Phenotypic and genetic differentiation in young-of-the-year common sole (Solea solea) at differentially contaminated nursery grounds

Growth-related characters, condition factor, and genetic differentiation were investigated for a single cohort of young-of-the-year (YOY) sole within and among nurseries with differing levels of heavy metals (Cd, Cu and Zn) contamination in the two Charentais Straits, Bay of Biscay, France. Analyses were performed when individuals recruited (May), then after a full summer spent in each nursery (October). Levels of phenotypic and genetic diversity were compared, together with genetic differentiation at a candidate metallothionein (MT) locus and three putatively neutral microsatellite loci. No phenotypic or genetic differentiation was detected among nurseries in May, but significant variation at each phenotypic trait and at the multilocus level in October (P < 0.001). Single locus analysis demonstrated that only the MT locus was significantly differentiated among nurseries, whether corrected for null alleles or not (θ=0.0401 and θ(corr.FreeNA)=0.0326, respectively; P < 0.001). Results indicate that phenotypic differences among YOY sole nurseries present a molecular correlate acting at identical spatio-temporal scales among nurseries, potentially reflecting differential selective pressure among nurseries in response to contamination.     

Small-scale distribution of Solea solea and Solea senegalensis juveniles in the Tagus estuary (Portugal)

The distribution of Solea solea and Solea senegalensis in the Tagus estuary was studied following a small-scale approach. Preliminary sampling revealed that sole concentrated in two areas within their nursery grounds, the main subtidal channel and a large intertidal mudflat. Beam trawls were conducted intensively in the two areas in July 2006. Depth, salinity and water temperature were measured. Substrate samples were collected for sediment type determination and macrobenthos identification and quantification. Generalized linear models were applied in order to explain the occurrence and variability of soles' densities, using depth, salinity, water temperature and abundance of polychaetes, oligochaetes, amphipods, isopods and bivalves as explanatory variables. While S. solea was more abundant in the main subtidal channel, a deeper, warmer and lower salinity area, S. senegalensis abundance was highest at the intertidal mudflat area. Presence of both species in the two areas was associated with abundance of polychaetes (generally with another variable associated), and for S. senegalensis in the subtidal channel it was associated with amphipods and depth. Abundance of S. solea in the main subtidal channel was associated mainly with polychaetes abundance, while that of S. senegalensis was associated with amphipods density. In the intertidal mudflat, bivalves and polychaetes presented significant relationships with both species densities. Some of the factors that had been reported to be important for the distribution of these species in previous studies also do so at a finer scale; however, this small-scale approach provided an in-depth knowledge on habitat selection and spatial segregation of these species within this nursery area.     

An examination of the feasibility of passive transport from coastal spawning grounds to estuarine nursery areas for English sole

English sole recruitment has been linked to environmental conditions occurring during their 6–10 week pelagic egg and larval stages, prior to their appearance in nursery estuaries during their first summer. The purpose of this study was to predict the spawning locations of juvenile English sole observed in estuaries to assess the feasibility of passive transport of egg and larval stages. Current meter data were used to back-calculate the transport trajectories of 19 cohorts of English sole observed as juveniles during estuarine trawl surveys. Only six of these cohorts were predicted to be spawned outside the Oregon–Washington shelf system, assuming passive transport of eggs and larvae. Predicted egg and larval trajectories indicate that most of the English sole found in Oregon and Washington estuaries were spawned off the coast of Washington, with some spawning off northern California and central Oregon. Although these results are not consistent with the presumed spawning locations for the Oregon and Washington shelf, they indicate that passive transport assumptions may be adequate to preserve the larvae in the coastal system until settlement.     

Variability in the lengths of Dover sole (Solea solea) after death

This report looks at how the lengths of Dover sole can vary according to handling after death and the method of measurement. The work described is part of the UK Ministry of Agriculture, fisheries and food programme.     

