Removal of intertidal algae by herbivores in experimental frames and on shores near Auckland

When grazing animals are excluded from any intertidal area algae grow unchecked. In screened frames on the shore where predation experiments are in progress such growth is undesirable. A number of shore herbivores were tested for their ability to remove such algal growth and prevent its reformation without interfering with the main experiments. Only the browsing species Lunella smaragda and Melagraphia aethiops were capable of removing large algal growths, and these species were acceptable food for some of the predatory species. The complex inter‐relationship between grazing species and shore zonation at several places near Auckland is discussed.     

Pfiesteria shumwayae (Pfiesteriaceae) in New Zealand

Pfiesteria shumwayae Steidinger et Burkholder is now known to be present in New Zealand and occurs in estuaries around the country. The presence of Pfiesteria was initially determined by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based detection assay, using oligonucleotide primers targeted at ribosomal DNA extracted from estuarine water and sediments. Presence was confirmed by isolation from fresh sediments in the presence offish (Oreochromis mossambicus), followed by identification by scanning electron microscopy. The New Zealand isolates of P. shumwayae were ichthyotoxic in bioassays, but there is no historic evidence offish kills in New Zealand associated with the dinoflagellate.     

Investigating the molecular systematic relationships amongst selected Plesionika (Decapoda: Pandalidae) from the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea

Despite the high number of species and ecological diversity of pandalid shrimps, there has been no previous attempt to resolve evolutionary relationships of several genera using molecular tools. Although mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) is widely used in barcoding studies to delimit species boundaries, additional insights into phylogenetic affinities can be obtained, especially when used in combination with data from additional genes. The knowledge of molecular diversity is essential to understand phylogenetic relationships and will help systematic clarifications. Based on partial fragments of the 16S and COI genes, we have focused specifically on addressing the systematic relationships of the economically and ecologically important shrimp genus Plesionika within a framework of five genera from within the Pandalidae. Our results showed that species within Plesionika are substantially divergent when compared with other genera, exhibiting the highest average nucleotide divergence, with 0.1123 and 0.0846 in COI and 16S genes, respectively. In addition, sequence divergence was found to vary greatly within the genus Plesionika (COI/16S): 0.0247/0.0016 between Plesionika antigai and Plesionika heterocarpus and 0.1616/0.098 between Plesionika heterocarpus and Plesionika edwardsii. We did not find amino acid sequence divergence between P. heterocarpus and P. antigai compared with P. heterocarpus and P. edwardsii (8.10%, K2P distance). Three species of Plesionika (P. antigai, P. heterocarpus and Plesionika scopifera) appear well separated from other Plesionika species in both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. The present study confirms the utility of COI over 16S as a genetic marker to resolve relationships between different species of Plesionika from the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, in addition to species delimitation. The findings highlight the need to further review paraphyly within Plesionika in an attempt to recognize a concordance in the evolutionary history of Plesionika with major ecological and geological events.     

Behavioural observations of the common octopus Octopus vulgaris in Baía dos Tigres,southern Angola

Observations on the behaviour of the common octopus Octopus vulgaris were made during daytime and night-time sampling on an unexploited rocky reef habitat in Baía dos Tigres, southern Angola. The relative numerical abundance sampled was 0.47 octopus person^–1 h^–1 during the day and 5.33 octopus person^–1 h^–1 during the night, suggesting that the population under study was nocturnal. The activity patterns differed between sizes of octopus. Small octopus (<20 cm total length [TL]) were observed roaming during the night, whereas the large individuals (>20 cm TL) generally fed in their dens. This ontogenetic behavioural shift may be due to tidal constraints or could be a strategy to avoid cannibalism. Octopus inhabiting a shallow, small-boulder substratum made extensive modifications to their habitat, excavating dens of up to 1 m deep in the sand below the boulders. These dens were not visible during the day as the octopus appeared to retract the small boulders over their den entrances. This unique behavioural strategy is thought to be a means to reduce predation and reduce light intensity during the day. Octopus were not observed in the small-boulder habitat during the five hours of daytime sampling. With nocturnal activity and extensive habitat modification, it is likely that avoidance of predation may be an important driver influencing the behaviour of the octopus population under study.     

