Ecological energetics of the seaweed zone in a marine bay on the Atlantic coast of Canada. III. Energy transformations by sea urchins

An energy budget was constructed for a population of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis in the nearshore area of St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. Of the 6 age classes identified, ages 1+and 2+accounted for about 1/2 the population energy flow. Population production efficiencies were: production/assimilation=0.28, production/consumption=0.04 to 0.13, and production/biomass=0.80. Although S. droebachiensis was the dominant herbivore in the seaweed bed, it utilized only 1 to 7% of seaweed production. As with other populations of sea urchins, however, it had a proportionately greater influence on seaweed biomass, and also presumably production, by clearing seaweed from large areas of substrate and maintaining it clear. Loss of dissolved organic matter, the only term in the energy budget not measured, was estimated by substracting the other terms in the energy budget from consumption. In laboratory individuals, this ranged from 40 to 80% of absorption (consumption-faeces). A critical review of energy budgets for 6 other species of marine benthic grazers also revealed large amounts of energy unaccounted for that might be attributed to loss of dissolved organic matter.Contribution to the International Biological Program CCIBP 192Bedford Institute Contribution.     

Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activity,internal N pools,and growth of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Ulva lactuca</Emphasis>: responses to long and short-term N supply

Fast-growing macroalgae, including Ulva lactuca Linnaeus, respond rapidly to changes in nutrient conditions, particularly to short-term N supply. This ability to rapidly take up and assimilate N contributes to the increasing occurrence of macroalgal blooms in heavily N loaded coastal ecosystems. To determine whether long-term nutrient histories affect short-term responses in activity of N-assimilating enzymes, including nitrate reductase (NRA) and glutamine synthetase activity (GSA), internal N storage, and macroalgal growth, we conducted an in situ nitrate fertilization experiment between 7 and 22 July 2004, with fronds of U. lactuca collected from estuaries with high and low N loads in Waquoit Bay, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA (N 41° and W 70°). Initial NRA, GSA, % N, δ¹⁵N, and growth of U. lactuca fronds were higher in the site where nitrate was in high supply. Differences in NRA persisted even after short-term experimental enrichment. Differences in internal N pools, δ¹⁵N, and growth, in contrast, mirrored the changes of nutrient supply. The rate of turnover of the internal N content of U. lactuca was quite short (<2 d), and turnover of enzyme activity may have been even shorter. N isotopic fractionation by U. lactuca appeared to be of small magnitude, unlike the case of phytoplankton, and similar to that of vascular plants. δ¹⁵N was a better indicator of short-term response to external and internal nutrient supplies in U. lactuca than enzyme activity or N content, and may reliably detect rapid changes in N availability, source, and uptake and assimilation processes.     

Phylogeography and genetic structure of the Mediterranean killifish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphanius fasciatus</Emphasis> (Cyprinodontidae)

The purpose of this study was to determine the phylogeographic structure of the brackish-hypersaline cyprinodont fish Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1821), using sequencing and RFLP analysis of a 1,330 bp mitochondrial DNA segment containing part of the 16S rRNA gene as well as the genes for tRNA-Leu, NADH subunit 1 and tRNA-Ile. Individuals were collected from 13 different sites in Greece and Turkey, while seven published A. fasciatus sequences were also included to cover the area of distribution of the species. Pairwise sequence divergence values ranged from 0 to 4.51%. Congruent phylogenies were recovered with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining methods. All analyses revealed two main groups. The first group consists of populations from almost all localities that drain into the Aegean Sea. The second group comprises the remaining population samples, which in some cases seem to consist of population-specific subgroups. Our results show that vicariant events have predominantly affected the evolution of A. fasciatus, with the Messinian salinity crisis having shaped the present genetic structure of its populations. Additionally, the life-history traits of the species, which determine a low potential for dispersal, coupled with the typical fragmentation of brackish-hypersaline water habitats have led to a high degree of isolation of A. fasciatus populations, even at restricted spatial scales. Analysis of the partitioning of the total amount of polymorphism with analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) gave a value of F _ST = 84.6%. Potential conservation policies concerning A. fasciatus should also consider the low-genetic variability in the majority of its populations and the presence of fixed haplotypes in some of them.     

