. As for the latter samples, the reason has already been discussed (Uchida et al., 2015) as the deposits had been formed by two or more hydrothermal events. In the present paper, the disequilibrium and ESR ages will be simulated with these multiple hydrothermal events so that the differences in the ages are explained.

Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-01-20

STS072-732-072 (11-20 Jan. 1996) --- Three of the nineteen Galapagos Islands are visible in this image, photographed from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. The Galapagos Islands are located 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) to the west of Ecuador. The largest of the islands, Isabela, is at center (north is toward the upper right corner). The numerous circular features on the island, highlighted by clouds, are volcanoes. The Galapagos Islands owe their existence to a hot spot, or persistent heat source in the mantle, which also is located over a rift, or place where plates are separating and new crust is being created. The rift is located between the Cocos and Nazca Plates. The dark linear features on the islands are lava flows from past eruptions. The island to the left of Isabela is Fernandina, while the island to the right is San Salvador. The Galapagos Islands were visited by the English naturalist Charles Darwin in 1835.

Variations in seismic velocity distribution along the Ryukyu (Nansei-Shoto) Trench subduction zone at the northwestern end of the Philippine Sea plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishizawa, Azusa; Kaneda, Kentaro; Oikawa, Mitsuhiro; Horiuchi, Daishi; Fujioka, Yukari; Okada, Chiaki

2017-06-01

The Ryukyu (Nansei-Shoto) island arc-trench system, southwest of Japan, is formed by the subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate. Among the subduction zones surrounding the Japan Islands, the Ryukyu arc-trench system is unique in that its backarc basin, the Okinawa Trough, is the area with current extensively active rifting. The length of the trench is around 1400 km, and the geological and geophysical characteristics vary significantly along the trench axis. We conducted multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection and wide-angle seismic surveys to elucidate the along-arc variation in seismic structures from the island arc to the trench regions, shooting seven seismic lines across the arc-trench system and two along-arc lines in the island arc and the forearc areas. The obtained P-wave velocity models of the Ryukyu arc crust were found to be heterogeneous (depending on the seismic lines), but they basically consist of upper, middle, and lower crusts, indicating a typical island arc structure. Beneath the bathymetric depressions cutting the island arc—for example, the Kerama Gap and the Miyako Saddle—the MCS record shows many across-arc normal faults, which indicates the presence of an extensional regime along the island arc. In the areas from the forearc to the trench, the subduction of the characteristic seafloor features on the PHS plate affects seismic structures; the subducted bathymetric high of the Amami Plateau is detected in the northern trench: the Luzon-Okinawa fracture zone beneath the middle and southern trenches. There are low-velocity (< 4.5 km/s) wedges along the forearc areas, except for off Miyako-jima Island. The characteristic high gravity anomaly at the forearc off Miyako-jima Island is caused not by a bathymetric high of a large-scale accretionary wedge but by shallower materials with a high P-wave velocity of 4.5 km/s.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Genotype analysis, using PCR with type-specific primers, of hepatitis B virus isolates from patients coinfected with hepatitis delta virus genotype II from Miyako Island, Japan.

PubMed

Moriyama, Moriyama; Taira, Masaaki; Matsumura, Hiroshi; Aoki, Hiroshi; Mikuni, Morio; Kaneko, Miki; Shioda, Atsuo; Iwaguchi, Kayo; Arai, Shinobu; Ichijima, Sagiri; Iwasaki, Hiroko; Tanaka, Naohide; Abe, Kenji; Arakawa, Yasuyuki

2003-01-01

The aims of this study were to determine the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA-positive patients and to characterize the HBV nucleotide sequences that may be found on a distant island of Japan. This study included three patients with chronic hepatitis who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; ELISA), HDV antibody (ELISA) and HDV RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The HBV genotype was determined by nested PCR using type-specific primers. The first-round PCR products from two patients were sequenced, followed by an investigation of nucleotide homology. Viruses from all three patients in this study were classified as HBV genotype B. Comparison with HBV isolates from geographically neighboring regions revealed that the two HBV isolates had 97.9-98.6% identity at the nucleotide level to a Chinese isolate, 98.3-98.6% identity to the Okinawa isolate and 98.6-98.8% identity to a Japanese isolate of genotype B. On phylogenetic analysis, the HBV isolates from the two patients were classified as HBV genotype B. The HBV isolates of cases 1 and 3 clustered in the same group as isolates from the Chinese mainland and Japanese mainland, which are geographically near Miyako Island. The HBV isolates coinfected with HDV found on Miyako Island were of genotype B. The PCR method based on genotype-specific primers was useful in determining HBV genotypes. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

A Descriptive Analysis of Pointing and Oral Movements in a Home Sign System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torigoe, Takashi; Takei, Wataru

2002-01-01

Discussed a social survey on communication among deaf people who had no formal schooling. Participants were deaf individuals who lived in the Okinawa Islands of Japan. Reveals many elderly deaf people had no formal education, no access to conventional sign languages during childhood, and no contact with a Deaf community. Despite this, most…

Intra-Cultural Variation in Child Care Practices in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toyama, Noriko

2016-01-01

This study, comprising three sub-studies, aims to examine how child-rearing practices vary according to different social circumstances in Japan. By comparing teacher-child interaction at mealtimes in day care centres both on an isolated small island located in Okinawa prefecture, Tarama, and in a large industrialised city, Tokyo, the following was…

The Tonology of Itoman Okinawan: A Phonological Analysis of the Nominal Tone System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takara, Nobutaka

2012-01-01

Itoman, one of the varieties spoken in the southern part of Okinawa Island, exhibits several tone patterns. Although the tone patterns of Itoman were examined in previous studies (Nakasone ms., Hattori 1959, Oshiro 1963, and Hirayama et al. 1966), they ended at the descriptive level, and no phonological accounts for the surface tone patterns were…

Draft Genome Sequence of Pediococcus lolii NGRI 0510QT Isolated from Ryegrass Silage

PubMed Central

Mori, Kazuki; Tashiro, Kosuke; Fujino, Yasuhiro; Nagayoshi, Yuko; Hayashi, Yoshiharu; Kuhara, Satoru; Ohshima, Toshihisa

2013-01-01

Pediococcus lolii NGRI 0510QT was isolated from ryegrass silage produced on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Here we present a draft genome sequence for this strain, consisting of 103 contigs for a total of 2,047,078 bp, 2,154 predicted coding sequences, and a G+C content of 42.1%. PMID:23405350

Okinawan Subtropical Plants as a Promising Resource for Novel Chemical Treasury.

PubMed

Matsunami, Katsuyoshi; Otsuka, Hideaki

2018-01-01

The Okinawa Islands are a crescent-shaped archipelago and their natural forests hold a huge variety of unique subtropical plants with relatively high endemism. We have performed phytochemical study on Okinawan subtropical plants for many years. In this review, we describe our recent research progress on the isolation of new compounds and their various bioactivities.

Ryukyuan Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trafton, Terry

The Ryukyu Islands of Japan, of which Okinawa is the best known, possess a lengthy history and a sophisticated cultural background, an exploration of which helps to shed light on this area and on mainland Japan. This document is an exposition of Ryukuan culture. Divided into eight sections, the areas covered include: (1) Historical perspective;…

Distribution and Local Movement of Humpback Whales in Okinawan Waters Depend on Sex and Reproductive Status.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Nozomi; Okabe, Haruna; Kawazu, Isao; Higashi, Naoto; Kato, Keisuke; Miyahara, Hirokazu; Nakamura, Gen; Kato, Hidehiro; Uchida, Senzo

2017-02-01

The distribution and local movement patterns of humpback whales in waters off the west coast of Okinawa Island, southwest Japan, were investigated using line transect and photo-identification methodologies. Line transect surveys were conducted from 2011 to 2014 and photo-identification survey from 2006 to 2012. During the surveys, humpback whales aggregated in the areas around Ie and Kerama Islands, and tended to travel along the inshore coast of Okinawa Island when they move locally between those two sites. A total of 496 humpback whales of the known sex were photo-identified (322 males, 75 females and 99 females with a calf). Of these, 24.8% were confirmed moving locally between the sites of Ie and Kerama Islands within the same season. Frequency rates of the local movement for males, females and females with a calf were 41.9, 25.0, and 15.1%, respectively; the frequency of local movement for males was significantly higher than that for females and females with a calf. These results indicate that male humpback whales tend to move more actively between the local breeding sites as compared to females and females with a calf. We speculate that the males search for more opportunities to mate, whereas females with a calf tend to remain in the same areas to nurse their calves. These findings extend our knowledge of the habitat use and reproductive ecology of humpback whales in Okinawan waters, which remain poorly understood.

First Comparative Analysis of the Community Structures and Carbon Metabolic Pathways of the Bacteria Associated with Alvinocaris longirostris in a Hydrothermal Vent of Okinawa Trough.

PubMed

Sun, Qing-Lei; Zeng, Zhi-Gang; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Li

2016-01-01

Alvinocaris longirostris is a species of shrimp existing in the hydrothermal fields of Okinawa Trough. To date the structure and function of the microbial community associated with A. longirostris are essentially unknown. In this study, by employment of the techniques of high through-put sequencing and clone library construction and analysis, we compared for the first time the community structures and metabolic profiles of microbes associated with the gill and gut of A. longirostris in a hydrothermal field of Okinawa Trough. Fourteen phyla were detected in the gill and gut communities, of which 11 phyla were shared by both tissues. Proteobacteria made up a substantial proportion in both tissues, while Firmicutes was abundant only in gut. Although gill and gut communities were similar in bacterial diversities, the bacterial community structures in these two tissues were significantly different. Further, we discovered for the first time the existence in the gill and gut communities of A. longirostris the genes (cbbM and aclB) encoding the key enzymes of Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle and the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle, and that both cbbM and aclB were significantly more abundant in gill than in gut. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that at least two carbon fixation pathways are present in both the gill and the gut communities of A. longirostris, and that the communities in different tissues likely differ in autotrophic productivity.

Molecular Phylogeny Demonstrates the Need for Taxonomic Reconsideration of Species Diversity of the Hydrocoral Genus Millepora (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) in the Pacific.

PubMed

Takama, Okuto; Fernandez-Silva, Iria; López, Cataixa; Reimer, James Davis

2018-04-01

Millepora (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Milleporidae) spp. are distributed throughout shallow subtropical and tropical marine environments in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean-Atlantic, and have traditionally been identified using pore characteristics and colony form. Until now, representatives of Millepora spp. on the island of Okinawa-jima, Japan, have been divided into five species; three branching species (Millepora intricata, M. tenera, M. dichotoma), one species with plate-like morphology (M. platyphylla), and one encrusting species (M. exaesa). There have been only a few reports from the Indo-Pacific that have studied the genetic diversity within Millepora spp., although phylogenetic analyses in the Caribbean-Atlantic have proven useful in delimiting closely-related species, while demonstrating that morphologically-based identification systems may have problems. In the present study, we sought to clarify taxonomic confusion of Millepora spp. in the Pacific by using sequence data of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS-rDNA) of specimens from Okinawa, Japan and other localities (Johnston Atoll, Great Barrier Reef). Four separate clades were recovered from the ITS-rDNA analyses. Although we examined specimens of all three branching Millepora spp. previously reported from Okinawa-jima Island, in our phylogenetic analyses they were concentrated within a single clade, with only three specimens in other clades. Encrusting Millepora specimens were found within all clades, although it should be noted all species initially start as encrusting forms, and plate-like specimens were found within three clades. Our data also point to the existence of a previously unknown lineage within Millepora characterized by its ability to overgrow live scleractinian corals.

Generation of high-Mg andesites in the Kueishantao volcano, the southernmost part of the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, C.; Chung, S.; Shinjo, R.; Wang, S.; Chen, C.

2004-12-01

Kueishantao is an emerged volcanic islet located at the western end of the Southernmost Part of Okinawa Trough (SPOT). The Okinawa Trough, extending from SW Kyushu, Japan to NE Taiwan, is widely regarded as a backarc basin that is built behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system owing to subduction of the Philippine Sea plate underneath the Eurasian plate. The SPOT, however, is not a simple backarc basin but an embryonic rift zone in which early arc volcanism occurs as a result of the Ryukyu subduction (Chung et al., 2000). The Kueishantao is one of such volcanoes thus formed in the SPOT and consists mainly of andesitic lava flows dated to be ˜7000 yr old. In this study, we report whole rock major and trace element, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions of the Kueishantao andesites. The results indicate that some of the samples have unexpectedly high magnesium, with MgO ≥ 5 wt.% and Mg# > 0.5, relative to their silica contents (SiO2≈ 60 wt.%), which allow them to be coined as high-Mg andesites (HMAs). In the incompatible element variation diagram, these Kueishantao HMAs exhibit enrichments in the large ion lithophile elements and Th, U and Pb, and depletions in the high field strength elements, features typical of arc lavas from the Ryukyu subduction zone as well as convergent margins worldwide. More interestingly, their overall geochemical compositions are very similar to those of the mean continental crust proposed by Rudnick and Fountain (1995). The Kueishantao HMAs have uniform isotope compositions, with low ɛ Nd (-4.3 to -5.0), high Sr (87Sr/86Sr¡Ö≈ 0.706) and Pb (18.75, 15.68 and 39.02 of 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb, respectively) ratios. Such ¡°continental¡± isotopic signatures have led previous workers (Chen et al., 1995) to argue significant crustal contamination as a major petrogenetic process, but our evaluation shows that this simple binary mixing model fails to explain their geochemical and Pb isotope systematics. We propose, instead

Marine Subsurface Microbial Community Shifts Across a Hydrothermal Gradient in Okinawa Trough Sediments

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Sediments within the Okinawa back-arc basin overlay a subsurface hydrothermal network, creating intense temperature gradients with sediment depth and potential limits for microbial diversity. We investigated taxonomic changes across 45 m of recovered core with a temperature gradient of 3°C/m from the dynamic Iheya North Hydrothermal System. The interval transitions sharply from low-temperature marine mud to hydrothermally altered clay at 10 meters below seafloor (mbsf). Here, we present taxonomic results from an analysis of the 16S rRNA gene that support a conceptual model in which common marine subsurface taxa persist into the subsurface, while high temperature adapted archaeal taxa show localized peaks in abundances in the hydrothermal clay horizons. Specifically, the bacterial phylum Chloroflexi accounts for a major proportion of the total microbial community within the upper 10 mbsf, whereas high temperature archaea (Terrestrial Hot Spring Crenarchaeotic Group and methanotrophic archaea) appear in varying local abundances in deeper, hydrothermal clay horizons with higher in situ temperatures (up to 55°C, 15 mbsf). In addition, geochemical evidence suggests that methanotrophy may be occurring in various horizons. There is also relict DNA (i.e., DNA preserved after cell death) that persists in horizons where the conditions suitable for microbial communities have ceased. PMID:28096736

Typhoon Man-Yi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Typhoon Man-Yi was pummeling the Japanese island of Okinawa with winds between 230 and 295 kilometers per hour (125-160 knots, 144-184 miles per hour) and heavy rain on the morning of July 13, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image. The immense storm covered hundreds of kilometers with spiraling bands of thunderstorms, though it had lost the distinctive cloud-free eye it exhibited the day before. Typhoons are common in Japan, but powerful typhoons usually strike the island nation later in the year. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that Man-Yi is the fourth typhoon of the 2007 season and may be the most powerful ever observed in the northwest Pacific in July, reported Kyodo News. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expected the typhoon to strike Kyushu, a southern Japanese island, on July 14, and then curve northeast along the eastern shore of Japan. By the time the storm reaches Tokyo on July 15, it should be degraded to a tropical storm. As of July 13, Typhoon Man-Yi had injured eight and flooded twenty houses in Okinawa, and forced airlines to cancel hundreds of flights, said Kyodo News. The storm was expected to bring heavy rain to Japan's Pacific coast. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Genetic characterization of Okinawan black rats showing coat color polymorphisms of white spotting and melanism.

PubMed

Kambe, Yoshikazu; Nakata, Katsushi; Yasuda, Shumpei P; Suzuki, Hitoshi

2012-01-01

We examined pelage color variation in wild populations of black rats (the Rattus rattus species complex) in the Yambaru forest area, northern Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Our field study revealed that 8.7% (38/438) and 0.2% (4/2500) of rats exhibited two types of coat color: white spotting and melanism, respectively. Using 34 representative animals, the phylogeography of the population was inferred using a nuclear gene marker, i.e., sequences (954 bp) of the melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r) gene responsible for the melanistic form in black rats. Four sequences from Okinawa were characterized as R. tanezumi, the Asian strain of black rat. Notably, neither of the phenotypic characters of white spotting or melanism was associated with the Mc1r haplotypes. Analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) sequences (1140 bp) revealed that four haplotypes recovered from Okinawa clustered with the clade of R. tanezumi and differed by one or more bases from haplotypes at other localities in Japan and Asian countries. Thus, both variants may have arisen in the native rat population of Okinawa without interaction with the lineage of R. rattus, which exhibits a worldwide distribution and displays such coat color variants. The Yambaru population of black rats has thus experienced its own evolutionary history in allopatry for a substantial period of time (e.g., 10,000 years), which has preserved valuable genetic polymorphisms and will be useful for assessing the ecological consequences of genetic variation in natural populations.

Risk in the Ryukyu Islands: Joint Planning for Okinawa

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-25

establish bases to increase the sustained heavy bombing and air-sea blockade against Japan. Despite these benefits, the decision incurred greater risk of...establish bases to increase the sustained heavy bombing and air-sea blockade against Japan. Despite these benefits, the decision incurred greater risk of...objectives provided the Allies an opportunity to more quickly establish bases to increase the sustained heavy bombing and air-sea blockade against Japan

Dicarboxylic acids, oxoacids, benzoic acid, α-dicarbonyls, WSOC, OC, and ions in spring aerosols from Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim: size distributions and formation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, D. K.; Kawamura, K.; Lazaar, M.; Kunwar, B.; Boreddy, S. K. R.

2015-09-01

Size-segregated aerosols (9-stages from < 0.43 to > 11.3 μm in diameter) were collected at Cape Hedo, Okinawa in spring 2008 and analyzed for water-soluble diacids (C2-C12), ω-oxoacids (ωC2-ωC9), pyruvic acid, benzoic acid and α-dicarbonyls (C2-C3) as well as water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), organic carbon (OC) and major ions. In all the size-segregated aerosols, oxalic acid (C2) was found as the most abundant species followed by malonic and succinic acids whereas glyoxylic acid (ωC2) was the dominant oxoacid and glyoxal (Gly) was more abundant than methylglyoxal. Diacids (C2-C5), ωC2 and Gly as well as WSOC and OC peaked at 0.65-1.1 μm in fine mode whereas azelaic (C9) and 9-oxononanoic (ωC9) acids peaked at 3.3-4.7 μm in coarse mode. Sulfate and ammonium are enriched in fine mode whereas sodium and chloride are in coarse mode. These results imply that water-soluble species in the marine aerosols could act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) to develop the cloud cover over the western North Pacific Rim. The organic species are likely produced by a combination of gas-phase photooxidation, and aerosol-phase or in-cloud processing during long-range transport. The coarse mode peaks of malonic and succinic acids were obtained in the samples with marine air masses, suggesting that they may be associated with the reaction on sea salt particles. Bimodal size distributions of longer-chain diacid (C9) and oxoacid (ωC9) with a major peak in the coarse mode suggest their production by photooxidation of biogenic unsaturated fatty acids via heterogeneous reactions on sea salt particles.

Diversity of Microbial Communities and Quantitative Chemodiversity in Layers of Marine Sediment Cores from a Causeway (Kaichu-Doro) in Okinawa Island, Japan.

PubMed

Soliman, Taha; Reimer, James D; Yang, Sung-Yin; Villar-Briones, Alejandro; Roy, Michael C; Jenke-Kodama, Holger

2017-01-01

Microbial community diversity and chemodiversity were investigated in marine sediments adjacent to the Okinawan "Kaichu-Doro" Causeway, which was constructed 46 years ago to connect a group of four islands (Henza-jima, Miyagi-jima, Ikei-jima, Hamahiga-jima) to the Okinawan main island. This causeway was not built on pilings, but by land reclamation; hence, it now acts as a long, thin peninsula. The construction of this causeway was previously shown to have influenced the surrounding marine ecosystem, causing ecosystem fragmentation and loss of water circulation. In this study, we collected sediment cores ( n = 10) from five paired sites in 1 m water depths. Each pair of sites consisted of one site each on the immediate north and south sides of the causeway. Originally the members of each pair were much closer to each other (<150 m) than to other pairs, but now the members of each pair are isolated by the causeway. Each core was 60-80 cm long and was divided into 15-cm layers. We examined the vertical diversity of microbial communities and chemical compounds to determine the correlation between chemodiversity and microbial communities among marine sediment cores and layers. Principal coordinate analyses (PCoA) of detected compounds and of bacterial and archaeal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) revealed that the north and south sides of the causeway are relatively isolated, with each side having unique microbial OTUs. Additionally, some bacterial families (e.g., Acidaminobacteraceae, Rhizobiaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae) were found only on the south side of Kaichu-Doro. Interestingly, we found that the relative abundance of OTUs for some microbial families increased from top to bottom, but this was reversed in some other families. We conclude that the causeway has altered microbial community composition and metabolite profiles in marine sediments.

Subcellular distribution of trace elements in the liver of sea turtles.

PubMed

Anan, Yasumi; Kunito, Takashi; Sakai, Haruya; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2002-01-01

Subcellular distribution of Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Mo, Ag, Cd and Pb was determined in the liver of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) from Yaeyama Islands, Japan. Also, hepatic cytosol from sea turtles was applied on a Sephadex G-75 column and elution profiles of trace elements were examined. Copper, Zn, Se, Rb, Ag and Cd were largely present in cytosol in the liver of both species, indicating that cytosol was the significant site for the accumulation of these elements in sea turtles. In contrast, Mo and Pb were accumulated specifically in nuclear and mitochondrial fraction and microsomal fraction, respectively. Gel filtration analysis showed that Cu, Zn, Ag and Cd were bound to metallothionein (MT) in the cytosol of sea turtles. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the association of trace elements with MT in sea turtles.

Tea Consumption and Lung Cancer Risk: A Case‐Control Study in Okinawa, Japan

PubMed Central

Wakai, Kenji; Genka, Keiichiro; Ohmine, Keisho; Kawamura, Takashi; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Aoki, Rie; Senda, Masayo; Hayashi, Yutaka; Nagao, Keiichi; Fukutna, Seigo; Aoki, Kunio

1995-01-01

To disclose the relationship between tea consumption and lung cancer risk, we analyzed the data from a case‐control study conducted in Okinawa, Japan from 1988 to 1991. The analysis, based on 333 cases and 666 age‐, sex‐ and residence‐matched controls, provided the following major findings, (a) The greater the intake of Okinawan tea (a partially fermented tea), the smaller the risk, particularly in women. For females, the odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) for those who consumed 1‐4, 5‐9, and 10 cups or more of Okinawan tea every day, relative to non‐daily tea drinkers, were 0.77 (0.28‐2.13), 0.77 (0.26‐2.25) and 0.38 (0.12‐1.18), respectively (trend: P=0.032). The corresponding odds ratios for males were 0.85 (0.46‐1.55), 0.85 (0.46‐1.56) and 0.57 (0.31‐1.06) (trend: P=0.053). (b) The risk reduction by Okinawan tea consumption was detected mainly in squamous cell carcinoma. Daily tea consumption significantly decreased the risk of squamous cell carcinoma in males and females, the odds ratios being 0.50 (95% confidence interval 0.27‐0.93) and 0.08 (0.01‐0.68), respectively. These findings suggest a protective effect of tea consumption against lung cancer in humans. PMID:8567392

Ober's Island: The Mallard Ober's Island, One of the ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Ober's Island: The Mallard - Ober's Island, One of the Review Islands on Rainy Lake, bounded on the south by The Hawk Island and on the north by The Crow Island. These islands are located seven miles east of Ranier, Minnesota, three miles west of Voyageur National Park, and one mile south of the international border of the United States of America and Canada. The legal description of Mallard Island is Lot 6, Section 19, T-17-N, R-22-W, Koochiching County, Minnesota, Ranier, Koochiching County, MN

Island Formation: Constructing a Coral Island

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Heather; Edd, Amelia

2009-01-01

The process of coral island formation is often difficult for middle school students to comprehend. Coral island formation is a dynamic process, and students should have the opportunity to experience this process in a synergistic context. The authors provide instructional guidelines for constructing a coral island. Students play an interactive role…

Habitat and environment of islands: primary and supplemental island sets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matalas, Nicholas C.; Grossling, Bernardo F.

2002-01-01

The original intent of the study was to develop a first-order synopsis of island hydrology with an integrated geologic basis on a global scale. As the study progressed, the aim was broadened to provide a framework for subsequent assessments on large regional or global scales of island resources and impacts on those resources that are derived from global changes. Fundamental to the study was the development of a comprehensive framework?a wide range of parameters that describe a set of 'saltwater' islands sufficiently large to Characterize the spatial distribution of the world?s islands; Account for all major archipelagos; Account for almost all oceanically isolated islands, and Account collectively for a very large proportion of the total area of the world?s islands whereby additional islands would only marginally contribute to the representativeness and accountability of the island set. The comprehensive framework, which is referred to as the ?Primary Island Set,? is built on 122 parameters that describe 1,000 islands. To complement the investigations based on the Primary Island Set, two supplemental island sets, Set A?Other Islands (not in the Primary Island Set) and Set B?Lagoonal Atolls, are included in the study. The Primary Island Set, together with the Supplemental Island Sets A and B, provides a framework that can be used in various scientific disciplines for their island-based studies on broad regional or global scales. The study uses an informal, coherent, geophysical organization of the islands that belong to the three island sets. The organization is in the form of a global island chain, which is a particular sequential ordering of the islands referred to as the 'Alisida.' The Alisida was developed through a trial-and-error procedure by seeking to strike a balance between 'minimizing the length of the global chain' and 'maximizing the chain?s geophysical coherence.' The fact that an objective function cannot be minimized and maximized simultaneously

Heat Islands

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's Heat Island Effect Site provides information on heat islands, their impacts, mitigation strategies, related research, a directory of heat island reduction initiatives in U.S. communities, and EPA's Heat Island Reduction Program.

A new species of Labidocera (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pontellidae) collected from Okinawa, southwestern Japan, with establishment of five Indo-West Pacific species groups in the L.detruncata species complex.

PubMed

Hirabayashi, Takeshi; Ohtsuka, Susumu

2014-01-01

Labidocerachuraumi sp. n. is described from Okinawa, southwestern Japan. The female of the new species differs from other congeners in genital compound somite with right postero-lateral and left antero-lateral processes. The male is distinguished from other congeners by the structure of the fifth leg. This new species is assigned to a newly proposed species group, the Labidoceramadurae species group, within the Labidoceradetruncata species complex. In this species complex five Indo-West Pacific species groups are recognized (cervi, detruncata, gangetica, madurae, and pavo) and defined on the basis of difference in sexual dimorphism.

Aleutian Islands

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-21

Remote, rugged and extraordinarily beautiful, Alaska’s Aleutian Islands are best known for wildlife reserves, military bases, fishing, furs and fog. The sprawling volcanic archipelago was brought into the spotlight by the Russian-supported expedition of Alexey Chirikov and Vitus Bering in 1741, and soon became controlled by the Russian-American Fur Company. In 1867 the United States purchased Alaska, including the Aleutian Islands, from Russia. By 1900 the port in Unalaska was well established as a shipping port for Alaska gold. The archipelago sweeps about 1,200 miles (1,800 km) from the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula to Attu, the most westward island. Four major island groups hold 14 large islands, about 55 smaller islands, and a large number of islets, adding up to roughly 150 islands/islets in total. This chain separates the Bering Sea (north) from the Pacific Ocean (south) and the islands are connected by the Marine Highway Ferry – at least as far as Unalaska. For the most remote islands, such as birding paradise of Attu, the western-most Aleutian Island, travel becomes trickier and relies primarily on custom charter. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flew over the region and captured this spectacular true-color image of the eastern Aleutian Islands on May 15, 2014. In this image, the Alaskan Peninsula protrudes from the mainland and sweeps to the southwest. The first set of islands are called the Fox Island group. Unalaska Island is part of this group and can be identified, with some imagination, as an island formed in the shape of a flying cherub, with two arms (peninsulas) outstretched towards the northeast, seemingly reaching for the round “balls” of Akutan and Akun Islands. The smallest islands in the west of the image belong to the group known as the Islands of Four Mountains. The Aleutians continue far to the west of this image. Fog surrounds the Aleutians, stretching from just off the southwestern Alaska mainland to the

Tenarife Island, Canary Island Archipelago, Atlantic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Tenarife Island is one of the most volcanically active of the Canary Island archipelago, Atlantic Ocean, just off the NW coast of Africa, (28.5N, 16.5W). The old central caldera, nearly filled in by successive volcanic activity culminating in two stratocones. From those two peaks, a line of smaller cinder cones extend to the point of the island. Extensive gullies dissect the west side of the island and some forests still remain on the east side.

Tenarife Island, Canary Island Archipelago, Atlantic Ocean

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-08-11

Tenarife Island is one of the most volcanically active of the Canary Island archipelago, Atlantic Ocean, just off the NW coast of Africa, (28.5N, 16.5W). The old central caldera, nearly filled in by successive volcanic activity culminating in two stratocones. From those two peaks, a line of smaller cinder cones extend to the point of the island. Extensive gullies dissect the west side of the island and some forests still remain on the east side.

Drilling constraints on bimodal volcanism and subsequent formation of contrasted uppermost crustal compositions at the middle Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamasaki, T.; Takaya, Y.; Mukae, N.; Nagase, T.; Tindell, T.; Totsuka, S.; Uno, Y.; Yonezu, K.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.; Shipboard Scientist, C.

2016-12-01

The Okinawa Trough (OT) is a young and actively spreading back-arc basin, extending behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system in the southeastern margin of the East China Sea. The OT is believed to be in an initial rifting stage (starting from 6-9 Ma), prior to the normal/stable seafloor spreading which constitutes the main stage of back-arc basin formation. Two drilling cruises ‒ the IODP Exp. 331 and SIP CK14-04 D/V Chikyu Cruise (Exp. 907) in 2010 and 2014 ‒ were conducted at the Iheya North Knoll, middle OT. The Iheya North Knoll is a domal volcanic complex consisting of small volcanic bodies. On these cruises, pumiceous gravel and altered rhyolitic rocks, as well as hemi-pelagic sediments, hydrothermal clay and Kuroko-type ores, were recovered from the upper 200 m of the crust. From Feb. 11, 2016 to Mar. 17, 2016, the SIP CK16-01 (Exp. 908) D/V Chikyu cruise was conducted at Iheya North Knoll and the sediment-covered rifting center of the Iheya-Minor Ridge area, middle OT. The Iheya-Minor ridge area is also an active hydrothermal field, located 25 km southeast of the Iheya North Knoll. In this area, basaltic rocks are widely distributed, and drilling has confirmed that the basaltic materials continue to 120 m below the seafloor. From an igneous petrological point of view, the volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough are characterized by bimodal basaltic and rhyolitic compositions, with a compositional gap between SiO2 = 56-66 wt%. The origin of the rhyolitic rock has been interpreted as magmatic differentiation of basaltic magma. However, the existence of an active basalt-hosted hydrothermal field in the Iheya-Minor ridge area suggests the presence of hot basaltic rocks at a shallow position in the crust, and reaching recharged seawater at this depth. Furthermore, the composition of felsic rocks just after the compositional gap (SiO2 = 67 wt%) is very similar to that of the minimum melt of a granitic system, and experimental partial melt of hydrous basalt. Therefore

Canary Islands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This easterly looking view shows the seven major volcanic islands of the Canary Island chain (28.0N, 16.5W) and offers a unique view of the islands that have become a frequent vacation spot for Europeans. The northwest coastline of Africa, (Morocco and Western Sahara), is visible in the background. Frequently, these islands create an impact on local weather (cloud formations) and ocean currents (island wakes) as seen in this photo.

Island-Trapped Waves, Internal Waves, and Island Circulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

from the government of Palau to allow us to deliver some water and food to the officers. Governor Patris of Hatohobei State and the Coral Reef ...Island-trapped waves , internal waves , and island circulation T. M. Shaun Johnston Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California...large islands (Godfrey, 1989; Firing et al., 1999); • Westward propagating eddies and/or Rossby waves encounter large islands and produce boundary

Metabolic Syndrome and Cognitive Decline Among the Oldest Old in Okinawa: In Search of a Mechanism. The KOCOA Project

PubMed Central

Todoriki, Hidemi; Higashiuesato, Yasushi; Yasura, Shotoku; Willcox, D. Craig; Ohya, Yusuke; Willcox, Bradley J.; Dodge, Hiroko H.

2012-01-01

The study aim was to test whether the metabolic syndrome or its components predicted cognitive decline among persons aged 80 years and older (mean 85.0 years). Participants were members of the “Keys to Optimal Cognitive Aging Project,” a prospective cohort study in Okinawa, Japan. Metabolic syndrome was assessed at baseline. Cognitive functions were assessed annually for up to 3 years. One hundred and forty-eight participants completed at least one follow-up with 101 participating in all three assessments and 47 participating in two of the three assessments. The mean and median duration of follow-up were 1.8 and 2 years, respectively. Metabolic syndrome and four components were not associated with decline in global and executive cognitive functions. However, high glycosylated hemoglobin was associated with decline in memory function at the second follow-up. Our study supports accumulating evidence that the positive association between metabolic syndrome and cognitive function might not hold for the oldest old. PMID:22016359

Eco-geomorphic processes that maintain a small coral reef island: Ballast Island in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kayanne, Hajime; Aoki, Kenji; Suzuki, Takuya; Hongo, Chuki; Yamano, Hiroya; Ide, Yoichi; Iwatsuka, Yuudai; Takahashi, Kenya; Katayama, Hiroyuki; Sekimoto, Tsunehiro; Isobe, Masahiko

2016-10-01

Landform changes in Ballast Island, a small coral reef island in the Ryukyu Islands, were investigated by remote sensing analysis and a field survey. The area of the island almost doubled after a mass coral bleaching event in 1998. Coral branches generated by the mass mortality and broken by waves were delivered and stocked on a reef flat and accumulated to expand the area of the island. In 2012 high waves generated by typhoons also changed the island's topography. Overall, the island moved in the downdrift direction of the higher waves. Waves impacting both sides of the island piled up a large volume of coral gravels above the high-tide level. Eco-geomorphic processes, including a supply of calcareous materials from the corals on the same reef especially during stormy wave conditions, were key factors in maintaining the dynamic topographic features of this small coral reef island.

Galapagos Islands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This true-color image of the Galapagos Islands was acquired on March 12, 2002, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite. The Galapagos Islands, which are part of Ecuador, sit in the Pacific Ocean about 1000 km (620 miles) west of South America. As the three craters on the largest island (Isabela Island) suggest, the archipelago was created by volcanic eruptions, which took place millions of years ago. Unlike most remote islands in the Pacific, the Galapagos have gone relatively untouched by humans over the past few millennia. As a result, many unique species have continued to thrive on the islands. Over 95 percent of the islands' reptile species and nearly three quarters of its land bird species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Two of the more well known are the Galapagos giant tortoise and marine iguanas. The unhindered evolutionary development of the islands' species inspired Charles Darwin to begin The Origin of Species eight years after his visit there. To preserve the unique wildlife on the islands, the Ecuadorian government made the entire archipelago a national park in 1959. Each year roughly 60,000 tourists visit these islands to experience what Darwin did over a century and a half ago. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Ober's Island, One of the Review Islands on Rainy Lake, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Ober's Island, One of the Review Islands on Rainy Lake, bounded on the south by The Hawk Island and on the north by The Crow Island. These islands are located seven miles east of Ranier, Minnesota, three miles west of Voyageur National Park, and one mile south of the international border of the United States of America and Canada. The legal description of Mallard Island is Lot 6, Section 19, T-17-N, R-22-W, Koochiching County, Minnesota, Ranier, Koochiching County, MN

Multidecadal shoreline changes of atoll islands in the Marshall Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, M.

2012-12-01

Atoll islands are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of continued sea level rise. One of the most commonly predicted outcomes of continued sea level rise is widespread and chronic shoreline erosion. Despite the widespread implications of predicted erosion, the decadal scale changes of atoll island shorelines are poorly resolved. The Marshall Islands is one of only four countries where the majority of inhabited land is comprised of reef and atoll islands. Consisting of 29 atolls and 5 mid-ocean reef islands, the Marshall Islands are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise. A detailed analysis of shoreline change on over 300 islands on 10 atolls was undertaken using historic aerial photos (1945-1978) and modern high resolution satellite imagery (2004-2012). Results highlight the complex and dynamic nature of atoll islands, with significant shifts in shoreline position observed over the period of analysis. Results suggest shoreline accretion is the dominant mode of change on the islands studied, often associated with a net increase in vegetated island area. However, considerable inter- and intra-atoll variability exists with regards to shoreline stability. Findings are discussed with respect to island morphodynamics and potential hazard mitigation and planning responses within atoll settings.

A new species of Labidocera (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pontellidae) collected from Okinawa, southwestern Japan, with establishment of five Indo-West Pacific species groups in the L. detruncata species complex

PubMed Central

Hirabayashi, Takeshi; Ohtsuka, Susumu

2014-01-01

Abstract Labidocera churaumi sp. n. is described from Okinawa, southwestern Japan. The female of the new species differs from other congeners in genital compound somite with right postero-lateral and left antero-lateral processes. The male is distinguished from other congeners by the structure of the fifth leg. This new species is assigned to a newly proposed species group, the Labidocera madurae species group, within the Labidocera detruncata species complex. In this species complex five Indo-West Pacific species groups are recognized (cervi, detruncata, gangetica, madurae, and pavo) and defined on the basis of difference in sexual dimorphism. PMID:25349514

Occurrence of carbamoyl-N-hydroxy derivatives of saxitoxin and neosaxitoxin in a xanthid crab Zosimus aeneus.

