Viruses,bacteria, and heterotrophic nanoflagellates in Laptev Sea plankton

The paper considers the concentrations and functional characteristics of viruses, bacteria, and heterotrophic nanoflagellates determined for the first time in the Laptev Sea in August-September, 2014. The abundance of bacteria, viruses, and heterotrophic nanoflagellates varied from 110.1 × 10³ to 828.4 × 10³ cells/mL, from 384.2 × 10³ to 2932.8 × 10³ particles/mL, and from 108 to 651 cells/mL, respectively. The daily bacterioplankton production varied from 4.2 × 10³ to 381.7 × 10³ cells/mL, with an average of 117.6 × 10³ cells/mL. Electron transmission microscopy has for the first time shown that the frequency of visibly infected bacterial cells varied from 0.2 to 2.0% (0.8% on average) of N_B. The average virus-induced mortality of bacteria was 6.3% of bacterioplankton production, with variations ranging from 1.4 to 16.9%. Grazing on bacteria by heterotrophic nanoflagellates contributed more to bacteria mortality than virus-induced bacterial lysis. By grazing on bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellates consumed large quantities of viruses located on the surface and inside bacterial cells.     

Exploring the spatial distribution patterns of South African Cape hakes using generalised additive models

We developed delta generalised additive models (GAMs) to predict the spatial distribution of different size classes of South African hakes, Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus, using demersal trawl survey data and geographical (latitude and longitude) and environmental features (depth, temperature, bottom dissolved oxygen and sediment type). Our approach consists of fitting, for each hake size class, two independent models, a binomial GAM and a quasi-Poisson GAM, whose predictions are then combined using the delta method. Delta GAMs were validated using an iterative cross-validation procedure, and their predictions were then employed to produce distribution maps for the southern Benguela. Delta GAM predictions confirmed existing knowledge about the spatial distribution patterns of South African hakes, and brought new insights into the factors influencing the presence/absence and abundance of these species. Our GAM approach can be used to produce distribution maps for spatially explicit ecosystem models of the southern Benguela in a rigorous and objective way. Ecosystem models are critical features of the ecosystem approach to fisheries, and distribution maps constructed using our GAM approach will enable a reliable allocation of species biomasses in spatially explicit ecosystem models, which will increase trust in the spatial overlaps and, therefore, the trophic interactions predicted by these models.     

Population genetic diversity and structure of a dominant tropical seagrass,Cymodocea rotundata,in the Western Pacific region

Cymodocea rotundata is an ecologically important tropical pioneer seagrass species distributed in the Indo‐Pacific region. The population genetic diversity and structure of this species were analysed at 46 sites spanning the Philippines, Ryukyu Islands (northern limit) and Hainan Island, by using microsatellite simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Analyses revealed the persistence of C. rotundata likely relies on local population dynamics and fitness influenced by environmental gradients, with sexual reproduction prevalent in the Philippines while the Ryukyu and Hainan populations were predominantly established by clonal spread. Analysis of molecular variance showed significant genetic differentiation (P < 0.001) among three geographic regions: the Philippines, Ryukyu and Hainan. Furthermore, the mean fixation index value was very high (F_ST = 0.36), indicating poor dispersal potential or limited gene flow. Allelic richness and heterozygosity of C. rotundata was comparable in the Philippines and Ryukyu Islands populations. More private alleles were found in the Philippines and excess heterozygotes in the Ryukyu Islands. STRUCTURE analysis revealed that the Ryukyu and Hainan populations were mosaics of admixed alleles of individuals from the Philippines. An assignment test suggested that recruitment occurs from the Northeast Philippines to Ryukyu Islands. These results suggest that the Philippine populations are tropical seagrass hotspots and perhaps the origin of the populations in the Ryukyu and Hainan Islands. This scenario is most likely driven by the Kuroshio Current and island integration events during plate tectonic activities. The Philippine Archipelago is considered of high importance for conservation objectives and management plan of seagrasses. Likewise, the Ryukyu Islands are also important in terms of conserving regional diversity because locally adapted genotypes have important evolutionary potential in the face of environmental change.     

Spatiotemporal Variations in the Content of Pollutants in the Moscow Air Basin and Their Emissions

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - The location of Moscow on a plain within higher latitudes when compared to other megacities creates conditions for the chemical transformation of...     

Differences in Kilometre‐scale wind and humidity boundary‐layer structure at GATE

Abstract

During the GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GA TE) in the summer of 1974, identical tethersonde packages were flown to heights of 1,000 m from two ships with a crosswind separation of approximately 4 km. The differences in the profiles and fixed level time series from the two packages are a measure of spatial variability in the tropical marine boundary layer.

Correlation analysis indicate a cellular pattern in the large‐scale wind field. Similar analyses of the temperature and humidity fields give quite different results.     

Cepheid Limb Darkening Models for the VLTI

We present a new method to compute wavelength- and phase-dependent limb darkening corrections for classical Cepheids. These corrections are derived from hydrodynamic simulations and radiative transfer modeling with a full set of atomic and molecular opacities. Comparison with hydrostatic models having the same stellar parameters show a larger limb darkening for most phases in our models, and temporal variations related to the hydrodynamics of the stellar pulsation. Weassess the implications of our results with respect to the geometric Baade-Wesselink method, which uses interferometric measurements of Cepheid angular diameters to determine their distances and radii. The relevance of the hydrodynamic effects predicted by our model on the limb darkening of pulsating Cepheids is finally discussed in terms of the predicted capabilities of the VLTI. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Sapphirine-Bearing Ultrahigh-Temperature Granulites of the Anabar Shield: Chemical Composition,U–Pb Zircon Ages,and <Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis> Conditions of Metamorphism

The results of thermobarometry yielded the P–T parameters of formation and evolution of sapphirine- bearing granulites in the Anabar shield with peak values of UHT metamorphism in the range of T = 920–1000°C at P = 9–11 kbar. Isotope–geochronological data indicate a polymetamorphic evolution of these rocks. Detrital zircon cores in the center of crystals yielded ages of 3.36, 2.75, 2.6, and 2.5 Ga. Later, superimposed metamorphic transformations of the detrital zircon formed rims dated to 2.4, 2.3, 2.2, and 1.83 Ga. A potential provenance source of the detrital zircons could be hypersthene plagiogneisses and metabasics of the Daldyn Group with a premetamorphic age no less than 3.32 Ga and products of their metamorphism of about 2.7 Ga old.     

Evolution of the Processes of Mineral Formation in Early Vendian Terrigenous Rocks of the Nepa–Botuoba Anteclise

Lithology and Mineral Resources - Main regularities in the manifestation of epigenetic processes in Lower Vendian terrigenous rocks of the Nepa–Botuoba anteclise are established. Evolution of...     

Stacking of records of nuclear explosions registered by the world network of seismic stations

The methods and results of stacking of seismograms of nuclear explosions registered by the world network of seismic stations from 1980 until 1988 are presented. Stacking of seismograms obtained at one seismic station from the sources located in the same place allows us substantially to increase the useful signal/noise ratio. This, in turn, allows more confident correlation of various seismic waves coming to the seismic stations after the first arrivals, particularly, converted and reflected waves from different boundaries inside the Earth.