Automated sizing,counting and identification of zooplankton by pattern recognition

A computerized system was developed to automate the analysis of zooplankton samples. Classification to major taxonomic group was based on discriminant analysis of morphological features. Images were generated either from preserved organisms or from silhouette photographs. The latter technique simplified large-scale sample storage. Accuracy of correct classification, among organisms regularly occurring in New England coastal waters, exceeded 90%. Critical problems were due to limitations inherent to the imaging of low contrast, randomly oriented objects by a vidicon camera. One solution would utilize an incoherent-to-coherent transducer in a binocular field of observation through which plankton entrained in a flowing medium passed.This work was supported in part by NOAA grant NA80AA-4 00023     

On plankton production in Kungsbacka Fjord,an estuary on the Swedish west coast

Environmental conditions, primary production, and zooplankton populations were studied from May, 1969 to November, 1970 at one station in Kungsbacka Fjord, Sweden. The fjord, with an arca of 53 km², is a moderately polluted estuary, with a small tidal range. Data for primary production and environmental parameters were correlated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The annual rate of primary production in 1970 was about 100 gC·m^-2. Carbon fixation was about 80 g·m^-2 in May–November in1969 and 1970. The average monthly rate was highest in June, 1970, with 25 gC·m^-2; about 15 gC·m^-2 was recorded in August–October of both years. Carbon fixation by the phytoplankton was estimated to be about 2,800 tons in the whole fjord in 1970. The average fresh-water inflow to the fjord, amounting to about 13 m³·sec^-1, added about 380 tons of organic carbon, 45 tons of nitrogen, and 4.5 tons of phosphorus per month. Primary production displayed strong correlation with temperature at different depths (P<0.05 to 0.001), indicating the sediments to be the most important nutrient source. A total of 19 holoplanktonic zooplankton species was identified, copepods being the dominant group. The highest zooplankton biomass, 800 to 900 mg·m^-3, was recorded in June of both years. The production of copepods in May–October was about 1 gC·m^-2 in both years. The total secondary production of the zooplankton was calculated as only 1.8 gC·m^-2 in 1970.     

Lipid composition of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Symphodus ocellatus</Emphasis> (Perciforme: Labridae) in the north-western Mediterranean: influence of two different biotopes

The lipid content and fatty acid composition of the small common wrasse Symphodus ocellatus was analysed within two populations located in very different biotopes on the French shore: a Caulerpa taxifolia meadow located in Cap Martin and a Posidonia oceanica bed located in Villefranche. Polar lipids represented 82–90% of the total lipid in adult female livers, gonads and in eggs. Cholesterol in gonads and eggs and triacylglycerols in livers were the dominant neutral lipids. Differences in lipid classes were found in livers between the two populations, but not in their gonads and eggs. Moreover, a quantitative difference in total lipid content was evident. Young fish living on the C. taxifolia meadow in winter had 21% less lipid than those living on the P. oceanica bed. The populations of S. ocellatus showed differences between triacylglycerol versus phospholipid fatty acid compositions and between gonad versus liver fatty acid compositions. Moreover, a significant difference was found between both populations in their liver triacylglycerol fatty acid compositions, suggesting a difference in diet. Gut content analysis supported this hypothesis as it showed important differences in the ingested preys between the two populations in January (planktonic vs. benthic, frequency of isopods) and in June (frequency of gastropods). Thus, we found that the fish populations from Villefranche and Cap Martin showed significant differences in body lipids due to different nutritional habits.Communicated by S.A. Poulet, Roscoff     

Oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Octopus vulgaris</Emphasis> (Cephalopoda) in relation to body mass and temperature

