Optimization of medium and cultivation conditions for enhanced exopolysaccharide yield by marine Cyanothece sp. 113

Cyanothece sp. 113 is a unicellular, aerobic, diazotrophic and photosynthetic marine cyanobacterium. The optimal medium for exopolysaccharide yield by the strain was 70.0 g/L of NaCl, and 0.9 g/L of MgSO4 based on the modified F/2 medium for cultivation of marine algae. The optimal cultivation condition for exopolysaccharide yield by this cyanobacterial strain was 29°C, aeration, and continuous illumination at 86.0 μE/M2/S. Under the optimal conditions, over 18.4 g/L of exopolysaccharide was produced within 12 days. This was so far the highest exopolysaccharide yield produced with strains of Cyanothece sp. obtained.     

Spatio-temporal variation in density of microphytoplankton genera in two tropical coral reefs of Mauritius

Spatial and temporal (seasonal and interannual) variation in microphytoplankton was investigated at two tropical coral reef sites off Mauritius (Belle Mare [BM] and Flic-en-Flac [FEF]), from 2010 to 2012. Each site was divided into three zones: coast, lagoon and reef. Microphytoplankton, nutrient and chlorophyll a samples were collected, and physico-chemical parameters were measured in situ. A total of 56 microphytoplankton genera were identified (43 diatoms, 8 dinoflagellates and 5 cyanobacteria). Total microphytoplankton density exhibited spatial and temporal variation, being higher at BM and near the coast, and mostly high in summer. Nutrient concentrations were highest near the coast as a result of run-off events and anthropogenic inputs, especially during heavy rainfall, and this resulted in elevated total microphytoplankton density. There were no clear diversity patterns at the two sites or within the different zones. At both sites, Navicula, Cocconeis and Fragilaria were the dominant diatoms, and Gymnodinium, Alexandrium and Protoperidinium were the dominant dinoflagellates. There was a shift in dominance from Navicula in summer to Fragilaria in winter. This seasonal shift may reflect how these species respond differently to environmental change, which could have implications for primary production at spatial and temporal scales.     

Food of barracouta (Teleosti: Gempylidae) in eastern Cook Strait

The stomach contents were examined from 244 barracoota, Thyrsites atun (Euphrasen), caught in eastern Cook Strait, New Zealand. In the year of sampling (1966–67) the euphausid Nyctiphanes australis Sars was most commonly taken as food during the cooler months, replaced by the teleost hoki, Macruronus novae‐zelandiae Hector, in summer. The proportions of full and empty stomachs suggested that the barracouta fed sparingly before spawning but heavily afterwards.     

Oceanic circulation in the head of the Hikurangi trench,east coast,New Zealand

The geostrophic flow and direct current measurements in the inflow of the Southland Current into the Hikurangi Trench east of New Zealand confirm the geostrophic circulation pattern previously found. The northwards inflow of the Southland Current at the latitude of the Chatham Rise (44°S) is estimated at 1.7 × 10⁶ m³.s^‐1, which compares favourably with that of 1.2 × 10⁶ m³.s^‐1 calculated previously off Kaikoura.     

First record of Australian bonito,Sarda Australis,from New Zealand

The range of the Australian bonito, Sarda australis (Macleay, 1880), previously known only from eastern Australia and Norfolk Island, is now extended to include New Zealand. Data on two specimens examined from northern New Zealand are presented.     

The role of dew as a moisture source for sand microbiotic crusts in the Negev Desert, Israel

Dew and fog were measured periodically during the years 1992–1995 at the Hallamish dune field, western Negev Desert (average annual rain precipitation ca. 95 mm). A major portion of the dunes are covered by cyanobacterial and moss-dominated microbiotic crusts. Chlorophyll- a measurements and microscopic examination were carried out in order to detect the possible changes in crust biomass and phenological changes of the mosses following the occurrence of dew and fog. Dew and/or fog were present in over 50% of the late summer and fall mornings with an average yield of 0·1 mm on cloth attached to glass plates. This corresponds to ca. 0·03 mm for the upper 0·5 cm of the crust, and is less than the 0·1 mm threshold which implies liquid water and which was also found necessary for net photosynthesis of the cyanobacterial crust. This threshold was met only during heavy dew or fog events, during which 10–40% of the crust surface area was moistened. It was estimated that dew and fog could account for upto 3·2–9·4% of the total annual time of crust wetness and consequently activity due to liquid water. Nevertheless, microscopic examination of the dominant moss species at Nizzana, Bryum dunense, disclosed phenological changes, mainly resulting in growth of vegetative reproduction organs (bulbils), and sexual organs, gametangia (antheridia and archegonia). B.dunense may thus be adapted to the utilization of dew and fog precipitation for the production of nearly mature sexual organs. The moss may thus be capable of already utilizing the first winter rains for fertilization and sporophyte formation.     

