Factors responsible for catastrophic extinction of marine organisms at the Mesozoic-Cenozoic boundary

The mass death of organisms at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (KT boundary) resulted in the extinction of approximately half of marine genera. Some taxa had degraded by the end of the Cretaceous to become eventually extinct either before or precisely at the KT boundary. Most of them became extinct immediately at this boundary. The terminal Cretaceous was marked by changes in many environmental processes, which influenced the biota. These included tectonic events, powerful basalt eruptions, falls of large asteroids (impact events), anoxia, transgressions and regressions, cooling and warming episodes, and the chemistry of the atmosphere and seawater. All these factors, except for impact events, could stimulate degradation of some groups of organisms, not their extinction. The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary was marked by major impact events, which are reflected in the occurrence of the Chicxulub, Shiva, Boltysh, Silverpit, and, probably some other impact craters. Some known craters were left by asteroids at that time or slightly earlier. At least as many asteroids undoubtedly fell into the ocean. The combination of many factors in the terminal Cretaceous harmful for organisms and seemingly unrelated to each other may be likely explained only by a single supreme cause beyond the Solar System.     

海洋生物的有机锡化合物污染

由于在工农业上,特别是在海洋防污涂料方面的广泛应用,有机锡化合物已通过各种途径进入海洋环境,使海洋生物普遍受到污染。有机锡化合物是迄今为止由人为活动引入海洋环境最毒的化学物质之一,也是目前已知内分泌干扰物质中惟一的金属化合物,它对多种海洋污损生物具有长期有效的     

指示生物在海洋污染监测中的应用

伴随着社会经济和工业的快速发展,人口的不断增长,在生产和生活过程中产生的废弃物也越来越多,这些废弃物的绝大部分最终直接或间接地进入海洋.当这些废物和污水的排放量达到一定的限度,海洋便受到了污染.污染海洋的物质众多,按污染物的性质和毒性,以及对海洋环境危害方式,大体可以把污染物分成以下几类:一是营养盐类和有机物质,如工业排出的无机氮、磷酸盐等,生活污水中的粪便、洗涤剂等;二是重金属和酸碱类物质如汞、铜、锌、镉等重金属,以及砷、硫、磷等非金属和各种酸碱;三是有毒化学制品,主要是化肥和农药的残留物[1,2].     

Introduction of accumulation-dispersal coefficient of marine organisms

Avoiding the subject for fish accumulation, the traditional view in fish population dynamics has ascribed immigration and emigration of fish to dispersal of fish. The main purpose of this paper is to find a quantity that represents the time rate of accumulation-dispersal of marine organisms, and also has some relation to the horizontal convergence of current velocity of the surrounding water. For this, the accumulation-dispersal coefficient is introduced not in the form of diffusion, but in the same form as the convergence. Since the accumulation-dispersal of organisms is a factor that changes its distribution density, all factors causing the change are first classified to locate the position occupied by the accumulation dispersal. Each factor corresponds to each coefficient appearing in a linearized equation describing the rate of change in the density, averaged over a region or a group. The immigration-emigration coefficient is divided into three coefficients of passage, accumulation dispersal and diffusion velocity. For the organisms ranging in a nearly horizontal layer, the accumulation-dispersal coefficient is shown to equal the area-averaged horizontal convergence of organismal velocity relative to land, which is the sum of the area-averaged horizontal convergences of swimming velocity relative to water and of current velocity. However, the area-averaged convergence of current velocity associated with the accumulation-dispersal coefficient for a region is shown to be somewhat different from the usual one.     

Formation and identification of PAHs metabolites in marine organisms

In this study, the development of the technique APCI⁺ LC/MS/MS allowed the detection of phenanthrene, pyrene and metabolites of alkyl homologs in fish bile (in situ) and in urine of crabs. Laboratory experiments were carried out exposing crabs from an unpolluted mangrove (Barra de Guaratiba) to phenanthrene, and to the alkylated homologs 1-methyl phenanthrene and 2,6,9-trimethyl phenanthrene. Urine samples were collected at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Fishes were captured from strategic sites from Guanabara Bay. Hydroxylated metabolites of phenanthrene, epoxides, orthoquinone and glucoside conjugates were identified in both samples. The method APCI⁺ LC/MS/MS showed to be effective in a preliminary assessment of phenanthrene metabolite formation, although the low concentrations of 1-methyl phenanthene and 2,6,9-trimethyl phenanthrene did not allow a systematic evaluation of data. The method, however, proved to be excellent tool for studies of PAHs metabolites due to the high selectivity, sensitivity and separation attained.     

