Molluscan lysosomal responses as a diagnostic tool for the detection of a pollution gradient in Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong

Sub-cellular perturbations in the lysosomal compartment of molluscan haemocytes were examined in mussels (Perna viridis), collected along a pollution gradient. The neutral red technique was validated using a well defined contamination gradient among indigenous populations from five stations along Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong. Condition indices (shell length:dry tissue wt) and tissue metal concentrations were also measured in an attempt to identify a relationship between contamination level and adverse physiological effects. Correlations were found between lysosomal retention time and condition along the pollution gradient. There were significant differences between mussels collected from stations on offshore islands and those collected from inner harbour sites (p < 0.05). There was, however, little correlation between metal concentrations and retention time or condition (p > 0.05).     

Integrated biochemical,molecular genetic,and bioacoustical analysis of mesoscale variability of the euphausiid Nematoscelis difficilis in the California Current

Integrated assessment of the euphausiid Nematoscelis difficilis (Crustacea; Euphausiacea) and the zooplankton assemblage of the California Current was designed to investigate individual, population, and community responses to mesoscale variability in biological and physical characters of the ocean. Zooplankton samples and observational data were collected along a cross-shelf transect of the California Current in association with the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Survey during October 1996. The transect crossed three domains defined by temperature and salinity: nearshore, mid-Current, and offshore. Individual N. difficilis differed in physiological condition along the transect, with higher size-corrected concentrations of four central metabolic enzymes (citrate synthetase, hexokinase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI)) for euphausiids collected in nearshore waters than in mid-Current and offshore waters. There was little variation in the DNA sequences of the genes encoding PGI and LDH (all DNA changes were either silent or heterozygous base substitutions), suggesting that differences in enzyme concentration did not result from underlying molecular genetic variation. The population genetic makeup of N. difficilis varied from sample to sample based on haplotype frequencies of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI; P=0.029). There were significant differences between pooled nearshore and offshore samples, based on allele frequencies at two sites of common substitutions in the mtCOI sequence (P=0.020 and 0.026). Silhouette and bioacoustical backscattering measurements of the zooplankton assemblage of the top 100 m showed marked diel vertical migration of the scattering layer, of which euphausiids were a small but significant fraction. The biochemical and molecular assays are used as indices of complex physiological (i.e., growth and condition) and genetic (i.e., mortality) processes; the bioacoustical observations provide insight into the ecosystem context for the single-species measurements. All data are intended for integration into predictive models of secondary production and biomass concentration in the ocean.     

Chronic hypoxia and low salinity impair anti-predatory responses of the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis

The effects of chronic hypoxia and low salinity on anti-predatory responses of the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis were investigated. Dissolved oxygen concentrations ranged from hypoxic to normoxic (1.5 ± 0.3 mg l⁻¹, 3.0 ± 0.3 mg l⁻¹ and 6.0 ± 0.3 mg l⁻¹), and salinities were selected within the variation during the wet season in Hong Kong coastal waters (15‰, 20‰, 25‰ and 30‰). The dissolved oxygen and salinity significantly affected some anti-predatory responses of mussel, including byssus production, shell thickness and shell weight, and the adductor diameter was only significantly affected by salinity. Besides, interactive effects of dissolved oxygen and salinity on the byssus production and shell thickness were also observed. In hypoxic and low salinity conditions, P. viridis produced fewer byssal threads, thinner shell and adductor muscle, indicating that hypoxia and low salinity are severe environmental stressors for self-defence of mussel, and their interactive effects further increase the predation risk.     