东濮凹陷古近系成烃生物特征及其生烃潜力研究

通过光学显微镜和扫描电镜对东濮凹陷古近系沙河街组烃源岩的成烃生物进行了研究。结果显示，研究区沙河街组的成烃生物发育，种类繁多，主要包括沟鞭藻、绿藻、蓝藻、颗石藻等。发育于东濮凹陷北部咸水区的成烃生物优势组合是沟鞭藻、蓝藻、颗石藻，且三者均可形成藻纹层；南部淡水区的成烃生物优势组合是绿藻及高等植物，发育于块状泥岩之中。对分别取于咸水区和淡水区的两个样品进行了热模拟实验，实验结果显示，北部咸水区的蓝藻和颗石藻的生烃潜力高，生油门限低，在低熟阶段即可大量生油，生成低熟油的控制因素是蓝藻的勃发；沟鞭藻和绿藻类的生油门限较高，其中沟鞭藻由于能大量勃发，是重要的成烃生物；南部淡水区的绿藻类较沟鞭藻类生烃潜力更低，生油门限更高。     

Tower-based radiometric observations at a coastal site in the Baltic Proper

An autonomous above-water radiometer was operated during the summer of 2005 on the Gustaf Dalén Lighthouse Tower (GDLT) off the Swedish coast in the Baltic Proper. Normalized water leaving radiances, L_WN(λ), produced from measurements performed with the autonomous system at various center-wavelengths λ in the 412–675 nm spectral range, were applied within the context of water quality monitoring and satellite ocean color validation activities. Specifically these in situ radiometric data were used to determine the chlorophyll a concentration through a regional band-ratio algorithm and to assess L_WN(λ) derived from top-of-atmosphere Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations. The in situ measurements collected during a bloom occurring in July 2005 were also used to investigate the spectral and small scale temporal-spatial variability of L_WN(λ) in the presence of cyanobacteria.     

Lipid biomarkers and carbon-isotopes of modern travertine deposits (Yellowstone National Park, USA): Implications for biogeochemical dynamics in hot-spring systems

Lipid biomarkers and ¹³C fractionation patterns were used to understand the dynamics of carbon cycling during microbial metabolisms in different environments of travertine precipitation (called facies) at Spring AT-1 on Angel Terrace in the Mammoth Hot Springs complex of Yellowstone National Park, USA. Microbial mats that encrust travertine deposits were collected for analyses of lipid biomarkers and carbon isotopes along the continuous drainage outflow system of Spring AT-1. The spring water exhibits a continuous temperature drop from 71°C in the vent at top to 24°C in the distal slope at bottom. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and glycolipid fatty acids (GLFA) exhibit distinctly different compositions in each of the facies, which are consistent with partitioning of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences in the Spring AT-1 travertine facies (Fouke et al., 2003).The δ¹³C composition of total biomass within the microbial mats decreases from −16.1‰ in the vent to −23.5‰ in the distal slope. However, lower values occur in the pond (−26.0‰) and the proximal slope (−28.0‰) between the vent and the distal slope. Isotopic compositions of PLFA and GLFA have variations similar to those of total biomass. The average δ¹³C values of PLFA are −12.4 ± 5.2‰ (n = 10 individual fatty acids, same below) in the vent, −33.0 ± 3.1‰ (n = 11) in the pond, −33.7 ± 3.8‰ (n = 16) in the proximal slope, and −22.4 ± 3.4‰ (n = 10) in the distal slope; the average δ¹³C values of GLFA are −19.6 ± 3.0‰ (n = 3) in the vent, −30.4 ± 4.7‰ (n = 8) in the pond, −36.9 ± 2.8‰ (n = 12) in the proximal slope, and −27.9 ± 3.1‰ (n = 13) in the distal slope. In particular, fatty acids in the vent are enriched in ¹³C relative to the total biomass, which is consistent with the notion that the biosynthetic pathways of the extant microbial community in the vent may be dominated by Aquificales using the reversed tricarboxylic acid cycle. Fractionations between fatty acids and total biomass in the pond, the proximal slope and the distal slope suggest the involvement of other biosynthetic pathways for CO₂ fixation by extant microbial populations. The results indicate that lipid biomarkers provide valuable information on the changing diversity and activity of microbial communities in different depositional environments. Carbon-isotope fractionations, on the other hand, can provide insight into the operating biosynthetic pathways associated with different organisms in the changing environment. This integrated approach may serve as a powerful tool for identifying functional metabolism within a community and identify shifts in microbial community structure in modern hot-spring systems.