Behavioural Effects of Chemically Dispersed Oil and Subsequent Recovery in Diploria strigosa (Dana)

Abstract. Survival and behaviour of the hermatypic coral Diploria strigosa was studied during 6–24 h doses with water-accomodated fractions of chemically dispersed crude oil, and for a subsequent recovery period of 1 month. Experiments utilized a flow-through laboratory dosing procedure and incorporated petroleum hydrocarbon measurements in order to simulate a major but short-term oil spill in shallow subtidal benthic reef environments. Chemically dispersed oil treatments consisted of Arabian Light Crude oil with Corexit 9527 or BP1100WD at 1–20 ppm concentrations of oil.
In general, effects observed were sub-lethal, temporary, and associated with the highest concentrations tested. Responses to the presence of dispersed oil at 20ppm for 24 h included mesenterial filament extrusion, extreme tissue contraction, tentacle retraction and localized tissue rupture. The nature and severity of reactions during the dosing phase varied between colonies and treatments, but colonies typically resumed normal behaviour within 2 h to 4 d of the recovery period. It therefore seems unlikely that observed biological effects would impair long-term viability.     

海南昌江沿岸海域石珊瑚的物种多样性及其分布

2009年3月,采用水下照相及摄像方法,对海南昌江沿岸海域的石珊瑚物种多样性、分布及覆盖度进行了调查.结合历史资料,共发现石珊瑚10科15属28种和1未定种.其中鹿角珊瑚属（Acropora）、角蜂巢珊瑚属（Favites）、叶状珊瑚属（Lobophyllia）等为优势类群,常见分布珊瑚种类有角孔珊瑚（Gonioporasp.）、标准蜂巢珊瑚（Favia speciosa）、五边角蜂巢珊瑚（Favites pentagona）、多孔鹿角珊瑚（Acropora millepora）、十字牡丹珊瑚（Pavona decussata）、伞房叶状珊瑚（Lobophyllia corymbosa）等.石珊瑚主要分布于海尾镇三联村以南海域,覆盖率最高为12%.本次调查在海南昌江沿岸海域记录的珊瑚种类数多于以前的记录,但少于海南南岸的三亚鹿回头,也少于北部的广西涠洲岛、广东徐闻、香港等海域,随着调查次数的增加,预计会有更多的种类被发现.该海域是北部湾珊瑚幼虫交流的中间过渡区,对珊瑚礁的保护与恢复具有重要意义.     

广东大亚湾石珊瑚群落的分布及动态变化

2006年6月对位于南海北部亚热带的大亚湾和大鹏湾石珊瑚群落的分布、种类和覆盖率进行了调查,结果显示大亚湾共有石珊瑚24种,以秘密角蜂巢珊瑚(Favites abdita)为优势种,总覆盖率为20%,大鹏湾有石珊瑚21种,以精巧扁脑珊瑚(Platygyra daedalea)为优势种,总覆盖率为7.9%。大亚湾石珊瑚群落健康状况良好,但生长稀疏,群落密度低,空间结构简单,生长带窄;与1964年、1983年、1984年和1991年的调查结果相比,覆盖率从76.6%下降到20%,优势种从枝状的霜鹿角珊瑚(Acropora Pruinosa)转变成块状或皮壳状的秘密角蜂巢珊瑚,群落生态退化严重,主要原因可能是人为破坏活动对珊瑚本身以及生长环境造成的压力所致,包括过度捕捞、盗采珊瑚、沿岸施工和水体污染等,建议采取相应的保护措施。     

Scleractinian cold-water corals in the Gulf of Cádiz—First clues about their spatial and temporal distribution

This paper presents the first compilation of information on the spatial distribution of scleractinian cold-water corals in the Gulf of Cádiz based on literature research and own observations (video footage, sediment samples). Scleractinian cold-water corals are widely distributed along the Spanish and Moroccan margins in the Gulf of Cádiz, where they are mainly associated with mud volcanoes, diapiric ridges, steep fault escarpments, and coral mounds. Dendrophyllia cornigera, Dendrophyllia alternata, Eguchipsammia cornucopia, Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa are the most abundant reef-forming species. Today, they are almost solely present as isolated patches of fossil coral and coral rubble. The absence of living scleractinian corals is likely related to a reduced food supply caused by low productivity and diminished tidal effects. In contrast, during the past 48 kyr scleractinian corals were abundant in the Gulf of Cádiz, although their occurrence demonstrates no relationship with main climatic or oceanographic changes. Nevertheless, there exists a conspicuous relationship when the main species are considered separately. Dendrophylliids are associated with periods of relatively stable and warm conditions. The occurrence of L. pertusa mainly clusters within the last glacial when bottom current strength in the Gulf of Cádiz was enhanced and long-term stable conditions existed in terms of temperature. Madrepora oculata shows a higher tolerance to abrupt environmental changes.     

