The application of cutting plus waterlogging to control Spartina alterniflora on saltmarshes in the Yangtze Estuary,China

Control and eradication of the exotic and invasive plant Spartina alterniflora within the Chongming Dongtan nature reserve, Shanghai, China, is vital for the management and conservation of the saltmarshes. A demonstration project was established using waterlogging and cutting to control this invasive species. Results from 2007 to 2008 showed that, although the managed waterlogging significantly reduced biomass and seed production of S. alterniflora at an early stage, the species subsequently showed rapid adaptation to the long-term waterlogging stress. Thus, managed waterlogging alone was insufficient for the effective eradication of S. alterniflora. However, managed waterlogging for around 3 months, combined with cutting the above-ground part of S. alterniflora at a key stage (flowering period in July), controlled and eradicated the plant successfully. Both the above-ground and below-ground parts of S. alterniflora were killed and the plants began to decompose after 3 months. Furthermore, there was no re-growth of the emergent part of S. alterniflora in the following years. However, once the impounded water was released restoring the natural hydrodynamic regime of the saltmarshes, the seeds and seedlings of S. alterniflora reinvaded the controlled site from the neighboring areas and the S. alterniflora community was re-established. Thus, after eradication of S. alterniflora, control measures should be maintained to prevent the re-establishment of S. alterniflora. The results of this demonstration project indicate a potentially useful and effective approach for the control and management of large-scale invasion by S. alterniflora on saltmarshes in the Yangtze Estuary, China.     

半连续培养下东海原甲藻和中肋骨条藻种群生长过程与种间竞争研究

采用半连续培养方法研究了温度和营养盐(N和P)限制对中国东海2种重要赤潮生物东海原甲藻和中肋骨条藻生长及种间竞争的影响。结果表明,东海原甲藻在20℃和25℃时生长状态良好,具有明显的指数增长期,15℃时细胞生长明显受到影响;中肋骨条藻具有较广的温度适应性,15~25℃时均具有明显的指数增长期。东海原甲藻可以忍受低营养盐环境并种群增长,而中肋骨条藻细胞增长需要较丰富的营养盐。在营养盐充足的环境里中肋骨条藻具有竞争优势,相反,在营养盐限制的环境中,东海原甲藻是竞争的优胜者。实验结果与东海原甲藻赤潮爆发现场的环境调查结果基本一致,可以作为解释东海原甲藻赤潮形成原因的依据。     

Distribution of quinnat salmon,Oncorhynchus tshawytscha,off the east coast of the South Island, 1925–78

The distribution of 376 salmon caught at sea between 41 °S and 46 °S up to 48 km off the east coast of the South Island between 1925 and 1978 is discussed. The distribution appears to be related to strong currents in Cook and Foveaux Straits, and to the Southland Current off the east coast of the South Island. Samples from the sea at Moeraki Peninsula had a higher incidence of stream‐reared fish and a lower mean fork length than samples from the Waitaki or Rakaia Rivers at spawning.     

Food and energy in the diet of brown and rainbow trout from Lake Benmore,New Zealand

The diet of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (S. gairdnerii) was studied in specimens from Lake Benmore, a deep, oligo‐trophic lake in South Island, New Zealand. Between November and July, both species fed mainly on small molluscs (Potamopyrgus antipodarum, Physa sp., and Gyraulus corinna) gleaned from the littoral weed beds. Energy values for the three species of mollusc were determined: P. antipodarum, 6000 J g^‐1; G. corinna, 5500 J g^‐1; Physa sp., 9800 J g^‐1. Potamopyrgus antipodarum yielded little energy to the fish, unless its shell broke during passage through the gut. Physa sp. was the most profitable mollusc, irrespective of shell breakage and Potamopyrgus antipodanim the least profitable. The mean energy value per snail for G. corinna and Physa sp. eaten by rainbow trout was 25–30% less than for snails eaten by brown trout, possibly because rainbow trout ingested empty shells from the sediment surface. Rainbow trout extracted about 20% more energy than brown trout from unbroken shells. In July, 84% of the brown trout switched to predation of common bullies, Gobio‐morphus cotidianus, probably as a result of bully reproductive behaviour. Rainbow trout did not show the same change, apparently because they were feeding in deeper water where few bullies were available. The low‐energy diet and its possible connection with growth rate are discussed.     

