An inexpensive instrument for measuring benthic current velocity and direction at sea

An instrument which measures the velocity and direction of benthic water currents at depths of up to 80 m is described. Characteristics of this meter include: (i) readings are not affected by water flow during sinking or retrieval; (ii) it is portable; (iii) it operates unattended; (iv) it is inexpensive; and (v) it requires only simple maintenance. A timing circuit which operates two time periods in succession is used to activate and de-activate a revolution counter and a fluidfilled compass which are mounted on a special frame and vane system. In the field, the instrument accurately measured average current velocities of up to 6 m s⁻¹. Data are presented which illustrate the usefulness of this instrument in describing the velocity and direction of benthic currents along the east coast of Australia and demonstrate a positive correlation between benthic current velocity and catch rates of the commercially-exploited spanner crab Ranina ranina.     

Distribution and abundance patterns of two parapagurid hermit crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) along the west and south coasts of South Africa

A series of over 6 000 research-trawl samples collected along the west and south coasts of South Africa between 1987 and 2014 were analysed for the presence and biomass of two parapagurid hermit crabs, Sympagurus dimorphus and Parapagurus bouvieri. The percentage of trawls that landed S. dimorphus and P. bouvieri and the mean caught biomass were higher on the west than on the south coast for both the more-abundant S. dimorphus (30.59 vs 5.81% success and 287.88 vs 31.37 kg km^–2, respectively) and for the less-abundant P. bouvieri (13.76 vs 3.58% success and 38.56 vs 16.32 kg km^–2, respectively). Very few parapagurids were caught shallower than 150 m; thereafter, the proportion of trawls containing hermit crabs increased, peaking over the depth range 201–250 m for S. dimorphus (54%) and 401–450 m for P. bouvieri (51%), and declining steadily thereafter. On the west coast, the relative caught biomass of S. dimorphus increased significantly from north to south, but there was no apparent latitudinal trend in relative biomass for P. bouvieri. Similarly, there was a significant decline in caught biomass of S. dimorphus with increasing longitude along the south coast, but no apparent trend for P. bouvieri. Although this represents by far the most comprehensive global analyses of distribution and abundance patterns for parapagurids to date, extremely little remains known about the biology and ecological relationships of these species, or indeed of other members of the group.     

Variability in oceanographic and ecological processes in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

This paper brings together unpublished historical data sets and published literature to review the role of climatic, oceanographic and ecological processes in the marine ecosystem of the eastern Canadian Archipelago. Physical data include characteristics of the water masses, circulation patterns, sea ice conditions, and climatic records from 1950s onward. Biological data include unpublished data sets on nutrients, primary and secondary production, and sedimentation, which were collected during the 1980–1990s in the eastern Canadian Archipelago. These results show high year-to-year variability in nutrient inventories and ratios, the magnitude of the ice algae and phytoplankton bloom, the timing of ice algae sedimentation in the spring, and the composition of the zooplankton community. The significance of this high interannual variability and its effect on pelagic–benthic coupling processes is discussed in the context of climatic and oceanographic forcing, with emphasis on recent (past decade) Arctic changes. An estimate of total primary production in the Archipelago is also presented, along with published production estimates for other Arctic shelves, showing that the Archipelago may support up to 32% of the total primary production of Arctic shelves. The high year-to-year variability in production and carbon transfer pathways (e.g. pelagic versus benthic) in the Archipelago suggest that the system might be resilient to the increased variability in climatic conditions occurring in the past decade. However, this increased variability combined with directional change in climatic and oceanographic conditions might also modify the existing balance of ecological processes. For example, shifts in the timing of events appear to have already occurred in the past decade, with potential cascading effects throughout the ecosystem.     

Benthic photosynthesis in submerged Wadden Sea intertidal flats

In this study we compare benthic photosynthesis during inundation in coarse sand, fine sand, and mixed sediment (sand/mud) intertidal flats in the German Wadden Sea. In situ determinations of oxygen-, DIC- and nutrient fluxes in stirred benthic chamber incubations were combined with measurements of sedimentary chlorophyll, incident light intensity at the sediment surface and scalar irradiance within the sediment. During submergence, microphytobenthos was light limited at all study sites as indicated by rapid response of gross photosynthesis to increasing incident light at the sea floor. However, depth integrated scalar irradiance was 2 to 3 times higher in the sands than in the mud. Consequently, gross photosynthesis in the net autotrophic fine sand and coarse sand flats during inundation was on average 4 and 11 times higher than in the net heterotrophic mud flat, despite higher total chlorophyll concentration in mud. Benthic photosynthesis may be enhanced in intertidal sands during inundation due to: (1) higher light availability to the microphytobenthos in the sands compared to muds, (2) more efficient transport of photosynthesis-limiting solutes to the microalgae with pore water flows in the permeable sands, and (3) more active metabolic state and different life strategies of microphytobenthos inhabiting sands.     

光照强度对海洋微藻脂肪含量及脂肪酸组成影响的研究

近年来，海洋微藻脂肪酸组成的研究及其应用越来越受到国内外科学家的重视。高度不饱和脂肪酸(PUFA)，特别是长链的n-3 PUFA，如二十碳五烯酸(EPA)和二十二碳六烯酸(DHA)对海洋动物和人类都具有营养学和医学上的价值。在海洋微藻的培养过程中，光照强度是海洋微藻生长的条件之一，光线的明与暗，光度的强与弱，不仅对微藻的生长速率、产量有影响，而且对其脂肪含量和脂肪酸的组成也有影响(Teshima et al.，1983；Thompson et al.，1990； Renaud et al., 1991)。 作者在以往研究的基础上，选择了3种有代表性的海洋微藻：(1)小球藻Chlorella sp-2(李荷芳等，1999)，此藻脂肪酸中EPA含量高、且不含DHA；(2)球等鞭金藻(Isochrysis galbana)，该藻DHA含量较高，但几乎不含EPA；(3)前沟藻(Amphidinium sp.)的EPA、DHA含量均高。将以上3种微藻作为原料，在不同的光照强度下进行培养，测定并分析藻体中的脂肪含量和脂肪酸组成的变化，从而了解光强对海洋微藻脂肪含量及其脂肪酸组成的影响。     

海洋有毒甲藻Coolia monotis的研究 II.培养条件的测定

1 998年 5— 9月 ,通过培养实验 ,研究了海洋底栖性有毒甲藻Cooliamonotis人工培养生长所需的理化条件。结果表明 ,培养水体深度较小而水平横截面积较大有利于获得较高产量。温度 1 6— 3 2℃、盐度 2 4— 3 8、K培养液浓度系列 1 /8K— 2K、培养液pH为 6 .5— 9.5都可存活 ,最大指数期平均生长率为 0 .6 9division·d- 1 ,获得的最大细胞密度为 6× 1 0 4 cells·ml- 1 ,是一种适应性较强的微藻。保种条件以温度 2 4℃、盐度 3 4、培养液浓度K ,pH为8.0为佳。