Mass extinction of ocean organisms at the Paleozoic-Mesozoic boundary: Effects and causes

At the end of the Permian, at the boundary between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic (251.0 ± 0.4 Ma), the largest mass extinction of organisms on the Earth occurred. Up to 96% of the species of marine invertebrates and ∼70% of the terrestrial vertebrates died off. A lot of factors were suggested and substantiated to explain this mass mortality, such as the disappearance of environmental niches in the course of the amalgamation of the continental plates into Pangea, sea level fluctuations, anoxia, an elevated CO₂ content, H₂S intoxication, volcanism, methane discharge from gas-hydrates, climate changes, impact events (collisions with large asteroids), or combinations of many of these reasons. Some of these factors are in subordination to others, while others are independent. Almost all of these factors developed relatively slowly and could not cause the sudden mass mortality of organisms globally. It could have happened when large asteroids, whose craters have been discovered lately, fell to the Earth. It is suggested that the impact events “finished off” the already suppressed biota. A simultaneous change in many of the factors responsible for the biodiversity, including those not connected in a cause-and-effect relationship, proves the existence of a common extrater-restrial cause that affected both the changes in the internal and external geospheres and the activation of asteroid attacks (the Sun’s transit of spiral arms of our galaxy, the Sun’s oscillations perpendicularly to the galactic plane, etc).     

Scale dependence of accumulation-dispersal coefficient of marine organisms

An attempt is made to find a relation betweenK, the absolute value of accumulation-dispersal coefficient of marine organisms referred to a region or a group (Kawai, 1986a), andL, the square root of the area of the region or the group over which the distribution density of organisms is averaged.K is estimated as shown below. For appropriate sampling time-intervals,K becomes greater than other coefficients such as population growth coefficient. Using this result, an order of magnitude ofK dependent onL is estimated from various data of temporal change in density. With the aid of a dependenceQL ^–2/3 (Kawai, 1985b), a relationKL ^–2/3 is predicted for 30 cmL 30 km, whereQ andK are the root-mean-square values of area-averaged horizontal divergence of near-surface flows and of the accumulation-dispersal coefficient, respectively. The reason whyK tends to have the order of magnitude of weak or mediumQ is discussed. The doubling-halving time of the distribution density due to accumulation-dispersal,T, is related toK byT=(log_e2)/¦K¦L ^2/3. Finally, sampling time-intervals to estimate accumulation-dispersal coefficients are referred to.     

海洋生物抗炎活性物质研究进展

炎症是一种常见生理反应,在疾病的发生发展过程中具有非常重要的作用。炎症反应既具有阻止致炎因子蔓延全身和清除致炎因子、修复损伤组织和器官等积极作用,也有引发细胞和组织变性和坏死,甚至诱发某些肿瘤的潜在危害。目前临床常用的抗炎药分为甾体类和非甾体类抗炎药,它们常伴有胃肠损伤等各种副作用。海洋独特的自然环境孕育了独特而多样的抗炎活性物质,如萜类、生物碱、多糖类、多肽类、脂肪酸类和聚酮类化合物等。这些独特的抗炎活性物质因具有较好的抗炎效果和较少的副作用,从而备受关注。本文综述了近年来具有抗炎活性的海洋生物活性物质及其衍生物的研究进展。     

微塑料对海洋生物生态毒理学效应研究进展

海洋环境中的微塑料主要来源于陆源塑料垃圾输入、海上船只塑料垃圾的丢弃和水产养殖业漂浮装置的废弃等.微塑料的大小、形状和颜色与海洋生物的食物相似,容易被海洋生物误食,由于微塑料自身的毒性及其表面吸附的有毒化学物,对海洋生物及其生态系统具有直接和潜在的危害.本研究主要综述了微塑料对海洋生物产生影响的途径、毒性效应及其效应机制的研究进展状况;提出未来应重点加强微塑料环境浓度的长期效应、微塑料与其他污染物的联合效应及其机制、微塑料效应的生物标志物筛选以及生态风险评估技术的研究等.     

