Sponge epibionts on ecosystem-engineering ascidians: The case of Microcosmus sabatieri

The study of epibionts on habitat engineering ascidians is of increasing interest because changes in the population structure of the latter may affect associated communities, especially in the case of commercially exploited species. The solitary ascidian Microcosmus sabatieri lives on rocky cliffs in the Eastern Mediterranean and is harvested in certain Aegean areas. Its hard, wrinkled tunic is usually fouled by various epibionts both sessile and motile. Sponges are an important component of this complex and their biomass may be higher than that of the ascidian itself, strongly affecting diversity and abundance of the motile epifauna. The aim of this study was to examine in detail the structure of the epibiotic sponge assemblage on ascidians collected from their main fishing grounds in the South Aegean Sea. A rich (41 species) and taxonomically diverse sponge assemblage was found, while only eight species contributed 80% of the total sponge cover. Most of the epibiotic sponges commonly grow on the surrounding sublittoral cliffs. The encrusting sponge growth form prevailed in cover of the ascidian tunic, while two massive species dominated in terms of frequency of appearance and abundance. Ascidian dimensions, weight and volume were significantly correlated with sponge diversity, abundance and cover area, thus structuring the epibiotic sponge assemblage. Spatial patterns in sponge cover were not clear, but a general declining NW to SE trend in sponge richness, abundance and cover appeared in accordance with previous records. Sponge distribution on the ascidian tunic presented a clear pattern related with characteristic features of the ascidian: the posterior zone supported the richest and most expansive sponge fauna. The ecosystem-engineering process performed by the ascidian is enhanced by the diverse epibiotic sponge assemblage, thus further increasing habitat complexity in this space-limited, temperate, sublittoral, rocky environment.     

Reef status in the Rasfari region (North Malé Atoll,Maldives) five years before the mass mortality event of 1998

The Maldives was severely hit by massive coral bleaching and subsequent mortality in 1998. The results of reef monitoring in the following years have supported contrasting views about their recovery potential, partly because of the scarcity of information on the situation before 1998. Quantitative data on coral assemblages collected in 1993 in the Rasfari region (North Malé Atoll) may provide a base-line for the evaluation of the present status of the Maldivian reefs. Five years before the 1998 mortality, most coral communities appeared to be similar, in terms of both coral cover and growth-form composition, to those described in 1958 and 1964, notwithstanding increased human pressure and local events such as minor bleaching episodes in 1987 and crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) attacks in 1989. Three lessons can be learnt from these results to help to understand the present situation, some ten years after the 1998 mass mortality. First, Maldivian reefs proved in the past to be capable of maintaining flourishing coral life despite various disturbances. Second, four years had been sufficient for complete reef recovery after a (minor) bleaching event. Third, recovery after both COTS attack and bleaching follows a predictable path suggesting that the presence of a three-dimensional community structure, which should reduce post settlement mortality of coral recruits, is essential for rapid coral recovery. As coral recruitment remains high and large tabular Acropora colonies are now reappearing, it is expected that Maldivian reefs should return to their original condition within the next few years.     

Gene flow and demographic history of the mangrove crab Neosarmatium meinerti: A case study from the western Indian Ocean

Most marine organisms are characterized by at least one planktonic phase during their life history, potentially allowing interconnection of populations separated by several hundred kilometers. For many years, the idea that marine species are genetically homogenous throughout their range of distribution, due to passive larval transport, has been a paradigm. Nowadays, a growing number of studies underline the existence of boundaries in the marine realm and highlight how larval dispersal is a complex process depending on biotic as well as abiotic factors. Marine fragmented habitats, such as atolls, mangroves and estuaries, are optimal systems for investigating the marine dispersion process under a metapopulation approach, since populations can be geographically defined a priori as opposed to those occupying open marine environments. Within this frame, the present paper investigates the population genetic structure and the demographic history of the mangrove crab Neosarmatium meinerti within the western Indian Ocean by partial sequences of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I. A total of 167 specimens were sampled from six mangrove sites distributed along the East African coast, from Kenya to South Africa, also including a mangrove forest located on Mahé Island, Seychelles. A sharp genetic break between the mainland and the Seychelles is recorded, revealing the existence of two historically distinct groups that can be defined as independent evolutionary units. Gene flow along the East African coast appears to be high enough to form a single metapopulation, probably by means of stepping stone populations. Otherwise, this mainland metapopulation is currently under expansion through a gradual moving front from the subtropical toward the equatorial populations.     