Photocatalytic degradation of chlorophenols using Ru(bpy) 3 2+ /S2O 8 2−

Advanced oxidation processes, such as photocatalysed oxidation, provide an important route for degradation of wastes. In this study, the lowest excited state (³MLCT) of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ is used to break down chlorophenol pollutant molecules to harmless products. This has the advantage of using visible light and a short-lived catalytically active species. Photolysis of deaerated aqueous solutions of a variety of mono- and poly-substituted chlorophenols has been followed in the presence of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/S₂O₈²⁻ with near visible light (λ > 350 nm) by UV/visible absorption spectroscopy, luminescence, potentiometry, NMR and HPLC techniques. Upon irradiation, a decrease is observed in the chlorophenol concentration, accompanied by the formation of Cl⁻, H⁺ and SO₄²⁻ ions as the main inorganic products. Benzoquinone, phenol, dihydroxybenzenes and chlorinated compounds were the dominant organic products. As the ruthenium(II) complex is regenerated in the reaction, the scheme corresponds to an overall catalytic process. The kinetics of the rapid chlorophenol photodechlorination has been studied, and are described quite well by pseudo-first order behaviour. Further studies on this were made by following Cl⁻ release with respect to the initial Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ and S₂O₈²⁻ concentrations. A comparison is presented of the photodechlorination reactivity of the mono and polychlorophenols studied at acidic and alkaline pH.     

Distribution of salmon-habitat potential relative to landscape characteristics and implications for conservation.

The geographic distribution of stream reaches with potential to support high-quality habitat for salmonids has bearing on the actual status of habitats and populations over broad spatial extents. As part of the Coastal Landscape Analysis and Modeling Study (CLAMS), we examined how salmon-habitat potential was distributed relative to current and future (+100 years) landscape characteristics in the Coastal Province of Oregon, USA. The intrinsic potential to provide high-quality rearing habitat was modeled for juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and juvenile steelhead (O. mykiss) based on stream flow, valley constraint, and stream gradient. Land ownership, use, and cover were summarized for 100-m analysis buffers on either side of stream reaches with high intrinsic potential and in the overall area encompassing the buffers. Past management seems to have concentrated nonindustrial private ownership, agriculture, and developed uses adjacent to reaches with high intrinsic potential for coho salmon. Thus, of the area in coho salmon buffers, 45% is either nonforested or recently logged, but only 10% is in larger-diameter forests. For the area in steelhead buffers, 21% is either non-forested or recently logged while 20% is in larger-diameter forests. Older forests are most extensive on federal lands but are rare on private lands, highlighting the critical role for public lands in near-term salmon conservation. Agriculture and development are projected to remain focused near high-intrinsic-potential reaches for coho salmon, increasing the importance of effectively addressing nonpoint source pollution from these uses. Percentages of larger-diameter forests are expected to increase throughout the province, but the increase will be only half as much in coho salmon buffers as in steelhead buffers. Most of the increase is projected for public lands, where policies emphasize biodiversity protection. Results suggest that widespread recovery of coho salmon is unlikely unless habitat can be improved in high-intrinsic-potential reaches on private lands. Knowing where high-intrinsic-potential stream reaches occur relative to landscape characteristics can help in evaluating the current and future condition of freshwater habitat, explaining differences between species in population status and risk, and assessing the need for and feasibility of restoration.     

Sampling design trade-offs in occupancy studies with imperfect detection: examples and software.

Researchers have used occupancy, or probability of occupancy, as a response or state variable in a variety of studies (e.g., habitat modeling), and occupancy is increasingly favored by numerous state, federal, and international agencies engaged in monitoring programs. Recent advances in estimation methods have emphasized that reliable inferences can be made from these types of studies if detection and occupancy probabilities are simultaneously estimated. The need for temporal replication at sampled sites to estimate detection probability creates a trade-off between spatial replication (number of sample sites distributed within the area of interest/inference) and temporal replication (number of repeated surveys at each site). Here, we discuss a suite of questions commonly encountered during the design phase of occupancy studies, and we describe software (program GENPRES) developed to allow investigators to easily explore design trade-offs focused on particularities of their study system and sampling limitations. We illustrate the utility of program GENPRES using an amphibian example from Greater Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.     

