Molecular identification of bloom-forming species Phaeocystis globosa(Prymnesiophyta)and its dispersal based on rDNA ITS sequence analysis

Abstract-The colony-forming Phaeocystis species are causative agents of dense bloom occurrences incoastal waters worldwide. It is difficult to separate them because of the different morphologies associatedwith their colonial stages. In this study we applied molecular approaches to analyze the genetic variationof Phaeocystis globosa and Phaeocystis pouchetii from several geogrtaphic regions, and to assist in tracingthe dispersal of bloom-forming Phaeocystis species in coastal waters of China. The Sequences of the inter-nal transcribed sacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of rDNA and the 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene of Phaeocystisstrains were determined. Sequence comparison shows that P.globosa was the most divergent toP. pouchetii, exhibiting sequence divergence higher than 0.08. However, lower genetic divergences ex-isted between strains of P.globosa. The sequence comparison of the Phaeocystis rDNA ITS clearlyshows that the species isolated from the southeast coast of China is identified as P. globosa rather thanP. cf. po     

Symbiosis between the holothurian Scotoplanes sp. A and the lithodid crab Neolithodes diomedeae on a featureless bathyal sediment plain

Vulnerability to predation may be high for many megafaunal taxa in deep‐sea sedimentary habitats where physical heterogeneity is low. During ROV observations in a bathyal sediment plain off Central California, juveniles of the lithodid crab Neolithodes diomedeae were frequently observed on or under the holothurian (sea cucumber) Scotoplanes sp. A, and are hypothesized to benefit from this association as a nursery or refugium from predation. Ninety‐six percent (n = 574 of 599) of the juvenile N. diomedeae observed (density varied from 0.02–0.75/m² among sites and seasons) in the study area were associated with Scotoplanes sp. A. Of the 2596 Scotoplanes sp. A observed (density varied from 0.48 to 25.90/m²), 22% were attended by at least one juvenile crab, and rarely two crabs (n = 4). Solitary N. diomedeae were rarely observed. This decapod–holothurian symbiosis appears to be largely commensal, with juvenile crabs (carapace width = 0.03–0.31 ×  holothurian length) observed on or beneath Scotoplanes sp. A in a habitat with few refugia from epibenthic predators. Other hypotheses may explain or enhance the potential benefits of the association for N. diomedeae, such as elevated food availability due to the activities of Scotoplanes sp. A. The relationship may be mutualistic if there is a benefit for the holothurian, including the removal of epizoic parasites. Ultimately, the nursery or other effects on the population dynamics of N. diomedeae may be minimal in low‐relief, sediment‐dominated habitats, as very few sub‐adult crabs were observed in the study area and were likely consumed upon outgrowing their refugia. While sedimentary habitats may be a sink for N. diomedeae populations, growth of juvenile crabs during their association with Scotoplanes sp. A should increase energy flow to its predator populations. This association has not been reported previously but may be expected in sediment‐dominated habitats where these species overlap.     

Effects of hopper dredging and sediment dispersion,chesapeake bay

Hopper dredging operations release suspended sediment into the environment by agitation of the bed and by discharge of overflow slurries. Monitoring of turbidity and suspended sediment concentrations in central Chesapeake Bay revealed two plumes: (1) an upper plume produced by overflow discharge and (2) a near-bottom plume produced by draghead agitation and rapid settling from the upper plume. The upper plume dispersed over 5.7 km² extending 5,200 meters form the discharge point. Redeposited sediment accumulated on channel flanks covering an area of 6.4 km² and reached a thickness of 19 cm. Altogether dredging redistributed into the environment an estimated 100,000 tons of sediment or 12 percent of the total material removed.Near-field concentrations of suspended sediment, less than 300 m from the dredge, reach 840 to 7,200 mg/L or 50 to 400 times the normal background level. Far-field concentrations (>300 m) are enriched 5 to 8 times background concentrations and persist 34 to 50 percent of the time during a dredging cycle (1.5 to 2.0 h). The overflow discharge plume evolves through three dispersion phases: (1) convective descent, (2) dynamic collapse, and (3) long-term passive diffusion (Clark and others 1971). The bulk of the material descends rapidly to the bottom during the convective descent phase, whereas the cloud that remains in suspension is dispersed partly by internal waves. Although suspended sediment concentrations in the water column exceed certain water quality standards, benthic communities survived the perturbation with little effect.     

