Population structure of Haliotis rubra from South Australia inferred from nuclear and mtDNA analyses

1Introduction ThemajorityofAustralia’sabalonefisheryex ports(5.135kt,worth＄216millionin2002～2003,ABARE2004)consistofblacklipabalone(HaliotisrubraLeach,1814).AssuchH.rubrais consideredasanimportantmarineresourcewithin Australia.Likemanyabalonespecieswor…     

一个与转移作用有关的盆地的演化：Ardea盆地（意大利中部拉齐奥地区）

一个与转移作用有关的盆地的演化：Ａｒｄｅａ盆地（意大利中部拉齐奥地区）Ｃ．Ｆａｃｃｅｎｎａ等地层Ａｒｄｅａ盆地是拉齐奥边缘最深的盆地之一。充填了１６００ｍ中新－更新统沉积。这套沉积物覆盖在一套中新统以泥灰质－砂泥质为主的复理石异地构造层上，复理石上覆...     

In-Situ Observation of Fluid Mud in the North Passage of Yangtze Estuary, China

Observations of fluid mud were made in the lower North Passage of the Yangtze Estuary in February 2000, on 10 -11 August 2000, on 30 - 31 August 2000 (after two strong typhoons), on 21 - 24 August 2000 (neap tide) and on 3 -6 September 2000 (mean tide) respectively. In situ data show that the fluid mud in this area consists of fine cohesive sediment (median size 7.23 μm). The formation and movement of fluid mud varied during the neap-spring and flood-ebb tidal cycle. Observations suggest that fluid mud phenomena in this area may be categorised in a three-fold manner as slack water, storm and saltwedge features. The thickness of the fluid mud layer of slack water during the neap tide ranged from 0.2 to 0.96 m, whereas during the mean tide, the thickness ranged from 0.17 to 0.73 m, and the thickness of the fluid mud layer was larger during slack water than at the flood peak. Shoals cover an area of 800 km^2 with a water depth smaller than 5 m. Erosion of these extensive intertidal mudflats due to storm action provides an abundant sediment source. This is particularly significant in this estuary when the tidal level is lower than 5 m. The lower North Passage is a typical zone of saltwater wedging, so the saltwedge fluid mud has the most extensive spatial range in the estuary.     

Bacterial killing by Mytilus hemocyte monolayers as a model for investigating the signaling pathways involved in mussel immune defence

The signaling pathways involved in mussel immune defence were investigated utilizing a model of killing of Escherichia coli by Mytilus galloprovincialis hemocytes in a co-culture setting. In particular, the role played by different mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and by the production of eicosanoids were investigated utilising specific cell permeant, pharmacological enzyme inhibitors. Hemocyte pretreatment with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 significantly reduced bacterial killing, whereas PD98059 (an inhibitor of ERK--extracellularly regulated kinase--MAPK activation) had no significant effect. Wortmannin also inhibited bacterial killing, indicating a crucial role for PI3-kinase activation in the immune response. Killing of E. coli was also reduced by inhibitors of both PLA2 and cyclooxygenase activities, indicating that eicosanoid production is involved in mediating the response to bacterial challenge. The results demonstrate that bacterial killing by mussel hemocytes is particularly sensitive to inhibitors of the key steps involved in the transduction of bacterial signals into the host cell. Moreover, these data indicate that the hemocyte bactericidal activity can be suitably utilized not only for identifying the signaling pathways involved in the response to bacterial infection, but also as a potential investigative-toxicology model to test drugs and contaminants for their effect on the overall mussel immune defence.     

新钻探技术的试验

在实现深海钻探计划和随后的大洋钻探计划的漫长岁月里 ,钻探技术在不断地改进。由于研制出了新的不同的设备和工艺 ,我们成功地获得了连续的沉积建造剖面 ,使得能够极为详细和可靠地恢复沉积盖层的形成史、海洋环流的变化、气候的波动和生物的演化史。但是 ,至今尚未彻底克服在基岩中钻孔所遇到的困难。当在硬质岩石出露的洋底表面区域进行钻探时 ,困难特别大 ,例如在洋中脊的轴部。稳定钻孔 ,特别是重返该钻孔的问题也没有解决。当在若干航次中采用一般工艺进行钻探时 ,确实有顺利钻入基底足够深度的例子 (例如太平洋中的 50 4B孔和印度…     

大尺度海岸行为

大尺度海岸行为ＪｅｆｆｒｅｙＨ．Ｌｉｓｔ等该题目是指对海岸和近岸沉积系统的了解，以及对发生在该系统中的变化的预测。Ｌｉｓｔ（１９９３）定义大尺度海岸行为是几十年的时间尺度内、几至几十公里空间范围内的海岸物理演化．Ｔｅｒｗｉｎｄｔ和Ｗｉｊｎｂｅｒｇ（１...     

Histopathological biomarkers in estuarine fish species for the assessment of biological effects of contaminants

The increasing emphasis on the assessment and monitoring of estuarine ecosystems has highlighted the need to deploy appropriate biological indices for these locations. Fish diseases and histopathology, with a broad range of causes, are increasingly being used as indicators of environmental stress since they provide a definite biological end-point of historical exposure. This study reports on the histopathological alterations observed in selected organs and tissues of three species of estuarine fish (Platichthys flesus, Pomatoschistus minutus and Zoarces viviparus), captured from four British estuaries (the Tyne, Tees, Mersey and Alde), differently impacted by contaminants, including PAHs. A biannual sampling regime was used to identify the important seasonal variations that occur in terms of the observed biological effects. Inflammatory lesions and hepatocellular fibrillar inclusions attained their highest prevalence in P. flesus captured from the Tyne, Tees and Mersey. The presence of pre-neoplastic and neoplastic toxicopathic lesions was highest in P. flesus captured from these sites, when compared to fish from the Aide reference site. In particular, the prevalence of hepatic foci of cellular alteration (up to 43.3%) and hepatocellular adenoma (up to 10%) were highest in P. flesus captured from the Mersey estuary. Intersex (ovotestis) was only recorded in male P.flesus captured from the Mersey estuary (up to 8.3%) and from male Z. viviparous captured from the Tyne estuary (25%). Pathologies associated with the gill and the kidney were also most prevalent in fish captured from the Tyne, Tees and Mersey estuaries. This study has successfully applied histopathology to an estuarine monitoring program, both for the recording of toxicopathic lesions in the liver and other organs, and for the detection of the endpoint of endocrine disruption, intersex. As such, it provides a powerful integrative tool for the assessment of biological effects of contaminants in these environments.     

Can turbidity caused by Corophium volutator (Pallas) activity be used to assess sediment toxicity rapidly?

The standard toxicity test organism, Corophium volutator, exhibits a behavioural response to contaminated sediments that causes increased turbidity of overlying water. We quantify the effects of this response to an estuarine sediment spiked with copper and hydrocarbon contaminated sediments from an oil installation in the North Sea. Turbidity measured 24 h after the start of a toxicity test shows a strong relationship with contaminant concentrations and with mortality after 10 days. Turbidity measurements can therefore give a rapid indication of sediment toxicity, permitting a reduction in storage time of sediments to be used in dilution series and toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) tests, reducing the likelihood of contaminants degrading prior to testing.