热带东北印度洋海域管水母类的群落结构特征

管水母是海洋浮游动物中的重要类群,通常可作为海流或水团的指示种,其分布受温度、盐度和食物的影响。本文根据2011年4月在东印度洋海域(5°S~5°N,80°~98.5°E)26个站的调查资料,分析了管水母种类组成、丰度分布和群落结构特征。共鉴定管水母37种,以热带大洋广布种和赤道种为主,其中扭形爪室水母Chelophyes contorta、巴斯水母Bassia bassensis、双小水母Nanomia bijuga和短深杯水母Abylopsis eschscholtzi是调查海域的优势种。依据调查站位设置及环境特征,将调查海域分东部断面、赤道断面和西部断面3个区域。各个调查站种数变化范围为2~14种,东部和西部断面的种类较丰富,而赤道断面近岸区种数低,离岸区种数增多。管水母的平均丰度为(1.04±0.58)个/m3,分布不均匀,东部断面和西部断面的丰度比赤道断面高,特别是赤道断面近岸区丰度在1.0个/m3以下。调查海区的管水母属于比较典型的热带大洋性生态类群。群落结构分析表明,东部和西部断面的群落结构相似度较高,二者与赤道断面的相似度均较低。调查海域管水母种类和丰度的分布受水文和生物环境因子的综合影响。双小水母Nanomia bijuga可作为东部断面和赤道断面近岸区沿岸水团的指示种,锥体浅室水母Lensia conoides和褶玫瑰水母Rosacea plicata可作为西部断面100m以下涌升水团的指示种。     

Determining spatial changes in the diet of nearshore suspension-feeders along the South African coastline: Stable isotope and fatty acid signatures

Mesoscale oceanographic features, such as upwellings, are known to play an important role in regulating the structure and productivity of nearshore marine communities. Stable isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) and fatty acid analyses were employed to assess the influence of an upwelling cell along the south-eastern coastline of southern Africa on the diet of the mussel, Perna perna. Eight sites were sampled: two upstream, three in the vicinity and three downstream of the upwelling cell. Stable isotope and fatty acid signatures indicated that the mussels consumed a diet of detritus derived mainly from macroalgae, diatoms and dinoflagellates. One-way ANOVA on the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures and the principal component analysis of the fatty acid profiles of the mussels identified distinct groups corresponding to the above mentioned regions. The proportion of diatom biomarkers in the fatty acid profiles decreased downstream of the upwelling region while the proportion of dinoflagellate biomarkers increased. Upwelling regions are typically associated with elevated levels of productivity; however, these systems usually become silicon depleted and result in the replacement of diatoms with dinoflagellates. The highest proportions of the dinoflagellate markers were recorded in the two furthest sites downstream of the upwelling cell. The spatial variation in the diet of the mussels, therefore, appears to reflect the presence of the upwelling cell in the nearshore biology of the region.     

Seasonal variation of oxidative biomarkers in gills and digestive gland of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis from Arabian Sea

Investigations on seasonal variation in oxidative stress biomarkers were carried out on the natural population of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis collected from Bambolim beach area of Goa. Oxidative stress indices such as lipid peroxidation (LPX), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), reduced glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (ASA) were measured in gills and digestive gland of P. viridis during February, May, August and November. The present study reveals two important aspects regarding the antioxidant defence status of tissues of P. viridis. Firstly, antioxidant capacity of tissues of P. viridis exhibits seasonal variation. Secondly, various components of antioxidant capacity such as oxidative stress markers, levels of antioxidant enzymes and small antioxidant molecules vary differently in tissues with respect to different seasons. Although the oxidative stress status of gills and digestive gland of P. viridis expressed in terms of LPX and H₂O₂ was the lowest in February, its level was maximal in gills and digestive gland during May and November, respectively. While activities of SOD and GPX of tissues of P. viridis were found to be low in August, activities of CAT and GR were recorded to be low in February. GST activity in gills although remained high in February, in digestive gland elevated values were recorded in August and November. A seasonal variation in the levels of small antioxidant molecules was also noticed. Among non enzymatic antioxidants ASA content of tissues was maximal in May and August in comparison to February and November, but GSH remained high in November. It therefore appears that environmental factors may play a crucial role in regulating the oxidative stress capacity of tissues of P. viridis.     

