Fifty-five-year longevity for the largest member of the family Sparidae: the endemic red steenbras Petrus rupestris from South Africa

A previous study that explored the age and growth of red steenbras Petrus rupestris (Valenciennes, 1830), a large sparid (family Sparidae, seabreams or porgies) endemic to South Africa and reported to approach 2 m in length, provided estimates as a moderately slow-growing species with a maximum age near 30 years. The stock is considered collapsed and a fishing moratorium was imposed in 2012, resulting in this species being assessed as Endangered by the IUCN. One consideration in addressing population status is validation of life-history traits. In this study, estimates of age for red steenbras from thin-sectioned otoliths were reassessed visually in terms of both the original ages and revised estimates using a different age-reading pattern. The revised ages exceeded the original ages by up to 30 years, with a maximum estimated age of 55 years from a well-defined otolith section that provided a basis for the revised age-reading procedure. Bomb radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dating revealed there was an offset in the timing of the ¹⁴C rise on the Agulhas Bank that, when coupled with considerations for regional oceanography, provided support for the revised age-reading pattern and an estimated longevity that exceeds 50 years. These findings were further supported by the fortuitous recapture of a tagged red steenbras that was at liberty for 22 years.     

Biochemical‐genetic and meristic evidence that blue and copper moki (Teleostei: Latridae: Latridopsis) are discrete species

Specimens of blue moki Latridopsis ciliaris (Forster in Bloch & Schneider, 1801) from New Zealand were shown to differ from specimens of copper moki Latridopsis forsteri (Castelnau, 1872) using two genetic methods—allozymes and muscle proteins. Allozyme techniques revealed fixed differences between blue and copper moki at 4 out of 15 loci. There was a genetic distance of 0.31–0.34 between population samples of the two colour morphs. The two morphs were also distinguished by iso‐electric focusing of muscle proteins. Meristic characters, counted in the specimens studied with genetic markers, revealed diagnostic markers in tubed lateral line scales and scales in the lower transverse series. It is concluded that specimens of blue moki from New Zealand and copper moki from New Zealand and Tasmania are valid species.     

滇池螺蛳(Margarya melanioides)分布和底泥营养元素调查

研究了滇池螺蛳(Margarya melanioides)分布和底泥营养成分之间的关系。2013年在滇池87个采样点采集螺蛳和底泥样本,图示分析所有采样点的活的螺蛳数量,确定活螺在滇池中的分布位点及分布密度;选择8个采样点的底泥样本,进行16项营养元素(有机质、磷、氮、锌、铁、锰、镁、钙、铜、钠、钾、砷、汞、铅、镉、铬)含量测定,分析这些样本营养元素的差异。根据这8个采样点中有无螺蛳生长,将8个底泥样本分为两组,采用完全随机设计两样本比较的t检验,结果两组样本间仅铜的含量有统计学差异(P0.05),这可能是由于滇池螺蛳的生长有效富集了重金属铜元素,使有螺区域比无螺区域底泥中铜的含量明显减少。这在一定程度上说明了螺蛳生长与底泥的关系,可为滇池污染防治及螺蛳种群保护提供相关的科学依据。     

Sensitivity to stress of the estuarine bivalve Macoma balthica from areas between the Netherlands and its southern limits (Gironde)

Variation in the sensitivity to stress of Macoma balthica was measured in several French and Dutch estuaries. For adult and juvenile Macoma balthica exposed to copper under conditions of starvation, differences in mortality rate, condition, glycogen, burrowing rate and copper content were assessed. No significant differences were observed between adults and juveniles; the influence of treatment and origin was always evident. Animals from the most southern estuaries, Loire and Gironde, near to the species's southern limit of distribution, showed, in the field, the strongest deviations for the ecophysiological traits measured, and were in the experiments the most sensitive to stress.     

Effects of heavy metals on the development and survival of abalone Haliotis midae larvae

Despite a growing abalone Haliotis midae industry in South Africa, few studies have measured the effects of heavy metals on larval survival and growth in the face of recent increases in marine pollution. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of copper on survival and zinc on development of H. midae larvae. Larvae 24 hours old were exposed to either copper (0–30 μg l^–1) or zinc (0–200 μg l^–1) for 48 h before mortality or larval development respectively were quantified. Copper significantly reduced survival, with an LC₅₀ of 5.58 μg l^–1 (5.07–6.15, 95% CI). Although the concentrations of zinc used in the study did not have a significant effect on mortality, there was a significant effect on the incidence of abnormal larvae with an EC₅₀ of 102.25 μg l^–1 (96.68–105.94, 95% CI). At concentrations above the EC₅₀, more than 50% of the larvae showed severe developmental abnormalities. Results suggest that copper poses the greatest risk to abalone larvae as the LC₅₀ was similar to the target concentration for this metal for South African coastal waters. By contrast, zinc is potentially less problematic, with the EC₅₀ for larval development being four times the target concentration for this metal.     

