The role of isopods and amphipods in the initial fragmentation of eelgrass detritus in Nova Scotia,Canada

Daytime observations on the isopods Idotea phosphorea and I. baltica and the amphipod Gammarus oceanicus held in laboratory microcosms showed that I. phosphorea and G. oceanicus spent 45% and 30% respectively, of their active time feeding on dead, intact eelgrass leaves which had been recently released from plants. I. baltica spent 41% of its active time consuming intact green leaves. The shredding of intact dead leaves by I. phosphorea and G. oceanicus resulted in production of small detrital particles which were liberated from the faeces of the invertebrates and this type of feeding led to the breakdown of whole leaves. Field experiments which separated the effects of shredding by invertebrates and grinding by waves and ice on the loss of weight from leaf packs showed that relative to controls isopods significantly increased weight loss from dead leaves. Loss of weight from leaf packs exposed to both biotic and physical shredding forces was not significantly different from that found on those exposed only to shredding by isopods. However, trends in the data indicated that fragmentation of whole, dead leaves in the field probably is a result of the synergistic effects of shredding by invertebrates and physical factors, particularly ice grinding. The role played by invertebrates in fragmenting intact, dead leaves is discussed in the light of energy flow and nutrient cycling within seagrass systems.     

The megabenthic fauna in the deep sea south of New England,USA

Data from 105 benthic trawls made in an area south of New England, USA between 40 and 5000 m show the fauna to be zoned with depth, areas of rapid faunal change separating regions of relative faunal homogeneity. Distinct faunal assemblages with characteristic catch rates, diversity, and dominant species are found on the shelf (40 to 264 m), upper continental slope (283 to 650 m), middle continental slope (653 to 1290 m), lower continental slope (1380 to 1947 m), the transitional region from slope to rise (2116 to 2481 m), the upper continental (2504 to 3113 m), the middle continental rise (3244 to 3470 m), and lower continental rise to abyssal plain (3879 to 4986 m). Catch rates and diversity are greatest on the lower continental slope and transition to the upper rise, and are lowest at the greatest depths. Dominance, particularly by echinoderms, is an important aspect of community structure. The 3 major taxa represented (decapod crustaccean, echinoderms, and fishes) do not always display the same patterns within and between assemblages. Generalities derived from study of a single group need not apply to all segments of the deep-ocean community. Overall patterns in the megafauna are similar to those described in other groups and areas, but species assemblages are not the same everywhere and perhaps too much has been made of the horizontal extent of zones. Trophic level is related to degree of zonation, but where predators are generalists their ranges may be wide rather than restricted. Diversity patterns can be understood in terms of the interrelationships of predation, competition, environmental heterogeneity, and trophic level. Faunal zones are of importance as the geographical units within which evolution, community development, and diversification take place.This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant OCE76-21878, the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-74-C0262, and, in part, by the United States Department of Energy under Contract No. EY-76-C-02-0016 and the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Cancil under Grant A-7230     

Turnover of tracer (14C, 3H labelled) alanine in inshore marine sediments

The turnover rate constants (k) of alanine in coastal marine sediments were measured using ³H-and ¹⁴C-alanine in tracer amounts (less than in situ concentrations of alanine in the porewater). After incubation ¹⁴C-label was recovered in free dissolved alanine, adsorbed alanine, volatile fatty acids and carbon dioxide pools. Alanine left the free dissolved pool by two processes: 1) adsorption (k=0.06 min^-1) and 2) biological uptake (k=0.16 min^-1). Adsorption of alanine was deduced from the persistence of ¹⁴C-alanine, which was slowly metabolized after an initial rapid rate of degradation. Adsorption was confirmed in biologically inactivated sediments. The adsorbed ¹⁴C-alanine was only partially exchanged by the addition of excess non-labelled alanine, indicating the existence of at least 2 different adsorbed pools. The rates of adsorption and desorption were equal, but the k-values were different, indicating that the adsorbed pool was 2500 fold greater than the free pool. From the biological turnover rate constant (0.16 min^-1), the mineralization percentage (80%) and the concentration of alanine (800 nmol l^-1 of porewater) a mineralization rate in the sediment of 75 nmol cm^-3 d^-1 was determined. This was in excess of the measured total NH ₄ ⁺ production. It is concluded that much of the dissolved alanine (800 nm) was biologically unavailable and a more realistic free dissolved pool would be 10 nM.     

Optimal energy use in a polluted environment

Some of the basic issues involved in the optimal intertemporal use of energy resources when there are environmental spillovers are examined at a macroeconomic level and in a world of certainty. Several scenarios are considered with varying assumptions concerning the depletability of the energy resource stock and the nature of pollution production. In particular, with an accumulating form of pollution it is shown that initially the energy resource should be used more slowly to reduce environmental damage and over the plan the rate of use should be increased—a counter-Hotellian result.     

