Feeding responses of the tentaculate deposit-feederEupolymnia nebulosa (Annelida: Polychaeta): Influence of sexual maturity

Feeding responses of the tentaculate depositfeeding polychaeteEupolymnia nebulosa (Montagu) were studied by measuring rates of uptake of three different¹⁴C-labelled diatoms (unialgal cultures ofNavicula incerta Grunow,Nitzschia acicularis Wm Smith, andNitzschia sp.). Worms used during this study were collected in the harbor of Port-Vendre (Western Mediterranean) during August 1986 (immature worms) and December 1987 (mature worms). Uptake rates were affected both by the length of the experiments and by the nature of the food offered. The highest rate of uptake (2.98 10^–4 mg ashfree dry wt of algae mg^–1 dry wt of worms h^–1) was obtained during short-term experiments (4 h) with the smallest diatom (Nitzschia sp.). The lowest rate of uptake (0.21 10^–4 mg ash-free dry wt of algae mg^–1 dry wt of worms h^–1) was also obtained withNitzschia sp., but for a long-term (48 h) experiment. There was no significant difference between rates of uptake of immature and mature worms.     

Influence of light and temperature on the growth rate of estuarine benthic diatoms in culture

Four species of estuarine benthic diatoms: Amphiprora c. f. paludosa W. Smith, Nitzschia c. f. dissipata (Kützing) Grunow, Navicula arenaria Donkin, and Nitzschia sigma (Kützing) W. Smith were grown in unialgal cultures. The growth rates of the diatoms were determined as the rate of increase of the chlorophyll a content of the cultures. The diatoms were cultured at different combinations of temperture, daylength, and quantum irradiance. The highest growth rates of Navicula arenaria occurred at 16° to 20°C; the other 3 species had their optimum at 25°C or higher. The small-celled species had higher growth rates at their optimum temperature, but at lower temperatures the growth rates of all 4 species became very similar. The minimum daily quantum irradiance that could effect light-saturated growth at 12° and 20°C ranged from 2.5 to 5.0 E.m^-2.day^-1. At 12°C, two species had their highest growth rates under an 8 h daily photoperiod. At 20°C, the three species tested all had highest growth rates under 16 h daily photoperiod. The growth response of the benthic diatoms is comparable to that of several cultures of planktonic diatoms, as described in the literature. The influence of temperature and quantum irradiance on the diatoms in the present investigation was comparable to the influence of temperature and light intensity on the ¹⁴C-fixation of marine benthic diatoms (Colijn and van Buurt, 1975).     

Selective feeding of littoral harpacticoids on diatom algae: hungry gourmands?

We studied benthic harpacticoid grazing on diatom algae from two sites on the White Sea intertidal sandflat. Diatoms from sediments and from harpacticoid gut contents were sampled in situ, identified and counted, and grazing rates were calculated by two ways: (1) using potential daily ration estimations and (2) from the gut content and gut-residence time data. Paraleptastacus kliei did not contain any diatoms in the guts and presumably fed on other objects (bacteria or flagellates). Two other dominating species studied, Heterolaophonte minuta and Huntemannia jadensis, contained an average of 604 and 222 diatom cells per specimen. Diet composition differed significantly from the natural algal community. Two diatoms of intermediate cell size (Nitzschia palea var. debilis and Navicula sp.) contributed 92–97% of gut content for H. minuta and 58–81% for Hn. jadensis, whereas these diatoms amounted to only about 10% of biomass in native community. Mean consumption rates were estimated as 50–200 μg of wet biomass/day/cm², so the harpacticoids grazed only between 3 and 11% of the total microalgae biomass per day. The grazing impact on the two preferred diatom populations, however, was much more intensive, 10–30% per day for Navicula sp. and 55–228% for N. palea. Therefore, native harpacticoid populations demonstrate highly selective feeding and could be strongly limited by their food in spite of seemingly plentiful total abundance of microphytobenthos. This disproportionally high grazing pressure upon some species apparently could affect the structure of microalgae communities resulting in low relative abundance of mid-sized forms. We hypothesize that a very dynamic spatio-temporal distribution of epibenthic harpacticoids (short-living micropatches) may be the possible adaptation to such local food limitation.     