Light‐dependence of photosynthesis and growth in cyanobacteria: Implications for their dominance in eutrophic lakes

In eutrophic lakes cyanobacteria are favoured relative to other phytoplankton, both under stratified and mixed conditions. During stratification, gas vacuole formation allows the accumulation of dense surface scums which attain the highest possible area‐specific photosynthetic rates in aquatic environments owing to high irradiances, near‐complete harvesting of impinging light, and minimal light inhibition and photo‐oxidation. During moderate mixing, high yields of biomass can be achieved by effective light harvesting for photosynthesis (aided by phycobilin pigments) and low maintenance energy requirements at low mean irradiances. Howevrr, nitrogen fixation competes for energy and reductant with photosynthesis, and leads to a decline of light‐saturated maximum growth rates. Wind‐driven vertical mixing and lateral advection are the main causes for the instability of cyanobacterial blooms in hyper‐eutrophic lake ecosystems.     

Evidence for discrete subpopulations of sea perch (Helicolenus ercoides) across four fjords in Fiordland,New Zealand

In coastal populations of invertebrates and fishes, the distribution of discrete subpopulations is influenced by adult and larval dispersal, as well as by the effects of habitat heterogeneity on site fidelity or connectivity. Here, we examine evidence for spatial structure of sea perch, Helicolenus percoides, populations among four fjords in the Fiordland region of southwestern New Zealand. We examine patterns in adult morphology, length-at-age, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of muscle tissue, and trace elemental composition of whole otoliths as proxies for population isolation among the four inner fjord regions. A multivariate analysis of morphometrics reveals significant differences among populations from each of the four sites, suggesting existence of four distinct subpopulations. These patterns are consistent with observed differences in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N, and length-at-age estimates among the four subpopulations. Differences in whole otolith concentrations of Sr, Ba, Mg and Li, and high classification scores based on the whole otolith elemental fingerprint are also consistent with significant subdivision among areas. Patterns across all four markers are consistent with discrete subpopulation structure of adult sea perch among the four study sites. These data indicate that the newly implemented network of marine protected areas in Fiordland is likely to contain discrete populations of sea perch.     

Growth performance of the clam, Meretrix meretrix, breedingselection populations cultured in different conditions

A breeding-selection program for the clam,Meretrix meretrix,was conducted since 2004.Two of the selection populations were generated with the shell color pattern as an additional selection criterion and named as SP(purple stripes)population and SB(black dots)population.The third-generation SP and SB populations(08G3SP and 08G3SB,respectively)were cultured at two commercial clam farms and a nursery pond and their shell lengths were compared.08G3SB clams had significantly larger sizes than 08G3SP clams at commercial clam farms(p<0.05),yet 08G3SB individuals were significantly smaller than 08G3SP individuals at the nursery pond(p<0.05).Then,we examined the growth of the fourth-generation SP and SB populations(10G4SP and 10G4SB,respectively)at a commercial farm,and found that the shell lengths of the 10G4SB clams increased at a significantly higher growth rate than the 10G4SP clams(p<0.05)from May to September,when the water temperature was between 24.2–27.5 C,while 10G4SB lost the growth advantage in the other months.These results indicated that SP and SB populations responded differently to environmental factors,so it is beneficial for the clam farmers to select a suitable population according to the culture environment.Furthermore,a diallel mating of the SB and SP populations was designed to investigate whether their hybrid population would show heterosis.However,the heterosis was not shown in this study,which might result from the slight genetic divergence between SB and SP populations.     

