We apply qPCR molecular techniques to detect in situ rates of consumption of sea urchins (Centrostephanus rodgersii and Heliocidaris erythrogramma) by rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii). A non‐lethal method was used to source faecal samples from trap‐caught lobsters over 2 years within two no‐take research reserves. There was high variability in the proportion of lobsters with faeces positive for sea urchin DNA across years and seasons dependent on lobster size. Independent estimates of lobster predation rate on sea urchins (determined from observed declines in urchin abundances in the reserves relative to control sites) suggest that rates of molecular prey detection generally overestimated predation rates. Also, small lobsters known to be incapable of directly predating emergent sea urchins showed relatively high rates of positive tests. These results indicate that some lobsters ingest non‐predatory sources of sea urchin DNA, which may include (i) ingestion of C. rodgersii DNA from the benthos (urchin DNA is detectable in sediments and some lobsters yield urchin DNA in faeces when fed urchin faeces or sediment); (ii) scavenging; and/or predation by rock lobsters on small pre‐emergent urchins that live cryptically within the reef matrix (although this possibility could not be assessed). While the DNA‐based approach and direct monitoring of urchin populations both indicate high predation rates of large lobsters on emergent urchins, the study shows that in some cases absolute predation rates and inferences of predator–prey interactions cannot be reliably estimated from molecular signals obtained from the faeces of benthic predators. At a broad semi‐quantitative level, the approach is useful to identify relative magnitudes of predation and temporal and spatial variability in predation.

Brewing high quality beer efficiently requires good quality malt for conventional malt brewing or good quality barley for barley brewing with the Ondea Pro enzyme system. The potential brewing performance of both malt and barley were compared by using two similar small-scale mashing protocols, both variations on the EBC-Congress mashing protocol, which produced wort of a similar gravity and fermentability. This was achieved by mashing 93 different malt samples with the "Final 65 degrees C" protocol and 137 different barley samples with the barley brewing protocol. The two different mash grist sources provided an opportunity to compare and contrast these two alternative brewing systems. Overall, barley brewing with Ondea Pro produces slightly lower levels of extract, while fermentability levels were somewhat lower than malt mashed with the Final 65 degrees C protocol but comparable with the fermentability previously observed for malt mashed with the EBC-Congress protocol. For barley brewing, high levels of fermentability, comparable with the level achieved with malt (Congress protocol), result from the selection of the appropriate quality barley for brewing. Typically, barley from malting or food grade varieties that contain the highly thermostable Sd2H beta-amylase type produced the highest levels of extract and fermentability. In addition, barley brewing assessment of samples from two subsequent growing seasons produced higher extracts that were equivalent to that achieved with malt, indicating a potential seasonal impact. The worts produced by both brewing systems were of similar pH and contained similar levels of Bradford protein. The barley brewed wort did have substantially higher levels of wort lipid (measured as total fatty acids) and lower levels of FAN, although previous investigations and our results suggest that this does not adversely impact yeast fermentation performance. With respect to wort filtering and lautering efficiency, barley brewed mashes/worts were substantially superior due to reduced wort viscosity and lower beta-glucan content. This was despite the higher levels of wort lipid, presumably fatty acids, observed in barley brewed wort. With both malt and barley brewing, wort lipid levels were positively correlated with wort haze but were negatively correlated with lautering and wort filtration efficiency. These observations suggest that variation in the level of lipase activity in malt could potentially impact wort filtration and lautering efficiency. Malt and barley characteristics that potentially predict extract, fermentability, FAN, wort filterability, and lautering efficiency were assessed by step-wise multi-linear regression analysis and discussed. Overall, barley brewing was shown to be reproducible, efficient, and generally comparable to conventional malt brewing. The contrast between these two brewing strategies potentially identifies barley and malt quality parameters worthy of further study to improve brewing efficiency, and product quality, from both production systems.

A survey of the preferences of brewing professionals with respect to beer presentation and amount of beer foam was conducted at the ASBC Brewing Summit meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, in 2010. The survey showed that beer presentation in the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Perfect Pint glass was not only aesthetically pleasing but also promoted hop aroma and flavors in particular. Most of the survey participants preferred the presence of lacing on the glass during or after consumption and, on average, considered approx. 20 mm of foam immediately after dispensing into a glass as being optimal. The conventional NIBEM and Rudin methods for foam stability testing were compared with a simple method of manually pouring a beer into a Perfect Pint glass (approx. 35 mm of foam formed) and visually scoring the stability after 5 min to determine the foam stability score (FSS). The NIBEM and Rudin foam stability measures were significantly but relatively poorly correlated (r = 0.371). In part, this relatively poor correlation resulted from a wide range of beer viscosity in the sample set that inordinately influenced the Rudin results. In general, the NIBEM and Rudin foam stability measures were significantly correlated with bitterness, beer-foam-promoting proteins measured as Coomassie blue binding protein assay, beer color, alcohol, CO2 content, and pH, which was broadly consistent with previous studies. Although lipids are widely acknowledged as foam damaging, the measurement of total fatty acids (a lipid proxy) was not well correlated with either of the foam stability analysis methods. The FSS was significantly correlated to and largely predicted by CO2 content and beer-foam-promoting protein levels. These insights are discussed in relation to how brewers could design and consistently provide beers to customers that fulfill their foam quality requirements and expectations.

