深圳杨梅坑海域造礁石珊瑚共生藻分类和遗传多样性研究

通过核糖体ITS(Internal Transcribed Spacer)的核苷酸序列研究了深圳杨梅坑海域20种47个造礁石珊瑚样本的共生藻。通过ITS序列分析,与GenBank上的4种不同的共生藻构建Neighbor-Joining聚类树,进行石珊瑚共生藻分类和遗传多样性分析。结果表明,该海域的造礁石珊瑚共生藻属于2种不同的种类(亚系群),19个样品属于C1亚系群共生藻,1个样品属于C15亚系群共生藻,C1和C15两个亚系群共生藻之间的遗传距离为0. 01。将深圳杨梅坑海域得到的ITS序列与NCBI数据库上的福建东山海域、广东徐闻地区的C1系共生藻进行比对,只有深圳杨梅坑海域藻类样本平均(A+T)碱基含量为49. 4%,(A+T)含量小于(G+C)含量。构建Neighbor-Joining聚类树表明,深圳杨梅坑海域石珊瑚共生藻与福建东山海域的亲缘关系较近,而与广东徐闻地区的亲缘关系较远,地理隔离是主要的因素。     

Floating and fixed artificial habitats: Spatial and temporal patterns of benthic communities in a coral reef environment

While natural marine habitats with motion capabilities, e.g., kelps and seaweeds, have been studied alongside their associated fouling communities, little is known of the effect of motion on the communities of floating artificial habitats such as buoys, rafts, and pontoons, particularly in tropical systems. Hydrodynamic features greatly differ between floating and fixed artificial substrata, which in turn affect the structure of their associated communities. This study tested the hypothesis that floating and fixed artificial installations in a tropical reef system (Eilat, Red Sea) would support different benthic communities throughout space and time. Specifically, we examined differences in communities recruited onto settlement plates between floating and fixed installations deployed at three different sites, along a two-year monitoring period. The three sites exhibited distinct differences in species assemblages between the monitoring dates (6, 12, 18 and 24 months post deployment), mainly between the first and the last two dates. The average level of dissimilarity between floating and fixed installations increased over time at all sites. Over 50% of the dissimilarity between the floating and fixed installations resulted from five taxonomic groups i.e., bryozoans, bivalves, barnacles, sponges, including the amount of bare space on the settlement plates. The contribution of these groups to the dissimilarity changed both temporally within each site, and spatially among sites. The observed differences were related to the hydrodynamic characteristics of floating and fixed habitats, interacting with biotic features such as predation, successional processes and seasonality; and abiotic features including small-scale spatial changes, light, and position in the water column.     

Precious corals become more precious in the northwestern pacific: Urgent need for integrated policy

The limited precious coral (Coralliidae) resources in the Northwestern Pacific have been managed by Taiwan with a comprehensive management plan, by Japan with a strengthened set of management measures, and by China through the listing of such coral as a Category I national treasures. However, continuous increases in coral consumption and coral prices have stimulated overexploitation and poaching of the resource, and hence have undermined the effectiveness of these management schemes. This article discusses the current precious corals supply chain and suggests that the rise of China in purchasing substantial amounts of coral products was the underlying cause for overexploitation and poaching. Several gaps in the management schemes are also identified and discussed. The article finally concludes that there is an urgent need for establishing a cross-disciplinary integrated conservation policy and a regional management platform consisting of the three participating states to address all the relevant social and ecological issues.     

A Middle Miocene carbonate embankment on an active volcanic slope: Ilhéu de Baixo,Madeira Archipelago,Eastern Atlantic

Carbonate factories on insular oceanic islands in active volcanic settings are poorly explored. This case study illuminates marginal limestone deposits on a steep volcanic flank and their recurring interruption by deposits linked to volcaniclastic processes. Historically known as Ilhéu da Cal (Lime Island), Ilhéu de Baixo was separated from Porto Santo, in the Madeira Archipelago, during the course of the Quaternary. Here, extensive mines were tunnelled in the Miocene carbonate strata for the production of slaked lime. Approximately 10 000 m³ of calcarenite (−1 to 1ø) was removed by hand labour from the Blandy Brothers mine at the south end of the islet. Investigations of two stratigraphic sections at opposite ends of the mine reveal that the quarried material represents an incipient carbonate ramp developed from east to west and embanked against the flank of a volcanic island. A petrographic analysis of limestones from the mine shows that coralline red algae from crushed rhodoliths account for 51% of all identifiable bioclasts. This material was transported shoreward and deposited on the ramp between normal wave base and storm wave base at moderate depths. The mine's roof rocks are formed by Surtseyan deposits from a subsequent volcanic eruption. Volcaniclastic density flows also are a prevalent factor interrupting renewed carbonate deposition. These flows arrived downslope from the north and gradually steepened the debris apron westwards. Slope instability is further shown by a coral rudstone density flow that followed from growth of a coral reef dominated by Pocillopora madreporacea (Lamarck), partial reef collapse, and transport from a more easterly direction into a fore‐reef setting. The uppermost facies represents a soft bottom at moderate depths in a quiet, but shore‐proximal setting. Application of this study to a broader understanding of the relationship between carbonate and volcaniclastic deposition on oceanic islands emphasizes the susceptibility of carbonates to dilution and complete removal by density flows of various kinds, in contrast to the potential for preservation beneath less‐disruptive Surtseyan deposits. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

