ALBERT

Description: Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is developing a national Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system for Canada. The network will focus on regions with a) an expectation of strong earthquakes, and b) concentrations of population and/or critical infrastructure (CI). These regions include parts of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. The system will facilitate mitigation of earthquake impacts, allowing for timely and appropriate response actions by the public, emergency measures organizations, CI operators, and other industrial facilities. However, for the system to be effective, a culture of awareness is necessary to ensure appropriate protective actions are taken when alerts are received. A coordinated public education campaign is underway to help achieve this. NRCan is hosting workshops and other outreach activities with CI operators to ensure they are aware of the benefits of installing systems that automatically translate EEW alerts into protective actions. Simultaneously, NRCan is encouraging equipment providers in Canada to develop such automated systems. In these efforts, NRCan is collaborating with federal and provincial public safety organizations, private and international partners, and Non-Governmental Organizations. This will ensure that EEW messaging is authoritative, consistent and accessible. Social science research by collaborators is underway and will guide the education of vulnerable populations including First Nations peoples, new immigrants, people with low income, and the elderly. By making it possible to take safe actions before the arrival of potentially harmful shaking, the national EEW system will contribute to the reduction of earthquake risk in Canada.

Description: The samples analysed were dredged on Pleiades Leg II during a program of heat flow measurements, bottom photography and coring. They are located on topographic mounds in a band 20 km south of the Galapagos Rift on sediments ranging from 20 to 30 m in thickness. The dredge hauls were sampled to represent the diversity of dredged material either Mn encrusted altered basalt or relatively thick Mn coating deposited directly in contact with sediments. Each sample was analysed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for major elemnts and instrumental neutron activation analysis for minor elements or rare earths.

Description: Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Agaricus albofoetidus, Agaricus aureoelephanti and Agaricus parviumbrus on soil, Fusarium ramsdenii from stem cankers of Araucaria cunninghamii, Keissleriella sporoboli from stem of Sporobolus natalensis, Leptosphaerulina queenslandica and Pestalotiopsis chiaroscuro from leaves of Sporobolus natalensis, Serendipita petricolae as endophyte from roots of Eriochilus petricola, Stagonospora tauntonensis from stem of Sporobolus natalensis, Teratosphaeria carnegiei from leaves of Eucalyptus grandis × E. camaldulensis and Wongia ficherai from roots of Eragrostis curvula. Canada, Lulworthia fundyensis from intertidal wood and Newbrunswickomyces abietophilus (incl. Newbrunswickomyces gen. nov.) on buds of Abies balsamea. Czech Republic, Geosmithia funiculosa from a bark beetle gallery on Ulmus minor and Neoherpotrichiella juglandicola (incl. Neoherpotrichiella gen. nov.) from wood of Juglans regia. France, Aspergillus rouenensis and Neoacrodontium gallica (incl. Neoacrodontium gen. nov.) from bore dust of Xestobium rufovillosum feeding on Quercus wood, Endoradiciella communis (incl. Endoradiciella gen. nov.) endophytic in roots of Microthlaspi perfoliatum and Entoloma simulans on soil. India, Amanita konajensis on soil and Keithomyces indicus from soil. Israel, Microascus rothbergiorum from Stylophora pistillata. Italy, Calonarius ligusticus on soil. Netherlands, Appendopyricularia juncicola (incl. Appendopyricularia gen. nov.), Eriospora juncicola and Tetraploa juncicola on dead culms of Juncus effusus, Gonatophragmium physciae on Physcia caesia and Paracosmospora physciae (incl. Paracosmospora gen. nov.) on Physcia tenella, Myrmecridium phragmitigenum on dead culm of Phragmites australis, Neochalara lolae on stems of Pteridium aquilinum, Niesslia nieuwwulvenica on dead culm of undetermined Poaceae, Nothodevriesia narthecii (incl. Nothodevriesia gen. nov.) on dead leaves of Narthecium ossifragum and Parastenospora pini (incl. Parastenospora gen. nov.) on dead twigs of Pinus sylvestris. Norway, Verticillium bjoernoeyanum from sand grains attached to a piece of driftwood on a sandy beach. Portugal, Collybiopsis cimrmanii on the base of living Quercus ilex and amongst dead leaves of Laurus and herbs. South Africa, Paraproliferophorum hyphaenes (incl. Paraproliferophorum gen. nov.) on living leaves of Hyphaene sp. and Saccothecium widdringtoniae on twigs of Widdringtonia wallichii. Spain, Cortinarius dryosalor on soil, Cyphellophora endoradicis endophytic in roots of Microthlaspi perfoliatum, Geoglossum laurisilvae on soil, Leptographium gemmatum from fluvial sediments, Physalacria auricularioides from a dead twig of Castanea sativa, Terfezia bertae and Tuber davidlopezii in soil. Sweden, Alpova larskersii, Inocybe alpestris and Inocybe boreogodeyi on soil. Thailand, Russula banwatchanensis, Russula purpureoviridis and Russula lilacina on soil. Ukraine, Nectriella adonidis on overwintered stems of Adonis vernalis. USA, Microcyclus jacquiniae from living leaves of Jacquinia keyensis and Penicillium neoherquei from a minute mushroom sporocarp. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes.