Parrotfish mediation in coral mortality and bioerosion by the encrusting,excavating sponge Cliona tenuis

The parrotfish Sparisoma viride often grazes live coral from edges undermined by the Caribbean encrusting and excavating sponge Cliona tenuis. To test whether parrotfish biting action has an effect on the dynamics of the sponge–coral interaction, we manipulated access of parrotfishes to the sponge–coral border in two species of massive corals. When parrotfish had access to the border, C. tenuis advanced significantly more slowly into the coral Siderastrea siderea than into the coral Diploria strigosa. When fish bites were prevented, sponge spread into S. siderea was further slowed down but remained the same for D. strigosa. Additionally, a thinner layer of the outer coral skeleton was removed by bioerosion when fish were excluded, a condition more pronounced in D. strigosa than in S. siderea. Thus, the speed of sponge‐spread and the extent of bioerosion by parrotfish was coral species‐dependent. It is hypothesized that coral skeleton architecture is the main variable associated with such dependency. Cliona tenuis spread is slow when undermining live S. siderea owing to the coral’s compact skeleton. The coral’s smooth and hard surface promotes a wide and shallow parrotfish bite morphology, which allows the sponge to overgrow the denuded area and thus advance slightly faster. On the less compact skeleton of the brain coral, D. strigosa, sponge spread is more rapid. This coral’s rather uneven surface sustains narrower and deeper parrotfish bites which do not facilitate the already fast sponge progress. Parrotfish corallivory thus acts synergistically with C. tenuis to further harm corals whose skeletal architecture slows sponge lateral spread. In addition, C. tenuis also appears to mediate the predator–prey fish–coral interaction by attracting parrotfish biting.     

Development,urban planning and political decisions. A triad that built territories at risk

Natural Hazards - Chilean geography exposes the country to high-level risks such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The disasters of 1930, 1960, 2010, and 2014 testify to the continuous link between...     

Transcriptional response of Microcystis aeruginosa to the recruitment promoting-benthic bacteria

Blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa occur frequently in many freshwater ecosystems around the world, but the mechanism of recovery has not been fully understood. I...     

3D alluvial aquifer reconstruction in polluted areas by means of GPR (Sabiñánigo,N Spain)

Assumptions of simple geometries for alluvial deposits (related to main rivers) can preclude determination of complexities that are revealed as fundamental controls in underground flow. Although subhorizontal contacts between alluvial and substratum materials are expected, previous sedimentary or erosional processes can result in irregular geometries, only accessible through detailed analysis. The studied case presents the 3D reconstruction of a Quaternary terrace in the proximities of Sabiñánigo (Southern Pyrenees, Northeastern Spain), lying on homogeneous Eocene marls. The studied area is located in an industrialized area supporting strongly pollutant chemical industry (chlorinated pesticides) for the past 50 years. The objective of the study was to constrain the groundwater pathway along the area to subsequently analyze leakage of chemicals to the water table. In order to reveal preferred flow paths, a detailed characterization of the internal structure of the alluvial deposits (0.5–13 m thick) and their relations with the Tertiary substratum was carried out by means of ground penetrating radar (GPR, 50 and 100 MHz antennas). The obtained models permit identifying several topographic highs in the alluvial/substratum contact, determining preferred pathways in water flow, favoring particular conditions associated with low levels of the water table. The presented results support the interest of application of GPR surveys in order to characterize the groundwater pathways in expected homogeneous areas and their importance in order to establish the contaminant surveillance network.     

安徽省震中快速定位查询系统

基于VB6.0软件开发平台,以MapInfo GIS软件为数据支撑平台,建立了安徽省震中快速定位查询系统。系统主要实现了震中快速定位查询显示功能、基于GIS数据的空间分析和定量计算分析功能。为地震应急响应提供辅助决策,为震后资源调度、伤员输送、人员疏散等提供科学信息,提高了应急救援的效率。     

褐藻多糖的药理作用与制备

阐述了褐藻糖胶的化学组成和结构。从褐藻中提取分离得到的褐藻糖胶具有显著的抗癌、抗凝、降脂、免疫调节和抗衰老作用,既可作为保健食品,也可作为治疗药物。目前,我国制备褐藻糖胶,主要采用60%乙醇沉淀法和CPC沉淀法从海带水碱凝沉物中提取,或用稀酸直接从海带中提取,并用乙醇分级法和色谱法对褐藻糖胶进行纯化。     

Impact of Two "El Niño" Events of Different Intensity on the Hypoxic Soft Bottom Macrobenthos off the Central Peruvian wast

Abstract. Monthly changes in the community structure of hypoxic soft-bottom macrobenthos have been studied at a station at 34 m depth in Ancón Bay (Peru) before and during two El Niño (EN) events. Of these events, 1982-83 is considered the strongest, and 1991–93 one of the most prolonged in the 20th century. On the oceanographic scale, EN 1982–83 ranges as "very strong", whereas EN 1991–93 ranges as "moderate".
The thermal anomalies at the station during EN 1982–83 (+ 7.8 °C) were almost twice those of EN 1991–93 (+ 4.1 °C). However, the community changes were not in all cases proportional to the extent of warming. Species numbers increased in a similar way (up to 24 species from near zero in each of the two events), but maximum faunal density was five times higher, and mean biomass was twice as high in 1982–83 compared with the event a decade later. Species diversity was slightly higher during EN 1982–83, whereas successional and trophic changes occurred on a broader scale during EN 1991–93. On the whole, the impact of the long-lasting event on the small soft-bottom macrofauna was not much weaker than that of the exceptionally strong event.
The authors discuss the mechanisms which may be responsible for the differences and similarities encountered in the benthic community dynamics during these two events. Both in the unusually strong and the unusually long EN, the community revealed a pattern of early biological response several months ahead of the onset of local warming which marks the official begin of EN. The question is addressed to what extent the increase of certain parameters in the benthic community could be used for predictive purposes.     

华北太行山区地壳各向异性的接收函数证据

采用具有任意方向对称轴的横向各向同性介质系统,探讨了各向异性介质中接收函数表现出的横波分裂、能量偏离等特征,并系统剖析了各向异性介质对称轴方位角、倾角以及各向异性层位分布对接收函数方位变化花样的影响.太行山隆起地区是研究华北克拉通构造运动以及动力学过程的重要场所.我们以该地区JJJX台为例,介绍了利用远场接收函数研究台站下方地壳各向异性特征的方法.反演结果表明,该台站下方存在明显的来源于中、上地壳的各向异性,浅层2.4 km以内表现出强度约为10%的裂隙成因的慢轴型各向异性,裂隙面沿NNE方向展布,与该地区断层走向一致;中地壳表现出强度约为8%的晶体成因的快轴型各向异性,太行山新生代的隆起是形成晶体优势排列方向的一种可能的动力机制.     

青藏块体强震活动状态分析

强震活动状态分析与研究是地震形势跟踪分析的重要基础,以频次的角度分析和探讨青藏块体的强震状态特征,研究表明,青藏块体存在强震平静与活跃交替活动的状态特征,已经历5个平静与活跃交替活动的状态过程.2008年3月21日于田7.3级地震、5月12日汶川8.0级地震和2010年4月14日玉树7.1级地震的发生表明青藏块体强震活动已处于活跃状态.