Critical indirect effects of climate change on sub-A ntarctic ecosystem functioning
- Allan, E Louise, Froneman, P William, Durgadoo, Jonathan V, McQuaid, Christopher D, Ansorge, Isabelle J, Richoux, Nicole B
- Authors: Allan, E Louise , Froneman, P William , Durgadoo, Jonathan V , McQuaid, Christopher D , Ansorge, Isabelle J , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/457934 , vital:75696 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.678"
- Description: Sub‐Antarctic islands represent critical breeding habitats for land‐based top predators that dominate Southern Ocean food webs. Reproduction and molting incur high energetic demands that are sustained at the sub‐Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (PEIs) by both inshore (phytoplankton blooms; “island mass effect”; autochthonous) and offshore (allochthonous) productivity. As the relative contributions of these sustenance pathways are, in turn, affected by oceanographic conditions around the PEIs, we address the consequences of climatically driven changes in the physical environment on this island ecosystem. We show that there has been a measurable long‐term shift in the carbon isotope signatures of the benthos inhabiting the shallow shelf region of the PEIs, most likely reflecting a long‐term decline in enhanced phytoplankton productivity at the islands in response to a climate‐driven shift in the position of the sub‐Antarctic Front. Our results indicate that regional climate change has affected the balance between allochthonous and autochthonous productivity at the PEIs. Over the last three decades, inshore‐feeding top predators at the islands have shown a marked decrease in their population sizes. Conversely, population sizes of offshore‐feeding predators that forage over great distances from the islands have remained stable or increased, with one exception. Population decline of predators that rely heavily on organisms inhabiting the inshore region strongly suggest changes in prey availability, which are likely driven by factors such as fisheries impacts on some prey populations and shifts in competitive interactions among predators. In addition to these local factors, our analysis indicates that changes in prey availability may also result indirectly through regional climate change effects on the islands' marine ecosystem. Most importantly, our results indicate that a fundamental shift in the balance between allochthonous and autochthonous trophic pathways within this island ecosystem may be detected throughout the food web, demonstrating that the most powerful effects of climate change on marine systems may be indirect.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Allan, E Louise , Froneman, P William , Durgadoo, Jonathan V , McQuaid, Christopher D , Ansorge, Isabelle J , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/457934 , vital:75696 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.678"
- Description: Sub‐Antarctic islands represent critical breeding habitats for land‐based top predators that dominate Southern Ocean food webs. Reproduction and molting incur high energetic demands that are sustained at the sub‐Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (PEIs) by both inshore (phytoplankton blooms; “island mass effect”; autochthonous) and offshore (allochthonous) productivity. As the relative contributions of these sustenance pathways are, in turn, affected by oceanographic conditions around the PEIs, we address the consequences of climatically driven changes in the physical environment on this island ecosystem. We show that there has been a measurable long‐term shift in the carbon isotope signatures of the benthos inhabiting the shallow shelf region of the PEIs, most likely reflecting a long‐term decline in enhanced phytoplankton productivity at the islands in response to a climate‐driven shift in the position of the sub‐Antarctic Front. Our results indicate that regional climate change has affected the balance between allochthonous and autochthonous productivity at the PEIs. Over the last three decades, inshore‐feeding top predators at the islands have shown a marked decrease in their population sizes. Conversely, population sizes of offshore‐feeding predators that forage over great distances from the islands have remained stable or increased, with one exception. Population decline of predators that rely heavily on organisms inhabiting the inshore region strongly suggest changes in prey availability, which are likely driven by factors such as fisheries impacts on some prey populations and shifts in competitive interactions among predators. In addition to these local factors, our analysis indicates that changes in prey availability may also result indirectly through regional climate change effects on the islands' marine ecosystem. Most importantly, our results indicate that a fundamental shift in the balance between allochthonous and autochthonous trophic pathways within this island ecosystem may be detected throughout the food web, demonstrating that the most powerful effects of climate change on marine systems may be indirect.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Optical limiting analysis of phthalocyanines in polymer thin films
- Britton, Jonathan, Litwinski, Christian, Antunes, Edith M, Durmus, Mahmut, Chaukea, Vongani, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Britton, Jonathan , Litwinski, Christian , Antunes, Edith M , Durmus, Mahmut , Chaukea, Vongani , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232488 , vital:49996 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2013.736269"
- Description: This paper reports on the effect of embedding twelve phthalocyanines containing In, Ga, Zn and Al as central metals in polymer thin films on their optical limiting abilities. This paper also examines the effect of forming a covalent link between zinc tetraamino phthalocyanine (10) and poly (methyl acrylic acid) (PMAA), and Zn (11) or OHAl (12) octacarboxy phthalocyanines with polyethylenimine (PEI). The average film thickness (for phthalocyanines mixed or linked to polymers) of each Pc/Polymer films on glass was 95 μm. The hyperpolarizability of the twelve phthalocyanines was found to be in the range of 10−26 to 10−24 esu.L. This is significantly higher than the hyperpolarizabilities of these phthalocyanines in solution, which ranged from 10−30 to 10−26 esu.L. Degradation studies seem to indicate that placing a phthalocyanine within a polymer thin film may protect it slightly from photo- and thermal degradation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Britton, Jonathan , Litwinski, Christian , Antunes, Edith M , Durmus, Mahmut , Chaukea, Vongani , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232488 , vital:49996 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2013.736269"
