Distinct microbial communities thriving in gas hydrate-associated sediments from the eastern Japan Sea

Marine gas hydrate and cold-seep systems, which maintain a large amount of methane in the seabed, may critically impact the geochemical and ecological characteristics of the deep-sea sedimentary environment. However, it remains unclear whether marine sediments associated with gas hydrate harbor novel microbial communities that are distinct from those from typical marine sediments. In this study, microbial community structures thriving in sediments associated with and without gas hydrate in the eastern Japan Sea were characterized by 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analyses. Uncultivated bacterial lineages of candidate division JS1 and a novel group NT-B2 were dominant in the sediments from gas hydrate-associated sites. Whereas, microbial populations from sites not associated with gas hydrate were mainly composed of Bacteroidetes, Nitrospirales, Chlamydiales, Chlorobiales, and yet-uncultured bacterial lineages of OD1 and TM06. The good correlation between the dominance of JS1 and NT-B2 and the association of gas hydrate could be attributed to the supply of more energetically favorable energy sources in gas-rich fluids from the deep subsurface than refractory organic matter of terrigenous and diatomaceous origin.     

Microbial community of cyanobacteria mats in the intertidal zone of oil-polluted coast of Saudi Arabia

Cyanobacterial mats are found at various locations along the coast of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Those mats were affected by severe oil pollution following 1991 oil spill. In this study, samples from Abu Ali Island were collected at three selected sampling sites across the intertidal zone (Lower, Middle, and Upper) in order to understand the effect of extreme environmental conditions of high salinity, temperature and desiccation on distribution of cyanobacteria along the oil polluted intertidal zone. Our investigation of composition of cyanobacteria and diatoms was carried out using light microscopy, and Denaturant Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) technique. Light microscopy identification revealed dominant cyanobacteria to be affiliated with genera Phormidium, Microcoleus, and Schizothrix, and to a lesser extent with Oscillatoria, Halothece, and various diatom species. The analysis of DGGE of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA fragments showed that the diversity of cyanobacteria decreases as we proceed from the lower to the upper intertidal zone. Accordingly, the tidal regime, salinity, elevated ambient air temperature, and desiccation periods have a great influence on the distribution of cyanobacterial community in the oil polluted intertidal zone of Abu Ali Island.     

2016—2019年长江口海域季节性低氧对大型底栖动物群落的影响

基于2016—2019年夏季在长江口海域进行的4个航次的生态环境调查,分析了长江口海域季节性低氧对大型底栖动物群落结构的影响。结果表明,2016—2019年长江口海域夏季底层DO最低值为1.51 mg/L,存在不同程度的底层低氧现象。低氧区与非低氧区之间大型底栖动物的种类数量、丰度、生物量和群落结构均存在显著差异。多毛类表现出对低氧较强的耐受能力,为低氧区的主要优势类群,中蚓虫(Mediomastus sp.)、索沙蚕(Lumbrinereis sp.)为低氧区的主要优势种。软体动物、甲壳动物和棘皮动物的分布趋势则与多毛类相反,其中甲壳动物对低氧的耐受能力较弱。MDS多维尺度排序表明,低氧区与非低氧区之间大型底栖动物的群落组成差异明显;CCA分析表明,长江口海域夏季底层低氧已对大型底栖动物的群落结构产生一定程度的影响。     

石狮东部近岸海域浮游植物群落结构及其与环境因子的关系

根据2018年春、秋两季在石狮东部近岸海域进行调查所获得的数据,研究了该海域浮游植物的群落结构,并对浮游植物群落与环境因子的关系进行了相关性分析。通过春、秋两季的调查,经初步鉴定,共145种浮游植物,隶属于3门51属,种类以硅藻为主,其中硅藻122种,甲藻21种,蓝藻2种。在春季的调查中,优势种有奇异棍形藻(Bacillaria paradoxa)、密连角毛藻(Chaetoceros densus)等7种,秋季的优势种有中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)、琼氏圆筛藻(Coscinodiscus jonesianus)等5种。浮游植物细胞密度在1.81×10~4～410.65×10~4cells/m~3之间,春季明显高于秋季。春季多样性指数(H')平均值为3.24,秋季为3.31。相关性分析结果表明,影响石狮东部近岸海域浮游植物群落的主要环境因子有水温、盐度、无机氮含量和活性磷酸盐含量。     