Temporal changes in lipid condition and parasitic infection by digenean metacercariae of young-of-year common sole Solea solea (L.) in an Atlantic nursery ground (Bay of Biscay,France)

Little attention has been paid to flatfish parasitism as a potential factor of variation in year-class strength. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parasitic infection and nutritional condition of young-of-year (YOY) common sole. Sole were collected monthly from May (early settlement) to November 2004 in a mussel pole culture area, using a push-net or a trawl, and dissected for parasite identification and counts. Total lipids were extracted from the whole body and lipid classes quantified. Triacylglycerols to sterols (free form) ratio (TAG/ST) was used as an index of nutritional status. Digenean metacercariae infection, characterized by two dominant genera, displayed clear seasonal dynamics and the highest records yet reported for sole. Prevalence (P%) and mean abundance (Ab ± SE) increased for Timoniella spp. (Acanthostomidae) from May (P% = 22%; Ab = 1.9 ± 1.1) to August (P% = 100%; Ab = 51.2 ± 10.4), and for Prosorhynchus spp. (Bucephalidae) from June (P% = 8%; Ab = 0.1 ± 0.0) to August (P% = 100%; Ab = 19.5 ± 1.7). Epidemiological values reached a plateau after August. In this shellfish-dominated nursery area, YOY sole accumulated metacercariae in the presence of the first intermediate hosts which live in the same habitat. Total lipids decreased significantly from May to June and then remained constant until autumn, indicating a change in the proximate composition of YOY during this high growth period. Mean (± SD) TAG/ST ratio increased from very low values in May–July (0.10 on average) to a peak in September (0.57 ± 0.31) and then fell back to values as low as before. YOY sole only stored energy as TAG prior to autumn. No relationship was found between YOY parasitic infection levels and lipid condition indices. However, the poor nutritional status and heavy infection level observed in November could dramatically lower over-winter survival of the YOY remaining in this shallow part of the nursery.     

Multi-annual investigation of the spatial distributions of juvenile and adult sole (Solea solea L.) in the Adriatic Sea (northern Mediterranean)

The common sole (Solea solea) is one of the most important demersal resources in the northern and central Adriatic Sea (GFCM GSA 17). Landings from this basin make up around 23% of the overall Mediterranean and Black Sea production. Despite the economic relevance of sole in the Adriatic Sea, and its inherent property of being shared among three countries (i.e. Italy, Slovenia and Croatia), studies on its spatial distribution are scarce and aged. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the spatial distribution and investigate the dynamics of this species in the GSA 17. Samples of common sole were collected in the framework of yearly rapido trawl surveys (SoleMon), during late autumn, from 2005 to 2010, i.e. the spawning season of common sole in the Adriatic. Results highlighted that juveniles are mostly concentrated in shallow water (0–30 m depth) along the Italian coast and their spatial distribution persisted along the sampled years. By contrast adults were mainly distributed in the central/eastern part of the basin at depths > 30 m. As a result of the different spatial distributions, juveniles are exploited exclusively by Italian vessels, especially by beam trawlers (i.e. rapido trawl), while adults are caught by Croatian and Slovenian fishing fleets in their respective national waters and by the Italian fleet operating in international waters. These results, while shedding light on the common sole spatial ecology in the Adriatic, represent crucial information for the setting of international collaboration for a rational spatial-based management of the resource.     

Sources and transfer of organic matter in food webs of a Mediterranean coastal environment: Evidence for spatial variability