J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 70(1):39-49, 2012 In a small-scale protocol, the mashing conditions used were found to have important influences on malt quality parameters, including extract, fermentability, and the levels of wort free amino nitrogen (FAN) and beta-glucan. Understanding this relationship is important in determining and prioritizing malt components for malt quality assessment. The impact of mash-in temperatures of 62.5-75.0 degrees C was assessed on a modernized small-scale mash program whose key parameters included grist milling at 0.7 mm by disc mill, addition of CaSO4 (0.3 mM) to water, grist/water ratio of 1:3, 60 min duration of the initial phase of mashing, and the completion of mashing at 74 degrees C. Wort beta-glucan and total protein levels were relatively stable, whereas FAN progressively decreased across the temperature range studied. Maximal fermentability was obtained at a mash-in temperature of 65 degrees C. It was observed that malts containing the most thermostable beta-amylase type, Sd2H, produced more fermentable worts and that these mashes maintained a greater degree of fermentability at the higher mash-in temperatures. At mash-in temperatures greater than 65 degrees C, extract slowly decreased, whereas the level of wort total fatty acids increased substantially. The levels of linoleic (C18:2) and linolenic (C18:3) acids increased, whereas the level of palmitic (C16:0) and stearic (C18:0) acids declined at mash-in temperatures above 65 degrees C. For yeast fermentation performance. C18:2 is a key nutritive component provided by wort. It was observed that malt samples from different barley varieties produced a range of levels of wort total fatty acid contents, although the greater proportion of this variation could be attributed to between sample variation at mash-in temperatures below 65 degrees C. However, at mash-in temperatures above 65 degrees C, the varietal sample became substantially more important in determining fatty acid content and composition. In both small-scale and commercial worts, wort boiling and trub removal reduced the level of wort fatty acids by up to 85 percentage points and increased the proportion of C16:0 while decreasing the proportion of C18:2. This effect of wort boiling was more variable with commercial brewery worts that were also more variable in the initial levels of total fatty acids and were not as consistent with respect to the extent of trub removal. In particular, the level and composition of wort fatty acids is well known to impact on yeast fermentation performance and generation of flavor-active esters. As such, brewers with a greater understanding of the determinants of the level and composition of the fatty acids in the wort from which they were brewing could potentially produce beer more efficiently and closer to their desired quality specifications.

Dietary information of apex predators is crucial to understanding community dynamics and ecosystem processes. However, as dietary studies traditionally involve lethal sampling, obtaining this essential information can have repercussions on predator populations and the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. With stronger emphasis being placed on conservation of species that are vulnerable to overexploitation, the need for non-destructive methods of sampling is imperative, as is the requirement to maximize the information obtained from each sample. Stomach flushing (gastric lavage) and DNA analysis of stomach contents methods were tested on the broadnose sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus Peron 1807. Acoustic tracking and recaptures of sharks implied high survivorship post-fishing and stomach flushing. From 85 prey items collected, 36 (43%) could be identified to species level using morphological analysis. After DNA analysis, a further 35 items were identified to species level, doubling the information obtained from these stomachs. The number of N. cepedianus that were confirmed to have eaten gummy sharks Mustelus antarcticus Gunther 1870 also doubled after DNA analysis. Without DNA analysis (of stomach contents) the importance of M. antarcticus in the diets of N. cepedianus would have been substantially underestimated. In addition, the non-lethal approach provides an opportunity to obtain meaningful information from non-harvested, endangered or rare species or sampling of species within protected areas.

We demonstrate the use of molecular techniques to detect specific prey consumed by the southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii). A quick and non-lethal method was used to collect rock lobster faecal material and a molecular protocol was employed to isolate prey DNA from faecal samples. The isolated DNA was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with PCR primers designed to target specific prey items. Feeding experiments determined that DNA from black-lipped abalone (Haliotis rubra) and sea urchins (Centrostephanus rodgersii and Heliocidaris erythrogramma) can be detected in rock lobster faecal samples within seven hours and remains present for up to 60h after ingestion.

We describe seven group-specific primer pairs that amplify small sections of ribosomal RNA genes suitable for identification of animal groups of major importance as prey items in marine ecosystems. These primer sets allow the isolation of DNA from the target animal groups from mixed pools of DNA, where DNA-based identification using universal primers is unlikely to succeed. The primers are designed for identifying prey in animal diets, but could be used in any situation where these animal groups are to be identified by their DNA.

