In Situ Measurement of Pinna nobilis Shells for Age and Growth Studies: A New Device

Abstract. Pinna nobilis Linnaeus 1758 is an endemic bivalve mollusc in the Mediterranean Sea, where it inhabits seagrass meadows, especially Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile. It is the largest bivalve in the Mediterranean, reaching lengths up to 120 cm. In its natural habitat, P. nobilis lives with the anterior part of the valve buried in the seabed, attached to Posidonia rhizomes by byssus threads.
This habit makes it impossible to measure its total length directly in situ. As the only way to determine the individual age is the relationship between age and total length, several equations have been proposed to estimate total length by relating it to the unburied parts of the shell. Such measurements are essential to ecological studies that consider age, growth, and population dynamics, and that evaluate the environmental factors that affect this species.
Accurately estimating total length depends on the accuracy and precision of the method employed to measure the unburied shell parts. In this paper, we point out the lack of precision of the instruments and methods used until now; we also demonstrate the reason for this imprecision. A new device to measure unburied parts of Pinna nobilis with a precision comparable to that obtained when measuring extracted valves is described. This device is unaffected by substratum type and reduces measurement time. The latter is a very important feature, because these procedures are usually performed whilst SCUBA diving. Finally, a growth equation has been fitted to the measurements obtained with the new device from a population located in Moraira (Alicante, western Mediterranean).     

Effect of native and invasive cordgrass on Macoma petalum density, growth, and isotopic signatures

Ecosystem engineers can influence community and ecosystem dynamics by controlling resources, modifying the flow of energy or biomass, or changing physical characteristics of the habitat. Invasive hybrid cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora × Spartina foliosa) is an ecosystem engineer in salt marshes in San Francisco Bay, California, U.S.A. that raises intertidal elevations and may be either increasing C₄ plant carbon input into food webs or tying up carbon in a form that is not usable by consumers. A manipulative experiment compared abundance, growth, and stable isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) composition of the clam Macoma petalum (=M. balthica) among native marsh, hybrid Spartina, and mudflats in central San Francisco Bay. We found higher densities (individuals m⁻²) of M. petalum on mudflats compared to either native or hybrid Spartina (p < 0.001). Macoma petalum shell growth was significantly greater in mudflats than in either vegetation type in 2002 (p = 0.005) but not 2003. Differences in shell growth between native and hybrid Spartina were not significant. Stable isotope results showed differences between habitats in δ¹³C but not δ¹⁵N. Carbon signatures of M. petalum placed in Spartina were much more depleted than the isotopic signature of Spartina. Neither native nor hybrid Spartina appears to be a significant carbon source for M. petalum in San Francisco Bay, and we found no evidence that hybrid Spartina contributes carbon to M. petalum beyond what is provided by S. foliosa, despite the hybrid's much greater biomass. Our results show that loss of mudflat habitat, rather than increased input of C₄ carbon, is the greatest effect of the invasion of hybrid Spartina on M. petalum.     

增长曲线模型中线性估计类所有可容许估计

对增长曲线模型中回归矩阵的函数的线性估计进行了研究。在矩阵损失下 ,作者得到了线性估计在一切线性估计类中可容许的充要条件     

甘糖酯对大鼠尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物活性的诱导作用

为了研究甘糖酯对大鼠体内尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物 (urokinase PlasminogenActivator,u PA)活性的影响 ,采用溶解圈中和抑制法和发色底物法检测了大鼠口服甘糖酯后体内u PA活性的变化情况。结果表明 :甘糖酯可提高大鼠体内血液的纤溶活性 ,主要表现为 u PA活性升高。以不同剂量的甘糖酯连续喂药 10 d后 ,发现喂药组大鼠 u PA活性明显高于对照组 ,喂药组大鼠血浆 u PA活性升高同喂药剂量正相关 ,在 0～ 10 0 mg/ kg的剂量范围内 ,随喂药剂量增加而升高。提示在一定的剂量范围内甘糖酯可提高大鼠体内 u PA活性 ,激活纤溶系统 ,提高血液纤溶活性 ,表现出良好的抗栓作用     