Relative growth of different species of marine algae in wasterwater-seawater mixtures

In recent studies, we developed a combined nutrient removal-marine aquaculture process for the tertiary treatment of wastewater and the production of commercially important shellfish. Part of this process consists of an outdoor mass cultivation system for marine algae. During our previous experiments we observed that marine diatoms almost exclusively are the dominant algal species in our outdoor cultures. To better understand this phenomenon of diatom dominance we grew 16 species of marine algae in continuous monoculture under laboratory conditions simulating to some degree the conditions prevailing in our outdoor experiments. Species such as Skeletonema costatum, Monochrysis lutheri and Tetraselmis sp., which were never dominant in our outdoor cultures, grew as well in monoculture, as Phaeodactylum tricornutum, frequently, the prevalent species outdoors. However, when monocultures of Dunaliella tertiolecta and Thalassiosira pseudonana (3H) were purposely contaminated with P. tricornutum, the latter species quickly became dominant. It is suggested that a complex interaction of environmental factors is usually responsible for the dominance of a particular species; one such factor may be the nitrogen source in the growth media. Under conditions of virtually, complete nitrogen assimilation, the carbon: nitrogen ratio in the algae was high (7 to 8) when NO ₃ ^- –N was the source of nitrogen, and low (4 to 6) when NH ₄ ⁺ –N was the prime form of nitrogen. When algal growth was low, resulting in a large inorganic nitrogen residue, the carbon:nitrogen ratio was low regardless of whether NO ₃ ^- –N or NH ₄ ⁺ –N was the main nitrogen source.Contribution No. 3297 from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.     

Effects of host cell extracts on cultures of endosymbiotic diatoms from larger foraminifera

Log phase endosymbiotic diatom species, Nitzschia valdestriata, N. laevis, N. panduriformis var. continua, N. frustulum var. subsalina and var. symbiotica, Amphora tenerima, Fragilaria shiloi and Navicula hanseniana, were aseptically exposed to an homogenate of freshly crushed foraminiferal host species (Amphistegina). To various degrees, depending upon endosymbiont species, the host homogenate affected the formation of new frustules of growing and dividing cells. F. shiloi was the most affected species. New cells were spheroids and had only vestiges of frustules or none at all. Fewer numbers of the other species tested (40 to 60%) were abnormal. The raphe and keel of affected Nitzschia spp. were usually curved and incomplete. Many cells were spherical. We infer that host substances are probably responsible for the maintenance of the frustule-less state in vivo and that if ingested potential endosymbionts escape digestion, they could become frustule-less after growth and cell division. Host homogenate also increased the levels of photosynthetate released by diatoms to their medium. N. valdestriata was stimulated to release 76% of its photosynthetate while other species tested were stimulated to release between one quarter to one half of their photosynthetate. Host homogenate was also effective in causing the release of 43% of the photosynthetate of a free-living diatom, Amphora sp., which was also tested in the experiment. The concentration of the metabolites released in the experiment was too low for us to identify by TLC.     

Species-specific sedimentation and sinking velocities of diatoms

Sedimentation rates were determined for various diatom species, and both average and maximum sinking velocities of sedimenting diatoms were calculated during a spring bloom investigation in the central Baltic Sea in 1986. Up to 25 and 50% of theChaetoceros spp. andThalassiosira levanderi populations, respectively, sedimented daily. Daily sedimentation rates of other diatoms, dinoflagellates andMesodinium rubrum, however, were less than 1% of their respective standing stocks. TheT. levanderi population was divided into two subpopulations: while one was sinking, the second was actively dividing (recognizable by paired-cell stages) with a specific growth rate of >0.2 to 0.3 d^–1. These paired cells were never found in sediment trap samples. The average sinking velocity ofChaetoceros spp. was 15 to 30 m d^–1; that ofT. levanderi was higher. The maximum sinking velocity of cells was at least 70 m d^–1. According to these observations, the formation of aggregates (which enhances sinking velocity), and their sedimentation, represent a highly selective process. This indicates that diatom aggregates do not act as roving filters, sweeping the water clear while sinking.     

