Effect of dietary protein to energy ratio on growth and nitrogenous waste production of cultured dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus

The effect of dietary protein to energy ratio (P:E) on the growth of dusky kob Argyrosomus japoni-cus was investigated as a first step towards formulating a practical diet for this potential mariculture species in South Africa. The effects of dietary protein and lipid on growth, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and nitrogenous waste production were determined in cultured juveniles (initial weight 113.8 ± 2.0 g fish^?1). Fish were fed diets that contained either 42 or 46% protein with 6, 12 or 18% lipid, within a P:E range of 20.5–26.7 g protein MJ^?1. Weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly influenced by an interaction between dietary protein and energy (p < 0.001). An increase in dietary lipid produced increasing growth rates (ranging from 0.95 ± 0.04% to 1.10 ± 0.01% day^?1) among fish fed the 46% protein diets, with no significant differences in FCR (1.05 ± 0.02 to 1.11 ± 0.02) or protein efficiency ratio (PER; 1.95 ± 0.06 to 1.66 ± 0.02). By contrast, there was a trend of decreasing growth (0.96 ± 0.04% to 0.64 ± 0.03% day^?1) and a deterioration in FCR (1.3 ± 0.10 to 1.93 ± 0.19) and PER (1.12 ± 0.11 to 1.68 ± 0.11) with increasing dietary lipid among fish fed 42% protein diets, indicating a protein– energy imbalance. The protein and lipid levels tested here had no significant effect on total ammonia production, with a combined mean production of 2.54 ± 0.55 mg kg^?1 I^?1 h^?1, 10 hours postprandial (p = 0.68). The dietary lipid level appeared to directly determine the carcass lipid content, with the mean lipid content ranging from 4.2% to 17.8% for fish fed diets ranging from 6% to 18% respectively after 12 weeks (r² = 0.98). A 46% protein and 18% lipid (P:E ratio of 22.0 g protein MJ^?1) diet is recommended for rearing juvenile A. japonicus of a mass range of 100–300 g.     

Assessment of Holothuria arguinensis feeding rate,growth and absorption efficiency under aquaculture conditions

Holothuria arguinensis is a potential species for sea cucumber aquaculture in Europe. In a first experiment, feeding rate (FR), growth, absorption efficiency (AE) and survival of adults (135.01?±?10.87?g eviscerated weight) were assessed under sediment tank conditions. In a second experiment, the feasibility to use sea bream (Sparus aurata) biodeposits as a food source was studied for adults (168.69?±?14.59?g eviscerated weight). Individuals in the first experiment showed an increase of weight (specific growth rate (SGR)?=?0.2% d^?1), positive FRs and mean value of AE close to 80% with a mean organic matter content of 90.07?±?11.5?mg/g in the offered sediment. Sea cucumbers fed with fish biodeposits showed a reduction of weight (SGR??1), low FRs and negative values of AE. The influence of low salinity and temperature during experiments should be considered to explain these results. Indeed, sea cucumbers can be affected by a decrease of these parameters during winter months resulting in a period of inactivity.     

Air-sea exchange of mercury in Tokyo Bay

In Tokyo Bay the concentrations of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in the surface seawater and total gaseous mercury (TGM) over the sea were measured during December 2003, October 2004 and January 2005. Based on these data, the evasional fluxes of mercury from the sea surface were estimated using a gas exchange model. In addition, an automatic wet and dry deposition sampler was used to measure the wet and dry depositional fluxes of mercury from December 2003 to November 2004 at three locations in and near Tokyo Bay. The results indicate that the average DGM and TGM levels of seven locations are 52 ± 26 ng m⁻³ and 1.9 ± 0.6 ng m⁻³, respectively, which shows that the surface seawater in Tokyo Bay is supersaturated with gaseous mercury, leading to an average mercury evasional flux of 140 ± 120 ng m⁻²d⁻¹. On the other hand, the annual average wet and dry depositional fluxes of mercury at three locations were 19 ± 3 μg m⁻²yr⁻¹ and 20 ± 9 μg m⁻²yr⁻¹, respectively. These depositional fluxes correspond to the daily average total depositional flux of 110 ± 20 ng m⁻²d⁻¹. Thus, it is suggested that in Tokyo Bay, the evasional fluxes of mercury are comparable to the depositional fluxes.     