壳聚糖/纳米铜复合微球的制备及其对刚果红染料的脱色性能

以壳聚糖和CuCl₂·2H₂O为原料,分别采用直接负载法和吸附法成功制备了壳聚糖/纳米铜复合微球,运用傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、X-射线衍射(XDR)和扫描电镜(SEM)对催化剂结构进行了表征。以刚果红(CR)染料为目标污染物,评价了催化剂的制备方法、制备条件及氢转移催化反应条件对其催化性能的影响。结果表明,由直接负载法(CS/CuNPs)和吸附法(CS/CuNPs-X)制备的壳聚糖/纳米铜复合微球在CR染料浓度为100 mg/L,催化剂投加量为0.05 g,供氢体浓度为0.05 mol/L的氢转移催化反应条件下,催化反应进行180和60 min时CR脱色率可分别达95.8%和96.8%。CS/CuNPs-X比CS/CuNPs表现了更高的对CR氢转移催化反应的催化速率。两种催化剂催化还原CR染料的反应均符合准一级动力学模型。在连续循环使用10次后,CS/CuNPs和CS/CuNPs-X对CR的脱色率分别为93.9%和89.4%,表明催化剂具有良好的重复使用性能。     

LMWOA (low molecular weight organic acid) exudation by salt marsh plants: Natural variation and response to Cu contamination

This work aimed to evaluate, in vitro, the capability of roots of two salt marsh plants to release low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) and to ascertain whether Cu contamination would stimulate or not organic acids exudation. The sea rush Juncus maritimus and the sea-club rush Scirpus maritimus, both from the lower Douro river estuary (NW Portugal), were used. Plants were collected seasonally, four times a year in 2004, during low tide. After sampling, plant roots were washed for removal of adherent particles and immersed for 2 h in a solution that matched salinity (3) and pH (7.5) of the pore water from the same location to obtain plant exudates. In one of the seasons, similar experiments were carried out but spiking the solution with different amounts of Cu in order to embrace the range between 0 and 1600 nM. In the final solutions as well as in sediment pore water LMWOAs were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Plants were able to release, in a short period of time, relatively high amounts of LMWOAs (oxalate, citrate, malate, malonate, and succinate). In the sediment pore water oxalate, succinate and acetate were also detected. Therefore, plant roots probably contributed to the presence of some of these organic compounds in pore water. Exudation differed between the plant species and also showed some seasonally variation, particularly for S. maritimus. The release of oxalate by J. maritimus increased with Cu increase in the media. However, exudation of the other LMWOAs did not seem to be stimulated by Cu contamination in the media. This fact is compatible with the existence of alternative internal mechanisms for Cu detoxification, as denoted by the fact that in media contaminated with Cu both plant species accumulated relatively high amounts (29–83%) of the initially dissolved Cu. This study expands our knowledge on the contribution of globally dominant salt marsh plants to the release of LMWOAs into the environment.     

饲料中铜离子对斑节对虾血细胞组成、活性和免疫功能的影响

以不同铜离子添加量(0, 10, 25, 40, 55 和110 mg/kg)的饲料喂养斑节对虾(Penaeus monodon)8 周,测定对虾的血细胞总数(THC), 并应用流式细胞术测定血细胞中含颗粒细胞(小颗粒细胞和大颗粒细胞)的比例、血细胞凋亡率、活性氧(ROS)含量和酯酶活性。结果显示, 当铜添加量为10～55 mg/kg 时, 与对照组相比, 对虾的THC、血细胞凋亡率、ROS 含量和酯酶活性均没有显著的变化(P>0.05); 铜添加量为25～110 mg/kg 时, 含颗粒细胞的比例显著提高(P<0.05); 铜添加量为110 mg/kg 时, ROS 含量显著高于其他组(P<0.05), 血细胞凋亡率高于25 和55 mg/kg 组(P<0.05), THC 低于55 mg/kg 组(P<0.05), 酯酶活性低于25mg/kg 组(P<0.05)。这些结果表明, 适宜的饲料铜含量有利于两类颗粒细胞的生成; 铜添加过量(110 mg/kg)会诱导血细胞ROS 的产生, 造成氧化损伤, 从而导致凋亡率上升和THC 下降。综上所述, 在本实验日粮条件下, 针对斑节对虾的血细胞功能, 其饲料中铜适宜添加含量范围为25～55mg/kg。     

Two New Hydrothermal Fields at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Two new major hydrothermal fields have been discovered in the rift valley of the MAR at 13°N (Ashadze) and l6°38′N (Krasnov). The Ashadze field consists of a cluster of active hydrothermal sites associated with ultramafic rocks and located at the greatest depth in the ocean (4,200 m). By contrast, the Krasnov field consists of inactive sulfide mounds hosted in basalts. The Krasnov is the largest hydrothermal deposit on the MAR (17.4 Mt) so far discovered with iron sulfide as the principal mineral type. By contrast, Cu-Zn sulfides are the major minerals in the Ashadze deposits, which are also enriched in gold and several other metals.     

Copper,chromium, and lead in Manukau Harbour sediments

A limited survey was undertaken to determine the concentrations of copper, lead, and chromium in sediments of the upper Manukau Harbour, New Zealand. The concentrations of copper and chromium (33–70 and 70–107 μg g^‐1 respectively) were of the same order of magnitude as those reported for other New Zealand harbours. However, lead concentrations (98–247 μg g^‐1) were higher than those found for the other harbours. This may be a consequence of higher traffic densities in the surrounding area.