Large-scale environmental influences on the benthic macroinfauna of the southern Gulf of Mexico

The influence of large-scale natural disturbance from winter storms (‘northers’) and river runoff on the macrobenthic community structure of the southern Gulf of Mexico was investigated in both carbonate and transitional carbonate–terrigenous sedimentary environments. Samples of the infauna were obtained in three seasons from 13 stations from two 250 km transects along 80–170 and 20–50 m water depth. Samples after the northers season had the lowest total number of families and individuals, 114 and 2940, respectively, compared to the dry and rainy seasons with 129 and 132 families and 11580 and 15266 individuals, respectively. Spatial patterns of macroinfauna composition varied across and along the shelf as a response to sedimentary environments and depth. Coarser sediments from the carbonate area harboured the highest mean densities per station with 500–24,000 individuals m⁻² and 108–122 families in total, compared to the transitional sediment with 500–8200 individuals m⁻² and 56–74 families across the three seasons. Univariate and multivariate statistical techniques demonstrated that low densities and number of taxa were associated with winter storms, but storm influence was dependent on depth and sediment type. Multiple linear regression analysis and BIOENV analysis indicated that sediment mean grain size, percentage of clay and organic matter best explained the macroinfauna spatial patterns, although BIOENV indicated that depth has an overriding role. An increase in densities of opportunistic taxa (numerous polychaetes of small sizes) was observed four months after the ‘northers’ and this was more evident in the area of carbonate sediment. Additionally a combined disturbance from northers and river runoff is suspected to be responsible for a naturally impoverished macroinfauna community in the transitional sedimentary environment.     

厦门港真刺唇角水蚤的生长率

本文以实验室培养为主,结合自然种群调查,观测厦门港真刺唇角水蚤各发育阶段体长、体重的增长状况,并研究了其生长率与温度、发育期的关系。     

盐度对双棘黄姑鱼仔鱼活力及仔稚鱼生长的影响

分别用不同盐度梯度海水对双棘黄姑鱼仔鱼进行饲养试验。结果表明：盐度为17．0．22．0、27．0．31．0～33．0的4个试验组仔鱼的不投饵存活系数分别为5．38、7.35、6.46、6．18；各盐度组仔稚鱼的生长速度没有显著差异（P〉0．05），各组仔鱼经25d的培养，其平均全长为18．8～19．2mm；盐度22．0及27．0的海水中仔稚鱼呈较高的存活率，各盐度组的平均存活率为36、0％、48．5％、46．7％和39．2％．     

不同氮源对微小亚历山大藻生长和毒素产生的影响

通过尿素、氯化铵、酵母浸出粉和硝酸钠等氮源对微小亚历山大藻(Alexandrium minutum)生长及毒素产生的影响研究,分析了微小亚历山大藻对不同氮源利用状况的差异.结果表明,在氮饥饿条件下,加入硝酸钠和酵母浸出粉能显著促进微小亚历山大藻的生长;高浓度的氯化铵在加入后对微小亚历山大藻有一定的毒性效应,表现为生长停滞,但毒性效应在5 d后消失,并得到与添加硝酸钠及酵母浸出粉相似的增长速率0.21 d-1;添加尿素对微小亚历山大藻的生长没有显著促进作用.在四种氮源中,尿素对微小亚历山大藻毒素产生的刺激作用也最弱,在稳定期每个细胞藻细胞毒素含量维持在6.00~8.00 fmol;添加硝酸钠、氯化铵和酵母浸出粉的藻细胞在稳定期毒素含量分别达到11.85,12.86和14.64 fmol.硝酸钠和氯化铵刺激藻毒素产生的效果比酵母浸出粉更为直接.四种含氮营养盐对微小亚历山大藻毒素组成的影响都很小.     

Patterns and controls of surface sediment distribution: west-central Florida inner shelf

The west-central Florida inner shelf represents a transition between the quartz-dominated barrier-island system and the carbonate-dominated mid-outer shelf. Surface sediments exhibit a complex distribution pattern that can be attributed to multiple sediment sources and the ineffectiveness of physical processes for large-scale sediment redistribution. The west Florida shelf is the submerged extension of the Florida carbonate platform, consisting of a limestone karst surface veneered with a thin unconsolidated sediment cover. A total of 498 surface sediment samples were collected on the inner shelf and analyzed for texture and composition. Results show that sediment consists of a combination of fine quartz sand and coarse, biogenic carbonate sand and gravel, with variable but subordinate amounts of black, phosphorite-rich sand. The carbonate component consists primarily of molluskan fragments. The distribution is patchy and discontinuous with no discernible pattern, and the transition between sediment types is generally abrupt. Quartz-rich sediment dominates the inner 15 km north of the entrance into Tampa Bay, but south of the Bay is common only along the inner 3 km. Elsewhere, carbonate-rich sediment is the predominate sediment type, except where there is little sediment cover, in which cases black, phosphorite-rich sand dominates. Sediment sources are likely within, or around the periphery of the basin. Fine quartz sand is likely reworked from coastal units deposited during Pleistocene sea-level high stands. Carbonate sand and gravel is produced by marine organisms within the depositional basin. The black, phosphorite-rich sand likely originates from the bioerosion and reworking of the underlying strata that irregularly crop out within the study area. The distribution pattern contains elements of both storm- and tide-dominated siliciclastic shelves, but it is dictated primarily by the sediment source, similar to some carbonate systems. Other systems with similar sediment attributes include cool-water carbonate, sediment-starved, and mixed carbonate/siliciclastic systems. This study suggests a possible genetic link among the three systems.     

Coral Recruitment and Regeneration on a Maldivian Reef 21 Months after the Coral Bleaching Event of 1998

Abstract. This paper describes the quantitative inventory of stony corals on a Maldivian reef after the bleaching event of 1998. The detailed data, collected in March 1999 and March 2000, comprise survival, new recruitment and regenerates. They were obtained in 6 transects laid out randomly on the reef flat, on 22 Acropora tables on 6 sites at the reef edge and on 39 Porites lobata blocks and 1 Diploastrea heliopora colony. The present cover of living zooxanthellate corals is reduced to ca. 2 – 5 % of its previous state. Acroporidae and Pocilloporidae were practically wiped out, while Poritidae survived partly and Agariciidae (esp. Pavona) are now the dominant group. New settlements on dead Acropora tables were mainly Agariciidae, followed by Acroporidae and Pocilloporidae. Regenerates on Porites were pronounced and the apparent yearly increase in mass was about threefold that of Diploastrea, which is 3 – 4 mm per year. The influence on reef ecology in terms of coral substrate and species, possible sources of larvae, change of guilds in reef builders, other species and the prospect for further development of the reef, with respect to growth versus erosion, is discussed.