Potential for increased nutrient uptake by flocculating diatoms

Blooms of chain-forming diatoms commonly flocculate into centimeter-sized aggregates of living, vegetative cells following nutrient depletion in surface waters off southern California. We examined the hypothesis that diatom cells within aggregates experience increased nutrient uptake relative to unattached cells. We measured in situ settling velocities of 49 to 190 m d^–1 and calculated porosities of 0.99931 to 0.99984 (±>0.03%) for 12, newly-formed diatom flocs ranging from 0.19 to 4.2 cm³ in volume and 7 to 22 mm in equivalent spherical diameter. Using permeability-porosity relationships, we calculated intra-aggregate flow velocities of 20 to 160 m s^–1. Although subject to considerable uncertainty, a Relative Uptake Factor analysis based on mass transfer equqtions suggests that diatoms fixed within aggregates undergoing gravitational settling can take up nutrients up to 2.1±0.4 times faster than unattached diatoms experiencing laminar shear. Increased nutrient uptake by aggregated diatoms may be importan in understanding the reasons for diatom floc formation.     

Nutritional and related experiments on laboratory maintenance of three species of symbiont-bearing,large foraminifera

Factors were examined that affect survival and growth of two common species of large foraminifera from the Red Sea,Amphisorus hemprichii Ehrenberg andAmphistegina lobifera Larsen, 1976. The former is host for dinoflagellate and the latter for diatom zooxanthellae. Experimental conditions were modeled on conditions at 25 m during spring at Wadi Taba, Gulf of Elat, Israel, the season and site where the experimental organisms were collected between 1983 and 1988. The two species responded quite differently in nutritional experiments.A. hemprichii grew, on average, 0.270 mm in diameter in 3 mo on a diet ofNitzschia subcommunis Hustedt,Chlorella sp. (clone AT) orCylindrotheca closterium Rabenhorst isolated from their native habitat. Unfed controls did not grow. In contrast, unfed populations ofA. lobifera grew as well or better than those that were fed unialgal diets. Growth of both species was enhanced on particular mixed algal diets. Both species required photosynthetically active symbionts. Even when fed weekly and supplied with nutrients, neither species survived in the dark. All individuals ofA. hemprichii died after 8 wk incubation in the dark;A. lobifera survived longer, but all were dead by 13 wk. The highest growth rate ofA. hemprichii (0.037 mm wk^–1) was obtained when they were fed, the medium was enriched, and the medium was changed weekly. All other conditions being the same, growth rate dropped to 0.009 mm wk^–1 when the medium was changed every 3 wk. In contrast,A. lobifera grew fastest when the medium was changed every 3 wk. Food or enrichment with nitrate or phosphate did not stimulate growth (0.03 mm wk^–1) over that of the controls. Specimens ofMarginopora kudakajimensis Gudmundsson from Japan, another dinoflagellate-bearing species, were also tested. They grew best (0.02 mm wk^–1) when cultured in light, in media enriched with nitrate and phosphate changed weekly, and fed. All three species withdrew nitrate and phosphate from the medium in chemostat experiments.     

Primary production of Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean Basin

Primary production of the marine phanerogam Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile was measured by lepidochronological analyses at 22 sites in the Mediterranean Sea (Corsica, France, Italy, Sardinia and Turkey), between 1983 and 1992, to determine spatial and temporal variations. Leaf production (blade and sheath) ranged from 310 to 1 540 mg dry wt shoot^–1 yr^–1, depending on site and depth. Rhizome production ranged from 24 to 120 mg dry wt shoot^–1 yr^–1 (6% of average leaf production). At some sites the results obtained by lepidochronological analysis were consistent with earlier results obtained by classic methods (e.g. leaf-marking). While primary production per shoot (mg dry wt shoot^–1 yr^–1) displayed no significant differences between sites, primary production of the P. oceanica meadow (g dry wt m^–2 yr^–1) decreased with increasing depth at all sites studied. This decrease correlated with reduced density of the meadow (number of shoots per m²) with increasing depth. Past primary production was also extrapolated at three sites at the island of Ischia (Italy) for a period of 5 yr in order to determine interannual variations over a period of several years. While major variations were recorded for the surface stations (5 and 10 m depth), production remained stable at the deepest station (20 m depth). Given the large geographical scale of the study (location, depth range), it would appear that while P. oceanica production remains considerable, the values recorded in the literature on the basis of classical analyses (surface stations) represent maxima, and cannot be generalised for meadows as a whole.     