The invasive Asian green mussel Perna viridis in South Africa: all that is green is not viridis

The Asian green mussel Perna viridis is an invasive Indo-Pacific species recently reported from South African harbours. To verify the invasion, a phylogenetic (and morphological) analysis of green-shelled mussels (n = 39), found in six South African harbours, was conducted using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI). Estimates of genetic distances using the neighbour-joining analysis identified P. viridis only from Durban Harbour. All other green mussels were more than 3.2% divergent from P. viridis and were identified as green-shelled variants of indigenous P. perna. The only reliable morphological differences distinguishing the two species were the poorly developed mantle papillae and the wavy pallial line in P. viridis. The confirmed occurrence of P. viridis in a South African harbour suggests that there is a possible threat of the species becoming established and then spreading onto the open coast and competing with indigenous P. perna.     

Community structures of coral reefs around Peninsular Malaysia

Coral community structures at eleven fringing reef sites were investigated along the coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Estimated coverage of coral communities is examined by applying quantitative digital image analysis to the line transect method. Four coral community types were characterized by dominant genera and lifeforms: Acropora branching community, Montipora-Acropora community, Porites massive community, and Heliopora community. Live coral coverage in all study sites ranged from 17.9% to 68.6%. Most reefs were in “fair” condition while some reefs were shown to be in “poor” condition. Coral community structures among the study sites were divided into the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia with a dominant Porites massive lifeform, and the east coast with a variety of lifeform categories of Montipora and Acropora. Physical effects such as the monsoon wind regime and sedimentation are likely to influence the formation of dominant coral communities around Peninsular Malaysia.     

Trace metals in bivalve molluscs from Thailand

Capture fisheries and aquaculture provide a large quantity of bivalve molluscs for human consumption in Thailand each year. The existing information on trace elements in these bivalves is fragmentary and contradictory. This paper reports data for eight metals (cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel, mercury and zinc) in the four major species marketed. These are the clam Pahia undulata, the cockle Anadara granosa, the green mussel Perna viridis and the rock oyster Crassostrea commercialis. The bivalves analysed were taken at markets or in the field to cover as many of the major sources as possible. The results indicate no major threat to public health from trace elements in these species from Thailand and lend confidence to the expansion of aquaculture operations. In particular, the levels of lead found in the samples analysed are considerably lower than those previously reported by other authors.     

Distribution, abundance, and growth of larval tautog, Tautoga onitis, in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA

Tautog, Tautoga onitis, is an abundant species of fish in estuaries of the northeastern United States. Planktonic tautog larvae are abundant in summer in these estuaries, but there is little information on rates of growth of tautog larvae feeding on natural assemblages of food in the plankton. We examined abundance and growth of larval tautog and environmental factors during weekly sampling at three sites along a nearshore‐to‐offshore transect in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA during summer 1994. This is the first study of a robust sample size (336 larvae) to estimate growth rates of field‐caught planktonic tautog larvae feeding on natural diets, using the otolith daily‐growth‐increment method. The study was over the entire summer period when tautog larvae were in the plankton. The sampling sites contrasted in several environmental variables including temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and chlorophyll a concentration. There was a temporal progression in the abundance of tautog larvae over the summer, in relation to location and temperature. Tautog larvae were first present nearshore, with a pronounced peak in abundance occurring at the nearshore sites during the last 2 weeks in June. Larvae were absent at this time further offshore. From late June through August, larval abundance progressively decreased nearshore, but increased offshore although never approaching the abundance levels observed at the nearshore sites. The distribution and abundance of tautog larvae appeared to be related to a nearshore‐to‐offshore seasonal warming trend and a nearshore decrease in DO. Otoliths from 336 larvae ranging from 2.3 to 7.7 mm standard length had otolith increment counts ranging from 0 to 19 increments. Growth of larval tautog was estimated at 0.23 mm·day^?1, and length of larvae prior to first increment formation was estimated at 2.8 mm indicating that first increment formation occurs 3–4 days after hatching at 2.2 mm. Despite spatial and temporal differences in environmental factors, there were no significant differences in growth rates at any of three given sites over time, or between sites. Because larval presence only occurred at a narrow range of temperature (17–23.5 °C) and DO (6.5–9.3 mg·l^?1), in situ differences in growth did not appear to be because of differences in larval distribution and abundance patterns relative to these parameters.     

