Effects of anthropogenic seawater acidification on acid-base balance in the sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris

The purple-tipped sea urchin, Psammechinus miliaris, was exposed to artificially acidified seawater treatments (pH(w) 6.16, 6.63 or 7.44) over a period of 8 days. Urchin mortality of 100% was observed at pH(w) 6.16 after 7 days and coincided with a pronounced hypercapnia in the coelomic fluid producing an irrecoverable acidosis. Coelomic fluid acid-base measures showed that an accumulation of CO(2) and a significant reduction in pH occurred in all treatments compared with controls. Bicarbonate buffering was employed in each case, reducing the resultant acidosis, but compensation was incomplete even under moderate environmental hypercapnia. Significant test dissolution was inferred from observable increases in the Mg(2+) concentration of the coelomic fluid under all pH treatments. We show that a chronic reduction of surface water pH to below 7.5 would be severely detrimental to the acid-base balance of this predominantly intertidal species; despite its ability to tolerate fluctuations in pCO(2) and pH in the rock pool environment. The absence of respiratory pigment (or any substantial protein in the coelomic fluid), a poor capacity for ionic regulation and dependency on a magnesium calcite test, make echinoids particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic acidification. Geological sequestration leaks may result in dramatic localised pH reductions, e.g. pH 5.8. P. miliaris is intolerant of pH 6.16 seawater and significant mortality is seen at pH 6.63.     

Heavy metal contamination in western Xiamen Bay sediments and its vicinity, China

Concentrations of selected heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni and Fe) in surface sediments from nine sites in western Xiamen Bay and its vicinity were studied in order to understand current metal contamination due to urbanization and economic development in Xiamen, China. The sediment samples were collected in December 2004 and July 2005 respectively in order to examine temporal variations. In this study, we found that heavy metal concentrations in surface sediments sampled in the western Xiamen Bay and adjacent Maluan Bay and Yuandang Lagoon varied from 19 to 97mg kg(-1) for Cu, 45 to 60mg kg(-1) for Pb, 65 to 223mg kg(-1) for Zn, 0.11 to 1.01mg kg(-1) for Cd, 37 to 134mg kg(-1) for Cr, 25 to 65mg kg(-1) for Ni and 3.08 to 4.81% for Fe. Although all metal concentrations in sediments meets Chinese National Standard Criteria for Marine Sediment Quality, both metal enrichment factors (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I(geo)) show that Pb contamination exists in the entire study area and contamination of other metals are also present in some locations depending on the sources, of which sewage outlets and commercial ports are the main sources of contaminants to the area. This study shows that using the sediment quality standard criteria only to assess sediments cannot properly reflect sediment contamination. A multiple approaches should be applied for the sediment quality assessment.     

Remotely sensed assessment of water quality levels in the Pearl River Estuary, China

In this paper, a method of assessing water quality from satellite data is introduced. The composite pollution index (CPI) was calculated from measured chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrient concentration. The relationships between CPI and 240 band combinations of SeaWiFS water-leaving radiance were analyzed and the optimal band combination for estimating CPI was chosen from the 240 band combinations. An algorithm for retrieval of CPI was developed using the optimal band combination, (L₄₄₃ × L₅₁₀)/(L₄₁₂ + L₄₉₀). The CPI was estimated from atmospherically corrected SeaWiFS data by employing the algorithm. Furthermore, the CPI value range for each water quality level was determined based on data obtained from 850 samples taken in the Pearl River Estuary. The remotely sensed CPIs were then transferred to water quality levels and appropriate maps were derived. The remotely sensed water quality level maps displayed a similar distribution of levels based on in situ investigation issued by the State Ocean Administration, China. This study demonstrates that remote sensing can play an important role in water quality assessment.     