Distribution of pelagic larvae of bottom invertebrates of the Norwegian and Barents Seas

The distribution of pelagic larvae, juvenile and epitoquous stages of shallow shelf bottom invertebrates, in the plankton of the Norwegian and Barents Seas is largely determined by the distribution of the respective parental forms. The various currents influence the distribution only secondarily and to a rather limited extent. Most larvae remain in the water masses above the zones inhabited by their parents. Thus their large scale distribution in the plankton is determined primarily by the ecological and zoogeographical patierns of distribution of the parental life cycle stages. Such dependence of larval distributions on the distribution of adults in the benthos is assumed to represent a general pattern in all shallow regions of the world oceans.     

Dependence of phytoplankton production on rhythm and rate of elimination

This paper investigates the dependence of phytoplankton production upon rhythm and rate of zooplankton grazing and presents a mathematical model for calculating the most important parameters. Both uniform and non-uniform grazing are described mathematically. Non-uniform grazing, expressed by a sinusoidal curve, is usually found in bathyplanktonic ecosystems with migratory consumers. Phytoplankton production depends on the time of grazing; the nearer grazing occurs toward nightfall, the higher is the phytoplankton production. In order to calculate phytoplankton productivity and the amount of food consumed by the zooplankton, experimental data on generation time of phytoplankters, their mortality rates, initial and final standing stocks, and information on diurnal grazing rhythms must be available. If the distribution of grazing rates is sinusoidal and mortality rate constant, the equations presented allow the calculation of phytoplankton productivity with an error of about 6%.     

Excretion of photosynthale by a benthic diatom

A method is described for studying the release of soluble organic material during photosynthesis by benthic algae. The method simulates presumed natural conditions in that the excreted matter is rapidly and continuously removed. This also facilitates analysis of the soluble compounds and the study of factors affecting excretion. Axenic cultures ofPhaeodactylum tricornutum (Bohlin) of good photosynthetic activity, as determined by measurement of oxygen output, were exposed as a surface layer to labelled carbon dioxide in a perspex fixation cell. Deep culture experiments also involved rapid separation of excreted solutes. Levels of excretion of 1 to 3% of total fixation were found. Some of the excreted material had been inside the cell for some hours. The proportion of fixed carbon excreted was similar in old and fresh media and was not affected by the presence of buffer. Co-precipitation with iron and copper was successful in extracting the labelled solutes from the filtrates, but the specific activity was too low to permit complete identification. There appeared to be differences between the materials excreted in surface and in deep culture. A discussion of related studies leads to a suggestion that it may be useful to consider the released solutes as falling into two categories; the first a low but constant level of excretion of more complex compounds, and the second a potentially much higher but variable level of excretion of simpler compounds.     

Eine Apparatur zur kontinuierlichen Respirationsmessung an marinen Organismen

Measurements were made with a Clark electrode in a closed system under conditions of different, regulatable water current velocities. Six simultaneous parallel measurements are possible with only one electrode. The volume of respiration chambers amounts to 80 ml for small animals and 300 ml for larger ones. Technical details of the apparatus and measuring procedures are described. The accuracy amounts to 0.5 μl O₂ for the 80 ml chamber, and 2 μl O₂ for the 300 ml chambers. The apparatus has been successfully used on various marine evertebrates and algae.     

Vertical distribution and diurnal migration of some Cyclopoida (Copepoda) in the tropical region of the Pacific Ocean

The material was collected in the western equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean at a 24 h station on December 21 to 23, 1968. Collections were made by means of 2 Juday nets from 2 winches simultaneously. A series of hauls was made at 2 h intervals. The vertical distribution of 17 Cyclopoida species, belonging to 3 families (Oithonidae, Oncaeidae and Corycaeidae) was studied. From 0 to 300 m, the absolute number of Cyclopoida individuals was practically constant throughout the 24 h period. The bulk of the species performed no diurnal vertical migration, or migrated with low intensity in the usual way (i.e. moved upward at night and downward during the day). Only 2 Oncaeidae species performed significant diuranl vertical migration. No reversed migration in Cyclopoida was discovered. To characterize the vertical distribution of Cyclopoida, the distribution of the cores of populations (abundancies between 25 and 75%) was examined. During the 24 h period, the cores of populations of various Cyclopoida species were found at different depths; this steplike distribution was not disturbed in migrating species. The cores of populations differed both with habitat depth and time of ascent of the migrating species to the surface layer. This peculiarity, probably, tends to lessen the intensity of food competition between Cyclopoida species with similar nutritional habits.     

Heterotrophic bacteria in Long Island Sound

Correlated with a study of heterotrophic bacteria from cultures of larval bivalve molluses, bacteria were studied from the water column over an oyster bed in Lont Island Sound, USA. Samples taken biweekly for 1 year showed bacterial densities ranging from 1.2x10³/ml in summer to 3.8x10⁴/ml in winter. Variation in seasonal density mirrored that of phytoplankton. Gram-negativ rods constituted 99% of the isolate. Eight genera were identified, but 92.3% of these were Achromobacter, Flavobacterium, and Pseudomonas. Pseudomonads dominated the summer flora, whereas flavobacteria were most abundant in spring. Types varied seasonally, but proteolytic, lipolytic, and amylolytic activity appeared independent of season.