PubMed

Arakawa, O; Noguchi, T; Shida, Y; Onoue, Y

1994-02-01

Two novel paralytic toxins were isolated from toxic specimens of a xanthid crab Zosimus aeneus inhabiting Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. The structures of two of these were deduced to be carbamoyl-N-hydroxysaxitoxin and carbamoyl-N-hydroxyneosaxitoxin based on electrophoresis, high performance liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and conversion experiments. They showed specific toxicities of 1700 and 1400 mouse units per mg on i.p. injection into mice.

Foundation Investigation for Ground Based Radar Project-Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-01

iL_ COPY MISCELLANEOUS PAPER GL-90-5 i iFOUNDATION INVESTIGATION FOR GROUND BASED RADAR PROJECT--KWAJALEIN ISLAND, MARSHALL ISLANDS by Donald E...C!assification) Foundatioa Investigation for Ground Based Radar Project -- Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Yule, Donald E...investigation for the Ground Based Radar Project -- Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands , are presented.- eophysical tests comprised of surface refrac- tion

Kerguelen Islands

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-27

This image from NASA Terra spacecraft shows the Kerguelen Islands also known as the Desolation Islands, which are part of the French Southern and Antarctic lands. The islands are among the most isolated places on Earth.

Landscapes of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schumann, R. Randall; Minor, Scott A.; Muhs, Daniel R.; Pigati, Jeffery S.

2014-01-01

Santa Rosa Island (SRI) is the second-largest of the California Channel Islands. It is one of 4 east–west aligned islands forming the northern Channel Islands chain, and one of the 5 islands in Channel Islands National Park. The landforms, and collections of landforms called landscapes, of Santa Rosa Island have been created by tectonic uplift and faulting, rising and falling sea level, landslides, erosion and deposition, floods, and droughts. Landscape features, and areas delineating groups of related features on Santa Rosa Island, are mapped, classified, and described in this paper. Notable landscapes on the island include beaches, coastal plains formed on marine terraces, sand dunes, and sand sheets. In this study, the inland physiography has been classified into 4 areas based on relief and degree of fluvial dissection. Most of the larger streams on the island occupy broad valleys that have been filled with alluvium and later incised to form steep- to vertical-walled arroyos, or barrancas, leaving a relict floodplain above the present channel. A better understanding of the processes and mechanisms that created these landscapes enhances visitors’ enjoyment of their surroundings and contributes to improving land and resource management strategies in order to optimize and balance the multiple goals of conservation, preservation, restoration, and visitor experience.

An LED-based UV-B irradiation system for tiny organisms: System description and demonstration experiment to determine the hatchability of eggs from four Tetranychus spider mite species from Okinawa.

PubMed

Suzuki, Takeshi; Yoshioka, Yoshio; Tsarsitalidou, Olga; Ntalia, Vivi; Ohno, Suguru; Ohyama, Katsumi; Kitashima, Yasuki; Gotoh, Tetsuo; Takeda, Makio; Koveos, Dimitris S

2014-03-01

We developed a computer-based system for controlling the photoperiod and irradiance of UV-B and white light from a 5×5 light-emitting diode (LED) matrix (100×100mm). In this system, the LED matrix was installed in each of four irradiation boxes and controlled by pulse-width modulators so that each box can independently emit UV-B and white light at irradiances of up to 1.5 and 4.0Wm(-2), respectively, or a combination of both light types. We used this system to examine the hatchabilities of the eggs of four Tetranychus spider mite species (T. urticae, T. kanzawai, T. piercei and T. okinawanus) collected from Okinawa Island under UV-B irradiation alone or simultaneous irradiation with white light for 12hd(-1) at 25°C. Although no eggs of any species hatched under the UV-B irradiation, even when the irradiance was as low as 0.02Wm(-2), the hatchabilities increased to >90% under simultaneous irradiation with 4.0Wm(-2) white light. At 0.06Wm(-2) UV-B, T. okinawanus eggs hatched (15% hatchability) under simultaneous irradiation with white light, whereas other species showed hatchabilities <1%. These results suggest that photolyases activated by white light may reduce UV-B-induced DNA damage in spider mite eggs and that the greater UV-B tolerance of T. okinawanus may explain its dominance on plants in seashore environments, which have a higher risk of exposure to reflected UV-B even on the undersurface of leaves. Our system will be useful for further examination of photophysiological responses of tiny organisms because of its ability to precisely control radiation conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arctic ice islands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sackinger, W.M.; Jeffries, M.O.; Lu, M.C.

1988-01-01

The development of offshore oil and gas resources in the Arctic waters of Alaska requires offshore structures which successfully resist the lateral forces due to moving, drifting ice. Ice islands are floating, a tabular icebergs, up to 60 meters thick, of solid ice throughout their thickness. The ice islands are thus regarded as the strongest ice features in the Arctic; fixed offshore structures which can directly withstand the impact of ice islands are possible but in some locations may be so expensive as to make oilfield development uneconomic. The resolution of the ice island problem requires two research steps: (1)more » calculation of the probability of interaction between an ice island and an offshore structure in a given region; and (2) if the probability if sufficiently large, then the study of possible interactions between ice island and structure, to discover mitigative measures to deal with the moving ice island. The ice island research conducted during the 1983-1988 interval, which is summarized in this report, was concerned with the first step. Monte Carlo simulations of ice island generation and movement suggest that ice island lifetimes range from 0 to 70 years, and that 85% of the lifetimes are less then 35 years. The simulation shows a mean value of 18 ice islands present at any time in the Arctic Ocean, with a 90% probability of less than 30 ice islands. At this time, approximately 34 ice islands are known, from observations, to exist in the Arctic Ocean, not including the 10-meter thick class of ice islands. Return interval plots from the simulation show that coastal zones of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, already leased for oil development, have ice island recurrences of 10 to 100 years. This implies that the ice island hazard must be considered thoroughly, and appropriate safety measures adopted, when offshore oil production plans are formulated for the Alaskan Arctic offshore. 132 refs., 161 figs., 17 tabs.« less

Perspective View of Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska #2

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-11-04

This image is a perspective view acquired by NASA Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar AIRSAR in 2001, is of Umnak Island, one of Alaska Aleutian Islands. The active Okmok volcano appears in the center of the island.

Perspective View of Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska #1

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-11-04

This image is a perspective view acquired by NASA Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar AIRSAR in 2001, is of Umnak Island, one of Alaska Aleutian Islands. The active Okmok volcano appears in the center of the island.

Detection of Ancestry Informative HLA Alleles Confirms the Admixed Origins of Japanese Population

PubMed Central

Nakaoka, Hirofumi; Mitsunaga, Shigeki; Hosomichi, Kazuyoshi; Shyh-Yuh, Liou; Sawamoto, Taiji; Fujiwara, Tsutomu; Tsutsui, Naohisa; Suematsu, Koji; Shinagawa, Akira; Inoko, Hidetoshi; Inoue, Ituro

2013-01-01

The polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region are powerful tool for studying human evolutionary processes. We investigated genetic structure of Japanese by using five-locus HLA genotypes (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DPB1) of 2,005 individuals from 10 regions of Japan. We found a significant level of population substructure in Japanese; particularly the differentiation between Okinawa Island and mainland Japanese. By using a plot of the principal component scores, we identified ancestry informative alleles associated with the underlying population substructure. We examined extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between pairs of HLA alleles on the haplotypes that were differentiated among regions. The LDs were strong and weak for pairs of HLA alleles characterized by low and high frequencies in Okinawa Island, respectively. The five-locus haplotypes whose alleles exhibit strong LD were unique to Japanese and South Korean, suggesting that these haplotypes had been recently derived from the Korean Peninsula. The alleles characterized by high frequency in Japanese compared to South Korean formed segmented three-locus haplotype that was commonly found in Aleuts, Eskimos, and North- and Meso-Americans but not observed in Korean and Chinese. The serologically equivalent haplotype was found in Orchid Island in Taiwan, Mongol, Siberia, and Arctic regions. It suggests that early Japanese who existed prior to the migration wave from the Korean Peninsula shared ancestry with northern Asian who moved to the New World via the Bering Strait land bridge. These results may support the admixture model for peopling of Japanese Archipelago. PMID:23577161

Detection of ancestry informative HLA alleles confirms the admixed origins of Japanese population.

PubMed

Nakaoka, Hirofumi; Mitsunaga, Shigeki; Hosomichi, Kazuyoshi; Shyh-Yuh, Liou; Sawamoto, Taiji; Fujiwara, Tsutomu; Tsutsui, Naohisa; Suematsu, Koji; Shinagawa, Akira; Inoko, Hidetoshi; Inoue, Ituro

2013-01-01

The polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region are powerful tool for studying human evolutionary processes. We investigated genetic structure of Japanese by using five-locus HLA genotypes (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DPB1) of 2,005 individuals from 10 regions of Japan. We found a significant level of population substructure in Japanese; particularly the differentiation between Okinawa Island and mainland Japanese. By using a plot of the principal component scores, we identified ancestry informative alleles associated with the underlying population substructure. We examined extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between pairs of HLA alleles on the haplotypes that were differentiated among regions. The LDs were strong and weak for pairs of HLA alleles characterized by low and high frequencies in Okinawa Island, respectively. The five-locus haplotypes whose alleles exhibit strong LD were unique to Japanese and South Korean, suggesting that these haplotypes had been recently derived from the Korean Peninsula. The alleles characterized by high frequency in Japanese compared to South Korean formed segmented three-locus haplotype that was commonly found in Aleuts, Eskimos, and North- and Meso-Americans but not observed in Korean and Chinese. The serologically equivalent haplotype was found in Orchid Island in Taiwan, Mongol, Siberia, and Arctic regions. It suggests that early Japanese who existed prior to the migration wave from the Korean Peninsula shared ancestry with northern Asian who moved to the New World via the Bering Strait land bridge. These results may support the admixture model for peopling of Japanese Archipelago.

75 FR 51098 - Protection Island and San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuges, Jefferson, Island, San Juan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-18

..., Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 715 Holgerson Drive, Sequim, WA 98382. FOR FURTHER...] Protection Island and San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuges, Jefferson, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties, WA AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability: draft...

Barrier island vulnerability to breaching: a case study on Dauphin Island, Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Mark; Sallenger, Asbury H.

2007-01-01

Breaching of barrier islands can adversely impact society by severing infrastructure, destroying private properties, and altering water quality in back bays and estuaries. This study provides a scheme that assesses the relative vulnerability of a barrier island to breach during storms. Dauphin Island, Alabama was selected for this study because it has a well documented history of island breaches and extensive geological and geomorphic data. To assess the vulnerability of the island, we defined several variables contributing to the risk of breaching: island geology, breaching history, and island topography and geomorphology. These variables were combined to form a breaching index (BI) value for cross island computational bins, each bin every 50 m in the alongshore direction. Results suggest the eastern section of Dauphin Island has the lowest risk of breaching with the remaining portion of the island having a moderate to high risk of breaching. Two reaches in the western section of the island were found to be particularly vulnerable due primarily to their minimal cross-sectional dimensions.

78 FR 48668 - PSEG Long Island LLC, Long Island Electric Utility Servco LLC, Long Island Power Authority, Long...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-09

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [ Docket No. EL13-81-000] PSEG Long Island LLC, Long Island Electric Utility Servco LLC, Long Island Power Authority, Long Island Lighting Company; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order Take notice that on August 1, 2013, pursuant to Rule 207 of the Federal Energy Regulatory...

Christmas Island, Line Island Group, Pacific Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Christmas Island (2.0N,158.0W), mid central Pacific Ocean, is considered to be the largest atoll in the world, about 25 km in diameter, and is part of the Line Island Group, a northwest-southeast trending chain of volcanic islands on some of the oldest ocean crust in the Pacific. The lagoon is nearly filled with reef growth leaving only a narrow entrance from the sea and large cocoanut groves are found along the fringes of the lagoon.

Akpatok Island

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

January 1st, 2001: Description: Akpatok Island lies in Ungava Bay in northern Quebec, Canada. Accessible only by air, Akpatok Island rises out of the water as sheer cliffs that soar 500 to 800 feet (150 to 243m) above the sea surface. The island is an important sanctuary for cliff-nesting seabirds. Numerous ice floes around the island attract walrus and whales, making Akpatok a traditional hunting ground for native Inuit people. Source: Landsat 7 To learn more about the Landsat satellite go to: landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Hawaiian Island Archipelago

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-06-24

The entire Hawaiian Island Archipelago (21.5N, 158.0W) is seen in this single view. The islands are a favorite international resort and tourist attraction drawing visitors from all over the world to enjoy the tropical climate, year round beaches and lush island flora. Being volcanic in origin, the islands' offer a rugged landscape and on the big island of Hawaii, there is still an occasional volcanic eruption of lava flows and steam vents.

Magnetostratigraphy of reef limestones -a case study in Ryukyu Group, Okinawa, Japan-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anai, C.; Shibuya, H.; Mochizuki, N.

2017-12-01

The Ryukyu Group in Ryukyu islands consists of reef limestones of Pleistocene in age, and records regression-transgression cycles of the age. It has great importance for providing the precise sea level changes around Middle-Pleistocene climate transition from 40kyr cycle to 100kyr. In order to assign a geochronological marker in the age of the transition, we investigate the magnetostratigraphical studies of the Ryukyu Group in Miyakojima island. Paleomagnetic samples were collected at 20 sites from all of 5 sequence-stratigraphic units appeared in Miyakojima island (MY-Unit 1 to 5 in ascending order). The conventional thermal demagnetization procedure provides reliable polarity only in 7 sites. For remaining 13 sites, we applied a novel technique of reductive chemical demagnetization (RCD) in addition to the conventional alternating field demagnetization. This hybrid technique successfully erased the overprinting magnetic components and unveiled the primary component. Paleomagnetic directions of 20 sites show that the studied sequence records a polarity transition from reversed to normal, and the transition is at the lowest part of the MY-Unit 4. Previous calcareous nannofossil studies show that the reversal corresponds to the Matuyama-Brunhes boundary. It enables us to correlate the Ryukyu limestones with the timing of the climate transition.

The Characteristics of Heat Flow in the Ryukyu Trench-Arc-Basin System: Constraints on Thermal Structure and Evolution of the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.

2017-12-01

Heat flow is an important constraint to study the thermal structure and evolution in modeling experiments. Based on the surface heat flow map and recent geochemistry results, a 2D transient heat conduction-advection model is used to investigate how the effects of sedimentation rate, magmatic intrusion, extension duration and rate on the surface heat flow distribution of the Okinawa Trough. Surface heat flow distribution map is interpolated based on a data set with 664 measurements in the Ryukyu trench-arc-basin system. The map shows an obviously correspondence between heat flows and tectonic zones, characterized by belts in E-W and blocks in S-N. The heat flow is extremely high and variable in the central Okinawa Trough (COT). The lowest heat values are distributed in the northwest of West Philippine Sea near the Ryukyu Trench. This phenomenon is likely related to increasing hydrothermal circulation of cold water into the upper portion of the incoming plate because of bend-faulting and little sediment coverage. Simulation results show that (1) High sedimentation rate can reduce heat flow by 30-35 % in the southern OT. (2) The sedimentation-corrected heat flow indicates that mantle upwelling occurred in the whole OT. The isotherm of 1000°C reaches to the depth of 19 km in the axil of the COT after 10 Ma. (3) The heat flow can be improved drastically by dyke intrusion along normal faults, but subsequent decreases rapidly about 15% after 0.1 Ma, which indicates the age of dyke intrusion under the Iheya area is younger than 0.5 Ma, and the depth is shallower than 2 km. Moreover, the magma fluid upward migrated along the magma conduits is required for the extremely high heat flow and its Darcy velocity can reach to 9 cm/yr. Based on the distribution of heat flow, we suggest that there is a different evolution model between the central- northern OT and the southern. The time of rifting in the NOT-COT began at 10 Ma with the mean rate of 0.4 cm/yr, while the rifting of

33 CFR 80.712 - Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Island. (d) A line drawn from the microwave antenna tower on Edisto Beach charted in approximate position..., SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the easternmost tip of Folley Island to the... Island. (b) A straight line drawn from the seaward tangent of Folly Island through Folly River Daybeacon...

33 CFR 80.712 - Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Island. (d) A line drawn from the microwave antenna tower on Edisto Beach charted in approximate position..., SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the easternmost tip of Folley Island to the... Island. (b) A straight line drawn from the seaward tangent of Folly Island through Folly River Daybeacon...

33 CFR 80.717 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Tybee Island 255° true across Tybee Inlet to the shore of Little Tybee Island south of the entrance to... Island to the seaward tangent of Bradley Point on Ossabaw Island. (d) A north-south line (longitude 81°8...-south line (longitude 81°10.6′ W.) drawn from the southernmost extremity of St. Catherines Island to...

33 CFR 80.717 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Tybee Island 255° true across Tybee Inlet to the shore of Little Tybee Island south of the entrance to... Island to the seaward tangent of Bradley Point on Ossabaw Island. (d) A north-south line (longitude 81°8...-south line (longitude 81°10.6′ W.) drawn from the southernmost extremity of St. Catherines Island to...

46 CFR 7.80 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Tybee Island south of the entrance to Buck Hammock Creek. (b) A line drawn from the southernmost... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. 7.80 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.80 Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. (a) A line drawn from the...

33 CFR 80.717 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Tybee Island 255° true across Tybee Inlet to the shore of Little Tybee Island south of the entrance to... Island to the seaward tangent of Bradley Point on Ossabaw Island. (d) A north-south line (longitude 81°08...-south line (longitude 81°10.6′ W.) drawn from the southernmost extremity of St. Catherines Island to...

46 CFR 7.80 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Tybee Island south of the entrance to Buck Hammock Creek. (b) A line drawn from the southernmost... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. 7.80 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.80 Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.80 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Tybee Island south of the entrance to Buck Hammock Creek. (b) A line drawn from the southernmost... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. 7.80 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.80 Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.80 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Tybee Island south of the entrance to Buck Hammock Creek. (b) A line drawn from the southernmost... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. 7.80 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.80 Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. (a) A line drawn from the...

33 CFR 80.717 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Tybee Island 255° true across Tybee Inlet to the shore of Little Tybee Island south of the entrance to... Island to the seaward tangent of Bradley Point on Ossabaw Island. (d) A north-south line (longitude 81°08...-south line (longitude 81°10.6′ W.) drawn from the southernmost extremity of St. Catherines Island to...

Hawaiian Island Archipelago

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

In this view of the entire Hawaiian Island Archipelago (21.0N, 157.0W), the islands perturb the prevailing northeastewrly winds producing extensive cloud wakes in the lee of the islands. The atmospheric haze within the wake is a result of the near continuous eruptions of Kilauea volcano on the southeast coast of the big island of Hawaii.

Akpatok Island

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Akpatok Island lies in Ungava Bay in northern Quebec, Canada. Accessible only by air, Akpatok Island rises out of the water as sheer cliffs that soar 500 to 800 feet (150 to 243 m) above the sea surface. The island is an important sanctuary for cliff-nesting seabirds. Numerous ice floes around the island attract walrus and whales, making Akpatok a traditional hunting ground for native Inuit people. This image was acquired by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) sensor on January 22, 2001. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch

Study on the surfactants present in atmospheric aerosols collected in the Okinawa Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamegawa, A.; Kasaba, T.; Shimabukuro, W.; Arakaki, T.

2017-12-01

The main constituent of atmospheric aerosols is organic substances, which occupy 20 to 70% of the mass. Organic matters in the aerosols contain organic acids, protein and humic acid, which behave similar to surfactants. Since surfactants contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic functional groups in the molecule, they can play important roles in cloud formation and can affect climate change, but detailed mechanisms and magnitude are not well understood. In addition, surfactants can cause asthma, allergy, dry eye and so on. In this study, our aim is to characterize surfactants in the aerosols collected in different seasons in Okinawa, Japan. Atmospheric aerosols were collected at Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS) during Sep. 2013 and July 2014. Surfactants in the environment are comprised of artificially synthesized compounds and naturally derived organics so we only differentiate them into anionic and cationic surfactants. Colorimetric methods were used to determine the concentrations of anionic surfactants as methylene blue active substance (MBAS). Cationic surfactants were also measured by colorimetric method as disulfine blue active substance (DBAS) and showed always below detection limit. Thus, we only discuss anionic surfactants measured as MBAS. Water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and metal concentrations were also measured for the same aerosol samples. Concentrations of MBAS in the studied samples were 2-3 times higher in spring, fall and winter than those collected in summer. MBAS concentration in the aerosols showed strong correlation with sulfate ion and WSOC, and slightly weaker correlation with nss-sulfate ion. Among the metals, only sodium ion showed a relatively strong correlation with MBAS concentrations. It is suggested that the anionic surfactants in the studied aerosols are mainly derived from marine sources.

Extremely magnetized abyssal lavas erupted in active back-arc of the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, M.; Sato, H.; Okino, K.

2017-12-01

Although high-amplitude of marine magnetic anomalies have been utilized for understanding for seafloor dynamics, the causal link between intensity of natural remanent magnetization and physical and chemical processes of extrusive rocks are still unclear. In addition, we essentially lack rock magnetic data of arc-back-arc lavas, which potentially provide strong constraints for understanding time- and spatial-dependent diversity of lava magnetization including mid-ocean ridge basalts. Here, we present new rock magnetic data of strongly magnetized basaltic rocks, which rank among the most magnetized in known oceanic basaltic rocks, from active back-arc region of the Okinawa Trough. We analyzed 27 non-oxidized (fresh) basaltic rock samples obtained from the active back-arc volcanoes, located at the segment boundary along back-arc rift. Their natural remanent magnetization ranges 7 A/m to >200 A/m, and has clear nonlinear relationship with both magnetic hysteresis signatures and titanomagnetite amount. The strongly magnetized lavas show large contribution of appropriate amount of SD titanomagnetite grains formed in proper crystal growth environments. The high-temperature thermomagnetic experiments demonstrate reversible curves in both heating and cooling with single Curie temperature. The Curie temperature shows up to 480°C for strongly magnetized lavas, which is much higher than that of mid-ocean ridge basalts mainly containing TM60, indicating that rich Fe and low Ti contents of titanomagnetite grains are main magnetic carrier. These observations clearly demonstrate that intensity of natural remanent magnetization is primarily controlled by cooling rate of lavas and ratio of Fe to Ti of titanomagnetite grains as well as bulk iron contents, with important implications towards marine magnetic anomalies and arc-back-arc volcanism.

Diomede Islands, Bering Straight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

The Diomede Islands consisting of the western island Big Diomede (also known as Imaqliq, Nunarbuk or Ratmanov Island), and the eastern island Little Diomede (also known as Krusenstern Island or Inaliq), are two rocky islands located in the middle of the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska. The islands are separated by an international border and the International Date Line which is approximately 1.5 km from each island; you can look from Alaska into tomorrow in Russia. At the closest land approach between the United States, which controls Little Diomede, and Russia, which controls Big Diomede, they are 3 km apart. Little Diomede Island constitutes the Alaskan City of Diomede, while Big Diomede Island is Russia's easternmost point. The first European to reach the islands was the Russian explorer Semyon Dezhnev in 1648. The text of the 1867 treaty finalizing the sale of Alaska uses the islands to designate the border between the two nations.

The image was acquired July 8, 2000, covers an area of 13.5 x 10.8 km, and is located at 65.8 degrees north latitude, 169 degrees west longitude.

The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

Norfolk Island, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-05-13

Situated 1670 km northeast of Sydney, Norfolk Island is an Australian Territory. It was permanently settled in 1856 by Pitcairn Islanders who were descendants of Tahitians and HMS Bounty mutineers. In 1979 Norfolk was granted limited self-government: the island elects a government that runs most of the island's affairs. In March, a local council replaced the local government, and the island was given closer financial ties to Australia. The image was acquired November 12, 2009, covers an area of 9 x 11 km, and is located at 29 degrees south, 168 degrees east. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19463

Tombs, tunnels, and terraces a cultural resources survey of a former ammunition supply point in Okinawa, Japan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verhaaren, B. T.; Levenson, J. B.; Komine, G.

2000-02-09

U.S. forces serving at military bases on foreign soil are obligated to act as good stewards of the cultural and natural resources under their control. However, cultural resources management presents special challenges at U.S. bases in other countries where cultural properties laws differ in emphasis and detail from those in the United States and issues of land ownership and occupancy are not always clear. Where status of forces agreements (SOFAs) exist, environmental governing standards bridge the gap between U.S. and host nation cultural priorities. In Japan, the Department of Defense Japan Environmental Governing Standards (JEGS) fill this function. Under Criteriamore » 12-4.2 and 12-4.3 of the JEGS, U.S. Forces Japan commit themselves to inventory and protect cultural properties found on the lands they control or use. Cultural properties include archaeological sites, tombs, historic buildings, and shrines. Natural monuments, such as landscape features or plant and animal species, may also be designated as cultural properties. As part of this commitment, in February 1999 a cultural resources inventory was conducted in Area 1, part of Kadena Air Base (AB), Okinawa, Japan. Area 1, the former U.S. army Ammunition Supply Point 1, is currently used primarily for training exercises and recreational paint ball.« less

Characteristics of the cultivable bacteria from sediments associated with two deep-sea hydrothermal vents in Okinawa Trough.

PubMed

Sun, Qing-lei; Wang, Ming-qing; Sun, Li

2015-12-01

In this study, different culture-dependent methods were used to examine the cultivable heterotrophic bacteria in the sediments associated with two deep-sea hydrothermal vents (named HV1 and HV2) located at Iheya Ridge and Iheya North in Okinawa Trough. The two vents differed in morphology, with HV1 exhibiting diffuse flows while HV2 being a black smoker with a chimney-like structure. A total of 213 isolates were identified by near full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Of these isolates, 128 were from HV1 and 85 were from HV2. The bacterial community structures were, in large parts, similar between HV1 and HV2. Nevertheless, differences between HV1 and HV2 were observed in one phylum, one class, 4 orders, 10 families, and 20 genera. Bioactivity analysis revealed that 25 isolates belonging to 9 different genera exhibited extracellular protease activities, 21 isolates from 11 genera exhibited extracellular lipase activities, and 13 isolates of 8 genera displayed antimicrobial activities. This is the first observation of a large population of bacteria with extracellular bioactivities existing in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Taken together, the results of this study provide new insights into the characteristics of the cultivable heterotrophic bacteria in deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems.

Hydrologic data for Block Island, Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burns, Emily

1993-01-01

This report was compiled as part of a study to assess the hydrogeology and the quality and quantity of fresh ground water on Block Island, Rhode Island. Hydrologic data were collected on Block Island during 1988-91. The data are pre- sented in illustrations and tables. Data collec- ted include precipitation, surfae-water, ground- water, lithologic, and well-construction and dis- charge information. Precipitation data include total monthly precipitation values from 11 rain gages and water-quality analyses of 14 precipi- tation samples from one station. Surface-water data include water-level measurements at 12 ponds, water-quality data for five ponds, and field specific-conductance measurements at 56 surface- water sites (streams, ponds, and springs). Ground- water data include water-level measurements at 159 wells, water-quality data at 150 wells, and field specific-conductance data at 52 wells. Lithologic logs for 375 wells and test borings, and construc- tion and location data for 570 wells, springs, and test borings are included. In addition, the data set contains data on water quality of water samples, collected by the Rhode Island Department of Health during 1976-91, from Fresh and Sands Ponds and from wells at the Block Island Water Company well field north of Sands Pond.

Inverter Anti-Islanding with Advanced Grid Support in Single- and Multi-Inverter Islands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoke, Andy

As PV and other DER systems are connected to the grid at increased penetration levels, island detection may become more challenging for two reasons: 1. In islands containing many DERs, active inverter-based anti-islanding methods may have more difficulty detecting islands because each individual inverter's efforts to detect the island may be interfered with by the other inverters in the island. 2. The increasing numbers of DERs are leading to new requirements that DERs ride through grid disturbances and even actively try to regulate grid voltage and frequency back towards nominal operating conditions. These new grid support requirements may directly ormore » indirectly interfere with anti-islanding controls. This report describes a series of tests designed to examine the impacts of both grid support functions and multi-inverter islands on anti-islanding effectiveness.« less

Island wake produced by Antipodes Islands south of New Zealand

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-12-16

SL4-137-3655 (16 Dec. 1973) --- An island wake produced by the Antipodes Islands in the ocean current south of New Zealand is seen in this photograph taken from the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. A Skylab 4 crewmen took the picture with a hand-held 70mm Hasselblad camera. The bow wave pattern is quite evident and can be used to determine the current speed from the angle of the bow wave if the propagation speed of the surface wave is known. Also, evident is the darker band extending downstream from the island tens of miles. This is the actual wake of the island. The existence of water color differences from within to outside a turbulent island wake may indicate a temperature difference, with cooler water being stirred to the surface in the wake. This temperature difference could be used to drive a thermo-electric type generator to reduce small islands' dependence on imported oil for power generation. Photo credit: NASA

Microtropiosides A-F: ent-Labdane diterpenoid glucosides from the leaves of Microtropis japonica (Celastraceae).

PubMed

Koyama, Yuka; Matsunami, Katsuyoshi; Otsuka, Hideaki; Shinzato, Takakazu; Takeda, Yoshio

2010-04-01

From a 1-BuOH-soluble fraction of a MeOH extract of the leaves of Microtropis japonica, collected in the Okinawa islands, six ent-labdane glucosides, named microtropiosides A-F, were isolated together with one known acyclic sesquiterpene glucoside. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic analyses, and their absolute configurations determined by application of the beta-D-glucopyranosylation-induced shift-trend rule in (13)C NMR spectroscopy and the modified Mosher's method. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ogasawara Islands, Japan

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-12

This image, acquired by NASA Terra spacecraft, is of the volcanic Ogasawara Islands. The islands were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, in recognition of an outstanding example of ongoing evolutionary processes in oceanic island ecosystems.

Vapor-rich Hydrothermal Fluid Migration Within Pumiceous Sediment in the Iheya North Knoll, Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishibashi, J.; Suzuki, R.; Hamasaki, H.; Yamanaka, T.; Chiba, H.; Tsunogai, U.; Ijiri, A.; Nakagawa, S.; Nunoura, T.; Takai, K.; Kinoshita, M.; Ashi, J.

2007-12-01

The newly developed ROV NSS (Navigable Sampling System) enabled pin-point piston core sampling from the active hydrothermal field. In the Iheya North hydrothermal field in the mid-Okinawa Trough (27°47.5'N, 126°53.8'E, depth = 1000m), animal colonies are observed not only around the central mound structure (named as NBC) which discharges vigrously high temperature (T=311°C) clear fluid, but also as Calyptogena colony at 200m east from the NBC mound and as tube-worm colony at 250m southeast from the NBC mound. During Leg 3 of KY05-14 cruise (R/V Kaiyo of JAMSTEC) in Jan. 2005, fourn piston cores were successfully recovered with length from 65cm to 250cm. Surface sediments from the Calyptogena colony and the tube-worm colony were revealed as mainly composed of pumiceous sediment. Pore fluids from the Calyptogena Field showed unusual chemistry characterized as very low salinity (Cl=420mM), low Mg concentration, significantly lower Na/Cl ratio than seawater and high methane concentration, which suggests contribution of a vapor-rich hydrothermal component migrating within the pumice layer from the activity center. Moreover, decrease of SO4 accompanied by increase of alkalinity is notable even less than one meter depth below the seafloor. In situ sulfate reduction in the surface sediment caused by entrainment of the hydrothermal component would be a source of hydrogen sulfide that supports Calyptogena colony.

Repeating Deep Very Low Frequency Earthquakes: An Evidence of Transition Zone between Brittle and Ductile Zone along Plate Boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishihara, Y.; Yamamoto, Y.; Arai, R.

2017-12-01

Recently slow or low frequency seismic and geodetic events are focused under recognition of important role in tectonic process. The most western region of Ryukyu trench, Yaeyama Islands, is very active area of these type events. It has semiannual-like slow slip (Heki et.al., 2008; Nishimura et.al.,2014) and very frequent shallow very low frequency earthquakes near trench zone (Ando et.al.,2012; Nakamura et.al.,2014). Arai et.al.(2016) identified clear reverse phase discontinuity along plate boundary by air-gun survey, suggesting existence of low velocity layer including fluid. The subducting fluid layer is considered to control slip characteristics. On the other hand, deep low frequency earthquake and tremor observed at south-western Honshu and Shikoku of Japan are not identified well due to lack of high-quality seismic network. A broadband seismic station(ISG/PS) of Pacific21 network is operating in last 20 years that locates on occurrence potential area of low frequency earthquake. We tried to review continuous broadband record, searching low frequency earthquakes. In pilot survey, we found three very low frequency seismic events which are dominant in less than 0.1Hz component and are not listed in earthquake catalogue. Source locates about 50km depth and at transition area between slow slip event and active area of general earthquake along plate boundary. To detect small and/or hidden very low frequency earthquake, we applied matched filter analysis to continuous three components waveform data using pre-reviewed seismogram as template signal. 12 events with high correlation are picked up in last 10 years. Most events have very similar waveform, which means characteristics of repeating deep very low frequency earthquake. The event history of very low frequency earthquake is not related with one of slow slip event in this region. In Yaeyama region, low frequency earthquake, general earthquake and slow slip event occur dividing in space and have apparent

78 FR 63860 - Amendment of Class D Airspace; Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, RMI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-25

...This action amends the Kwajalein Island Class D airspace description by amending the geographic coordinates for Bucholz Army Airfield (AAF), Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, RMI. The Bucholz AAF geographic coordinates information was updated in the Kwajalein Island Class E airspace descriptions in 2011, but was inadvertently overlooked in the Kwajalein Island Class D airspace description. This action ensures the safety of aircraft operating in the Kwajalein Island airspace area. This is an administrative action and does not affect the operating requirements of the airspace.

Canary Island Archipelago

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

This nearly vertical view of the Canary Archipelago (28.5N, 16.5W) shows five of the seven islands: Grand Canary, Tenerife, Gomera, Hierro and La Palma. The largest island in view is Tenerife. Island cloud wakes evident in this photo are the result of southerly winds giving rise to cloud banks on the lee side especially on Tenerife which has the highest volcanic peaks. Island water wakes and internal waves are also evident but not as apparent.

Falkland Islands, UK

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This view of the Falkland Islands (52.0S, 58.5W) was taken with a dual camera mount. Compare this scene with STS048-109-043 to analyze the unique properties of each film type. Seldom seen cloud free, the Falkland Islands lie off the southern coast of Argentina. The cold Falklands Ocean Current keeps the islands chilly, ideal for sheep herding and fishing, the two main industries. Colonies of seals and penguins also thrive on the islands.

33 CFR 80.717 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons..., GA to St. Simons Island, GA. (a) A line drawn from the southernmost extremity of Savannah Beach on....4′ W.) drawn from the southernmost extremity of Ossabaw Island to St. Catherines Island. (e) A north...

Energy Transition Initiative: Island Energy Snapshot - U.S. Virgin Islands (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2015-03-01

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) - St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The Virgin Islands archipelago makes up the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles and the western island group of the Leeward Islands, forming the border between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Contextual view of Treasure Island from Yerba Buena Island, showing ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Contextual view of Treasure Island from Yerba Buena Island, showing Palace of Fine and Decorative Arts (Building 3), far right, Hall of Transportation (Building 2), middle, and The Administration Building (Building 1), far left, Port of Trade Winds is in foreground, camera facing northwest - Golden Gate International Exposition, Treasure Island, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Vegetation Monitoring by Remote Sensing Technology for Uninhabited Islands of the Xisha Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; Guo, Y.; Wu, X.

2018-04-01

The Xisha islands are tropical coral islands in the south sea of China, with special ecological environment. As far away from the inland, they are more sensitive to climate change than inland, and are looked as the window to reflect global environment changes. Since Sansha city established, some of islands were developed. The uninhabited islands are decreasing. To discover the changes of uninhabited islands become more impending. In order to find out the natural status of uninhabited islands, monitoring four years vegetation change of 2002, 2010, 2013 and 2016. In addition, monitoring the typical uninhabited island and sandbar vegetation by making the most of existed high resolution remote sensing data, nine years from 2002 to 2013 and six months in 2012. The results show that the sandbars are in stable growth stage, especially after 2010, the vegetation start appeared. Meanwhile, analysis the vegetation variation of the uninhabited islands and sandbars.

The status of island scrub oak (Quercus pacifica on Catalina Island, California

Treesearch

Denise A. Knapp

2002-01-01

The island scrub oak is characterized by a shrubby (to 2 meters) or arborescent (to 5 meters or taller) growth form. It is the dominant species of the scrub oak chaparral community on Catalina Island, which occupies approximately 25 percent of the 76 square-mile island, primarily on north-facing slopes. The Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, which owns and manages 88...

46 CFR 7.70 - Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. 7.70 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.70 Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the...′ W. (Port Royal Sound Lighted Whistle Buoy “2PR”); thence to the easternmost extremity of Hilton Head...

Habitat islands and the equilibrium theory of island biogeography: testing some predictions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, M.; Dinsmore, J.J.

1988-01-01

Species-area data from a study of marsh birds are used to test five predictions generated by the equilibrium theory of island biogeography. Three predictions are supported: we found a significant species-area relationship, a non-zero level of turnover, and a variance-mean ratio of 0.5. One prediction is rejected: the extinction rates were not greater on small islands. The results of one test are equivocal: the number of species on each island was not always the same. As Gilbert (1980) suggests, a strong species-area relationship alone does not validate the theory. The avian communities we studied were on habitat islands, not true islands, and underwent complete extinction annually. Thus caution must be used before applying the theory to these and other habitat islands.

50 CFR Appendix E to Part 622 - Caribbean Island/Island Group Management Areas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., AND SOUTH ATLANTIC Pt. 622, App. E Appendix E to Part 622—Caribbean Island/Island Group Management... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Caribbean Island/Island Group Management... St. Thomas/St. John island group to Point C C 18°13′59.0606″ 65°05′33.058″ D 18°01′16.9636″ 64°57′38...

Rapid subsidence along the Kerama Gap on the Ryukyu Arc, northwestern Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, K.; Inoue, T.; Sato, T.

