Biological structures as a source of habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity on the deep ocean margins   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Lene Buhl-Mortensen  Ann Vanreusel  rew J. Gooday  Lisa A. Levin  Imants G. Priede  Pål Buhl-Mortensen  Hendrik Gheerardyn  Nicola J. King  & Maarten Raes 《Marine Ecology》2010,31(1):21-50

Biological structures exert a major influence on species diversity at both local and regional scales on deep continental margins. Some organisms use other species as substrates for attachment, shelter, feeding or parasitism, but there may also be mutual benefits from the association. Here, we highlight the structural attributes and biotic effects of the habitats that corals, sea pens, sponges and xenophyophores offer other organisms. The environmental setting of the biological structures influences their species composition. The importance of benthic species as substrates seems to increase with depth as the complexity of the surrounding geological substrate and food supply decline. There are marked differences in the degree of mutualistic relationships between habitat-forming taxa. This is especially evident for scleractinian corals, which have high numbers of facultative associates (commensals) and few obligate associates (mutualists), and gorgonians, with their few commensals and many obligate associates. Size, flexibility and architectural complexity of the habitat-forming organism are positively related to species diversity for both sessile and mobile species. This is mainly evident for commensal species sharing a facultative relationship with their host. Habitat complexity is enhanced by the architecture of biological structures, as well as by biological interactions. Colony morphology has a great influence on feeding efficiency for suspension feeders. Suspension feeding, habitat-forming organisms modify the environment to optimize their food uptake. This environmental advantage is also passed on to associated filter-feeding species. These effects are poorly understood but represent key points for understanding ecosystems and biodiversity on continental margins. In this paper we explore the contributions of organisms and the biotic structures they create (rather than physical modifications) to habitat heterogeneity and diversity on the deep continental margins.  相似文献   

Shark interactions in pelagic longline fisheries   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Eric Gilman  Shelley Clarke  Nigel Brothers  Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto  John Mandelman  Jeff Mangel  Samantha Petersen  Susanna Piovano  Nicola Thomson  Paul Dalzell  Miguel Donoso  Meidad Goren  Tim Werner 《Marine Policy》2008

Substantial ecological, economic and social problems result from shark interactions in pelagic longline fisheries. Improved understanding of industry attitudes and practices towards shark interactions assists with managing these problems. Information on fisher knowledge and new strategies for shark avoidance may benefit sharks and fishers. A study of 12 pelagic longline fisheries from eight countries shows that incentives to avoid sharks vary along a continuum, based on whether sharks represent an economic disadvantage or advantage. Shark avoidance practices are limited, including avoiding certain areas, moving when shark interaction rates are high, using fish instead of squid for bait and deeper setting. Some conventionally employed fishing gear and methods used to target non-shark species contribute to shark avoidance. Shark repellents hold promise; more research and development is needed. Development of specifically designed equipment to discard sharks could improve shark post release survival prospects, reduce gear loss and improve crew safety. With expanding exploitation of sharks for fins and meat, improved data collection, monitoring and precautionary shark management measures are needed to ensure that shark fishing mortality levels are sustainable.  相似文献   

Long-term stability of the fish assemblages in a warm-temperate South African estuary     

Nicola C. James  Alan K. Whitfield  Paul D. Cowley 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2008,76(4):723-738

Little is known about long-term changes in estuarine fish populations and related environmental variations. Fishes in the temporarily open/closed East Kleinemonde Estuary were sampled bi-annually, in summer and winter, using seine and gill nets between December 1994 and July 2005. A total of 18 families, represented by 33 species, were recorded. The 10 most abundant species caught were consistently recorded in catches each year, but CPUE of individual species varied on an annual basis and this can often be related to mouth state. Multivariate analyses of the annual marine fish community identified two distinct groups, with more species recorded during years that succeeded spring (September to November) mouth-opening events than in years following no mouth-opening events in spring. Interannual community stability (IMD) and seriation (IMS) also increased from the years following no opening events in spring to the years that succeeded spring opening events. These results highlight the importance of the timing of mouth opening to the marine fish community in a temporarily open/closed estuary. This study reinforces the importance of long-term studies to understanding community changes in estuaries caused by environmental variations over different time scales.  相似文献   

The amphipod Talitrus saltator as a bioindicator of human trampling on sandy beaches     

Ugolini A  Ungherese G  Somigli S  Galanti G  Baroni D  Borghini F  Cipriani N  Nebbiai M  Passaponti M  Focardi S 《Marine environmental research》2008,65(4):349-357

The present paper assesses the use of the supralittoral amphipod Talitrus saltator as a bioindicator of the effects of human trampling on the supralittoral sandy band. Samplings in delimited areas were carried out at sites subjected to different human impact. The results showed a strong negative correlation between the number of swimmers and the sandhopper population density, while there was no clear relationship between sandhopper abundance and the other factors considered: granulometry, compactness and organic carbon content of the sand, and trace metal contents in the sand and sandhoppers. A field test of trampling conducted in a confined space showed its direct negative effect on sandhopper survival. However, trace metal analysis confirmed the ability of T. saltator to bioaccumulate some elements (Hg, Zn, Cu, Cd). Our study demonstrates that T. saltator is a good bioindicator of human impact in the supralittoral zone of sandy shores.  相似文献   