The effect of low-level kelp supplementation on digestive enzyme activity levels in cultured abalone Haliotis midae fed formulated feeds

Previous studies have found that macroalgal inclusion in formulated diets for cultured abalone improves feed utilisation, and it was suggested that seaweed-associated bacteria supply enzymes that aid in the animal's digestion. In the present study, we hypothesised that kelp supplementation in formulated feed affects the profile of digestive enzymes in farmed Haliotis midae. Commercially reared sub-adult abalone fed a kelp-supplemented (Ecklonia maxima; 0.88% dry weight) or kelp-free control feed were collected for analysis of the amylase, alginate lyase, laminarinase, fucoidanase and protease activities in the gut. Levels of polysaccharidase and protease activity did not significantly differ between the diet treatments. However, enzyme-activity levels were more variable in abalone fed the kelp-free diet as compared with those fed the kelp-supplemented diet (coefficients of variation: 73%, 48.3–60.2% and 31.9% [control diet] versus 42.7%, 13.6–33.8% and 14.6% [KS diet] for amylase, macroalgal polysaccharidases and acid protease activity, respectively). We suggest that the presence of dietary kelp modulates the abalone's gut bacteria and their nutrient exchange. Proteomic identification of proteins in abalone gut sections showed that exogenous enzymes associated with the gut microbiome aid in bacterial utilisation of digested molecules, whereas abalone endogenous enzymes degrade the macronutrients in formulated feeds.     

粤东养殖区分离的2株海洋弧菌及其胞外产物对皱纹盘鲍致死毒性的初步分析

2011年秋,福建和广东地区养殖的皱纹盘鲍(Haliotis discus hannai)相继暴发死亡。同年12月,我们从广东汕头病区取样分离得到2株弧菌,其中bb3为溶藻弧菌(Vibrio alginolyticus), bb4为哈氏弧菌(V. harveyi)。本研究以bb3、bb4作为供试菌株对1龄皱纹盘鲍进行侵染实验,获得如下结果：20℃条件下,供试菌及其胞外产物粗提液注射处理均可致受试鲍死亡,浓度2.5×107 cfu/mL 的 bb3与2.0×107cfu/mL的bb4悬液注射可分别引发43.33%和78.02%的受试鲍死亡;供试菌株的致死毒性与注射弧菌的总量正相关,与受试幼鲍的壳长、全湿重负相关;注射或浸泡-创伤两种处理方式均可导致受试鲍死亡,并且因注射供试弧菌而死亡的幼鲍软体部组织被健康鲍取食后也可引发取食者死亡;从侵染实验死亡的受试鲍软体部组织中可重新分离得到这2种供试弧菌。上述结果表明,溶藻弧菌 bb3和哈氏弧菌bb4是皱纹盘鲍的病原菌。药敏试验表明, bb3、bb4均已对抗生素具有一定程度的耐药性,在测试的20种抗生素中,仅有头孢曲松和丁胺卡那霉素是这2株弧菌同时高度敏感的抗生素,但bb3和bb4却对8种抗生素同时表现出抗性。     

Water quality in a polluted lowland stream with chronically depressed dissolved oxygen: Causes and effects

Abstract

The Whangamaire Stream (North Island, New Zealand) has high concentrations of nitrate nitrogen (NO^? ₃‐N), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), and Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) as a result of catchment land use practices. The lower reaches of the stream drain intensively farmed land and have dissolved oxygen (DO) levels of 10–50% saturation. The dominant riparian vegetation, Apium nodiflorum, provides a large organic loading by intercepting nutrients in run‐off and then decaying in the stream channel. Water quality and reaeration aspects of the stream were studied in order to explain the observed low DO levels. Measurements of the reaeration coefficient at 20°C, K₂ ²⁰, using methyl chloride (CH₃Cl) as a gas tracer, yielded values of 1.1–3.0 d^?1 for the upper part of the study reach and 15.5–16.2 d^?1 for the lower reach (overall average 12.5 ± 2.5 d^?1). These were in agreement with values inferred from single‐station diurnal curve analysis, which also showed that respiration was dominant in the lower reach where photo‐synthetic activity was inhibited by shade. The relatively large reaeration coefficients ensure that parts of the stream do not become anoxic at night time. Better riparian management and reduced nutrient inputs are likely to improve stream water quality.     

