Control factors of DIC in the Y3 seamount waters of the Western Pacific Ocean

An investigation was carried out in the Y3 seamount area of the Western Pacific Ocean in December 2014,and the distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC) and its relationship with environmental factors in this area were explored.The results show that DIC concentration was higher in the adjacent waters of the Y3 seamount area,and the uplift of DIC isolines at the stations was close to the seamount.Meanwhile,interaction between the North Equatorial Current(NEC) and the Y3 seamount affected the DIC distribution i.e.,the upwelling in the same direction of the NEC was obvious,resulting in a decreasing trend of average concentration of DIC in the 200 m water column from the top to the two side s in this direction but in the cross direction.The DIC concentration increased with the water depth increase,and its distribution was affected by various environmental factors.In the surface water,high temperature was a decisive factor for the decrease of the DIC concentration,but the photosynthesis of phytoplankton showing only a weak influence.In the North Pacific Tropic Water(NPTW),DIC production rate from organic matter decomposition was higher than that of DIC consumption by phytoplankton photosynthesis,leading to a continual increase of DIC.In the North Pacific Intermediate Water(NPIW),organic matter decomposition played a leading role in the increase of DIC.In the deep water,decomposition of organic matter weakened,and the dissolution of CaCO_3 controlled the carbonate system,and DIC had the smallest variation range.     

Identification and characterization of endosymbiosis-related immune genes in deep-sea mussels Gigantidas platifrons

Deep-sea mussels of the subfamily Bathymodiolinae are common and numerically dominant species widely distributed in cold seeps and hydrothermal vents.During long-time evolution,deep-sea mussels have evolved to be well adapted to the local environment of cold seeps and hydrothermal vents by various ways,especially by establishing endosymbiosis with chemotrophic bacteria.However,biological processes underlying the establishment and maintenance of symbiosis between host mussels and symbionts are largely unclear.In the present study,Gigantidasplatifrons genes possibly involved in the symbio sis with methane oxidation symbionts were identified and characterized by Lipopoly saccharide(LPS) pull-down and in situ hybridization.Five immune related proteins including Toll-like receptor 2(TLR2),integrin,vacuolar sorting protein(VSP),matrix metalloproteinase 1(MMP1),and leucine-rich repeat(LRR-1) were identified by LPS pull-down assay.These five proteins were all conserved in either molecular sequences or functional domains and known to be key molecules in host immune recognition,phagocyto sis,and ly so some-mediated digestion.Furthermore,in situ hybridization of LRR-1,TLR2 and VSP genes was conducted to investigate their expression patterns in gill tissues of G.platifrons.Consequently,LRR-1,TLR2,and VSP genes were found expressed exclusively in the bacteriocytes of G.platifrons.Therefore,it was suggested that TLR2,integrin,VSP,MMP1,and LRR-1 might be crucial molecules in the symbiosis between G.platifrons and methane oxidation bacteria by participating in symbio sis-related immune processes.     

Gametogenesis and reproductive traits of the cold-seep mussel Gigantidas platifrons in the South China Sea

Gigantidas platifrons(Bivalvia,Mytilidae),the dominant species at the Formosa cold seep,relies on methanotrophic symbionts dwelling in its gills for nutrition.The reproductive patterns of G.platifrons provide fundamental information for understanding the population recruitment of this species.However,we know very little about important processes in reproduction,such as gametogenesis and symbiotic bacteria transmission.To this end,we described the developmental patterns of the gonads from nine surveys and juvenile length-distribution from one-year larval traps and detected bacteria in gonad from G.platifrons samples.Our results show that G.platifrons is a functionally dioecious species.The reproduction of G.platifrons is discontinuous,with spawning maturity peak around the fourth quarter of the year.The seasonal reproduction of G.platifrons was further supported by the unimodal shell length distribution of the trapped juvenile mussels.Given the small oocyte size(48.99-70.14 μm),which was comparable to that of coastal mussels,we proposed that G.platifrons developed via a free-living,planktotrophic larval stage before settlement.The blooms at the water surface can also supply the development of the planktonic larvae of G.platifrons.Meanwhile,no bacteria were observed in gonads,suggesting a horizontal symbiont transfer mode in this mussel.Collectively,these results provide fundamental biological information for an improved understanding of the early life history of G.platifrons in the Formosa cold seep.     

The hydrogen peroxide impact on larval settlement and metamorphosis of abalone <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haliotis diversicolor supertexta</Emphasis>

Abalone Haliotis diversicolor supertexta is an important economic mollusk. The settlement and metamorphosis are two critical stages during its development period, which has direct influence on abalone survival and production. The influence of reactive oxygen species （hydrogen peroxide） on abalone embryo and juvenile development were examined in this study. Larvae of Haliotis diversicolor supertexta were induced to settlement and metamorphose by exposure to seawater supplemented with hydrogen peroxide. They had the best performance at 800 μmol/L. The concentration of 1 000 μmol/L or higher was toxic to the larvae, as the larvae could settle down only at benthic diatom plates without complete metamorphosis. In addition, H2O2 adding time was critical to the larval performance. 24h after two-day post-fertilization was proved to be the optimal adding time. In this paper, two action mechanisms of hydrogen peroxide are discussed： （1） hydrogen peroxide has direct toxicity to ciliated cells, thus cause apoptosis; （2） hydrogen peroxide, as a product from catecholamines＇ autoxidation process in vivo, can reverse this process to produce neuro-transmitters to induce abalone metamorphosis.     