A spectral atlas of post-main-sequence stars in ω Centauri: kinematics, evolution, enrichment and interstellar medium     

Jacco Th. van Loon  Floor van Leeuwen  Barry Smalley  rew W. Smith  Nicola A. Lyons  Iain McDonald  Martha L. Boyer 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2007,382(3):1353-1374

  相似文献   

A structural and geophysical approach to the study of fractured aquifers in the Scansano-Magliano in Toscana Ridge, southern Tuscany, Italy   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Roberto Francese  Francesco Mazzarini  Andrea Bistacchi  Gianfranco Morelli  Giorgio Pasquarè  Nicola Praticelli  Henry Robain  Nigel Wardell  Annalisa Zaja 《Hydrogeology Journal》2009,17(5):1233-1246

Fresh water availability has recently become a serious concern in the Italian Apennines, as various activities rely on a predictable supply. Along the ridge between Scansano and Magliano in Toscana, in southern Tuscany, the situation is further complicated by contamination of the nearby alluvial aquifers. Aquifers locally consist of thin fractured reservoirs, generally within low-permeability formations, and it can be difficult to plan the exploitation of resources based on conventional techniques. An integrated study based on geological data investigated the link between tectonics and groundwater circulation, to better define the hydrological model. After the regional identification of fault and fracture patterns, a major structure was investigated in detail to accurately map its spatial position and to understand the geometry and properties of the associated aquifer and assess its exploitation potential. The subsurface around the fault zone was clearly imaged using ground probing radar, two-dimensional and three-dimensional resistivity tomography, and three-dimensional shallow seismic surveys. The vertical and horizontal contacts between the different geological units of the Ligurian and Tuscan series were resolved with a high degree of spatial accuracy. Three-dimensional high-resolution geophysical imaging proved to be a very effective means of characterising small-scale fractured reservoirs.  相似文献   

How Produce a Plasma Jet Using a Single and Low Energy Laser Beam     

Ph. Nicolaï  V. T. Tikhonchuk  A. Kasperczuk  T. Pisarczyk  S. Borodziuk  K. Rohlena  J. Ullschmied 《Astrophysics and Space Science》2007,307(1-3):87-91

Under suitable conditions on laser intensity, focal spot radius and atomic number a radiative jet was launched from a planar target. This jet was produced using a relatively low energy laser pulse, below 500 J and it presents similarities with astrophysical protostellar jets. It lasts more than 10 ns, extends over several millimeters, has velocity more than 500 km/s, the Mach number more than 10 and the density above 10¹⁸ cm⁻³. The mechanism of jet formation was inferred from the dimensional analysis and hydrodynamic two-dimensional simulations. It is related to the radiative cooling while the magnetic fields play a minor role. PACS numbers: 98.38.Fs, 52.50.Jm, 95.30.Qd  相似文献   

Fundamental physics and absolute positioning metrology with the MAGIA lunar orbiter     

Simone Dell��Agnello  Caterina Lops  Giovanni O. Delle Monache  Douglas G. Currie  Manuele Martini  Roberto Vittori  Angioletta Coradini  Cesare Dionisio  Marco Garattini  Alessandro Boni  Claudio Cantone  Riccardo March  Giovanni Bellettini  Roberto Tauraso  Mauro Maiello  Luca Porcelli  Simone Berardi  Nicola Intaglietta 《Experimental Astronomy》2011,32(1):19-35

MAGIA is a mission approved by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) for Phase A study. Using a single large-diameter laser retroreflector, a large laser retroreflector array and an atomic clock onboard MAGIA we propose to perform several fundamental physics and absolute positioning metrology experiments: VESPUCCI, an improved test of the gravitational redshift in the Earth?CMoon system predicted by General Relativity; MoonLIGHT-P, a precursor test of a second generation Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) payload for precision gravity and lunar science measurements under development for NASA, ASI and robotic missions of the proposed International Lunar Network (ILN); Selenocenter (the center of mass of the Moon), the determination of the position of the Moon center of mass with respect to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame/System (ITRF/ITRS); this will be compared to the one from Apollo and Lunokhod retroreflectors on the surface; MapRef, the absolute referencing of MAGIA??s lunar altimetry, gravity and geochemical maps with respect to the ITRF/ITRS. The absolute positioning of MAGIA will be achieved thanks to: (1) the laboratory characterization of the retroreflector performance at INFN-LNF; (2) the precision tracking by the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS), which gives two fundamental contributions to the ITRF/ITRS, i.e. the metrological definition of the geocenter (the Earth center of mass) and of the scale of length; (3) the radio science and accelerometer payloads; (4) support by the ASI Space Geodesy Center in Matera, Italy. Future ILN geodetic nodes equipped with MoonLIGHT and the Apollo/Lunokhod retroreflectors will become the first realization of the International Moon Reference Frame (IMRF), the lunar analog of the ITRF.  相似文献   