Farming of spiny lobsters in sea cages in India

Pueruli and post‐pueruli, early juveniles and sub‐adults of the spiny lobster, Panulirus homarus and juveniles of P. ornatus were grown in different floating sea cages along the southeast coast of India from May 2003 to May 2007. The first type of cage had a galvanised iron pipe frame (2.0 m × 2.0 m × 1.2 m) with steel woven mesh and four inner detachable compartments (0.75 m × 0.75 m × 1.10 m). Fibre‐reinforced plastic was used subsequently to fabricate cages (1 m × 1 m × 1 m). Pueruli and post‐pueruli of P. homarus (1.58 ± 0.62 g SD), stocked at 60 individuals/m², grew to an average weight of 123.10 ± 26.22 g in 266 days with a survival rate of 70%. Sub‐adults of P. homarus with an average weight (± SD) of 123.61 ± 29.26 g reached 341.25 ± 46.22 g in 225 days at a stocking density of 21 individuals/m² with a survival of 73 ± 6%. The post‐pueruli grew by 0.46 ± 0.10 g per day with a specific growth rate (SGR) of 1.64, whereas sub‐adults had a growth rate of 0.97 ± 0.20 g per day with a SGR of 0.43. At a higher stocking density of 80 individuals/m², juveniles (51.83 ± 10.32 g and 58.20 ± 28.22 g) of P. homarus recorded growth rates of 0.86 ± 0.25 (SGR 0.82) and 0.97 ± 0.34 g (SGR 0.96) per day. This study indicates that post‐pueruli of P. homarus can be grown to over 200 g in 12 months and up to 350 g in 16 to 17 months in sea cages. Juveniles (average weight 76.35 ± 34.50 g) of P. ornatus, reared with P. homarus at a stocking density of 80 individuals/m², recorded a weight gain of 139 g in 155 days at arate of 0.89 ± 0.32 g per day with an SGR of 0.67. Marine live clam, Donax spp., was the main feed supplemented with the gastropod, Xancus pyrum, the green mussel, Perna viridis, marine crab (Charibdis sp.), squid (Loligo sp.), and fish such as clupeids and Leognathus sp. Pueruli and post‐pueruli settled in large numbers (up to 35 individuals/month in one cage) both inside and outside the cages.     

Laboratory-scale evaluation of the potential of chemical containment for farmed abalone larval escapees

The sensitivity of abalone Haliotis midae larvae to low levels of toxicants was used to conduct a laboratoryscale experiment to determine the possibility of using chemical containment to prevent the escape of larvae from land-based culture systems, thereby reducing the environmental impact of farming operations. The cryoprotective agent, dimethyl sulphoxide or DMSO (Me₂SO), was used as a toxicant and embryos were exposed to increasing concentrations (0–25.60 mol l^–1) of DMSO for a period of 24 hours. Hatch-out rates of the control group (0.0% DMSO) did not differ from those obtained at 0.2% (2.56 mol l^–1) and 0.4% (5.12 mol l^–1) DMSO. An exposure level at and above 0.6% DMSO resulted in a significant decrease in the number of normal larvae. At an exposure concentration of 0.6% (7.68 mol l^–1) DMSO, 65% (SE 3.0) of the fertilised eggs hatched, compared to only 10% (SE 2.0) at a concentration of 1.0% (12.80 mol l^–1) DMSO. This study indicates the potential for use of DMSO as a form of chemical containment of abalone larvae, even at very low doses. It presents South African abalone farms with a chemical containment method that could potentially be used to prevent the unintentional escape of H. midae larvae from land-based operations.     