Utilization of a fumigated sediment by two benthic deposit-feeders:Abra alba (Mollusca: Bivalvia) andEupolymnia nebulosa (Annelida: Polychaeta)

The present study tested the utilization of dead microbial biomass by two benthic deposit-feeders:Abra alba (Wood) (Mollusca: Bivalvia) andEupolymnia nebulosa (Montagu) (Annelida: Polychaeta). Clams were collected in the Canet lagoon during spring 1989. Worms were collected in the Port-Vendres harbour during spring 1989. The¹⁴C-labelled (glutamic acid, 24 h) sediment used during the study was sterilized with 1% chloroform, washed with sterile seawater, and dried (60°C; 48 h). This sterilisation procedure, called fumigation is the least harmful to the sediment (Novitsky 1986). Both clams and worms were incubated in the presence of the fumigated sediment for 5, 10, 20, and 50 h. At the end of each experiment we recorded the radioactivity in four compartments: (1) sediment, (2) dissolved organic matter (DOM), (3) CO₂, and (4) animals. The radioactivity of the sediment was subdivided into five fractions: (i) soluble in 2N HCl, (ii) soluble in hot 5% trichloroacetic acid (TCA), (iii) soluble in 1N NaOH, (iv) soluble in hot 6N HCl, (v) residual (after combustion in a Leco carbon analyser). In the first set of experiments, after 20 h of incubation, 5.4 and 4.7% of the total radioactivity was taken up by clams and worms, respectively. However, a model revealed that this uptake could have been correlated with the release of radiolabelled DOM (33% of total radioactivity during the first 5 h). In order to test this assumption, we used the same protocol with three additional washes of the fumigated sediment. This resulted in a significantly lower uptake by the clams (1.9% of the total radioactivity byt = 50 h), whereas the worms exhibited an uptake similar to that in the initial experiment (5.1% of total radioactivity byt = 50 h). These results underline the importance of considering interactions with DOM when applying radiotracer techniques to the study of benthic food chains. The average ingestion rates of fumigated sediment byA. alba andE. nebulosa were 5.2 10^–2 mg sediment dry wt mg^–1 clam h^–1 and 3.5 10^–2 mg sediment dry wt mg^–1 worm h^–1, respectively, which is comparable to previous data reported for other deposit-feeding bivalves and polychaetes feeding on natural sediment or detritus. The low radioactivity recorded for CO₂ together with the similarity of the changes in the partitioning of the radioactivity within the sediment between control experiments and experiments carried out in the presence of clams or worms suggest low assimilation efficiencies. Therefore, the present study supports the fact that dead microbial biomass does not constitute an important food source for benthic deposit-feeders.     

Vitamine B12 et phytoplancton dans l'Océan Antarctique. Distribution et approche expérimentale

In late summer (Antiprod I cruise, March 1977), antarctic waters of the southern part of the Indian Ocean contain low amounts of dissolved Vitamin B₁₂: 1 ng l^-1 on average. However, higher concentrations were recorded in two areas: in the subantarctic convergence zone and between 50° and 57°S, with values greater than 3,5 ng l^-1. Despite nutrient-rich waters, primary production was low and the phytoplankton sparse. Abundance of diatoms was related, to a certain extent, to the concentration of Vitamin B₁₂. An experimental approach (Antiprod II cruise, February and March 1980) was applied to (1) artificially enriched natural sea water, and (2) cultures of two diatom species isolated from antarctic waters, Nitzschia turgiduloides and Chaetoceros sp. The experiments demonstrated that antarctic diatoms in general do not require any of the three investigated vitamins for growth. However, Vitamin B₁₂ has a slightly stimulating effect on growth. This may explain the observed relation between phytoplankton density and vitamin concentration in the Antarctic Ocean. This experimental approach elucidates the minor role of vitamins in the primary production of antarctic waters and provides indirect evidence of the major importance of turbulence as a limiting factor.     