Polonium-210 and lead-210 in Antarctic marine biota and sea water

Concentrations of the naturally-ocurring radionuclides ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb were measured in krill (Euphausia superba), mesozooplankton, phytoplankton and sea water collected during the South African SIBEX cruise to the Antarctic in autumn 1984. The data reported constitute the first substantial measurements on ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb in such samples in the Antarctic Ocean. The concentrations of ²¹⁰Po in mesozooplankton and phytoplankton are unexceptional in comparison with those from other oceans. The SIBEX E. superba, however, have higher levels of ²¹⁰Po than usually found in euphausiids. The ²¹⁰Po data, combined with reasonable estimates of biological quantitites such as the fractional assimilation, are used to obtain information about the diet of E. superba. It is suggested that the higher ²¹⁰Po in the SIBEX E. superba reflects a change from an almost entirely phytoplanktonic diet in summer to a more omnivorous diet as winter approaches. The data show that there are allometric relationships between the ²¹⁰Po content of euphausiids and animal size; these are discussed briefly. The limited sea-water data presented are characterized by unusually high ²¹⁰Po:²¹⁰Pb activity ratios and need further investigation.     

Metabolic constraints on burst-swimming in the Antarctic teleost Notothenia neglecta

Immediate-energy-supply pathways were analysed during burst-swimming in white muscle of the Antarctic fish Notothenia neglecta, (collected during Austral summer 1984 near Signy Island, South Orkneys). Selected enzyme activities were determined, and tissue metabolites were measured, before and after 3 min of burst-work. The activity of glycolytic enzymes is very low compared to that in other fish, while the activities of creatine phosphokinase, adenylate kinase and AMPdeaminase are relatively high. Concentrations of metabolites associated with cellular energy status declined with exercise. At the same time, there was no change in the concentrations of most of the glycolytic metabolites measured (including glycogen, glucose and lactate), while [creatine phosphate] declined and [inosine monophosphate] increased. These observations were used to propose that the potential for ATP generation via creatine-phosphate hydrolysis is enhanced in N. neglecta, while glycolytic capacity is relatively reduced. This is an unusual pattern of ATP production and places severe constraints upon the behavior of the fish. While the capacity for very short-term, high-power-output swimming is increased, the capacity for medium-duration swimming is reduced. Ecological repercussions are discussed.     

Succession in sea urchin and seaweed abundance in Nova Scotia,Canada

From 1980 through 1983 sea urchin mass mortalities were at least 245 000 t. The habitat released to seaweed is expected to support a standing crop of 1.8 million tons and an annual production of 7 million tons. An extensive survey of 2 900 km of Nova Scotia shoreline revealed that 511 km² of habitat (rock bottom less than 15 m deep) was available to seaweeds. Areas most exposed to ocean swells bordered 26% of the shoreline length but included 82% of the seaweed habitat. Before mass mortalities, seaweed refuges from sea urchin grazing included very sheltered habitats, very exposed habitats, and boulders set among shifting sand; however, these were less than 10% of the total habitat. In the 1 to 2 years following mass mortalities seaweed cover and occurrence increased significantly for all of five categories of wave exposure and for six of seven algal taxa respectively. In at least three locations the sea urchin population began to recover as a result of larval recruitment but in 1983 was again reduced by disease. Sea urchins appear to lack natural resistance to disease, at least at warm temperatures. In the laboratory all sea urchins collected from the Bay of Fundy, southern Nova Scotia, eastern Newfoundland, and an area recovering from mass mortalities died following exposure to diseased animals. Also, field mortalities included a wide variety of habitats. Interviews of Nova Scotia lobster fishermen revealed that sea urchin mass mortalities have probably occurred before in this century, but infrequently.     

Form and feeding mechanism of a living Planctosphaera pelagica (phylum Hemichordata)

We describe aspects of the anatomy and suspension-feeding mechanism of a single Planctosphaera pelagica captured from the plankton in June 1992 off Bermuda in the western Atlantic. We also describe several unusual features of the larva, including its occurrence in surface waters, unusually large size, and limited swimming ability. Our account of the form and feeding behavior of P. pelagica is the first based on observations of a specimen captured and observed alive. Our limited observations suggest that the planctosphaera may use a suspension-feeding mechanism much like that of the other feeding deuterostome larvae (the pluteus and bipinnaria larvae of echinoderms and the tornaria larva of enteropneust hemichordates) known to capture food particles using a single ciliated band. Although we could not observe cilia directly, the movement of dye streams and food particles and the structure of the ciliated band suggest that some particles may be captured at the ciliated band by the reversal of ciliary beat. The planctosphaera possesses many prominent mucous glands near the food grooves. This suggests an important role of mucus in the biology of the larva, but we were not able to observe directly any role of mucus in particle capture.