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An echinoderm association is reported from the ?early late Albian Paddy Member of the Peace River Formation of British Columbia, Canada. The association includes Frasericrinus mauricensis gen. et sp. nov., two additional distinctive crinoid column types, a poorly preserved asteroid, and an umbilical fragment of the cephalopod Stelckiceras. This is the first report of a Cretaceous isocrinid from North America. The echinoderm fossils are from the top of a succession of storm-deposited sandstones and mudstones (Boulder Creek Formation) that can be correlated southward into nearshore and terrestrial facies of the Paddy Member of the Peace River Formation. The echinoderm fossils were buried (and probably lived) about 12-14 km from the contemporaneous shoreline in an estimated water depth of 10-20 m. Integration of biostratigraphic and allostratigraphic schemes suggests that the echinoderms are of earliest late Albian age. The association of the echinoderm fauna with ammonites of Boreal affinity indicates deposition in northern waters, although the presence of Tethyan inoceramids in apparently coeval Paddy Member strata 270 km to the east suggests that northward-advancing water from the Gulf of Mexico had reached northwestern Alberta, if not actually merged with the Boreal embayment. The nearshore occurrence of Cretaceous stalked crinoids is indicative of an asynchronous, gradual migration of stalked crinoids to deep-water habitats, to which they are restricted in modern oceans. Une association d'echinodermes est signalee du Membre de Paddy du ?debut de l'Albien tardif de la Formation de Peace River, en Colombie-Britannique (Canada). L'association comprend Frasericrinus mauricensis gen. et sp. nov., deux autres types de colonnes de crinoide distinctives, un asteride mal preserve et un fragment ombilical du cephalopode Stelckiceras. Il s'agit du premier signalement d'un isocrinide d'age cretace en Amerique du Nord. Les fossiles d'echinodermes proviennent du haut d'une sequence de gres et de mudstones deposes par des tempetes (Formation de Boulder Creek) qui peuvent etre correles vers le sud aux facies littoraux et terrestres du Membre de Paddy de la Formation de Peace River. Les fossiles d'echinodermes ont ete ensevelis (et ont probablement vecu) a environ de 12 a 14 km de la cote contemporaine dans des eaux d'une profondeur estimee de 10 a 20 m. L'integration de schemas biostratigraphiques et allostratigraphiques donne a penser que les echinodermes sont du tout debut de l'Albien tardif. L'association de la faune a echinodermes avec des ammonites d'affinite boreale indique un depot dans des eaux septentrionales, bien que la presence d'inoceramides tethysiens dans des strates apparemment contemporaines du Membre de Paddy, a 270 km a l'est, donne a penser que des eaux s'avancant vers le nord a partir du golfe du Mexique avaient atteint le nord-ouest de l'Alberta et avaient meme peut-etre rejoint l'echancrure boreale. La presence en milieu littoral de crinoides pedoncules d'age cretace indique une migration asynchrone graduelle de crinoides pedoncules vers des habitats d'eau profonde, habitats auxquels ils se limitent dans les oceans modernes. [Traduit par le Redaction], Introduction A new Albian crinoid, Frasericrinus mauricensis gen. et sp. nov., is reported herein from western Canada. Relatively little is known about Cretaceous stalked crinoids from North America, thus the [...]

The maritime Antarctic is characterised by highly variable weather conditions throughout the year, as well as over multi-year periods. The annual variability of weather conditions constitutes an important basis for biological and geographical studies, allowing for the monitoring of the functioning and changes of the geographical environment of the west coast of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica). Year-round meteorological observations (1.2006-12.2006) measured: atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, air temperature, relative humidity, total precipitation, snow cover, and Admiralty Bay ice cover.

A programme to monitor non-breeding bird species in the vicinity of Arctowski Station, King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica, has been conducted over the past 30 years. The white-rumped sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis (Vieillot 1819) seems to occur now as a vagrant in South Shetlands area more frequently than previously. This trend, and the annual variation in numbers that have been observed could be a result of short term and longer term variation in weather and climate conditions during the austral spring and summer months when this species is observed. A higher air temperature, which is a result of predominant northern winds bringing relatively warm and moist air, would probably result in more open habitats and better food resources that would allow the birds to persist or survive. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]