Biochemical and energetic composition of bathyal echinoids and an asteroid,holothuroid and crinoid from the Bahamas

The biochemical and energetic composition of body components of ten species of bathyal echinoids, and an asteroid, a holothuroid and a stalked crinoid were determined from individuals sampled from a variety of deep-water sites near the Bahamas (north Caribbean Sea) in October 1988. When compared with other studies of echinoderms, no geographic- or depth-related differences in biochemical or energetic composition were found. Body-wall tissues were composed primarily of skeletal material (mineral ash), but were comparatively high in organic material in the echinothuriid echinoids, and the asteroid and holothuroid. Gut tissues and pyloric cecae had high levels of lipid and protein, indicating their potential role in nutrient storage. Body-wall tissues were generally low in energy, but were highest in the echinoidsAraeosoma belli (7.7 kJ g^–1 dry wt) andSperosoma antillense (8.0 kJ g^–1 dry wt), the asteroidOphidiaster alexandri (8.9 kJ g^–1 dry wt), and the holothuroidEostichopus regalis (13.1 kJ g^–1 dry wt). Energy levels of gut and pyloric cecal tissues were two to three times higher than those of body-wall tissues. Total somatic tissue energy values varied greatly among species, ranging from 1.5 kJ in the echinoidAspidodiadema jacobyi to 142.1 kJ inE. regalis. As the bathyal echinoderms examined in this study occur in great abundance, they represent a significant reservoir of organic and inorganic materials and energy in deep-water benthic systems.     

Shell growth response of mussels (Mytilus edulis) exposed to toxic microalgae

Mussels (Mytilus edulis) were exposed to the algaeAlexandrium ostenfeldii, Chrysochromulina polylepis, Gyrodinium aureolum, Gymnodinium galatheanum andHeterosigma akashiwo for 24 h; significant reductions in growth rate, as compared to the control, were observed after exposure toA. ostenfeldii, C. polylepis, G. aureolum andG. galatheanum at initial concentrations of 4.5 × 10⁶, 110 × 10⁶, 9 × 10⁶ and 120 × 10⁶ cells l^–1, respectively. Exposure to high initial concentrations of the non-toxic algaeTetraselmis suecica (174 × 10⁶ cells l^–1) andIsochrysis galbana (610 × 10⁶ cells l^–1) showed no adverse effect on growth rate. When mussels with reduced growth were transferred to clean seawater, they recovered to > 90% of control growth within 2 to 4 d. Exposure to algal filtrates of the toxic algal cultures produced no reduction in growth rate.     

Mucous sheet formation on poritid corals: An evaluation of coral mucus as a nutrient source on reefs