Nitrous oxide production and denitrification rates in estuarine intertidal saltmarsh and managed realignment zones

Increasing concerns over habitat loss and rising costs of sea defence maintenance due to rising sea levels, has seen increases in the practice of managed realignment and reflooding of former reclaimed areas of intertidal saltmarsh and mudflat around the world. These practices are taking place with little knowledge of their impact on soil biogeochemical processes. Rates of denitrification (using the acetylene inhibition technique) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) production were measured from a long-established saltmarsh (SM) and an adjacent, recently re-flooded managed realignment (MR) site comprising former arable land in the estuary of the River Torridge, Devon, UK. Incubations were carried out in closed chambers in which patterns of tidal flooding were simulated automatically. Measurements were made during periods of flood and non-flood over a total of four tidal inundations with estuarine water. During the latter two flooding episodes floodwater was amended with nitrate (NO₃⁻). Nitrous oxide production in the SM soil generally was lower than in the MR soil, with mean values and standard errors over the whole incubation of 0.27 ± 0.16 mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ and 0.65 ± 0.15 mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ respectively. Denitrification rates demonstrated a similar trend although generally were an order of magnitude higher than N₂O production, with mean rates and standard errors of 2.88 ± 1.12 mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ in the SM soil and 3.39 ± 1.16 mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ in the MR soil. The data suggest that both soils are net sinks for NO₃⁻ and net sources for N₂O. Both patterns of tidal inundation and floodwater chemistry affect the process rates in each soil differently. The impact of flooding with NO₃⁻ – amended water was greater on the SM soil than the MR soil, and it is likely that decomposing vegetation buried in the accreting sediments following reflooding at the MR site were supplying a source of N in the soil, and so process rates were less dependent upon external supplies. The act of managed realignment in intertidal zones could therefore result in an increase in mean production of N₂O in intertidal zones, at least in the short term.     

Soldier crab (Dotilla myctiroides) distribution,food resources and subsequent role in organic matter fate in Ao Tang Khen,Phuket, Thailand

This study aimed to elucidate Dotilla myctiroides (H. Milne-Edwards) food resources and how the soldier crab influences the organic matter composition on the intertidal flat. A preliminary assessment of D. myctiroides size, sex, and population distribution was conducted to clarify the characteristics of the inhabiting population. Overall, D. myctiroides size and abundance was normal across the tidal flat area. Comparison of different sediment types from the soldier crab habitat (surface sediments, igloos, burrow lining, burrow pellets, feeding pellets, and feces) using the fatty acid (FA) analysis technique revealed D. myctiroides removes organic matter via the significantly lower contributions of polyunsaturated FAs, essential FAs, and dinoflagellates in the feeding pellets. Dotilla myctiroides tissue analysis of the hepatopancreas and hindgut in individuals that had been starved for 24 h confirmed not only the consumption of dinoflagellates, but diatoms and macroalgae as well. In addition, the FA metabolism within the digestive system implied the ability of the soldier crab to synthesize highly unsaturated FAs (HUFAs) such as 20:4n–6, 20:5n–3 and 22:6n–3.     