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of attached Ulvaceae species and free-floating <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enteromorpha</Emphasis> from Qingdao coasts in 2007

Based on the sequence data of the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1, 5.8 S, and ITS 2, the molecular phylogeny was analyzed on Ulvaceae species collected from Qingdao coasts in summer of 2007, including 15 attached Ulva and Enteromorpha samples from 10 locations and 10 free-floating Enteromorpha samples from seven locations. The result supported the monophyly of all free-floating Enteromorpha samples, implying the unialgal composition of the free-floating Enteromorpha, and the attached Ulvaceae species from Qingdao coasts were grouped into other five clades, suggesting that they were not the biogeographic origin of the free-floating Enteromorpha in that season. Supported by NSFC (40506030); the Innovative Key Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-209); Science & Technology Project of Qingdao City (06-2-2-12-JCH)     

Accessory mineral U–Th–Pb ages and <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar eruption chronology,and their bearing on rhyolitic magma evolution in the Pleistocene Coso volcanic field,California

We determined Ar/Ar eruption ages of eight extrusions from the Pleistocene Coso volcanic field, a long-lived series of small volume rhyolitic domes in eastern California. Combined with ion-microprobe dating of crystal ages of zircon and allanite from these lavas and from granophyre geothermal well cuttings, we were able to track the range of magma-production rates over the past 650 ka at Coso. In ≤230 ka rhyolites we find no evidence of protracted magma residence or recycled zircon (or allanite) from Pleistocene predecessors. A significant subset of zircon in the ~85 ka rhyolites yielded ages between ~100 and 200 Ma, requiring that generation of at least some rhyolites involves material from Mesozoic basement. Similar zircon xenocrysts are found in an ~200 ka granophyre. The new age constraints imply that magma evolution at Coso can occur rapidly as demonstrated by significant changes in rhyolite composition over short time intervals (≤10’s to 100’s ka). In conjunction with radioisotopic age constraints from other young silicic volcanic fields, dating of Coso rhyolites highlights the fact that at least some (and often the more voluminous) rhyolites are produced relatively rapidly, but that many small-volume rhyolites likely represent separation from long-lived mushy magma bodies.     

The Characteristics of Storm Wave Behavior and Its Effect on Cage Culture Using the ADCIRC+SWAN Model in Houshui Bay,China

The current storm wave hazard assessment tends to rely on a statistical method using wave models and fewer historical data which do not consider the effects of tidal and storm surge.In this paper,the wave-current coupled model ADCIRC+SWAN was used to hindcast storm events in the last 30 years.We simulated storm wave on the basis of a large set of historical storms in the North-West Pacific Basin between 1985 and 2015 in Houshui Bay using the wave-current coupled model ADCIRC+SWAN to obtain the storm wave level maps.The results were used for the statistical analysis of the maximum significant wave heights in Houshui Bay and the behavior of wave associated with storm track.Comparisons made between observations and simulated results during typhoon Rammasun(2014)indicate agreement.In addition,results demonstrate that significant wave height in Houshui Bay is dominated by the storm wind velocity and the storm track.Two groups of synthetic storm tracks were designed to further investigate the worst case of typhoon scenarios.The storm wave analysis method developed for the Houshui Bay is significant in assisting government's decision-making in rational planning of deep sea net-cage culture.The method can be applied to other bays in the Hainan Island as well.     

Probability Distribution of the Hull Motion and Mooring Line Tension of Two Floating Systems

The statistical and distribution characteristics of the responses of a floater and its mooring lines are essential in designing floating/mooring systems.In general,the dynamic responses of offshore structures obey a Gaussian distribution,assuming that the structural system,and sea loads are linear or weakly nonlinear.However,mooring systems and wave loads are considerably nonlinear,and the dynamic responses of hull/mooring systems are non-Gaussian.In this study,the dynamic responses of two types of floaters,semi-submersible and spar platforms,and their mooring lines are computed using coupled dynamic analysis in the time domain.Herein,the statistical characteristics and distributions of the hull motion and mooring line tension are discussed and compared.The statistical distributions of the dynamic responses have strong non-Gaussianity and are unreasonably fitted by a Gaussian distribution for the two floating and mooring systems.Then,the effects of water depth,wave parameters,and low-frequency and wave-frequency components on the non-Gaussianity of the hull motion,and mooring line tension are investigated and discussed.A comparison of the statistical distributions of the responses with various probability density functions,including the Gamma,Gaussian,General Extreme Value,Weibull,and Gaussian Mixture Model(GMM)distributions,shows that the GMM distribution is better than the others for characterizing the statistical distributions of the hull motion,and mooring line tension responses.Furthermore,the GMM distribution has the best accuracy of response prediction.     

Dynamics and responses of vegetation to climatic variations in Ziya-Daqing basins,China

Examining the direct and indirect effects of climatic factors on vegetation growth is critical to understand the complex linkage between climate change and vegetation dynamics. Based on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI) data and meteorological data(temperature and precipitation) from 2001 to 2012, the trend of vegetation dynamics were examined in the Ziya-Daqing basins, China. The path analysis was used to obtain the information on the relationships among climatic factors and their effects on vegetation growth. It was found that the trends of growing season NDVI were insignificant in most plain dry land, while the upward trends were significant in forest, grass and dry land in Taihang Mountains. According to the path analysis, in 23% of the basins the inter-annual NDVI variation was dominated by the direct effect of precipitation, in 5% by the direct effects of precipitation and temperature, and in less than 1% by the direct effect of temperature or indirect effects of these two climatic factors. It indicated that precipitation significantly affected the vegetation growth in the whole basins, and this effect was not regulated by temperature. Precipitation increase(especially in July, August and September) was favorable to greenness enhancement. Summer temperature rising showed negative effect on plant productivity enhancement, but temperature rise in April was beneficial for the vegetation growth. When April temperature increases by 1℃, the onset date of greenness for natural vegetation will be 2 days in advance. There was a lag-time effect of precipitation or temperature on monthly NDVI for all land use types except grass.