The spatial variability in the food web structure of a Mediterranean semi-enclosed coastal environment (Stagnone di Marsala, Italy) was investigated using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Organic matter sources and consumers were sampled in two locations with different environmental features (e.g. hydrodynamic regime, open-sea influence, vegetal coverage). Overall more ¹³C-enriched and ¹⁵N-depleted values were found in the central location than in the southern for organic matter sources and consumers. Pelagic consumers (zooplankton and juveniles of transient fish) showed slight spatial differences and in both locations seemed to depend on phytoplankton as the ultimate energy source. In contrast, benthic consumers (epifauna and resident fish) exhibited remarkable differences between locations. Spatial differences in organic matter sources were smaller than in benthic consumers and thus consumers presumably exploited different ultimate organic matter sources in the two locations. Sedimentary organic matter and epiphytes appeared to be the main primary producers transferred within the food web in both locations, and seagrasses seemed to play a non-negligible trophic role in the central location. The results of this paper corroborate the finding food webs are characterised by high spatial variability even on a small spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity more than primary production that seems to influence the trophic role of autotrophs.     

Quality of coastal and estuarine essential fish habitats: estimations based on the size of juvenile common sole (Solea solea L.)

Survival and growth of early fish stages are maximal in coastal and estuarine habitats where natural shallow areas serve as nurseries for a variety of widely distributed species on the continental shelf. Processes occurring in these nursery grounds during the juvenile stage affect growth and may be important in regulating the year-class strength of fishes and population size. The need, therefore, exists to protect these essential fish habitats hence to develop indicators to estimate their quality.The purpose of the present study was to use the growth of juvenile sole as a means of comparing the quality of coastal and estuarine nursery habitats in the Bay of Biscay (France). These sole nurseries were clearly identified from studies based on trawl surveys carried out during the last two decades. The size of 1-group juveniles at the end of their second summer, as estimated from these surveys, is an indicator of growth in these habitats during the juvenile phase and can be used to compare habitat quality. A model taking into account the role of seawater temperature in spatial and interannual variations of juvenile size was developed to compare growth performance in the different nursery sectors.This study shows that the size of juvenile sole after two summers of life is not density-dependent, probably because the size of the population adapts to habitat capacity after high mortality during early-juvenile stages. Size is on one hand positively related to temperature and on the other hand higher in estuarine than in non-estuarine habitats. This high growth potential of juvenile fish in estuarine areas confirms the very important role played by estuaries as nursery grounds and the essential ecological interest of these limited areas in spite of their low water quality. If a general conclusion on habitat quality is to be reached about studies based on the growth of juvenile fish, it is necessary to use not only an integrative indicator of growth, like size, representative of the intrinsic habitat quality, but also more sensitive and less integrative means, such as otolith increments or caging experiments, which better respond to anthropogenic disturbance. Moreover, it is necessary to take juvenile densities into account.     

Surface associations of enzymes and of organic matter: Consequences for hydrolytic activity and organic matter remineralization in marine systems

The extent to which marine organic matter is associated with surfaces and the consequences of such associations for organic matter remineralization are the focus of considerable attention. Since extracellular enzymes operating outside microbial cells are required to hydrolyze organic macromolecules to sizes sufficiently small for substrate uptake, the effects of surface interactions–on enzymes as well as on substrates–for hydrolytic activity also require investigation. We used a simplified laboratory system consisting of a free (dissolved) polysaccharide (pullulan) and the same polysaccharide tethered to agarose beads to restrict mobility, plus the corresponding free enzyme (pullulanase) and the same enzyme sorbed to montmorillonite (Mte), to investigate systematically the consequences of surface associations of enzymes and of substrates on hydrolytic activity. Changes in substrate molecular weight were monitored with time to measure the course of enzymatic hydrolysis. Although hydrolysis of free substrate was nearly complete after 2 min incubation with the free enzymes, the sorbed enzymes also effectively hydrolyzed free substrate, and the data suggest that they retained activity longer in solution compared to the free enzymes. Sorbed enzymes progressively hydrolyzed the free substrate from > 50 kD to lower molecular weights during a 24 h incubation, with a final product distribution on average showing only 1.4% and 10.3% of substrate still in the > 50 kD and 10 kD size classes, while 46.6%, 29.3%, and 12.5% of substrate was in the 4 kD, monomer, and free tag size classes, respectively. This product distribution was very similar to that of the free substrate/free enzyme experiment. Tethering the substrate to agarose beads led to lower substrate release (2–3% of total substrate after 98 h incubation) into solution compared to the free substrate case. For tethered substrates, the state of the enzyme (free or sorbed) measurably affected the molecular weight distribution of the hydrolysis products, with free enzymes producing a higher fraction of high molecular weight hydrolysis products (28.7 ± 5.4% of substrate > 50 kD at the end of the incubation) compared to sorbed enzymes (11.6 ± 2.8% of substrate > 50 kD at the end of the incubation.) Tethered substrates were also hydrolyzed in a sediment slurry from surface sediments from Cape Lookout Bight, North Carolina; 0.1% of total substrate was released by enzymes naturally present in 1 cm³ of sediment after 144 h incubation, demonstrating that the enzymes naturally present in marine sediments are also capable of accessing tethered substrates. These investigations suggest that surface associations of enzymes in marine systems may extend the active lifetime of such enzymes, providing an opportunity for hydrolysis over longer periods of time and producing a different size spectrum of hydrolysis products relative to free enzymes. Furthermore, in well-mixed systems, surface-associated enzymes can hydrolyze substrates whose mobility is restricted, highlighting the importance of processes such as resuspension and bioturbation on organic matter remineralization.     