泥蚶(Tegillarca granosa)生长因子受体结合蛋白2(GRB2)基因的克隆与表达分析

通过已构建的泥蚶(Tegillarca granosa)转录组文库, 利用SMART RACE技术扩增得到泥蚶Tg-GRB2基因的全长cDNA序列, 并对其生物信息学、组织表达及发育阶段表达特征进行了分析。结果表明, 泥蚶Tg-GRB2 cDNA全长1283bp, 开放阅读框为708bp, 编码236个氨基酸; 蛋白结构预测显示, Tg-GRB2蛋白包含SH3-SH2-SH3三个功能域, SH2结构域由两端的α-螺旋和中间反向平行的β-折叠片构成, SH3结构域主要由β-折叠片组成, 具备典型的结构特征; 氨基酸序列比对发现, Tg-GRB2与脊椎动物的同源性为62.1%—63.8%, 而与玻璃海鞘和日本血吸虫同源性较低。qRT-PCR检测结果显示: Tg-GRB2 mRNA在泥蚶血液、斧足、鳃、外套膜、闭壳肌、内脏团6个组织中都有表达, 而在血液中的表达量极显著地高于其它组织; 在泥蚶的不同发育阶段中, Tg-GRB2 mRNA在 2—4细胞胚胎、原肠胚、担轮幼虫、D形幼虫中均有较高的表达量, 而在D形幼虫中表达量最高, 表明Tg-GRB2基因在泥蚶早期发育中发挥重要调节作用。     

Genetic parameter estimation for juvenile growth and upper thermal tolerance in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus Linnaeus)

Twenty-six half-sib groups(53 full-sib families) of turbot, Scophthalmus maximus Linnaeus, were obtained by artificial insemination. We measured growth in the offspring(40–50 individuals/family) and subjected them to a thermal tolerance challenge over a period of 34 d. There was no significant difference in daily mortality(range: 0.580%–1.391%) between Days 1–13 during the thermal tolerance challenge. However, daily cumulative mortality increased rapidly between Days 14 and 29, especially on Days 15 and 16(20.232% and 34.377%, respectively). Mortality was highest on Day 16(14.145%). We estimated the genetic parameters using the average information restricted maximum likelihood method. We used a likelihood ratio test to evaluate the significance of effects in models with and without identity as an effect, and compared the final log-likelihoods(maximum log L). Lastly, we estimated phenotypic and genetic correlation between the upper thermal tolerance limit(UTT) and body weight(BW). In this study, the positive phenotypic correlation was low between UTT and BW(0.093±0.029). The genetic correlation between UTT and BW was negative(-0.044±0.239). The heritability for upper thermal tolerance was low(0.087±0.032), which is of approximately moderate heritability. The heritability for body weight was high(0.303±0.074). Our results suggest there is significant potential for improvement in the culture of turbot by selective breeding.     

移植操作胁迫对天鹅湖大叶藻存活、生长及光合色素含量的影响

2009年4月利用植株枚订移植法在山东荣成天鹅湖海域开展大叶藻植株移植,于5~10月监测移植大叶藻植株的存活率,并逐月采集自然和移植大叶藻植株,比较了植株生长、叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量的变化,分析了移植操作胁迫对大叶藻存活、生长、叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量的影响。结果显示,移植后1~2个月,移植植株的平均成活率较高,至移植后4个月,平均成活率降至57.8%,之后保持稳定。移植后6个月内,叶长移植植株均极显著低于自然植株;根长和茎节长在移植后1个月时移植植株显著低于自然植株,移植2个月后与自然植株无明显差异,甚至显著高于自然植株;叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量在移植后1个月时移植植株显著低于自然植株,移植2个月后则与天然植株无明显不同,甚至显著高于自然植株,但10月份移植植株的叶绿素含量明显下降。结果表明,移植操作对大叶藻植株的地上部分产生了严重的胁迫作用和较长的胁迫时间,而移植植株的地下部分及叶片叶绿素和类胡萝卜素在经过短期胁迫后,能够通过自身的补偿机制分别实现快速生长和显著增加,从而利于植株的扎根、固着和提高植株的光合作用能力。