The production, release, and subsequent consumption of coral mucus on reefs has been portrayed as a potential pathway for the transfer of coral and zooxanthellae production to other reef organisms. However, reported mucus production rates and analyses of nutritional value vary widely. Poritid corals provide a test system to measure mucus production because they produce mucous sheets which can be collected quantitatively. Fluid mucus and mucous sheets were collected fromPorites astreoides, P. furcata, P. divaricata during 1986 and 1987 on reefs in the San Blas Islands, Panama, La Parguera, Puerto Rico and the Florida Keys, USA. Mucus samples were collected from Indo-pacific poritids (P. australiensis, P. lutea, P. lobata, andP. murrayensis) on the Great Barrier Reef during 1985. Biochemical analyses of the fluid mucous secretions, and the derivative mucous sheet, indicate that the mucus is primarily a carbohydrateprotein complex.Porites fluid mucus had a mean caloric content of 4.7 cal mg^–1 ash-free dry weight (AFDW), while mucous sheets contained 3.5 cal mg^–1 AFDW. Sixty-eight percent of the mucous sheet was ash, while fluid mucus was 22% ash. The high ash and low organic contents suggest that mucous sheets have a low nutritional value. C:N ratios varied (range 6.9 to 13.7 for fluid mucus, and 4.8 to 5.9 for mucous sheets), but were similar to typical C:N ratios for marine organisms. Bacterial numbers and chlorophyll a concentrations were higher on mucous sheets than in the surrounding water. Although bacteria aggregate on mucous sheets, bacteria accounted for less than 0.1% of the carbon and nitrogen content of the mucous sheet. Lower C:N ratios in aged mucus, i.e. mucous sheets versus fluid mucus, were attributed to a loss of carbon rather than an increase in nitrogen. Mucous sheet production accounts for a small proportion (< 2% gross photosynthesis) of published values for coral production. In the San Blas Islands, Panama,P. astreoides produced mucous sheets at a rate of 1.5 g C m^–2 y^–1 and 0.3 g N m^–2 y^–1.P. astreoides andP. furcata produced mucous sheets with a lunar periodicity and may provide approximately monthly pulses of carbon and nitrogen to the reef food-web. However, the low annual production rates suggest that mucous sheets make a small contribution to overall energy flow on coral reefs.     

Diurnal gut pigment rhythm and metabolic rate of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Calanus euxinus</Emphasis> in the Black Sea

The vertical distribution, diel gut pigment content and oxygen consumption of Calanus euxinus were studied in April and September 1995 in the Black Sea. Gut pigment content of C. euxinus females was associated with diel vertical migration of the individuals, and it varied with depth and time. Highest gut pigment content was observed during the nighttime, when females were in the chlorophyll a (chl a) rich surface waters, but significant feeding also occurred in the deep layer. Gut pigment content throughout the water column varied from 0.8 to 22.0 ng pigment female^–1 in April and from 0.2 to 21 ng pigment female^–1 in September 1995. From the diel vertical migration pattern, it was estimated that female C. euxinus spend 7.5 h day^–1 in April and 10.5 h day^–1 in September in the chl a rich surface waters. Daily consumption by female C. euxinus in chl a rich surface waters was estimated by taking into account the feeding duration and gut pigment concentrations. Daily carbon rations of female C. euxinus, derived from herbivorous feeding in the euphotic zone, ranged from 6% to 11% of their body carbon weight in April and from 15% to 35% in September. Oxygen consumption rates of female and copepodite stage V (CV) C. euxinus were measured at different temperatures and at different oxygen concentrations. Oxygen consumption rates at oxygen-saturated concentration ranged from an average of 0.67 g O₂ mg^–1 dry weight (DW) h^–1 at 5°C to 2.1 g O₂ mg^–1 DW h^–1 at 23°C for females, and ranged from 0.48 g O₂ mg^–1 DW h^–1 at 5°C to 1.5 g O₂ mg^–1 DW h^–1 at 23°C for CVs. The rate of oxygen consumption at 16°C varied from 0.62 g O₂ mg^–1 DW h^–1 at 0.65 mg O₂ l^–1 to 1.57 g O₂ mg^–1 DW h^–1 at 4.35 mg O₂ l^–1 for CVs, and from 0.74 g O₂ mg^–1 DW h^–1 at 0.57 mg O₂ l^–1 to 2.24 g O₂ mg^–1 DW h^–1 at 4.37 mg O₂ l^–1 for females. From the oxygen consumption rates, daily requirements for the routine metabolism of females were estimated, and our results indicate that the herbivorous daily ration was sufficient to meet the routine metabolic requirements of female C. euxinus in April and September in the Black Sea.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

Response of the microbial food web to manipulation of nutrients and grazers in the oligotrophic Gulf of Aqaba and northern Red Sea