An improved electrochemical method for the quantification of metallothioneins in marine organisms

A six-to nine-fold increase in detection limits of the Brdic?ka polarographic assay for metallothioneins has been achieved through the employment of a commercially available static mercury drop electrode (SMDE) and reduced temperatures. At 16°C detectable concentrations of metallothionein (MT-1) from the crab Scylla serrata were in the range of 5 to 10 μg litre^-1. Operating conditions and electrode preparation are discussed. For a number of thiolic molecules a linear relationship between polarographic response and either the number of cysteinyl residues or the molecular weight was noted. In the latter case on enhancement of response by sulfur-metal bonds is suggested. The utility of this assay permits a rapid quantitative assay for these proteins at basal levels in marine invertebrates and other organisms.     

海洋自然资本评估中生物能值转换率的研究

自然资本评估是研究生态系统服务与社会经济发展的重要方式。由于海洋具有特殊性和复杂性、开放性、流动性和多层次耦合性等特点,海洋自然资本评估方法的研究进展缓慢。能值分析理论通过能值转换率将生态系统内流动和储存的各种不同类别的能量和物质转换为同一标准的能值,可衡量和比较不同等级的能量价值,系统完整地反映自然资本价值,这一特点是其他评估方法所缺乏的。为精确量化海洋生物资本价值,本研究引入海洋食物网信息能流图和生态系统能量传递规律,提出了生物能值转换率的经验公式,即Tn=T1·E^1-nL(T1为初级生产者的太阳能值转换率,n为营养级,EL为林德曼效率)。为验证经验公式的可行性,选用相关案例进行了研究,得到海洋食物网中不同食性生物所处营养级及其相应的能值转换率。经验公式有一定误差,具体应用时应通过调研文献和相关数据,确定关键参数的取值范围以提高准确性。本研究得出的经验公式简化了海洋生物能值转换率的计算方法,促进了能值分析理论在海洋自然资本评估中的进一步应用。     

浙江苍南泥相潮间带春末底栖动物生态特征

通过2003年6月对鳌江口南侧苍南县3条泥相潮间带断面的调查分析,鉴定出潮间带底栖动物74种,其中多毛类8种,软体动物24种,甲壳动物26种,棘皮动物1种,其他类动物15种。平均生物量和栖息密度分别为103.74 g/m2,667个/m2,软体动物和甲壳动物可占总生物量的72%和15%,断面数量平面分布为巴曹>白沙>海城,垂直分布中潮区>高潮区>低潮区,多样性指数H′值北侧白沙断面(1.82)大于南侧巴曹断面(1.61),均匀度J值中间海城断面为最大(0.72),调查区域北端鳌江淡水注入和南端外侧琵琶山阻挡,海流及潮汐的作用影响不一,致使该区潮间带动物种类和数量在南北断面间有较大差异。     

Innovative processes and products involving marine organisms in South Africa

The SEAChange programme, instituted in 2007 under the auspices of the South African Network for Coastal and Oceanic Research (SANCOR), included four interdependent research themes, one of which was Marine Biotechnology. Marine biotechnology is a discipline that involves both basic and applied research, and is aimed at the commercial exploitation of marine organisms. This paper reviews the progress made in three key areas of the SEAChange programme over the first five years, namely marine aquaculture, omics of marine organisms and marine bioprospecting, and discusses these accomplishments in context to marine biotechnology internationally.     

青岛冷水团的消亡机理研究

本文基于多年月平均水温资料,分析了青岛冷水团的长消过程,并利用气候态月平均大气数据和数值模拟结果,探讨了青岛冷水团的消亡机理。结果表明,青岛冷水团3月出现,4月成型,5月最盛,6月减弱,7月消失;南黄海6-7月间偏南风的增强和温跃层以下反气旋涡的减弱是青岛冷水团消亡的动力机制,而海面净热通量的下传和水平热量的输入则是青岛冷水团消亡的热力机制。     

Assessing bottom water anoxia within the Late Devonian Woodford Shale in the Arkoma Basin,southern Oklahoma

