Welcome mats? The role of seagrass meadow structure in controlling post-settlement survival in a keystone sea-urchin species     

Patricia Prado  Javier Romero  Teresa Alcoverro 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2009

Processes acting on the early-life histories of marine organisms can have important consequences for the structuring of benthic communities. In particular, the degree of coupling between larval supply and adult abundances can wield considerable influence on the strength of trophic interactions in the ecosystem. These processes have been relatively well described in rocky systems and soft-sediment communities, and it is clear that they are governed by very different bottlenecks. Seagrass meadows make interesting study systems because they bear structural affinities to both soft sediments as well as rocky substrates. We examined the early-life history of Paracentrotus lividus, one of the dominant herbivores in Mediterranean seagrass meadows, to identify the drivers of population dynamics in this species. We measured spatial and temporal variability in sea urchin post-settlement in 10 Posidonia oceanica meadows in the North-Western Mediterranean over a period of two years, and compared the numbers with the one-year old cohort a year later (i.e. the new population recruitment) as well as between successive size–age groups. Urchin post-settlers differed substantially between meadows but were present in both years in all meadows surveyed, suggesting that larval supply was not limiting for any of the studied sites. However, in six of the studied meadows, the one-year cohort of urchins was absent in both years, indicating that post-settlement processes strongly affected urchins in these meadows. In contrast, in four of the studied meadows, there was a strong coupling between post-settlers and one-year cohort individuals. These meadows were structurally different from the others in that they were characterised by an exposed matrix of rhizomes forming a dense seagrass mat. This mat apparently strongly mediates post-settlement mortality, and its presence or absence dictates the successful establishment of urchin populations in seagrass meadows. As the population aged, the relationship between size–age groups decreased evidencing the action of other processes. Yet, these results indicate that differences in physical structure are a vital bottleneck for sea urchin populations in seagrass meadows. Exploring the interaction between ecosystem structure and early-life history may provide a broader and more unified framework to understand the dynamics of a range of benthic habitats, including rocky substrates, soft sediments and seagrass meadows.  相似文献   

海面温度异常时间序列的谱分析     

杜军  修延霞  罗爱军  晋海龙 《测绘信息与工程》2009,34(6):38-39

利用了傅里叶功率谱和小波功率谱分析方法,分析了太平洋中、东部地区海面温度异常时间序列的时频特征,发现了海面温度异常信号具有2~6年左右的周期特征。  相似文献   

防海胆食害藻礁的设计及实验研究     

田涛  张秀梅  张沛东  杨宝清  陈勇 《中国海洋大学学报(自然科学版)》2008,38(1):68-72

人工藻礁是进行藻场建设的重要手段,但由于海胆等食藻类生物的摄食,将会影响藻类的生长,从而影响人工藻场的建设效果.为解决人工藻场建设中海胆的食害问题,从礁体自身设计出发,实验设计了8种不同形状的藻礁,选用光棘球海胆和中间球海胆为实验对象,观察比较了不同形状藻礁对海胆攀爬的阻碍效果,实验发现:侧周面为锯齿形或侧周面缠挂多孔柔性材料的礁型可有效阻止海胆攀爬,起到防止海胆摄食礁顶藻类的目的.研究结果为人工藻礁的设计提供了参考依据.  相似文献   

The fate of terrestrial organic matter in two Scottish sea lochs     

P.S. Loh  A.D. Reeves  S.M. Harvey  J. Overnell  A.E.J. Miller 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2008

Sea lochs are zones of rapid organic matter (OM) turnover. Most of this OM is of allochthonous origin, being introduced into the lochs via freshwater input. In this study the behaviour of terrestrially derived OM was elucidated using a combination of parameters which indicate OM diagenesis in the near surface sediments from two Scottish sea lochs, Loch Creran and Loch Etive. Alkaline CuO oxidation was used to determine lignin phenols which serve as biomarkers for terrestrial OM in sediments. Stable carbon isotope, total carbon and nitrogen and total OM (including the labile and refractory fractions) compositions were also determined.  相似文献   

A culture-dependent survey of thermophilic bacteria from hot springs in Xiamen area in China     