The control mechanisms within the pelagic microbial food web of the oligotrophic Gulf of Aqaba and the northern Red Sea were investigated in the spring of 1999. Nutrient conditions and potential grazer impact were manipulated in a series of dilution experiments. Ambient nutrient concentrations and autotrophic biomass were very low (0.23–1.21 µmol NO₃ l^–1, 0.06–0.98 µmol NH₄ l^–1, 1.08–1.17 µmol Si l^–1, 0.08–0.12 µmol P l^–1, 0.15–0.36 µg chlorophyll a l^–1). The planktonic community was characterized by low abundances [3.0–5.5×10⁵ heterotrophic bacteria ml^–1, 0.58–7.2×10³ ultraphytoplankton <8 µm ml^–1 (small eukaryotic photoautotrophs and Prochlorococcus sp., excluding Synechococcus sp.), 0.45–4.4×10⁴ Synechococcus sp. ml^–1, 0.32–1.2×10³ heterotrophic nanoflagellates ml^–1, 1.3–3.8×10³ phytoplankton >8 µm l^–1, 0.93–5.4×10² microzooplankton l^–1] and dominated by small forms (0.2–8 µm). Dinoflagellates and oligotrichous ciliates were the most common groups in initial samples among the phytoplankton >8 µm and microzooplankton, respectively. Results show that bottom-up and top-down control mechanisms operated simultaneously. Small organisms were vulnerable to grazing, with maximum grazing rates of 1.1 day^–1 on heterotrophic bacteria and 1.3 day^–1 on ultraphytoplankton. In contrast, algae >8 µm showed stronger signs of nutrient limitation, especially when the final assemblages were dominated by diatoms. Synechococcus sp. were not grazed and only showed moderate to no response to nutrient additions. The high spatial and temporal variation of our results indicates that the composition of the planktonic community determines the prevailing control mechanisms. It further implies that, at this transitional time of the year (onset of summer stratification), the populations fluctuate about an equilibrium between growth and grazing.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

The influence of bacterial quorum-sensing inhibitors against the formation of the diatom-biofilm

Quorum-sensing inhibitor (QSI) is one of the most promising and environmentally friendly agents for marine antifouling. In this study, the activities of three kinds of QSIs 3,4-dibromo-2(5)H-furanone, 4-nitropyridine-N-oxide and indole were evaluated on the growth of two marine diatoms Cylinthrotheca sp. and Nitzschia closterium. At the same time, the effects of QSIs on the formation of the diatom-biofilm were also discussed. All the results showed that QSIs significantly inhibited the growth, and the effects depended on the dose and diatom species. The extracellular polymeric substance contents in the diatom-biofilm were significantly reduced by QSIs. However, the contents of polysaccharide in culture mediums were increased, which might result in the destruction of diatom cells. Combined with the results of crystal violet staining-biofilm and images of scanning electron microscopy, it was further demonstrated that QSIs inhibited the biofilm formation of Cylindrotheca sp., and the inhibitory effect of 4-nitropyridine-N-oxide was superior to that of 3,4-dibromo-2(5)H-furanone and indole.     

Interactive accumulation of mercury and selenium in the sea starAsterias rubens

Interactions between mercury and selenium accumulation and subcellular binding inAsterias rubens (L.), collected in 1987 from Lille Bælt at Middelfart, Funen, Denmark, were investigated in laboratory experiments. Sea stars exposed to 10µg Hg l^–1 for 30 d accumulated mercury in body wall, tube feet and stomach linearly with time at 1.2, 1.2 and 0.5µg Hg g^–1 dry wt d^–1, respectively. Mercury was accumulated in pyloric caeca and coelomic fluid initially at 1.4µg Hg g^–1 dry wt d^–1 and 9.4 ng Hg ml^–1 d^–1, respectively; after 10 d uptake rates decreased. Sea stars exposed to 75µg Se-SeO ₃ ^{- -} l^–1 accumulated selenium linearly with time over 30 d in the stomach, pyloric caeca, tube feet and body wall at 2.0, 1.2, 1.2 and 0.6µg Se g^–1 dry wt d^–1. Sea stars exposed to 75µg Se-SeO ₄ ^{- -} l^–1 maintained selenium levels in the coelomic fluid at 75µg Se l^–1 over 30 d. Exposure to selenate did not alter the selenium concentrations in the tissues. Sea stars exposed concurrently to 75µg Se-SeO ₃ ^{- -} and 10µg Hg l^–1 accumulated more mercury and selenium in tube feet and body wall than did sea stars exposed to the two elements alone. In pyloric caeca and stomach concurrent exposure reduced accumulation of both elements. Mercury was bound predominantly in the insoluble fraction of the tissues, and soluble mercury was bound in proteins of high (> 70 kilodaltons) or very low (< 6000 daltons) molecular weight. Ca. half of the selenium recovered was bound in the insoluble fraction, and soluble selenium was bound in proteins of high (> 70 kilodaltons) or very low (< 6000 daltons) molecular weight. Interaction between the two elements was exerted predominantly in the insoluble fraction of the tissues.     