基于线粒体基因的石珊瑚分子系统学研究

以广东徐闻地区常见的6科10属17种石珊瑚的21个样本为研究对象,对线粒体COⅠ、16SrRNA和mtSSU三基因片段数据进行了联合分析,并计算了属间和科间遗传距离;利用邻接法、最大简约法和最大似然法分别构建了分子系统树。序列分析结果显示,石珊瑚线粒体基因碱基构成同样具有AT偏倚特征;石珊瑚属间的遗传距离显著大于属内遗传距离,而所有石珊瑚与两个外类种群的距离均大于石珊瑚之间的遗传距离;在系统发育树中,分子系统分类结果与形态学分类阐述的遗传进化关系略有差别,暗示传统形态学分类可能受珊瑚骨骼生长可塑性限制。     

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。     

基于线粒体Cytb基因的10种石珊瑚的系统发育关系

通过PCR扩增直接测序得到10种徐闻石珊瑚线粒体Cyt b基因部分序列,分析其碱基组成和变异频率,并采用Neighbor-Joining和Maximum Parsimony法构建系统发育树。结果显示:序列中A+T比例为61.0%,G+C比例为39.0%,前者明显高于后者,碱基替换主要发生在密码子第3位;滨珊瑚科分类与传统分类存在一定差异,揭示传统形态学分类可能受珊瑚骨骼生长可塑性限制,造成分类不准确;刺柄珊瑚属与蜂巢珊瑚科各属亲缘关系较近。     

贵州册亨中三叠统坡段组中上部石珊瑚及牙形石生物地层

为进一步精确限定黔西南中三叠统坡段组的地质时代,论文选择贵州册亨中三叠统坡段组典型剖面开展了石珊瑚及牙形石生物地层研究,在中三叠统坡段组(中上部)识别出石珊瑚3属3种,它们包括Pentasmilia zaitingnaensis,Pinacophyllum spizzensis,Gillastraea delicate;识别出牙形石Neogondolella constricta带。该带除含有带分子外,还含有Neogondolella bulgarica,Neogondoela navicula,Neogondolella acuta,Neogondolella alpina alpina,Cratognathodus kochi,Ozarkodina tortilis,Prioniodinasp.,Lonchodinasp.等重要牙形石。通过对牙形石特征的分析和国内外同名带的对比,认为坡段组Neogondolella constricta带大体可与贵州省盘县地区羊圈-楚皮凹剖面中三叠统关岭组上段、贵州罗甸关刀(2)剖面关刀岩楔、和云南开远马者哨法郎组的同名化石带对比,进而确定贵州册亨地区坡段组含牙形石Neogondolella constricta带的地层时代为安尼期的Illyrian亚期。     

基于三种分子标记的外伶仃岛石珊瑚系统进化关系研究

以广东省珠海市外伶仃岛地区常见的4属5种石珊瑚为研究对象,对线粒体COI、16S rRNA和ITS三种基因片段数据进行分析,并计算了种间遗传距离。序列分析结果表明5种石珊瑚的COI、16S rRNA基因片段碱基AT含量大于GC含量,而ITS序列碱基AT含量小于GC含量;5种石珊瑚种间的三种基因平均遗传距离分别为0.043、0.134和0.763,所得遗传距离结果存在一定差异。将三种基因串联起来并利用邻位连接法(NJ)、最大似然法(ML)和最小进化法(ME)分别构建了分子系统树。在系统发育树中,科一级的系统进化关系与形态学分类一致,但蜂巢珊瑚科内的分子系统分类结果与形态学分类阐述的遗传进化关系略有差别,说明石珊瑚传统分类可能受骨骼可塑性的影响。研究结果为外伶仃岛石珊瑚的亲缘关系研究提供相关基础数据,并为该地区石珊瑚资源保护奠定理论基础。     

Antagonism between coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus and other bacteria in the gastric cavity of scleractinian coral Galaxea fascicularis

Scleractinian corals host numerous microbial symbionts with different types of interactions. The gastric cavity of scleractinian coral, as a semiclosed subenvironment with distinct chemical characteristics(e.g., dissolved O2, pH, alkalinity, and nutrients), harbors a distinct microbial community and a diverse array of bacteria that can be pathogenic or beneficial. Galaxea fascicularis is one of the dominant massive scleractinian coral species on inshore fringing reefs in the northern South China Sea.Although the abundance of coral-associated bacteria has been investigated in G. fascicularis, less is known about the microorganisms in the gastric cavity. In this study, we specially isolated cultivable bacterial strains from the gastric cavity of G.fascicularis collected from Hainan Island using a noninvasive sampling approach. Among the 101 representative bacterial strains, one Vibrio coralliilyticus strain, SCSIO 43001, was found to be a temperature-dependent opportunistic pathogen of G.fascicularis. The antagonistic activity between the 100 strains and V. coralliilyticus SCSIO 43001 was tested using a modified Burkholder diffusion assay. Our results showed that V. coralliilyticus SCSIO 43001 inhibits the growth of Erythrobacter flavus and Sphingomonas yabuuchiae. Additionally, we found that three Pseudoalteromonas strains showed moderate to high antibacterial activity against V. coralliilyticus SCSIO 43001 and several other coral-associated Gram-negative bacterial strains.These results suggest that competition between the coral pathogen and other bacteria also occurs in the gastric cavity of coral, and Pseudoalteromonas strains in the gastric cavity of G. fascicularis may provide a protective role in the defense against coinhabiting coral pathogens at elevated temperature.