Effects of destroying juxtaposed mussel-dominated and coralline algal communities at Umdoni Park,Natal coast,South Africa

An experiment was conducted to determine the recruitment pattern of species into disturbed areas of the lower littoral zone. Plots were cleared to rock substratum in two juxtaposing communities, one dominated by the mussel Perna perna (Linn.) and the other by foliose and crustose coralline algae (Rhodophyceae). Subsequent changes in cover were monitored for one year. Undisturbed sectors of these two communities were also monitored for comparative purposes. Evaluations were made by comparing species similarity indices and biomass measures. Within five months all cleared plots had recruited a richer species composition and a biomass comparable to that of an undisturbed community dominated by coralline algae. The mussel Perna perna, during the experiment and up to eight years later, never returned to numerical dominance in the experimental plots. The consequences of this for the welfare of mussel beds are discussed.     

夏季海南东、南沿岸珊瑚礁区浮游动物群落结构特征研究

于2018年8月对海南东、南海域展开断面调查研究,共获取了18个浮游动物样品,分析了浮游动物的种群分布和群落结构变化,旨在了解不同区域珊瑚礁生态系统的结构与功能。结果表明:海南东、南沿岸共鉴定浮游动物43属62种,浮游幼体23类,分为河口类群、暖水沿岸类群和暖水广布类群共三个生态类群,浮游动物种群组成以桡足类占优势,优势种以亚强次真哲水蚤(Subeucalanus subcrassus)、肥胖箭虫(Sagittaenflata)、异体住囊虫(Oikopleuradioica)、长尾类幼体(Macruralarva)、鱼卵(Fisheggs)、双生水母(Diphyeschamissonis)等种类组成。浮游动物个体丰度、物种丰富度和多样性指数等参数均存在区域性差异,整体呈现为三亚琼海文昌,湿重生物量则为琼海三亚文昌。总体而言,三亚珊瑚礁生态系统的健康状况整体优于文昌和琼海地区,浮游动物种类丰富度与多样性整体呈较高水平。     

Quantitative determination of lysozyme in the hemolymph of Mytilus edulis by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

The defensive responses of the bay mussel, Mytilus edulis, to invading organisms and toxicants is primarily cellular. Hemolymph cells as well as the other organs and tissues of the mussel through their normal functioning and interactions with toxic substances influence the chemical composition of the animal's hemolymph. It has been found that the levels of specific molecules in the hemolymph fluctuate as a consequence of trace metal insult. It was proposed that one way in which trace metal toxicity may be expressed is through an influx of free lysosomal hydrolases in the hemolymph.Reported here is the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with which micro-samples of mussel hemolymph can be analyzed quantitatively for the lysosomal hydrolytic enzyme, lysozyme. During development comparisons were made of the results acquired by spectrophotometric determinations of lysozyme activity and ELISA-determined lysozyme concentrations in the hemolymph of mussels. The hemolymph from unstressed and copper-stressed mussels was examined. It was found that the overall trends in lysozyme fluctuations were indicated by both techniques. However, on occasion in copper-stressed populations a divergence between the two sets of data was observed. This suggested an effect of copper on lysozyme molecular configuration.     

南通近岸海域水质特征的因子及聚类分析研究

基于2012年5月、8月和10月3个航次水质环境调查资料,利用因子分析探讨南通近岸海域海水水质主要影响因素的空间分布特征;通过站位聚类分析进行了区域类别划分,并对各区的主要影响因素及其季节变化进行了分析。因子分析结果显示,南通近岸海域主要存在4种水质影响因素,总体表现为受近岸污染源的控制影响,其中F1(NO-2-N、石油类)高值区位于冷家沙西北侧,是北上长江径流与外海水在冷家沙浅滩处相遇作用的结果;F2(DO、NO-3-N)体现了外海水进入的影响,其值由近岸向离岸逐渐增大;F3(COD、PO3-4-P)显示了河流输入的影响,F4(NH+4-N)体现了人为源的作用,两者高值区均分布于栟茶运河河口和长江口北侧。站位聚类分析显示,南通近岸海域可划分为5个类型区,其中A区(小洋口港近岸区域)受陆源河口排污影响,且所处水道尾部水文动力条件弱,污染严重;B区(烂沙洋海域)受西侧相邻的河口排污区和近岸污染影响,在主要潮汐通道的强动力作用下,污染程度较轻;C区(冷家沙区域)为B、D两区之间的潮滩区,受到B、D两区域污染的综合影响;D区(冷家沙南侧近岸海域)主要受近岸污染影响,为小庙洪和网仓洪的强动力控制区;长江入海携带污染物及水流扰动对E区(东南部离岸海域)有一定干扰。不同空间类型分区体现了区域动力地貌在海洋污染物分布中的强烈影响。     