Resource allocation for regional earthquake risk mitigation: a case study of Tehran,Iran

This paper presents a new optimization model to help cities in seismically active developing countries decide (1) How much to spend on pre-earthquake mitigation versus waiting until after an event and paying for reconstruction or simply not rebuilding damaged buildings? (2) Which buildings to mitigate and how? and (3) Which buildings to reconstruct and how? It extends previously developed optimization models to consider the particular issues that arise in such countries. First, the model allows for the possibility that some damaged buildings will not be reconstructed immediately and keeps track of any lost building inventory. Second, buildings can be mitigated to, or when damaged, reconstructed to, any appropriate structural type and seismic design level. Finally, the model objectives include minimizing the chance of an extremely high death toll in any one earthquake and minimizing the average annual death toll across earthquakes. The model is illustrated through a case study analysis for Tehran, Iran.     

A study of arsenic,iron and other dissolved ion variations in the groundwater of Bishnupur District,Manipur, India

The presence of arsenic (As) in groundwater and its effect on human health has become an issue of serious concern in recent years. The present study assessed the groundwater quality of the Bishnupur District, Manipur, with respect to drinking water standards. Higher concentrations of pH, iron and phosphate were observed at several locations. Phosphate and iron levels were highest in the pre-monsoon, followed by monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The arsenic concentrations were highest during post-monsoon (1–200 μg L⁻¹) as compared to pre-monsoon (1–108 μg L⁻¹) and monsoon (2–99 μg L⁻¹). Kwakta and Ngakhalawai show higher levels of arsenic concentration as compared to the prescribed World Health Organization (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms. Arsenic showed a strong positive correlation with phosphate and negative correlation with sulphate, suggesting a partial influence of anthropogenic sources. The study suggests that the Bishnupur area has an arsenic contamination problem, which is expected to increase in the near future.     

The Significance of Intestinal Parasite Remains in Pollen Samples from Medieval Pits in the Piazza Garibaldi of Parma,Emilia Romagna,Northern Italy

This paper presents the study of parasite remains recovered in pollen samples collected from archaeological layers. Laboratory treatment enabled us to obtain very high concentrations of both pollen and parasite eggs from the same samples. The case study of the site of Piazza Garibaldi in Parma, a town in the Po plain, is reported. The site was a sacred area in Roman times and a market square in Medieval times (10th–11th century A.D.). Pollen, seeds, and fruits from the latter phase were collected from four Medieval pits and one cesspit. After a palynological treatment including sieving, floating, and light acetolysis, abundant quantities of parasite eggs were extracted. Human and animal parasite eggs belonging to Trichuris, Ascaris, Taenia/Echinococcus, Capillaria, Dicrocoelium, and Diphyllobothrium were found. The analyses of animal and plant remains identified in the same samples suggested that the pit infillings consisted of waste, human and animal excrements, deteriorated plant food, and refuse of grapes. Therefore, parasite remains help the interpretation of archaeobotanical data in identifying human behaviors and site functions.     

The response of fishes to submerged aquatic vegetation complexity in two ecoregions of the mid-Atlantic bight: Buzzards Bay and Chesapeake Bay

Estuarine seagrass ecosystems provide important habitat for fish and invertebrates and changes in these systems may alter their ability to support fish. The response of fish assemblages to alteration of eelgrass (Zostera marina) ecosystems in two ecoregions of the Mid-Atlantic Bight (Buzzards Bay and Chesapeake Bay) was evaluated by sampling historical eelgrass sites that currently span a broad range of stress and habitat quality. In two widely separated ecoregions with very different fish faunas, degradation and loss of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat has lead to declines in fish standing stock and species richness. The abundance, biomass, and species richness of the fish assemblage were significantly higher at sites that have high levels of eelgrass habitat complexity (biomass >100 wet g m^?2; density <100 shotts m^?2) compared to sites that have reduced eelgrass (biomass <100 wet g m^?2; density <100 shoots m^?2) or that have completely lost eelgrass. Abundance, biomass, and species richness at reduced eelgrass complexity sites also were more variable than at high eelgrass complexity habitats. Low SAV complexity sites had higher proportions of pelagic species that are not dependent on benthic habitat structure for feeding or refuge. Most species had greater abundance and were found more frequently at sites that have eelgrass. The replacement of SAV habitats by benthic macroalgae, which occurred in Buzzards Bay but not Chesapeake Bay, did not provide an equivalent habitat to seagrass. Nutrient enrichment-related degradation of eelgrass habitat has diminished the overall capacity of estuaries to support fish populations.