The potential origins and palaeoenvironmental implications of high temporal resolution δO heterogeneity in coral skeletons     

Nicola Allison  Adrian A. Finch 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2010,74(19):5537-322

δ¹⁸O was determined at high spatial resolution (beam diameter ∼30 μm) by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) across 1-2 year sections of 2 modern Porites lobata coral skeletons from Hawaii. We observe large (>2‰) cyclical δ¹⁸O variations that typically cover skeletal distances equivalent to periods of ∼20-30 days. These variations do not reflect seawater temperature or composition and we conclude that skeletal δ¹⁸O is principally controlled by other processes. Calcification site pH in one coral record was estimated from previous SIMS measurements of skeletal δ¹¹B. We model predicted skeletal δ¹⁸O as a function of calcification site pH, DIC residence time at the site and DIC source (reflecting the inputs of seawater and molecular CO₂ to the site). We assume that oxygen isotopic equilibration proceeds at the rates observed in seawater and that only the aqueous carbonate ion is incorporated into the precipitating aragonite. We reproduce successfully the observed skeletal δ¹⁸O range by assuming that DIC is rapidly utilised at the calcification site (within 1 h) and that ∼80% of the skeletal carbonate is derived from seawater. If carbonic anhydrase catalyses the reversible hydration of CO₂ at the calcification site, then oxygen isotopic equilibration times may be substantially reduced and a larger proportion of the skeletal carbonate could be derived from molecular CO₂. Seasonal skeletal δ¹⁸O variations are most pronounced in the skeleton deposited from late autumn to winter (and coincide with the high density skeletal bands) and are dampened in skeleton deposited from spring to summer. We observed no annual pattern in sea surface temperature or photosynthetically active radiation variability which could potentially correlate with the coral δ¹⁸O. At present we are unable to resolve an environmental cue to drive seasonal patterns of short term skeletal δ¹⁸O heterogeneity.  相似文献   

Structural evolution of a 2M 1 phengite mica up to 11 GPa: an in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction study     

G. Diego Gatta  Nicola Rotiroti  Paolo Lotti  Alessandro Pavese  Nadia Curetti 《Physics and Chemistry of Minerals》2010,37(8):581-591

The structural evolution at high pressure of a natural 2M ₁-phengite [(K_0.98Na_0.02)_Σ=1.00(Al_1.55Mg_0.24Fe_0.21Ti_0.02)_Σ=2.01(Si_3.38Al_0.62)O₁₀(OH)₂; a = 5.228(2), b = 9.057(3), c = 19.971(6)Å, β = 95.76(2)°; space group: C2/c] from the metamorphic complex of Cima Pal (Sesia Zone, Western Alps, Italy) was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction with a diamond anvil cell under hydrostatic conditions up to ~11 GPa. A series of 12 structure refinements were performed at selected pressures within the P range investigated. The compressional behaviour of the same phengite sample was previously studied up to ~25 GPa by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, showing an irreversible transformation with a drastic decrease of the crystallinity at P > 15–17 GPa. The elastic behaviour between 0.0001 and 17 GPa was modelled by a third-order Birch–Murnaghan Equation of State (BM-EoS), yielding to K _T0 = 57.3(10) GPa and K′ = ?K _T0/?P = 6.97(24). The single-crystal structure refinements showed that the significant elastic anisotropy of the 2M ₁-phengite (with β(a):β(b):β(c) = 1:1.17:4.60) is mainly controlled by the anisotropic compression of the K-polyhedra. The evolution of the volume of the inter-layer K-polyhedron as a function of P shows a negative slope, Fitting the P–V(K-polyhedron) data with a truncated second-order BM-EoS we obtain a bulk modulus value of K _T0(K-polyhedron) = 26(1) GPa. Tetrahedra and octahedra are significantly stiffer than the K-polyhedron. Tetrahedra behave as quasi-rigid units within the P range investigated. In contrast, a monotonic decrease is observed for the octahedron volume, with K _T0 = 120(10) GPa derived by a BM-EoS. The anisotropic response to pressure of the K-polyhedron affects the P-induced deformation mechanism on the tetrahedral sheet, consisting in a cooperative rotation of the tetrahedra and producing a significant ditrigonalization of the six-membered rings. The volume of the K-polyhedron and the value of the ditrigonal rotation parameter (α) show a high negative correlation (about 93%), though a slight discontinuity is observed at P >8 GPa. α increases linearly with P up to 7–8 GPa (with ?α/?P ≈ 0.7°/GPa), whereas at higher Ps a “saturation plateau” is visible. A comparison between the main deformation mechanisms as a function of pressure observed in 2M ₁- and 3T-phengite is discussed.  相似文献