Contrasting food-web support bases for adjoining river-influenced and non-river influenced continental shelf ecosystems

Nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations and distributions in two adjoining regions of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB), Onslow Bay and nearshore Long Bay, were investigated over a 3-year period. Onslow Bay represents the northernmost region of the SAB, and receives very limited riverine influx. In contrast, Long Bay, just to the south, receives discharge from the Cape Fear River, draining the largest watershed within the State of North Carolina, USA. Northern Long Bay is a continental shelf ecosystem that has a nearshore area dominated by nutrient, turbidity and water-color loading from inputs from the river's plume. Average planktonic chlorophyll a concentrations ranged from 4.2 μg l⁻¹ near the estuary mouth, to 3.1 μg l⁻¹ 7 km offshore in the plume's influence, to 1.9 μg l⁻¹ at a non-plume station 7 km offshore to the northeast. Average areal planktonic chlorophyll a was approximately 3X that of benthic chlorophyll a at plume-influenced stations in Long Bay. In contrast, planktonic chlorophyll a concentrations in Onslow Bay were normally <0.50 μg l⁻¹ at a nearshore (8 km) site, and <0.15 μg l⁻¹ at sites located 45 and 100 km offshore. However, high water clarity (K_PAR 0.10–0.25 m⁻¹) provides a favorable environment for benthic microalgae, which were abundant both nearshore (average 58.3 mg m⁻²) and to at least 45 km offshore in Onslow Bay (average 70.0 mg m⁻²) versus average concentrations of 10–12 mg m⁻² for river-influenced areas of Long Bay. This provides evidence that much of the inner shelf food web in Onslow Bay is based on benthic microalgal production, in contrast to a plankton-based food web in northern Long Bay and more southerly areas of the SAB.     

雷州半岛东部近海浮标大型固着生物污损特点

对布设在雷州半岛东部距岸约30—42km、浸海时间约24个月的3个近海浮标进行了大型固着污损生物分析研究。结果表明,污损浮标的大型固着生物共35种,优势种以侧花海葵(Anthopleura spp.)、变化短齿蛤(Brachidontes variabilis)、网纹藤壶(Balanus reticulatus)为主,其次为翡翠贻贝(Perna viridis)、刺巨藤壶(Megabalanus volcano)和钟巨藤壶(M.tintinnabulum tintinnabulum)。3个近海浮标均被固着生物严重污损,生物附着量变化范围为3994.20—8641.72g/m2,浮标各部位组间差异不显著。物种多样性指数介于1.49—2.99,丰富度指数1.34—2.68,均匀度指数0.38—0.64。在离岸距离约42km的1号浮标,固着生物种类组成已表现出外海性特点,有少量有柄蔓足类出现,而离岸距离分别约35km和30km的4号浮标和7号浮标,污损浮标的大型固着生物仍为沿岸性种类。离岸距离、采样季节、采样深度、光照强度、海流状况和水域的开阔与封闭程度可能是影响固着生物群落组成的因素。     

Bioaccumulation des métaux chez le mytilidae hydrothermal Bathymodiolus sp. de la ride médio-atlantique