2017-12-01

The Ryukyu Arc, which extend for over 1200 km along the east coast of Asia from Kyushu to Taiwan, and the associated Ryukyu Trench, are products of the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate. The Okinawa Trough, a back-arc basin located landward of the Ryukyu Arc, formed in the Late Miocene (Gungor et al., 2012) or the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene (Sibuet et al., 1998); its formation is a key geologic event associated with complex tectonic movements and changes in the topographic configuration of the Ryukyu Arc. Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ), AIST has started the marine geological mapping project around the Ryukyu Arc since the 2008 FY. Multi channel (16 ch) high-resolution seismic profiles were acquired during these cruises by the GI-gun (355cu. inch) or the Cluster-gun (30+30 cu. inch) systems. Our survey area around the Okinawa Island is characterized by the shelf, upper forearc slope and slope to the back-arc basin. Seismic reflections of shelf and the upper forearc slope show a distinct reflector which may represent erosional unconformable surface. The distinct reflector had mainly tilted southeastward and was overlain by the stratified sediments. No obvious deformation such as the fold and faults parallel to the Ryukyu Trench axis was found under the upper forearc slope. In contrast, some active faults which were perpendicular to the Ryukyu Trench axis (NW-SE direction) were observed. The most conspicuous normal faults system under the Kerama Gap located on southwest off the Okinawa Island is formed. We will present the seismic profiles around the Kerama Gap. Seismic profiles show a distinct, irregularly undulated reflector as an acoustic basement around the Kerama Gap. The acoustic basement is overlain by the clear stratified sediments. Many normal faults developed NW-SE direction cut the stratified sediments and are deformed the subsurface along the Kerama Gap. Subsidence of the Kerama Gap resulted from large vertical

Maintenance of biodiversity on islands.

PubMed

Chisholm, Ryan A; Fung, Tak; Chimalakonda, Deepthi; O'Dwyer, James P

2016-04-27

MacArthur and Wilson's theory of island biogeography predicts that island species richness should increase with island area. This prediction generally holds among large islands, but among small islands species richness often varies independently of island area, producing the so-called 'small-island effect' and an overall biphasic species-area relationship (SAR). Here, we develop a unified theory that explains the biphasic island SAR. Our theory's key postulate is that as island area increases, the total number of immigrants increases faster than niche diversity. A parsimonious mechanistic model approximating these processes reproduces a biphasic SAR and provides excellent fits to 100 archipelago datasets. In the light of our theory, the biphasic island SAR can be interpreted as arising from a transition from a niche-structured regime on small islands to a colonization-extinction balance regime on large islands. The first regime is characteristic of classic deterministic niche theories; the second regime is characteristic of stochastic theories including the theory of island biogeography and neutral theory. The data furthermore confirm our theory's key prediction that the transition between the two SAR regimes should occur at smaller areas, where immigration is stronger (i.e. for taxa that are better dispersers and for archipelagos that are less isolated). © 2016 The Author(s).

Modeling Catastrophic Barrier Island Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitley, J. W.; McNamara, D.

2012-12-01

Barrier islands, thin strips of sand lying parallel to the mainland coastline, along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts appear to have maintained their form for thousands of years in the face of rising sea level. The mechanisms that allow barrier islands to remain robust are transport of sediment from the ocean side of barriers to the top and backside during storms, termed island overwash, and the growth and alongshore propagation of tidal deltas near barrier island inlets. Dynamically these processes provide the necessary feedbacks to maintain a barrier island in an attractor that withstands rising sea level within a phase space of barrier island geometrical characteristics. Current barrier island configurations along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts exist among a wide range of storm climate and underlying geologic conditions and therefore the environment that forces overwash and tidal delta dynamics varies considerably. It has been suggested that barrier islands in certain locations such as those between Avon and Buxton (losing 76% of island width since 1852) and Chandeleur islands (losing 85% of its surface area since 2005) along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, respectively, may be subject to a catastrophic shift in barrier island attractor states - more numerous inlets cutting barriers in some locations and the complete disappearance of barrier islands in other locations. In contrast to common models for barrier islands that neglect storm dynamics and often only consider cross-shore response, we use an alongshore extended model for barrier island dynamics including beach erosion, island overwash and inlet cutting during storms, and beach accretion, tidal delta growth and dune and vegetation growth between storms to explore the response of barrier islands to a wide range of environmental forcing. Results will be presented that show how barrier island attractor states are altered with variations in the rate of sea level rise, storminess, and underlying geology. We will

46 CFR 7.80 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. 7.80 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.80 Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA. (a) A line drawn from the...′ N. longitude 81°02.3′ W. (St. Catherines Sound Buoy “St. C.”); thence to latitude 31°31.2′ N...

Possible Food Sources of Macrozoobenthos in the Manko Mangrove Ecosystem, Okinawa (Japan): A Stable Isotope Analysis Approach

PubMed Central

Wardiatno, Yusli; Mardiansyah; Prartono, Tri; Tsuchiya, Makoto

2015-01-01

Identifying potential food sources in mangrove ecosystems is complex because of the multifarious inputs from both land and sea. This study, which was conducted in the Manko mangrove ecosystem of Okinawa, Japan, determined the composition of the stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N in primary producers and macrozoobenthos to estimate the potential food sources assimilated and to elucidate the target trophic levels of the macrozoobenthos. We measured the two stable isotope signatures of three gastropods (Cerithidea sp., Cassidula mustelina, Peronia verruculata), two crabs (Grapsidae sp., Uca sp.), mangrove tree (Kandelia candel) leaves, and sediment from the mangrove ecosystem. The respective carbon and nitrogen isotope signature results were as follows: −22.4‰ and 8.6‰ for Cerithidea sp., −25.06‰ and 8‰ for C. mustelina, −22.58‰ and 8‰ for P. verruculata, −24.3‰ and 10.6‰ for unidentified Grapsidae, −21.87 ‰ and 11.5 ‰ for Uca sp., −29.81‰ and 11‰ for K. candel, and −24.23‰ and 7.2‰ for the sediment. The stable isotope assimilation signatures of the macrozoobenthos indicated sediment as their food source. Considering the trophic levels, the stable isotope values may also indicate that the five macrozoobenthos species were secondary or higher consumers. PMID:26019747

Bardsey Island, Wales

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-01

Lying 3 km off the Llyn peninsula of Wales, the Bardsey Island is known as the Island of 20,000 saints. While today's permanent population numbers only four, the island was once an important religious site, with a 6th century monastery. It is the legendary burial site of King Arthur. Another legend holds that anyone who died on the island would not go to hell. The image was acquired April 4, 2006, covers an area of 6 by 10 km, and is located at 52.7 degrees north, 4.8 degrees west. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21182

Magnesium isotopic behavior during the formation of chlorite-rich hydrothermal sediment in the middle Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, H.; Yang, S.; Teng, F. Z.; Cai, D.; Humphris, S. E.

2016-12-01

Chlorite is a common alteration product during water-rock reactions in seafloor hydrothermal systems. This chlorite is commonly characterized by high concentrations of magnesium. However, the source of the Mg and its behavior during hydrothermal alteration have yet to be clarified. Mg isotopes have been used in recent years to investigate a variety of geological processes, including low temperature weathering and metamorphism processes, and Mg cycling in sediments. In this study, we investigate the source of Mg and its behavior in chlorite-rich sediments collected during IODP Expedition 331 from the active hydrothermal Iheya North Knoll field in the middle Okinawa Trough — an intra-continental rift in continental crust. This area is characterized by hemipelagic muds with interbedded thick layers of felsic pumiceous volcanic material. Based on mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic data, we have previously suggested that the chlorite-rich sediments resulted from hydrothermal alteration of the pumiceous layers at temperatures of 220-300°C. Prior to Mg isotope analysis, all selected samples were pretreated with 1N HCl in order to remove carbonates and other unstable minerals, and measurements were made on both the residues (mainly chlorite) and leachates, as well as on bulk samples. The residues are expected to show higher δ26Mg than the leachates reflecting the Mg isotopic signature of the pumiceous material precursor and provide insight into the behavior of Mg isotopes during the high-temperature hydrothermal processes.

Coastal management strategy for small island: ecotourism potency development in Karimata Island, West Kalimantan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudiastuti, A. W.; Munawaroh; Setyawan, I. E.; Pramono, G. H.

2018-04-01

Sustainable coastal management is playing an important role in coastal resources conservation, particularly on small islands. Karimata archipelago has unique characteristics and great potential to be developed as a tourism object, one of which is Karimata Island as the largest island and also reserve area. The concept of ecotourism focuses on the ecology conservation, economic benefits, and social life. Ecotourism aims to build sustainable tourism that provides economically viable and social benefits to the community. This study aims to develop coastal management strategy based on ecotourism at Karimata Island. Spatial approaching through coastal type was done. Qualitative descriptive analysis and SWOT are used to develop sustainable management strategies for the coast of Karimata Island, where the opportunities and challenges to the development of coastal ecotourism Karimata Island also included. If this potential is optimally utilized, it can be relied as an economic opportunity for local communities. Structurally shaped coast, marine depositional coast and coast build by organism are several of coastal types found at Karimata Island. Coastal ecosystems inhabited Karimata Island are mangroves, coral reefs, and macro-algae. Karimata Island have not been optimally utilized for tourist destinations. The biggest obstacle encountered is the accessibility from Kalimantan or other island at Karimata islands. Several problems related to the utilization of coastal resources were found such as mangrove and coral reef damage, also regulation that less supportive. The results of this study are expected to provide an overview of solutions for the development of coastal tourism potentials in Karimata Island.

Canary Islands

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-03

NASA image acquired December 21, 2011 The rugged landscape of the Canary Islands stood out in sharp contrast to the smooth blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the flat tan land of northwestern Africa on December 21, 2011, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite captured this true-color image. The Canary Islands are a group of seven large islands and several smaller islets, all volcanic in origin. The eastern edge of the chain lies only 100 kilometers from the coasts of Morocco and Western Sahara, and the chain stretches for about 500 kilometers across the Atlantic. All the islands are mountainous, and Tenerife, the central island in this image is home to Pico de Teinde, the highest peak, which rises 12,198 feet (3,718 meters) above sea level. From east to west, the islands are named Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palmera and El Hierro. A bright swirl of peacock blue marks the ocean south of El Hierro, a stain on the sea from an ongoing eruption of a volcano under the waters. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Disturbed island ecology.

PubMed

Whittaker, R J

1995-10-01

The natural occurrence of significant disturbances to the operation of insular ecosystems has tended to be downplayed in the development of island ecological theory. Despite the importance of events such as Hurricane Hugo, which in 1989 affected islands in the Caribbean, islands that are disturbed tend to be viewed as deviants from the `true path' described by equilibrium models. However, particularly with organisms of long generation times, it is questionable whether such models are applicable. This may be as important for wildlife managers to take account of as for theorists. Disturbance regime should be incorporated into island ecological models alongside other ecological factors structuring colonization patterns and turnover.

Mid-depth sedimentary oxygenation variation in the western Pacific since the last glacial period: geochemical evidence from the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, J. J.; Shi, X.; Zhu, A.

2017-12-01

In this study, we investigate a suite of sediment geochemical proxies (total organic carbon and carbonate contents, carbon to nitrogen ratio, aluminum and redox-sensitive elements) to reconstruct the history of sedimentary oxygenation in the northern Okinawa Trough (OT) over the last 50 thousand years (ka). Our data support the presence of oxygen-deficient deep waters during the late deglacial and Preboreal phases (15‒9.5 ka), but oxygenated water column during the Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1) and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). In contrast, increased sedimentary oxygenations are evident during the late glacial period and since 8.5 ka. Fluctuations of sedimentary oxygenation were widespread and apparently coherent over the entire North Pacific basin, reflecting broad effects of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) ventilation and export productivity. Intensified Kuroshio, however, improved the sedimentary oxygenation since 8.5 ka. We found the correspondence between changes in deglacial sedimentary oxygenation in the OT and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation through the NPIW ventilation. The mechanism behind Atlantic-Pacific ventilation seesaw seems to be attributed to the perturbation of sea ice formation in high latitude North Pacific through atmospheric teleconnection.

Islander: A database of precisely mapped genomic islands in tRNA and tmRNA genes

DOE PAGES

Hudson, Corey M.; Lau, Britney Y.; Williams, Kelly P.

2014-11-05

Genomic islands are mobile DNAs that are major agents of bacterial and archaeal evolution. Integration into prokaryotic chromosomes usually occurs site-specifically at tRNA or tmRNA gene (together, tDNA) targets, catalyzed by tyrosine integrases. This splits the target gene, yet sequences within the island restore the disrupted gene; the regenerated target and its displaced fragment precisely mark the endpoints of the island. We applied this principle to search for islands in genomic DNA sequences. Our algorithm identifies tDNAs, finds fragments of those tDNAs in the same replicon and removes unlikely candidate islands through a series of filters. A search for islandsmore » in 2168 whole prokaryotic genomes produced 3919 candidates. The website Islander (recently moved to http://bioinformatics.sandia.gov/islander/) presents these precisely mapped candidate islands, the gene content and the island sequence. The algorithm further insists that each island encode an integrase, and attachment site sequence identity is carefully noted; therefore, the database also serves in the study of integrase site-specificity and its evolution.« less

Results of Physical Property Measurements Obtained during the CHIKYU Cruise CK16-01 to Hydrothermal Fields of the Middle Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanikawa, W.; Masaki, Y.; Komori, S.; Torimoto, J.; Makio, M.; Ohta, Y.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.; Hamada, Y.

2016-12-01

The middle Okinawa trough, along the Ryukyu-arc on the margin of the western Pacific, fosters several hydrothermal fields. The cruise CK16-01 of D/V CHIKYU targeted the Iheya-North Field and Noho hydrothermal site. More than ten-days extensive coring was carried out with Logging While Drilling (LWD) and deployment of Kuroko cultivation apparatus between February 29th to March 17th2016. Here we present the results of the physical property measurements obtained using Chikyu's on-board laboratory. Cores were sampled among three sites where the seafloor environments were quite different: the Noho site (C9017), a site between the Natsu and Aki sites of the Iheya-North field (C9021), and the Iheya-North Aki site (C9023). Site C9017 was near the center of the hydrothermal activity, and the obtained core was limited 36 m in length and 30 % in the recovery rate. At 70 mbsf (meters below seafloor), the grain density and bulk density of the sediment reached their maxim (3.7 g/m3 and 2.7 g/cm3, respectively), while thermal conductivity reached its lowest value (0.6 W/m·K). Site C9021 yielded a 54 m core, with a core recovery rate of 50 %. Coarse pumiceous layers were found at 68 mbsf, with a hydrothermally altered layer appearing below 68 mbsf. The mean grain density value was 2.4 g/cm3 and was uniform throughout the core. The mean bulk density value of the pumiceous layers was 1.3 g/cm3, and of the hydrothermally altered layer was 2.1 g/cm3. Site C9023 was close to the active hydrothermal chimneys of the Iheya-North Aki site, and yielded 33 m of core with a core recovery rate of 16 %. Massive sulfide layers were found below 48 mbsf with grain density and bulk density values varying between 2.8-4.7 g/cm3 and 1.5-3.9 g/cm3, respectively. Magnetic susceptibility exhibited a high anomaly in a sedimented anhydrite layer found between 95 and 135 mbsf, and a high porosity and low resistivity zone was found below 150 mbsf. Together, these data from drilling cores and onboard

46 CFR 7.85 - St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL. 7.85... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.85 St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL. (a) A line drawn from latitude 31°04.1′ N. longitude 81°16.7′ W. (St. Simons Lighted Whistle Buoy “ST S”) to latitude 30...

Heron Island, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Heron Island is located at the sourthern end of Australia's 2,050 km-long Great Barrier Reef. Surrounded by coral reef and home to over 1000 species of fish, scuba divers and scientists alike are drawn to the island's resort and research station. The true-color image above was taken by Space Imaging's Ikonos satellite with a resolution of 4 meters per pixel-high enough to see individual boats tied up at the small marina. The narrow channel leading from the marina to the ocean was blasted and dredged decades ago, before the island became a national park. Since then the Australian government has implemented conservation measures, such as limiting the number of tourists and removing or recycling, instead of incinerating, all trash. One of the applications of remote sensing data from Ikonos is environmental monitoring, including studies of coral reef health. For more information about the island, read Heron Island. Image by Robert Simmon, based on data copyright Space Imaging

Belcher Islands, Canada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

The Belcher Islands are an archipelago in Hudson Bay in Canada, belonging to the territory of Nunavit. The hamlet of Sanikiluaq is on the north coast of Flaherty Island. Over 1500 islands make up the archipelago. The folded sedimentary and volcanic rocks making up the islands are Proterozoic in age between 0.5 and 2.5 billion years old.

The image mosaic was acquired 18 September 2006, covers an area of 45.7 x 113.3 km, and is located near 56.1 degrees north latitude, 79.4 degrees west longitude.

The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

Coral reef monitoring by the compact airborne spectrographic imager (CASI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyazaki, Tadakuni; Tokumura, Kimiaki; Sugita, Mikio

1997-12-01

The casi has the spatial resolution of about 3 m X 3 m at the ground level and its spectral resolution is about 6 nm. The wavelength range for the measurement is from 430 to 870 nm and the number of the bands is 72 bands. An airplane carrying casi flew over Kuroshima Island, Okinawa and acquired image data of Kuroshima Island and the surrounding sea area. The flight courses were 6 courses at the altitude of 9,000 feet and 2 courses of 6,000 feet. At the same time, spectral measurements of the sea surface and several coral reefs underwater were carried out at an area of coral reefs off Kuroshima Island. The supervised and unsupervised classification were applied to the casi imageries to extract and classify the area of coral reefs off Kuroshima Island. The produced classification maps of the coral reefs were compared with the ground truth map of coral reefs made by the professional divers to evaluate the results. The results showed significant similarity of the distribution pattern of corral reefs.

Formation and adjustment of typhoon-impacted reef islands interpreted from remote imagery: Nadikdik Atoll, Marshall Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Murray R.; Kench, Paul S.

2014-06-01

In 1905, a devastating typhoon hit Nadikdik Atoll (5°54‧ N and 172°09‧ E) in the southern Marshall Islands. Evidence suggests that large sections of reef islands on Nadikdik were overwashed and destroyed. Comparison of aerial photographs taken in 1945 and modern satellite imagery provides a unique record of the geomorphic adjustment of islands after the typhoon. Between 1945 and 2010 the vegetated area of islands on Nadikdik grew from 0.74 to 0.90 km2. Observed changes to Nadikdik reef islands manifested through a range of styles and were largely accretionary. Of note, the formation of a new island was tracked from an embryonic deposit to a fully vegetated and stable island over a 61 year period. Similarly, a number of previously discrete islands have agglomerated and formed a single larger island. These changes were rapid and indicate that reef island formation can occur quickly. Evidence suggests that despite the typhoon occurring over a century ago the geomorphic adjustment of islands is still on-going.

The Okinawa study: an estimation of noise-induced hearing loss on the basis of the records of aircraft noise exposure around Kadena Air Base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiramatsu, K.; Matsui, T.; Ito, A.; Miyakita, T.; Osada, Y.; Yamamoto, T.

2004-10-01

Aircraft noise measurements were recorded at the residential areas in the vicinity of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa in 1968 and 1972 at the time of the Vietnam war. The estimated equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level LAeq for 24 h was 85 dB.The time history of sound level during 24 h was estimated from the measurement conducted in 1968, and the sound level was converted into the spectrum level at the centre frequency of the critical band of temporary threshold shift (TTS) using the results of spectrum analysis of aircraft noise operated at the airfield. With the information of spectrum level and its time history, TTS was calculated as a function of time and level change. The permanent threshold shift was also calculated by means of Robinson's method and ISO's method. The results indicate the noise exposure around Kadena Air Base was hazardous to hearing and is likely to have caused hearing loss to people living in its vicinity.

33 CFR 80.720 - St. Simons Island, GA to Amelia Island, FL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false St. Simons Island, GA to Amelia... SECURITY INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Seventh District § 80.720 St. Simons Island, GA to Amelia Island, FL. (a) A line drawn from St. Simons Light to the northernmost tank on...

Island of Timor, Indonesia

NASA Image and Video Library

1989-11-27

This almost totally cloud free, photo of the island of Timor, Indonesia (9.0S, 125.0E) illustrates the volcanic origin of the over 1500 islands of Indonesia. Close examination of the photo reveals several eroded volcanoes on the Island of Timor and several of the adjacent islands. The linear alignment of the volcanoes, as seen from space, indicates the edges of the tectonic plates of the Earth's crust where volcanic activity is most common.

11. VIEW NORTH, WOODLYNNE AVENUE ISLAND FROM 130 SOUTH ISLAND ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. VIEW NORTH, WOODLYNNE AVENUE ISLAND FROM 130 SOUTH ISLAND - White Horse Pike Rond Point, Intersection of Crescent Boulevard (U.S. Route 130), White Horse Pike (U.S. Route 30), & Clay Avenue, Collingswood, Camden County, NJ

33 CFR 80.712 - Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Edisto River Entrance to the shore of Botany Bay Island. (d) A line drawn from the microwave antenna..., SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A straight line drawn from the seaward tangent of Folly Island through across Stono River to the shoreline of Sandy Point. (b) A straight line drawn from the seaward...

33 CFR 80.712 - Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Edisto River Entrance to the shore of Botany Bay Island. (d) A line drawn from the microwave antenna..., SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A straight line drawn from the seaward tangent of Folly Island through across Stono River to the shoreline of Sandy Point. (b) A straight line drawn from the seaward...

77 FR 51473 - Safety Zone; Bostock 50th Anniversary Fireworks, Long Island Sound; Manursing Island, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-24

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Bostock 50th Anniversary Fireworks, Long Island Sound; Manursing Island, NY... zone on the navigable waters of Long Island Sound in the vicinity of Manursing Island, NY for a... of Long Island Sound before, during, and immediately after the fireworks event. DATES: This rule is...

Bryophytes from Simeonof Island in the Shumagin Islands, southwestern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schofield, W.B.; Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S.L.

2004-01-01

Simeonof Island is located south of the Alaska Peninsula in the hyperoceanic sector of the middle boreal subzone. We examined the bryoflora of Simeonof Island to determine species composition in an area where no previous collections had been reported. This field study was conducted in sites selected to represent the spectrum of environmental variation within Simeonof Island. Data were analyzed using published reports to compare bryophyte distribution patterns at three levels, the Northern Hemisphere, North America, and Alaska. A total of 271 bryophytes were identified: 202 mosses and 69 liverworts. The annotated list of species for Simeonof Island expands the known range for many species and fills distribution gaps within Hulte??n's Western Pacific Coast district. Maps and notes on the distribution of 14 significant distribution records are presented. Compared with bryophyte distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the bryoflora of Simeonof Island primarily includes taxa of boreal (55%), temperate (20%), arctic (10%), and cosmopolitan (8%) distribution; 6% of the moss flora are western North America endemics. A description of the bryophytes present in the vegetation and habitat types is provided as is a quantitative analysis of the most frequently occurring bryophytes in crowberry heath.

Canary Islands

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-30

On December 10, 2013 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite flew across the central Atlantic Ocean and captured a true-color image of the Canary Islands. Lying off of the coast of Western Sahara and Morocco, the islands were created by successive submarine volcanic eruptions which raised the ocean floor vertically until some of land rose above sea level. The oldest islands lie in the east and the youngest in the west. From east to west, the major islands seen in this image are: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palmera and El Hierro. While the creation of the islands began in the Late Cretaceous Period (70 – 80 million years ago), active volcanic activity continues. In 2011, a spectacular submarine eruption occurred just off the shore of El Hierro. The volcano became quiet again, but very recently increasing earthquakes and changing height of El Hierro suggested the volcano may again be entering an active eruptive phase. On December 27 the island’s volcano monitoring agency had raised the volcanic eruption risk for El Hierro to “yellow” – a code that means increasing activity but no eruption imminent. That afternoon a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck offshore at El Hierro. The epicenter was 9 miles (15 km) deep, and it was one of the largest quakes ever recorded at the island. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

78 FR 35135 - Special Local Regulation; Kelley's Island Swim, Lake Erie; Kelley's Island, Lakeside, OH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-12

...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Kelley's Island Swim, Lake Erie; Kelley's Island, Lakeside, OH AGENCY... vessel movement in portions of Lake Erie during the annual Kelley's Island Swim from. This special local... special local regulations listed in 33 CFR 100.921 Special Local Regulation; Kelley's Island Swim, Lake...

46 CFR 7.70 - Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...′ N. longitude 80°12.7′ W. (c) A line drawn from the microwave antenna tower on Edisto Beach charted... 80°26.5′ W. (d) A line drawn from the abandoned lighthouse on Hunting Island in approximate position... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.70 Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.70 - Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...′ N. longitude 80°12.7′ W. (c) A line drawn from the microwave antenna tower on Edisto Beach charted... 80°26.5′ W. (d) A line drawn from the abandoned lighthouse on Hunting Island in approximate position... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.70 Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.70 - Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...′ N. longitude 80°12.7′ W. (c) A line drawn from the microwave antenna tower on Edisto Beach charted... 80°26.5′ W. (d) A line drawn from the abandoned lighthouse on Hunting Island in approximate position... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.70 Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.70 - Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...′ N. longitude 80°12.7′ W. (c) A line drawn from the microwave antenna tower on Edisto Beach charted... 80°26.5′ W. (d) A line drawn from the abandoned lighthouse on Hunting Island in approximate position... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.70 Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the...

Elemental compositions of crab and snail shells from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field in the southwestern Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Zhigang; Ma, Yao; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Yin, Xuebo; Zhang, Suping; Zhang, Junlong; Jiang, Wei

2018-04-01

To reveal differences in the behavior of benthic vent animals, and the sources and sinks of biogeochemical and fluid circulations, it is necessary to constrain the chemical characteristics of benthic animals from seafloor hydrothermal fields. We measured the abundances of 27 elements in shells of the crab Xenograpsus testudinatus and the snail Anachis sp., collected from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field (KHF) in the southwestern Okinawa Trough, with the aim of improving our understanding of the compositional variations between individual vent organisms, and the sources of the rare earth elements (REEs) in their shells. The Mn, Hg, and K concentrations in the male X. testudinatus shells are found to be higher than those in female crab shells, whereas the reverse is true for the accumulation of B, implying that the accumulation of K, Mn, Hg, and B in the crab shells is influenced by sex. This is inferred to be a result of the asynchronous molting of the male and female crab shells. Snail shells are found to have higher Ca, Al, Fe, Ni, and Co concentrations than crab shells. This may be attributed to different metal accumulation times. The majority of the light rare earth element (LREE) distribution patterns in the crab and snail shells are similar to those of Kueishantao vent fluids, with the crab and snail shells also exhibiting LREE enrichment, implying that the LREEs contained in crab and snail shells in the KHF are derived from vent fluids.

Fe-rich carbonate chimney in Okinawa Trough Implication for Fe-driven Microbial Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane (AMO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, X.; Guo, Z.

2016-12-01

Marine sediments associated with cold seeps at continental margins discharge substantial amounts of methane. Microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane (AMO) is a key biogeochemical process in these environments, which can trigger the formation of carbonate chimneys within sediments. The exact biogeochemical mechanism of how AMO control the formation of carbonate chimneys and influence their mineralogy and chemistry remains poorly constrained. Here, we use nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry to characterize the petrology and geochemistry of methane-derived Fe-rich carbonate chimneys formed between 5-7 Ma in the Northern Okinawa Trough. We find abundant framboid pyrites formed in the authigenic carbonates in the chimneys, indicating a non-Fe limitation sedimentary system. The δ13C values of carbonate (-18.9‰ to -45.9‰, PDB) show their probable origin from a mixing source of biogenic and thermogenic methane. The δ34S values range from -3.9 ± 0.5‰ to 23.2 ± 0.5‰ (VCDT), indicative of a strong exhaustion of sulfates in a local sulfate pool. We proposed that Fe-rich carbonate chimneys formed at the bottom of the sulfate-methane transition zone, beneath which Fe-driven AOM may happen and provide available ferrous for the extensive precipitation of pyrite in carbonate chimneys. The accumulation of reductive Fe in sediments via this process may widely occur in other analogous settings, with important application for Fe and S biogeochemical cycling within deep sediments at continental margins.

Hawaiian Island Archipelago

NASA Image and Video Library

1988-10-03

STS026-43-082 (29 Sept. - 3 Oct. 1988) --- This 70mm northerly oriented frame over the Pacific Ocean features the Hawaiian Islands chain. The islands perturb the prevailing northeasterly winds producing extensive cloud wakes in the lee of the islands. Photo experts feel that atmospheric haze in the Hawaii wake is probably a result of the continuing eruptions of Kilauea volcano on the southeast coast. From the lower right corner in a diagonal directed upward to the north are the islands of Nihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii. This photo was shown during the post-flight press conference on October 11, 1988 by the STS-26 astronauts, who at one time during the flight wore Hawaiian attire to pay tribute to the working staff of the Hawaii tracking station.

U.S. Virgin Islands Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), part of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, is a U.S. territory located in the Caribbean Sea, about 600 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.1 The USVI has a total area of 134 square miles, about twice the size of Washington, DC. The islands are hilly and forested, with limited arable areas, and most food is imported.2 The largest island is St. Croix. It lies about 40 miles south of the three other inhabited islands: St. John, St. Thomas, and Water Island. Those islands are located between the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on the west and the British Virgin Islands on the east.

Typologi of Island City in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maulana, Alvaryan; Benita, Tania

2017-07-01

As an archipelagic country, Indonesia consist of thousands of island. Some of them are big enough to contain growth and become the center of settlement and activity in Indonesia. However, growth and habitation are not only mushrooming in main island. Several small island also experience growth and become densely population places and simply become a city within island. This study aims to identify island city in Indonesia and creating the typology of the island city. This study is using exploratory approach and heavily rely on statistical figure of every single autonomous region as data sources. Eventually, this study found twelve (12) island cities in Indonesia, and three distinctive typology of island cities.

Coastal Erosion in a Coral Reef Island, Taiping Island, South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, S.; Ma, G.; Liang, M.; Chu, J.

2011-12-01

Reef flats surrounding islands are known to dissipate much offshore wave energy, and thereby protect beaches from erosion. Taiping Island, the largest coral reef islands of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, has been observed the shorelines erosion on the southwest coast over past decades. It is recognized that wave and current processes across coral reefs affect reef-island development and morphology. A number of studies suggest effects of climate changes, sea-level rise and storm-intensity increase, determine the magnitude of wave energy on the reef platform and will likely intensify the erosion. The topographical change in the local region, the southwest reef flat was dredged a channel for navigation, may be a significant factor in influencing current characteristics. Numerical modeling is used to describe both hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics because there are no field measurements available around the reef flat. Field observations off the island conducted in August 2004 and November 2005 provides offshore wave characteristics of the predominant wind seasons. Numerical simulations perform the spatial and temporal variation of waves and current patterns and coastal erosion potential on the reef platform.

33 CFR 165.152 - Coast Guard Station Fire Island, Long Island, New York-safety zone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coast Guard Station Fire Island, Long Island, New York-safety zone. 165.152 Section 165.152 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.152 Coast Guard Station Fire Island, Long Island, New York—safety zone. (a) Location. The...

Island biogeography of the Anthropocene.

PubMed

Helmus, Matthew R; Mahler, D Luke; Losos, Jonathan B

2014-09-25

For centuries, biogeographers have examined the factors that produce patterns of biodiversity across regions. The study of islands has proved particularly fruitful and has led to the theory that geographic area and isolation influence species colonization, extinction and speciation such that larger islands have more species and isolated islands have fewer species (that is, positive species-area and negative species-isolation relationships). However, experimental tests of this theory have been limited, owing to the difficulty in experimental manipulation of islands at the scales at which speciation and long-distance colonization are relevant. Here we have used the human-aided transport of exotic anole lizards among Caribbean islands as such a test at an appropriate scale. In accord with theory, as anole colonizations have increased, islands impoverished in native species have gained the most exotic species, the past influence of speciation on island biogeography has been obscured, and the species-area relationship has strengthened while the species-isolation relationship has weakened. Moreover, anole biogeography increasingly reflects anthropogenic rather than geographic processes. Unlike the island biogeography of the past that was determined by geographic area and isolation, in the Anthropocene--an epoch proposed for the present time interval--island biogeography is dominated by the economic isolation of human populations.

Barrier island habitat map and vegetation survey—Dauphin Island, Alabama, 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enwright, Nicholas M.; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard H.; Feher, Laura C.; Osland, Michael J.; Wang, Lei; Wang, Hongqing

2017-08-04

Barrier islands are dynamic environments due to their position at the land-sea interface. Storms, waves, tides, currents, and relative sea-level rise are powerful forces that shape barrier island geomorphology and habitats (for example, beach, dune, marsh, and forest). Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in 2010 are two major events that have affected habitats and natural resources on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The latter event prompted a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the State of Alabama funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to investigate viable, sustainable restoration options that protect and restore the natural resources of Dauphin Island, Alabama.In order to understand the feasibility and sustainability of various restoration scenarios, it is important to understand current conditions on Dauphin Island. To further this understanding, a detailed 19-class habitat map for Dauphin Island was produced from 1-foot aerial infrared photography collected on December 4, 2015, and lidar data collected in January 2015. We also conducted a ground survey of habitat types, vegetation community structure, and elevations in November and December 2015. These products provide baseline data regarding the ecological and general geomorphological attributes of the area, which can be compared with observations from other dates for tracking changes over time.

33 CFR 80.712 - Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head..., SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the easternmost tip of Folley Island to the... easternmost extremity of Hilton Head at latitude 32°13.0′ N. longitude 80°40.1′ W. [CGD 77-118a, 42 FR 35784...

Plant communities of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Ronilee A.; Halvorson, William L.; Sawdo, Andell A.; Danielsen, Karen C.

1990-01-01

A survey of the plant communities on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, was conducted from January through July 1988.  Vegetation data were collected at 296 sites using a releve technique.  The plant communities described include: grassland, coastal marsh, caliche scrub, coastal sage scrub, lupine scrub, baccharis scrub, coastal bluff scrub, coastal dune scrub, mixed chaparral, mixed woodland, torrey pine woodland, closed-cone pine woodland, island oak woodland, riparian woodland, and riparian herbaceous vegetation. The areal extent of each community was mapper on USGS 7.5' topographic maps, and digitized for GIS manipulation.

Vegetation assessment of forests of Pagan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratt, Linda W.

2011-01-01

During vegetation surveys in June–July 2010, 215 vascular plant species were observed on Pagan; 21 new island records of alien plants and 12 new island records of native plants were documented. Many of the new and recently sighted alien plants of the northern section of the island appeared to be in the incipient stage of invasion. Most of the new native plant sightings and a number of other rare tree and shrub species of Pagan were limited to forests of the rugged southern half of the island.

Japan: Shikoku Island

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-08-24

... and island stations in the waters surrounding Japan and Korea. They characterized meteorological conditions, measured the atmospheric ... flew overhead. These MISR images, centered just north of Shikoku Island in southwest Japan, were acquired on April 13, 2001 ...

Is heterostyly rare on oceanic islands?

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Kenta; Sugawara, Takashi

2015-01-01

Heterostyly has been considered rare or absent on oceanic islands. However, there has been no comprehensive review on this issue. Is heterostyly truly rare on oceanic islands? What makes heterostyly rare on such islands? To answer these questions, we review the reproductive studies on heterostyly on oceanic islands, with special emphasis on the heterostylous genus Psychotria in the Pacific Ocean as a model system. Overall, not many reproductive studies have been performed on heterostylous species on oceanic islands. In Hawaiian Psychotria, all 11 species are thought to have evolved dioecy from distyly. In the West Pacific, three species on the oceanic Bonin and Lanyu Islands are distylous (Psychotria homalosperma, P. boninensis and P. cephalophora), whereas three species on the continental Ryukyu Islands show various breeding systems, such as distyly (P. serpens), dioecy (P. rubra) and monoecy (P. manillensis). On some other Pacific oceanic islands, possibilities of monomorphy have been reported. For many Psychotria species, breeding systems are unknown, although recent studies indicate that heterostylous species may occur on some oceanic islands. A shift from heterostyly to other sexual systems may occur on some oceanic islands. This tendency may also contribute to the rarity of heterostyly, in addition to the difficulty in colonization/autochthonous evolution of heterostylous species on oceanic islands. Further investigation of reproductive systems of Psychotria on oceanic islands using robust phylogenetic frameworks would provide new insights into plant reproduction on oceanic islands. PMID:26199401

33 CFR 165.152 - Coast Guard Station Fire Island, Long Island, New York-safety zone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... § 165.152 Coast Guard Station Fire Island, Long Island, New York—safety zone. (a) Location. The following waters of Fire Island Inlet are a safety zone: Beginning at a point on shore at 40°37.523′ N, 073... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Coast Guard Station Fire Island...

Barrier Island Failure During Hurricane Katrina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallenger, A.; Howd, P.; Stockdon, H.; Wright, C. W.; Fauver, L.; Guy, K.

2006-12-01

Classical models of barrier-island response to storms predict that wave runup can periodically overtop an island and transport sand from its seaside to its bayside, forcing the island to migrate landward. While this process can destroy fixed human developments, the island survives with little net change in form or dimensions. In contrast, we find that Louisiana's Chandeleur Islands during Hurricane Katrina were not periodically overtopped by waves, but were continuously inundated by storm surge. When such inundation occurs locally on a barrier island, it can force the erosion of a narrow breach that connects sea and bay. However, little is known about the response of a barrier island when it is entirely submerged. Here, we show that the Chandeleur Islands approached complete failure, losing 84% of their surface area. Their Gulf of Mexico shorelines retreated landward an average of 268 m, the largest retreat ever reported for a storm. Sand was stripped from the islands, reducing their peak elevation from >6 m to <3 m and exposing them to further degradation and potential failure by future hurricanes of less intensity than Katrina. Further, the islands that survived Katrina were marsh remnants composed of mud and vegetation that relatively small waves diminished following the storm. The Chandeleur Islands are prone to failure because of their location on the Mississippi delta where small sand supply and large sea-level rise (induced locally by land subsidence) limit natural rebuilding of the islands following a storm. The response of the delta's barrier islands during Hurricane Katrina provides a warning of how the world's barrier islands might respond to storm-surge inundation should predictions of accelerated global sea level rise prove accurate.

Energy Transition Initiative, Island Energy Snapshot - British Virgin Islands (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2015-03-01

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), one of three sets of the Virgin Island territories in an archipelago making up the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles.