Comparing the concentration of molybdenum (Mo) (ppm) and total organic carbon (TOC) (wt%) within sediments allows interpretation of the relative degrees of bottom water restriction within the geologic record. The Woodford Shale is interpreted as transgressive systems tract (TST) grading into highstand systems tract (HST). The lowermost Woodford preserves a Mo-TOC signal that is consistent with a restricted basin that periodically received influxes of water consistent with rising sea levels flowing into restricted sub-basins that became isolated by localized conditions. The middle Woodford preserves a signal that indicates an increased ventilation at the sediment-water interface persisting until the maximum flooding surface. The presence of phosphate nodules in the uppermost Woodford suggests sufficient oxygen to retain the Mo in solution and indicates active upwelling and circulation with the Paleotethys.It is also possible to document changing ventilation patterns, non-destructively, within a basin by utilizing changing trends in redox-sensitive trace metals (Mo, Ni, and Cu) and an approximation of the degree of pyritization (aDOP) based on an idealized formula for pyrite (FeS₂). This chemofacies approach produces a qualitatively similar interpretation to the changing Mo-TOC signal and can evaluate lateral trends in bottom water ventilation where destructive sampling is not permitted. Distal regions preserve the greatest degree of bottom water ventilation. Proximal regions preserve highly variable conditions with more restricted conditions being common in the lowermost Woodford Shale and ventilation improving upsection.Interpreting changing levels of bottom water anoxia enable greater degrees of precision in targeting potential hydrocarbon resources. Furthermore, this information improves our understanding of the changing environmental conditions of the Woodford Shale. The Framvaren Fjord is a reasonable modern analog for bottom water restriction in the lowermost portion of the Woodford Shale. The Cariaco Basin is a good modern analog for bottom water restriction in the middle and uppermost Woodford Shale.     

Comparative histopathological effects of chemically contaminated sediment on marine organisms

Comparative pathological effects in three species of fish and six species of invertebrates were investigated using a chemically contaminated sediment from Black Rock Harbor (BRH), Connecticut, USA. Substances contained in BRH sediment are known to be genotoxic, carcinogenic, co-carcinogenic and tumor-promoting. Proliferative lesions were observed in winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) external, oral and esophageal epithelial surfaces, renal vascular and nephroblastic elements, and the pancreatic islets. Islet lesions included cystic adenomas and a diffuse islet proliferative condition, nesidioblastosis. In addition, pathology was enhanced when winter flounder were fed mussels (Mytilus edulis) previously exposed to BRH sediment. Neoplastic lesions developed in kidney tubule epithelia, gills, some regions of the gastrointestinal tract, neural elements and heart of oysters (Crassostrea virginica) exposed to BRH sediment for 30 days in the laboratory. In addition, renal carcinomas in three oysters had metastasized to the viseral ganglion. Lesions were also found in oysters exposed in situ in BRH and Long Island Sound for 30 or 36 days. Digestive diverticula, gills and kidneys appeared to be the prime organs affected in mussels, soft-shelled clams (Mya arenaria) and oysters exposed to BRH sediment. Mucous cell activity increased greatly in corals (Astrangia densa) while no microscopic lesions were detectable in lobster (Homarus americanus) exposed in the laboratory. Myxomas were also found in the hearts of < 5% of the mussels exposed in the laboratory.     

多溴联苯醚在海洋生物中的富集及毒性效应评述

多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)作为一种新型的持久性有机污染物,在海洋环境中广泛存在,对海洋生物的影响也日趋加大,因此评价PBDEs的海洋生态效应十分必要.本文在简介海水中PBDEs化学行为的基础上,依次阐述PBDEs在海洋浮游生物、底栖动物、游泳生物体内的富集,其沿海洋生态食物链(网)的传递规律与毒性效应,还展望了PBDEs海洋生态效应今后需加强的研究内容.     

The application of physical surrogates to predict the distribution of marine benthic organisms

The identification of marine habitats based on physical parameters is increasingly important for marine reserve design, allowing characterisation of habitat types over much wider areas than is possible from often patchy biological data. Marine management zones often contain a wide array of physical environments, which may not be captured in the biological sampling effort. The mismatch between biological and physical information leads to uncertainty in the application of bio-physical relationships at the broader management scale. In this study, a case study from northern Australia is used to demonstrate a methodology for defining uncertainties which result from the extrapolation of bio-physical associations across areas where detailed biological data is absent. In addition, uncertainties relating to the interpolation of physical data sets and that resulting from the cluster analysis applied to the physical data are calculated and mapped, providing marine managers with greater robustness in their analysis of habitat distributions.