The hydrothermal environment is characterised, among other things, by a high metal concentration, related to the convective sea-water circulation inside the oceanic crust and its interaction with basaltic rocks. The biological communities associated with the hydrothermal system can survive in this toxic environment owing to their ability to regulate their intracellular metal levels by excretion or accumulation of metal ions in non-toxic forms. Various detoxification processes have been previously studied within an hydrothermal organism: immobilisation and precipitation of the metal in lysosomal systems, or binding to specific and soluble ligands such as metallothioneins. The later are heat stable and characterised by a high content of cysteine. The quantification of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cd, Ag, Ba and Sr in the tissues of the vent mussel Bathymodiolus sp. indicates a high accumulation of these metals in two target organs, the gill and the digestive gland. This accumulation is in relation with high concentrations of metallothioneins, but the subcellular distribution of metals indicates a higher contribution of the insoluble compartment for detoxification processes. These results are compared with the literature data about metal bioaccumlation in Bathymodiolus thermophilus collected at the Galapagos Rift.     

Biodiversity and community composition of sediment macrofauna associated with deep-sea Lophelia pertusa habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

Scleractinian corals create three-dimensional reefs that provide sheltered refuges, facilitate sediment accumulation, and enhance colonization of encrusting fauna. While heterogeneous coral habitats can harbor high levels of biodiversity, their effect on the community composition within nearby sediments remains unclear, particularly in the deep sea. Sediment macrofauna from deep-sea coral habitats (Lophelia pertusa) and non-coral, background sediments were examined at three sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico (VK826, VK906, MC751, 350–500 m depth) to determine whether macrofaunal abundance, diversity, and community composition near corals differed from background soft-sediments. Macrofaunal densities ranged from 26 to 125 individuals 32 cm⁻² and were significantly greater near coral versus background sediments only at VK826. Of the 86 benthic invertebrate taxa identified, 16 were exclusive to near-coral habitats, while 14 were found only in background sediments. Diversity (Fisher’s α) and evenness were significantly higher within near-coral sediments only at MC751 while taxon richness was similar among all habitats. Community composition was significantly different both between near-coral and background sediments and among the three primary sites. Polychaetes numerically dominated all samples, accounting for up to 70% of the total individuals near coral, whereas peracarid crustaceans were proportionally more abundant in background sediments (18%) than in those near coral (10%). The reef effect differed among sites, with community patterns potentially influenced by the size of reef habitat. Taxon turnover occurred with distance from the reef, suggesting that reef extent may represent an important factor in structuring sediment communities near L. pertusa. Polychaete communities in both habitats differed from other Gulf of Mexico (GOM) soft sediments based on data from previous studies, and we hypothesize that local environmental conditions found near L. pertusa may influence the macrofaunal community structure beyond the edges of the reef. This study represents the first assessment of L. pertusa-associated sediment communities in the GOM and provides baseline data that can help define the role of transition zones, from deep reefs to soft sediments, in shaping macrofaunal community structure and maintaining biodiversity; this information can help guide future conservation and management activities.     

Further refutation of the primary-secondary settlement hypothesis for the brown mussel Perna perna

The primary-secondary settlement hypothesis, that mussels first settle in algae and then move to mussel beds, was rejected as the only mode of recruitment for the brown mussel Perna perna in a previous study at one location over one year on the south coast of South Africa. We investigated recruitment of P. perna into mussel beds and algal turfs over a five-year period (1995–2000) at 3–4 sites at each of four locations on the South and East coasts. Attachment to the two substrata was significantly temporally synchronous at two of the four locations. The disparity among locations could be due to differences in the algal species present or to differences in the importance of turf algae as a facilitator of recruitment. At Zululand, on the East Coast, attachment to mussel beds and algae was measured monthly and found not to be temporally synchronous. At this location, primary settlement into algae was significantly correlated with an increase in the density of juveniles in the mussel beds 2–3 months later, indicating that turf algae can act as irregular but important facultative facilitators of mussel recruitment, supplementing direct input into the mussel beds. However, as amounts of settlers and recruits in mussel beds exceeded those found in algal turfs most years and places, the primary-secondary settlement hypothesis is inapplicable to P. perna under most circumstances.