The common octopus, Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, is of great scientific and commercial importance and its culture is becoming an area of increasing interest. In this study, the combined effects of temperature (T) and body mass (M) on the routine oxygen consumption rate (R) and ammonia excretion rate (U) in O. vulgaris were quantified. The experiments were conducted in a closed seawater system, and great care was taken to reduce handling stress of the animals. Temperature, salinity, pH and ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate concentrations were monitored and controlled during the experiment. The following predictive equations were evaluated: at temperatures between 13°C and 28°C and at temperatures between 15.5°C and 26°C (T_a is degrees Kelvin and M in gram). O/N ratios showed that O. vulgaris has a protein-dominated metabolism. No significant relationship between the O/N ratio and body mass or temperature was found. Sex had no significant effect on the oxygen consumption rate or on the ammonia excretion rate. For other octopod species, the dependence of metabolic rate on temperature does not differ with that for O. vulgaris.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

Long-term changes in reproductive patterns of the holothurian<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Oneirophanta mutabilis</Emphasis> from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain

Time-series studies (1989–2002) in the NE Atlantic have shown large-scale changes in the composition and structure of the benthic community on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. Radical changes in the abundance of some species in 1996 led to a significant shift in the way in which organic matter was reprocessed at the seabed. This article examines the reproductive processes of the holothurian Oneirophanta mutabilis collected during the time series. The reproductive biology of O. mutabilis is reviewed. No males were evident in any of the samples. The sex ratio (females: no gender) was biased significantly towards no-gender individuals. The maximum egg size was 650 m and there was no evidence of synchrony in reproduction. Significant changes in the oocyte-size distribution and the fecundity of O. mutabilis were noted through time, coinciding with the time of greatest faunal change in the benthic community. There was an increase in the proportion of previtellogenic oocytes and a decrease in the proportion of mature vitellogenic oocytes in 1997 and 1998, in parallel with a significant decrease in fecundity of the post-1996 samples. Samples from 2002 showed a reversal in the reproductive trends, with an increase in the proportion of mature vitellogenic oocytes and fecundity. The results are discussed in relation to large changes in abundance of the epibenthos on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. It is suggested that the superabundance of certain megafaunal species on the abyssal seafloor affected the availability of trophic resources for O. mutabilis, leading to the changes in its reproductive effort.     

Cu and Cd removal from wastewater by a microalloyed aluminium composite

We studied the removal of cadmium and copper from industrial wastewaters by a microalloyed aluminium composite. The composite was highly efficient, resulting in water concentrations of cadmium and copper below the maximal allowed concentrations for drinking water. Moreover, our results show that the removal mechanism is mainly based on reduction and coprecipitation, since Cd and Cu were removed from the wastewater in reduced forms as metals and hydroxides.Selected article from the Regional Symposium on Chemistry and Environment, Krusevac, Serbia, June 2003, organised by Dr. Branimir Jovancicevic     

Burrow morphology of the ghost shrimp<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Nihonotrypaea petalura</Emphasis> (Decapoda: Thalassinidea: Callianassidae) from western Kyushu,Japan

The callianassid shrimp Nihonotrypaea petalura (Stimpson, 1860) is a common member on boulder beaches in Japanese waters. Its burrow morphology was investigated, based on 28 resin casts collected from a steeply sloping beach with dense boulders and 30 from a more gently sloping beach with less dense boulders in Ariake Sound, southern Japan. The structure and dimensions of the burrows from the two beaches were basically the same, and thus a combined mean value could be given to most of their constituent elements. In its entire dimensions, the burrow is greater in lateral extent than depth, with a mean maximum horizontal extension of 145 mm and a mean maximum depth of 119 mm for the shrimp with a mean total length of 31.8 mm. The burrow winds along boulders or cobbles and consists of, from top to bottom, a single surface opening with an ejected mound, a top shaft leading to the uppermost chamber at a mean depth of 48–56 mm, a passage with a regular cross section that is wider than that of the top shaft, and bulbous chambers (mean no.=4.7) with an irregular cross section associated with branches (mean no. per burrow=1.2). Bulbous chambers are much larger than the uppermost chamber and are usually connected by passages, with some directly attached to each other. The combined architecture of these features is unique and relatively simple among the burrows of all callianassid species, the majority of which inhabit bare soft sediments. The structure and function of the N. petalura burrow are discussed in relation to lifestyle.Communicated by T. Ikeda, Hakodate     

