Do corals select zooxanthellae by alternative discharge?

Loss of zooxanthellae (dinoflagellate Symbiodinium) from corals will sometimes lead to mass mortality of corals. To detect and quantify Symbiodinium released from corals, we developed a zooxanthellae “trap” and a quantitative PCR (qPCR) system with Symbiodinium clades A–F-specific primer sets. The trap was attached to a branch or the surface of several wild stony corals, and the water samples within the traps, including released Symbiodinium, were subjected to qPCR. All tested corals released clade C Symbiodinium at estimates of ~5,900 cells h⁻¹ cm⁻² of coral surface. Although all tested Pocillopora eydouxi harboured both clades C and D, some of these colonies released only clade C or released a lesser amount of clade D than that in the tissues. Our Symbiodinium quantification system revealed that wild hermatypic corals constantly release Symbiodinium to the environment. Our result suggests that some corals may discharge certain clades of Symbiodinium alternatively.     

The effects of autophagy in rat tracheal epithelial cells induced by silver nanoparticles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The massive use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is potentially harmful to exposed humans. Although previous studies have found that AgNPs can induce...     

MicroRNA: a novel implication for damage and protection against ionizing radiation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Ionizing radiation (IR) is a form of high energy. It poses a serious threat to organisms, but radiotherapy is a key therapeutic strategy for various...     

Effects of UV-modified biochar derived from phytoremediation residue on Cd bioavailability and uptake in Coriandrum sativum L. in a Cd-contaminated soil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Biochar has been applied widely as an amendment in the remediation of contaminated soil to immobilize the heavy metals. However, the role of...     

Geochemistry of heavy metal-contaminated sediments from the Four River inlets of Dongting lake,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The concentrations of major and trace elements in the sediments from the Four River inlets of Dongting Lake were analysed. The results show that the...     

Revealing the impact of water conservancy projects and urbanization on hydrological cycle based on the distribution of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in water

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In recent years, the development and utilization of water resources have imposed great impacts on hydrological characteristics and ecological...     

Impacts of land use change on ecosystem service value in Lijiang River Basin,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - It is of great significance for the coordinated development of the environment and the economy to study the impact of the human driving factors of...     

Iodine enrichment and the underlying mechanism in deep groundwater in the Cangzhou Region,North China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The lack of information on the origin and behavior of iodine in deep groundwater restricts the development and use of groundwater resources. To...     

Delayed association of acute particulate matter 2.5 air pollution exposure with loss of complexity in cardiac rhythm dynamics: insight from detrended fluctuation analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - There is a delayed (lag 1 to 2 days) correlation between acute PM 2.5 (particulate matter <?2.5 μm in aerodynamic...