Organic matter production of American lobsters (Homarus americanus) during impoundment in Maine,United States

Lobster impoundments are dammed coastal embayments utilised to hold American lobsters (Homarus americanus) before shipping to market. The impacts of lobster impoundments on the environment have not been previously studied. Here, the digestive functioning of American lobsters was examined to assess the quantity and quality (TVS, total volatile solids) of lobster faeces produced under the temperatures and feeding regimens these animals were subjected to during the impoundment period. Overall it was determined that quantity and quality of faeces did not differ among the experimental temperatures (5, 10, and 15°C), and that animals fed every 1–2 days produced greater quantity and quality of faeces than those fed every 3–18 days, or those animals fed less than every 18 days. As a first estimate of organic matter production in active lobster impoundments, it was calculated that a typical lobster impoundment produced 0.79 ± 0.35 (average ± 1 SD) g TVS m^‐2 day^‐1 during the impoundment period, equivalent to 3.11 ± 0.60% of the total weight of lobsters stocked into the impoundment. This level of organic matter production is below the level produced by other aquaculture operations, and that at which benthic impacts might be expected.     

用Ag2S电极电位滴定法测定海水氯度

本文以Ag_2S银离子电极为指示电极,第二种离子选择电极为参比电极组成无液接测量系统,对海水中高含量氯的测定进行了研究。试验表朋,以氟电极或玻璃电极作参比电极,在酸性溶液中,电位突跃约为140mV,终点明显,尤其是氟电极作参比电极,电位较稳定。证明了在酸性溶液中,可以不加有机试剂直接测定海水中高含量氯。     

Phytoplankton growth and mortality during the 1995 Northeast Monsoon and Spring Intermonsoon in the Arabian Sea

Phytoplankton growth rates and mortality rates were experimentally examined at eight stations in the Arabian Sea along the U.S. JGOFS cruise track during the 1995 Northeast Monsoon (January) and Spring Intermonsoon (March–April). Instantaneous growth rates averaged over an entire cruise were approximately twice as high during the NE Monsoon than during the Spring Intermonsoon period (overall averages of 0.84±0.29 (s.d.) versus 0.44±0.19 d⁻¹). Average herbivore grazing (mortality) rates, however, were quite similar for the two seasons (overall averages of 0.35±0.18 and 0.30±0.17 d⁻¹ for the NE Monsoon and Spring Intermonsoon, respectively). The absolute amounts of phytoplankton biomass consumed during each season also were similar (29 and 25% of standing stock consumed d⁻¹ for the January and March–April cruises, respectively), as were the geographical trends of this removal. These seasonal trends in growth and removal rates resulted in net phytoplankton growth rates that were considerably higher during the January cruise (0.48 d⁻¹) than during the March–April cruise (0.14 d⁻¹). That is, phytoplankton production was more closely balanced during the Spring Intermonsoon season (87% of daily primary production consumed) relative to the NE Monsoon season (49% of daily primary production consumed). Station-to-station variability was high for rate measurements during either cruise. Nevertheless, there was a clear onshore–offshore trend in the absolute rate of removal of phytoplankton biomass (μg chlorophyll consumed l⁻¹ d⁻¹) during both cruises. Coastal stations had removal rates that were typically 2–4 times higher than removal rates at oceanic stations.     

Seasonal and interannual variability in particle fluxes of carbon,nitrogen and silicon from time series of sediment traps at Ocean Station P, 1982–1993: relationship to changes in subarctic primary productivity