Resurrection Peninsula and Knight Island ophiolites and recent faulting on Montague Island, southern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Steven W.; Miller, Marti L.; Dumoulin, Julie A.

1987-01-01

The Resurrection Peninsula forms the east side of Resurrection Bay (Fig. 1). The city of Seward is located at the head of the bay and can be reached from Anchorage by highway (127 mi;204 km). Relief ranges from 1,434 ft (437 m) at the southern end of the peninsula to more than 4,800 ft (1,463 m) 17 mi (28 km) to the north. All rock units composing the informally named Resurrection Peninsula ophiolite are visible and (or) accessible by boat.The eastern half of the peninsula is located within the Chugach National Forest; the western half is mainly state land, but there is some private land with recreational cabins. The Seward A6 and A7 and Blying Sound D6 and D7 maps at 1:63,360 scale (mile-to-the-inch) cover the entire Resurrection Peninsula.Knight Island is located 53 mi (85 km) east of Seward (Fig. 1). Numerous fiords indent the 31-mi-long (50 km) by 7.4-mi-wide (12 km) island and offer excellent bedrock exposures. The island is rugged and has a maximum elevation of 3,000 ft (914 m). It has numerous mineral prospects (Tysdal, 1978; Nelson and others, 1984; Jansons and others, 1984; Koski and others, 1985), and several abandoned canneries are located on the island. Knight Island lies entirely within the Chugach National Forest—state and private inholdings constitute less than five percent of its total land area. The Seward A2, A3, B2, B3, and C2, 1:63,360-scale U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps cover the entire island.Montague Island, 50 mi (80 km) long and up to 11 mi (18 km) wide, lies 10.6 mi (17 km) southeast of Knight Island. It belongs to an island group that forms the southern margin of Prince William Sound (Fig. 1). Montague Island is less rugged and less heavily vegetated than either the Resurrection Peninsula or Knight Island. Rock exposures are excellent along the beaches, and ground disruption due to recent fault movements is clearly visible. The Seward Al and A2 and Blying Sound Dl, D2, and D3 maps cover the areas of interest on Montague Island

76 FR 19781 - Protection Island and San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuges, Jefferson, San Juan, Skagit...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-08

...., Lopez Island, WA 98261. North Olympic Public Library..... 630 N. Sequim Ave., 360-683-1161 Sequim, WA...] Protection Island and San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuges, Jefferson, San Juan, Skagit, Island, and Whatcom Counties, WA; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Wilderness Stewardship Plan, and Finding of...

Cognitive Constraints and Island Effects

PubMed Central

Hofmeister, Philip; Sag, Ivan A.

2012-01-01

Competence-based theories of island effects play a central role in generative grammar, yet the graded nature of many syntactic islands has never been properly accounted for. Categorical syntactic accounts of island effects have persisted in spite of a wealth of data suggesting that island effects are not categorical in nature and that non-structural manipulations that leave island structures intact can radically alter judgments of island violations. We argue here, building on work by Deane, Kluender, and others, that processing factors have the potential to account for this otherwise unexplained variation in acceptability judgments. We report the results of self-paced reading experiments and controlled acceptability studies which explore the relationship between processing costs and judgments of acceptability. In each of the three self-paced reading studies, the data indicate that the processing cost of different types of island violations can be significantly reduced to a degree comparable to that of non-island filler-gap constructions by manipulating a single non-structural factor. Moreover, this reduction in processing cost is accompanied by significant improvements in acceptability. This evidence favors the hypothesis that island-violating constructions involve numerous processing pressures that aggregate to drive processing difficulty above a threshold so that a perception of unacceptability ensues. We examine the implications of these findings for the grammar of filler-gap dependencies.* PMID:22661792

Population size of island loggerhead shrikes on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanley, Thomas R.; Teel, Susan; Hall, Linnea S.; Dye, Linda C.; Laughrin, Lyndal L.

2012-01-01

Island loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus anthonyi) are an endemic, genetically distinct subspecies of loggerhead shrike on California's Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Catalina Islands (USA). This subspecies is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Game and has been petitioned for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. The combination of suspected low numbers and the possibility of federal listing, prompted us to undertake a study to rigorously estimate the number of remaining individuals on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands. During the 2009 and 2010 breeding seasons, we surveyed sample units on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands using a double-observer method with independent observers to estimate joint detection probabilities (p), where we selected units under a stratified random sampling design. We estimated shrike abundance to be 169 in 2009 (p = 0.476) and 240 in 2010 (p = 0.825) for Santa Rosa Island, and 35 in 2009 (p = 0.816) and 42 in 2010 (p = 0.710) for Santa Cruz Island. These numbers, especially for Santa Rosa Island, are higher than previously reported but nevertheless are still low. Rapid vegetation change on both islands due to recent removal of nonnative herbivores may threaten the habitat and status of this subspecies and, therefore, we suggest that intensive demographic and habitat use research be initiated immediately to obtain additional information vital for the management of this subspecies. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Terrestrial bird population trends on Aguiguan (Goat Island), Mariana Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Amidon, Fred; Camp, Richard J.; Marshall, Ann P.; Pratt, Thane K.; Williams, Laura; Radley, Paul; Cruz, Justine B.

2014-01-01

The island of Aguiguan is part of the Mariana archipelago and currently supports populations of four endemic species, including one endemic genus, Cleptornis. Bird population trends since 1982 were recently assessed on the neighbouring islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota indicating declines in some native species. Point-transect surveys were conducted in 2008 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assess population densities and trends on Aguiguan. Densities for six of the nine native birds—White-throated Ground-dove Gallicolumba xanthonura, Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris, Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons, Golden White-eye Cleptornis marchei, Bridled White-eye Zosterops conspicillatus and Micronesian Starling Aplonis opaca—and the non-native bird—Island Collared-dove Streptopelia bitorquata—were significantly greater in 2008 than in 1982. No differences in densities were detected among the surveys for Mariana Fruit-dove Ptilinopus roseicapilla, and Micronesian MyzomelaMyzomela rubratra. Three federally and locally listed endangered birds—Nightingale Reed-warbler Acrocephalus luscinius, Mariana Swiftlet Collocalia bartschi, and Micronesian Megapode Megapodius laperous)—were either not detected during the point-transect counts, the surveys were not appropriate for the species, or the numbers of birds detected were too small to estimate densities. The factors behind the increasing trends for some species are unknown but may be related to increased forest cover on the island since 1982. With declining trends for some native species on neighbouring islands, the increasing and stable trends on Aguiguan is good news for forest bird populations in the region, as Aguiguan populations can help support conservation efforts on other islands in the archipelago.

Genetic and phylogenetic consequences of island biogeography.

PubMed

Johnson, K P; Adler, F R; Cherry, J L

2000-04-01

Island biogeography theory predicts that the number of species on an island should increase with island size and decrease with island distance to the mainland. These predictions are generally well supported in comparative and experimental studies. These ecological, equilibrium predictions arise as a result of colonization and extinction processes. Because colonization and extinction are also important processes in evolution, we develop methods to test evolutionary predictions of island biogeography. We derive a population genetic model of island biogeography that incorporates island colonization, migration of individuals from the mainland, and extinction of island populations. The model provides a means of estimating the rates of migration and extinction from population genetic data. This model predicts that within an island population the distribution of genetic divergences with respect to the mainland source population should be bimodal, with much of the divergence dating to the colonization event. Across islands, this model predicts that populations on large islands should be on average more genetically divergent from mainland source populations than those on small islands. Likewise, populations on distant islands should be more divergent than those on close islands. Published observations of a larger proportion of endemic species on large and distant islands support these predictions.

EDITORIAL: Proceedings of the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Bankoku Shinryoukan, Okinawa, Japan, 20-24 June 2005 Proceedings of the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Bankoku Shinryoukan, Okinawa, Japan, 20-24 June 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mio, N.

2006-04-01

This issue is published as the Proceedings of the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, held on 20-24 June 2005 at Bankoku Shinryoukan in Okinawa, Japan. Since the first Amaldi conference was held in Frascati in 1994, eleven years have passed and the scale of the conference has grown with the increasing activity in the field of gravitational waves. As the centenary celebration of Einstein's 'miracle year', 2005 was called 'World Year of Physics'. Among his breakthroughs published in 1905, the special theory of relativity is recognized as the most significant revolution in physics, completely changing our views concerning time and space. Ten years later, Einstein proposed the general theory of relativity, by which he predicted the existence of gravitational waves (GWs). At that time, it was only a dream to observe a GW because its effect was so small. Efforts to detect GWs, pioneered by Weber, have continued for almost 40 years, yet their detection remained a dream. However, the presentations at this conference have convinced us that it is no longer a dream. The GW detector projects have made extraordinary advances; in particular, the significant sensitivity improvement of LIGO and the completion of the VIRGO detector mark the beginning of the new era of GW physics. Firm developments in theories and source estimations were also reported. In particular, the data analysis session was very active and various discussions were held. Elaborate experimental techniques were presented, some of them already achieving the requirements for the next generation of detectors, such as Advanced LIGO and LCGT. In addition to the earth-based detectors, many presentations concerning space detectors were contributed; they indicated that space would become the new stage for GW physics and astronomy. This issue brings together the papers which were presented at this exciting conference. The proceedings comprise two volumes; the largest part is published as a volume of

33 CFR 334.515 - Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island; Jacksonville, Florida...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blount Island Command and Marine... AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.515 Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility... identified as Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island (MCSF-BI). The three...

33 CFR 334.515 - Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island; Jacksonville, Florida...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Blount Island Command and Marine... AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.515 Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility... identified as Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island (MCSF-BI). The three...

33 CFR 334.515 - Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island; Jacksonville, Florida...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Blount Island Command and Marine... AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.515 Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility... identified as Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island (MCSF-BI). The three...

33 CFR 334.515 - Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island; Jacksonville, Florida...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Blount Island Command and Marine... AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.515 Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility... identified as Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island (MCSF-BI). The three...

33 CFR 334.515 - Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island; Jacksonville, Florida...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Blount Island Command and Marine... AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.515 Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility... identified as Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility-Blount Island (MCSF-BI). The three...

First results from the in-situ temperature measurements by the newly developed downhole tool during the drilling cruise in the hydrothermal fields of the mid-Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitada, K.; Wu, H. Y.; Miyazaki, J.; Akiyama, K.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.

2016-12-01

The Okinawa trough is an active backarc basin behind the Ryukyu subduction zone and exhibits active rifting associated with extension of the continental margin. The temperature measurement in this area is essential for understanding hydrothermal system and hydraulic structure. During the CK16-01 cruise this March, we have conducted the in-situ temperature measurements by the newly developed downhole tool, TRDT (Thermo-Resistant Downhole Thermometer) in hydrothermal fields of the mid-Okinawa Trough. The purpose of this measurement is to investigate the in-situ temperature structure in deep-hot zones and its variation after coring and/or drilling. TRDT was designed by JAMSTEC as a memory downhole tool to measure in-situ borehole temperature under the extreme high temperature environment. First trial was conducted in the CK14-04 cruise by the free fall deployment to reduce the operation time. However, there was no temperature data recorded due to the strong vibration during the operation. After CK14-04 cruise, TRDT was modified to improve the function against vibration and shock. The improved TRDT passed the high temperature, vibration and shock tests to ensure the data acquisition of borehole logging. During the CK16-01 cruise, we have first successfully collected the in-situ temperature data from hydrothermal borehole in the Iheya North Knoll with wireline system. The temperature at depth of 187mbsf continued to increase almost linearly from 220 to 245°C during the 20 minute measurements time. This suggests that the inside borehole was cooled down by pumping seawater through drill pipes during the coring and lowering down the TRDT tool to the bottom hole. The in-situ temperature were extrapolated with exponential curve using nonlinear least squares fitting and the estimated equilibrium temperature was 278°C. To recover the in-situ temperature more precisely, the measurement time should kept as long as possible by considering the temperature rating. The operational

77 FR 34894 - Safety Zone; Bostock 50th Anniversary Fireworks, Long Island Sound; Manursing Island, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-12

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Bostock 50th Anniversary Fireworks, Long Island Sound; Manursing Island, NY... establish a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Long Island Sound in the vicinity of Manursing... from a portion of Long Island Sound before, during, and immediately after the fireworks event. DATES...

Henderson Island, South Pacific

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-15

Uninhabited Henderson Island is part of the United Kingdom's Pitcairn Islands group in the South Pacific. According to a study by the University of Tasmania published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the island has the highest density of plastic waste anywhere in the world, an estimated 38 million pieces of rubbish. The island is near the center of an ocean current, so it collects rubbish from boats and South America. The image was acquired February 7, 2012, covers an area of 10.3 by 12.3 km, and is located at 24.3 degrees south, 128.3 degrees west. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21691

Marquesas Islands, Pacific Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

As with most small island groups around the world, the Marquesas Island group 9.0S, 140.0W) is usually concealed by heavy cloud cover throughout the day making them very difficult to photograph in their entirety. Located in the south central Pacific Ocean, just north of the Tuamotu Archipelago, the islands partially seen in this view are: Nuku Hiva, Ua Huka and Ua Pu.

Run Island, Indonesia

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-28

In 1667, the Dutch exchanged Run Island (left-most in the image) with the British for Manhattan (renamed from New Amsterdam to New York). Run Island is one of the smallest, and western-most, of the Banda Islands, part of the Malukus, Indonesia. At the time it was the only source of the incredibly valuable spices nutmeg and mace. The image was acquired January 5, 2016, covers an area of 15.7 by 34.8 kilometers, and is located at 4.5 degrees south, 129.7 degrees east. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22133

Barrier island facies models and recognition criteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulhern, J.; Johnson, C. L.

2017-12-01

Barrier island outcrops record transgressive shoreline motion at geologic timescales, providing integral clues to understanding how coastlines respond to rising sea levels. However, barrier island deposits are difficult to recognize. While significant progress has been made in understanding the modern coastal morphodynamics, this insight is not fully leveraged in existing barrier island facies models. Excellent outcrop exposures of the paralic Upper Cretaceous Straight Cliffs Formation of southern Utah provide an opportunity to revise facies models and recognition criteria for barrier island deposits. Preserved barrier islands are composed of three main architectural elements (shorefaces, tidal inlets, and tidal channels) which occur independently or in combination to create larger-scale barrier island deposits. Barrier island shorefaces record progradation, while barrier island tidal inlets record lateral migration, and barrier island tidal channels record aggradation within the tidal inlet. Four facies associations are used to describe and characterize these barrier island architectural elements. Barrier islands occur in association with backarrier fill and internally contain lower and upper shoreface, high-energy upper shoreface, and tidal channel facies. Barrier islands bound lagoons or estuaries, and are distinguished from other shoreface deposits by their internal facies and geometry, association with backbarrier facies, and position within transgressive successions. Tidal processes, in particular tidal inlet migration and reworking of the upper shoreface, also distinguish barrier island deposits. Existing barrier island models highlight the short term heterogeneous and dynamic nature of barrier island systems, yet overlook processes tied to geologic time scales, such as multi-directional motion, erosion, and reworking, and their expressions in preserved barrier island strata. This study uses characteristic outcrop expressions of barrier island successions to

Geographic variation in body form of prehistoric Jomon males in the Japanese archipelago: its ecogeographic implications.

PubMed

Fukase, Hitoshi; Wakebe, Tetsuaki; Tsurumoto, Toshiyuki; Saiki, Kazunobu; Fujita, Masaki; Ishida, Hajime

2012-09-01

Diversity of human body size and shape is often biogeographically interpreted in association with climatic conditions. According to Bergmann's and Allen's rules, populations in regions with a cold climate are expected to display an overall larger body and smaller/shorter extremities than those in warm/hot environments. In the present study, the skeletal limb size and proportions of prehistoric Jomon hunter-gatherers, who extensively inhabited subarctic to subtropical areas in the ancient Japanese archipelago, were examined to evaluate whether or not the inter-regional differences follow such ecogeographic patterns. Results showed that the Jomon intralimb proportions including relative distal limb lengths did not differ significantly among five regions from northern Hokkaido to the southern Okinawa Islands. This suggests a limited co-variability of the intralimb proportions with climate, particularly within genealogically close populations. In contrast, femoral head breadth (associated with body mass) and skeletal limb lengths were found to be significantly and positively correlated with latitude, suggesting a north-south geographical cline in the body size. This gradient therefore comprehensively conforms to Bergmann's rule, and may stem from multiple potential factors such as phylogenetic constraints, microevolutionary adaptation to climatic/geographic conditions during the Jomon period, and nutritional and physiological response during ontogeny. Specifically, the remarkably small-bodied Jomon in the Okinawa Islands can also be explained as an adjustment to subtropical and insular environments. Thus, the findings obtained in this study indicate that Jomon people, while maintaining fundamental intralimb proportions, displayed body size variation in concert with ambient surroundings. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Excess density compensation of island herpetofaunal assemblages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodda, G.H.; Dean-Bradley, K.

2002-01-01

Aim Some species reach extraordinary densities on islands. Island assemblages have fewer species, however, and it is possible that island species differ from their mainland counterparts in average mass. Island assemblages could be partitioned differently (fewer species or smaller individuals) from mainland sites without differing in aggregate biomass (density compensation). Our objective was to determine the generality of excess density compensation in island herpetofaunal assemblages.Location Our bounded removal plot data were obtained from Pacific Island sites (Guam, Saipan and Rota), the West Indies (British Virgin Islands), and the Indian Ocean (Ile aux Aigrettes off Mauritius). The literature values were taken from several locales. Other island locations included Barro Colorado Island, Bonaire, Borneo, Philippine Islands, Seychelle Islands, Barrow Island (Australia), North Brother Island (New Zealand), Dominica and Puerto Rico. Mainland sites included Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Australia, Thailand, Peru, Brazil, Panama and the USA.Method We added our thirty-nine bounded total removal plots from sixteen island habitats to fifteen literature records to obtain seventy-five venues with estimable density and biomass of arboreal or terrestrial herpetofaunal assemblages. These biomass estimates were evaluated geographically and in relation to sampling method, insularity, latitude, disturbance regime, seasonality, community richness, vegetative structure and climate. Direct data on trophic interactions (food availability, parasitism and predation pressure) were generally unavailable. Sampling problems were frequent for arboreal, cryptic and evasive species.Results and main conclusions We found strong evidence that herpetofaunal assemblages on small islands (mostly lizards) exhibit a much greater aggregate density of biomass (kg ha−1) than those of larger islands or mainland assemblages (small islands show excess density compensation). High aggregate biomass

Genetic Differentiation and Spatial Structure of Phellinus noxius, the Causal Agent of Brown Root Rot of Woody Plants in Japan.

PubMed

Akiba, Mitsuteru; Ota, Yuko; Tsai, Isheng J; Hattori, Tsutomu; Sahashi, Norio; Kikuchi, Taisei

2015-01-01

Phellinus noxius is a pathogenic fungus that causes brown root rot disease in a variety of tree species. This fungus is distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast and East Asia, Oceania, Australia, Central America and Africa. In Japan, it was first discovered on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture in 1988; since then, it has been found on several of the Ryukyu Islands. Recently, this fungus was identified from the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, where it has killed trees, including rare endemic tree species. For effective control or quarantine methods, it is important to clarify whether the Japanese populations of P. noxius are indigenous to the area or if they have been introduced from other areas. We developed 20 microsatellite markers from genome assembly of P. noxius and genotyped 128 isolates from 12 of the Ryukyu Islands and 3 of the Ogasawara Islands. All isolates had unique genotypes, indicating that basidiospore infection is a primary dissemination method for the formation of new disease foci. Genetic structure analyses strongly supported genetic differentiation between the Ryukyu populations and the Ogasawara populations of P. noxius. High polymorphism of microsatellite loci suggests that Japanese populations are indigenous or were introduced a very long time ago. We discuss differences in invasion patterns between the Ryukyu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands.

Genetic Differentiation and Spatial Structure of Phellinus noxius, the Causal Agent of Brown Root Rot of Woody Plants in Japan

PubMed Central

Akiba, Mitsuteru; Ota, Yuko; Tsai, Isheng J.; Hattori, Tsutomu; Sahashi, Norio; Kikuchi, Taisei

2015-01-01

Phellinus noxius is a pathogenic fungus that causes brown root rot disease in a variety of tree species. This fungus is distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast and East Asia, Oceania, Australia, Central America and Africa. In Japan, it was first discovered on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture in 1988; since then, it has been found on several of the Ryukyu Islands. Recently, this fungus was identified from the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, where it has killed trees, including rare endemic tree species. For effective control or quarantine methods, it is important to clarify whether the Japanese populations of P. noxius are indigenous to the area or if they have been introduced from other areas. We developed 20 microsatellite markers from genome assembly of P. noxius and genotyped 128 isolates from 12 of the Ryukyu Islands and 3 of the Ogasawara Islands. All isolates had unique genotypes, indicating that basidiospore infection is a primary dissemination method for the formation of new disease foci. Genetic structure analyses strongly supported genetic differentiation between the Ryukyu populations and the Ogasawara populations of P. noxius. High polymorphism of microsatellite loci suggests that Japanese populations are indigenous or were introduced a very long time ago. We discuss differences in invasion patterns between the Ryukyu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands. PMID:26513585

Intraspecific Variation of Eysarcoris guttigerus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Japanese Southwest Population Based on Mitochondrial DNA

PubMed Central

Yamaji, Takuya; Ishikawa, Tadashi; Nomura, Masashi

2016-01-01

The white-spotted globular bug Eysarcoris guttigerus (Thunberg) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is widely distributed in East Asia and the Pacific region. In Japan, the species is found in grassy or composite weeds in the western area of the main islands and Ryukyu Islands of Japan. One notable characteristic of the Eysarcoris genus is the two white spots on the scutellum. This is not the case with the Ishigaki Island population, however, which sports red spots instead of white, suggesting that intraspecific variation exists in the species. Therefore, we investigated intraspecific variation in E. guttigerus using mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2), cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1), cytochrome b (Cytb), tRNA-Serine (tRNAser), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1), and 16S ribosomal RNA (16SrRNA) genes from 13 populations of Japan. The obtained maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was divided into three groups—Group 1: Mainland, Group 2: Central Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa-Amamioshima Islands), and Group 3: South Ryukyu Islands (Ishigaki Island). The Ishigaki population was significantly separated from the other populations with consistent differences in spot color. The estimated period of divergence between the Ishigaki population and the other populations was consistent with the period of formation of the Kerama Gap in the Ryukyu arc. Thus, the process of formation of the Kerama Gap may have influenced the intraspecific variation of E. guttigerus. PMID:26798143

Island biology: looking towards the future

PubMed Central

Kueffer, Christoph; Drake, Donald R.; Fernández-Palacios, José María

2014-01-01

Oceanic islands are renowned for the profound scientific insights that their fascinating biotas have provided to biologists during the past two centuries. Research presented at Island Biology 2014—an international conference, held in Honolulu, Hawaii (7–11 July 2014), which attracted 253 presenters and 430 participants from at least 35 countries1—demonstrated that islands are reclaiming a leading role in ecology and evolution, especially for synthetic studies at the intersections of macroecology, evolution, community ecology and applied ecology. New dynamics in island biology are stimulated by four major developments. We are experiencing the emergence of a truly global and comprehensive island research community incorporating previously neglected islands and taxa. Macroecology and big-data analyses yield a wealth of global-scale synthetic studies and detailed multi-island comparisons, while other modern research approaches such as genomics, phylogenetic and functional ecology, and palaeoecology, are also dispersing to islands. And, increasingly tight collaborations between basic research and conservation management make islands places where new conservation solutions for the twenty-first century are being tested. Islands are home to a disproportionate share of the world's rare (and extinct) species, and there is an urgent need to develop increasingly collaborative and innovative research to address their conservation requirements. PMID:25339655

Experimental Evaluation of PV Inverter Anti-Islanding with Grid Support Functions in Multi-Inverter Island Scenarios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoke, Anderson; Nelson, Austin; Miller, Brian

As PV and other DER systems are connected to the grid at increased penetration levels, island detection may become more challenging for two reasons: 1.) In islands containing many DERs, active inverter-based anti-islanding methods may have more difficulty detecting islands because each individual inverter's efforts to detect the island may be interfered with by the other inverters in the island. 2.) The increasing numbers of DERs are leading to new requirements that DERs ride through grid disturbances and even actively try to regulate grid voltage and frequency back towards nominal operating conditions. These new grid support requirements may directly ormore » indirectly interfere with anti-islanding controls. This report describes a series of tests designed to examine the impacts of both grid support functions and multi-inverter islands on anti-islanding effectiveness. Crucially, the multi-inverter anti-islanding tests described in this report examine scenarios with multiple inverters connected to multiple different points on the grid. While this so-called 'solar subdivision' scenario has been examined to some extent through simulation, this is the first known work to test it using hardware inverters. This was accomplished through the use of power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation, which allows the hardware inverters to be connected to a real-time transient simulation of an electric power system that can be easily reconfigured to test various distribution circuit scenarios. The anti-islanding test design was a modified version of the unintentional islanding test in IEEE Standard 1547.1, which creates a balanced, resonant island with the intent of creating a highly challenging condition for island detection. Three common, commercially available single-phase PV inverters from three different manufacturers were tested. The first part of this work examined each inverter individually using a series of pure hardware resistive-inductive-capacitive (RLC) resonant

Jamestown IslandHog IslandCaptain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail District, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Jamestown Island-Hog Island-Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail District, James River plus the land 0.5 miles inland, roughly from Swann's Point to Pagan River, Jamestown, James City County, VA

Island biogeography of marine organisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinheiro, Hudson T.; Bernardi, Giacomo; Simon, Thiony; Joyeux, Jean-Christophe; Macieira, Raphael M.; Gasparini, João Luiz; Rocha, Claudia; Rocha, Luiz A.

2017-09-01

Studies on the distribution and evolution of organisms on oceanic islands have advanced towards a dynamic perspective, where terrestrial endemicity results from island geographical aspects and geological history intertwined with sea-level fluctuations. Diversification on these islands may follow neutral models, decreasing over time as niches are filled, or disequilibrium states and progression rules, where richness and endemism rise with the age of the archipelago owing to the splitting of ancestral lineages (cladogenesis). However, marine organisms have received comparatively little scientific attention. Therefore, island and seamount evolutionary processes in the aquatic environment remain unclear. Here we analyse the evolutionary history of reef fishes that are endemic to a volcanic ridge of seamounts and islands to understand their relations to island evolution and sea-level fluctuations. We also test how this evolutionary history fits island biogeography theory. We found that most endemic species have evolved recently (Pleistocene epoch), during a period of recurrent sea-level changes and intermittent connectivity caused by repeated aerial exposure of seamounts, a finding that is consistent with an ephemeral ecological speciation process. Similar to findings for terrestrial biodiversity, our data suggest that the marine speciation rate on islands is negatively correlated with immigration rate. However, because marine species disperse better than terrestrial species, most niches are filled by immigration: speciation increases with the random accumulation of species with low dispersal ability, with few opportunities for in situ cladogenesis and adaptive radiation. Moreover, we confirm that sea-level fluctuations and seamount location play a critical role in marine evolution, mainly by intermittently providing stepping stones for island colonization.

Carboxydobrachium pacificum gen. nov., sp. nov., a new anaerobic, thermophilic, CO-utilizing marine bacterium from Okinawa Trough.

PubMed

Sokolova, T G; González, J M; Kostrikina, N A; Chernyh, N A; Tourova, T P; Kato, C; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, E A; Robb, F T

2001-01-01

A new anaerobic, thermophilic, CO-utilizing marine bacterium, strain JMT, was isolated from a submarine hot vent in Okinawa Trough. Cells of strain JMT were non-motile thin straight rods, sometimes branching, with a cell wall of the Gram-positive type, surrounded with an S-layer. Chains of three to five cells were often observed. The isolate grew chemolithotrophically on CO, producing equimolar quantities of H2 and CO2 (according to the equation CO+H2O-->CO2+H2) and organotrophically on peptone, yeast extract, starch, cellobiose, glucose, galactose, fructose and pyruvate, producing H2, acetate and CO2. Growth was observed from 50 to 80 degrees C with an optimum at 70 degrees C. The optimum pH was 6.8-7.1. The optimum concentration of sea salts in the medium was 20.5-25.5 g l(-1). The generation time under optimal conditions was 7.1 h. The DNA G+C content was 33 mol %. Growth of isolate JMT was not inhibited by penicillin, but ampicillin, streptomycin, kanamycin and neomycin completely inhibited growth. The results of 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed that strain JMT belongs to the Thermoanaerobacter phylogenetic group within the Bacillus-Clostridium subphylum of Gram-positive bacteria but represents a separate branch of this group. On the basis of morphological and physiological features and phylogenetic data, this isolate should be assigned to a new genus, for which the name Carboxydobrachium is proposed. The type species is Carboxydobrachium pacificum; the type strain is JMT (= DSM 12653T).

Magnetic anomalies associated with abundant production of pyrrhotite in a sulfide deposit in the Okinawa Trough, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honsho, Chie; Yamazaki, Toshitsugu; Ura, Tamaki; Okino, Kyoko; Morozumi, Haruhisa; Ueda, Satoshi

2016-11-01

We report here results from a deep-sea magnetic survey using an autonomous underwater vehicle over the Hakurei hydrothermal site, in the middle Okinawa Trough. Magnetic inversion revealed that the Hakurei site is associated with well-defined high-magnetization zones distributed within a broad low-magnetization zone. Results from rock magnetic measurements, performed on sulfide ore samples obtained by drilling, showed that some samples possessed extremely high natural remanent magnetization (NRM) (as much as 6.8-953.0 A/m), although most of the measured samples had much lower NRM. These high-NRM samples were characterized by high Königsberger ratios (101-103), indicating much larger NRM than induced magnetization, and contained pyrrhotite as the only magnetic mineral. This suggests that NRM carried by pyrrhotite is the source of the observed magnetic anomalies. The wide range of NRM intensity was considered to be due to a highly heterogeneous distribution of pyrrhotite, because pyrrhotite was commonly identified in both the high-NRM and low-NRM samples. Pyrrhotite production may have been occasionally drastically increased, with highly magnetic ores formed as a result. Rapid burial of active vents may result in the creation of an extensive reducing environment under the seafloor, which is favorable to pyrrhotite production, and may also prevent oxidation of pyrrhotite by isolating it from seawater. Because the magnetization intensity of sulfide ores was highly variable, it would not be straightforward to estimate the quantity of ore deposits from the magnetic anomalies. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates the usefulness of magnetic surveys in detecting hydrothermal deposits.

Sediment and nutrients transport in watershed and their impact on coastal environment

PubMed Central

Ikeda, Syunsuke; Osawa, Kazutoshi; Akamatsu, Yoshihisa

2009-01-01

Sediment and nutrients yields especially from farmlands were studied in a watershed in Ishigaki island, Okinawa, Japan. The transport processes of these materials in rivers, mangrove, lagoon and coastal zones were studied by using various observation methods including stable isotope analysis. They were simulated by using a WEPP model which was modified to be applicable to such small islands by identifying several factors from the observations. The model predicts that a proper combination of civil engineering countermeasure and change of farming method can reduce the sediment yield from the watershed by 74%. Observations of water quality and coral recruitment test in Nagura bay indicate that the water is eutrophicated and the corals cannot grow for a long time. Based on these observations, a quantitative target of the reduction of sediment and nutrients yield in watershed can be decided rationally. PMID:19907124

Water resources of the Palau Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van der Brug, Otto

1984-01-01

The Palau Islands are a group of 350 islands, ranging in size from a few hundred square feet to the 153-square-mile island of Babelthuap. Babelthuap is the second largest island in the Western Pacific and comprises more than 80 percent of the total land area of the Palau Islands. Most of the islands are uninhabited limestone ridges covered with dense vegetation. These islands have no freshwater resources and are not included in this report. The island of Koror with an area of 3.6 square miles is the administrative, commercial, and population center of Palau and has an annual average rainfall of 148 inches. Short-term rainfall records at other locations in the islands indicate little variation in annual rainfall throughout the Palau Islands. Runoff-to-rainfall ratios for streams on Babelthuap show that about 70 percent of the rain falling on the island runs off to the ocean. The uniformity of rainfall and basin characteristics is shown by the excellent correlation between mean annual rainfall on Koror and streamflow on Babelthuap and by the close correlations between discharge at gaging stations and partial-record sites. Surface water quality is generally very good as shown by 55 chemical analyses of water from 18 sources. The dissolved solids concentration of water samples did not exceed 66 milligrams per liter. This report summarizes in one volume hydrologic data collection in a 14-year period of study and provides interpretations of the data than can be used by planners and public works officials as a basis for making decisions on the development and management of the islands ' water resources.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Advances in island plant biology since Sherwin Carlquist's Island Biology

PubMed Central

Traveset, Anna; Fernández-Palacios, José María; Kueffer, Christoph; Bellingham, Peter J.; Morden, Clifford; Drake, Donald R.

2016-01-01

Sherwin Carlquist's seminal publications—in particular his classic Island Biology, published in 1974—formulated hypotheses specific to island biology that remain valuable today. This special issue brings together some of the most interesting contributions presented at the First Island Biology Symposium hosted in Honolulu on 7–11 July 2014. We compiled a total of 18 contributions that present data from multiple archipelagos across the world and from different disciplines within the plant sciences. In this introductory paper, we first provide a short overview of Carlquist's life and work and then summarize the main findings of the collated papers. A first group of papers deals with issues to which Carlquist notably contributed: long-distance dispersal, adaptive radiation and plant reproductive biology. The findings of such studies demonstrate the extent to which the field has advanced thanks to (i) the increasing availability and richness of island data, covering many taxonomic groups and islands; (ii) new information from the geosciences, phylogenetics and palaeoecology, which allows us a more realistic understanding of the geological and biological development of islands and their biotas; and (iii) the new theoretical and methodological advances that allow us to assess patterns of abundance, diversity and distribution of island biota over large spatial scales. Most other papers in the issue cover a range of topics related to plant conservation on islands, such as causes and consequences of mutualistic disruptions (due to pollinator or disperser losses, introduction of alien predators, etc.). Island biologists are increasingly considering reintroducing ecologically important species to suitable habitats within their historic range and to neighbouring islands with depauperate communities of vertebrate seed dispersers, and an instructive example is given here. Finally, contributions on ecological networks demonstrate the usefulness of this methodological tool to

From subduction to collision: results of French POP2 program on Taiwan-Philippine festoon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blanchet, R.; Stephan, J.F.; Rangin, C.

1986-07-01

A sea-beam, seismic, magnetic, and gravimetric survey was conducted with the R/V Jean-Charcot in three key regions off the Taiwan-Philippine festoon in the western Pacific: (1) Ryukyu active margin and its junction with Taiwan; (2) northern part of the Manila Trench and its junction with the Taiwan tectonic prism; and (3) southern termination of Manila Trench in front of Mindoro Island. Transitions between active subduction along the Manila Trench and collision of Taiwan and Mindoro, and relations between active subduction and extension in the Okinawa-Ryukyu and the northeastern Taiwan systems are particularly studied.

Lanzarote, Canary Islands

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-06

Lanzarote is the easternmost of the Canary Islands, 125 km off the coast of Africa, and is the fourth largest of the archipelago, with an area of 846 square kilometers. Like all of the Canary Islands, its volcanic origin dates to about 15 million years ago. The largest historic eruption occurred in the 1730s. The island was first recorded by Pliny the Elder, though it may have been originally settled by the Phoenicians (Wikipedia). The image was acquired 12 March 2015, covers an area of 50.5 by 55.1 km, and is located near 29 degrees north, 13.6 degrees west. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21284

Artificial production and natural breeding of the endangered frog species Odorrana ishikawae, with special reference to fauna conservation in the laboratory.

PubMed

Sumida, Masayuki; Satou, Naoki; Yoshikawa, Natsuhiko; Kurabayashi, Atsushi; Islam, Mohammed Mafizul; Igawa, Takeshi; Oumi, Shohei; Katsuren, Seiki; Ota, Hidetoshi; Shintani, Nozomi; Fukuniwa, Hiroko; Sano, Naomi; Fujii, Tamotsu

2011-11-01

Odorrana ishikawae is listed as a class IB endangered species in the IUCN Red List and is protected by law in both Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures, Japan. Here, in an effort to help effectively preserve the genetic diversity of this endangered species in the laboratory, we tested a farming technique involving the artificial breeding of frogs, and also promoted natural breeding in the laboratory. Field-caught male/female pairs of the Amami and Okinawa Island populations were artificially bred using an artificial insemination method in the 2004, 2006, and 2008 breeding seasons (March to April). Although fewer than 50% of the inseminated eggs achieved metamorphosis, approximately 500, 300, and 250 offspring from the three respective trials are currently being raised in the laboratory. During the 2009 and 2010 breeding seasons, second-generation offspring were produced by the natural mating activities of the first offspring derived from the two artificial matings in 2004. The findings and the methods presented here appear to be applicable to the temporary protection of genetic diversity of local populations in which the number of individuals has decreased or the environmental conditions have worsened to levels that frogs are unable to survive by themselves.

27 CFR 9.68 - Merritt Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Merritt Island viticultural area is located in Yolo County, California, six miles south of the City of... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Merritt Island. 9.68... Merritt Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Merritt Island...

27 CFR 9.68 - Merritt Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Merritt Island viticultural area is located in Yolo County, California, six miles south of the City of... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Merritt Island. 9.68... Merritt Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Merritt Island...

27 CFR 9.68 - Merritt Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Merritt Island viticultural area is located in Yolo County, California, six miles south of the City of... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Merritt Island. 9.68... Merritt Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Merritt Island...

27 CFR 9.68 - Merritt Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Merritt Island viticultural area is located in Yolo County, California, six miles south of the City of... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Merritt Island. 9.68... Merritt Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Merritt Island...

Late Quaternary climate change shapes island biodiversity.

