Recruitment of Demosponges (Porifera,Demospongiae) in Rocky and Coral Reef Habitats of Santa Marta,Colombian Caribbean*

Abstract. Recruitment of demosponges (Porifera, Demospongiae) was monitored bimonthly for one year (March 1987 – March 1988) on acrylic plates, and compared to cover of adults, in six rocky and coral reef habitats at Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean, an area subjected to seasonal, upwelling-outwelling regimes. According to suggestive but not significant trends, recruitment rates are more positively influenced by the total sponge cover near groups of plates than by cover at a larger (habitat) scale; recruit mortality is lower where recruitment is higher. These findings are in agreement with a model of higher settlement (probably due to short-distance dispersal) and lower postsettlement mortality within a few meters of adult sponges. Recruitment varied seasonally, being relatively high from May to November-December during the rainy, outwelling season, when seawater temperature was warmer, water turbidity higher, and benthic algal density lower; it was very low from January to April during the dry, upwelling season.     

Coral Reef Community Structure at Caño Island, Pacific Costa Rica

Abstract. Around the Biological Reserve of Caño Island, Pacific Costa Rica, there are five large coral reef flats (with size ranges of 0.8–4.2 ha) built mainly of dead Pocillopora spp. At present, they are covered mainly by crustose coralline algae and microatolls of Porites lobata . From the upper reef slope to the reef base several corals grow in small patches (e. g., Pavona clavus, Pavona varians, Pavona gigantea, Gardineroseris planulata, Psammocora superficialis, Pocillopora elegans, Pocillopora damicornis); the massive coral Porites Iobata is predominant. Pocilloporid species are predominant on most other eastern Pacific reefs.
The Caño Island reef is typical of a community whose structure has been controlled by both physical (in shallow water) and biological (in deeper water) factors. Shallow reef areas are influenced by strong wave action and extreme low tides. The distribution, abundance, and feeding preferences of corallivorous organisms (e. g., Acanthaster planci, Arothron meleagris, Pseudobalistes naufragium, Quoyula monodonta) on the deeper reef suggest that most pocilloporids are affected and limited by them. Although there is no evidence of any predator on Porites lobata at Caño Island, the triggerfish Pseudobalistes naufragium breaks off fragments of the coral while searching for food. These fragments often survive to form new colonies. Together, this dispersal mechanism, rapid injury recovery, and high resistance to environmental stress seem to enhance the distribution and dominance of the massive coral Porites lobata at Caño Island.     

Experiments with Zooplankton on Coral Reefs,or, Will the Real Demersal Plankton Please Come Up?

Abstract. Zooplankton was sampled with emergence traps on a Thalassia bed behind an insular reef at San Salvador. Bahamas. These traps tested the effect of sealing the trap to the substrate or allowing it to rest unsealed on the substrate. Total numbers of plankters collected did not differ between the two types of trap, but significantly more cyclopoid copepods were collected in unsealed traps and significantly more tanaids were found in sealed traps. Total densities in unsealed traps were inflated as much as 24–28 % by contamination with holoplankton. Both trap designs, but particularly the sealed traps, collected animals that apparently crawled up the insides. A substantial number of animals, as many as 9–31% of those collected in sealed traps, may not be actually planktonic. Our results suggest that reefs produce fewer meroplankters per unit of substrate, and thus meroplankters contribute less to reef foodwebs than formerly thought.     

中沙群岛海域的角珊瑚研究

本文报道中沙群岛海域采获的13种黑角珊瑚,隶属于2科6属,其中,相关深海角珊瑚Bathypathes affinis(Brook)、展深海角珊瑚Bathypathes patulis Brook、螺旋鞭角珊瑚Cirripathes spiralis(Linnaeus)、赫氏黑角珊瑚Antipathes herdmani Cooper、平坦黑角珊瑚Antipathes planis Cooper、帚状隐角珊瑚Aphanipathes sarothamnoides Brook、萨氏隐角珊瑚Aphanipathes somervillei Cooper、圆筒长角珊瑚Parantipathes cylindrices(Brook)等8种为我国首次记录。     

On the possibility of mapping living corals to the species level based on their optical signatures

Several methods (Spectral Angle Mapper, first derivatives, spectral clustering) were used to test the possibility of discriminating live corals at the species level by using reflectance spectra obtained by close range underwater remote sensing. The Spectral Angle Mapper used with an in situ spectral library of 73 coral colonies recognised all corals correctly in an artificial remote sensing image created from the same coral spectra. The results did not change when “grey” noise was added to each pixel in the artificial image or when the artificial image was made from reflectance spectra modelled through a 5-m water column. The results showed that the within-species variability in optical properties of a set of four coral species, for which at least three different specimens were measured, was as high as between-species variability. Thus, it is highly unlikely that hard corals can be discriminated at a species level by means of remote sensing. Cluster analysis showed that it is difficult to recognise corals also at the genus level (Acropora vs. non-Acropora) based on their reflectance spectra. However, visual inspection of the coral spectra and clustering analysis suggest that it is possible to separate three main optical types of corals: green, blue, and brown corals. This may form the basis for an optical classification of corals that is more suited for remote sensing than traditional taxonomy.     

