Over 10 years of variation in Mediterranean reef benthic communities

During the last several decades, the Mediterranean littoral shallow water benthic communities have suffered significant changes in their structure and taxa composition. Despite numerous studies conducted to characterize these changes at various levels, it has always been very difficult to disentangle the effects of natural factors from anthropic ones. The main purpose of this work was to evaluate possible changes, over a 10‐year scale, in diversity and abundance of the most representative species of the benthic communities considered to be primarily and potentially affected by natural stressors in a highly protected area. Sets of macro‐photographs were taken in 2002–2003 of three sites inside a small bay called Ca’ dell'Oro, which is the “no entry—no take” zone of the Marine Protected Area of Portofino, in order to analyse the structure of the benthic communities at different depths over a short time scale. The same sampling was repeated 10 years later in 2013. In the 10‐year span, a significant change in the macroalgal coverage and composition was observed, while the overall richness and coverage of species remained almost unchanged. This process resulted in a significant reduction of the habitat complexity of the three‐dimensional algal components. Likewise, a remarkable change in terms of presence and abundance occurred among all zoobenthic components. The benthic communities seem to have suffered from detrimental effects probably caused by climatic events that have been occurring in recent years in the Ligurian Sea.     

Low densities of sea urchins influence the structure of algal assemblages in the western Mediterranean

Numerous studies of interactions between urchins and algae in temperate areas have shown an important structuring effect of sea urchin populations. These studies focused almost wholly on the effect of high urchin densities on laminarian forests. In contrast, algal communities below 5–6 m depth in the northwestern Mediterranean are characterised by low sea urchin densities (<5 ind m⁻²) and the absence of laminarian forests. No previous research has addressed sea urchin/algal interactions in this type of community. To determine the effect of the most abundant echinoid species, Paracentrotus lividus, on well-established algal communities in this area, we performed a removal–reintroduction experiment in rocky patches located between 13 and 16 m depth in the northwestern Mediterranean, where sea urchin densities ranged between 0.9 and 3.4 ind m⁻². After 6 months, the cover of non-crustose algae was significantly higher in the plots from which sea urchins had been removed than in control plots (84 vs 67% cover). These removal plots reverted to their original state upon reintroduction of sea urchins. The non-crustose algae consisted of turfing and frondose forms, with the former representing some 70% of the non-crustose algal cover. Change in the cover of turfing algae was responsible for the significant increase in algal development in the sea urchin removal plots. The response of frondose algae to the treatment varied between algal species. It is concluded that grazing by P. lividus exerts a significant effect on habitat structure, even in communities with low sea urchin densities, such as those found in vast areas of the Mediterranean sublittoral.     

Day–night variations in the demersal nekton assemblage on the Mediterranean shelf-break

The composition of the demersal nekton assemblage inhabiting the Mediterranean shelf-break of west-central Italy was examined to investigate the diel variation in species composition and abundance. Fish were obtained during four 24-h sampling periods that represented the four annual seasons. Thirty-two hauls (eight in each season) were conducted in a shelf-break area at 140–160 m depth. The density of fish, crustaceans, and decapods exhibited differences on short- and long-term time scales: multidimensional scaling suggested that season and light intensity may be important factors influencing fish assemblage composition.At the diel scale two main assemblages separating nocturnal and diurnal hauls were identified. The typical assemblage structure of shelf-break bottoms was represented during daylight by species such as Merluccius merluccius, Capros aper, Serranus hepatus, Macroramphosus scolopax and Trisopterus minutus capelanus. At night, the assemblage showed a drastic change due to the increase of small nektobenthic species, Argentina sphyraena and Glossanodon leioglossus, together with cave-dwelling fish (Gnathophis mystax, Chlopsis bicolor, Nettastoma melanurum) and nektobenthic crustaceans (i.e., Parapenaeus longirostris and Solenocera membranacea).The above-mentioned differences in species composition may be related to changes in vertical distribution for trophic needs (M. merluccius) and/or in the shoal structure (A. sphyraena and G. leioglossus). The lack of data on the pattern of trawl catchability of Mediterranean species during the day may lead to an inaccurate estimation of species abundance when only diurnal trawl survey data are used.     