PubMed

Weigelt, Patrick; Steinbauer, Manuel Jonas; Cabral, Juliano Sarmento; Kreft, Holger

2016-04-07

Island biogeographical models consider islands either as geologically static with biodiversity resulting from ecologically neutral immigration-extinction dynamics, or as geologically dynamic with biodiversity resulting from immigration-speciation-extinction dynamics influenced by changes in island characteristics over millions of years. Present climate and spatial arrangement of islands, however, are rather exceptional compared to most of the Late Quaternary, which is characterized by recurrent cooler and drier glacial periods. These climatic oscillations over short geological timescales strongly affected sea levels and caused massive changes in island area, isolation and connectivity, orders of magnitude faster than the geological processes of island formation, subsidence and erosion considered in island theory. Consequences of these oscillations for present biodiversity remain unassessed. Here we analyse the effects of present and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) island area, isolation, elevation and climate on key components of angiosperm diversity on islands worldwide. We find that post-LGM changes in island characteristics, especially in area, have left a strong imprint on present diversity of endemic species. Specifically, the number and proportion of endemic species today is significantly higher on islands that were larger during the LGM. Native species richness, in turn, is mostly determined by present island characteristics. We conclude that an appreciation of Late Quaternary environmental change is essential to understand patterns of island endemism and its underlying evolutionary dynamics.

Operculina from the northwestern Pacific (Sesoko Island, Japan) Species Differentiation, Population Dynamics, Growth and Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woeger, Julia; Eder, Wolfgang; Kinoshita, Shunichi; Briguglio, Antonino; Hohenegger, Johann

2017-04-01

During the last decades larger benthic foraminifera have gained importance as indicator species and are used in a variety of applications, from ecological monitoring, studying the effects of ocean acidification, or reconstructing paleoenvironments. They significantly contribute to the carbonate budget of costal areas and are invaluable tools in biostratigraphy. Even before their advancement as bioindicators, laboratory experiments have been conducted to investigate the effects of various ecological parameters on community composition, biology of single species, or investigating the effects of salinity and temperature on stable isotope composition of the foraminiferal test, to name only a few. The natural laboratory approach (continuous sampling over a period of more than one year) was conducted at the island of Sesoko (Okinawa, Japan). in combination with µ-CT scanning was used to reveal population dynamics of 3 different morphotypes of Operculina. The clarification of reproductive cycles as well as generation and size abundances were used to calculate natural growth models. Best fit was achieved using Bertalanffy and Michaelis-Menten functions. Exponential-, logistic-, generalized logistic-, Gompertz-function yielded weaker fits, when compared by coefficient of determination as well as Akaike Information criterion. The resulting growth curves and inferred growth rates were in turn used to evaluate the quality of a laboratory cultivation experiment carried out simultaneously over a period of 15 months. Culturing parameters such as temperature, light intensities, salinity and pH and light-dark duration were continuously adapted to measurements in the field. The average investigation time in culture was 77days. 13 Individuals lived more than 200 days, 3 reproduced asexually and one sexually. 14% of 186 Individuals were lost, while 22% could not be kept alive for more than one month. Growth curves also represent an instrumental source of information for the various

33 CFR 334.1070 - San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. 334.1070 Section 334.1070 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1070 San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. (a) The area. All the water of the cove bounded by the south shore of Treasure...

33 CFR 334.1070 - San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. 334.1070 Section 334.1070 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1070 San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. (a) The area. All the water of the cove bounded by the south shore of Treasure...

33 CFR 334.1070 - San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. 334.1070 Section 334.1070 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1070 San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. (a) The area. All the water of the cove bounded by the south shore of Treasure...

33 CFR 334.1070 - San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. 334.1070 Section 334.1070 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1070 San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. (a) The area. All the water of the cove bounded by the south shore of Treasure...

33 CFR 334.1070 - San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. 334.1070 Section 334.1070 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1070 San Francisco Bay between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island; naval restricted area. (a) The area. All the water of the cove bounded by the south shore of Treasure...

27 CFR 9.170 - Long Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) Boundaries. The Long Island viticultural area includes approximately 1,170 square miles or 749,146 acres and... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Long Island. 9.170 Section... Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Long Island.” (b...

27 CFR 9.170 - Long Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) Boundaries. The Long Island viticultural area includes approximately 1,170 square miles or 749,146 acres and... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Long Island. 9.170 Section... Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Long Island.” (b...

27 CFR 9.170 - Long Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) Boundaries. The Long Island viticultural area includes approximately 1,170 square miles or 749,146 acres and... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Long Island. 9.170 Section... Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Long Island.” (b...

27 CFR 9.170 - Long Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) Boundaries. The Long Island viticultural area includes approximately 1,170 square miles or 749,146 acres and... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Long Island. 9.170 Section... Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Long Island.” (b...

27 CFR 9.170 - Long Island.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Boundaries. The Long Island viticultural area includes approximately 1,170 square miles or 749,146 acres and... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Long Island. 9.170 Section... Island. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Long Island.” (b...

Characterizing barrier-island response to storm and human impact: a century of observations from Breton Island, Louisiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flocks, J. G.; Terrano, J.; Dalyander, S.

2016-12-01

Breton Island, a barrier-island located adjacent to the Mississippi River Delta in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, is recognized as a globally important bird habitat, hosting one of largest pelican nesting colonies in Louisiana. Over the past century extensive loss of island acreage has been documented, but the history of change has not been linked to physical drivers. In this study, high-resolution topo-bathymetric lidar and acoustic bathymetry are combined to create digital elevation models (DEMs) that are compared to historical datasets extending to the late 1800s. This analysis reveals shoreline and seafloor change patterns, most notably that island area has decreased by 85% since the early 1900s. This loss is attributed to a decrease in littoral sediment delivery across a shipping channel dredged adjacent to the island in the 1950s and an increase in storm frequency and intensity since the 1990s. In contrast to this long-term decline, island area has doubled in size since 2005, corresponding to a reduction in both storm and dredging activity. The study links island change to erosional processes and demonstrates the influence of short-term change events, both natural and man-made, on long-term barrier-island evolution. Because Breton Island itself has not been altered appreciably by restoration activities, these observations can be applied to natural barrier island systems elsewhere where sufficient monitoring data is not available.

Biogeochemical processes controlling authigenic carbonate formation within the sediment column from the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiwei; Peng, Xiaotong; Bai, Shijie; Chen, Zhiyan; Van Nostrand, Joy D.

2018-02-01

Authigenic carbonates are one type of conspicuous manifestation in seep environments that can provide long-term archives of past seepage activity and methane cycling in the oceans. Comprehensive investigations of the microbial community functional structure and their roles in the process of carbonate formation are, however, lacking. In this study, the mineralogical, geochemical, and microbial functional composition were examined in seep carbonate deposits collected from the west slope of the northern section of the Okinawa Trough (OT). The aim of this work was to explore the correspondence between the mineralogical phases and microbial metabolism during carbonate deposit formation. The mineralogical analyses indicated that authigenic carbonate minerals (aragonite, magnesium-rich calcite, dolomite, ankerite and siderite) and iron-bearing minerals (limonite, chlorite, and biotite) were present in these carbonate samples. The carbon and oxygen isotopic values of the carbonate samples varied between -51.1‰ to -4.7‰ and -4.8‰ to 3.7‰, respectively. A negative linear correlation between carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions was found, indicating a mixture of methane-derived diagenetic (low δ13C/high 18O) carbonates and detrital origin (high δ13C/low 18O) carbonates at the OT. GeoChip analyses suggested that various metabolic activities of microorganisms, including methanogenesis, methane oxidation, sulfite oxidation, sulfate reduction, and metal biotransformations, all occurred during the formation process. On the basis of these findings, the following model for the methane cycle and seep carbonate deposit formation in the sediment column at the OT is proposed: (1) in the upper oxidizing zone, aerobic methane oxidation was the main way of methane consumption; (2) in the sulfate methane transition zone, sulfate-dependent AOM (anaerobic oxidation of methane) consumes methane, and authigenic minerals such as aragonite, magnesium-calcite, and sulfide minerals

75 FR 34379 - Safety Zone; Mackinac Island 4th of July Fireworks, Lake Huron, Mackinac Island, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Mackinac Island 4th of July Fireworks, Lake Huron, Mackinac Island, MI AGENCY: Coast... of Lake Huron during the Mackinac Island 4th of July Fireworks display on July 4, 2010. This... and vessels during the setup, and launching of fireworks in conjunction with the Mackinac Island 4th...

Biological invasions on oceanic islands: Implications for island ecosystems and avifauna

Treesearch

Dean E. Pearson

2009-01-01

Biological invasions present a global threat to biodiversity, but oceanic islands are the systems hardest hit by invasions. Islands are generally depauperate in species richness, trophic complexity, and functional diversity relative to comparable mainland ecosystems. This situation results in low biotic resistance to invasion and many empty niches for invaders to...

Oak restoration trials: Santa Catalina Island

Treesearch

Lisa Stratton

2002-01-01

Two restoration trials involving four oak species have been implemented as part of a larger restoration program for Catalina Island. In 1997 the Catalina Island Conservancy began an active program of restoration after 50 years of ranching and farming activities on the island. The restoration program includes removing feral goats and pigs island-wide and converting 80...

Montague Island vole: a conservation assessment.

Treesearch

Ellen Weintraub Lance

2002-01-01

Montague Island tundra voles were first described in the early 1900s. Based on their large size and dark coloration relative to other island and mainland populations, tundra voles from Montague Island were classified as a distinct subspecies. Research conducted in the 1990s revealed significant differences in the size and shape of Montague Island voles, but not...

Enhanced sensitivity of CpG island search and primer design based on predicted CpG island position.

PubMed

Park, Hyun-Chul; Ahn, Eu-Ree; Jung, Ju Yeon; Park, Ji-Hye; Lee, Jee Won; Lim, Si-Keun; Kim, Won

2018-05-01

DNA methylation has important biological roles, such as gene expression regulation, as well as practical applications in forensics, such as in body fluid identification and age estimation. DNA methylation often occurs in the CpG site, and methylation within the CpG islands affects various cellular functions and is related to tissue-specific identification. Several programs have been developed to identify CpG islands; however, the size, location, and number of predicted CpG islands are not identical due to different search algorithms. In addition, they only provide structural information for predicted CpG islands without experimental information, such as primer design. We developed an analysis pipeline package, CpGPNP, to integrate CpG island prediction and primer design. CpGPNP predicts CpG islands more accurately and sensitively than other programs, and designs primers easily based on the predicted CpG island locations. The primer design function included standard, bisulfite, and methylation-specific PCR to identify the methylation of particular CpG sites. In this study, we performed CpG island prediction on all chromosomes and compared CpG island search performance of CpGPNP with other CpG island prediction programs. In addition, we compared the position of primers designed for a specific region within the predicted CpG island using other bisulfite PCR primer programs. The primers designed by CpGPNP were used to experimentally verify the amplification of the target region of markers for body fluid identification and age estimation. CpGPNP is freely available at http://forensicdna.kr/cpgpnp/. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000-30,000 years before present.

PubMed

Fujita, Masaki; Yamasaki, Shinji; Katagiri, Chiaki; Oshiro, Itsuro; Sano, Katsuhiro; Kurozumi, Taiji; Sugawara, Hiroshi; Kunikita, Dai; Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki; Kano, Akihiro; Okumura, Tomoyo; Sone, Tomomi; Fujita, Hikaru; Kobayashi, Satoshi; Naruse, Toru; Kondo, Megumi; Matsu'ura, Shuji; Suwa, Gen; Kaifu, Yousuke

2016-10-04

Maritime adaptation was one of the essential factors that enabled modern humans to disperse all over the world. However, geographic distribution of early maritime technology during the Late Pleistocene remains unclear. At this time, the Indonesian Archipelago and eastern New Guinea stand as the sole, well-recognized area for secure Pleistocene evidence of repeated ocean crossings and advanced fishing technology. The incomplete archeological records also make it difficult to know whether modern humans could sustain their life on a resource-poor, small oceanic island for extended periods with Paleolithic technology. We here report evidence from a limestone cave site on Okinawa Island, Japan, of successive occupation that extends back to 35,000-30,000 y ago. Well-stratified strata at the Sakitari Cave site yielded a rich assemblage of seashell artifacts, including formally shaped tools, beads, and the world's oldest fishhooks. These are accompanied by seasonally exploited food residue. The persistent occupation on this relatively small, geographically isolated island, as well as the appearance of Paleolithic sites on nearby islands by 30,000 y ago, suggest wider distribution of successful maritime adaptations than previously recognized, spanning the lower to midlatitude areas in the western Pacific coastal region.

Biodiversity on island chains: Neutral model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warren, Patrick B.

2010-11-01

A neutral ecology model is simulated on an island chain, in which neighboring islands can exchange individuals but only the first island is able to receive immigrants from a metacommunity. It is found by several measures that α -diversity decreases along the chain. Subtle changes in taxon abundance distributions can be detected when islands in the chain are compared to diversity-matched single islands. The island chain is found to have unexpectedly rich dynamics. Significant β -diversity correlations are found between islands in the chain, which are absent between diversity-matched single islands. The results potentially apply to human microbial biodiversity and biogeography and suggest that measurements of interindividual and intraindividual β -diversity may give insights into microbial community assembly mechanisms.

Thermal island destabilization and the Greenwald limit

DOE PAGES

White, R. B.; Gates, D. A.; Brennan, D. P.

2015-02-24

Magnetic reconnection is ubiquitous in the magnetosphere, the solar corona, and in toroidal fusion research discharges. A magnetic island saturates at a width which produces a minimum in the magnetic energy of the configuration is evident in a fusion device. At saturation, the modified current density profile, a function of the flux in the island, is essentially flat, the growth rate proportional to the difference in the current at the O-point and the X-point. Furthermore, modification of the current density profile in the island interior causes a change in the island stability and additional growth or contraction of the saturatedmore » island. Because field lines in an island are isolated from the outside plasma, an island can heat or cool preferentially depending on the balance of Ohmic heating and radiation loss in the interior, changing the resistivity and hence the current in the island. A simple model of island destabilization due to radiation cooling of the island is constructed, and the effect of modification of the current within an island is calculated. In addition destabilization effect is described, and it is shown that a small imbalance of heating can lead to exponential growth of the island. A destabilized magnetic island near the plasma edge can lead to plasma loss, and because the radiation is proportional to plasma density and charge, this effect can cause an impurity dependent density limit.« less

Thermal island destabilization and the Greenwald limit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, R. B.; Gates, D. A.; Brennan, D. P.

Magnetic reconnection is ubiquitous in the magnetosphere, the solar corona, and in toroidal fusion research discharges. A magnetic island saturates at a width which produces a minimum in the magnetic energy of the configuration is evident in a fusion device. At saturation, the modified current density profile, a function of the flux in the island, is essentially flat, the growth rate proportional to the difference in the current at the O-point and the X-point. Furthermore, modification of the current density profile in the island interior causes a change in the island stability and additional growth or contraction of the saturatedmore » island. Because field lines in an island are isolated from the outside plasma, an island can heat or cool preferentially depending on the balance of Ohmic heating and radiation loss in the interior, changing the resistivity and hence the current in the island. A simple model of island destabilization due to radiation cooling of the island is constructed, and the effect of modification of the current within an island is calculated. In addition destabilization effect is described, and it is shown that a small imbalance of heating can lead to exponential growth of the island. A destabilized magnetic island near the plasma edge can lead to plasma loss, and because the radiation is proportional to plasma density and charge, this effect can cause an impurity dependent density limit.« less

Thermal island destabilization and the Greenwald limit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, R. B.; Gates, D. A.; Brennan, D. P.

Magnetic reconnection is ubiquitous in the magnetosphere, the solar corona, and in toroidal fusion research discharges. In a fusion device, a magnetic island saturates at a width which produces a minimum in the magnetic energy of the configuration. At saturation, the modified current density profile, a function of the flux in the island, is essentially flat, the growth rate proportional to the difference in the current at the O-point and the X-point. Further modification of the current density profile in the island interior causes a change in the island stability and additional growth or contraction of the saturated island. Becausemore » field lines in an island are isolated from the outside plasma, an island can heat or cool preferentially depending on the balance of Ohmic heating and radiation loss in the interior, changing the resistivity and hence the current in the island. A simple model of island destabilization due to radiation cooling of the island is constructed, and the effect of modification of the current within an island is calculated. An additional destabilization effect is described, and it is shown that a small imbalance of heating can lead to exponential growth of the island. A destabilized magnetic island near the plasma edge can lead to plasma loss, and because the radiation is proportional to plasma density and charge, this effect can cause an impurity dependent density limit.« less

Island history affects faunal composition: the treeshrews (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae) from the Mentawai and Batu Islands, Indonesia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sargis, Eric J.; Woodman, Neal; Morningstar, Natalie C.; Reese, Aspen T.; Olson, Link E.

2014-01-01

The Mentawai and Batu Island groups off the west coast of Sumatra have a complicated geological and biogeographical history. The Batu Islands have shared a connection with the Sumatran ‘mainland’ during periods of lowered sea level, whereas the Mentawai Islands, despite being a similar distance from Sumatra, have remained isolated from Sumatra, and probably from the Batu Islands as well. These contrasting historical relationships to Sumatra have influenced the compositions of the respective mammalian faunas of these island groups. Treeshrews (Scandentia, Tupaiidae) from these islands have, at various times in their history, been recognized as geographically circumscribed populations of a broadly distributed Tupaia glis, subspecies, or distinct species. We used multivariate analyses of measurements from the skull and hands to compare the island populations from Siberut (Mentawai Islands) and Tanahbala (Batu Islands) with the geographically adjacent species from the southern Mentawai Islands (T. chrysogaster) and Sumatra (T. ferruginea). Results from both the skull and manus of the Siberut population show that it is most similar to T. chrysogaster, whereas the Tanahbala population is more similar to T. ferruginea, confirming predictions based on island history. These results are further corroborated by mammae counts. Based on these lines of evidence, we include the Siberut population in T. chrysogaster and the Tanahbala population in T. ferruginea. Our conclusions expand the known distributions of both the Mentawai and Sumatran species. The larger geographical range of the endangered T. chrysogaster has conservation implications for this Mentawai endemic, so populations and habitat should be re-evaluated on each of the islands it inhabits. However, until such a re-evaluation is conducted, we recommend that the IUCN Red List status of this species be changed from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Data Deficient’.

Strategic Environmental Assessment practices in European small islands: Insights from Azores and Orkney islands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Polido, Alexandra, E-mail: a.polido@campus.fct.unl.pt; João, Elsa, E-mail: elsa.joao@strath.ac.uk; Ramos, Tomás B., E-mail: tabr@fct.unl.pt

The literature concerning Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) often refers to the importance of context-specific approaches. However, there is a lack of systematised and consistent studies that enhance tailor-made SEA practices and procedures. Small islands are bounded units of study which may help explore SEA theory and practice in special territories. Small islands present particular features and unique values, such as, small size and population, geographic isolation, limited resources and vulnerable ecosystems. Hence, the main goal of this research was to profile SEA practices and procedures in European small islands and provide a background for future research aiming to improve context-specificmore » SEA applications. To achieve this goal, an exploratory case study was developed using Azores (Portugal) and Orkney (Scotland) archipelagos. An analysis of the corresponding mainland was also carried out to contextualise both case studies. The data collection was achieved through a qualitative content analysis of 43 Environmental Reports. The research found that there is not an SEA context-specific approach used within these European small islands, including guidelines, assessment topics, assessment techniques, follow-up and stakeholders engagement. The debate concerning specific approaches to small islands must be re-focused on the enhancement of SEA capacity-building amongst different stakeholders (including decision-makers), on the development and implementation of collaborative approaches, and on the exchange of knowledge and experiences between small islands networks. - Highlights: • Reviewed the differences between the Portuguese and Scottish SEA system • Showed a low integration of SEA specific features in reports of European small islands • Provides background for future SEA research for small islands approaches.« less

Coastal groundwater exchange on a small Pacific atoll island: Roi Namur, Republic of the Marshall Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberle, Ferdinand K. J.; Swarzenski, Peter W.; Storlazzi, Curt

2017-04-01

Atoll islands, most of which only average 1-2 meters above today's sea level, provide a tremendous natural laboratory in which to study and better understand the intensifying impacts of high rates of sea-level rise on tropical reef-lined islands globally due to their unique geologic structure and limited water supply. Groundwater resources of atolls are typically minimal due to the low elevation and small surface area of the islands and are also subject to recurring droughts, and more frequent, storm-driven seawater overwash events. Although groundwater is the principal means of freshwater storage on atoll islands and is a major factor in determining the overall sustainability of island communities, hydrological data on how an aquifer will response to changes in sea-level rise or storm-driven overwash remain limited. We here present high-resolution time series hydrogeological and geochemical data to determine the role of the atoll's carbonate geology, land use, and atmospheric and oceanographic forcing in driving coastal groundwater exchange on the island of Roi Namur on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This information can provide new estimates on the recovery and resilience of coastal groundwater resources on such islands to expected climate change-driven perturbations.

Interactions between sea-level rise and wave exposure on reef island dynamics in the Solomon Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, Simon; Leon, Javier X.; Grinham, Alistair R.; Church, John A.; Gibbes, Badin R.; Woodroffe, Colin D.

2016-05-01

Low-lying reef islands in the Solomon Islands provide a valuable window into the future impacts of global sea-level rise. Sea-level rise has been predicted to cause widespread erosion and inundation of low-lying atolls in the central Pacific. However, the limited research on reef islands in the western Pacific indicates the majority of shoreline changes and inundation to date result from extreme events, seawalls and inappropriate development rather than sea-level rise alone. Here, we present the first analysis of coastal dynamics from a sea-level rise hotspot in the Solomon Islands. Using time series aerial and satellite imagery from 1947 to 2014 of 33 islands, along with historical insight from local knowledge, we have identified five vegetated reef islands that have vanished over this time period and a further six islands experiencing severe shoreline recession. Shoreline recession at two sites has destroyed villages that have existed since at least 1935, leading to community relocations. Rates of shoreline recession are substantially higher in areas exposed to high wave energy, indicating a synergistic interaction between sea-level rise and waves. Understanding these local factors that increase the susceptibility of islands to coastal erosion is critical to guide adaptation responses for these remote Pacific communities.

Palm Islands, Dubai, UAE

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-02

The Palm Islands are artificial islands in Dubai, United Arab emirates on which major commercial and residential structures are being built. NASA Terra spacecraft acquired this image on November 17 and December 10, 2008.

The coastline remote sensing survey for Zhao Shu Island in Xisha Islands based on WorldView-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Li; Zhong, Chang; Kong, Fanping

2014-11-01

Due to diastrophism, tide action and human activities, the coastline is always in flux. There are lots of coral islands in the south sea of China. Remote sensing survey for the coastline not only can reassert the necessity and importance of coral protection, but also can provide basic data and scientific basis for island ecologic protection, reasonable utilization of land resources. The study area named Zhao Shu Island lies in Jintong Islands of Xisha. It is a coral island which has people inhabited. Using WorldView-2 satellite remote sensing images as data sources we carry out three phases of coastline investigation and monitoring. The satellite data phases are 2002, 2010 and 2013. Firstly, affirm the bands valuable for color composition on the basis of spectral and correlation analysis. Then extract the coastline by a series of image process, such as image correction, fusion, waterline extraction and coastline revision. Finally determine the coastline types and length by artificial interpretation. The results show that the island length is gradually smaller, which means the island area is reducing. The beach bedrock coast in northern island was eroded seriously especially during the period between 2010 and 2013. In addition, the shoal head shape in the western island changed a lot.

Instep island flaps.

PubMed

Reading, G

1984-12-01

The instep island flap is safe and useful. It is based on branches of the posterior tibial artery and can be a musculocutaneous or a direct fasciocutaneous island flap. Sensory branches of the digital nerves may be transposed with the flap. There is a wide arc of transposition and the flap has survived even in very difficult circumstances.

Water resources of the Yap Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van der Brug, Otto

1984-01-01

The Yap Islands consist of four major islands, Yap, Gagil-Tamil, Maap, and Rumung. Of these, Yap Island has more than half the total land area, most of the population, and almost all of the economic development. The islands of Maap and Rumung together compose only 15 percent of the land area and population. Average annual rainfall over the Yap Islands amounts to 122 inches. Rainfall-runoff comparisons indicate that about half of the annual rainfall runs off to the ocean on Yap Island and Gagil-Tamil. Streams on Gagil-Tamil are perennial but streams on Yap Island are dry an average of 3 months per year due to geologic differences. Analyses of water samples from 23 sources show the good quality and the chemical similarity of surface and ground water. This report summarizes the hydrologic data collected and provides interpretations that can be used by the planning and public works officials of Yap to make decisions concerning development and management of their water resources.

Comparative Single-Cell Genomics of Chloroflexi from the Okinawa Trough Deep-Subsurface Biosphere.

PubMed

Fullerton, Heather; Moyer, Craig L

2016-05-15

Chloroflexi small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences are frequently recovered from subseafloor environments, but the metabolic potential of the phylum is poorly understood. The phylum Chloroflexi is represented by isolates with diverse metabolic strategies, including anoxic phototrophy, fermentation, and reductive dehalogenation; therefore, function cannot be attributed to these organisms based solely on phylogeny. Single-cell genomics can provide metabolic insights into uncultured organisms, like the deep-subsurface Chloroflexi Nine SSU rRNA gene sequences were identified from single-cell sorts of whole-round core material collected from the Okinawa Trough at Iheya North hydrothermal field as part of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) expedition 331 (Deep Hot Biosphere). Previous studies of subsurface Chloroflexi single amplified genomes (SAGs) suggested heterotrophic or lithotrophic metabolisms and provided no evidence for growth by reductive dehalogenation. Our nine Chloroflexi SAGs (seven of which are from the order Anaerolineales) indicate that, in addition to genes for the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, exogenous carbon sources can be actively transported into cells. At least one subunit for pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase was found in four of the Chloroflexi SAGs. This protein can provide a link between the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and other carbon anabolic pathways. Finally, one of the seven Anaerolineales SAGs contains a distinct reductive dehalogenase homologous (rdhA) gene. Through the use of single amplified genomes (SAGs), we have extended the metabolic potential of an understudied group of subsurface microbes, the Chloroflexi These microbes are frequently detected in the subsurface biosphere, though their metabolic capabilities have remained elusive. In contrast to previously examined Chloroflexi SAGs, our genomes (several are from the order Anaerolineales) were recovered from a hydrothermally driven system and therefore provide a unique window into

Autumn monitoring of resident avifauna on Guana Island, British Virgin Islands

Treesearch

C.W. Boal; J.M. Wunderle Jr.; W.J. Arendt

2013-01-01

Although the Caribbean region is considered a biodiversity hotspot and a priority for ecological conservation efforts, little information exists on population trends of West Indian landbirds. We combined avian survey data collected from three studies spanning a 16-year period on a small island with a minimal human presence in the British Virgin Islands. Although...

The Pacific Island Health Care Project

PubMed Central

Person, Donald Ames

2014-01-01

Introduction/Background: US Associated/Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) include three freely associated states: Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and three Territories: American Samoa, Guam, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Objective: The Pacific Island Health Care Project (PIHCP) provides humanitarian medical referral/consultation/care to >500,000 indigenous people of these remote islands. Methods: In the mid-1990s, we developed a simple store-and-forward program to link the USAPI with Tripler Army Medical Center. This application allowed image attachment to email consultations. Results: More than 8000 Pacific Islanders have benefited from the program. Three thousand Pacific Islanders prior to telemedicine (1990–1997) and since store-and-forward telemedicine (1997-present), the PIHCP has helped an additional 5000. Records post dynamically and are stored in an archival database. Conclusion: The PIHCP is the longest running telemedicine program in the world delivering humanitarian medical care. It has bridged the Developing World of the remote Pacific Islands with advanced medical and surgical care available at a major US military teaching hospital. (The opinions expressed here are those of the author and not that of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.) PMID:25353012

The pacific island health care project.

PubMed

Person, Donald Ames

2014-01-01

US Associated/Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) include three freely associated states: Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and three Territories: American Samoa, Guam, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Pacific Island Health Care Project (PIHCP) provides humanitarian medical referral/consultation/care to >500,000 indigenous people of these remote islands. In the mid-1990s, we developed a simple store-and-forward program to link the USAPI with Tripler Army Medical Center. This application allowed image attachment to email consultations. More than 8000 Pacific Islanders have benefited from the program. Three thousand Pacific Islanders prior to telemedicine (1990-1997) and since store-and-forward telemedicine (1997-present), the PIHCP has helped an additional 5000. Records post dynamically and are stored in an archival database. The PIHCP is the longest running telemedicine program in the world delivering humanitarian medical care. It has bridged the Developing World of the remote Pacific Islands with advanced medical and surgical care available at a major US military teaching hospital. (The opinions expressed here are those of the author and not that of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.).

Tao-Rusyr Caldera, Onekotan Island, Kuril Islands

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

More than 9,000 years ago, a catastrophic volcanic eruption created a huge caldera on the southern end of Onekotan Island, one of the Kuril Islands, located off the southern tip of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Today, the ancient Tao-Rusyr Caldera is filled by the deep blue waters of Kal’tsevoe Lake. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite acquired this true-color image of southern Onekotan on June 10, 2009. In this late-spring shot, snow or ice lingers on the land, forming white streaks on a brown-and-green land surface. In the northwest quadrant of the caldera is Krenitzyn Peak, which rises to a height of 1,325 meters (4,347 feet). Like the other Kuril Islands, Onekotan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” The Kuril Island volcanoes are fueled by magma generated by the subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Eurasian Plate, which takes place along a deep trench about 200 kilometers (120 miles) to the islands’ east. The only historical eruption at Krenitzyn Peak occurred in 1952, a week after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake along the subduction fault. NASA Earth Observatory image created by Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team. Caption by Michon Scott and Rebecca Lindsey. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

The first paleomagnetic data on dolerites from Jeannette Island (New Siberian Islands, Arctic)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhdanova, A. I.; Metelkin, D. V.; Vernikovsky, V. A.; Matushkin, N. Yu.

2016-06-01

The first paleomagnetic data on dolerite dikes from the volcanogenic-sedimentary section of Jeannette Island (De Long Archipelago, New Siberian Islands) are discussed. The petromagnetic data and results of the baked contact and fold tests are used to substantiate the nature of the characteristic magnetization component, which in combination with the 40Ar/39Ar dates implies its likely Late Precambrian-Early Paleozoic age. The calculated paleomagnetic pole makes it possible to extend the trajectory of the apparent polar movement for the New Siberian Islands block and confirms the assumption that this structural element of the Arctic shelf evolved as a terrane. Two variants of paleotectonic interpretation of the obtained data and their consistency with the available data on the geology and tectonics of the New Siberian Islands are considered.

Magic C60 islands forming due to moiré interference between islands and substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olyanich, D. A.; Mararov, V. V.; Utas, T. V.; Utas, O. A.; Gruznev, D. V.; Zotov, A. V.; Saranin, A. A.

2015-05-01

Recently proposed mechanism for self-organized formation of magic islands [Nat.Comm. 4(2013)1679] has received a new experimental confirmation. According to this mechanism, self-assembly is mediated by the moiré interference between an island and underlying substrate lattice. It was first detected at C60 island growth on In-adsorbed Si(111)√{ 3} ×√{ 3}-Au surface. Changing In adsorbate for Tl results in lowering the corrugations of the surface potential relief due to a greater surface metallization. This allows formation of the C60 arrays with novel moiré pattern. As a result, a new set of magic C60 islands is formed on Tl-adsorbed Au/Si(111) surface differing from that observed on In-adsorbed surface. For example, the 19-C60 magic island which has a non-compact boomerang shape on In-adsorbed Au/Si(111) surfaces adopts a shape of a regular hexagon on Tl-adsorbed surface.

Population Size and Decadal Trends of Three Penguin Species Nesting at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands.

PubMed

Dunn, Michael J; Jackson, Jennifer A; Adlard, Stacey; Lynnes, Amanda S; Briggs, Dirk R; Fox, Derren; Waluda, Claire M

2016-01-01

We report long-term changes in population size of three species of sympatrically breeding pygoscelid penguins: Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua ellsworthii) over a 38 year period at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, based on annual counts from selected colonies and decadal all-island systematic counts of occupied nests. Comparing total numbers of breeding pairs over the whole island from 1978/79 to 2015/16 revealed varying fortunes: gentoo penguin pairs increased by 255%, (3.5% per annum), chinstrap penguins declined by 68% (-3.6% per annum) and Adélie penguins declined by 42% (-1.5% per annum). The chinstrap population has declined steadily over the last four decades. In contrast, Adélie and gentoo penguins have experienced phases of population increase and decline. Annual surveys of selected chinstrap and Adélie colonies produced similar trends from those revealed by island-wide surveys, allowing total island population trends to be inferred relatively well. However, while the annual colony counts of chinstrap and Adélie penguins showed a trend consistent in direction with the results from all-island surveys, the magnitude of estimated population change was markedly different between colony wide and all island counts. Annual population patterns suggest that pair numbers in the study areas partly reflect immigration and emigration of nesting birds between different parts of the island. Breeding success for all three species remained broadly stable over time in the annually monitored colonies. Breeding success rates in gentoo and chinstrap penguins were strongly correlated, despite the differing trends in population size. This study shows the importance of effective, standardised monitoring to accurately determine long-term population trajectories. Our results indicate significant declines in the Adélie and chinstrap penguin populations at Signy Island over the last five decades, and a gradual

Tsunami damage along the Andaman Islands coasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Among the first places to be affected by the massive tidal wave that ripped across the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, were the Andaman Islands. Located approximately 850 kilometers north of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, the islands were not only among the first land masses to be swept under the wave, they have also been rattled by a series of aftershocks. Administrated by the Indian government, about 300,000 people live on the remote island chain, including several indigenous tribes. As of January 3, over 6,000 were confirmed dead or missing in the Andaman Islands. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image shows the Andaman Islands on January 3, 2005. Compared to previous images of the islands, the beaches along the west side of the islands have been stripped bare, leaving a strip of bright tan land along the coast. The change is most notable on North Sentinel Island, home of the Sentinelese aboriginals, and on Interview Island, where the formerly green coastline has been replaced with an abnormally bright ring of bare sand. The large image reveals additional damage along all the islands of the Andaman chain.

TDAP: Island versus propeller.

PubMed

Angrigiani, Claudio; Rancati, Alberto; Artero, Guillermo; Escudero, Ezequiel; Khouri, Roger K

2016-04-01

Thoracodorsal artery perforator (TDAP) island flap is a safe and reliable method for breast reconstruction. TDAP propeller flap has been described as a modification of the conventional island technique that saves time and does not require microsurgical skills. However, a substantial portion of the propeller flap remains under the axilla and is not used for breast augmentation. The aim of this study is to identify the differences in the reaching distances between the propeller and island TDAP flaps. In five cadaveric specimens and 10 breast reconstruction patients, an initial propeller flap was harvested and rotated to the anterior thorax; the distance from the tip of the flap to the anterior midline was recorded as the "midline-reaching deficit;" the flap was then converted into a conventional island flap, and the new midline-reaching deficit was recorded. Differences between groups were compared with paired two-tailed t-tests (α = 0.05). In the cadaveric specimens, the mean midline-reaching deficit was 4.8 ± 2.4 cm with the propeller TDAP and -0.6 ± 2.0 cm with the conventional island TDAP (P < 0.001). In the clinical cases, the mean midline-reaching deficit was 8.1 ± 1.0 cm with the propeller TDAP and -0.3 ± 1.1 cm with the island TDAP (P < 0.000000001). We observed that the midline-reaching deficit could be reduced by 7-9 cm with the conventional island TDAP in comparison to the propeller TDAP. This should be considered when reconstructing the medial inner part of the breast. Copyright © 2015 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concepts for Functional Restoration of Barrier Islands

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

percent. Restoration of the islands also delayed the peak of the surge by 2 hr as calculated landward of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana. Calculations... Chandeleur Islands. Wamsley et al. (2009) conducted similar simulations with coupled wave and circulation models for the Chandeleur Islands for two...simulations indicated that degradation of the Chandeleur Islands increased the peak storm surge slightly (less than 1.6 ft) at the hurricane

Eleuthera Island, Bahamas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Eleuthera Island, (24.5N, 76.0W) Bahamas Island Group, is one of several within the archipelago surrounded by shallow seas, visible here as light blue. Mosaic patterns of sand waves built by sea bottom currents in the shallows stand out in stark contrast to the deep blue of the ocean depths of a thousand feet in the Exuma Sound.

Estimating the population size of island loggerhead shrikes on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanley, Thomas R.; Teel, Susan; Hall, Linnea S.; Dye, Linda C.; Laughrin, Lyndal L.

2012-01-01

Island loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus anthonyi) are an endemic, genetically distinct subspecies of loggerhead shrike on California’s Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands. This subspecies is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Game and has been petitioned for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. Because of suspected low numbers and the possibility of federal listing, there was an urgent need to rigorously estimate the number of remaining individuals on the Islands. In 2009 and 2010, biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service surveyed sample units on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands using a double-observer method with independent observers, where units were selected under a stratified random sampling design. Shrike abundance was estimated to be 169 in 2009 and 240 in 2010 for Santa Rosa Island, and 35 in 2009 and 42 in 2010 for Santa Cruz Island. These numbers, especially for Santa Rosa Island, are higher than previously reported but nevertheless are still low. Rapid vegetation change on both islands due to recent removal of non-native herbivores may threaten the habitat and status of this subspecies. In view of this circumstance and the still-low numbers of shrikes, additional intensive demographic and habitat-use studies are critical for obtaining information vital for the perpetuation of this subspecies.

Seafloor character and sedimentary processes in eastern Long Island Sound and western Block Island Sound

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poppe, Lawrence J.; Cohen-DiGiacomo, M. L.; Smith, S.M.; Stewart, H.F.; Forfinski, N.A.

2006-01-01

Multibeam bathymetric data and seismic-reflection profiles collected in eastern Long Island Sound and western Block Island Sound reveal previously unrecognized glacial features and modern bedforms. Glacial features include an ice-sculptured bedrock surface, a newly identified recessional moraine, exposed glaciolacustrine sediments, and remnants of stagnant-ice-contact deposits. Modern bedforms include fields of transverse sand waves, barchanoid waves, giant scour depressions, and pockmarks. Bedform asymmetry and scour around obstructions indicate that net sediment transport is westward across the northern part of the study area near Fishers Island, and eastward across the southern part near Great Gull Island.

