Gradients in coral reef communities exposed to muddy river discharge in Pohnpei,Micronesia

This study analyzed how coral communities change along a gradient of increasing exposure to a mud-discharging river in the Enipein Catchment, Pohnpei, Micronesia. Using video transects, we quantified benthic communities at five sites along a gradient moving away from the river mouth towards the barrier reef. The most river-impacted site was characterized by a high accumulation of mud, low coral cover and low coral diversity. Although coral cover leveled off at ∼400 m from the river mouth to values found at the outer-most sites, coral diversity continued to increase with increasing distance, suggesting that the most distant site was still impacted by the river discharges. Fungiidae, Pavona, Acropora, Pachyseris and Porites rus all significantly increased in cover with distance from the river, while Turbinaria decreased. The combined presence and abundance of these six species groups, together with coral species richness, may help to indicate the effects of terrestrial runoff in similar runoff-exposed settings around Micronesia, whereas coral cover is not a sensitive indicator for river impact. Coral reefs are important resources for the people of Pohnpei. To prevent further degradation of this important resource, an integrated watershed approach is needed to control terrestrial activities.     

海洋生态系统健康评价的底栖生物指数法研究进展

海洋大型底栖无脊椎动物能对自然和人为活动导致的水和沉积物质量变化做出可预测的响应,因此利用底栖生物作为海洋生态环境监测的生物指标和进行系统健康度量的生物指数已经得到了广泛的认可.本文比较分析了几种常用的和正在发展的海洋生态系统健康和生态环境质量状况评估的底栖生物指数,包括指示生物法、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、BI指数、AMBI指数和Bentix指数,总结了这几种生物指数的应用和特性,探讨了底栖生物指数在实际应用中可能存在的问题和解决的办法,以期为我国海洋生态系统健康评估工作提供参考.     

黄海西北近岸沉积物中细菌群落空间分布特征

采用16S rDNA文库和变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)技术,对黄海西北部3个近岸站位沉积物中细菌群落多样性及空间分布特征进行了调查和解析。对表层沉积物16S rDNA序列统计表明,各站位细菌群落多样性很高,γ-和δ-变形菌纲分别占克隆序列总数的20%~32%,是沉积物中的绝对优势类群。DGGE图谱分析表明,同一站位中不同深度的细菌群落结构相似性较高,而不同站位间群落结构相差较远。研究表明在黄海西北近岸沉积物中细菌群落多样性较高,优势类群明显,在较小尺度范围内群落结构的垂直变化不明显。     

Deep-sea reef fish assemblage patterns on the Blake Plateau(Western North Atlantic Ocean)

Deep‐water coral habitats are scattered throughout slope depths (360–800 m) off the Southeastern United States (SEUS, Cape Lookout, North Carolina, to Cape Canaveral, Florida), contributing substantial structure and diversity to bottom habitats. In some areas (e.g. off North Carolina) deep corals form nearly monotypic (Lophelia pertusa) high profile mounds, and in other areas (e.g. off Florida) many species may colonize hard substrata. Deep coral and hard substrata ecosystems off the SEUS support a unique fish assemblage. Using the Johnson‐Sea‐Link submersible (in 2000–2005, 65 dives), and a remotely operated vehicle (in 2003, five dives), fishes were surveyed in nine deep reef study areas along the SEUS slope. Forty‐two benthic reef fish species occurred in deep reef habitats in these study areas. Species richness was greatest on the two coral banks off Cape Lookout, North Carolina (n = 23 and 27 species) and lowest on the two sites off Cape Canaveral, Florida (n = 7 and 8 species). Fish assemblages exhibited significantly (ANOSIM, Global R = 0.69, P = 0.001) different patterns among sites. Stations sampled off North Carolina (three study areas) formed a distinct group that differed from all dives conducted to the south. Although several species defined the fish assemblages at the North Carolina sites, Laemonema barbatulum, Laemonema melanurum, and Helicolenus dactylopterus generally had the most influence on the definition of the North Carolina group. Fish assemblages at three sites within the central survey area on the Blake Plateau were also similar to each other, and were dominated by Nezumia sclerorhynchus and L. melanurum. Synaphobranchus spp. and Neaumia sclerorhynchus differentiated the two southern sites off Cape Canaveral, Florida, from the other station groups. Combinations of depth and habitat type had the most influence on these station groups; however, explicit mechanisms contributing to the organization of these assemblages remain unclear.     

太平洋和南极普里兹湾及其邻近海域中微生物量的分布特征

研究了太平洋和南极普里兹湾及其邻近海域细菌数量分布特征,并就其与诸环境因素的影响进行了讨论．结果表明,所调查的太平洋和南极普里兹湾及其邻近海域的细菌数量分布大都处于107～108个／dm3范围之内,发现太平洋中部的细菌数量分布高于其东部和西部,这主要与中部海域合有丰富的生物营养物质有关．由于受到水动力的影响,太平洋某些站位水层（0～50m,500～700m）中出现高细菌量值．发现南极普里兹湾及其邻近海域向外延伸的某些断面的细菌数量有逐渐递增趋势．     