An extended time series of particle fluxes at 3800 m was recorded using automated sediment traps moored at Ocean Station Papa (OSP, 50°N, 145°W) in the northeast Pacific Ocean for more than a decade (1982–1993). Time-series observations at 200 and 1000 m, and short-term measurements using surface-tethered free-drifting sediment traps also were made intermittently. We present data for fluxes of total mass (dry weight), particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), biogenic Si (BSi), and particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) in calcium carbonate. Mean monthly fluxes at 3800 m showed distinct seasonality with an annual minimum during winter months (December–March), and maximum during summer and fall (April–November). Fluxes of total mass, POC, PIC and BSi showed 4-, 10-, 7- and 5-fold increases between extreme months, respectively. Mean monthly fluxes of PIC often showed two plateaus, one in May–August dominated by <63 μm particles and one in October–November, which was mainly >63 μm particles. Dominant components of the mass flux throughout the year were CaCO₃ and opal in equal amounts. The mean annual fluxes at 3800 m were 32±9 g dry weight g m⁻² yr⁻¹, 1.1±0.5 g POC m⁻² yr⁻¹, 0.15±0.07 g PON m⁻² yr⁻¹, 5.9±2.0 g BSi m⁻² yr⁻¹ and 1.7±0.6 g PIC m⁻² yr⁻¹. These biogenic fluxes clearly decreased with depth, and increased during “warm” years (1983 and 1987) of the El Niño, Southern Oscillation cycle (ENSO). Enhancement of annual mass flux rates to 3800 m was 49% in 1983 and 36% in 1987 above the decadal average, and was especially rich in biogenic Si. Biological events allowed estimates of sinking rates of detritus that range from 175 to 300 m d⁻¹, and demonstrate that, during periods of high productivity, particles sink quickly to deep ocean with less loss of organic components. Average POC flux into the deep ocean approximated the “canonical” 1% of the surface primary production.     

开放海区水下悬浮延绳式PVC 管养鲍新技术研究

为拓展养殖空间,发展开放海区鲍养殖产业,在福建兴化湾新开发海区进行了抗风浪养鲍新技术的研究,对开放海区与传统遮蔽养殖海区、延绳式PVC管养技术与传统筏架式筐养技术进行了分析比较.结果表明,经19个月的养殖,开放海区PVC管养组鲍的日均增质量以及成活率分别为(106.41±5.33)mg/d和82.75％,显著大于处在开放海区和遮蔽海区的2个筐养组(P＜0.05).冬春季为鲍的最佳生长时期,其日均增长表现为PVC管养组大于筐养组(P＜0.05);开放海区大于传统遮蔽养殖海区(P＜0.05).养殖器具的污损生物附着量则表现为所有筐养组均显著大于PVC管养组(P＜0.05).夏秋季采用水下延绳式PVC管养模式还能有效地避免高温、污损生物和台风的侵袭与危害.     

Influence of food supply on the δ13C signature of mollusc shells: implications for palaeoenvironmental reconstitutions

Compared to oxygen isotopes, the carbon isotope composition of biogenic carbonates is less commonly used as proxy for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions because shell δ¹³C is derived from both dissolved inorganic (seawater) and organic carbon sources (food), and interactions between these two pools make it difficult to unambiguously identify any independent effect of either. The main purpose of this study was to demonstrate any direct impact of variable food supply on bivalve shell δ¹³C signatures, using low/high rations of a ¹³C-light mixed algal diet fed to 14-month-old (adult) cultured Japanese Crassostrea gigas under otherwise essentially identical in vitro conditions during 3 summer months (May, June and July 2003, seawater temperature means at 16, 18 and 20 °C respectively) in experimental tanks at the Argenton laboratory along the Brittany Atlantic coast of France. At a daily ration of 12% (versus 4%) oyster dry weight, the newly grown part of the shells (hinge region) showed significantly lower δ¹³C values, by 3.5‰ (high ration: mean of −5.8  ± 1.1‰, n = 10; low ration: mean of −2.3  ± 0.7‰, n = 6; ANOVA Scheffe’s test, p < 0.0001). This can be explained by an enhanced metabolic activity at higher food supply, raising ¹³C-depleted respiratory CO₂ in the extrapallial cavity. Based on these δ¹³C values and data extracted from the literature, and assuming no carbon isotope fractionation between food and shell, the proportion of shell metabolic carbon would be 26  ± 7 and 5  ± 5% for the high- and low-ration C. gigas shells respectively; with carbon isotope fractionation (arguably more realistic), the corresponding values would be 69  ± 14 and 24  ± 9%. Both groups of cultured shells exhibited lower δ¹³C values than did wild oysters from Marennes-Ol éron Bay in the study region, which is not inconsistent with an independent influence of diet type. Although there was no significant difference between the two food regimes in terms of δ¹⁸O shell values (means of 0.1  ± 0.3 and 0.4  ± 0.2‰ at high and low rations respectively, non-significant Scheffe’s test), a positive δ¹³C vs. δ¹⁸O relationship recorded at high rations supports the interpretation of a progressive temperature-mediated rise in metabolic activity fuelled by higher food supply (in this case reflecting increased energy investment in reproduction), in terms not only of δ¹³C (metabolic signal) but also of δ¹⁸O (seawater temperature signal). Overall, whole-shell δ¹⁸O trends faithfully recorded summer/winter variations in seawater temperature experienced by the 17-month-old cultured oysters.     