Degradation of phytoplankton-derived organic matter: Implications for carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry in coastal ecosystems

Experiments were conducted using seawater from the Oregon continental shelf to determine: (1) rates of phytoplankton-derived particulate organic matter (POM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) degradation by natural microbial communities, and (2) whether inorganic nutrients or flagellate grazing limit the bacterial response to, and subsequent degradation of, the DOM. In the initial seawater samples, nutrients were depleted and organic matter concentrations were elevated above concentrations found in upwelled water, indicative of recent bloom conditions. In whole water treatments incubated for 3 d, an average of 24% of the total organic C and 33% of the POC was degraded, with some portion of the POC being converted to DOC. In treatments incubated after POM was removed by filtration, DOC degradation was initially rapid and then proceeded at a slower rate. After 3 d, an average of 41% of the DOC was degraded. Selective degradation of the C-component of both the POM and DOM relative to the N-component was observed. Reductions in flagellate grazing resulted in increases in bacterial abundance and enhanced DOC degradation, while inorganic nutrient amendments had little effect. Overall, these results suggest that a fraction of the phytoplankton-derived POM and DOM can be rapidly degraded, contributing to oxygen consumption on the continental shelf. The long degradation time of a less labile DOC fraction relative to potential offshelf transport mechanisms suggests that Oregon's coastal waters may be a source of DOC to adjacent offshore waters of the North Pacific.     

Performance of community-based coastal resource management (CBCRM) programs in the Philippines: A meta-analysis

Community-based coastal resource management (CBCRM) is a major conservation and fisheries management strategy in the tropics. In this study, the performance of 16 CBCRM programs in the Philippines was assessed using a meta-analysis of eight indicators that represented the perceptions of local resource users. Overall, the CBCRM programs in the Philippines were perceived to have a significant positive impact. However, the performance of each of the indicators was mixed. Although the CBCRM programs were perceived to be effective in empowering the local fishing communities, their perceived impact on improving the state of the local fisheries resources remained limited. This highlights the importance of incorporating ecological and socio-economic considerations in setting fisheries management regimes.     