Immigration and community development in New York City

Community development corporations play a central role in the provision of affordable housing and social services in the contemporary American welfare state. This organizational form, however, emerged in the distinctive, historical political-economic context of the Black Power Movement and America's Great Society. American cities are now very different places, transformed by immigration from spaces of Black–White separation to much more heterogeneous and diverse spaces. In this article, our central question is whether, and how, these vital service organizations are incorporating immigrants into their work. We find that the answer varies, and such variations indicate differential access, or “differential citizenship”—in the urban structure of the contemporary American welfare state.     

The Trophic Contributions of Rotifers in Tidal Freshwater and Estuarine Habitats

Distribution patterns and trophic contributions of rotifers from freshwater through polyhaline estuarine waters were examined in the southern Chesapeake Bay and its major tributaries for a two-year period. Trichocerca marina and Synchaeta spp. were the major taxa in abundance, followed by Polyarthra vulgaris, Keratella cochlearis and Brachionus spp. There was a significant negative correlation between salinity and rotifer density, biomass, and number of species. Rotifers were a component of the microzooplankton biomass during specific periods and at particular sites, dominating summer assemblages in tidal freshwater and river–estuary transition sites, plus the winter communities in estuarine waters. This observation indicates that rotifers may play an important trophic role by seasonally replacing metazoan nauplii as a biomass source in both tidal freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. The annual contribution of rotifers to the total microzooplankton biomass exclusive of heterotrophic dinoflagellates was brief but intensive, achieving over 50% of annual biomass during a 2–3 month period. Despite the small annual mean contribution of rotifers to the total microzooplankton biomass, rotifers may have a limited, but significant impact on the trophic dynamics of the zooplankton community in Chesapeake Bay and its major tidal tributaries.     

Reviving Ancient Water Tunnels in the Desert-Digging for Gold？

The water shortage in the Middle East is a well-known problem. The introduction of diesel operated pumps for irrigation has caused a severe drop in groundwater levels. At the same time the demand for groundwater is growing to alarming proportions. Alternative ways of groundwater supply and management need to be found to halt social and economical disaster in the future. Why not look at history？ Qanats are subterranean tunnels ancient civilizations built to access groundwater. The technique is a sustainable method of groundwater extraction. Throughout the Middle East some settlements still make use of these ancient systems. In the summer of 2000, a community rehabilitation of a qanat was executed International Center for Areas （ICARDA） and with support from the Agricultural Research in Dry international donors. The renovation served as a pilot community intervention within a participatory action research project aimed at evaluating the use of qanats in Syria. In a second stage of the project, the pilot was scaled up to a nation-wide survey of Syrian qanats in 2001. This resulted in qanat renovations on other sites executed in 2oo2 and 2oo3 with further international support. This paper compares the first pilot renovation with a recent qanat renovation that took place in Qarah, Syria.     

潮汕海岸带河-海交互区沉积环境及小型底栖动物群落结构研究

河口三角洲是人类活动最为剧烈的区域, 陆海作用复杂, 生态环境脆弱。2021年6月以潮汕韩江三角洲河口群为研究区, 开展了河-海交互区沉积环境和小型底栖动物群落综合研究。结果表明, 研究区沉积物以黏土质粉砂为主, 中值粒径为6.66~1 301.34 μm; 盐度为15.91~35.11, 具有典型的河-海交互区特征; 有机碳(TOC)、叶绿素a (chl a)、脱镁叶绿酸含量(Phaeo)均呈现由陆向海减少趋势。重金属Cu和Zn、Phaeo、透明度和砂含量是造成沉积环境差异的主要因素。共鉴定出13个小型底栖动物主要类群, 其中自由生活海洋线虫在丰度和生物量上均为最优势类群(90%和38%), 桡足类和多毛类居次。小型底栖动物的平均丰度和生物量(干重)分别为(295±195) inds./10 cm²和(277.8±202.8) μg/10 cm²,整体上从陆向海呈增加趋势, 在不同河口断面间差异显著。盐度和河口也是控制小型底栖动物群落空间分布的主要因素, 真盐区(盐度>30)的群落相似性较高。小型底栖动物丰度、生物量和物种数与Phaeo和重金属(Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd)呈负相关关系; 解释小型底栖动物群落结构差异的最佳环境组合是盐度和重金属Cd含量。基于重金属、有机污染指数及海洋线虫与桡足类比值三种环境评价方法, 其结果均显示污染较严重的区域位于河口入海口门处。研究结果可为海岸带资源保护、生态监测以及基于生态系统实施综合管理提供基础数据支撑。     