Between-group encounters among bonnet macaques (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macaca radiata</Emphasis>)

Socioecological theory suggests that between-group competition is an important factor affecting the nature of primate social relationships. Between-group encounters in macaques may involve female resource defense, male mate defense, and male resource defense. We observed between-group encounters in two groups (a forest group and a temple group) of bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata). We observed 102 encounters in 875 h of observation of the forest group (1.40 per 12-h day) and 58 encounters in 907 h of observation of the temple group (0.77 per 12-h day). Aggressive interactions between groups occurred in 32.4% and 29.3% of encounters in the forest and temple groups, respectively. Overall, we found little support for the female resource defense hypothesis. Females in both groups rarely participated aggressively in between-group encounters. We found support for the male mate defense hypothesis. For example, males of the forest group were more aggressive during encounters in the mating season than in the non-mating season. Males were also aggressive to females from their own group immediately following encounters. We also found partial support for the male resource defense hypothesis. Encounters in the forest group occurred in a feeding context more often than expected based on time budgets. Also, males in the temple group were more often aggressive in food-related encounters than in other encounters. The findings of this study suggest that socioecological models of primate social relationships need to distinguish male and female strategies during between-group encounters and integrate the resulting functional outcomes.Communicated by T. Czeschlik     

Statistical modeling of seasonal and environmental influences on the population dynamics of an estuarine fish community

A statistical modeling study was performed on the population fluctuations of the 15 commonest fish species frequenting the tidal Scheldt estuary in Belgium. These included marine juvenile and seasonal visitors, estuarine residents and diadromous fish species that were recorded on the filter screens of a power plant cooling-water intake between September 1991 and April 2001. The species population abundance was regressed against a candidate set of 6 environmental variables and 13 instrumental variables, accounting for seasonality and long-term trends present in the data. Population abundances of the different species were, in general, best described by seasonal variables. Seasonal components contributed, on average, up to 63.8% of the variance explained by the models. Ten species were found to show a slightly negative, though significant, trend over the period of the survey. Most models also included at least one environmental variable, and 25.4% of the explained variance could be attributed to environmental fluctuations. Of all physico-chemical variables, dissolved oxygen was the most important predictor of fish abundance, suggesting that the estuary suffered from poor water quality during the survey. Temperature, salinity, freshwater flow, suspended solids and chlorophyll a concentrations were minor determinants of fish abundance.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

Precision and accuracy of stable isotope signals in otoliths of pen-reared cod (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gadus morhua</Emphasis>) when sampled with a high-resolution micromill

A high-resolution sampling technique for stable-isotope measurements in otoliths is now available, but little is known about the precision and accuracy of the results when using this technique. Otolith samples of pen-reared cod (Gadus morhua L.) with well-defined temperature history were obtained using this high-resolution sampling technique. Samples from different-aged cod otoliths were collected in two yearly increments corresponding to the calendar years 1994 and 1995, and the stable-oxygen (¹⁸O) and -carbon (¹³C) isotope compositions of the samples were measured. Otolith ¹⁸O values had a clear seasonal pattern in response to the seasonal water temperature. Otolith material deposited in the same calendar years of different-aged fish showed similar ¹⁸O values. High precision of the temperature estimate using otolith ¹⁸O values was obtained when comparing results from different otoliths. The accuracy of the temperature estimates, relative to measured mean monthly water temperature, was also high, but reduced sampling resolution in the otoliths significantly reduced the accuracy due to attenuation of the ¹⁸O signals. We found that the otolith ¹³C values had a cyclic pattern, roughly in phase with the ¹⁸O values. This was most likely caused by temperature-increased metabolism. Indications of age-specific otolith ¹³C values are also presented.Communicated by M. Kühl, Helsingør