Dietary accumulation of UV-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) by the green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis)

The bioaccumulation of ultraviolet radiation-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) by Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Müller) was determined in specimens maintained on MAA-rich and MAA-deficient diets. Individuals were fed either the red alga Mastocarpus stellatus (Stackhouse), which has a high concentration of the MAA shinorine (6.98 nmolmg^–1 dry wt), and trace amounts of the MAAs porphyra-334, asterina-330 and palythine, or the brown alga Laminaria saccharina (Lamouroux), which contains no detectable MAAs. Reproductively spent urchins were fed ad libitum during a 9 mo period in 1992 to 1993 until they were once again gravid. To monitor accumulation, samples of urchin tissues and ingested food were taken throughout the 9 mo period from males and females maintained on each diet, and the concentrations of MAAs determined using high performance liquid chromatography. Urchins maintained on a diet of M. stellatus showed an ovarian shinorine concentration (8.33 nmol mg^–1 dry wt) 25 times higher than those fed L. saccharina. There was no change in MAA content of testes or somatic tissues in either feeding group. More than 99% of the MAAs present in an experimental meal of M. stellatus were removed during passage through the gut. Previous studies have inferred dietary accumulation of MAAs by comparing MAAs present in animal tissues with the consumer's potential diet in the field. This is the first study to have monitored MAA accumulation in animal tissues in conjunction with a controlled diet having a known MAA composition. Concentrating MAAs in the ovaries may provide eggs released into the water column with protection from damaging solar ultraviolet radiation.     

Phytoplankton in the Weddell Sea,Antarctica: composition,abundance and distribution in water-column assemblages of the marginal ice-edge zone during austral autumn

At the compacted, north-south line of the ice edge, phytoplankton were sampled during early austral autumn of 1986 in the northwestern Weddell Sea. Cells from discrete water bottle samples from 12 stations on two east-west transects were counted to gain quantitative information on the composition, abundance, distribution, and condition of the phytoplankton in water-column assemblages. Over 70 species were found. The highest numbers of total cells (integrated through the top 150 m) were found in open water, well-separated from and to the east of the ice edge on the southern transect, with 6.01×10¹⁰ cells m^-2. The relative abundance of diatoms was low at ice-convered stations (< 35% of the total phytoplankton in preserved samples) and high at open-water stations (> 80%); however, the relative abundance of the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis sp. was high at ice-covered stations (> 60%) and low at open-water stations (< 16%), with lower absolute abundances than during a previous austral-spring phytoplankton increase. In the open ocean, the dominants were the pennate diatoms Fragilariopsis cylindrus, Pseudonitzschia prolongatoides, F. curta, and a small form of the centric diatom Chaetoceros dichaeta in chains. Although the three pennate diatoms were frequently dominant in number, they represented less biomass than C. dichaeta in open waters. Mean phytoplankton abundance was low (0.2×10⁶ cells l^-1) but, overall, the diatom cell density (0.14×10⁶ cells l^-1) was similar to that found previously during a northward transect from ice-covered to ice-free water at the Weddell-Scotia Sea ice edge (spring 1983). The phytoplankton spatial patterns in the two autumn transects differed, with the more southerly transect exhibiting a higher abundance of diatoms and dinoflagellates. The ratio of full to empty diatoms was higher on the southern transect, indicating a healthy population, while lower ratios of full/empty frustules on the northern transect suggested a generally declining population. However, Phaeocystis sp. was more abundant on the northern transect.