海啸与珊瑚礁

海岸带海啸的破坏后果更甚于风暴潮，宽广的礁坪成为向岸波浪和海啸的消能带，可减轻灾情。要警惕海啸的发生，应搞好南海海啸监测与预警，尽可能提高南海诸岛珊瑚礁岛屿建筑工程标准，切实做好南海珊瑚礁的自然保护。     

雷州半岛珊瑚礁生物地貌带与全新世多期相对高海平面

通过多次野外调查，将灯楼角珊瑚礁分为8个生物地貌带；礁前斜坡活珊瑚林带，外礁坪大块滨珊瑚礁岩带，中礁坪块状珊瑚混合带，中礁坪块状珊瑚-角孔珊瑚混合带，内礁坪角孔瑚瑚带，沙坪台-海滩，沙堤和洼地，它们是海平面和气候环境变化的产物，以珊瑚礁及其生物地貌带作为高海平面的标志，根据13个表层珊瑚礁样品的TIMS铀系年代和1个^14C年代，指出全新世以来至少存在过5期相对高海平面（7.2-6.7,约5.8,5.0-4.2,2.8-2.0，约1.5cal.kaBP)，每一期中还存在低海平面的波动，其中6.7-7.2kaBP是整个全新世最高海平面时期，在这个时间段已经基本形成了现代珊瑚礁的地貌格局，这个时间段以后形成的珊瑚礁是在6.7-7.2kaBP形成的珊瑚礁礁坪的礁塘或礁坑等低洼地中形成的，迄今为止，没有再出现过高出6.7-7.2kaBP时期的海平面。     

Antibacterial substance from mucus of a scleractinian coral, Symphyllia gigantea

Coral mucus covers the surface of coral and contains antibacterial substances as a first line of defense. Coral mucus not only enables the coral itself to resist disease, but also provides antibacterial agents for people. We collected mucus from a scleractinian coral (Symphyllia gigantea) at Sta. Sanya (China), then extracted the antibacterial substances using 10% glacial acetic acid with the help of antiprotease inhibitors, and tested the antibacterial activity by a terrestrial bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus) and a marine bacterium (Vibrio anguillarum). The result showed that, there were antibacterial agents in the mucus, and their antibacterial activities were lost by treatment of the sample at 90 ℃ water for 10 min.     

黔南晚石炭世珊瑚礁生态系统研究

黔南晚石炭世发育了大规模的后生动物骨架礁,这在晚泥盆世的F/F生物绝灭事件后尚属罕见。礁的主体是由Fomitchevella建造而成。礁体在空间上由四个单元组成,自下而上依次是生物碎屑滩、点礁和泥丘、生物碎屑灰岩和Fomitchevella骨架岩。各单元生态系统中的生物组成不同,营养结构也有相应的差异。按各生物在食物链中的位置可以分为生产者、消费者和分解者,按其在造礁过程中的作用又可分成造礁生物、附礁生物。分析表明,各生物在食物链中的位置不同,其在礁体形成过程中也分别担任着造礁、附礁等角色。由各单元的生物组成和空间位置关系,推测反演了生态系统的发育过程,并划分成生物碎屑滩阶段、点礁和泥丘阶段、Fomitchevella定殖阶段和Fomitchevella统殖阶段四个阶段。Fomitchevella 和Ivanovia cf. manchurica两种珊瑚的生活习性和生长方式决定了它们在珊瑚礁生态系中的地位,而整个生态系统也依靠快速吸收营养盐的营养机制维持了各物种的生存和发展。     

福建近岸浅海沉积物元素丰度及含量变化特征

通过福建省沿海经济带生态地球化学调查,在福建近岸浅海区域共采集479件沉积物样品,分析测试了52种化学元素以及pH值和有机碳等指标。总结了该区域浅海沉积物化学元素的丰度、含量变化及其区域分布,并分不同沉积物类型统计有害元素的污染起始值。福建近岸浅海沉积物与中国浅海沉积物对比,大部分元素的含量高于中国浅海沉积物,含量变化基本遵循“元素的粒度控制律”,除Si元素相反外,Al、Fe、Cu、Co、Ni等绝大多数元素的含量随沉积物粒度变细（砂→粉砂→泥）而升高,有些元素在泥质沉积物中的含量常高出砂质的数倍;其高值、高背景区的区域分布也总是与细粒沉积物有关,而低值、低背景区则明显地与砂质沉积物的分布相关。