Dear Yves I saw it in Worms too. Just assumed it had been done Scott On 10/2/12 11:11 PM, Yves Samyn wrote: > RE: Fwd: Vicious Predators > > Hello Scott and Maria, > > Very interesting indeed. > > By the way, has the shift of P. californicus to Apostichopus been > formally published (I see it's in WoRMS), and if yes what's the reference? > > Enjoy your retirement Scott! > > Best wishes, > > Yves > > -----Original message----- > *From:* Smiley Work <[log in to unmask]> > *Sent:* Wed 03-10-2012 05:27 > *Subject:* Re: Fwd: Vicious Predators > *To:* [log in to unmask]; > Dear Maria > > The story here in Kodiak was that there were no Parastichopus > californicus (read Apostichopus californicus) in Kodiak when I was > first > here in 1974 due to their predation by King Crab (Paralithodes > camtschaticus) - and that the north-eastern biogeographical province > boundary for A. californicus at the end of the Kenai peninsula was > due > to the presence of King Crabs - kind of neat thing - biogeographical > province boundaries set by predators. Turned out that the most common > item in King Crab stomachs in Kodiak during that era was echinoderm > parts, most common being vertebrae from ophiuroids! Now with this > info > on otters we have another predator to worry about - not to mention - > given the violent cycling of otter populations as they overgrow their > food base - the incredible dynamics of near shore communities over > the > time scale of a human life. PS. I managed to retire from the > University > of Alaska and am having a blast indulging all those fascinations I > set > aside when work deadlines loomed. > > Scott > > > On 10/2/12 6:24 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote: > > Hi Scott > > > > I never wold have thought of that > > > > thanks > > > > > > Maria > > > > Quoting Smiley Work <[log in to unmask]>: > > > >> University of Alaska Fairbanks > >> Juneau Center, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences > >> > >> SEMINAR NOTICE > >> > >> Impacts of sea otter predation on commercially important sea > >> cucumbers (Parastichopus californicus) in Southeast Alaska > >> > >> > >> Sean Larson > >> MS Fisheries Candidate > >> Juneau Center, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences > >> Advisor: Dr. Ginny Eckert > >> > >> Friday, October 5, 2012 > >> 9:00 a.m. > >> > >> Presenter - Juneau -UAF Lena Point Fisheries Building, room 101 > >> Fairbanks - O'Neill, Room 214 > >> Kodiak - Owen, Room 219 > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> Abstract > >> Sea cucumbers (/Parastichopus californicus/), which are an > important > >> commercial, subsistence and ecological resource, are negatively > >> impacted by an expanding sea otter (/Enhydra lutris/) > population in > >> Southeast Alaska. Sea otters were reintroduced into Southeast > Alaska > >> in the 1960s after their demise in the 18th and 19th century fur > >> trade; in the ensuing decades, the otter population grew, and sea > >> cucumber biomass declined. This study evaluates the > interaction and > >> impacts of sea otters on sea cucumbers using sea cucumber foraging > >> observations and survey data and sea cucumber density data > collected > >> for fishery management. Sea cucumbers represented about 5% of the > >> sea otter diet. Declines in sea cucumber density ranged from > 26 to > >> 100% in areas with sea otters and were most severe within areas > with > >> high sea otter use. Sea cucumber density was lower in areas sea > >> otters inhabited longer. The impact of sea otters should be > included > >> in sea cucumber fishery management as a step toward ecosystem > based > >> management and to ensure resource viability over the long term. > >> > >> > > > > > > > > Dr Maria Byrne > > Professor Marine and Developmental Biology > > Deputy Director One Tree Island Research Station > > Schools of Medical and Biological Sciences > > University of Sydney > > pH 61-2-9351-5167 > > FAX 61-2-9351-2813 > > [log in to unmask] > > > http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/anatomy/research/labs/byrne/projects/index.php > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. >