Microbial community in a sediment-hosted CO2 lake of the southern Okinawa Trough hydrothermal system

PubMed Central

Inagaki, Fumio; Kuypers, Marcel M. M.; Tsunogai, Urumu; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Nakamura, Ko-ichi; Treude, Tina; Ohkubo, Satoru; Nakaseama, Miwako; Gena, Kaul; Chiba, Hitoshi; Hirayama, Hisako; Nunoura, Takuro; Takai, Ken; Jørgensen, Bo B.; Horikoshi, Koki; Boetius, Antje

2006-01-01

Increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are expected to cause climatic change with negative effects on the earth's ecosystems and human society. Consequently, a variety of CO2 disposal options are discussed, including injection into the deep ocean. Because the dissolution of CO2 in seawater will decrease ambient pH considerably, negative consequences for deep-water ecosystems have been predicted. Hence, ecosystems associated with natural CO2 reservoirs in the deep sea, and the dynamics of gaseous, liquid, and solid CO2 in such environments, are of great interest to science and society. We report here a biogeochemical and microbiological characterization of a microbial community inhabiting deep-sea sediments overlying a natural CO2 lake at the Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal field, southern Okinawa Trough. We found high abundances (>109 cm−3) of microbial cells in sediment pavements above the CO2 lake, decreasing to strikingly low cell numbers (107 cm−3) at the liquid CO2/CO2-hydrate interface. The key groups in these sediments were as follows: (i) the anaerobic methanotrophic archaea ANME-2c and the Eel-2 group of Deltaproteobacteria and (ii) sulfur-metabolizing chemolithotrophs within the Gamma- and Epsilonproteobacteria. The detection of functional genes related to one-carbon assimilation and the presence of highly 13C-depleted archaeal and bacterial lipid biomarkers suggest that microorganisms assimilating CO2 and/or CH4 dominate the liquid CO2 and CO2-hydrate-bearing sediments. Clearly, the Yonaguni Knoll is an exceptional natural laboratory for the study of consequences of CO2 disposal as well as of natural CO2 reservoirs as potential microbial habitats on early Earth and other celestial bodies. PMID:16959888

Status of the Island Night Lizard and Two Non-Native Lizards on Outlying Landing Field San Nicolas Island, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fellers, Gary M.; Drost, Charles A.; Murphey, Thomas G.

2008-01-01

More than 900 individually marked island night lizards (Xantusia riversiana) were captured on San Nicolas Island, California, between 1984 and 2007 as part of an ongoing study to monitor the status of this threatened species. Our data suggest that at least a few lizards are probably more than 20 years old, and one lizard would be 31.5 years old if it grew at an average rate for the population. Ages of 20 and 30 years seem reasonable given the remarkably slow growth during capture intervals of more than a decade for five of the lizards which we estimated to be 20 or more years old. Like other lizards, island night lizard growth rates vary by size, with larger lizards growing more slowly. In general, growth rates were somewhat greater on San Nicolas Island (compared with Santa Barbara Island), and this increase was sustained through all of the intermediate size classes. The higher growth rate may account for the somewhat larger lizards present on San Nicolas Island, although we cannot discount the possibility that night lizards on San Nicolas are merely living longer. The high percentage of small lizards in the Eucalyptus habitat might seem to reflect a healthy population in that habitat, but the high proportion of small lizards appears to be caused by good reproduction in the 1900s and substantially poorer reproduction in subsequent years. The Eucalyptus habitat has dried quite a bit in recent years. Night lizards in the Haplopappus/Grassland habitat have shown an increase in the proportion of larger lizards since 2000. There has also been an increase in the proportion of large lizards in the Rock Cobble habitat at Redeye Beach. However, there are has been some change in habitat with more elephant seals occupying the same area just above the high tide as do the night lizards. Southern alligator lizards and side-blotched lizards are both non-native on San Nicolas Island. Neither lizard causes obvious harm to island night lizards, and management time and effort should

Predicting aberrant CpG island methylation

PubMed Central

Feltus, F. A.; Lee, E. K.; Costello, J. F.; Plass, C.; Vertino, P. M.

2003-01-01

Epigenetic silencing associated with aberrant methylation of promoter region CpG islands is one mechanism leading to loss of tumor suppressor function in human cancer. Profiling of CpG island methylation indicates that some genes are more frequently methylated than others, and that each tumor type is associated with a unique set of methylated genes. However, little is known about why certain genes succumb to this aberrant event. To address this question, we used Restriction Landmark Genome Scanning to analyze the susceptibility of 1,749 unselected CpG islands to de novo methylation driven by overexpression of DNA cytosine-5-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). We found that although the overall incidence of CpG island methylation was increased in cells overexpressing DNMT1, not all loci were equally affected. The majority of CpG islands (69.9%) were resistant to de novo methylation, regardless of DNMT1 overexpression. In contrast, we identified a subset of methylation-prone CpG islands (3.8%) that were consistently hypermethylated in multiple DNMT1 overexpressing clones. Methylation-prone and methylation-resistant CpG islands were not significantly different with respect to size, C+G content, CpG frequency, chromosomal location, or promoter association. We used DNA pattern recognition and supervised learning techniques to derive a classification function based on the frequency of seven novel sequence patterns that was capable of discriminating methylation-prone from methylation-resistant CpG islands with 82% accuracy. The data indicate that CpG islands differ in their intrinsic susceptibility to de novo methylation, and suggest that the propensity for a CpG island to become aberrantly methylated can be predicted based on its sequence context. PMID:14519846

Predicting aberrant CpG island methylation.

PubMed

Feltus, F A; Lee, E K; Costello, J F; Plass, C; Vertino, P M

2003-10-14

Epigenetic silencing associated with aberrant methylation of promoter region CpG islands is one mechanism leading to loss of tumor suppressor function in human cancer. Profiling of CpG island methylation indicates that some genes are more frequently methylated than others, and that each tumor type is associated with a unique set of methylated genes. However, little is known about why certain genes succumb to this aberrant event. To address this question, we used Restriction Landmark Genome Scanning to analyze the susceptibility of 1,749 unselected CpG islands to de novo methylation driven by overexpression of DNA cytosine-5-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). We found that although the overall incidence of CpG island methylation was increased in cells overexpressing DNMT1, not all loci were equally affected. The majority of CpG islands (69.9%) were resistant to de novo methylation, regardless of DNMT1 overexpression. In contrast, we identified a subset of methylation-prone CpG islands (3.8%) that were consistently hypermethylated in multiple DNMT1 overexpressing clones. Methylation-prone and methylation-resistant CpG islands were not significantly different with respect to size, C+G content, CpG frequency, chromosomal location, or promoter association. We used DNA pattern recognition and supervised learning techniques to derive a classification function based on the frequency of seven novel sequence patterns that was capable of discriminating methylation-prone from methylation-resistant CpG islands with 82% accuracy. The data indicate that CpG islands differ in their intrinsic susceptibility to de novo methylation, and suggest that the propensity for a CpG island to become aberrantly methylated can be predicted based on its sequence context.

Saturated Widths of Magnetic Islands in Tokamak Discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halpern, F.; Pankin, A. Y.

2005-10-01

The new ISLAND module described in reference [1] implements a quasi-linear model to compute the widths of multiple magnetic islands driven by saturated tearing modes in toroidal plasmas of arbitrary aspect ratio and cross sectional shape. The distortion of the island shape caused by the radial variation in the perturbation is computed in the new module. In transport simulations, the enhanced transport caused by the magnetic islands has the effect of flattening the pressure and current density profiles. This self consistent treatment of the magnetic islands alters the development of the plasma profiles. In addition, it is found that islands closer to the magnetic axis influence the evolution of islands further out in the plasma. In order to investigate such phenomena, the ISLAND module is used within the BALDUR predictive modeling code to compute the widths of multiple magnetic islands in tokamak discharges. The interaction between the islands and sawtooth crashes is examined in simulations of DIII-D and JET discharges. The module is used to compute saturated neoclassical tearing mode island widths for multiple modes in ITER. Preliminary results for island widths in ITER are consistent with those presented [2] by Hegna. [1] F.D. Halpern, G. Bateman, A.H. Kritz and A.Y. Pankin, ``The ISLAND Module for Computing Magnetic Island Widths in Tokamaks,'' submitted to J. Plasma Physics (2005). [2] C.C. Hegna, 2002 Fusion Snowmass Meeting.

Dendrochronology of strain-relaxed islands.

PubMed

Merdzhanova, T; Kiravittaya, S; Rastelli, A; Stoffel, M; Denker, U; Schmidt, O G

2006-06-09

We report on the observation and study of tree-ring structures below dislocated SiGe islands (superdomes) grown on Si(001) substrates. Analogous to the study of tree rings (dendrochronology), these footprints enable us to gain unambiguous information on the growth and evolution of superdomes and their neighboring islands. The temperature dependence of the critical volume for dislocation introduction is measured and related to the composition of the islands. We show clearly that island coalescence is the dominant pathway towards dislocation nucleation at low temperatures, while at higher temperatures anomalous coarsening is effective and leads to the formation of a depletion region around superdomes.

Formation of carbonate pipes in the northern Okinawa Trough linked to strong sulfate exhaustion and iron supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiaotong; Guo, Zixiao; Chen, Shun; Sun, Zhilei; Xu, Hengchao; Ta, Kaiwen; Zhang, Jianchao; Zhang, Lijuan; Li, Jiwei; Du, Mengran

2017-05-01

The microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), a key biogeochemical process that consumes substantial amounts of methane produced in seafloor sediments, can lead to the formation of carbonate deposits at or beneath the sea floor. Although Fe oxide-driven AOM has been identified in cold seep sediments, the exact mode by which it may influence the formation of carbonate deposits remains poorly understood. Here, we characterize the morphology, petrology and geochemistry of a methane-derived Fe-rich carbonate pipe in the northern Okinawa Trough (OT). We detect abundant authigenic pyrites, as well as widespread trace Fe, within microbial mat-like carbonate veins in the pipe. The in situ δ34S values of these pyrites range from -3.9 to 31.6‰ (VCDT), suggesting a strong consumption of seawater sulfate by sulfate-driven AOM at the bottom of sulfate reduction zone. The positive δ56Fe values of pyrite and notable enrichment of Fe in the OT pipe concurrently indicate that the pyrites are primarily derived from Fe oxides in deep sediments. We propose that the Fe-rich carbonate pipe formed at the bottom of sulfate reduction zone, below which Fe-driven AOM, rather than Fe-oxide reduction coupled to organic matter degradation, might be responsible for the abundantly available Fe2+ in the fluids from which pyrites precipitated. The Fe-rich carbonate pipe described in this study probably represents the first fossil example of carbonate deposits linked to Fe-driven AOM. Because Fe-rich carbonate deposits have also been found at other cold seeps worldwide, we infer that similar processes may play an essential role in biogeochemical cycling of sub-seafloor methane and Fe at continental margins.

Discovery of Fracture Networks in the Basal Part of Modern Hydrothermal System in Okinawa Tough, SW Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, S.; Yamada, Y.; Sanada, Y.; Kido, Y. N.; Hamada, Y.; Shiraishi, K.; Hsiung, K. H.; Tsuji, T.; Eng, C.; Maeda, L.; Kumagai, H.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.

2017-12-01

A scientific drilling expedition, CK16-01 was conducted by D/V Chikyu in an active hydrothermal field on the Iheya-North Knoll in Okinawa Trough in February-March, 2016 as a part of "Next-generation Technology for Ocean Resources Survey" of the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP). During the expedition logging while drilling (LWD) was deployed to uncover the architecture of modern hydrothermal deposits near the seafloor. A downhole sequence of fracture network (stock-work) was discovered by high resolution resistivity images at Site C9023 in the southern part of the knoll. More than 500 structural features were extracted from the borehole images down to 188 meter below the seafloor. Quantitative image analyses were performed and three types of conductive fractures were identified and classified as Generation 1 (G1), Generation 2 (G2), and Generation 3 (G3) based on the crossing or cutting relationship. The average thickness of fractures decrease with generation from G1 (78 mm), G2 (57 mm), to G3 (45 mm). G1 is developed in the entire interval, whereas G2 and G3 are commonly observed in the intervals of lower gamma ray and high resistivity ( 10 ohm-m) at 77-125 m and 167-186 m where sulfide minerals hosted in silicified rocks were observed in recovered core samples. Low angle fractures (<30°) are typically developed in the interval at 120 -125 m, suggesting possible lateral hydrothermal conduits. The quantitative analysis of fracture network based on borehole images shows the detailed formation process of stock-work in the basal part of modern hydrothermal system.

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the..., the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the Virgin Islands... Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

The potential for sea-level-rise-induced barrier island loss: Insights from the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Laura J.; Patsch, Kiki; List, Jeffrey H.; Williams, S. Jeffress

2014-01-01

As sea level rises and hurricanes become more intense, barrier islands around the world become increasingly vulnerable to conversion from self-sustaining migrating landforms to submerging or subaqueous sand bodies. To explore the mechanism by which such state changes occur and to assess the factors leading to island disintegration, we develop a suite of numerical simulations for the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana, U.S.A., which appear to be on the verge of this transition. Our results suggest that the Chandeleurs are likely poised to change state, leading to their demise, within decades depending on future storm history. Contributing factors include high rates of relative sea level rise, limited sediment supply, muddy substrate, current island position relative to former Mississippi River distributary channels, and the effects of changes in island morphology on sediment transport pathways. Although deltaic barrier islands are most sensitive to disintegration because of their muddy substrate, the importance of relative sea level rise rate in determining the timing of threshold crossing suggests that the conceptual models for deltaic barrier island formation and disintegration may apply more broadly in the future.

The imprint of geologic history on within-island diversification of woodlouse-hunter spiders (Araneae, Dysderidae) in the Canary Islands.

PubMed

Macías-Hernández, Nuria; Bidegaray-Batista, Leticia; Emerson, Brent C; Oromí, Pedro; Arnedo, Miquel

2013-01-01

Geological processes and ecological adaptation are major drivers of diversification on oceanic islands. Although diversification in these islands is often interpreted as resulting from dispersal or island hopping rather than vicariance, this may not be the case in islands with complex geological histories. The island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, emerged in the late Miocene as 3 precursor islands that were subsequently connected and reisolated by volcanic cycles. The spider Dysdera verneaui is endemic to the island of Tenerife, where it is widely distributed throughout most island habitats, providing an excellent model to investigate the role of physical barriers and ecological adaptation in shaping within-island diversity. Here, we present evidence that the phylogeographic patterns of this species trace back to the independent emergence of the protoislands. Molecular markers (mitochondrial genes cox1, 16S, and nad1 and the nuclear genes ITS-2 and 28S) analyzed from 100 specimens (including a thorough sampling of D. verneaui populations and additional outgroups) identify 2 distinct evolutionary lineages that correspond to 2 precursor islands, each with diagnostic genital characters indicative of separate species status. Episodic introgression events between these 2 main evolutionary lineages explain the observed incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear markers, probably as a result of the homogenization of their ITS-2 sequence types. The most widespread lineage exhibits a complex population structure, which is compatible with either secondary contact, following connection of deeply divergent lineages, or alternatively, a back colonization from 1 precursor island to another.

Global Collembola on Deception Island

PubMed Central

Greenslade, Penelope; Potapov, Mikhail; Russell, David; Convey, Peter

2012-01-01

Three new non-indigenous springtail species are recorded in recent collections made on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic: Deuteraphorura (Deuteraphorura) cebennaria (Gisin) (Collembola: Onychiuridae), Mesaphorura macrochaeta Rusek (Tullbergiidae), and Proisotoma minuta Axelson (Isotomidae). One of these, D. (D.) cebennaria, is described. Additionally, two new indigenous species, Mesaphorura macrochaeta Rusek and Proisotoma minuta Axelson, are also recorded. The total number of Collembola species now known from the island is 14, comprised of eight native species and six non-indigenous species. This number of non-indigenous species recorded at Deception Island compares with only a single non-indigenous springtail recorded at any other maritime or continental Antarctic location. The reason underlying this high level of occurrence of non-indigenous species on Deception Island is likely to be a combination of the island's high level of human visitation and the presence of relatively benign terrestrial habitats associated with areas of geothermal activity. Two of the new records represent species recently assessed as being of the highest risk to become invaders in the less extreme environments of the subantarctic, thereby emphasising the importance and urgency of adopting and applying effective biosecurity measures to protect the unique and vulnerable ecosystems of this region. Also documented are the impacts on the soil fauna of the island from human trampling, which drastically reduced densities of both native and non-indigenous species to 1% of the abundance typical of non-trampled sites. PMID:23438196

Global Collembola on Deception Island.

PubMed

Greenslade, Penelope; Potapov, Mikhail; Russell, David; Convey, Peter

2012-01-01

Three new non-indigenous springtail species are recorded in recent collections made on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic: Deuteraphorura (Deuteraphorura) cebennaria (Gisin) (Collembola: Onychiuridae), Mesaphorura macrochaeta Rusek (Tullbergiidae), and Proisotoma minuta Axelson (Isotomidae). One of these, D. (D.) cebennaria, is described. Additionally, two new indigenous species, Mesaphorura macrochaeta Rusek and Proisotoma minuta Axelson, are also recorded. The total number of Collembola species now known from the island is 14, comprised of eight native species and six non-indigenous species. This number of non-indigenous species recorded at Deception Island compares with only a single non-indigenous springtail recorded at any other maritime or continental Antarctic location. The reason underlying this high level of occurrence of non-indigenous species on Deception Island is likely to be a combination of the island's high level of human visitation and the presence of relatively benign terrestrial habitats associated with areas of geothermal activity. Two of the new records represent species recently assessed as being of the highest risk to become invaders in the less extreme environments of the subantarctic, thereby emphasising the importance and urgency of adopting and applying effective biosecurity measures to protect the unique and vulnerable ecosystems of this region. Also documented are the impacts on the soil fauna of the island from human trampling, which drastically reduced densities of both native and non-indigenous species to 1% of the abundance typical of non-trampled sites.

Effects of magnetic islands on drift wave instability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, P., E-mail: jiangp@pku.edu.cn; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697; Lin, Z., E-mail: zhihongl@uci.edu

2014-12-15

Magnetic islands have been implemented in the gyrokinetic toroidal code to study the effects of the islands on microturbulence. The pressure profile flattening is verified in the simulation with the islands. Simulations of ion temperature gradient instability find that different toroidal modes are linearly coupled together and that toroidal spectra become broader when the island width increases. The real frequencies and growth rates of different toroidal modes approach each other with the averaged value independent of the island width. The linear mode structures are enhanced at the island separatrices and weakened at the island centers, consistent with the flattening ofmore » the pressure profile inside the islands.« less

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the... Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the... Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the... Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the... Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the... Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the... Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the... Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the... Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

33 CFR 117.615 - Plum Island River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.615 Plum Island River. The draw of the Plum Island Turnpike Bridge, mile 3.3 between Newburyport and Plum Island, shall operate as... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Plum Island River. 117.615...

33 CFR 117.615 - Plum Island River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.615 Plum Island River. The draw of the Plum Island Turnpike Bridge, mile 3.3 between Newburyport and Plum Island, shall operate as... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Plum Island River. 117.615...

33 CFR 117.615 - Plum Island River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.615 Plum Island River. The draw of the Plum Island Turnpike Bridge, mile 3.3 between Newburyport and Plum Island, shall operate as... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Plum Island River. 117.615...

33 CFR 117.615 - Plum Island River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.615 Plum Island River. The draw of the Plum Island Turnpike Bridge, mile 3.3 between Newburyport and Plum Island, shall operate as... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Plum Island River. 117.615...

33 CFR 117.615 - Plum Island River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.615 Plum Island River. The draw of the Plum Island Turnpike Bridge, mile 3.3 between Newburyport and Plum Island, shall operate as... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Plum Island River. 117.615...

The Solomon Islands tsunami of 6 February 2013 field survey in the Santa Cruz Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, H. M.; Papantoniou, A.; Biukoto, L.; Albert, G.

2013-12-01

On February 6, 2013 at 01:12:27 UTC (local time: UTC+11), a magnitude Mw 8.0 earthquake occurred 70 km to the west of Ndendo Island (Santa Cruz Island) in the Solomon Islands. The under-thrusting earthquake near a 90° bend, where the Australian plate subducts beneath the Pacific plate generated a locally focused tsunami in the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean. The tsunami claimed the lives of 10 people and injured 15, destroyed 588 houses and partially damaged 478 houses, affecting 4,509 people in 1,066 households corresponding to an estimated 37% of the population of Santa Cruz Island. A multi-disciplinary international tsunami survey team (ITST) was deployed within days of the event to document flow depths, runup heights, inundation distances, sediment and coral boulder depositions, land level changes, damage patterns at various scales, performance of the man-made infrastructure and impact on the natural environment. The 19 to 23 February 2013 ITST covered 30 locations on 4 Islands: Ndendo (Santa Cruz), Tomotu Noi (Lord Howe), Nea Tomotu (Trevanion, Malo) and Tinakula. The reconnaissance completely circling Ndendo and Tinakula logged 240 km by small boat and additionally covered 20 km of Ndendo's hard hit western coastline by vehicle. The collected survey data includes more than 80 tsunami runup and flow depth measurements. The tsunami impact peaked at Manoputi on Ndendo's densely populated west coast with maximum tsunami height exceeding 11 m and local flow depths above ground exceeding 7 m. A fast tide-like positive amplitude of 1 m was recorded at Lata wharf inside Graciosa Bay on Ndendo Island and misleadingly reported in the media as representative tsunami height. The stark contrast between the field observations on exposed coastlines and the Lata tide gauge recording highlights the importance of rapid tsunami reconnaissance surveys. Inundation distance and damage more than 500 m inland were recorded at Lata airport on Ndendo Island. Landslides were

[Freshwater macroinvertebrates from Cocos Island, Costa Rica: species and comparison with other islands of the Eastern Tropical Pacific].

PubMed

Gutiérrez-Fonseca, Pablo E; Ramírez, Alonso; Umaña, Gerardo; Springer, Monika

2013-06-01

Freshwater macroinvertebrates from Cocos Island, Costa Rica: species and comparison with other islands of the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Cocos Island is an oceanic island in the Eastern Pacific, at 496km from Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica. This 24 km2 island is surrounded by a protected marine area of 9640 km2. it was declared National Park in 1978 and a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. Freshwater macroinvertebrate fauna was collected in 20 sites covering three rivers (Genio, Chatam and Sucio) and two creeks (Minuto and an unnamed creek behind the park rangers' house). Tank bromeliads or phytotelmata were also examined for aquatic macroinvertebrates. Physicochemical parameters were determined in 13 study sites. Additionally, a comparison with other islands in the Eastern Tropical Pacific was conducted to determine the most important factors controlling the diversity in Tropical Pacific islands. A total of 455 individuals were collected belonging to 20 taxa (mostly identified to genus level) from 15 families of aquatic insects. Other macroinvertebrates such as Palaemonid shrimps, Hidrachnida and Oligochaeta were also collected. The family Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) was the most abundant, followed by Chironomidae (Diptera). Diptera was the order of insects with the highest taxonomic richness. A relationship between distance and the number of families was observed supporting the premises of the Theory of island Biogeography. This relationship was improved by correcting area by island elevation, indicating that mountainous islands had the richest faunas, potentially due to high cloud interception that feeds freshwater environments favoring the establishment of aquatic fauna. Physicochemical variables were similar in all sites, possibly due to the geology and the absence of significant sources of pollution on the island.

Island biodiversity conservation needs palaeoecology.

PubMed

Nogué, Sandra; de Nascimento, Lea; Froyd, Cynthia A; Wilmshurst, Janet M; de Boer, Erik J; Coffey, Emily E D; Whittaker, Robert J; Fernández-Palacios, José María; Willis, Kathy J

2017-06-22

The discovery and colonization of islands by humans has invariably resulted in their widespread ecological transformation. The small and isolated populations of many island taxa, and their evolution in the absence of humans and their introduced taxa, mean that they are particularly vulnerable to human activities. Consequently, even the most degraded islands are a focus for restoration, eradication, and monitoring programmes to protect the remaining endemic and/or relict populations. Here, we build a framework that incorporates an assessment of the degree of change from multiple baseline reference periods using long-term ecological data. The use of multiple reference points may provide information on both the variability of natural systems and responses to successive waves of cultural transformation of island ecosystems, involving, for example, the alteration of fire and grazing regimes and the introduction of non-native species. We provide exemplification of how such approaches can provide valuable information for biodiversity conservation managers of island ecosystems.

Preliminary Geologic Map of Mount Pagan Volcano, Pagan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trusdell, Frank A.; Moore, Richard B.; Sako, Maurice K.

2006-01-01

Pagan Island is the subaerial portion of two adjoining Quaternary stratovolcanoes near the middle of the active Mariana Arc, [FAT1]north of Saipan. Pagan and the other volcanic islands that constitute part of the Arc form the northern half of the East Mariana Ridge[FAT2], which extends about 2-4 km above the ocean floor. The > 6-km-deep Mariana Trench adjoins the East Mariana Ridge on the east, and the Mariana Trough, partly filled with young lava flows and volcaniclastic sediment, lies on the west of the Northern Mariana Islands (East Mariana Ridge. The submarine West Mariana Ridge, Tertiary in age, bounds the western side of the Mariana Trough. The Mariana Trench and Northern Mariana Islands (East Mariana Ridge) overlie an active subduction zone where the Pacific Plate, moving northwest at about 10.3 cm/year, is passing beneath the Philippine Plate, moving west-northwest at 6.8 cm/year. Beneath the Northern Mariana Islands, earthquake hypocenters at depths of 50-250 km identify the location of the west-dipping subduction zone, which farther west becomes nearly vertical and extends to 700 km depth. During the past century, more than 40 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5-8.1 have shaken the Mariana Trench. The Mariana Islands form two sub-parallel, concentric, concave-west arcs. The southern islands comprise the outer arc and extend north from Guam to Farallon de Medinilla. They consist of Eocene to Miocene volcanic rocks and uplifted Tertiary and Quaternary limestone. The nine northern islands extend from Anatahan to Farallon de Pajaros and form part of the inner arc. The active inner arc extends south from Anatahan, where volcanoes, some of which are active, form seamounts west of the older outer arc. Other volcanic seamounts of the active arc surmount the East Mariana Ridge in the vicinity of Anatahan and Sarigan and north and south of Farallon de Pajaros. Six volcanoes (Farallon de Pajaros, Asuncion, Agrigan, Mount Pagan, Guguan, and Anatahan) in the northern islands

Population Size and Decadal Trends of Three Penguin Species Nesting at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands

PubMed Central

Dunn, Michael J.; Jackson, Jennifer A.; Adlard, Stacey; Lynnes, Amanda S.; Briggs, Dirk R.; Fox, Derren; Waluda, Claire M.

2016-01-01

We report long-term changes in population size of three species of sympatrically breeding pygoscelid penguins: Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua ellsworthii) over a 38 year period at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, based on annual counts from selected colonies and decadal all-island systematic counts of occupied nests. Comparing total numbers of breeding pairs over the whole island from 1978/79 to 2015/16 revealed varying fortunes: gentoo penguin pairs increased by 255%, (3.5% per annum), chinstrap penguins declined by 68% (-3.6% per annum) and Adélie penguins declined by 42% (-1.5% per annum). The chinstrap population has declined steadily over the last four decades. In contrast, Adélie and gentoo penguins have experienced phases of population increase and decline. Annual surveys of selected chinstrap and Adélie colonies produced similar trends from those revealed by island-wide surveys, allowing total island population trends to be inferred relatively well. However, while the annual colony counts of chinstrap and Adélie penguins showed a trend consistent in direction with the results from all-island surveys, the magnitude of estimated population change was markedly different between colony wide and all island counts. Annual population patterns suggest that pair numbers in the study areas partly reflect immigration and emigration of nesting birds between different parts of the island. Breeding success for all three species remained broadly stable over time in the annually monitored colonies. Breeding success rates in gentoo and chinstrap penguins were strongly correlated, despite the differing trends in population size. This study shows the importance of effective, standardised monitoring to accurately determine long-term population trajectories. Our results indicate significant declines in the Adélie and chinstrap penguin populations at Signy Island over the last five decades, and a gradual

CpG island mapping by epigenome prediction.

PubMed

Bock, Christoph; Walter, Jörn; Paulsen, Martina; Lengauer, Thomas

2007-06-01

CpG islands were originally identified by epigenetic and functional properties, namely, absence of DNA methylation and frequent promoter association. However, this concept was quickly replaced by simple DNA sequence criteria, which allowed for genome-wide annotation of CpG islands in the absence of large-scale epigenetic datasets. Although widely used, the current CpG island criteria incur significant disadvantages: (1) reliance on arbitrary threshold parameters that bear little biological justification, (2) failure to account for widespread heterogeneity among CpG islands, and (3) apparent lack of specificity when applied to the human genome. This study is driven by the idea that a quantitative score of "CpG island strength" that incorporates epigenetic and functional aspects can help resolve these issues. We construct an epigenome prediction pipeline that links the DNA sequence of CpG islands to their epigenetic states, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility. By training support vector machines on epigenetic data for CpG islands on human Chromosomes 21 and 22, we identify informative DNA attributes that correlate with open versus compact chromatin structures. These DNA attributes are used to predict the epigenetic states of all CpG islands genome-wide. Combining predictions for multiple epigenetic features, we estimate the inherent CpG island strength for each CpG island in the human genome, i.e., its inherent tendency to exhibit an open and transcriptionally competent chromatin structure. We extensively validate our results on independent datasets, showing that the CpG island strength predictions are applicable and informative across different tissues and cell types, and we derive improved maps of predicted "bona fide" CpG islands. The mapping of CpG islands by epigenome prediction is conceptually superior to identifying CpG islands by widely used sequence criteria since it links CpG island detection to their characteristic

10Be concentrations of Red soils in Southwest Japan and its possibility of dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maejima, Y.; Matsuzaki, H.; Nakano, C.

2004-08-01

10Be concentrations of six Red soils distributed in Southwest Japan ranged from 0.8 × 108 to 2.7 × 109 atoms g-1, and minimum absolute ages were estimated by inventory of meteoric 10Be. The results are follows: Red soils on Toyota derived from granite (⩽25 ka), Kashii derived from Tertiary shale (⩽24 ka), Akiyoshidai derived from limestone (⩽110 ka), Okinawa Island derived from Kunigami gravel bed (⩽9 ka) and Ogasawara Island derived from agglomerate and Boninite (⩽22 and ⩽7 ka) were obtained, respectively. Soil age except with Akiyoshidai indicated younger age. It suggested that the loss of 10Be from the soil was caused by leaching of 10Be or by soil erosion, and 10Be is susceptible to leaching out from these Red soils under the humid climate condition such as Southwest Japan.

Equilibrium theory of island biogeography: A review

Treesearch

Angela D. Yu; Simon A. Lei

2001-01-01

The topography, climatic pattern, location, and origin of islands generate unique patterns of species distribution. The equilibrium theory of island biogeography creates a general framework in which the study of taxon distribution and broad island trends may be conducted. Critical components of the equilibrium theory include the species-area relationship, island-...

Island Fox Veterinary And Pathology Services On San Clemente Island, California

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

conservation and management efforts by attempting to mitigate anthropogenic-related injuries or illnesses. We utilized our mobile veterinary hospital...the U.S. Navy. The Island Fox Veterinary and Pathology Services project was designed to assist the Navy in island fox conservation and management ...the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS), at the University of California, Davis, to be necropsied. Necropsy reports

Control of barrier island shape by inlet sediment bypassing: East Frisian Islands, West Germany

USGS Publications Warehouse

FitzGerald, D.M.; Penland, S.; Nummedal, D.

1984-01-01

A study of the East Frisian Islands has shown that the plan form of these islands can be explained by processes of inlet sediment bypassing. This island chain is located on a high wave energy, high tide range shoreline where the average deep-water significant wave height exceeds 1.0 m and the spring tidal range varies from 2.7 m at Juist to 2.9 m at Wangerooge. An abundant sediment supply and a strong eastward component of wave power (4.4 ?? 103 W m-1) have caused a persistent eastward growth of the barrier islands. The eastward extension of the barriers has been accommodated more by inlet narrowing, than by inlet migration. It is estimated from morphological evidence that a minimum of 2.7 ?? 105 m3 of sand is delivered to the inlets each year via the easterly longshore transport system. Much of this sand ultimately bypasses the inlets in the form of large, migrating swash bars. The location where the swash bars attach to the beach is controlled by the amount of overlap of the ebb-tidal delta along the downdrift inlet shoreline. The configuration of the ebbtidal delta, in turn, is a function of inlet size and position of the main ebb channel. The swash bar welding process has caused preferential beach nourishment and historical shoreline progradation. Along the East Frisian Islands this process has produced barrier islands with humpbacked, bulbous updrift and bulbous downdrift shapes. The model of barrier island development presented in this paper not only explains well the configuration of the German barriers but also the morphology of barriers along many other mixed energy coasts. ?? 1984.

Nearshore coastal bathymetry data collected in 2016 from West Ship Island to Horn Island, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWitt, Nancy T.; Stalk, Chelsea A.; Fredericks, Jake J.; Flocks, James G.; Kelso, Kyle W.; Farmer, Andrew S.; Tuten, Thomas M.; Buster, Noreen A.

2018-04-13

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, conducted bathymetric surveys of the nearshore waters surrounding Ship and Horn Islands, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi. The objective of this study was to establish base-level elevation conditions around West Ship, East Ship, and Horn Islands and their associated active littoral system prior to restoration activities. These activities include the closure of Camille Cut and the placement of sediment in the littoral zone of East Ship Island. These surveys can be compared with future surveys to monitor sediment migration patterns post-restoration and can also be measured against historic bathymetric datasets to further our understanding of island evolution.The USGS collected 667 line-kilometers (km) of single-beam bathymetry data and 844 line-km of interferometric swath bathymetry data in July 2016 under Field Activity Number 2016-347-FA. Data are provided in three datums: (1) the International Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2000 (ellipsoid height); (2) the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) CORS96 realization and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 with respect to the GEOID12B model (orthometric height); and (3) NAD83 (CORS96) and Mean Lower Low Water (tidal datum). Data products, including x,y,zpoint datasets, trackline shapefiles, digital and handwritten Field Activity Collection Systems logs, 50-meter digital elevation model, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata, are available for download.

Morphological controls on barrier-island response and recovery following natural and anthropogenic perturbations, northern Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernier, J.; Miselis, J. L.

2016-02-01

Prevailing oceanographic climate, sediment supply, the magnitude and frequency of storm events, and anthropogenic modifications interact to drive the geomorphic evolution of barrier systems at varying spatial and temporal scales. The Chandeleur Islands east of the Louisiana mainland receive little external sediment input, and alongshore currents generally transport sediment away from the nearshore and littoral system to flanking depositional centers. We analyzed Landsat satellite imagery and lidar datasets from the northern Chandeleur Islands to quantify morphological changes that resulted from storm impacts and human-induced sediment input at intra-annual to decadal time scales. Since 2001, the study area was impacted by multiple tropical systems, including Hurricanes Lili (2002), Katrina (2005), and Isaac (2012). Additionally, between June 2010 and April 2011, in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the State of Louisiana constructed a 2-m high sand berm extending more than 12 km along the northern Chandeleur Islands platform. Berm emplacement provided a unique opportunity to study how anthropogenic sediment input affects the morphologic response of a naturally evolving barrier system. Land-cover and elevation metrics were utilized to test the hypotheses that (1) island geomorphology, in particular marsh extent, significantly influenced both "instantaneous" and longer term morphologic change and recovery following storm events and (2) redistribution of berm sediment depended on both antecedent morphologic controls as well as spatial variability in berm placement relative to the island platform. Despite the rapid post-construction degradation of the berm, imagery and elevation data suggest that some berm sediment remained in the system. Where the barrier-island was backed by healthy marsh platform, shoreward translation of the berm crest and increased elevations landward of the berm provide evidence of berm sand redistribution onto the emergent island. At

Globally threatened vertebrates on islands with invasive species

PubMed Central

Spatz, Dena R.; Zilliacus, Kelly M.; Holmes, Nick D.; Butchart, Stuart H. M.; Genovesi, Piero; Ceballos, Gerardo; Tershy, Bernie R.; Croll, Donald A.

2017-01-01

Global biodiversity loss is disproportionately rapid on islands, where invasive species are a major driver of extinctions. To inform conservation planning aimed at preventing extinctions, we identify the distribution and biogeographic patterns of highly threatened terrestrial vertebrates (classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature) and invasive vertebrates on ~465,000 islands worldwide by conducting a comprehensive literature review and interviews with more than 500 experts. We found that 1189 highly threatened vertebrate species (319 amphibians, 282 reptiles, 296 birds, and 292 mammals) breed on 1288 islands. These taxa represent only 5% of Earth’s terrestrial vertebrates and 41% of all highly threatened terrestrial vertebrates, which occur in <1% of islands worldwide. Information about invasive vertebrates was available for 1030 islands (80% of islands with highly threatened vertebrates). Invasive vertebrates were absent from 24% of these islands, where biosecurity to prevent invasions is a critical management tool. On the 76% of islands where invasive vertebrates were present, management could benefit 39% of Earth’s highly threatened vertebrates. Invasive mammals occurred in 97% of these islands, with Rattus sp. as the most common invasive vertebrate (78%; 609 islands). Our results provide an important baseline for identifying islands for invasive species eradication and other island conservation actions that reduce biodiversity loss. PMID:29075662

Globally threatened vertebrates on islands with invasive species.

PubMed

Spatz, Dena R; Zilliacus, Kelly M; Holmes, Nick D; Butchart, Stuart H M; Genovesi, Piero; Ceballos, Gerardo; Tershy, Bernie R; Croll, Donald A

2017-10-01

Global biodiversity loss is disproportionately rapid on islands, where invasive species are a major driver of extinctions. To inform conservation planning aimed at preventing extinctions, we identify the distribution and biogeographic patterns of highly threatened terrestrial vertebrates (classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature) and invasive vertebrates on ~465,000 islands worldwide by conducting a comprehensive literature review and interviews with more than 500 experts. We found that 1189 highly threatened vertebrate species (319 amphibians, 282 reptiles, 296 birds, and 292 mammals) breed on 1288 islands. These taxa represent only 5% of Earth's terrestrial vertebrates and 41% of all highly threatened terrestrial vertebrates, which occur in <1% of islands worldwide. Information about invasive vertebrates was available for 1030 islands (80% of islands with highly threatened vertebrates). Invasive vertebrates were absent from 24% of these islands, where biosecurity to prevent invasions is a critical management tool. On the 76% of islands where invasive vertebrates were present, management could benefit 39% of Earth's highly threatened vertebrates. Invasive mammals occurred in 97% of these islands, with Rattus sp. as the most common invasive vertebrate (78%; 609 islands). Our results provide an important baseline for identifying islands for invasive species eradication and other island conservation actions that reduce biodiversity loss.