Sources and distribution of organic matter in a river-dominated estuary (Winyah Bay, SC, USA)

The sources and distribution of organic matter (OM) in surface waters and sediments from Winyah Bay (South Carolina, USA) were investigated using a variety of analytical techniques, including elemental, stable isotope and organic biomarker analyses. Several locations along the estuary salinity gradient were sampled during four different periods of contrasting river discharge and tidal range. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of surface waters ranged from 7 mg l⁻¹ in the lower bay stations closest to the ocean to 20 mg l⁻¹ in the river and upper bay samples. There was a general linear relationship between DOC concentrations and salinity in three of the four sampling periods. In contrast, particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations were significantly lower (0.1–3 mg l⁻¹) and showed no relationship with salinity. The high molecular weight dissolved OM (HMW DOM) isolated from selected water samples collected along the bay displayed atomic carbon:nitrogen ratios ([C/N]a) and stable carbon isotopic compositions of organic carbon (δ¹³C_OC) that ranged from 10 to 30 and from −28 to −25‰, respectively. Combined, such compositions indicate that in most HMW DOM samples, the majority of the OM originates from terrigenous sources, with smaller contributions from riverine and estuarine phytoplankton. In contrast, the [C/N]a ratios of particulate OM (POM) samples varied significantly among the collection periods, ranging from low values of 5 to high values of >20. Overall, the trends in [C/N]a ratios indicated that algal sources of POM were most important during the early and late summer, whereas terrigenous sources dominated in the winter and early spring.In Winyah Bay bottom sediments, the concentrations of the mineral-associated OM were positively correlated with sediment surface area. The [C/N]a ratios and δ¹³C_OC compositions of the bulk sedimentary OM ranged from 5 to 45 and from −28 to −23‰, respectively. These compositions were consistent with predominant contributions of terrigenous sources and lesser (but significant) inputs of freshwater, estuarine and marine phytoplankton. The highest terrigenous contents were found in sediments from the river and upper bay sites, with smaller contributions to the lower parts of the estuary. The yields of lignin-derived CuO oxidation products from Winyah Bay sediments indicated that the terrigenous OM in these samples was composed of variable mixtures of relatively fresh vascular plant detritus and moderately altered soil OM. Based on the lignin phenol compositions, most of this material appeared to be derived from angiosperm and gymnosperm vascular plant sources similar to those found in the upland coastal forests in this region. A few samples displayed lignin compositions that suggested a more significant contribution from marsh C₃ grasses. However, there was no evidence of inputs of Spartina alterniflora (a C₄ grass) remains from the salt marshes that surround the lower sections of Winyah Bay.     

Contrasting chemical and isotopic compositions of organic matter in Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuarine and East China Sea shelf sediments

To examine the source and preservation of organic matter in the shelf sediments of the East China Sea (ECS), we measured bulk C/N and isotopes, organic biomarkers (n-alkanes and fatty acids) and compound-specific (fatty acids) stable carbon isotope ratios in three sediment cores collected from two sites near the Changjiang Estuary and one in the ECS shelf. Contrasting chemical and isotopic compositions of organic matter were observed between the estuarine and shelf sediments. The concentrations of total n-alkanes and fatty acids in the shelf surface sediments (0–2 cm) were 5–10 times higher than those in estuarine surface sediments but they all decreased rapidly to comparable levels below the surface layer. The compositions of n-alkanes in the estuarine sediments were dominated by C₂₆-C₃₃ long-chain n-alkanes with a strong odd-to-even carbon number predominance. In contrast, the composition of n-alkanes in the shelf sediment was dominated by nC₁₅ to nC₂₂ compounds. Long-chain (>C₂₀) fatty acids (terrestrial biomarkers) accounted for a significantly higher fraction in the estuarine sediments compared to that in the shelf sediment, while short-chain (<C₂₀) saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were more abundant in the shelf surface sediments than in the estuarine sediments. Stable carbon isotopic ratios of individual fatty acids showed a general positive shift from estuarine to shelf sediments, consistent with the variations in bulk δ ¹³C_TOCTOC. These contrasts between the estuarine and shelf sediments indicate that terrestrial organic matter was mainly deposited within the Changjiang Estuary and inner shelf of ECS. Post-depositional diagenetic processes in the surface sediments rapidly altered the chemical compositions and control the preservation of organic matter in the region.     

