Measuring lysosomal stability as an effective tool for marine coastal environmental monitoring

The use of lysosomal stability in the mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, as a potential biomarker of environmental contamination has been evaluated along the Portuguese coast. To this end, the neutral red retention (NRR) time was measured in mussel haemocytes gathered from nine different locations reflecting different degrees of anthropogenic contamination. Mussels collected in the vicinity of industrial and urban areas showed the lowest lysosomal stability. Additionally, no significant seasonal variability (winter-spring/summer) for NRR time was observed. In order to further support the usefulness of this method as an integrated tool for monitoring marine coastal environments, we compared the levels of xenobiotics in mussel tissues with the obtained NRR values. The results highlighted a consistent pattern, with the lowest lysosomal stability intimately correlated with the higher contaminant concentrations. In summary, this integrated approach further demonstrated that the NRR assay can provide useful and objective indications of the real health status of organisms subjected to different stress agents, being a valid option for environmental monitoring.     

Upper temperature tolerances of exotic brackish-water mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Conrad): an experimental study

The dark false mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata is an important mussel colonising the brackish-water systems of temperate and subtropical regions. Of late it has earned notoriety as a biofouling species in industrial cooling water systems. However, there are no published data on the temperature tolerance of this species. This paper presents data on the upper temperature tolerance of this mussel from the view point of biofouling control using thermal methods. In addition to mortality, response of physiological activities such as oxygen consumption, filtration rate, foot activity and byssus thread production were also studied at temperatures varying from 5 to 35 degrees C. Experiments were also carried out to understand the effect of mussel size, breeding condition, nutritional status and acclimation conditions (temperature and salinity) on the mortality pattern. The physiological activities were significantly reduced at temperatures beyond 27.5 degrees C and ceased at 35 degrees C. In 20 mm size group mussels exposed to 37 degrees C, 50% mortality was observed after 85 min and 100% mortality after 113 min. The effect of mussel size on mortality at different temperatures was significant, with the larger size group mussels showing greater resistance. M. leucophaeata collected during the non-breeding season (December-April) were more tolerant to temperature than those collected during the breeding season (June-October). Nutritional status of the mussel had no significant influence on the thermal tolerance of the mussel: fed and starved (non-fed) mussels succumbed to temperature at comparable rates. The effect of acclimation temperature and acclimation salinity on M. leucophaeata mortality at different temperatures was significant. Survival time increased with increasing acclimation temperature and decreased with increasing salinity. In comparison with other co-occurring species such as Mytilus edulis and Dreissena polymorpha, M. leucophaeata appears to be more tolerant to high temperature stress.     

末次间冰期衰退时期的北大西洋海流和欧洲环境

北大西洋海流是大洋循环的重要组成部分，将热带的热量从墨西哥湾传输到北大西洋北部。这些热量被释放进向东移动的气团中，极大地改善了欧洲北部的冬季气候。我们通过模式模拟预测出：随着CO2浓度的持续增加(IPCC第3个评价报告：气候变化，2001)，下个世纪的大洋循环会极大地减弱。自从20世纪60年代早期以来，我们开始观察到由于来自Nordic海的流量减少，北大西洋北部的海水不断淡化(Hansen等，2001；Dickson等，2002)。     

澳大利亚季风对日照和植被的敏感性

夏季季风是全球气候体系的一个最有活力的要素。在第四纪年代表上,季风强度的变化取决于：①太阳日照量分布的变化;②海平面和海水表面温度(SST)的冰期-亚冰期循环。澳大利亚季风是亚洲季风的一个温和的成分,它主导着整个澳大利亚北部的水气平衡。目前,北部海岸地区的夏季降雨量超过1000mm,但是向内陆迅速减少至不足300mm。     

Preliminary studies On the colonial form of Cylindrotheca sp. （Bacillariophyceae）

From a stock culture of Cylindrotheca sp., non-motile colony-forming cells were observed and isolated.Colony-forming cells produced both single cells and colony-forming cells in liquid medla.the rate of single cell production varied among clones.     

