Detection and isolation of p-nitrophenol-lowering bacteria from intestine of marine fishes caught in Japanese waters

To determine the existence of p-nitrophenol (PNP)-lowering bacteria in intestine of Japanese coastal fish, the gastro-intestinal contents were incubated in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth and minimal medium (MM) broths containing 1 mmol/L PNP at 30 °C for 7 days. Among 26 samples of 19 fish species, 17 samples showed a decrease in PNP of 0.5-0.8 mmol/L in BHI broth, but no decrease was shown in MM broth. Eighteen PNP-lowering bacterial strains were isolated from four fishes. All of the strains were identified as Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis. Three L. lactis strains JS1-3 isolated from Japanese seabass Lateolabrax japonicus showed the highest PNP-lowering activity (0.44 mmol/L). Optimum temperature and pH for the growth and PNP decreasing corresponded with the marine environment. These results suggested that marine fishes have PNP decreasing bacteria in their intestine. These bacteria might protect host fish from toxicities of PNP and PNP related compounds.     

Disruption of Sema3A expression causes abnormal neural projection in heavy oil exposed Japanese flounder larvae

It has been well known that oil spills cause serious problems in the aquatic organisms. In particular, some species of teleosts, which develop on the sea surface thought to be affected by heavy oil (HO). During the embryogenesis, the nervous system is constructed. Therefore, it is important to study the toxicological effects of HO on the developing neurons. We exposed HO to eggs of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and investigated the neural disorder. In larvae exposed by HO at the concentration of 8.75 mg/L, the facial and lateral line nerves partially entered into the incorrect region and the bundle was defasciculated. Furthermore, in the HO-exposed larvae, Sema3A, a kind of axon guidance molecule, was broadly expressed in second pharyngeal arch, a target region of facial nerve. Taken together, we suggested the possibility that the abnormal expression of Sema3A affected by HO exposure causes disruption of facial nerve scaffolding.     

Rapid macrofaunal colonization of water-based drill cuttings on different sediments

A field experiment was conducted to investigate how water-based drill cuttings and sediment type influence colonization of soft bottom communities. Bottom frames with trays containing defaunated sediments were placed at the seabed for 6 months to study colonization of macrofauna. Two different sediments (coarse and fine) were used, and 6 or 24 mm layer of water-based drill cuttings were added on top of these sediments. Some of the sediments were controls with no additions. In the end of the experiment, the oxygen availability in sediment porewater and macrofaunal abundance were reduced in treatments with 24 mm drill cuttings compared to controls. Tube-building annelids were particularly sensitive to drill cuttings. However, these responses were only minor, and notably, the drill cuttings initiated a weaker faunal response than sediment type and site of the bottom frame. Sediments capped with water-based drill cuttings thus showed a rapid colonization of macrofaunal communities.     

Relationship of photosynthetic carbon fixation with environmental changes in the Jiulong River estuary of the South China Sea, with special reference to the effects of solar UV radiation

Phytoplankton cells in estuary waters usually experience drastic changes in chemical and physical environments due to mixing of fresh and seawaters. In order to see their photosynthetic performance in such dynamic waters, we measured the photosynthetic carbon fixation by natural phytoplankton assemblages in the Jiulong River estuary of the South China Sea during April 24-26 and July 24-26 of 2008, and investigated its relationship with environmental changes in the presence or the absence of UV radiation. Phytoplankton biomass (Chl a) decreased sharply from the river-mouth to seawards (17.3-2.1 μg L⁻¹), with the dominant species changed from chlorophytes to diatoms. The photosynthetic rate based on Chl a at noon time under PAR-alone increased from 1.9 μg C (μg Chl a)⁻¹ L⁻¹ in low salinity zone (SSS < 10) to 12.4 μg C (μg Chl a)⁻¹ L⁻¹ in turbidity front (SSS within 10-20), and then decreased to 2.1 μg C (μg Chl a)⁻¹ L⁻¹ in mixohaline zone (SSS > 20); accordingly, the carbon fixation per volume of seawater increased from 12.8 to 149 μg C L⁻¹ h⁻¹, and decreased to 14.3 μg C L⁻¹ h⁻¹. Solar UVR caused the inhibition of carbon fixation in surface water of all the investigated zones, by 39% in turbidity area and 7-10% in freshwater or mixohaline zones. In the turbidity zone, higher availability of CO₂ could have enhanced the photosynthetic performance; while osmotic stress might be responsible for the higher sensitivity of phytoplankton assemblages to solar UV radiation.     

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in marine sediments along the Belgian coast

Plastic debris is known to undergo fragmentation at sea, which leads to the formation of microscopic particles of plastic; the so called ‘microplastics’. Due to their buoyant and persistent properties, these microplastics have the potential to become widely dispersed in the marine environment through hydrodynamic processes and ocean currents. In this study, the occurrence and distribution of microplastics was investigated in Belgian marine sediments from different locations (coastal harbours, beaches and sublittoral areas).Particles were found in large numbers in all samples, showing the wide distribution of microplastics in Belgian coastal waters. The highest concentrations were found in the harbours where total microplastic concentrations of up to 390 particles kg⁻¹ dry sediment were observed, which is 15-50 times higher than reported maximum concentrations of other, similar study areas.The depth profile of sediment cores suggested that microplastic concentrations on the beaches reflect the global plastic production increase.     

