Tatjana Bakran-Petricioli

Relative Sea-Level Change during the Late Holocene on the Island of Vis (Croatia) - Issa Harbour Archaeological Site

The 2.4 ka shoreline evolution on the Island of Vis has been investigated. It represents a particularly interesting area for this kind of investigation due to the existence of the submerged archaeological remains, the antique port of Issa, as well as to the existence of geomorphological and biological sea-level markers. The actual depths of the different parts of the submerged quay have been mapped and measured with respect to the present mean sea-level, applying corrections for tide and atmospheric pressure values at the time of the surveys. The functional heights related to the sea level at the time of construction have also been taken into account. These data were further compared with predictions derived from a glacio-hydro-isostatic model associated with the Last Glacial cycle. During the investigation of the coast, tidal notches and algal rims were found. They were mapped, measured and correlated with results of the submerged port remains, as well as with other available data along the Croatian coast. Our results demonstrate a 199±25 cm sea-level change during 2.4 ka on the Island of Vis. Taking into account the total relative sea-level change, an average rate of around ~0.83 mm/yr is derived. If the isostatic-eustatic component is separated, a tectonic subsidence rate ranges between 0.17 and 0.3 mm/yr depending on the predicted model used. Compared to the Northern Adriatic area, the Island of Vis shows a much smaller component of tectonic subsidence.

Host-tissue differences in transformation of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) by Agrobacterium rhizogenes

Agrobacterium rhizogenes (wild-type strains 8196 and 15834) transformation of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) intact seedlings grown in vivo, and 6–8-day-old excised cotyledons cultured in axenic conditions was investigated. Transformed (hairy) roots were successfully induced only on the excised cotyledons with the strain 8196, while intact seedlings failed to form hairy roots with either of the two different bacterial strains. Axenic hairy-root cultures established on MS medium without hormones grew vigorously. Mannopine was detected in all transgenic root clones examined. The peroxidase activity in transformed roots was higher compared with normal roots. Electrophoretic analyses of soluble proteins and isoperoxidases showed substantial differences between transformed and normal pumpkin roots.

Error, Power, and Blind Sentinels: The Statistics of Seagrass Monitoring.

We derive statistical properties of standard methods for monitoring of habitat cover worldwide, and criticize them in the context of mandated seagrass monitoring programs, as exemplified by Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean Sea. We report the novel result that cartographic methods with non-trivial classification errors are generally incapable of reliably detecting habitat cover losses less than about 30 to 50%, and the field labor required to increase their precision can be orders of magnitude higher than that required to estimate habitat loss directly in a field campaign. We derive a universal utility threshold of classification error in habitat maps that represents the minimum habitat map accuracy above which direct methods are superior. Widespread government reliance on blind-sentinel methods for monitoring seafloor can obscure the gradual and currently ongoing losses of benthic resources until the time has long passed for meaningful management intervention. We find two classes of methods with very high statistical power for detecting small habitat cover losses: 1) fixed-plot direct methods, which are over 100 times as efficient as direct random-plot methods in a variable habitat mosaic; and 2) remote methods with very low classification error such as geospatial underwater videography, which is an emerging, low-cost, non-destructive method for documenting small changes at millimeter visual resolution. General adoption of these methods and their further development will require a fundamental cultural change in conservation and management bodies towards the recognition and promotion of requirements of minimal statistical power and precision in the development of international goals for monitoring these valuable resources and the ecological services they provide.

The performance, application and integration of various seabed classification systems suitable for mapping Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile meadows

In the context of current global environmental changes, mapping and monitoring seagrass meadows have become highly important for management and preservation of coastal zone ecosystems. The purpose of this research was to determine the numerical precision of various cost-effective benthic habitat mapping techniques and their suitability for mapping and monitoring of Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Croatian Adriatic. We selected ultra-high resolution aerial imagery, single-beam echo sounder (SBES) seabed classification system from Quester Tangent Co. (QTC), and surface based underwater videography as affordable, non-destructive and simple to use systems for data acquisition. The ultra-high resolution digital imagery was capable of detecting P. oceanica meadows up to 4m depth with 94% accuracy, from 4m to 12.5m depth the accuracy dropped to app. 76%, and from 12.5 to 20 m the system was only capable of distinguishing seabed biota from substrata, though with 97% accuracy. The results of the QTC system showed over 90% detection accuracy for Cymodocea nodosa covered seabed, excellent separation capabilities (>92%) of different sediment types (slightly gravelly sand, gravelly muddy sand and slightly gravelly muddy sand) and reasonable accuracy for mapping underwater vegetation regardless of the bathymetric span. The system proved incapable of separating P. oceanica from dense macroalgae on the same type of substratum. Surface-based underwater videography demonstrated great potential for estimating P. oceanica cover in a sampled region using either a single human rater or a computer estimate. The consistency between two human scorers in evaluating P. oceanica bottom coverage was near perfect (>98%) and high between digital and human scorers (80%). The results indicate that although the selected systems are suitable for mapping seagrasses, they all display limitations in either detection accuracy or spatial coverage, which leads to a conclusion that suitable system integration is essential for producing high quality seagrass spatial distribution maps.

Diversity and Distribution of Prokaryotes within a Shallow-Water Pockmark Field

Pockmarks are crater-like depression on the seafloor associated with hydrocarbon ascent through muddy sediments in continental shelves around the world. In this study, we examine the diversity and distribution of benthic microbial communities at shallow-water pockmarks adjacent to the Middle Adriatic Ridge. We integrate microbial diversity data with characterization of local hydrocarbons concentrations and sediment geochemistry. Our results suggest these pockmarks are enriched in sedimentary hydrocarbons, and host a microbial community dominated by Bacteria, even in deeper sediment layers. Pockmark sediments showed higher prokaryotic abundance and biomass than surrounding sediments, potentially due to the increased availability of organic matter and higher concentrations of hydrocarbons linked to pockmark activity. Prokaryotic diversity analyses showed that the microbial communities of these shallow-water pockmarks are unique, and comprised phylotypes associated with the cycling of sulfur and nitrate compounds, as well as numerous know hydrocarbon degraders. Altogether, this study suggests that shallow-water pockmark habitats enhance the diversity of the benthic prokaryotic biosphere by providing specialized environmental niches.