Spatial and temporal variability of deep-water algal assemblages in the Northwestern Mediterranean: The effects of an exceptional storm

There are deep-water populations of the endemic and threatened Mediterranean brown alga Cystoseira zosteroides in the Medes Islands Marine Reserve (NW Mediterranean). Here, the distribution, population structure, individual growth, mortality and recruitment rates of this species over two years are described in relation to the effects of an exceptional storm. We found a high spatial variability in the structure and dynamics of C. zosteroides populations at small geographical scales, suggesting that environmental factors acting at the population level display a key role in population size structure, mortality and recruitment. The elevated mortality rates recorded at some locations (almost 80%) is amongst the highest recorded for perennial algae as a consequence of a single storm, emphasizing the importance of episodic catastrophic events in the maintenance of these deep-water, slow-growing populations. These findings are of particular importance not only to fully understand the ecology of C. zosteroides, but also for its conservation.     

富营养河口水体藻华粒级结构的调控机制研究

为探究富营养河口水体藻华粒级结构的调控机制,本研究利用枯水期珠江口上游河水、下游海水及其等比例混合水进行培养实验,跟踪监测水体中叶绿素a和营养盐的浓度变化,并利用稀释实验估算藻类生长速率（μ）和小型浮游动物的摄食速率（m）,以阐明上行控制（营养盐刺激）和下行控制（摄食影响）对藻类粒级结构的影响。结果显示：营养加富能增加藻类的生物量,藻类群落的优势粒级由超微型和微型转换为小型;加富河水中μ维持2～3 d高值后下降,速率为（1.13±0.37）d⁻¹,加富海水中μ逐步增加,速率为（1.06±0.16）d⁻¹,加富混合水中μ轻微波动,速率为（0.58±0.14）d⁻¹,总体上小型藻类μ最大。3组加富水体中m总体均先增大后下降,粒级差异不明显。藻类被小型浮游动物摄食率（m/μ）随粒级增大而减小,说明富营养刺激大粒级的生长,大粒级面临的被摄食压力较小。m/μ随藻类每日的比生长速率（µ_{Chl a}）降低而增加,说明藻华前期由上行控制主导,后期下行控制作用相对加强。本研究表明,富营养化不仅能够改变藻华的生物量,而且能影响其粒级结构,初步阐明了富营养河口水体中藻华粒级结构的调控机制。     

几种海藻粗多糖的理化性质及结构特征分析

主要采用傅里叶红外光谱(fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, FTIR)、气相色谱(gas chromatography, GC)和凝胶渗透色谱(gel permeation chromatography, GPC)方法对5种海藻粗多糖的单糖组成、官能团、分子量进行了初步分析。结果显示5种海藻粗多糖均含有木糖和岩藻糖, 其中南方团扇藻多糖含有较为丰富的山梨糖, 属于大分子量均一性多糖, 而孔石莼多糖分子量分布较宽, 均一性较差。红外光谱分析结果表明, 5种粗多糖均为酸性多糖, 棒叶蕨藻、琼枝麒麟菜和匍枝马尾藻多糖具有明显的硫酸基团吸收峰, 琼枝麒麟菜多糖存在呋喃糖和吡喃糖, 并且吡喃糖苷键可能存在β和α两种类型。明胶氯化钡实验结果指出南方团扇藻多糖的硫酸基团含量为38.43%(±2.38%), 明显高于其他几种海藻多糖, 而棒叶蕨藻多糖的硫酸基团含量最低, 仅为8.92%(±1.04%)。     

Seasonal and daily variation of mercury evasion at coastal and off shore sites from the Mediterranean Sea

Dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) was measured continuously using two newly developed techniques and a manual technique. The continuous techniques were based on the equilibrium between the aqueous and gaseous phase (DGM = Hg_extr / H', Hg_extr is the measured mercury concentration in the gas phase, H' is the Henry's Law coefficient at the desired temperature). In order to calculate the annual mercury evasion from the Mediterranean Sea, diurnal and seasonal measurements of DGM, total gaseous mercury in air (TGM), water temperature and wind speed were performed. During August 2003, March–April 2004 and October–November 2004 measurements of these parameters were conducted on board the RV Urania. The continuous measurements of DGM showed a diurnal variation in concentration, at both coastal and off shore sites, with higher concentrations during daytime than nighttime. The concentration difference could be as large as 130 fM between day and night. The degree of saturation was calculated directly from the measurements, S = Hg_extr / TGM and was found to vary between the different seasons. The highest average degree of saturation (850%) and the largest variation in saturation (600–1150%) was observed during the summer. The spring showed the lowest variation (260–360%) and the lowest average degree of saturation (320%). The autumn also showed a large variation in saturation (500–1070%) but a lower average (740%) compared to the summer cruise. This might be explained by the temperature difference between the different seasons, since that parameter varied the most. The flux from the sea surface was calculated using the gas exchange model developed by Nightingale et al. [Nightingale, P.D., Malin, G., Law, C.S., Watson, A.J., Liss, P.S., Liddicoat, M.I., Boutin, J., Upstill-Goddard, R. C., 2000. In situ evaluation of air–sea gas exchange parameterization using novel conservative and volatile tracers. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 14(1):373–387]. The evasion varied between the different seasons with the highest evasion during the autumn, 24.6 pmol m^− 2 h^− 1. The summer value was estimated to 22.3 pmol m^− 2 h^− 1 and the spring to 7.6 pmol m^− 2 h^− 1. Using this data the yearly evasion from the Mediterranean Sea surface was estimated to 77 tons.     

Temporal variation of invertebrate communities in perennial wetlands

Temporal variability of wetland invertebrates was examined at two scales—inter-annual and seasonal—to determine whether it could confound results of spatially extensive wetland surveys. The inter-annual study collected samples from the Bullock Creek wetland (BCW) each summer for 4 years; the seasonal study collected samples quarterly for 14 months from two wetlands (Mahinapua and Shearer). Water pH, temperature and conductivity were also measured concurrently. Three site groupings were identified in BCW, reflecting differences in physical–chemical parameters, which varied temporally but never converged. Few annual differences were found in invertebrate relative abundances in BCW, and ordination produced three sample groups, each of which contained distinct invertebrate communities. Water pH differed consistently between Mahinapua and Shearer. Relative abundances of nine taxa varied seasonally; however, ordination showed that both wetlands always supported discrete invertebrate communities. These results suggest that temporal fluctuations of invertebrates do not affect our ability to discriminate between wetlands.     

Metazoan/microbial biostalactites from present‐day submarine caves in the Mediterranean Sea

Biostalactites formed by metazoan–microbialite associations from three submerged marine caves in the Plemmirio Peninsula (south of Syracuse, Ionian Sea) are randomly distributed and show different sizes and morphologies, as well as variations in surface roughness/smoothness. The biostalactites consist of crusts a few centimeters thick of small serpulids and other metazoans, associated with fine‐grained carbonate; the larger ones often include a nucleus of serpulid tubes (Protula). The metazoans include mainly serpuloideans, sponges, bryozoans and foraminifers but microbial carbonates are also significant components. The composition of both the living communities and thanatocoenoses on the outer surfaces, as well as the composition and fabric of the internal framework, were analysed and used to reconstruct the history of the caves. All of the identified sessile faunas mainly consist of cryptic and sciaphilic dwellers that reflect cave conditions and their variations through time. The distribution pattern, composition and abundance of the present‐day dwellers largely depend on the degree of roughness of the biostalactite surfaces and their positions within the caves. It has been suggested that the Protula specimens in the nuclei represent pioneer populations that formed aggregates during the early cave colonization phase, in response to relatively high food supply from seawater inflow and intruding continental waters. By contrast, the outer metazoan–microbialite carbonates reflect more confined conditions in the caves caused by Holocene sea‐level rises. Hypotheses are proposed for biostalactite growth, taking into account information about the growth rates of some constituents, and evidence of dissolution effects. Similarities and differences between these biostalactites and other Holocene deposits previously described from submarine caves in the Mediterranean Sea and in tropical reefs are discussed.     