YANG Bo  OUYANG Jianping  AO Jingqun  CHEN Xinhua 《海洋学报(英文版)》2009,28(1):62-71

Microbes are believed to play important roles in ecosystem function in many environments. The hot springs of Xiamen Island are close to the Xiamen Sea, and may have some characteristics different from those of inland hot springs. Microbes living in the hot springs of Xiamen may have new characteristics. However, little is known about microbial communities of hot springs close to the Xiamen Sea. A culturedependent survey of microbial population in the Xiamen hot springs was performed by using an approach combining total cellular protein profile identification and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 328 isolates of bacteria were obtained from liquid and sediment samples from the Xiamen hot springs, including neutrophilic thermophilic bacteria and moderately thermophilic acidophiles. Neutrophilic thermophilic bacteria, which grow at a temperature range of 55—90℃ including Rhodothermus marinus (Strain 1), Thermus thermophilus (Strain 2), Thermus thiopara (Strain 3), Geobacillus stearothermophilus (Strain 4), Geobacillus thermoleovorans (Strain 5), and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes (Strain 6), were recovered by 2216E plates. Moderately thermophilic acidophiles, which can grow at temperatures above 50℃ and a pH range of 1.8—3.5 such as Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (Strain 8), Sulfobacillus acidophilus (Strain 9), and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans (Strain 10), were isolated on selective solid medium containing sulfur and Fe2+. Among these strains, Rhodothermus marinus, Thermus thermophilus and Geobacillus stearothermophilus are not only thermophiles, but also halophiles. One bacterium strain (Strain 6) shared 99% nucleotide sequence homology with Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, but was quite different from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes in biological characteristics, suggesting that it may represent a novel thermophilic species. Results indicated that various species of neutrophilic thermophiles and moderately thermophilic acidophiles were widely distributed in the Xiamen hot springs and that Rhodothermus marinus and Thermus thermophilus dominated the cultivable microbial community.  相似文献   

Separate and interactive effects of eutrophication and climate variables on the ecosystem elements of the Gulf of Riga   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Jonne Kotta  Ilmar Kotta  Mart Simm  Maria Pllupüü 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2009,84(4):509-518

There is currently a critical knowledge gap in how eutrophication and climate variables separately and interactively impact the dynamics of marine ecosystems. Based on long-term monitoring data we quantified the separate and combined impacts of nutrient loading, temperature, salinity, and wind conditions on zooplankton, zoobenthos and fish inhabiting a brackish water ecosystem in the Gulf of Riga. Changes in zoobenthos communities and herring stock were largely explained by climate variables. Zooplankton species were related to both eutrophication and climate variables, and models combining all environmental variables explained additional variation in zooplankton data compared to the separate models of climate and eutrophication. This suggests that zoobenthos communities and herring stock are largely driven by weather conditions, whereas the combined effect of weather and nutrient loads are likely the cause for dynamic zooplankton communities in the Gulf of Riga.  相似文献   

Reproduction in the sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis (Anthozoa: Pennatulacea) from the west coast of Scotland     

Daniel C.B. Edwards  Colin G. Moore 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2009

The sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis (Pallas, 1766) is a species of conservation concern in Scottish coastal waters, due to its restricted geographical distribution and high sensitivity to demersal fishing activities. Reproduction in F. quadrangularis was investigated in a population located in southern Loch Linnhe, west Scotland. This was accomplished through the analysis of trends in oocyte size-frequency distribution and relative fecundity over a 12-month period. Funiculina quadrangularis is dioecious and the study population exhibited a sex ratio of 1:1. Oogenesis in female F. quadrangularis is characterised by the maintenance of a large pool of asynchronously developing oocytes throughout the year, of which a small proportion (<10%) mature with increasing sychronicity and are spawned in midwinter. The reasons for this distinct pattern of oogenesis and winter spawning remain unclear, although the potential influence of environmental cues and the role of endogenous factors in relation to this sea pen's deep-sea habit are discussed. Whilst the duration of oogenesis is prolonged (>12 months), it is proposed that spawning is a brief and synchronous annual event. Relative fecundity is high and is independent of colony size, varying between approximately 500–2000 oocytes per 1 cm rachial midsection. This measure of fecundity exhibited pronounced seasonality and was significantly lower during the post-spawning winter months. Total fecundity in F. quadrangularis is considered to be high; although a small proportion of the total number of oocytes is spawned annually, this is compensated for by large colony size. Funiculina quadrangularis produces large oocytes (>800 μm), indicative of the production of lecithotrophic larvae.  相似文献   

The influence of light availability and predatory behavior of the decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus on the activity rhythms of continental margin prey decapods     

Jacopo Aguzzi  Nixon Bahamon  & Leonardo Marotta 《Marine Ecology》2009,30(3):366-375