Effects of parasitism and environment on shell size of the South American intertidal mud snail Heleobia australis (Gastropoda)

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of parasitism and certain environmental factors on the shell size of Heleobia australis (Hydrobiidae, Cochliopinae). We report sporocysts and metacercariae of Microphallus simillimus (Microphallidae, Trematoda) parasitizing the gonad and digestive gland of H. australis specimens from two sites of Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina. The prevalence of infection was significantly higher (34.17% in winter and 68.14% in late spring) in snails from the outer estuary at Site 2 than in those from the inner estuary at Site 1 (5.88% and 4.71% respectively). The only known definitive host for this digenean is the white-backed stilt Himantopus melanurus (Recurvirostridae, Aves), most abundant in the estuary during winter. Parasitism by M. simillimus causes variations in the shell dimensions of H. australis, the shells of infected snails being narrower than those of uninfected snails. Snails from Site 2 were found in general to be significantly smaller than those at Site 1, possibly as a result of differences in environmental factors such as the degree of exposure to wave energy, the allocation of energy to reproduction rather than growth (induced by predation and/or parasitic castrators) and anthropogenic stressors.     

A Cascade Approach for Global Trajectory Tracking Control of Underactuated AUVs

A global trajectory tracking controller is presented for underactuated AUVs with only surge force and yaw moment in the horizontal plane. A transformation is introduced to represent the tracking error system into a cascade form. The global and uniform asymptotic stabilization problem of the resulting cascade system is reduced to the stabilization problem of two subsystems by use of the cascade approach. For the stabilization of the subsystem involving the yaw moment, a control law is proposed based on the feedback linearization method. Another subsystem is stabilized by designing a fuzzy sliding mode controller which can offer a systematical means of constructing a set of shrinking-span and dilating-span membership functions. In order to demonstrate the practicability of the proposed controller, control constraints, parameter uncertainties, and external disturbances are considered according to practical situation of AUVs. Simulation results show very good tracking performance and robustness of the proposed control schemes.     

东海北部营养盐分布的季节变化及成因探讨

基于美国国家海洋大气管理局(NOAA)2007年发布的全球海域营养盐数据库资料和美国国家地球物理数据中心(NGDC)2006年发布的全球地貌数据库资料,在MATLAB计算机平台上,利用研发的数值分析与成图技术,对东海北部海域营养盐分布的季节变化特征进行分析。结果表明:(1)东海北部海域NO3--N、PO43--P分布总特征为由沿岸向离岸递减,由表层向底层递增;西北高,东南低,呈扇形向东南扩展;SiO3--Si有两个浓度高值区,一个为研究区域的西北角,另一个在东北角;(2)在0~50 m的表层营养盐平均浓度均是冬季最高;50~200 m的中层NO3--N、SiO3--Si夏季最高;200 m以下的底层四季变化微弱,其中400~500m层PO43--P、SiO3--Si浓度值秋季最高。NO3--N变异系数表层最大,PO3--P中层最大、SiO3--Si底层最大,其中NO3--N相应各层变异系数大于PO43--P、SiO3--Si;(3)研究区域四季均存在高营养盐水团。高PO43--P、SiO3--Si水团中心分别位于125.5°E、30.5°N和128.5°E、30.5°N;高NO3--N水团中心,随冬-春-夏-秋、从南往东北再向西、最后向东南,在125°~128°E、29°~31°N范围内移动。     

两种体色三疣梭子蟹线粒体DNA 部分片段序列的比较分析

三疣梭子蟹(Portunus trituberculatus)作为重要的海洋经济动物,其常见体色(头胸甲)为茶绿色。近年来在我国沿海海域海捕三疣梭子蟹中开始出现体色为紫色的一类梭子蟹,除体色不同外,二者表型特征并无显著差异。对两种体色三疣梭子蟹不同个体的线粒体COI和16S rRNA基因进行了序列比对分析以判定二者之间的亲缘关系。结果发现COI和16S rRNA基因在两种体色三疣梭子蟹群体中的核苷酸序列一致性分别为99.87%和99.88%,表明紫色三疣梭子蟹并未发生亚种的分化,即紫色和茶绿色群体属于同一个种。并利用GenBank数据库检索了梭子蟹科其他15种海产蟹的16S rRNA序列,进行了序列同源性比对分析和分子系统学方面的探讨,为梭子蟹种属分类学研究提供分子依据。