Objectives 1. To determine the impact of rock lobster fishing on abalone population dynamics 2. To evaluate the effect of abalone fishing on the community structure of the reef 3. To understand rock lobster predator-prey relationships, particularly in relation to changes -that may have occurred as a consequence of fishing Outcomes achieved Moving -from a single species assessment approach that has been the benchmark in fisheries globally to an approach that encompasses broader ecosystem issues requires both new methods and new concepts. This project used the abalone and rock lobster fisheries in Eastern Tasmania as a laboratory for which to trial new methods that would underpin an ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM) or ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM). Recent research into the rebuilding dynamics 'of abalone and rock lobster populations within a marine protected area (MPA) identified the potential for interaction between these populations. Understanding these interactions was considered important if management decisions were aimed at` optimising .the benefit from the combined resource. Demonstrating these interactions was seen as the first step by which to engage stakeholders so that they could recognise that managing either fishery separately could impair the productivity of the other fishery. ` The key observation in the MFA was that the medium size class of abalone was missing compared to adjacent fished sites. It was considered that the increase in lobster abundance and size within the MFA was a primary driver for this observation. Using standard surveys techniques 'we were able to identify that abalone emerge at a larger size within the MFA and' that this was probably a behavioural response to the phase. Using a novel approach that linked abalone shell markings to lobster attacks, we were able to provide further supporting evidence that lobsters were important predators of abalone and that the abundance and I`arger size of lobsters in the MFA resulted in higher mortalities. While the above outcomes indicated that lobsters did predate on abalone, we undertook a combined stable isotope and fa.tty acid signature approach to evaluate the importance of abalone to lobster diet. Although this method did detect differences between diets of rock lobster found in MPAs and fished regions, the contribution of abalone to the diet was relatively minor. Stable isotopes and fatty acid signatures are normally obtained from tissue samples to provide information on dietary items ingested over periods of months, depending. on tissue turnover rates. In contrast, we evaluated the use of more recent developments in dietary DNA technology to identify key dietary items that had been ingested over periods of 1""3 days. We were able to develop a quick and non-lethal technique for extracting samples for dietary DNA analysis that enabled lobsters to be returned to their place of capture ,(e.g in MPAs) or to. the fisher for future live export. _DNA markers were developed for specific prey items such as abalone, the common urchin and the invasive .long $pined urchin. Aquarium trials have demonstrated that the signal can be detected between 5 and 60 hours after ingestion of the prey item. This allows for dietary information to be obtained from lobsters that have been captured in traps left on the fishing grounds for up to 3 days. The DNA dietary method holds considerable promise for-evaluating the interactions between predators and their prey in marine ecosystems. Finally, we trialled acoustic telemetry as a method to understand the behavioural responses of lobsters inside and outside MPAs. There have been very few such 'behavioural studies undertaken on lobster and none that address the effects of fishing on ecosystem usage. Using the latest technology in acoustic telemetry we were able to demonstrate that fishing has impacted on lobster behaviour. It ,was also surprising to find that lobster activity patterns within the MFA demonstrated a degree of segregation between small and large lobsters of each sex and that these different activity patterns were not reflected in catchability of lobster in traps. The second component of this.report was to evaluate the effect of abalone fishing on inshore reef ecosystems. The first section of this component used fisher's knowledge to evaluate historical changes. Outcomes from fisher`)s interviews indicated that the fished area of reefs is dynamic and is affected by a complex relationship between abalone abundance, the amount of catch to be taken (TAC) and the financial rewards to abalone divers. Fishers stated that abalone populations fluctuated regionally although a general trend in more resilient (measured as the observed ability to recover from fishing) populations were found further south in Tasmania. Divers also noted a wide range of ecosystem changes that had also occurred over the past 30 years.. Most divers recognised that the abalone populations that they were fishing had been _severely depleted Although not consistent across all divers, several identified that after the removal of abalone, _preferred' abalone habitat changed to _less preferred' habitat. This was acknowledged as a change from crustose coralline algal (CCA) dominated habitat to habitat dominated by sessile invertebrates and foliose algae (IFA),. Fisher knowledge was also supported by an empirical study of inshore reefs. While fine scale habitat preferences could not be identified in this study, the regional 'differences noted by fishers were distinguishable. In particular, there was a change in understory community composition from north to south, although the Acteaons region in south eastern Tasmania was substantially difference to other sites on the East Coast. In conclusion, this project has demonstrated a range of novel and innovative ways to address species interacHons and paths the way for an improved understanding of the effects of fishing on ecosystems. Importantly, it showed that a number of factors ranging from the use of fishers knowledge to the use of recent technological advances were equally valuable in providing the science necessary to underpin the move towards an integrated multi.-species approach to fisheries management.