温度、光强和盐度对鹧鸽菜幼体生长发育的影响

从野外采集鹤鸪菜Ｃａｌｏｇｌｏｓｓａｌｅｐｒｉｅｕｒｉｉ（Ｍｏｎｔ．）Ｊ．Ａｇ．幼体，在室内控制条件下，以温、盐、光等不同条件进行模拟培养试验。所获得的数据经生物统计检验表明：鹧鸪菜幼体生长最适水温为２３℃；光照强度为４０００ｌｘ；海水盐度为１８。此结果与我们多年来在汕头港内观察鹧鸪菜的生长及其季节变化相似。     

Elemental geochemical records of seafloor hydrothermal activities in the sediments from the Okinawa Trough

The major and minor element contents in the sediment core H9 from the hydrothermal fields of the Okinawa Trough show a sharp change at the depth of 80 cm. The elements enriched in the upper 80 cm core are those enriched in the hydrothermal deposits and in the surface sediments recovered from the hydrothermal fields in the trough, which indicates the input of hydrothermal materials. Comparing with other hydrothermal sediments from Mid-ocean Ridges or the Lau Basin, the degree of the enrichment of elements iron, copper,cobalt, and nickel is relatively low. However, the enrichment of elements manganese, lead, arsenic, antimony and mercury is remarkable. The average contents of these elements in the upper 80 cm core sediments are three to six times those in the lower section, and 3~12 times those in the surface sediments which are not influenced by hydrothermal activities. Hydrothermal activities have contributed significant manganese, lead, arsenic, antimony and mercury to the sediments, and these elements are distinct indicators for the hydrothermal activity in the Okinawa Trough. The significant enrichment of these elements in Core H9 upward from the depth 80 cm indicates the start or the significant enhancing of the hydrothermal activity in this area at about 5 740 aB.P. The average accumulation rate of manganese during this period is about 40 461 μg/(cm2·ka), which is similar to the hydrothermal sediments in the Lau Basin or the East Pacific Rise.     

Growth Aspects and Magnesium Carbonate Concentrations of the Reef Building Octocoral Heliopora coerulea (Pallas) after Transplantation

Abstract. An experiment to test C have's hypothesis on temperature dependent MgCO₃ concentrations in marine calcareous skeletons was undertaken by transplanting colonies of Heliopora coerulea. The corals were transferred from a shallow lagoon with high average temperatures to the outer bottom of a fringing reef, 16 m depth, with low average temperatures. Against expectation, a statistically significant increase of average mol % concentrations from 0.48 to 0.54 % for upper growth regions and from 0.49 to 0.62% for lower growth regions was obtained. Temperature records during the experimentation period and the above data indicate that the mol% MgCO₃ concentration in the skeleton of living Heliopora colonies increases when transplanted to an environment with a lower temperature average than that of their original growth site, and with seasonal temperature fluctuations which are smaller in the experimental site than in the control site. Temperature fluctuations at the control site were up to 2.5 times greater than at the experimental site for most of the observation months. This supports the conclusion that the parameters a) minimum temperature and b) temperature stability of the environment are essential for the incorporation of Mg into the carbonate skeleton matrix of marine organisms. Within this study the results of a quantitative chemical analysis of the carbonate skeleton of H. coerulea are presented and growth data of transplanted colonies compared with those from the control site.     

培养基对海藻真菌PT2菌株的生长及活性代谢产物合成的影响

本文采用PD、GPY、YES、SYE、GPM5种不同培养基培养海藻真菌菌株PT2，并对其在不同培养基中的生长情况、代谢产物的形成及抗肿瘤活性进行分析，旨在了解不同培养基对菌株生长和活性物质合成的影响．结果显示，PT2菌株在不同培养基上的培养特征及生长速率有所不同，液体培养基发酵液抽提物的抗肿瘤活性也有较大差别，其中SYE发酵液抽提物活性最强，对KB、Raji和Hela 3种肿瘤细胞的IC50分别为7．6μg／cm^3、2．4μg／cm^3和3．3μg／cm^3．采用HPLC法对不同抽提物进行分析，发现它们之间的组成成分有显著差异．本文的实验结果表明，不同培养基对该菌株的生长及活性代谢产物的合成具有显著的影响。