Search

The episodic stranding of millions of pelagic red crabs (Pleuroncodes planipes) along California beaches is a striking and puzzling phenomenon. Pleuroncodes planipesare usually abundant off Baja California, Mexico, and their appearance in central California is thought to coincide with anomalously warm waters and northward advection related to El Niño. This anecdotal association has stimulated many hypotheses, but no hypothesis has gained clear and convincing support. Motivated by an unprecedented number of P. planipesstrandings and at‐sea observations in 2015–2019, we compiled 10 P. planipesdatasets spanning 1950–2019, tested the anomalous advection hypothesis using a transport analysis from 1981 to 2010, and explored other compelling hypotheses. We found P. planipespresence off central California was related to anomalous advection of waters from Mexico, sometimes but not always associated with El Niño events, with P. planipeslikely remaining residents of northern waters for several years without additional anomalous transport but potentially facilitated by warm waters. By identifying a mechanism behind episodic P. planipesrange expansions, we show that a source water index could provide an early indicator for anomalous events in the future.

Food Good news for spuds as we have just completed ourthreeinsecurity is a growing problem for Kiwis, made worse by month campaign championing the nutritional benefits of scarcity and supply chain issues dueto Covid-19. potatoes. NZ agronomists and growers in our main growing regions Manawatu yields are not yet apparent, with no main crop had the following to say about the 2020-21 potato season. harvested until March, April, and May. The survey of seed lines last season showed no All in all, some pleasing results with potato crops in Pukekohe so far, but still a few high-risk months to come. increase in the occurrence of this disease in seed crops. [Extracted from the article]

The article reviews the exhibition "The Ivory Tower Project," by Ciara Moore at the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork, Ireland from January to February 2009.