Ecology and Evolution: Islands of Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benz, Richard

This book was designed for middle and junior high school science classes and focuses on island biogeography, ecology, and evolution. Sections include: (1) "Galapagos: Frame of Reference"; (2) "Ecology and Islands"; and (3) "Evolution." Nineteen standards-based activities use the Galapagos Islands as a running theme…

[Dengue fever in the Reunion Island and in South Western islands of the Indian Ocean].

PubMed

D'Ortenzio, E; Balleydier, E; Baville, M; Filleul, L; Renault, P

2011-09-01

South Western islands of the Indian Ocean are permanently threatened by dengue fever outbreaks. On the Reunion Island, two dengue outbreaks were biologically documented (1977-1978 and 2004). And since July 2004 there has been an inter-epidemic period for the island with sporadic cases and clusters. Between January 1, 2007 and October 5, 2009, the epidemiologic surveillance system detected five confirmed autochthonous cases, five confirmed imported cases (South-East Asia), and 71 probable cases. All the five autochthonous confirmed cases occurred in Saint-Louis during two consecutive clusters. In other South Western islands of the Indian Ocean, several dengue fever outbreaks have been reported. Importation of dengue virus from South-East Asia is a major risk for a new outbreak on the island. The introduction of a new serotype could lead to the emergence of new and severe clinical forms, including dengue hemorrhagic fever. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Early hominin biogeography in Island Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Larick, Roy; Ciochon, Russell L

2015-01-01

Island Southeast Asia covers Eurasia's tropical expanse of continental shelf and active subduction zones. Cutting between island landmasses, Wallace's Line separates Sunda and the Eastern Island Arc (the Arc) into distinct tectonic and faunal provinces. West of the line, on Sunda, Java Island yields many fossils of Homo erectus. East of the line, on the Arc, Flores Island provides one skeleton and isolated remains of Homo floresiensis. Luzon Island in the Philippines has another fossil hominin. Sulawesi preserves early hominin archeology. This insular divergence sets up a unique regional context for early hominin dispersal, isolation, and extinction. The evidence is reviewed across three Pleistocene climate periods. Patterns are discussed in relation to the pulse of global sea-level shifts, as well as regional geo-tectonics, catastrophes, stegodon dispersal, and paleogenomics. Several patterns imply evolutionary processes typical of oceanic islands. Early hominins apparently responded to changing island conditions for a million-and-a-half years, likely becoming extinct during the period in which Homo sapiens colonized the region. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Nonlinear saturation of tearing mode islands.

PubMed

Hastie, R J; Militello, F; Porcelli, F

2005-08-05

New, rigorous results for the tearing island saturation problem are presented. These results are valid for the realistic case where the magnetic island structure is non-symmetric about the reconnection surface and the electron temperature, on which the electrical resistivity depends, is evolved self-consistently with the island growth.

Intersectional gene flow between insular endemics of Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) on the Bonin Islands and the Ryukyu Islands.

PubMed

Setoguchi, H; Watanabe, I

2000-06-01

Hybridization and introgression play important roles in plant evolution, and their occurrence on the oceanic islands provides good examples of plant speciation and diversification. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and trnL (UAA) 3'exon-trnF (GAA) intergenic spacer (IGS) sequences of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA), and the sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA were examined to investigate the occurrence of gene transfer in Ilex species on the Bonin Islands and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. A gene phylogeny for the plastid genome is in agreement with the morphologically based taxonomy, whereas the nuclear genome phylogeny clusters putatively unrelated endemics both on the Bonin and the Ryukyu Islands. Intersectional hybridization and nuclear gene flow were independently observed in insular endemics of Ilex on both sets of islands without evidence of plastid introgression. Gene flow observed in these island systems can be explained by ecological features of insular endemics, i.e., limits of distribution range or sympatric distribution in a small land area.

Seed islands driven by turbulence and NTM dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muraglia, M.; Agullo, O.; Poye, A.; Benkadda, S.; Horton, W.; Dubuit, N.; Garbet, X.; Sen, A.

2014-10-01

Magnetic reconnection is an issue for tokamak plasmas. Growing magnetic islands expel energetic particles from the plasma core leading to high energy fluxes in the SOL and may cause damage to the plasma facing components. The islands grow from seeds from the bootstrap current effects that oppose the negative delta-prime producing nonlinear island growth. Experimentally, the onset of NTM is quantified in terms of the beta parameter and the sawtooth period. Indeed, in experiments, (3;2) NTM magnetic islands are often triggered by sawtooth precursors. However (2;1) magnetic islands can appear without noticeable MHD event and the seed islands origin for the NTM growth is still an open question. Macroscale MHD instabilities (magnetic islands) coexist with micro-scale turbulent fluctuations and zonal flows which impact island dynamics. Nonlinear simulations show that the nonlinear beating of the fastest growing small-scale ballooning interchange modes on a low order rational surface drive a magnetic islands located on the same surface. The island size is found to be controlled by the turbulence level and modifies the NTM threshold and dynamics.

Melville Island, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Melville Island, just off the coast of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia (11.5S, 131.0E) is a sparsely inhabited tropical island with heavy woodland concentrations. The widespread and prominant smoke plumes were most likely set to renew pasture under open canopy woodland. Soil erosion is almost non- existant as can be seen by the clear and clean river flow. The offshore sediments are coastal current borne deposits from King Sound to the west.

Montague Island marmot: a conservation assessment.

Treesearch

Ellen Weintraub. Lance

2002-01-01

The hoary marmot, from Montague Island, south-central Alaska, was classified as a distinct subspecies based on smaller size and skull characteristics relative to other island and mainland populations. The taxonomic validity of the Montague Island marmot (Marmota caligata sheldoni) is questionable, as conclusions were based on the analysis of no...

Tristan da Cunha Island

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-25

Tristan da Cunha is both a remote group of volcanic islands in the south Atlantic, and the main island. It is the most remote inhabited island group in the world, 2400 km from the nearest inhabited land. Tristan has a population of about 250 inhabitants, and is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. In 1961 the eruption of Queen Mary's Peak forced the evacuation of the entire population for two years. The image was acquired October 7, 2017, and is located at 37.1 degrees south, 12.3 degrees west. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22506

Islands within an island: repeated adaptive divergence in a single population.

PubMed

Langin, Kathryn M; Sillett, T Scott; Funk, W Chris; Morrison, Scott A; Desrosiers, Michelle A; Ghalambor, Cameron K

2015-03-01

Physical barriers to gene flow were once viewed as prerequisites for adaptive evolutionary divergence. However, a growing body of theoretical and empirical work suggests that divergence can proceed within a single population. Here we document genetic structure and spatially replicated patterns of phenotypic divergence within a bird species endemic to 250 km(2) Santa Cruz Island, California, USA. Island scrub-jays (Aphelocoma insularis) in three separate stands of pine habitat had longer, shallower bills than jays in oak habitat, a pattern that mirrors adaptive differences between allopatric populations of the species' mainland congener. Variation in both bill measurements was heritable, and island scrub-jays mated nonrandomly with respect to bill morphology. The population was not panmictic; instead, we found a continuous pattern of isolation by distance across the east-west axis of the island, as well as a subtle genetic discontinuity across the boundary between the largest pine stand and adjacent oak habitat. The ecological factors that appear to have facilitated adaptive differentiation at such a fine scale--environmental heterogeneity and localized dispersal--are ubiquitous in nature. These findings support recent arguments that microgeographic patterns of adaptive divergence may be more common than currently appreciated, even in mobile taxonomic groups like birds. © 2015 The Author(s).

Modeling the Response of Human Altered Natural Barrier Island Dynamics Along Assateague Island National Seashore to Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, A.; McNamara, D.; Schupp, C.

2009-12-01

Assateague Island National Seashore comprises a long barrier island located off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. Geological evidence suggests that over recent centuries Assateague Island has steadily transgressed up the continental shelf in response to rising sea level. More recently, the natural barrier island dynamics governing Assateague’s evolution have been altered by human activity in three ways: the construction of a jetty and the subsequent interruption of alongshore sediment transport on the north end of Assateague and both the ongoing and abandoned maintenance of a continuous dune system along portions of Assateague with the concomitant modification to overwash dynamics. It is unclear how these varied human alterations to the natural barrier island dynamics will influence the response of Assateague to climate change induced shifts in forcing such as increased rates of sea level rise and changing storm patterns. We use LIDAR detected morphological data of Assateague Island as initial conditions in an alongshore extended model for barrier island dynamics including beach erosion, island overwash and inlet cutting during storms, and beach accretion, tidal delta growth and dune and vegetation growth between storms to explore the response of the various human altered segments of Assateague Island to forcing changes. Traditional models exploring barrier island evolution contain only cross-shore dynamics therefore lacking important alongshore-spatial dynamics in aeolian and surf zone sediment transport. Results show that including alongshore dynamics alter the steady state of Assateague relative to simulations that only include cross-shore dynamics. Results will also be presented exploring the potential for regime shifts in steady state behavior under various scenarios for the rate of sea level rise and storm climate and varying management strategies.

Frog size on continental islands of the coast of Rio de Janeiro and the generality of the Island Rule

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Island Rule postulated that individuals on islands tend to dwarfism when individuals from mainland populations are large and to gigantism when mainland populations present small individuals. There has been much discussion about this rule, but only few studies were carried out aiming to reveal this pattern for anurans. Our study focused on measuring the size of individuals on islands and to find a possible pattern of size modification for insular anurans. Individuals were collected on continental islands, measured and compared to mainland populations. We selected four species with different natural history aspects during these analyses. Island parameters were compared to size of individuals in order to find an explanation to size modification. Three of the four species presented size shifting on islands. Ololygon trapicheiroi and Adenomera marmorata showed dwarfism, Boana albomarginata showed gigantism and in Thoropa miliaris there was no evident size modification. Allometric analysis also revealed differential modification, which might be a result of different selective pressures on islands in respect of mainland populations. Regression model explained most of the size modification in B. albomarginata, but not for the other species. Our results indicate that previous assumptions, usually proposed for mammals from older islands, do not fit to the anurans studied here. We support the assumption that size modification on islands are population-specific. Hence, in B. albomarginata some factor associated to competition, living area and isolation time might likely be responsible for gigantism on islands. PMID:29324790

Spatial and temporal controls of atoll island inundation: implications for urbanized atolls in the Marshall Islands.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, M.; Becker, J. M.; Merrifield, M. A.

2012-12-01

Atoll islands are highly vulnerable to a range of inundation hazards. The impacts of such hazards are expected to be magnified as a result of continued sea-level rise. Both recent and historic inundation events provide unique insights into the requisite conditions necessary to initiate island inundation. A number of recent and historic inundation events are presented in order to examine the oceanographic and meteorological conditions driving inundation of a densely populated, urbanized atoll in the central Pacific. Analysis of inundation events suggests that a number of key drivers contribute to the spatial and temporal extent of island inundation, with unique degrees of predictability and resultant impact signatures apparent on island geomorphology and local anthropogenic activities. Results indicate three distinct drivers of inundation hazards exist. Firstly, tropical storms and typhoons elevate sea level through inverse barometric setup, wind setup and a range of wave driven processes and have caused considerable impact on atolls within the Marshall Islands. Secondly, super-elevated sea level conditions resulting from the combination of seasonal high tides and quasi-cyclical La Nina conditions drive inundation of low-lying lagoon facing coastal areas. Thirdly, long period swell conditions, typically generated by distant storms, can elevate reef-flat water levels through wave setup and infragravity wave oscillations. Such wave conditions can over wash the ocean-facing island ridge, often inundating large sections of the island. Reef-flat wave conditions are tidally modulated, with inundation events typically occurring around high tide. However, the two most recent destructive swell-driven inundation events have occurred while tide levels were significantly lower than spring tide levels, suggesting high water levels are not a necessary prerequisite for wave-driven inundation. The different modes of inundation are discussed and grounded within recent and historic

76 FR 72369 - Safety Zone; Marco Island Marriott Charity Fireworks Display, Gulf of Mexico, Marco Island, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-23

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Marco Island Marriott Charity Fireworks Display, Gulf of Mexico, Marco Island, FL... establish a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of Marco Island... reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all...

Alternative energy technologies for the Caribbean islands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pytlinski, J.T.

1992-01-01

All islands in the Caribbean except Puerto Rico can be classified as developing islands. Of these islands, all except Trinidad and Tobago are oil importers. Uncertainties concerning uninterrupted oil supply and increasing oil prices causes economic, social and political instability and jeopardizes further development of these islands. The paper discusses the energy situation of the Caribbean islands and presents alternative energy options. Several alternative energy projects financed by local, federal and international organizations are presented. Present and future uses of alternative energy technologies are described in different islands. Barrier which handicap developing and implementing alternative energy sources in the Caribbeanmore » are discussed. The potential and possible applications of alternative energy technologies such as: solar-thermal energy, photovoltaics, wind energy, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), ocean currents and tides energy, biomass, peat energy, municipal solid wastes, bioconversion, hydropower, geothermal energy, nuclear energy and energy conservation are discussed in detail as means to alleviate the energy situation in the Caribbean islands.« less

Worldwide patterns of bird colouration on islands.

PubMed

Doutrelant, Claire; Paquet, Matthieu; Renoult, Julien P; Grégoire, Arnaud; Crochet, Pierre-André; Covas, Rita

2016-05-01

Island environments share distinctive characteristics that offer unique opportunities to investigate parallel evolution. Previous research has produced evidence of an island syndrome for morphological traits, life-history strategies and ecological niches, but little is known about the response to insularity of other important traits such as animal signals. Here, we tested whether birds' plumage colouration is part of the island syndrome. We analysed with spectrophotometry the colouration of 116 species endemic to islands and their 116 closest mainland relatives. We found a pattern of reduced brightness and colour intensity for both sexes on islands. In addition, we found a decrease in the number of colour patches on islands that, in males, was associated with a decrease in the number of same-family sympatric species. These results demonstrate a worldwide pattern of parallel colour changes on islands and suggest that a relaxation of selection on species recognition may be one of the mechanisms involved. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

The island rule: made to be broken?

PubMed Central

Meiri, Shai; Cooper, Natalie; Purvis, Andy

2007-01-01

The island rule is a hypothesis whereby small mammals evolve larger size on islands while large insular mammals dwarf. The rule is believed to emanate from small mammals growing larger to control more resources and enhance metabolic efficiency, while large mammals evolve smaller size to reduce resource requirements and increase reproductive output. We show that there is no evidence for the existence of the island rule when phylogenetic comparative methods are applied to a large, high-quality dataset. Rather, there are just a few clade-specific patterns: carnivores; heteromyid rodents; and artiodactyls typically evolve smaller size on islands whereas murid rodents usually grow larger. The island rule is probably an artefact of comparing distantly related groups showing clade-specific responses to insularity. Instead of a rule, size evolution on islands is likely to be governed by the biotic and abiotic characteristics of different islands, the biology of the species in question and contingency. PMID:17986433

Revisiting the Metaphor of the Island: Challenging "World Culture" from an Island Misunderstood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rappleye, Jeremy

2015-01-01

This article revisits the newly "discovered" island that world culture theorists have repeatedly utilised to explain their theoretical stance, conceptual preferences and methodological approach. Yet, it seeks to (re)connect world culture with the real world by replacing their imagined atoll with a real one--the island-nation of Japan. In…

A new species of iguana Brachylophus Cuvier 1829 (Sauria: Iguania: Iguanidae) from Gau Island, Fiji Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Robert N.; Niukula, Jone; Watling, Dick; Harlow, Peter S.

2017-01-01

The south Pacific iguanas (Brachylophus) currently have three recognized living species in Fiji.  Recent surveys have uncovered more specific variation (morphological and genetic) within the genus and have better defined the geographic ranges of the named species.  One of these recent discoveries is a strikingly different iguana from all other island populations in Fiji which is restricted to Gau Island of the Lomaiviti Province.  Gau is the fifth largest island in Fiji and maintains excellent upland forests in the higher elevations.  We describe this population from Gau Island as a new species, Brachylophus gau sp. nov., in recognition of its type locality.

Island forming processes in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCarthy, T. S.; Humphries, M. S.; Mahomed, I.; Le Roux, P.; Verhagen, B. Th.

2012-12-01

The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a large (40,000 km2) alluvial fan that is characterised by the presence of numerous tree-covered islands. Thought to originate from the mound-building activities of termites or through fluvial processes associated with development of scroll bars and inverted channels, islands have been shown to play an important role in the structure and functioning of the Delta through the creation of habitat diversity, focusing of nutrients, and disposal of toxic salts. This study investigates the processes responsible for the maintenance and growth of two such islands in the seasonal swamps. Transpiration by vegetation is shown to result in substantial increases in groundwater salinity beneath the islands, contributing to their growth through chemical precipitation. Detailed chemical analyses revealed that the precipitation of magnesian calcite and silica within the island soils contributes 30-40% of the total island volume. Isotopic analyses of carbonate samples show that vegetation plays an important role in providing carbon for carbonate precipitation. Variations in δ13C carbonate values appear to reflect the relative proportion of C3 to C4 plants on the island, with C4 species becoming more dominant toward island centres in response to increases in groundwater salinity. The study suggests that continued island growth is also related to the deposition of aerosols and the accumulation of dust preferentially on islands and possibly to ongoing termite activity. Tall trees that characterise the island margins trap dust carried from the floodplains, resulting particularly in the lateral growth of islands. Islands in the Okavango are considered to be the product of long-term aggradation processes, with the two islands studied estimated to be in the order of tens of thousands of years old.

Geologic Map of Baranof Island, southeastern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karl, Susan M.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Himmelberg, Glen R.; Zumsteg, Cathy L.; Layer, Paul W.; Friedman, Richard M.; Roeske, Sarah M.; Snee, Lawrence W.

2015-01-01

This map updates the geology of Baranof Island based on fieldwork, petrographic analyses, paleontologic ages, and isotopic ages. These new data provide constraints on depositional and metamorphic ages of lithostratigraphic rock units and the timing of structures that separate them. Kinematic analyses and thermobarometric calculations provide insights on the regional tectonic processes that affected the rocks on Baranof Island. The rocks on Baranof Island are components of a Paleozoic to Early Tertiary oceanic volcanic arc complex, including sedimentary and volcanic rocks that were deposited on and adjacent to the arc complex, deformed, and accreted. The arc complex consists of greenschist to amphibolite facies Paleozoic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks overlain by lower-grade Triassic metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks and intruded by Jurassic calc-alkaline plutons. The Paleozoic rocks correlate well in age and lithology with rocks of the Sicker and Buttle Lake Groups of the Wrangellia terrane on Vancouver Island and differ from rocks of the Skolai Group that constitute basement to type-Wrangellia in the Wrangell Mountains. The Jurassic intrusive rocks are correlative with plutons that intrude the Wrangellia terrane on Vancouver Island but are lacking in the Wrangell Mountains. The rocks accreted beneath the arc complex are referred to as the Baranof Accretionary Complex in this report and are correlated with the Chugach Accretionary Complex of southern and southeastern Alaska and with the Pacific Rim Complex on Vancouver Island. Stratigraphic correlations between upper- and lower-plate rocks on Baranof Island and western Chichagof Island with rocks on Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island, in addition to correlative ages of intrusive rocks and restorations of the Fairweather-Queen Charlotte, Chatham Strait, and Peril Strait Faults that define the Baranof-Chichagof block, suggest Baranof Island was near Vancouver Island at the time of initiation of arc

Modeling potential tsunami sources for deposits near Unalaska Island, Aleutian Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Selle, S.; Gelfenbaum, G. R.

2013-12-01

In regions with little seismic data and short historical records of earthquakes, we can use preserved tsunami deposits and tsunami modeling to infer if, when and where tsunamigenic earthquakes have occurred. The Aleutian-Alaska subduction zone in the region offshore of Unalaska Island is one such region where the historical and paleo-seismicity is poorly understood. This section of the subduction zone is not thought to have ruptured historically in a large earthquake, leading some to designate the region as a seismic gap. By modeling various historical and synthetic earthquake sources, we investigate whether or not tsunamis that left deposits near Unalaska Island were generated by earthquakes rupturing through Unalaska Gap. Preliminary field investigations near the eastern end of Unalaska Island have identified paleotsunami deposits well above sea level, suggesting that multiple tsunamis in the last 5,000 years have flooded low-lying areas over 1 km inland. Other indicators of tsunami inundation, such as a breached cobble beach berm and driftwood logs stranded far inland, were tentatively attributed to the March 9, 1957 tsunami, which had reported runup of 13 to 22 meters on Umnak and Unimak Islands, to the west and east of Unalaska. In order to determine if tsunami inundation could have reached the runup markers observed on Unalaska, we modeled the 1957 tsunami using GeoCLAW, a numerical model that simulates tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation. The published rupture orientation and slip distribution for the MW 8.6, 1957 earthquake (Johnson et al., 1994) was used as the tsunami source, which delineates a 1200 km long rupture zone along the Aleutian trench from Delarof Island to Unimak Island. Model results indicate that runup and inundation from this particular source are too low to account for the runup markers observed in the field, because slip is concentrated in the western half of the rupture zone, far from Unalaska. To ascertain if any realistic

Emergence and evolution of Santa Maria Island (Azores)—The conundrum of uplifted islands revisited

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramalho, Ricardo; Helffrich, George; Madeira, Jose; Cosca, Michael A.; Thomas, Christine; Quartau, Rui; Hipolito, Ana; Rovere, Alessio; Hearty, Paul; Avila, Sergio

2017-01-01

The growth and decay of ocean-island volcanoes are intrinsically linked to vertical movements. While the causes for subsidence are better understood, uplift mechanisms remain enigmatic. Santa Maria Island in the Azores Archipelago is an ocean-island volcano resting on top of young lithosphere, barely 480 km away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Like most other Azorean islands, Santa Maria should be experiencing subsidence. Yet, several features indicate an uplift trend instead. In this paper, we reconstruct the evolutionary history of Santa Maria with respect to the timing and magnitude of its vertical movements, using detailed field work and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. Our investigations revealed a complex evolutionary history spanning ∼6 m.y., with subsidence up to ca. 3.5 Ma followed by uplift extending to the present day. The fact that an island located in young lithosphere experienced a pronounced uplift trend is remarkable and raises important questions concerning possible uplift mechanisms. Localized uplift in response to the tectonic regime affecting the southeastern tip of the Azores Plateau is unlikely, since the area is under transtension. Our analysis shows that the only viable mechanism able to explain the uplift is crustal thickening by basal intrusions, suggesting that intrusive processes play a significant role even on islands standing on young lithosphere, such as in the Azores.

Disparities in Adverse Perinatal Outcomes Among Pacific Islanders in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

PubMed

Dela Cruz, Rica; Grant, Jeanolivia; Heck, Julia E; Cash, Haley L

2018-03-08

Although other studies have found evidence for perinatal health disparities among Pacific Islanders in other regions, no studies have evaluated racial/ethnic disparities in adverse perinatal health outcomes in the small US island territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). We used retrospective cohort data on 8,427 singleton births from 2007 to 2014 at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC), the only hospital in the CNMI. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate risk for preterm birth (<37 weeks) and macrosomia (>4,000 g) among the racial/ethnic groups in the CNMI. Indigenous CNMI mothers (Chamorros and Carolinians, hereinafter Chamorro/Carolinian) and other Pacific Islander mothers were significantly more likely to have a preterm birth than Chinese mothers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-3.6 for Chamorro/Carolinians and AOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1-4.1 for other Pacific Islanders). Additionally, Chamorro/Carolinian mothers and other Pacific Islander mothers were also significantly more likely to deliver babies with macrosomia (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.7-3.5 and 2.3; 95% CI 1.4-3.6 respectively) than Filipino mothers. Although underlying causes for these disparities are still unknown, these findings add to the limited knowledge on maternal and neonatal health among Pacific Islanders and provide support for further research and intervention development to aid in reducing racial/ethnic disparities of perinatal health in the CNMI.

Bacterial communities associated with Shinkaia crosnieri from the Iheya North, Okinawa Trough: Microbial diversity and metabolic potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jian; Zeng, Zhi-gang; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Li

2018-04-01

Shinkaia crosnieri is a galatheid crab endemic to the deep-sea hydrothermal systems in the Okinawa Trough. In this study, we systematically analyzed and compared the diversity and metabolic potentials of the microbial communities in different tissues (setae, gill, and intestine) of S. crosnieri by high-throughput sequencing technology and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis based on the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene obtained 408,079 taxon tags, which covered 15 phyla, 22 classes, 32 orders, 42 families, and 25 genera. Overall, the microbial communities in all tissues were dominated by Epsilonproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, of which Epsilonproteobacteria was the largest class and accounted for 85.24% of the taxon tags. In addition, 20 classes of bacteria were discovered for the first time to be associated with S. crosnieri and no archaea were detected. Comparative analysis showed that (i) bacteria from different tissues fell into different groups by β-diversity analysis, (ii) bacterial communities in intestine were similar to that in gill and much more diverse than that in setae, and the sulfur-oxidizing genus Sulfurovum was markedly enriched in intestine and gill. Furthermore, bacteria potentially involved in methane, nitrogen, and metal metabolisms were detected in all samples. The key genes of aprA/dsrA and pmoA involved in sulfate reducing and methane oxidization, respectively, were detected in the gill and gut communities for the first time, and pmoA was significantly more abundant in gill and setae than in intestine. These results provide the first comparative and relatively complete picture of the diversity and metabolic potentials of the bacteria in different tissues of S. crosnieri. These results also indicate that the composition of the microbial communities in hydrothermal fauna changes with time, suggesting the importance of environmental influence.

[Effects of aircraft noise on preschool children's misbehaviours: results of research around the Kadena and Futenma airfields in Okinawa].

PubMed

Tokuyama, Tomohiro; Matsui, Toshihito; Hiramatsu, Kozo; Miyakita, Takashi; Ito, Akiyoshi; Yamamoto, Takeo

2009-01-01

To investigate the association between aircraft noise exposure as expressed by Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level (WECPNL) and preschool children's misbehaviours around the Kadena and Futenma airfields in Okinawa. A questionnaire survey on children's misbehaviour was conducted in nursery schools and kindergartens around the Kadena and Futenma airfields. The children living around the Kadena airfield were divided into four groups according to WECPNL at their residences and those around the Futenma airfield into three groups according to WECPNL. The subjects were 1,888 male and female preschool children, 3 to 6 years of age, whose parents, caregivers, and teachers answered the questions. The answers used for the analysis were limited to those of respondents fulfilling the following conditions: parents living with their children, fathers with a daytime job, and mothers with a daytime job or no job. Thus, the number of valid answers was 1,213. The responses were analysed using logistic regression models taking the number of misbehaviours related to the items of Biological Function, Social Standard, Physical Constitution, Movement Habit, or Character as the dependent variables, and WECPNL, age, sex, size of family, birth order, mother's age at birth, mother's job, caregiver's career, and category of subject as the independent variables. A significant dose-response relationship was found between the odds ratio and WECPNL for the outcomes of Physical Constitution around the Kadena and Futenma airfields. It would be reasonable to conclude that the aircraft noise exposure is a factor that increases the number of preschool children's misbehaviours.

ITCZ and ENSO pacing on East Asian winter monsoon variation during the Holocene: Sedimentological evidence from the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xufeng; Li, Anchun; Wan, Shiming; Jiang, Fuqing; Kao, Shuh Ji; Johnson, Cody

2014-07-01

Deep-sea fan sediments provide an excellent geological archive for paleoenvironment reconstruction. Grain size, clay mineral and elemental (Ti, Fe, Ca) compositions were measured for a core retrieved from a submarine fan in the Okinawa Trough. Varimax-rotated Principal Component Analysis (V-PCA) on time-evolution of grain size spectrum reveals that, since the Holocene, sediment was transported mainly by the benthic nepheloid layer (33%) and upper layers (33%) which is driven by the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). The intensification of the Kuroshio Current during the Holocene, masks the fluvial signal of the summer monsoon and obstructs clay minerals derived from the Yellow River, a major contributor prior to 12 ka BP. A new grain size index (GSI), which represents the EAWM well, exhibits a negative correlation with the δ18O record in Dongge Cave, China during the Holocene when sea level was relatively steady. This anticorrelation suggests the southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The consistency among our records and rainfall records in Peru, Ti counts in the Cariaco Basin, monsoon records in Oman and the averaged summer insolation pattern at 30°N further support the ITCZ's impact on monsoon systems globally. Cross-Correlation Analyses for GSI and log(Ti/Ca) against δ18O record in Dongge Cave reveal a decoupling between the East Asian winter and summer monsoon during 5500-2500 cal yr BP, with greater complexity in the last 2500 years. This can be attributed to exacerbated ENSO mode fluctuations and possibly anthropogenic interference superimposed on insolation and ITCZ forcing.

ITCZ and ENSO pacing on East Asian winter monsoon variation during the Holocene: Sedimentological evidence from the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xufeng; Li, Anchun; Wan, Shiming; Kao, Shuhji; Kuhn, Gerhard

2016-04-01

Deep-sea fan sediments provide an excellent geological archive for paleoenvironment reconstruction. Grain size, clay mineral and elemental (Ti, Fe, Ca) compositions were measured for a core retrieved from a submarine fan in the Okinawa Trough. Varimax-rotated Principal Component Analysis (V-PCA) on time-evolution of grain size spectrum reveals that, since the Holocene, sediment was transported mainly by the benthic nepheloid layer (33%) and upper layers (33%) which is driven by the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). The intensification of the Kuroshio Current during the Holocene, masks the fluvial signal of the summer monsoon and obstructs clay minerals derived from the Yellow River, a major contributor prior to 12 ka BP. A new grain size index (GSI), which represents the EAWM well, exhibits a negative correlation with the δ18O record in Dongge Cave, China during the Holocene when sea level was relatively steady. This anticorrelation suggests the southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The consistency among our records and rainfall records in Peru, Ti counts in the Cariaco Basin, monsoon records in Oman and the averaged summer insolation pattern at 30°N further support the ITCZ's impact on monsoon systems globally. Cross-Correlation Analyses for GSI and log(Ti/Ca) against δ18O record in Dongge Cave reveal a decoupling between the East Asian winter and summer monsoon during 5500-2500 cal yr BP, with greater complexity in the last 2500 years. This can be attributed to exacerbated ENSO mode fluctuations and possibly anthropogenic interference superimposed on insolation and ITCZ forcing.

Spatial variability in recruitment of benthos near drilling sites in the Iheya North hydrothermal field in the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Masako; Nakajima, Yuichi; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Sasaki, Takenori; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Mitarai, Satoshi

2018-05-01

Due to increasing anthropogenic impacts on deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems, it is essential to understand population structure and maintenance through larval recruitment and recovery of vent faunas after disturbances. In this study, we quantified vent animal recruitment in the Okinawa Trough, in the western Pacific Ocean. This is the first study to investigate recruitment patterns at a man-made hydrothermal vent. Colonization plates were deployed at three sites. Site 1 manifested new hydrothermal shimmering with small chimneys, white bacterial mats, and some alvinocaridid shrimp that arrived after drilling. Site 2 showed no evidence of newly arrived foundation species after drilling, and Site 3 had pre-existing animal communities in the vicinity of the new vent. Twenty-two months after deployment, colonization plates were retrieved and recruited animals were inventoried. Species composition and abundance differed among sites, but relatively high similarity in species composition was observed at Sites 1 and 3, though not at Site 2. Newly established communities on the plates at Sites 1 and 2 (no pre-existing fauna) showed lower species richness and abundance than at Site 3. Differences in abundance and size-frequency distributions of major recruits on the plates (i.e. Lepetodrilus nux, Bathymodiolus spp.) suggest the importance of reproductive and early life-history characteristics in spatial variability of recruitment. Lepetodrilus nux populations established on the plates at Site 1 showed high genetic connectivity. These results illustrate the importance of localized recruitment, which may have a significant impact on sustainability of vent faunal populations, despite the existence of regional metapopulations.

Nauru Island Effect Detection Data Set

DOE Data Explorer

Long, Chuck

2010-07-15

During Nauru99 it was noted that the island was producing small clouds that advected over the ARM site. The Nauru Island Effect Study was run for 1.5 years and the methodology developed to detect the occurrence. Nauru ACRF downwelling SW, wind direction, and air temperature data are used, along with downwelling SW data from Licor radiometers located on the southern end of the island near the airport landing strip. A statistical analysis and comparison of data from the two locations is used to detect the likely occurrence of an island influence on the Nauru ACRF site data

IL5RA polymorphisms, smoking and eczema in Japanese women: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

PubMed

Miyake, Y; Tanaka, K; Arakawa, M

2015-02-01

The present case-control study examined the relationship between IL5RA SNPs and eczema in young adult Japanese women. Cases and control subjects were selected from pregnant women who participated in the baseline survey of the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study, which is an ongoing prebirth cohort study. Cases comprised 188 women with eczema in the previous 12 months as defined according to the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), regardless of the presence of a doctor's diagnosis of atopic eczema. Control subjects comprised 1130 women without eczema as defined according to the ISAAC criteria who also had not been diagnosed with atopic eczema by a doctor. Compared with the AA genotype of IL5RA SNP rs17881144, the AT genotype, but not the TT genotype, was significantly associated with a decreased risk of eczema. The ATTAGA haplotype and the GTAGCA haplotype of rs17882210, rs3804797, rs334809, rs9831572, rs6771148 and rs17881144 were significantly associated with an increased risk of eczema. In contrast, the GCTGCA haplotype was significantly related to a decreased risk of eczema. Multiplicative interactions between IL5RA SNPs rs334809 and rs17881144 and smoking with respect to eczema were marginally significant (P = 0.07 and 0.07, respectively). This is the first study to show significant associations between IL5RA SNP rs17881144, the ATTAGA haplotype, the GTAGCA haplotype, and the GCTGCA haplotype and eczema. Smoking may modify the relationships between SNPs rs334809 and rs17881144 and eczema. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessing qualitative long-term volcanic hazards at Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becerril, Laura; Martí, Joan; Bartolini, Stefania; Geyer, Adelina

2017-07-01

Conducting long-term hazard assessment in active volcanic areas is of primary importance for land-use planning and defining emergency plans able to be applied in case of a crisis. A definition of scenario hazard maps helps to mitigate the consequences of future eruptions by anticipating the events that may occur. Lanzarote is an active volcanic island that has hosted the largest (> 1.5 km3 DRE) and longest (6 years) eruption, the Timanfaya eruption (1730-1736), on the Canary Islands in historical times (last 600 years). This eruption brought severe economic losses and forced local people to migrate. In spite of all these facts, no comprehensive hazard assessment or hazard maps have been developed for the island. In this work, we present an integrated long-term volcanic hazard evaluation using a systematic methodology that includes spatial analysis and simulations of the most probable eruptive scenarios.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of a Coastal Island Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case in Hatiya Island, Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramjan, S.; Mahmud, M. S.; Hossain, M. A.; Hasan, M.; Ashrafi, Z. M.

2016-12-01

Bangladesh is recognized for its high vulnerability to sea level rise (SLR). SLR directly and indirectly (by altering morphology of river estuary) accelerates erosion processes, washes out the loose materials of the coast and coastal islands. Hatiya, highly populated coastal island, located in Meghna river estuary is under severe threat of coastal erosion, which has not been quantified yet. The accurate mapping of the shoreline and coastal changes are very important for adopting conservation measures e.g. protection of human life, property and the natural environment. The objectives of the present study are to use remote sensing and Geographical Information System techniques to evaluate spatial and temporal changes in the shoreline and coastal land area of the Hatiya Island between the year of 1985 and 2016 from multi-temporal satellite images, i.e. assessing shifting of the shoreline position through digital shoreline analysis besides the erosion-accretion measurements. Study reveals that about 67 square kilometer areas has been lost between 1985 and 2016 which was about 17 percent of original area (1985). Erosion mainly took place in northern, north-western banks of the island. In these areas, the landward movement and rate of the shoreline were higher with a highest value of the net shoreline movement (NSM) around 6.2 km. Erosion rate is significant in exposed part of the island where tidal water pressure, shoreline configuration, loose bank materials and steep slope were observed. However, the accretion was noticed in recent years (2010-2016) in southern part of the island where slopes were gentle, perhaps due to backwash sediment deposition. As erosion process is prominent in this island, significant amounnt of usable land was lost. Therefore, local livelihood pattern has changed that has noticable effect on local economy. By quantifying the erosion-accretion rate, livelihood planning can be initiated in climatically threated vulnerable islands.

Forest statistics for Rhode Island

Treesearch

John R. Peters; Teresa M. Bowers

1977-01-01

This report contains data from the second inventory of the forest resources of Rhode Island. The inventory was completed in 1971 by the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Natural Resources.

Introduction to Sea Island Folklife.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Twining, Mary A.; Baird, Keith E.

