The functional roles of marine sponges

Despite the wide range of functional roles performed by marine sponges they are still poorly represented in many research, monitoring and conservation programmes. The aim of this review is to examine recent developments in our understanding of sponge functional roles in tropical, temperate and polar ecosystems. Functions have been categorised into three areas: (a) impacts on substrate (including bioerosion, reef creation, and substrate stabilisation, consolidation and regeneration); (b) bentho-pelagic coupling (including carbon cycling, silicon cycling, oxygen depletion and nitrogen cycling); and (c) associations with other organisms (facilitating primary production, secondary production, provision of microhabitat, enhanced predation protection, survival success, range expansions and camouflage though association with sponges, sponges as a settlement substrate, disrupting near-boundary and reef level flow regimes, sponges as agents of biological disturbance, sponges as releasers of chemicals and sponges as tools for other organisms). The importance of sponges on substrate, sponge bentho-pelagic coupling, and sponge interactions and associations is described. Although the scientific evidence strongly supports the significance and widespread nature of these functional roles sponges still remain underappreciated in marine systems.     

Study on algae removal by immobilized biosystem on sponge

In this study, sponges were used to immobilize domesticated sludge microbes in a limited space, forming an immobilized biosystem capable of algae and microcystins removal. The removal effects on algae, microcystins and UV260 of this biosystem and the mechanism of algae removal were studied. The results showed that active sludge from sewage treatment plants was able to remove algae from a eutrophic lake＇s water after 7 d of domestication. The removal efficiency for algae, organic matter and microcystins increased when the domesticated sludge was immobilized on sponges. When the hydraulic retention time （HRT） was 5h, the removal rates of algae, microcystins and UV260 were 90%, 94.17% and 84%, respectively. The immobilized biosystem consisted mostly of bacteria, the Ciliata and Sarcodina protozoans and the Rotifer metazoans. Algal decomposition by zoogloea bacteria and preyingby microcreatures were the two main modes of algal removal, which occurred in two steps： first, absorption by the zoogloea; second, decomposition by the zoogloea bacteria and the predacity of the microcreatures.     

中国日降雨空间变化对雨水径流源头总量控制的影响

为研究中国不同区域的降雨特征对径流总量控制效果的影响,利用186个气象站近30年的日降雨量资料,通过空间分析与统计计算,得到不同年径流总量控制率所对应的设计降雨量以及年均控制降雨量;结合年径流总量控制率与年均控制降雨量的关系将中国区域分为9种类型。结果表明:中国设计降雨量地域变化明显,广东、四川、广西、河北和河南等省的标准差为全国平均水平的1.5~3倍,且随年径流总量控制率的提升而增加,源头径流控制效果差异明显;南部地区径流控制效果多为"高量低率";"低量低率"区位于甘肃、宁夏等地,面积占比为9.44%,其降雨特征不适合发挥源头控制设施的效果;而最适宜发挥源头控制作用的"高量高率"区位于西南部分地区,面积占比为3.80%。     

海绵城市雨水径流集中入渗对土壤和地下水影响研究进展

中国海绵城市研究的热点主要有海绵城市的内涵、目标、内容和效果,而对可能产生的不利影响缺乏研究。近几年雨水径流集中入渗类设施在中国海绵城市建设中得到广泛应用,但对集中入渗的影响及风险研究严重滞后,不利于中国海绵城市建设的健康发展。因此,从海绵城市雨水径流集中入渗与传统入渗的差异切入,分别从集中入渗对土壤污染与地下水水量水质的影响、集中入渗对土壤与地下水影响的数值模拟、集中入渗污染物的累积效应与风险评价研究等方面,综合评述国内外的研究进展与不足。建议今后从以下4个方面开展进一步研究:①土壤污染风险及其影响因素;②雨水径流集中入渗的土壤污染累积效应;③地下水污染风险预测;④降低地下水污染风险的措施。     

海绵共附生微生物次级代谢产物的研究进展

海绵独特的摄食、滤食系统使其体内体表富集了大量的微生物,这些微生物能够产生多种结构新颖的生物活性物质,对海绵共附生微生物的研究正在成为开发海洋药物资源的重要内容之一。本文按化合物的生源途径及其结构类型简要介绍近几年来海绵共附生微生物次级代谢产物及其生物活性的研究进展。     

Sponge heterotrophic capacity and bacterial community structure in high‐ and low‐microbial abundance sponges