Benthic mineralization rates at two locations in the southern North Sea

Benthic oxygen uptake, sulphate reduction and benthic bacterial production were measured at two contrasting locations in the southern North Sea: the shallow and turbulent Broad Fourteens area in the Southern Bight, and the deeper Oyster Grounds, a deposition area, where thermohaline stratification occurs during summer. Oxygen uptake and sulphate reduction showed a clear seasonal pattern in the Broad Fourteens area, indicating a supply of carbon to the benthic system that is closely related to the standing stock of carbon in the water column. This close benthic-pelagic coupling is probably due to the influence of the tide in this part of the North Sea, which keeps the water column permanently mixed. At the Oyster Grounds, no seasonal pattern was observed. Peaks in oxygen uptake and sulphate reduction were found in winter. Irregularly occurring events, such as storms and fishery-related activities, are likely to affect the benthic mineralization patterns in this area. Annual benthic carbon mineralization rates estimated from oxygen uptake rates were 44 gC·m⁻² at the Broad Fourteens, and 131 gC·m⁻² at the Oyster Grounds, of which 26 and 28%, respectively, could be attributed to sulphate reduction (assuming an annual sulphide reoxidation rate of 100%). Although sulphate reduction rates in the southern North Sea are higher than previously suggested, aerobic respiration is the most important pathway for benthic carbon mineralization at the stations visited. Production rates of benthic bacterial carbon measured with labelled leucine were much higher than carbon mineralization rates based on oxygen uptake or sulphate reduction. This may either imply a very high bacterial carbon conversion efficiency, or point to shortcomings in the accuracy of the techniques. A critical evaluation of the techniques is recommended.     

柄海鞘共附生细菌的分离培养与系统发育多样性研究

通过纯培养和16SrRNA基因序列的相似性比对,并构建系统发育树对威海海域柄海鞘共附生细菌的多样性进行了研究。用2216E培养基从柄海鞘样品中分离到78株细菌,通过形态学特征和TCBS培养基选择性筛选后,选取30株具有代表性的菌株进行了16SrRNA基因测序和基于16SrRNA基因序列的系统发育多样性分析。结果表明,30株菌株分别属于细菌域的4个系统发育类群(Actinobacteria,Bacteroidetes,Firmicutes,Gro-teobacteria)的11个科,11个属。根据16SrRNA基因序列,大多数菌株与其系统发育关系最密切的模式菌株之间存在一定的遗传差异(16SrRNA基因序列相似性为91.82%～98.93%)。其中菌株HQW7,HQYD1,HQWD4,HQE1和HQE2与相关模式菌株的16SrRNA基因最高相似度仅分别为91.82%,92.51%,92.99%,93.52%,93.87%,这5株菌可能代表新的分类单元。威海海域柄海鞘共附生细菌存在着较为丰富的物种多样性和系统发育多样性,并可能存在新的物种。     

MALBAC技术扩增微生物群落基因组的效率评估

环境样品的低生物量是微生物宏基因组学研究面临的首要挑战,通过基因组扩增技术来满足高通量测序对DNA样品量的需求是最常用的解决策略。MALBAC(Multiple Annealing and Looping Based Amplification Cycles)基因组扩增试剂盒最初为扩增和研究哺乳动物的单细胞基因组而研发。本文中,我们通过人工构建的微生物群落来检测该试剂盒在微生物宏基因组扩增方面的效率和应用可行性。结果表明,每个标准反应中,10 pg的DNA模板量足以满足MALBAC试剂盒对样品扩增的需要。每个标准反应DNA模板用量为10和100 pg时,所扩增DNA样品的基因组覆盖度与原始未扩增样品表现出高度的一致性,证明MALBAC试剂盒扩增效果的高度稳定性和一致性。常用的GenomePlex全基因组扩增试剂盒使我们可以在每个标准反应DNA模板量为100 pg的条件下扩增获得足够的DNA样品,但是结果表明该参照试剂盒无法有效的实现对群落中低丰度细菌菌株基因组的线性扩增。对于MALBAC试剂盒和参照试剂盒而言,在扩增高GC含量的微生物物种基因组DNA方面效率低下。我们的实验结果表明MALBAC试剂盒在高效扩增环境样品宏基因组DNA方面的可行性,但对该试剂盒在扩增环境样品中高GC含量微生物物种方面的适用性存在疑虑。     

九龙江河口区微生物多样性及群落结构的时空分布

河口区由于其独特的地理环境和理化条件,拥有丰富的微生物资源,在生物地球化学循环中起着重要作用.然而,由于人类活动带来的河口区环境因素改变,引起的微生物群落结构的时空变化目前还知之甚少.本研究选取九龙江河口区7个近年来遭受较为严重人类活动干扰的采样点,分别在丰水期和枯水期采集表层水体,采用流动注射法测定了水体的三氮、电导率、pH值和溶解性磷酸盐等环境参数,采用海水和淡水培养基,基于纯培养技术分析了可培养细菌的总数和分布特征,并通过构建16S rRNA基因克隆文库的方法研究细菌的多样性和群落结构变化.研究表明,变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)是各克隆文库中最优势的类群.在河口下游海水区,变形菌门微生物与放线菌门微生物的比例约为2∶1~3∶1,而在河口上游淡水区,变形菌门和放线菌门的比例约为1∶1.在河口下游海水区,α变形菌纲(Alphaproteobacteria)为变形菌门中的优势类群,而在河口上游淡水区,β变形菌纲(Betaproteobacteria)为优势类群.厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)是克隆文库中丰度占第四的类群,说明水体可能遭受畜牧养殖粪便污染.本研究表明,九龙江河口区微生物群落结构受水体盐度、温度、水文情况等时空因子及人类活动造成的营养物浓度上升、动物粪便污染等共同影响,呈现出独特的时空分布特点.