Bioaccumulation of nitroarenes in bivalves at Osaka Bay, Japan

This paper reports for the first time the detection and occurrence of nitroarenes (NPAHs) in marine organisms. Mussels and oysters collected from Osaka Bay, Japan, had total NPAHs concentrations that ranged from 2380 to 24,688 pg/g dry and 2672 to 25,961 pg/g dry, respectively. Relatively higher concentrations were detected in sampling sites located near the central district and suburbs of Osaka City implying that the most probable sources of NPAHs in the two bivalves are exhaust gases and smokes emitted by automobiles and industrial plants. Bivalves had relatively higher residues of 1-nitronaphthalene, 2-nitronaphthalene, 3-nitrophenanthrene, and 9-nitrophenanthrenes. Residues of 2-nitrofluorene, 1-nitropyrene, 4-nitropyrenes, and 6-nitrochrysene were much lower compared to nitronaphthalenes and nitrophenanthrenes. Inter-species differences was only observed for 2-nitronaphthalene with oysters exhibiting significantly higher residues than mussels.     

Navy sonar, cetaceans and the US Supreme Court: a review of cetacean mitigation and litigation in the US

One source of anthropogenic noise in the oceans which has attracted much concern is naval sonar. As a result of possible impacts of such sonar, several environmental NGOs have pursued legal cases in the United States criticizing environmental assessments conducted prior to exercises and proposed mitigation measures. Cases have been brought using the US National Environmental Protection Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Coastal Zone Management Act and other statutes. This paper reviews the chronology and results of these various cases. During the G.W. Bush presidential administration, the legal battle went to the US Supreme Court in the case Winter vs. Natural Resources Defense Council. This case however, did not address the potential impacts of sonar on cetaceans or the effectiveness of mitigation measures. During the Obama administration, mitigation measures for naval exercises have been revised, and working groups planned, in an attempt to resolve conflict between parties.     

2009年萨摩亚—汤加特大地震触发的两次大震

特大地震(≥8.0级的地震)一般都含有构造板块之间边界岩体的突然滑动。这种板间的破裂通常出现在俯冲带特大逆冲事件的海沟斜坡区,会产生动态及静态应力变化,从而激活周边的板内余震(Christensen and Ruff,1988;Dmowskaetal,1988;Layetal,1989;Ammonetal,2008)。本文研究的地震序列展示一少见的例子———特大海沟斜坡的一次板内地震触发了广泛的板间断层活动,颠倒了典型的活动模式,从而广泛地扩大了地震和海啸灾害。2009年9月29日,在汤加俯冲带北端的外海沟斜坡发生矩震级8.1的正断层地震事件,该震开始破裂后的2分钟内,发生了总地震矩等于矩震级8.0级的第二个特大地震,它由两次(矩震级均为7.8级)板间下插逆冲大地震组成,导致了周边俯冲带巨型逆断层的破裂。联合的断层作用引发了海啸,局部地区抬升约12m,导致萨摩亚、美属萨摩亚和汤加192人死亡。地震信号的重叠掩盖了这样的事实:相隔约50km的性质不同的断层发生了不同几何形状的破裂,这些被触发的逆冲断层滑动只有通过详细的地震波分析才能揭示出来。在汤加北部俯冲带的大部分区域内,激活了广泛的板间和板内余震活动。     

余震密度随距离的衰减不代表动态应力触发过程

分辨多数余震和后续主震是由静态应力触发(Stein,1999;Todaetal,2005;Parsons,2002)还是动态应力触发(Hilletal,1993;kilb,2003;Brodsky and Prejean,2005;Gomberg and Johnson,2005;Hill and Prejean,2007),对理解地震内在作用和预测地震危险性是有必要的(Freed,2005)。Felzer和Brodsky(2006)分析了2≤M<3和3≤M<4级主震后5min内余震的空间分布情况,发现距主震50km范围内M≥2余震具有特定的幂律衰减关系,且衰减曲线的斜率为-1.35。据此,他们认为余震随距离的衰减只能用动态触发来解释。基于上述假设我们进行了一系列的检验,但没有一个可通过检验,进而,本文中对这种衰减关系提出了另外一种解释。在距离2≤M<3主震300m以外的地方,主震前5min内的地震活动性衰减与主震后5min内的衰减没有显著的区别,表明主震对它静态触发区域以外的地方没有影响。表征余震基本特性的大森随时间衰减关系在距离主震10km以外的地方是不存在的。最后,发现在主震波前未到达之前的余震中发现了...     

加州帕克菲尔德地区M4—5地震对重复事件地震周期的触发效应

应力扰动影响地震的复发,并对了解地震周期和地震危险性具有重要的作用。加州帕克菲尔德圣安德烈斯断层上的大量重复地震为检查重复事件对中强地震发生的反应提供了难得的机会。使用高分辨率地震台网目录获得的187个M-0．4～1．7级地震重复序列,我们发现重复事件序列的复发时间到接近M4—5地震时缩短了,说明是由大地震触发的。该触发效应在5km左右的距离内最明显,相应的静态同震应力变化为0．6～26．6kPa,并随距离衰减。我们还发现从1993至1998年复发间隔相应地缩短了。这种几年经久不衰复发加速反映了1990年代初断层滑动加速并提高了加载速率。