白鹤滩层间错动带微结构特性及其化学改性初探

白鹤滩水电站层间错动带结构疏松、性状软弱、空间展布范围大、力学强度低,严重影响着地下厂房洞室的稳定性。为了揭示并改良层间错动带的力学特性,首先通过矿物成分分析试验、扫描电镜试验和压汞试验,从微观结构角度对层间错动带的矿物组成特征、颗粒排列规律、孔隙分布规律进行了详细的研究,阐明了层间错动带的微观结构特性及其对灌浆材料选择的影响,进而开展了层间错动带化学溶液浸泡对比试验。试验表明,硅酸钠溶液可以有效改善层间错动带的完整性,明显提高层间错动带的弹性波速、抗压强度、弹性模量和凝聚力。其研究结果对白鹤滩层间错动带的工程加固和改性设计具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Culture observation and molecular phylogenetic analysis on the blooming green alga Chaetomorpha valida (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta) from China

The marine green alga Chaetomorpha valida fouls aquaculture ponds along the coastal cities of Dalian and Rongcheng, China. Unialgal cultures were observed under a microscope to determine the developmental morphological characters of C. valida. Results reveal that gametophytic filaments often produce lateral branches under laboratory culture conditions, suggesting an atypical heteromorphic life cycle of C. valida between unbranched sporophytes and branched gametophytes, which differs from typical isomorphic alternation of Chaetomorpha species. The shape of the basal attachment cell, an important taxonomic character within the genus, was found variable depending on environmental conditions. The 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA regions were used to explore the phylogenetic affinity of the taxa. Inferred trees from 18S rDNA sequences revealed a close relationship between C. valida and Chaetomorpha moniligera. These results would enrich information in general biology and morphological plasticity of C. valida and provided a basis for future identification of green tide forming algae.     

四川省人工影响天气业务系统功能

介绍了四川省人工影响天气业务技术系统的组成功能及应用情况。该系统集成度和自动化程度比较高、实时性和实用性强、业务化运行稳定;实现了多种尺度和不同种类信息的实时采集、快速传输和直观显示,具有业务管理、作业预警信息发布、作业决策指挥、作业效果评估结果及时发布等多种功能。该系统的运用,加强了人工影响天气业务的管理,大大的提升了人影业务工作的效率。      

三种海洋浮游微藻的分子鉴定及培养条件研究

采用分子生物学手段结合形态特征对海洋中生活着的浮游单细胞海藻进行准确无误的分类鉴定,正在成为一种普遍接受的方式。这样做的前提是首先需要从海水中分离得到纯藻株, 掌握它们的生活条件, 获得生物量, 并进而完成鉴定。作者对一株裸甲藻类似种和两株新分离的赤潮单细胞海藻进行了分离、培养和鉴定。核糖体18S RNA 基因(18S rDNA)和转录单元内间隔区(ITS)序列分析结果显示这三株藻分别为共生甲藻(Symbiodinium sp.)、锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea)和赤潮异弯藻(Heterosigma akashiwo)。作者以广泛使用的光密度值A₆₈₀作为衡量藻体生物量变化的指标, 研究了这三种藻在不同培养条件下的生长。结果表明, 在批次培养中, 共生甲藻、锥状斯氏藻和赤潮异弯藻的生物量都在22℃达到最大, 分别为9.28×10⁵个/mL、7.9×10⁴个/mL 和4.75×10⁵个/mL; 强光和长时间光照促进生长, 但锥状斯氏藻在强光下更早进入衰退期; 三种藻都表现出较强耐受盐度变化的能力,在盐度为15～36 的培养液中生长良好; 营养实验表明, 使用882 μmol/L 的NO₃^- 和36.2 μmol/L 的PO₄^3-能够维持三种海藻的快速生长。     

7个海星动物线粒体基因组比较及基因变异位点分析

与单基因相比,线粒体基因组是一个完整的体系,具有信息量丰富等优点,在过去的十几年间被广泛地应用于后生动物关键类群的分子系统发育和群体遗传学的研究.本论文综合分析了海星纲7个物种(多棘海盘车、赭色豆海星、多棘槭海星、砂海星、长棘海星、棘冠海星和海燕)线粒体基因组全序列,全面揭示了海星纲线粒体基因组的基本特征.海星线粒体基因组均编码后生动物线粒体基因组标准的37个基因.7个海星线粒体基因组的基因排列完全一致;与海胆纲及海参纲楯手目线粒体基因组的基因排列相比,海星线粒体基因组的基因排列存在4.6 kb长片段的倒位.长棘海星属13个线粒体蛋白质编码基因的非同义替换率(Ka)与同义替换率(Ks)比值都低于1.000 0(为0.006 0～0.221 9),显示出较强的负(纯化)选择.对海星纲线粒体基因组的基因变异位点分析结果表明,nad5、nad4基因可作为备选的分子标记,应用于海星纲群体遗传学的研究中.同时,在长棘海星属线粒体基因组变异位点分析中,nad5、nad4基因仍然可作为备选的分子标记,用于分析长棘海星不同群体及物种之间的生物多样性,为合理利用其生物资源及其生物多样性的保护提供基础资料.