Sexual selection is the outcome of behavioral interactions within and between the sexes. Numerous studies show how individuals modify their behavior in response to ecological or social conditions, and such changes may therefore affect the evolutionary outcome of sexual selection. This study examined the effect of habitat structure on the sexual behavior of male and female guppies (Poecilia ret ...

Laboratory experiments were used to assess morphological responses of Chironomus tentans larvae exposed to three levels of zinc and lead. Chironomus tentans egg masses were placed into triplicate control and metal-spiked aquaria containing the measured concentrations 1,442, 3,383, and 5,562 microg/g Pb dry weight and 1,723, 3,743, and 5,252 microg/g Zn dry weight. Larvae were collected at 10-d ...

Curators of large aquaria where there is no significant primary production and water changes are impractical have been using biological denitrification to control high nitrate concentrations. The two denitrification systems described in this study operate in different ways: the Living Seas uses a batch system, while the New Jersey State Aquarium uses a flow-through system. The rate of denitrifi...

Alien Invasion: the spread of Caulerpa taxifolia in Australian waters The eradication or control of introduced marine pests will represent one of the greatest challenges of this century. Indeed, hundreds of introduced marine species are already present in Australian waters. Marine pests pose such a challenge because by the time they are discovered they are usually well established and almost im...

Structure-Behavior-Function (SBF) models of complex systems use functions as abstractions to organize knowledge of structural components and causal processes in a system. We describe an interactive learning environment called ACT (Aquarium Construction Toolkit) for constructing simple SBF models of classroom aquaria, and report on a case study on the use of SBF thinking and the ACT tool in midd...

The study and practice of conservation biology is inherently interdisciplinary, addresses short and long time-scales and occurs within complex human-natural interfaces. Zoos and aquaria, in partnership with researchers, other non-government organizations, government, industry and educators, are combining knowledge of species and ecosystems with economics, psychology and law to create solutions ...

8 Think about your first reaction if you saw a poster at your local pet shop announcing “New Ornamental Plant Kills All Algae in Your Tank Within 24 Hours—Money Back Guarantee!” How much would you be willing to spend on such a plant? Unfortunately, no such plant has yet been identified. But it is a scientific fact that some plants secrete chemicals that are toxic to other plants. Can we use suc...

By monitoring the course of hemolymph cytolytic activity in Mytilus galloprovincialis during 2006, we have observed important fluctuations in the percentage of cytotoxic animals over the year. The changes seem to be correlated with seasonal variations in the temperature, but observations in mussels kept in aquaria indicated that this parameter is not the main cause of the fluctuations. Data pre...

A simple process for nitrate removal is proposed for its application in aquaculture. Biodegradable polymer pellets are acting as solid substrate and biofilm carrier for denitrification. Laboratory experiments with conventional aquaria and fish were used to examine the feasibility and a first evaluation of the process performance in a recirculated aquaculture system. All over the test-period the...