CHARACTERISTICS ON INTERANNUAL VARIATIONS OF NORTH PACIFIC SST AND ITS RELATION TO EAST ASIA CLIMATE

The interannual variations of the monthly sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Pacific (including Equatorial East Pacific) during 1951-1980 are analysed by means of EOF method. The findings are:(1) In the cold and warm ocean current areas, such as the North Pacific Current, the California Current and the Equatorial East Pacific areas, the convergence speeds are the fastest, while in the Kuroshio and the western part of the North Equatorial Current areas they are fast only in winter.(2) The physical features of the first 3 eigenvectors are obvious. The first eigenvector shows that the SST values are high in the south and low in the north in the latitudinal distribution of the SST field. The warm current area, i.e. the northwestern part of the North Pacific is positive and the cold current area, i.e. the southeastern part of the North Pacific including the Eastern Equatorial Pacific is negative. The zero line of the 2nd eigenvector field runs from northeast to southwest, in the same direction as the     

印度西大陆边缘富含气体沉积物及气体水合物层的检测

在印度西大陆边缘外的高分辨率地震反射和浅层剖面都揭示了在内陆架上有空白反射、反射波终断与渗流相伴生的形式出现的声学屏蔽特征的存在。这些屏蔽现象揭示了富含气体沉积物的存在。在外陆架-中陆坡地区，那些麻坑地形及上覆水体中突出的羽状流都清楚地表明有气体从陆坡沉积物中渗流出来，而正是这种渗流反映了源岩的存在。地震剖面也揭示了中-下陆-陆隆地区存在着似海底反射波（BSR），同时推测认为存在着气体水合物。BSR大约出现在海底之下300-600ms(TWTT)、水深525-2200m的范围内，它们偶然地呈不连续特征。在BSR之上同样也可以见到清楚的反射空白区及声学空白带。相反，杂乱/或散射的双曲线反射波则出现在BSR之下，这可能是富含气体沉积物存在的一种反映。褶皱、底辟构造及断层均存于陆坡-陆隆区，它们可能成为流体及甲烷气体从深部向上运移的通道及圈闭。     

Evidence from heterologous expression of glutathione S-transferases A and A1 of the plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) that their endogenous role is in detoxification of lipid peroxidation products

cDNA clones for glutathione S-transferases A (GST-A) and A1 (GST-A1) from plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) were expressed as N-terminally 6XHis tagged proteins in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity from Ni-NTA silica. GST-A was an efficient catalyst for conjugation of unsaturated alkenals derived from peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids with the highest activity observed with trans-non-2-enal (8 micromol min(-1) mg(-1)). GST-A1 was a very efficient Se-independent glutathione peroxidase with an activity towards cumene hydroperoxide of 25 micromol min(-1) mg(-1). Although the enzymes exhibited moderately high activities towards the model substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) they exhibited little or no activity towards other common prototypical xenobiotic substrates. Together with data for ontogeny, tissue distribution and inducibility of these enzymes, we contend that a primary function of these enzymes is protection from the harmful effects of lipid peroxidation products generated naturally or exacerbated by xenobiotic exposure.     

Oxidative stress in ecotoxicology: from the analysis of individual antioxidants to a more integrated approach

An integrate approach will be discussed for investigations on oxidative stress in xenobiotic toxicity. While the analysis of individual antioxidants is useful for their sensitivity and to understand the mode of action of a stressor, the integration with the analysis of the total antioxidant capacity provides a more holistic assessment of the overall biological significance of such variations. TOSC has a greater predictive value on the health condition of the organisms and allows to discriminate the different role of specific ROS in oxidative stress syndrome.     

Esterases as biomarkers in Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor exposed to temephos and Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis used for mosquito control in coastal wetlands of Morbihan (Brittany,France)

Since 1998, a biomonitoring programme has been implemented to assess the potential impact of chemical mosquito control on macroinvertebrates of the coastal wetlands of Morbihan (Brittany, France). Acetylcholinesterase and carboxylesterases were used as biomarkers to assess the effects of Abate 500e (a.i. temephos) and Vectobac 12 AS (a.i. endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, Bti) in Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor. Esterase inhibition revealed a marked impact of temephos, suggesting preferential contamination of the worms through the food. In Bti-exposed N. diversicolor, random variations of esterase activities were observed, that could not be attributed to the larvicide. However, esterases only reflected indirect physiological effects of Bti, and further investigations are needed to identify biomarkers more specific of Bti endotoxins.