A description of chloride cell and kidney tubule alterations in the flatfish Solea senegalensis exposed to moderately contaminated sediments from the Sado estuary (Portugal)

The effects of sediment-bound contaminants on kidney and gill chloride cells were surveyed in juvenile Solea senegalensis exposed to fresh sediments collected from three distinct sites of the Sado Estuary (Portugal) in a 28-day laboratorial assay. Sediments were analyzed for metallic contaminants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorines as well as for total organic matter, redox potential and fine fraction. The potential for causing adverse biological effects of each surveyed sediment was assessed by comparison of contaminant levels to available guidelines for coastal sediments, namely the Threshold Effects Level (TEL) and the Probable Effects Level (PEL). The Sediment Quality Guideline Quotient indices (SQGQ) were calculated to compare the overall contamination levels of the three stations. A qualitative approach was employed to analyze the histo/cytopathological traits in gill chloride cells and body kidney of fish exposed to each tested sediment for 0, 14 and 28 days. The results showed that sediment contamination can be considered low to moderate and that the least contaminated sediment (from a reference site, with the lowest SQGQ) caused lesser changes in the surveyed organs. However, the most contaminated sediment (by both metallic and organic xenobiotics, with highest SQGQ) was neither responsible for the highest mortality nor for the most pronounced lesions. Exposure to the sediment presenting an intermediate SQGQ, essentially contaminated by organic compounds, caused the highest mortality (48%) and the most severe damage to kidneys, up to full renal necrosis. Chloride cell alterations were similar in fish exposed to the two most contaminated sediments and consisted of a pronounced cellular hypertrophy, likely involving fluid retention and loss of mitochondria. It can be concluded that sediment contamination considered to be low or moderate may be responsible for severe injury to cells and parenchyma involved in the maintenance of osmotic balance, contributing for the high mortality levels observed. The results suggest that sediment-bound organic contaminants such as PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) may be very toxic to the analyzed organs, especially the kidney, even when present in low-risk concentrations.     

Sources and hydrothermal alteration of organic matter in Quaternary sediments: A synthesis of studies from the Central Gulf of California

Deep sea drilling in the Central Gulf of California, a young and active spreading centre, shows that the high heat flow typical of these regions causes extensive alteration of sediment organic matter, especially near sills and above magma chambers where hydrothermal activity is concentrated. Even on the nearby passive margin, where there are no sills, heat flow is moderately high and hydrocarbon generation has begun in immature sequences. Migrating light hydrocarbons are detected especially where hydrothermal activity is concentrated. Thermogenic methane is more widespread, though not in the passive margin bordering the spreading centre. Despite the incidence of hydrocarbon generation and migration, the amounts of hydrocarbons involved are relatively small and apparently do not lead to commercially significant accumulations of petroleum.The organic matter in these sediments is mostly marine because the Gulf of California generally has low runoff from land and highly productive surface waters. Turbidites rich in terrigenous organic material are locally abundant in the mainly pelagic section in the Guaymas Basin. The highest concentrations of organic matter are found in laminated diatomites deposited on the Guaymas passive margin within the oxygen minimum zone.     

The relationship between chromophoric dissolved organic matter and dissolved organic carbon in the European Atlantic coastal area and in the West Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Lions)

The absorption coefficient of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (aCDOM) has been found to be correlated with fluorescence emission (excitation at 355 nm). In the coastal European Atlantic area and in the Western Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Lions), a significant statistical dependence has been found between aCDOM and fluorescence with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration. The relationship shows that, in the river plume areas (Rhine in the North Sea and Rhône in the Gulf of Lions), a consistent fraction of DOC (from 40% to 60% of the average of the DOC measured) is non-absorbing in visible light range, where the dissolved organic matter (DOM) is typically absorbent. In comparison, in the open sea, apparently not affected by the continental inputs, the entire DOC belongs to the chromophoric DOM whose specific absorption is lower (5 to 10 times) than that found in the river plume areas.