Marine Wildlife Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marine Wildlife - Assignment Example The impact marine preys like fur seals have on their target prey and more especially their resultant interaction with other fisheries has been a subject of continuous study and research interest. The wide array of species and species groups within the marine ecosystem has further expounded this area of research (Wilke & Kenyon, 1954). Various researches have calculated the overall prey requirements of predators including the seabirds, seals as well as whales and such studies avail regional food assessment necessary for maintenance of the respective species population (Perez & Mooney, 1984). In a world where many animals are faced with the possibility of extinction, such research are crucial and can go a long way in helping preserve the threatened population species. The studies have also facilitated and engaged in examination of food web interactions strengths. Additionally, such studies help in understanding the biogeochemical carbon cycling processes (Perez & Bigg, 1981; Townsend, 1899). According to Kajimura (1980, P. 46) fur seals are most commonly found in the areas lying within 74 to 130 km off the land and are frequently in large numbers along the continental shelf as well as slope in areas where pelagic schooling fishes and also squids are generally found in abundance. The study also reported that the fur seals and most regularly found in waters whose temperatures range from 8Â °C to 14Â °C. At sea, the fur seals feed on a range of fish species. The relative proportion of individual prey species included in the fur seals' diet often varies by months (Kajimura 1982; Perez and Bigg 1984). This is as a result of the apparent changes in their scavenging locations, and also the seasonal movements, prey abundance, as well as availability (Lander & Kajimura, 1982). Generally, the fur seals' vary their diets during winter and spring to correspond to the prevailing conditions. Previous researches estimate that the fur seals often consume preys whose respective lengths are 10 to 30 cm, although there are instances where much longer preys are consumed although such must be broken down before consumption (Townsend, 1899, p. 241). This study investigates the average length as well as biomass content of some of the species most fed on by the fur seals. Methods The first step involves measurement of otoliths and beaks of the seals. This is based on the fact that the otoliths are susceptible to degradation and size reduction as they move via the seal’s digestive tract as a result of prey size underestimation. As a result, only the otoliths that reveal little erosion evidence are used to obtain the estimates of fish sizes. Each otolith is rated on scale of 1-5 as per their erosion levels whereby 1 is considered identifiable although substantially eroded while 5 is considered primeval. As an inclusion criterion, only otoliths whose ratings lie above 3 will be measured. Measurement of the otolith leg length is done between its anterior and posterior margins. The measurement is done in mmm with the help of a dissecting microscope and making use of eye-piece graticules. In order to avoid obtaining of size estimates from the same fish, the measurements taken are only for the otoliths of the sides that possess the highest number of intact otoliths of each sample specie. Biasing the cephalopods estimate of sizes is also a key concern to this research. To avoid it, only the cephalopod beaks that are unbroken will be

Philosophy - Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Essay

Philosophy - Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics - Essay Example Therefore, it seems that democracy leads to anarchy. Further, Plato imagines democracy, which invites everyone as equals to rule themselves, as leading to a nation of power-hungry individuals motivated by selfish interests rather than the public good. Accordingly, Plato imagines democracy leading to tyranny. Either way, it seems democracy leads a society on a slippery slope toward an undesirable end-state. In our modern day democracies, we tend to disagree with Plato in saying that, when well controlled, a democracy neither leads to anarchy nor tyranny. But Plato’s opposition to a modern society is more fundamental. The character Socrates advocates for a state ruled by â€Å"philosopher-kings† in a rigid system of castes that does not allow for lateral movement between the different groups in society (484d). This is abhorrent from the perspective of liberal democracy because this neither acknowledges the right of individuals to govern oneself nor to find happiness in wh atever pursuits one wishes to follow. This desire for a ruling caste stems from Plato’s view of the philosopher as superior in theoretical knowledge over the other people in the state (539e). Despite all of these differences, Plato’s Republic seeks many of the same ends as modern day democracies, including justice as the chief concern of a government (540e) and freedom as a necessary component of a good state (701d). Plato’s Republic advocates for a three-part division of society into classes of rulers, soldiers, and the common people. The reason for this division is the concept of specialization wherein particular tasks or duties are reserved to those who are the most qualified to perform them. Plato believes in this stratification as a means of achieving the greatest amount with the resources available to society. But this stratification leads to severe limits on the liberties of those within the state. For instance, since the rulers of the city already have p ossession of a superior intellect, Plato reasons that they should be allowed to hold no property, to live at the expense of the state, and to live only on their most basic needs. Similarly, members of the common class and the soldiering class are not allowed lateral mobility within the classes. They are, from birth, determined to stay within those classes to develop and prosper in aid to the city. Plato suggests that if citizens claim their dissatisfaction with the role in which they are placed, then the state ought to supply them with the falsehood that they are, by nature, assigned to that role based on the differential dispositions of people to fulfill certain roles (415a). Although this is an ideal situation from the perspective of Plato’s Socrates, from the perspective of a modern democracy, it leaves much to be desired. In fact, it seems clear that modern societies believe that individuals should be allowed to pursue whatever path they feel is right for them, regardless of whether they are effective in that social role. Of course, the nature of capitalism dictates that individuals perform acts that best enable them to support their livelihoods, but individuals do not need to act within strict social constraints like those proposed in the Republic. Secondly, a modern movement away from a class system lies in disagreement with Plato’s advocacy of a class system. Although classes seem justified on account