Seasonal dynamics of light absorption by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the NW Mediterranean Sea (BOUSSOLE site)

We analyze a two-year time-series of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) light absorption measurements in the upper 400 m of the water column at the BOUSSOLE site in the NW Mediterranean Sea. The seasonal dynamics of the CDOM light absorption coefficients at 440 nm (a_cdom(440)) is essentially characterized by (i) subsurface maxima forming in spring and progressively reinforcing throughout summer, (ii) impoverishment in the surface layer throughout summer and (iii) vertical homogeneity in winter. Seasonal variations of the spectral dependence of CDOM absorption, as described by the exponential slope value (S_cdom), are characterized by highest values in summer and autumn at the surface and low values at the depths of a_cdom(440) subsurface maxima or just below them. Variations of a_cdom(440) are likely controlled by microbial digestion of phytoplankton cells, which leads to CDOM production, and by photochemical destruction (photobleaching), which leads to CDOM degradation. Photobleaching is also the main driver of S_cdom variations. Consistently with previous observations, a_cdom(440) for a given chlorophyll a concentration is higher than expected from Case I waters bio-optical models. The total non-water light absorption budget shows that surface waters at the BOUSSOLE site are largely dominated by CDOM during all seasons but the algal bloom in March and April. These results improve the knowledge of CDOM absorption dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea, which is scarcely documented. In addition, they open the way to improved algorithms for the retrieval of CDOM absorption from field or satellite radiometric measurements.     

Biodiversity of zoobenthic hard-substrate sublittoral communities in the Eastern Mediterranean (North Aegean Sea)

The spatial dispersion of zoobenthos from sublittoral hard substrate communities in the northern part of the Aegean Sea has been studied during summer 1997 and 1998. Material was collected by SCUBA diving, by totally scraping off five replicate quadrates (400 cm² each) at three depth levels (15, 30, 40 m) from six sites located in Chalkidiki peninsula, plus one in Kavala Gulf. The examination of the 19,343 living specimens collected revealed the presence of 314 species. Though the multivariate analyses showed high similarity between stations, the structure of this sciaphilic algal community seems to have an increased spatial heterogeneity. Four distinct facies were recorded in accordance with the occurrence of different algal forms, the degree of hard substrate inclination and the water clarity. A short review on the biodiversity of sublittoral communities in the Mediterranean revealed the affinity between the western and the eastern basin and also among the photophilic and the sciaphilic algal communities.     

渤海3个河口区底栖硅藻群落的时空变化特征

底栖硅藻是河口泥滩系统中的重要初级生产者,其群落结构的时空变化可显著影响到河口底栖动物生产力。本研究选取渤海区域的大辽河口、汉沽河口和黄河口为研究对象,分析了泥滩中底栖硅藻群落结构的季节变化特征(2014−2016年)与空间差异,并探讨了环境因素的影响作用。结果表明,3个河口区底栖硅藻多样性和生物量高峰均出现在秋季,优势种存在显著季节演替特征;在空间上,大辽河口和汉沽河口的底栖硅藻生物量显著高于黄河口。底栖硅藻群落结构与多种环境因子的相关性分析表明,温度和营养盐浓度变化对底栖硅藻群落的季节性特征影响显著;河口沉积物的粒径、潮差与径流量可能是造成底栖硅藻群落空间差异的重要因素,黄河口较低的底栖硅藻生物量显著受限于较粗的沉积物粒径和显著的磷限制。     

可溶性Fe对中尺度海洋围隔生态系中浮游生物群落数量变动的影响

作者首次应用3个中尺度海洋实验生态系围隔装置研究可溶性Fe 对浮游生物群落数量变动的影响。结果表明:添加10和50μg/dm~3的可溶性Fe,均大大促进了浮游植物,特别是硅藻类中中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)的生长。但浮游植物的过量繁殖并没有导致生态系中滤食性桡足类数量的增加。