The day–night cycle is one of the strongest geophysical cycles modulating species' behavioral rhythms. However, in deep-water continental margins, where light intensity decreases over depth, interspecific competition may alter behavioral responses to day–night cycles. The burrowing decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus is a large-size predator in benthic communities, exerting despotic territorial behavior. In this study, we analysed how the effect of light intensity cycles on decapod behavioral rhythms is reduced as one moves from shelves to slopes. In the Western Mediterranean, the predatory behavior and interspecific competition for substrate use of Nephrops increases moving from the shelf (100–110 m) to the slope (400–430 m). Vector fitting and generalized additive models were used to assess the effect of light intensity and behavioral rhythms of N. norvegicus on the temporal variation of prey decapods co-occurring in trawl tow catches carried out on the shelf and the slope during October 1999 and June 2000. The combination of diel variations in light intensity and N. norvegicus abundance influences the activity rhythms of prey decapods in a depth- and seasonal-dependent manner. Light modulation is stronger on the shelf and weaker on the slope, where Nephrops population size is greater. Although present regression analysis does not necessarily imply a direct cause–effect relationship between rhythms of predators and prey, we suggest that Nephrops alters the temporal patterning in the behavior of its prey on the slope, where light intensity is reduced. This alteration is stronger in endobenthic species than in benthopelagic species; the former rely on bottom substrate for the expression of behavioral rhythms, experiencing stronger interspecific competitions with Nephrops at time of activity.  相似文献   

Winkler's method overestimates dissolved oxygen in seawater: Iodate interference and its oceanographic implications     

George T.F. Wong  Kuo-Yuan Li 《Marine Chemistry》2009,115(1-2):86-91

Dissolved oxygen in seawater has been determined by using the Winkler's reaction scheme for decades. An interference in this reaction scheme that has been heretofore overlooked is the presence of naturally occurring iodate in seawater. Each mole of iodate can result in an apparent presence of 1.5 mol of dissolved oxygen. At the concentrations of iodate in the surface and deep open ocean, it can lead to an overestimation of 0.52 ± 0.15 and 0.63 ± 0.05 μmol kg^− 1 of oxygen in these waters respectively. In coastal and inshore waters, the effect is less predictable as the concentration of iodate is more variable. The solubility of oxygen in seawater was likely overestimated in data sources that were based on the Winkler's reaction scheme for the determination of oxygen. The solubility equation of García and Gordon [Garcia H.E., Gordon, L.I., 1992. Oxygen solubility in seawater: Better fitting equations. Limnol. Oceanogr. 37, 1307–1312] derived from the results of Benson and Krause [Benson, F.B., Krause, D. Jr., 1984. The concentration and isotopic fractionation of oxygen dissolved in freshwater and seawater in equilibrium with the atmosphere. Limnol. Oceanogr. 29, 620–632] is free from this source of error and is recommended for general use. By neglecting the presence of iodate, the average global super-saturation of oxygen in the surface oceans and the corresponding efflux of oxygen to the atmosphere both have been overestimated by about 8%. Regionally, in areas where the degree of super-saturation or under-saturation of oxygen in the surface water is small, such as in the tropical oceans, the net air–sea exchange flux can be grossly under- or overestimated. Even the estimated direction of the exchange can be reversed. Furthermore, the presence of iodate can lead to an overestimation of the saturation anomaly of oxygen in the upper ocean attributed to biological production by 0.23 ± 0.07%. AOU may have been underestimated by 0.52 ± 0.15 and 0.63 ± 0.05 μmol kg^− 1 in the surface mixed layer and deep water, while preformed phosphate and preformed nitrate may have been overestimated by 0.004 ± 0.001 and 0.06 ± 0.02 μmol kg^− 1 in the surface mixed layer, and 0.005 ± 0.0004 and 0.073 ± 0.006 μmol kg^− 1 in the deep water. These are small but not negligible corrections, especially in areas where the values of these parameters are small. At the increasing level of sophistication in the interpretation of oxygen data, this source of error should now be taken into account. Nevertheless, in order to avoid confusion, an internationally accepted standard needs to be adopted before these corrections can be applied.  相似文献   

金属电极在含油模拟海水中电化学行为的研究          下载免费PDF全文

曹晓燕  李春玲  王佳  张慧玲  谭丽菊 《海洋科学》2008,32(4):5-8

采用电化学阻抗和恒电位阶跃技术研究了金属铂和镍电极在含油氯化钠溶液中的电化学行为特征,测量了不同含油量体系中电化学信号的变化,并建立了相应的等效电路.实验结果表明,同样条件下多孔电极比平面电极的电化学信号响应显著,泡沫镍电极与铂黑电极相比对含油量的响应则更为明显.  相似文献