The ecological and evolutionary forces that shape interactions between marine sponges and their symbiotic microbiota remain poorly understood. Considerable work has been done to characterize the sponge microbiome, and this research has shown that there are two distinct types of sponges: those with high microbial abundances (HMA) and those with low microbial abundances (LMA). There is no clear evolutionary driver for this distinction, and we have only a limited understanding of how HMA or LMA status affects host phenotypes (e.g. feeding behavior, capacity for nutrient cycling). We had two primary goals with the present study. First, we used a variety of microscopic techniques to compare aspects of host biology (e.g. choanocyte chamber morphology and density) in the context of symbiont status. Secondly, we used molecular approaches to uncover components of ecological structure of bacterial communities in HMA versus LMA sponges (e.g. species richness, evenness). We found that choanocyte chamber density is greater in LMA sponges than in HMA sponges. We also found distinct patterns of organization for bacterial communities in HMA and LMA sponges, although environmental factors, to a lesser degree, also influence community structure in the Floridian sponges we examined. These results suggest that the large bacterial communities found in HMA sponges may allow the host to decrease their heterotrophy versus that of LMA sponges with minimal bacterial communities.     

Purification and characterization of 2-haloacid dehalogenase from marine bacterium Paracoccus sp. DEH99, isolated from marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis

2-haloacid dehalogenases constitute a group of dehalogenases which are capable of dehalogenating the halogenated organic compounds. So far, the 2-haloacid dehalogenases have been found in many bacteria, but not in Paracoccus genus. In the present study, one enzyme 2-haloacid dehalogenase(designated as Deh99), induced by DL-2-chloropropionate(DL-2-CPA), was purified from the marine bacterium Paracoccus sp. DEH99, isolated from marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis. The enzyme of Deh99 was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography(Q-Sepharose HP), and Superdex 200 gel filtration chromatography. The molecular weight of Deh99 was estimated to be 25.0 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE), and 50.0 kDa natively by gel filtration chromatography. The enzyme of Deh99 stereospecifically dehalogenated L-2-CPA to produce D-lactate, with an apparent Michaelis-Menten constant(Km) value of 0.21 mmol L-1 for L-2-CPA. The optimal pH and temperature for Deh99 activity were 10.0 and 40℃, respectively. The enzyme of Deh99 acted on short-carbon-chain 2-haloacids, with the highest activity towards monochloroacetate. The activity of Deh99 was slightly affected by DTT and EDTA, but strongly inhibited by Cu2+ and Zn2+. The enzyme of Deh99 shows unique substrate specificity and inhibitor sensitivities compared to previously characterized 2-haloacid dehalogenases and is the reported one about purified 2-haloacid dehalogenase isolated from the bacteria of Paracoccus genus.     

Influence of habitat and host morphology on macrofaunal assemblages associated with the sponge Halichondria melanadocia in an estuarine system of the southern Gulf of Mexico

Sponges are inhabited by a wide variety of organisms and have been regarded as one of the richest biotopes in tropical seas. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the host morphology and selected environmental conditions on macrofaunal assemblages associated with the sponge Halichondria melanadocia in an estuarine system of the southern Gulf of Mexico. This sponge exhibits different growth forms when it inhabits mangrove prop roots of Rhizophora mangle (thickly encrusting form) and adjacent seagrass beds (massive, amorphous or ramose form). From a total of 50 sponge specimens collected in each habitat, a total of eight taxa (of epi‐ and endobionts) was found associated with this sponge, with polychaetes, echinoderms and crustaceans the most abundant groups. In both morphotypes (thickly‐encrusting and massive‐ramose forms), taxon richness was positively related to sponge volume and oscular diameter. The overall mean abundance of associated fauna was also positively related to sponge volume in both morphotypes and with the oscular diameter (in the seagrass morphotype only). These findings suggest that H. melanadocia constitutes an important microhabitat for a wide variety of fauna, independent of its morphology and habitat type. However, when comparing the two morphotypes, the mangrove individuals, despite having smaller sizes, smaller oscular diameter and less structural complexity, displayed an overall mean abundance of fauna 17 times higher [0.36 ± 0.18 individuals (ind.)·ml·sponge^?1] than that recorded in the seagrass individuals (0.021 ± 0.01 ind.·ml·sponge^?1). There were also marked differences in the proportions of the major taxonomic groups; in fact, some of them were found exclusively in one morphotype. The variability recorded in the composition and abundance of associated fauna between the morphotypes seems to be influenced by differences in sponge morphology, environmental conditions (e.g. sedimentation rate and light intensity), substrate orientation and the fauna inhabiting the surrounding area.     

海绵钛生产中铜丝除钒废弃物的回收实验与分析

四氯化钛精制除钒是海绵钛生产中的重要工艺环节,铜丝除钒是目前应用得较多的技术之一,其产生的废弃物的处置与资源化利用是生产中亟需解决的难题。本文利用化学分析、X射线衍射分析和扫描电镜分析等手段,对铜丝除钒工艺产生的废弃物及其综合回收工艺中各种产物的化学成分、物相组成和微观形貌特征进行了分析,结果表明废弃物的主要成分是铜和钒,通过适当的工艺处理可获得电解铜、五氧化二钒等产物。