1980-01-01

Examines the economic activity, language, world view, kinship patterns, and religion of contemporary Sea Islanders in order to illustrate the Islands' cultural conservatism and, thus, their appropriateness for the study of Africanism in the United States. (GC)

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

PubMed Central

Fujita, Masaki; Yamasaki, Shinji; Katagiri, Chiaki; Oshiro, Itsuro; Sano, Katsuhiro; Kurozumi, Taiji; Sugawara, Hiroshi; Kunikita, Dai; Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki; Kano, Akihiro; Okumura, Tomoyo; Sone, Tomomi; Fujita, Hikaru; Kobayashi, Satoshi; Naruse, Toru; Kondo, Megumi; Matsu’ura, Shuji; Suwa, Gen; Kaifu, Yousuke

2016-01-01

Maritime adaptation was one of the essential factors that enabled modern humans to disperse all over the world. However, geographic distribution of early maritime technology during the Late Pleistocene remains unclear. At this time, the Indonesian Archipelago and eastern New Guinea stand as the sole, well-recognized area for secure Pleistocene evidence of repeated ocean crossings and advanced fishing technology. The incomplete archeological records also make it difficult to know whether modern humans could sustain their life on a resource-poor, small oceanic island for extended periods with Paleolithic technology. We here report evidence from a limestone cave site on Okinawa Island, Japan, of successive occupation that extends back to 35,000−30,000 y ago. Well-stratified strata at the Sakitari Cave site yielded a rich assemblage of seashell artifacts, including formally shaped tools, beads, and the world’s oldest fishhooks. These are accompanied by seasonally exploited food residue. The persistent occupation on this relatively small, geographically isolated island, as well as the appearance of Paleolithic sites on nearby islands by 30,000 y ago, suggest wider distribution of successful maritime adaptations than previously recognized, spanning the lower to midlatitude areas in the western Pacific coastal region. PMID:27638208

Checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of the Solomon Islands and a new survey of Makira Island

PubMed Central

Sarnat, Eli M.; Blanchard, Benjamin; Guénard, Benoit; John Fasi;  Evan P. Economo

2013-01-01

Abstract The intent of this paper is to facilitate future research of the Solomon Islands ant fauna by providing the first comprehensively researched species inventory in over 75 years. The species list presented here includes the names of all ant species recorded from the islands that are available in the literature together with specimen records from several museum collections and new records from our 2008 Makira field expedition. All the names of described species presented are valid in accordance with the most recent Formicidae classification. In total, the checklist is composed of 237 species and subspecies (including 30 morphospecies) in 59 genera representing nine subfamilies. We report that the recent field expedition added 67 new species records to Makira and 28 new species records to the Solomon Islands. Our research recovered species occurrence records for 32 individual islands and five island groups. The five islands with the highest number of recorded species are: Makira (142 spp.), Guadalcanal (107 spp.), Malaita (70 spp.), Santa Isabel (68 spp.), and Rennell (66 spp.). Based on our results, we discuss the taxonomic composition of the archipelago’s ant fauna, which islands are most in need of additional sampling, and the importance of establishing biodiversity baselines before environmental threats such as the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata cause irrevocable harm to the native biodiversity. PMID:23653494

Oloketa Tingting Fo Apem Education Long Solomon Islands: Issues in Solomon Islands Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alcorn, Noeline

2010-01-01

This book makes available to a wider audience for the first time material based on fieldwork carried out by the Solomon Island researchers in their own country. The findings will have vital relevance to policy makers, teachers and students. Over the past four years the School of Education, Solomon Islands College of Higher Education and the…

Functional and phylogenetic structure of island bird communities.

PubMed

Si, Xingfeng; Cadotte, Marc W; Zeng, Di; Baselga, Andrés; Zhao, Yuhao; Li, Jiaqi; Wu, Yiru; Wang, Siyu; Ding, Ping

2017-05-01

Biodiversity change in anthropogenically transformed habitats is often nonrandom, yet the nature and importance of the different mechanisms shaping community structure are unclear. Here, we extend the classic Theory of Island Biogeography (TIB) to account for nonrandom processes by incorporating species traits and phylogenetic relationships into a study of faunal relaxation following habitat loss and fragmentation. Two possible mechanisms can create nonrandom community patterns on fragment islands. First, small and isolated islands might consist of similar or closely related species because they are environmentally homogeneous or select for certain shared traits, such as dispersal ability. Alternatively, communities on small islands might contain more dissimilar or distantly related species than on large islands because limited space and resource availability result in greater competitive exclusion among species with high niche overlap. Breeding birds were surveyed on 36 islands and two mainland sites annually from 2010 to 2014 in the Thousand Island Lake region, China. We assessed community structure of breeding birds on these subtropical land-bridge islands by integrating species' trait and evolutionary distances. We additionally analysed habitat heterogeneity and variance in size ratios to distinguish biotic and abiotic processes of community assembly. Results showed that functional-phylogenetic diversity increased with island area, and decreased with isolation. Bird communities on the mainland were more diverse and generally less clustered than island bird communities and not different than randomly assembled communities. Bird communities on islands tend to be functionally similar and phylogenetically clustered, especially on small and isolated islands. The nonrandom decline in species diversity and change in bird community structure with island area and isolation, along with the relatively homogeneous habitats on small islands, support the environmental

FLANDERS FIELDS MEMORIAL IN TRAFFIC ISLAND ON EAST DRIVE. VIEW ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

FLANDERS FIELDS MEMORIAL IN TRAFFIC ISLAND ON EAST DRIVE. VIEW TO NORTHEAST. - Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island Arsenal, 0.25 mile north of southern tip of Rock Island, Rock Island, Rock Island County, IL

Water resources of the Truk Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van der Brug, Otto

1983-01-01

The Truk Islands, part of the Caroline Islands in the western Pacific, consist of 19 volcanic islands and about 65 coral islets. The volcanic islands and some of the coral islets are scattered in an 820-square-mile lagoon enclosed by a 125-mile long barrier reef. Moen, although not the largest, is by far the most developed island and is the adminstrative, commercial, educational, and transporation center of the islands. Monthly rainfall records for most years are available since 1903. Rainfall-runoff comparisons show that about half the annual rainfall runs off as surface water into Truk Lagoon. Flow characteristics of the major streams, based on more than 11 years of record, are provided and the application of data for possible use in the design of reservoirs and rain catchments is included. Historical and present development of all water sources is given. The chemical analyses of surface and ground water on Moen, with the exception of water from well 9, show the good quality of the water sources. This report summarizes all hydrologic data collected and provides interpretations that can be used for development and management of the water resources. (USGS)

Towards an Ontology for Reef Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duce, Stephanie

Reef islands are complex, dynamic and vulnerable environments with a diverse range of stake holders. Communication and data sharing between these different groups of stake holders is often difficult. An ontology for the reef island domain would improve the understanding of reef island geomorphology and improve communication between stake holders as well as forming a platform from which to move towards interoperability and the application of Information Technology to forecast and monitor these environments. This paper develops a small, prototypical reef island domain ontology, based on informal, natural language relations, aligned to the DOLCE upper-level ontology, for 20 fundamental terms within the domain. A subset of these terms and their relations are discussed in detail. This approach reveals and discusses challenges which must be overcome in the creation of a reef island domain ontology and which could be relevant to other ontologies in dynamic geospatial domains.

33 CFR 80.1495 - U.S. Pacific Island Possessions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Island Possessions of American Samoa, Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnson, Palmyra, Swains and Wake Islands... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false U.S. Pacific Island Possessions... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Islands § 80.1495 U.S. Pacific Island...

33 CFR 80.1495 - U.S. Pacific Island Possessions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Island Possessions of American Samoa, Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnson, Palmyra, Swains and Wake Islands... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false U.S. Pacific Island Possessions... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Islands § 80.1495 U.S. Pacific Island...

33 CFR 80.1495 - U.S. Pacific Island Possessions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Island Possessions of American Samoa, Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnson, Palmyra, Swains and Wake Islands... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false U.S. Pacific Island Possessions... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Islands § 80.1495 U.S. Pacific Island...

33 CFR 80.1495 - U.S. Pacific Island Possessions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Island Possessions of American Samoa, Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnson, Palmyra, Swains and Wake Islands... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false U.S. Pacific Island Possessions... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Islands § 80.1495 U.S. Pacific Island...

33 CFR 80.1495 - U.S. Pacific Island Possessions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Island Possessions of American Samoa, Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnson, Palmyra, Swains and Wake Islands... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false U.S. Pacific Island Possessions... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Islands § 80.1495 U.S. Pacific Island...

Disparities in Adverse Perinatal Outcomes Among Pacific Islanders in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

PubMed Central

Grant, Jeanolivia; Heck, Julia E.; Cash, Haley L.

2018-01-01

Introduction Although other studies have found evidence for perinatal health disparities among Pacific Islanders in other regions, no studies have evaluated racial/ethnic disparities in adverse perinatal health outcomes in the small US island territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Methods We used retrospective cohort data on 8,427 singleton births from 2007 to 2014 at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC), the only hospital in the CNMI. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate risk for preterm birth (<37 weeks) and macrosomia (>4,000 g) among the racial/ethnic groups in the CNMI. Results Indigenous CNMI mothers (Chamorros and Carolinians, hereinafter Chamorro/Carolinian) and other Pacific Islander mothers were significantly more likely to have a preterm birth than Chinese mothers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0–3.6 for Chamorro/Carolinians and AOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1–4.1 for other Pacific Islanders). Additionally, Chamorro/Carolinian mothers and other Pacific Islander mothers were also significantly more likely to deliver babies with macrosomia (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.7–3.5 and 2.3; 95% CI 1.4–3.6 respectively) than Filipino mothers. Conclusion Although underlying causes for these disparities are still unknown, these findings add to the limited knowledge on maternal and neonatal health among Pacific Islanders and provide support for further research and intervention development to aid in reducing racial/ethnic disparities of perinatal health in the CNMI. PMID:29522702

Deer Island Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) requires that a broad base of EWN understanding and support be built . The Deer Island Aquatic...USACE) requires that a broad base of EWN understanding and support be built . The Deer Island Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project (Deer Island AERP...Mississippi Wetlands Restoration Projects). The project received additional funding through several public laws in response to hurricane damages

Wave forecasting and longshore sediment transport gradients along a transgressive barrier island: Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiou, Ioannis Y.; Schindler, Jennifer K.

2009-12-01

Louisiana barrier islands, such as the chain surrounding the southeast region of the state, are experiencing rapid loss of land area, shoreline erosion, and landward migration due to transgression and in-place drowning, and the landfall of several major hurricanes in the last decade. Observations of migration rates and overall impacts to these barrier islands are poorly understood since they do not respond in a traditional way, such as barrier rollover. This paper aims to verify how wave energy and potential longshore sediment transport trends have influenced the recent evolution of the Chandeleur Islands, by direct comparison with recent observations of migration and erosion trends. The Chandeleur Islands are characterized by a bidirectional transport system, with material moving from the central arc to the flanks. The longshore sediment transport along the barrier islands was calculated after propagation and transformation of waves to breaking (generated using observed winds), and through the use of a common longshore sediment transport formula. Seasonal variations in wind climate produced changes in the transport trends and gradients that agree with migration and rotation patterns observed for this barrier island system. Results suggest that wind dominance produces seasonal oscillations that cause an imbalance in the resulting transport gradients that over time are responsible for higher rates of transport in the northward direction. These results and data from other works verify the evolutionary model previously suggested, and qualitatively confirm the recent observations in asymmetric shoreline erosion.

Vector-borne diseases on Fire Island, New York (Fire Island National Seashore Science Synthesis Paper)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ginsberg, H.S.

2005-01-01

This paper discusses eleven tick-borne and five mosquito-borne pathogens that are known to occur at FIlS, or could potentially occur. The potential for future occurrence, and ecological factors that influence occurrence, are assessed for each disease. Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease on Fire Island. The Lyme spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, is endemic in local tick and wildlife populations. Public education, personal precautions against tick bite, and prompt treatment of early-stage infections can help manage the risk of Lyme disease on Fire Island. The pathogens that cause Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis and Tularemia have been isolated from ticks or wildlife on Fire Island, and conditions suggest that other tickborne diseases (including Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis) might also occur, but these are far less common than Lyme disease, if present. West Nile Virus (WNV) is the primary mosquito- borne human pathogen that is known to occur on Fire Island. Ecological conditions and recent epizootiological events suggest that WNV occurs in foci that can shift from year to year. Therefore, a surveillance program with appropriate responses to increasing epizootic activity can help manage the risk of WNV transmission on Fire Island.

33 CFR 80.150 - Block Island, RI.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Block Island, RI. 80.150 Section... NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Atlantic Coast § 80.150 Block Island, RI. The 72 COLREGS shall apply on the harbors of Block Island. ...

33 CFR 80.1122 - Channel Islands Harbor, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Coast § 80.1122 Channel Islands Harbor, CA. (a) A line drawn from Channel Islands Harbor South Jetty Light 2 to Channel Islands Harbor Breakwater... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Channel Islands Harbor, CA. 80...

33 CFR 80.1122 - Channel Islands Harbor, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Coast § 80.1122 Channel Islands Harbor, CA. (a) A line drawn from Channel Islands Harbor South Jetty Light 2 to Channel Islands Harbor Breakwater... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Channel Islands Harbor, CA. 80...

33 CFR 80.1122 - Channel Islands Harbor, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Coast § 80.1122 Channel Islands Harbor, CA. (a) A line drawn from Channel Islands Harbor South Jetty Light 2 to Channel Islands Harbor Breakwater... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Channel Islands Harbor, CA. 80...

33 CFR 80.1122 - Channel Islands Harbor, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Coast § 80.1122 Channel Islands Harbor, CA. (a) A line drawn from Channel Islands Harbor South Jetty Light 2 to Channel Islands Harbor Breakwater... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Channel Islands Harbor, CA. 80...

33 CFR 80.1122 - Channel Islands Harbor, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Pacific Coast § 80.1122 Channel Islands Harbor, CA. (a) A line drawn from Channel Islands Harbor South Jetty Light 2 to Channel Islands Harbor Breakwater... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Channel Islands Harbor, CA. 80...

The geomorphology of the Chandeleur Island Wetlands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Debusschere, K.; Penland, S.; Westphal, K.

1990-09-01

The Chandeleur Islands represent the largest and oldest transgressive barrier island arc in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Generated by the transgressive submergence of the St. Bernard delta complex, the Chandeleur Islands form the protective geologic framework for one of the richest areas of salt marsh and seagrass flats in Louisiana. The Chandeleur barrier island arc is 60 km long and consists of five individual islands backed by a linear, multiple bar system enclosing a shallow basin floored by extensive seagrass flats. The northern part of the Chandeleur chain is the highest in relief, elevation, width, and habitat diversity. Nonstormmore » morphology is predominantly a combination of continuous dunes and dune terraces. Numerous washover channels and large washover fans extend into the backbarrier environment. Further south, the island width decreases and washover flats and terraces dominate the shoreline morphology In the southernmost section, the island arc is fragmented into a series of small islands and shoals separated by tidal inlets. Between 1984 and 1989, aerial videotape, aerial photographic, and bathymetric surveys were used to map and monitor the geomorphic changes occurring along the shoreline and in backbarrier areas. The aerial videotape mapping surveys focused on the impacts of hurricanes Danny, Elena, and Juan on the geomorphology of the islands. Videotape imagery was acquired in July 1984 and in July (prestorm), August (post-Danny), September (post-Elena), and November (post-Juan) 1985. A coastal geomorphic classification was developed to map the spatial and temporal landscape changes between surveys.« less

Hydrogeology and water resources of Block Island, Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Veeger, A.I.; Johnston, H.E.

1994-01-01

Ground water is present on Block Island as a lens of freshwater that overlies saltwater. Yields of 2 to 5 gallons per minute are obtainable throughout the island, and yields of 25 gallons per minute are possible at many wells. Annual water use during 1990 is estimated to have been 53 million gallons, of which approximately 17 million gallons was delivered from a water company at Sands Pond. Demand by water company customers from May through October averages 74,000 gallons per day. The sustainable yield of Sands Pond during the drought years estimated to be only 45,000 gallons per day. Withdrawal of the remaining 29,000 gallons per day from Fresh Pond, proposed as an alternative source, would produce an estimated water-level decline of less than 1 foot. Block Island consists of a Pleistocene moraine deposit that includes meltwater deposits, till, sediment-flow deposits, and glacially transported blocks of Cretaceous strata and pre-Late Wisconsinan glacial deposits. The water table is a subdued reflection of the land-surface topography and flow is generally from the central, topographic highs toward the coast. Layers of low hydraulic- conductivity material impede vertical flow, creating steep vertical gradients. No evidence of widespread ground-water contamination was found during this study. Nitrate concentrations were below Federal Maximum Contaminant Levels at each of the 83 sites sampled. No evidence of dissolved organic constituents was found in groundwater at the 10 sites sampled, and ground-water samples collected near the landfill showed no evidence of contamination from landfill leachate. Dissolved-iron concentrations exceeded the Federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level in groundwater at 26 of 76 wells sampled. High iron concentrations were found predominantly in the eastern and northern parts of the island and are attributed to the presence of iron-bearing minerals and organic matter in the aquifer.

Bats of the Western Indian Ocean Islands

PubMed Central

O'Brien, John

2011-01-01

Simple Summary The purpose of this paper is to review the literature pertaining to the bat faunas of the western Indian Ocean islands, particularly in light of the identification of many new species on Madagascar and the taxonomic reassignment of others, and to summarise details of their general biology, feeding ecology, reproduction and conservation. Abstract The natural colonisation of many remote oceanic islands by bats, including those of the western Indian Ocean, has been facilitated by their unique capability among mammals for powered flight. In the western Indian Ocean region, only the Malagasy islands of Madagascar and the Comoros archipelago have been naturally colonised by non-volant mammals. Despite their greater potential for inter-island dispersal, and thus gene transfer, endemicity of Chiroptera in the western Indian Ocean islands is high. Given their vulnerability to stochastic and anthropogenic disturbances, greater focus needs to be placed on investigating the demographic and ecological history of bats on Western Indian Ocean islands to safeguard not only their future, but also the ecosystem functioning on these islands, for which they are undoubtedly such an integral part. Here, I summarise the taxonomic and life history information available on bats from Western Indian Ocean islands and highlight knowledge gaps and conservation issues that threaten the continued persistence of some species. PMID:26486500

Streamlined Islands in Ares Valles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

(Released 10 June 2002) The Science Although liquid water is not stable on the surface of Mars today, there is substantial geologic evidence that large quantities of water once flowed across the surface in the distant past. Streamlined islands, shown here, are one piece of evidence for this ancient water. The tremendous force of moving water, possibly from a catastrophic flood, carved these teardrop-shaped islands within a much larger channel called Ares Valles. The orientation of the islands can be used as an indicator of the direction the water flowed. The islands have a blunt end that is usually associated with an obstacle, commonly an impact crater. The crater is resistant to erosion and creates a geologic barrier around which the water must flow. As the water flows past the obstacle, its erosive power is directed outward, leaving the area in the lee of the obstacle relatively uneroded. However, some scientists have also argued that the area in the lee of the obstacle might be a depositional zone, where material is dropped out of the water as it briefly slows. The ridges observed on the high-standing terrain in the leeward parts of the islands may be benches carved into the rock that mark the height of the water at various times during the flood, or they might be indicative of layering in the leeward rock. As the water makes its way downstream, the interference of the water flow by the obstacle is reduced, and the water that was diverted around the obstacle rejoins itself at the narrow end of the island. Therefore, the direction of the water flow is parallel to the orientation of the island, and the narrow end of the island points downstream. In addition to the streamlined islands, the channel floor exhibits fluting that is also suggestive of flowing water. The flutes (also known as longitudinal grooves) are also parallel to the direction of flow, indicating that the water flow was turbulent and probably quite fast, which is consistent with the hypothesized

Effects of insularity on digestion: living on islands induces shifts in physiological and morphological traits in island reptiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagonas, Kostas; Pafilis, Panayiotis; Valakos, Efstratios D.

2015-10-01

Living on islands entails numerous challenges for animals, among which resource scarcity stands out. In order to survive, animals have to optimize energy acquisition. We examined the impact of insularity on digestion comparing a series of physiological and morphological traits of adult males between insular and mainland populations of the Balkan green lizard. Island lizards had longer gastrointestinal tracts and gut passage times and higher digestive efficiencies. The dissection of the hindgut revealed an unexpected finding, the presence of cecal valves that were more frequent in island lizards. Thanks to all above islanders retain food for longer periods and thus maximize energy income and increase the amount of the extracted nutrients. That way, they secure energy income from the limited, in time and quantity, food resources of the islands.

Bioclimatic and physical characterization of the world’s islands

PubMed Central

Weigelt, Patrick; Jetz, Walter; Kreft, Holger

2013-01-01

The Earth’s islands harbor a distinct, yet highly threatened, biological and cultural diversity that has been shaped by geographic isolation and unique environments. Island systems are key natural laboratories for testing theory in ecology and evolution. However, despite their potential usefulness for research, a quantitative description of island environments and an environmental classification are still lacking. Here, we prepare a standardized dataset and perform a comprehensive global environmental characterization for 17,883 of the world’s marine islands >1 km2 (∼98% of total island area). We consider area, temperature, precipitation, seasonality in temperature and precipitation, past climate change velocity, elevation, isolation, and past connectivity—key island characteristics and drivers of ecosystem processes. We find that islands are significantly cooler, wetter, and less seasonal than mainlands. Constrained by their limited area, they show less elevational heterogeneity. Wet temperate climates are more prevalent on islands, whereas desert climates are comparatively rare. We use ordination and clustering to characterize islands in multidimensional environmental space and to delimit island ecoregions, which provides unique insights into the environmental configuration and diversity of the world’s islands. Combining ordination and classification together with global environmental data in a common framework opens up avenues for a more integrative use of islands in biogeography, macroecology, and conservation. To showcase possible applications of the presented data, we predict vascular plant species richness for all 17,883 islands based on statistically derived environment–richness relationships. PMID:24003123

Barrier island arcs along abandoned Mississippi River deltas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Penland, S.; Suter, J.R.; Boyd, Ron

1985-01-01

Generation of transgressive barrier island arcs along the Mississippi River delta plain and preservation of barrier shoreline facies in their retreat paths on the inner shelf is controlled by: (1) shoreface translation; (2) age of the transgression; and (3) the thickness of the barrier island arc sediment package. Barrier island arcs experience an average relative sea level rise of 0.50-1.00 cm yr-1 and shoreface retreat rates range from 5-15 m yr-1. Young barrier island arc sediment packages (Isles Dernieres) are thin and have experienced limited landward retreat of the shoreface. Older barrier island arcs (Chandeleur Islands) are thicker and have experienced significant landward movement of the shoreface because of the greater time available for retreat. If the transgressed barrier shoreline sediment package lies above the advancing ravinement surface, the entire sequence is truncated. A thin reworked sand sheet marks the shoreface retreat path. The base of the transgressive sediment package can lie below the ravinement surface in older barrier shorelines. In this setting, the superstructure of the barrier shoreline is truncated, leaving the basal portion of the transgressive sequence preserved on the inner shelf. A variety of transgressive stratigraphic sequences from sand sheets to truncated barrier islands to sand-filled tidal inlet scars have been identified by high resolution seismic profiling across the shoreface retreat paths of Mississippi delta barrier island arcs. One of these examples, the Isles Dernieres, represents a recently detached barrier island arc in the early stages of transgression. An older example, the Chandeleur Islands, represents a barrier island arc experiencing long-term shoreface retreat. This paper describes the stratigraphic character and preserved transgressive facies for the Isles Dernieres and Chandeleur Islands. ?? 1985.

Leadership in Context: Observations from Two Island Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Billot, Jennie

2005-01-01

This article refers to just one example of specificity of context, the small island community. Islands can be viewed as well-bounded communities, often with an identity that seeks to be one step removed from being the politically dependent neighbour. Two islands serve to exemplify the significance of context: The Island of Jersey (Channel…

Ecology of Great Salt Pond, Block Island

EPA Science Inventory

Great Salt Pond is an island of estuarine water on Block Island, which sits in the middle of the Northwest Atlantic Continental Shelf. When the last continental glaciers retreated, they left a high spot on a terminal moraine. The rising sea from melting glaciers formed two island...

MARINE BOTTOM COMMUNITIES OF BLOCK ISLAND WATERS

EPA Science Inventory

The sea has long been an integral part of Block Island's natural history, beginning when the rising sea surrounded the high spot on a Pleistocene terminal moraine that became Block Island. The southern New England continental shelf, which lies around Block Island, and the Great S...

Surficial geology of the sea floor in Long Island Sound offshore of Plum Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMullen, K.Y.; Poppe, L.J.; Danforth, W.W.; Blackwood, D.S.; Schaer, J.D.; Ostapenko, A.J.; Glomb, K.A.; Doran, E.F.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been working cooperatively to interpret surficial sea-floor geology along the coast of the Northeastern United States. NOAA survey H11445 in eastern Long Island Sound, offshore of Plum Island, New York, covers an area of about 12 square kilometers. Multibeam bathymetry and sidescan-sonar imagery from the survey, as well as sediment and photographic data from 13 stations occupied during a USGS verification cruise are used to delineate sea-floor features and characterize the environment. Bathymetry gradually deepens offshore to over 100 meters in a depression in the northwest part of the study area and reaches 60 meters in Plum Gut, a channel between Plum Island and Orient Point. Sand waves are present on a shoal north of Plum Island and in several smaller areas around the basin. Sand-wave asymmetry indicates that counter-clockwise net sediment transport maintains the shoal. Sand is prevalent where there is low backscatter in the sidescan-sonar imagery. Gravel and boulder areas are submerged lag deposits produced from the Harbor Hill-Orient Point-Fishers Island moraine segment and are found adjacent to the shorelines and just north of Plum Island, where high backscatter is present in the sidescan-sonar imagery.

Stratigraphic evolution of Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suter, J.R.; Penland, S.; Williams, S.J.

1988-09-01

Analyses of over 3000 km of high-resolution seismic profiles, supplemented by vibracores and soil borings, illustrate the evolution of the Chandeleur Islands through transgressive processes associated with the abandonment of the St. Bernard complex of the Mississippi delta some 1500 years ago. Historical maps show that the system has been eroding, migrating landward, and losing area for the last 100 years. At current rates, the subaerial integrity of the islands will be terminated in about 200 years. Hurricane impacts accelerate erosion and segment the islands, followed by limited recovery during fair weather periods. Relative sea level rise from both subsidencemore » and possible eustatic factors contributes to the loss of island area.« less

From 3D to 4D seismic tomography at El Hierro Island (Canary Islands, Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Yeguas, A.; Koulakov, I.; Jakovlev, A.; Ibáñez, J. M.

2012-04-01

In this work we are going to show the advantages of a dynamic tomography 4D, versus a static image 3D related with a volcanic reactivation and eruption at El Hierro island (Canary Islands, Spain). In this process a high number of earthquakes before and during the eruptive processes have been registered. We are going to show a 3D image as an average of the velocity structure and then the characteristics and physical properties on the medium, including the presence or not of magma. This image will be complemented with its evolution along the time, observing its volcanic dynamic and its influence over the medium properties, including its power as an important element on early warnings protocols. After more than forty years of quiet at Canary Islands, since 1971 with Teneguía eruption at La Palma Island, and more than 200 years on El Hierro Island (The last eruption known at El Hierro took place in 1793, volcán de Lomo Negro), on 19th July on 2011 the Spanish seismic national network, administered by IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional), detected an increase of local seismic activity below El Hierro island (Canary Islands, Spain). Since this moment an intense swarm took place, with more than 11000 events, until 11th December, with magnitudes (MLg) from 0.2 to 4.4. In this period two eruptive processes have been declared in front of the South coast of El Hierro island, and they have not finished yet. This seismic swarm has allowed carrying out a 3D seismic tomography, using P and S waves traveltimes. It has showed a low velocity from the North to the South. On the other hand, we have performed a 4D seismic tomography, taking the events occurred at different intervals of time. We can observe the evolution of the negative anomaly along the time, from the North to the South, where has taken place La Restinga submarine eruption. 4D seismic tomography is an innovative and powerful tool able to show the evolution in time of a volcanic process.

Prince Patrick Island, Canada

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-02-26

This image from NASA Terra spacecraft shows Prince Patrick Island, which is located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and is the westernmost Elizabeth Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The island is underlain by sedimentary rocks, cut by still-active faults. The streams follow a dendritic drainage system: there are many contributing streams (analogous to the twigs of a tree), which are then joined together into the tributaries of the main river (the branches and the trunk of the tree, respectively). They develop where the river channel follows the slope of the terrain. The image covers an area of 22 by 27 km, was acquired July 2, 2011, and is located at 76.9 degrees north, 118.9 degrees west. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19222

33 CFR 110.146 - Long Island Sound.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Long Island Sound. 110.146... ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.146 Long Island Sound. (a) Anchorage grounds. (1) Bridgeport Anchorage Ground. That portion of Long Island Sound enclosed by a line connecting the following points...

33 CFR 110.146 - Long Island Sound.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Long Island Sound. 110.146... ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.146 Long Island Sound. (a) Anchorage grounds. (1) Bridgeport Anchorage Ground. That portion of Long Island Sound enclosed by a line connecting the following points...

33 CFR 110.146 - Long Island Sound.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Long Island Sound. 110.146... ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.146 Long Island Sound. (a) Anchorage grounds. (1) Bridgeport Anchorage Ground. That portion of Long Island Sound enclosed by a line connecting the following points...

33 CFR 110.146 - Long Island Sound.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Long Island Sound. 110.146... ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.146 Long Island Sound. (a) Anchorage grounds. (1) Bridgeport Anchorage Ground. That portion of Long Island Sound enclosed by a line connecting the following points...

Predictable evolution toward flightlessness in volant island birds

PubMed Central

Wright, Natalie A.; Steadman, David W.; Witt, Christopher C.

2016-01-01

Birds are prolific colonists of islands, where they readily evolve distinct forms. Identifying predictable, directional patterns of evolutionary change in island birds, however, has proved challenging. The “island rule” predicts that island species evolve toward intermediate sizes, but its general applicability to birds is questionable. However, convergent evolution has clearly occurred in the island bird lineages that have undergone transitions to secondary flightlessness, a process involving drastic reduction of the flight muscles and enlargement of the hindlimbs. Here, we investigated whether volant island bird populations tend to change shape in a way that converges subtly on the flightless form. We found that island bird species have evolved smaller flight muscles than their continental relatives. Furthermore, in 366 populations of Caribbean and Pacific birds, smaller flight muscles and longer legs evolved in response to increasing insularity and, strikingly, the scarcity of avian and mammalian predators. On smaller islands with fewer predators, birds exhibited shifts in investment from forelimbs to hindlimbs that were qualitatively similar to anatomical rearrangements observed in flightless birds. These findings suggest that island bird populations tend to evolve on a trajectory toward flightlessness, even if most remain volant. This pattern was consistent across nine families and four orders that vary in lifestyle, foraging behavior, flight style, and body size. These predictable shifts in avian morphology may reduce the physical capacity for escape via flight and diminish the potential for small-island taxa to diversify via dispersal. PMID:27071105

Predictable evolution toward flightlessness in volant island birds.

PubMed

Wright, Natalie A; Steadman, David W; Witt, Christopher C

2016-04-26

Birds are prolific colonists of islands, where they readily evolve distinct forms. Identifying predictable, directional patterns of evolutionary change in island birds, however, has proved challenging. The "island rule" predicts that island species evolve toward intermediate sizes, but its general applicability to birds is questionable. However, convergent evolution has clearly occurred in the island bird lineages that have undergone transitions to secondary flightlessness, a process involving drastic reduction of the flight muscles and enlargement of the hindlimbs. Here, we investigated whether volant island bird populations tend to change shape in a way that converges subtly on the flightless form. We found that island bird species have evolved smaller flight muscles than their continental relatives. Furthermore, in 366 populations of Caribbean and Pacific birds, smaller flight muscles and longer legs evolved in response to increasing insularity and, strikingly, the scarcity of avian and mammalian predators. On smaller islands with fewer predators, birds exhibited shifts in investment from forelimbs to hindlimbs that were qualitatively similar to anatomical rearrangements observed in flightless birds. These findings suggest that island bird populations tend to evolve on a trajectory toward flightlessness, even if most remain volant. This pattern was consistent across nine families and four orders that vary in lifestyle, foraging behavior, flight style, and body size. These predictable shifts in avian morphology may reduce the physical capacity for escape via flight and diminish the potential for small-island taxa to diversify via dispersal.

Recovering endemic plants of the Channel Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

McEachern, A. Kathryn

2008-01-01

At the California Channel Islands, off the state’s southern coast, cold waters from the north mix with warmer waters from the south. Each of the eight Channel Islands, which were never connected to the mainland, developed unique floras as colonizing plants adapted to their new island homes. This part of California is one of only five Mediterranean climate regions in the world, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Thus, the islands support a truly unusual assemblage of plants and animals found nowhere else.

3. Light tower, view northwest, south side Ram Island ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. Light tower, view northwest, south side - Ram Island Light Station, Ram Island, south of Ocean Point & just north of Fisherman Island, marking south side of Fisherman Island Passage, Ocean Point, Lincoln County, ME

Streamlined Island

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-514, 15 October 2003

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows a streamlined island in Marte Vallis, a large outflow channel system that crosses the 180oW meridian between the Elysium and Amazonis regions of Mars. The flow patterns on the floor of Marte Vallis might be the remains of lava flows or mud flows. Marte is the Spanish word for Mars. Most of the largest valleys on the red planet are named for 'Mars' in various languages. This island is located near 21.8oN, 175.3oW. The picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.

Revision of the subgenus Aleochara Gravenhorst of the parasitoid rove beetle genus Aleochara Gravenhorst of Japan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae).

PubMed

Yamamoto, Shûhei; Maruyama, Munetoshi

2016-04-08

The Japanese members of the subgenus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 of the genus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 are revised. Six species are recognized: Aleochara (Aleochara) coreana Bernhauer, 1926; A. (A.) curtula (Goeze, 1777); A. (A.) lata Gravenhorst, 1802; A. (A.) parens Sharp, 1874; A. (A.) postica Walker, 1858 [= A. (A.) clavigera Sharp, 1874, n. syn.; A. (A.) nitouensis Bernhauer, 1935, n. syn.; A. (A.) marginicollis Cameron, 1942, n. syn.], and; A. (A.) yaeyamensis n. sp. (Yaeyama Islands, the Ryûkyûs). We recognize A. niponensis Sharp, 1888, sp. rev., currently synonymized under A. clavigera, as a valid species and transfer it to the subgenus Xenochara Mulsant & Rey, 1874. "A. (A.)" kochi Bernhauer, 1941 [="A. (A.)" globus Pace, 1999, n. syn.] is excluded from Aleochara and re-assigned instead to Paraleochara Cameron, 1920. Paraleochara is new to the Palearctic region, and Paraleochara kochi (Bernhauer, 1941), n. comb. represents the second species of the genus. Lectotypes of A. niponensis, A. parens, and A.discoidea are designated. All species are described, keyed, and figured, with habitus photographs. Line drawings of the adult mouth parts of A. (A.) curtula (Goeze, 1777) are shown. The diversity, distribution, and phylogenetic relationships of the subgenus in Japan are also discussed.

Climate Change in the Pacific Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamnett, Michael P.

Climate change have been a major concern among Pacific Islanders since the late 1990s. During that period, Time Magazine featured a cover story that read: Say Goodbye to the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, and Tuvalu from sea level rise. Since that time, the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, UN and government agencies and academic researchers have been assessing the impacts of long-term climate change and seasonal to inter-annual climate variability on the Pacific Islands. The consensus is that long-term climate change will result in more extreme weather and tidal events including droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, coastal erosion, and salt water inundation. Extreme weather events already occur in the Pacific Islands and they are patterned. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events impact rainfall, tropical cyclone and tidal patterns. In 2000, the first National Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change concluded that long-term climate change will result in more El Niño events or a more El Niño like climate every year. The bad news is that will mean more natural disasters. The good news is that El Niño events can be predicted and people can prepare for them. The reallly bad news is that some Pacific Islands are already becoming uninhabitable because of erosion of land or the loss of fresh water from droughts and salt water intrusion. Many of the most vulnerable countries already overseas populations in New Zealand, the US, or larger Pacific Island countries. For some Pacific Islander abandoning their home countries will be their only option.

Oil Slick Around Mississippi Barrier Islands [detail

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA image acquired June 26, 2010 As of June 27, 2010, the entire gulf-facing beachfront of several barrier islands in eastern Mississippi (offshore of Pascagoula) had received a designation of at least “lightly oiled” by the interagency Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team that is responding to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. A few small stretches of Petit Bois Island had been labeled heavily or moderately oiled. (To view this image without a description go to: This high-resolution image shows Petit Bois Island (top right) and the eastern end of Horn Island (top left) on June 26. In general, oil-covered waters are silvery and cleaner waters are blue-gray. This pattern is especially consistent farther from the islands. The intensely bright patches of water directly offshore of the barrier islands, however, may be from a combination of factors, including sediment and organic material, coastal currents and surf, and oil. The islands provide a sense of scale for the ribbons of oil swirling into the area from the south. Petit Bois Island is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) long. It is one of seven barrier islands that, along with some mainland areas of Mississippi and Florida, make up the Gulf Islands National Seashore. According to the National Park Service Gulf Islands National Seashore Website, all the islands remained open to the public as of June 28, 2010, and clean-up crews were on hand to respond to any oil coming ashore. The large version of this image, which was captured by the Advanced Land Imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite, shows a larger area, including the Mississippi Sound and parts of mainland Mississippi. Although oil has been observed in the Sound, it is unlikely that all the bright patches of water in that area are thickly oil-covered. Differences in brightness in coastal area waters may be due to other factors, including freshwater runoff, strong currents, and water depth and clarity. NASA Earth Observatory image created by

Escape from the Island: Grammaticality and (Reduced) Acceptability of "Wh"-Island Violations in Danish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Ken Ramshoj; Kizach, Johannes; Nyvad, Anne Mette

2013-01-01

In the syntax literature, it is commonly assumed that a constraint on linguistic competence blocks extraction of "wh-"expressions (e.g. "what" or "which book") from embedded questions, referred to as "wh-"islands. Furthermore, it is assumed that there is an argument/adjunct asymmetry in extraction from "wh-"islands. We report results from two…

Dietary habits among the JPHC study participants at baseline survey. Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study on Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases.

PubMed

Tsugane, S; Sasaki, S; Kobayashi, M; Tsubono, Y; Sobue, T

2001-10-01

Dietary habit is closely associated with development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, however little prospective evidence has been published for Japanese, whose dietary habit is substantially different from Western countries. Therefore, frequencies of food consumption, food preference, cooking method and acceptance of dietary advice were investigated at the baseline by two kinds of self-administered food frequency questionnaires. Dietary habits between urban and rural (Tokyo and Osaka vs. others), or between Okinawa and non-Okinawa revealed recognizable differences. The so-called westernized foods such as bread, beef and coffee were more consumed in the urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka and also in Okinawa. The frequencies of salted food intake such as pickled vegetables and salted seafoods were remarkably low in Okinawa. Cooking methods for meats, seafoods and vegetables were also unique in Okinawa. No distinct geographical difference was shown in food preference and modification of dietary habit by dietary advice.