- Description: This paper reports on the effect of embedding twelve phthalocyanines containing In, Ga, Zn and Al as central metals in polymer thin films on their optical limiting abilities. This paper also examines the effect of forming a covalent link between zinc tetraamino phthalocyanine (10) and poly (methyl acrylic acid) (PMAA), and Zn (11) or OHAl (12) octacarboxy phthalocyanines with polyethylenimine (PEI). The average film thickness (for phthalocyanines mixed or linked to polymers) of each Pc/Polymer films on glass was 95 μm. The hyperpolarizability of the twelve phthalocyanines was found to be in the range of 10−26 to 10−24 esu.L. This is significantly higher than the hyperpolarizabilities of these phthalocyanines in solution, which ranged from 10−30 to 10−26 esu.L. Degradation studies seem to indicate that placing a phthalocyanine within a polymer thin film may protect it slightly from photo- and thermal degradation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The development of catalytic oxovanadium (IV)-containing microspheres for the oxidation of various organosulfur compounds
- Ogunlaja, Adeniyi S, Khene, Samson M, Antunes, Edith M, Nyokong, Tebello, Torto, Nelson, Tshentu, Zenixole R
- Authors: Ogunlaja, Adeniyi S , Khene, Samson M , Antunes, Edith M , Nyokong, Tebello , Torto, Nelson , Tshentu, Zenixole R
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/241783 , vital:50969 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcata.2013.05.004"
- Description: The development of poly[allylSB-co-EGDMA] beads containing a tetradentate ligand was achieved via suspension polymerization. The catalyst poly[allylSB-co-EGDMA]-VO was synthesized by reacting VIVOSO4 with poly[allylSB-co-EGDMA]. XPS and EPR were used to confirm the presence of vanadium (V4+) on the beads. The synthesized catalyst (poly[allylSB-co-EGDMA]-VO) was found to have a BET surface area of 22 m2 g−1 and porosity of 135 Å, with the atomic force microscopy (AFM) showing more insight on the porous nature of the beads. Oxidation of thiophene (TH), benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) was carried out using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH) as oxidant. An overall conversion of 60%, 82%, 98% and 87% was achieved for thiophene (TH), benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6 dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) respectively at higher (t-BuOOH) to substrate ratio and at a temperature of 40 °C. The efficient oxidation of the various organosulfur compounds presents potential for the possible application of this catalyst in oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of crude oil.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Ogunlaja, Adeniyi S , Khene, Samson M , Antunes, Edith M , Nyokong, Tebello , Torto, Nelson , Tshentu, Zenixole R
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/241783 , vital:50969 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcata.2013.05.004"
- Description: The development of poly[allylSB-co-EGDMA] beads containing a tetradentate ligand was achieved via suspension polymerization. The catalyst poly[allylSB-co-EGDMA]-VO was synthesized by reacting VIVOSO4 with poly[allylSB-co-EGDMA]. XPS and EPR were used to confirm the presence of vanadium (V4+) on the beads. The synthesized catalyst (poly[allylSB-co-EGDMA]-VO) was found to have a BET surface area of 22 m2 g−1 and porosity of 135 Å, with the atomic force microscopy (AFM) showing more insight on the porous nature of the beads. Oxidation of thiophene (TH), benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) was carried out using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH) as oxidant. An overall conversion of 60%, 82%, 98% and 87% was achieved for thiophene (TH), benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6 dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) respectively at higher (t-BuOOH) to substrate ratio and at a temperature of 40 °C. The efficient oxidation of the various organosulfur compounds presents potential for the possible application of this catalyst in oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of crude oil.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The photophysical and photochemical behaviour of coumarin-derivatized zinc phthalocyanine when conjugated with gold nanoparticles and electrospun into polymer fibers
- Tombe, Sekai, Antunes, Edith M, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Tombe, Sekai , Antunes, Edith M , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232534 , vital:50000 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1039/C2NJ40984D"
- Description: Polymer composite fibers doped with phthalocyanines and phthalocyanine-functionalized gold nanoparticles were developed. The phthalocyanine and phthalocyanine-functionalized gold nanoparticles have been characterized using UV/Vis, fluorescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), time-resolved emission spectra (TRES) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The changes in photophysical and photochemical behavior of the phthalocyanines induced by their interaction with gold nanoparticles and polystyrene were also investigated. In the presence of gold nanoparticles, the fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields of the phthalocyanine decreased, whereas the singlet oxygen quantum yield increased. This work shows that polymer composite fibers could be used as functional fibers for a variety of applications such as gas sensing when using the advantageous properties of phthalocyanines and gold nanoparticles.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Tombe, Sekai , Antunes, Edith M , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232534 , vital:50000 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1039/C2NJ40984D"
- Description: Polymer composite fibers doped with phthalocyanines and phthalocyanine-functionalized gold nanoparticles were developed. The phthalocyanine and phthalocyanine-functionalized gold nanoparticles have been characterized using UV/Vis, fluorescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), time-resolved emission spectra (TRES) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The changes in photophysical and photochemical behavior of the phthalocyanines induced by their interaction with gold nanoparticles and polystyrene were also investigated. In the presence of gold nanoparticles, the fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields of the phthalocyanine decreased, whereas the singlet oxygen quantum yield increased. This work shows that polymer composite fibers could be used as functional fibers for a variety of applications such as gas sensing when using the advantageous properties of phthalocyanines and gold nanoparticles.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
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