四川龙门山泥盆纪四射珊瑚

本文记述了产于四川龙门山地区中、上泥盆统界线附近观雾山组和土桥子组的四射珊瑚。在大量珊瑚标本鉴定的基础上,建立了中泥盆世晚期至晚泥盆世初期的四个四射珊瑚化石组合。根据四射珊瑚的演化规律,确定以Peneckiella珊瑚类的兴起和Pseudozaphrentis hejiazhaiensis,Temnophyllun(Truncicarinulum)beichua-nensis珊瑚类的消失作为龙门山地区识别中、上泥盆统界线的标志。     

Oxygen and Carbon Isotopes of Cold-water Corals—Reconstructing Paleotemperature Changes and Calcification Mechanism

Cold-water corals represent an intriguing paleoceanographic archive with a great potential to reconstruct high-resolution paleoenvironmental changes. Compared to those of shallow-water corals, proxies derived from cold-water corals have been complicated by biologically mediated vital effects. The oxygen and carbon stable isotope compositions of cold-water coral skeletons are more depleted than the expected carbonate-seawater equilibrium values by 4‰~6‰ and about 10‰, respectively. Therefore, it is necessary to correct for the vital effects before using δ¹⁸O as a temperature proxy. The principles and methods of reconstructing paleotemperature variations of intermediate and deep oceans using oxygen and carbon isotopes of cold-water corals are reviewed, as well as three existing cold-water coral calcification models and their advantages and disadvantages. It is suggested that further micro-scales analysis and targeted experiments are required to clarify the calcification processes of cold-water corals.     

南海北部冷泉区深水珊瑚的发现及其特征

冷水珊瑚也称为深水珊瑚, 在生物多样性、生态资源和科研价值等方面具有重要意义。文章对采自南海北部冷泉区的冷水珊瑚骨骼碎屑进行测定, 鉴定出冷水珊瑚2个种(Crispatotrochus sp.1和Crispatotrochus sp.2), 以及4个属[Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia)、Balanophyllia (Eupsammia)、Lochmaeotrochus和Enallopsammia]。测定的冷水珊瑚的δ¹³C为-7.36‰~-1.15‰, δ¹⁸O为-1.38‰~3.67‰, 与全球冷水珊瑚碳氧同位素组成相似, 但明显不同于南海暖水珊瑚、冷泉碳酸盐岩及低温热液成因碳酸盐岩的碳氧同位素组成。     

不同pH值下的珊瑚养殖实验

本文建立了一种科研用室内珊瑚养殖中新生长珊瑚的培植方法,解决了养殖珊瑚中新生长珊瑚样品的培植和采集问题。按照所改进的珊瑚养殖技术和建立的新生长珊瑚的培植方法完成了在不同海水pH值环境下的珊瑚养殖实验,同时达到对养殖中研究参数控制的简化和有效地目的。测定了在养殖过程中各水化学参数的变化,获得了新生长的珊瑚样品,为利用硼同位素组成指示海洋环境的变化提供载体。     

全球变暖背景下三亚湾上升流的冷水有利于珊瑚的生存

It has been reported that global warming has negative effects on coral ecosystems in the past 50 years and the effects vary in different ocean environment. In order to make clear the coral reef status in the background of global warming along the south coast of Hainan Island of China, satellite and in situ data are used to retrieve the information of the coral reef status and surrounding environmental factors. The results show that cool water induced by upwelling along the south coast of Hainan Island is found in the area every summer month, especially in the relatively strong El Ni?o years(2002–2003 and 2005). From the NOAA satellite data, degree heating week(DHW) index does not exceed 3 in Sanya Bay even in the relatively strong El Ni?o years. By comparison of a coral reef growth rate in the Sanya Bay with respect to El Ni?o events from 1957 to 2000, coral's growth rate is relatively greater during 1972, 1991–1994 and 1998 El Ni?o event. By analyzing the environmental factors, it is found that the cool water induced by upwelling may be the main reason for protecting corals from global warming effects.     

MOLECULAR TAXONOMY OF SYMBIOTIC DINOFLAGELLATES IN SCLERACTINIAN CORALS

通过nlsrDNA（nuclearlarge．subunitribosomalDNA）及nssrDNAfnuclearsmall．subunitri．bosomalDNA）的PCR—RFLP研究广东徐闻地区8科15属25种62个造礁石珊瑚样本的共生藻。结果表明,共生藻nlsrDNA的RsaI酶切基因型只存在一种,属于C系群共生藻;而nssrDNA的MobI和TaqI两种酶切都存在两种基因型。实验进一步通过PCR直接测序法得到62个造礁石珊瑚样品的共生藻ITS序列,与GenBank上的4种虫黄藻ITS序列构建Neighbor．Joining系统发育树,结果表明该区的造礁石珊瑚共生两种不同种类（亚系群）的共生藻,分别为c1亚系群与C15亚系群共生藻,两个亚系群间的遗传距离为0．019。广东徐闻地区造礁石珊瑚共生藻多样性偏低,暗示该地区珊瑚礁生态系统应对环境变化的能力可能较弱。