Nitrogen fixation in polluted intertidal sediments of Waimea Inlet,Nelson

Abstract

Nitrogen fixing potential was measured in summer 1975 by acetylene reduction in situ at 5 stations on the intertidal flats of the Waimea Inlet, Nelson, New Zealand, which receive nutrients from several sources. Highest values (644 μmol?m^?2.d^?1) were obtained on sediments near an apple cannery effluent discharge and were linear through at least two tidal cycles. The cannery waste had the highest carbon to nitrogen ratio (10.3 : 1.0) of all the effluents examined and exhibited the highest rate of acetylene reduction (14.0 μmol?_‐l^?1.d^?1). Sizeable populations of the nitrogen fixing bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from the cannery effluent (2 × 10⁴ per millilitre) and also from the mud adjacent to the discharge pipe (5 × 10⁵ per millilitrc). The stimulatory effect of the cannery effluent on nitrogen fixation in the sediment was shown to be restricted to close to the discharge point. Sediments in areas affected by slaughterhouse and sewage effluents exhibited the second and third highest rates of acetylene reduction, (130 &; 28 μmol?m^?2.d^?1 respectively). In both places, the activities were not restricted to the immediate vicinity of the effluent channels. Nitrogen fixation was lowest in sediments fronting a catchment of grazed pasture. Fixation was low also in sediments affected by effluents from the hydraulic debarker of a woodchip mill.     

Organic matter budget in the Southeast Atlantic continental margin close to the Congo Canyon: In situ measurements of sediment oxygen consumption

A study of organic carbon mineralization from the Congo continental shelf to the abyssal plain through the Congo submarine channel and Angola Margin was undertaken using in situ measurements of sediment oxygen demand as a tracer of benthic carbon recycling. Two measurement techniques were coupled on a single autonomous platform: in situ benthic chambers and microelectrodes, which provided total and diffusive oxygen uptake as well as oxygen microdistributions in porewaters. In addition, sediment trap fluxes, sediment composition (Org-C, Tot-N, CaCO₃, porosity) and radionuclide profiles provided measurements of, respectively input fluxes and burial rate of organic and inorganic compounds.The in situ results show that the oxygen consumption on this margin close to the Congo River is high with values of total oxygen uptake (TOU) of 4±0.6, 3.6±0.5 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ at 1300 and 3100 m depth, respectively, and between 1.9±0.3 and 2.4±0.2 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ at 4000 m depth. Diffusive oxygen uptakes (DOU) were 2.8±1.1, 2.3±0.8, 0.8±0.3 and 1.2±0.1 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively at the same depths. The magnitude of the oxygen demands on the slope is correlated with water depth but is not correlated with the proximity of the submarine channel–levee system, which indicates that cross-slope transport processes are active over the entire margin. Comparison of the vertical flux of organic carbon with its mineralization and burial reveal that this lateral input is very important since the sum of recycling and burial in the sediments is 5–8 times larger than the vertical flux recorded in traps.Transfer of material from the Congo River occurs through turbidity currents channelled in the Congo valley, which are subsequently deposited in the Lobe zone in the Congo fan below 4800 m. Ship board measurements of oxygen profiles indicate large mineralization rates of organic carbon in this zone, which agrees with the high organic carbon content (3%) and the large sedimentation rate (19 mm y⁻¹) found on this site. The Lobe region could receive as high as 19 mol C m⁻² y⁻¹, 1/3 being mineralized and 2/3 being buried and could constitute the largest depocenter of organic carbon in the South Atlantic.     