漂白粉消毒后对虾养殖源水细菌群落的响应特征研究

漂白粉消毒是凡纳滨对虾养殖源水常见的管控措施, 可有效控制病原菌传播; 然而,消毒会强烈扰动水体微生物群落,但源水细菌群落对漂白粉消毒的响应特征尚未阐明。在室内条件下, 设置高浓度(60 mg/L)和低浓度(20 mg/L)漂白粉消毒源水, 通过高通量测序及荧光定量PCR技术探究消毒后源水细菌群落、病原菌及抗生素抗性基因(ARGs)的动态响应规律。结果显示, 消毒后, 拟杆菌门(Bacteroidota)丰度上升, 高浓度组变形菌门(Proteobacteria)的丰度显著降低; 至第3天, 两组源水的细菌群落组成趋于一致。此外, 漂白粉消毒显著改变了源水的细菌群落结构及共现网络的复杂性。在控制水体病原菌方面, 消毒后病原菌的总丰度降低, 但种类增加, 高浓度漂白粉消毒对病原菌的抑制作用更加显著。漂白粉消毒对ARGs的去除具有选择性, 仅对sul1、floR、cfr、tetQ有一定的去除作用, 且高、低浓度对ARGs的去除无差异。综上, 60 mg/L可以作为漂白粉消毒养殖源水的更好浓度选择。研究结果从微生物生态视角评价了不同浓度漂白粉的消毒作用, 可为对虾养殖生产中的源水管控提供理论支撑。     

Temporal and spatial distributions of dominant shrimp stocks and their relationship with the hydrological environment in the East China Sea

To provide a scientific and technological base for fishery administration, holding a moratorium on fishing, and combating habitat degradation, a shrimp stock survey was carried out in May, August, and November 1998 and in February 1999. The study was conducted in the area between 26o00′ N and 33o00′ N and to the west of 127o00′ E in the East China Sea using a multi-sac trawl-net, with 115 stations being sampled. Up to 2001, we had found 121 species, which belong to 63 genera under 22 families, and 41 species are of high economic value and in great abundance. Nine shrimp species were of great economic importance, whose stock accounted for 76.8% of the demersal total. They were Parapenaeus fissuroides, Metapenaeopsis philippi, Palaemon gravieri, Metapenaeopsis barbata, Solenocera koelbeli, Solenocera crassicornis, Trachypenaeus curvirostris, Solenocera melantho and Parapenaeopsis hardwickii (listed in stock order). The nine species belong to the eurythermal and eurysaline community and high thermal and high saline community, had different migration patterns and stocks, and their distribution patterns could be generally classified into three types:(1) dominating in the north or the south;(2) dominating to the north of and in the coast to the south of 30o00′ N;and (3) dominating to the east of 60 m isobath, which were related to six water masses in the ECS near two lines, i.e., the 60 m isobath and 30o00′N latitudinal lines. Densely habited shrimps were found in all four seasons due to temperature and salinity frontiers and upwelling. The general stock density index was relatively higher in spring, summer, and autumn, when it surpassed 10 kg/h, while in winter, it was only 6.8 kg/h which might be caused by overfishing. According to the spawning areas of the nine species and their distribution patterns, to attain sustainable development of the shrimp fishery in the ECS, it is imperative to protect fishing areas and to hold a moratorium on catching to the west of 60 m isobath from April through October, and between 60 m and 100 m isobaths and to the south of 30oN from June through August and to limit fishing in winter.