Expression of heat shock protein 70 in a permanent cell line (EPC) exposed to sediment extracts from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

Heat shock proteins 70 (hsp70) are known to be induced by a great variety of chemical stressors. The effects of different environmental contaminants, which were identified in sediments of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea as main contaminants or as contaminants of special toxicological interest, on the extent of expression of hsp70 in a permanent cell line Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) were investigated. Concentrations of the single contaminants leading to elevated hsp70 levels were compared to the respective concentrations of these contaminants encountered in the sediment extracts thus allowing an assessment of their contribution to the toxicity of these sediments. Analysis of hsp70 was performed using western blotting techniques with subsequent comparative quantification by densitometry. Eleven of thirteen contaminants have shown a dose-dependent increase in hsp70 levels. An expression of hsp70 was observed in most cases between 0.1 and 10 microg/mL test solution. Some of the investigated stressors led to extremely high hsp70 contents even at low concentrations. However, in most cases contaminant concentrations in sediments were too low to cause an effect. For this reason, effects of the tested sediments are attributed to other contaminants or rather to mixtures of stressors.     

钻孔应变仪的固体潮标定——消除小尺度不均匀性的影响

通过对Pion Flat观测点的Gladwin钻孔张量应变仪(BTSM)进行固体潮标定得到的应变数据,我们对地应变进行了估算并分析。小尺度地质上的不均匀性是通过远场面应变/剪应变的交互耦合方法考察面应变/剪应变时所要考虑的因素之一。一种将交互耦合引入应变仪标定的方法由此而生。以同一位置激光应变仪(LSM)观测的固体潮应变为参考,我们发现用交互耦合方法对BTSM标定消除了钻孔固体潮观测值应变中近30%的系统误差。这种标定将钻孔应变和激光应变的测量精度(大约1km)准确地联系在一起了。这种标定技术为短基线应变测量中面临的主要问题(构造应变不能表征小尺度的非均匀性)提供了解决方法。这种方法在断层滑移的残余应变测量中可能减少50%甚至更高的误差,并允许增加滑移机制的约束条件。我们发现就目前仪器而得出的固体潮应变的理论估计值来进行交互耦合标定还不够精确。将理论固体潮与激光应变仪(LSM)观测的固体潮进行比照发现,至少有一半的误差产生于对海洋负荷潮的估计。     

Nature Communications:地表侵蚀作用可能引发地震

正11月21日,Nature Communications刊登文章《侵蚀作用影响活动断层的地震活动性》(Erosion Influences the Seismicity of Active Thrust Faults),来自中国台湾和法国的研究团队经研究指出,地表的侵蚀作用可以对于活动断层造成显著的应力变化,进而影响地震活动的发生。长期以来,科学家们一直怀疑地表的侵蚀作用(包括河川的侵蚀搬运等)可能会影响地壳深部的应力平衡,进而影响地震活动的发生。然而过去由于缺乏数据,这个假设一直无法得到证实。来自台湾和法国的研究团队利用过去针对台湾地区活动断层调查所得的数据,搭配文献中记录的台湾地区侵蚀速率,运用力学模型仿真的方法,成功证明板块构造并非是能够影响地震断层活动的唯一机制,地表的侵蚀作用可以对活动断     

Stellar Population Analysis of Galaxies based on Genetic Algorithms

We present a new method for determining the age and relative contribution of different stellar populations in galaxies based on the genetic algorithm. We apply this method to the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3384, using CCD images in U, B, V, R and I bands. This analysis indicates that the galaxy NGC 3384 is mainly inhabited by old stellar population (age >109yr). Some problems were encountered when numerical simulations are used for determining the contribution of different stellar populations in the integrated color of a galaxy. The results show that the proposed genetic algorithm can search efficiently through the very large space of the possible ages.     

牡蛎的遗传育种研究进展

牡蛎肉味鲜美，营养丰富，是世界重要海水贝类养殖对象之一。随着各种生物技术在水产领域的广泛应用，牡蛎的遗传育种工作也备受重视，尤其自Stanley首次人工诱导美洲牡蛎(Crassostrea virginica)三倍体成功以来，大大加快了对牡蛎的遗传学背景和育种进程的研究步