Use of probiotic bacteria to improve growth and survivability of farmed New Zealand abalone (Haliotis iris)

The effects of two probiotic feeds containing two and three bacterial isolates were evaluated on the growth performance of New Zealand abalone (Haliotis iris). Probiotic bacteria were isolated from the guts of healthy adult abalone. The isolates were screened qualitatively and quantitatively according to their ability to hydrolyse nutrients (i.e. proteins, starch and alginate), produce acid and resist bile salts. Based on the screening results, we developed a multi-strain conglomerate of 2- and 3- probiotic bacterial strains that were supplemented into a commercial abalone feed to use in our experiments. The 2-probiotic conglomerate consisted of Exiguobacterium JHEb1 and Vibrio JH1, and the 3-probiotic conglomerate consisted of Exiguobacterium JHEb1, Vibrio JH1 and Enterococcus JHLDc. The probiotic feeding trial involved abalone juveniles (20–30 mm in maximum shell length). Both probiotic feeds significantly improved abalone growth compared to that of the unsupplemented feed. The 3-probiotic supplemented feed produced a significant shell length increase of 20.9%, a wet weight gain of 19.8% and a five-fold reduction in mortality compared to the controls. The 2-probiotic supplemented feed resulted in significant increases in shell length (15.4%) and reduced mortality (five-fold), but not in weight gain, compared to controls.     

Plankton net community production and dark respiration in the Arabian Sea during September 1994

Plankton community net and gross production and dark respiration were determined from in vitro changes in dissolved inorganic carbon and dissolved oxygen during September 1994 along a southeast offshore transect in the Arabian Sea. Surface rates of gross production decreased from 17±0.7 mmol C m^-3 d^-1 at a coastal upwelling station to 3±0.8 mmol C m^-3 d^-1 at the most offshore station. The euphotic zone at the time of sampling was predominantly heterotrophic, with integrated net community production values ranging from 15±7 mmol C m^-2 d^-1 inshore to −253±32 mmol C m^-2 d^-1 offshore. Calculations of the respiration attributable to the major plankton groups could account for 61–87% of the dark community respiration measured at the inshore stations, but only 15–26% of the community respiration determined offshore. Comparison of the fluxes of dissolved inorganic carbon and oxygen revealed a tendency for higher respiratory quotients than those calculated for organic metabolism prevailing at the offshore stations.     

Decomposition of Phytoplankton in Seawater. Part I: Kinetic Analysis of the Effect of Organic Matter Concentration

Decomposition experiments were conducted on cultured phytoplankton (Skeletonema costatum) in seawater containing decomposer and consumer of size less than 500 μm. We determined the decomposition rates of bulk particulate organic matter (POM), the ratio of labile to semi-refractory fractions in the POM, and the POM carbon/ nitrogen (C/N) ratio during decomposition. To identify the kinetic mechanisms involved in the reactions of different order (e.g., first- and second-order), we studied the sensitivity of reaction rates to the initial concentration of POM, ranging from 2.4 to 71 mg-C L⁻¹. The results showed that decomposition consists of two first-order reactions: decomposition of labile and of semi-refractory particulate organic carbon (POC). The decomposition rate constants found for labile (0.13 day⁻¹ at 20°C), and semi-refractory POC (0.008 day⁻¹ at 20°C), and the carbon weight ratio of semi-refractory POC (13% at 20°C), were insensitive to the initial organic matter concentration. The time-dependence of the C/N ratio was also independent of this initial concentration. The decomposition rate constants and the content of semi-refractory POC did not change, regardless of the absence or presence of 25–500 μm organisms in natural seawater. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

胶州湾大肠菌群丰度变化及对环境污染的指示

采用MPN计数法对胶州湾大肠菌群丰度进行7年（84个月）连续监测,结果表明,大肠菌群丰度的周年变化明显,全年最高丰度与最低丰度相差约2.2倍。胶州湾大肠菌群丰度自2005—2009年明显下降,降幅达67%,说明胶州湾环境质量有所好转。研究还发现大肠菌群丰度变化具有明显的区域特征,河口区最高,湾内区最低,差异近11倍。大...