Variations in the demographic structure and dynamics of gelada baboon populations

Summary A comparative analysis of demographic variables for three populations of gelada baboons (Theropithecus gelada) showed that these were determined by a combination of environmental, demographic and social factors interacting in complex ways. Both birth rates and survivorship were found to be adversely influenced by the severity of local climatic conditions. These independently influenced adult sex ratio, which in turn determined the proportion of multimale reproductive units in the population. Mean harem size was found to be independent of all environmental and demographic factors with the sole exception of the proportion of harem-holding males, suggesting that it is mainly a consequence of social factors related to harem fission rates. Migration rates and band fission rates were related to population growth rates, these in turn being determined largely by local mortality and birth rates.     

Siliceous sponge spicules in coral reef sediments

Experimental etching with hydrofluoric acid indicated that silica deposition occurs in a recognizable pattern in common sponge microscleres. The postdepositional alteration of these spicules has previously been generally unrecognized or misinterpreted in the literature. Early stages of postdepositional etching of sponge spicules were observed in the acid insoluble fraction of sediments from the West Atlantic barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Preliminary data on silica distribution in the Belize barrier reef show that concentrations in fine sediment (<0.25 mm) increase landward of the main reef tract. Sponge spicules are the main component of particulate silica in sediments of the reef and fore-reef where sponge populations abound, whereas grains prevail in the back-reef lagoon deposits. Recycling of locally dissolved silica appears to be important for the growth of many off-shore reef sponges.     

Larval development of the red crab Pleuroncodes monodon (Decapoda Anomura: Galatheidae) under laboratory conditions

Larvae of Pleuroncodes monodon (Milne-Edwards, 1837), a red crab of commercial importance in South America, were reared in the laboratory at 2 different temperatures (15° and 20°C), from hatching up to the last larval stage. The 5 typical stages, with their corresponding functional appendages, are described and figured. The main characteristics useful in differentiating larvae of P. monodon from those of the other Chilean species of Galatheidae and its northern congener P. planipes are discussed. Data on duration of each larval stage, length of moulting intervals and mortality at the 2 test temperatures are also given.This study was financially supported by the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture and by the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT).     

Reproductive cycle of two commercial species of sea cucumber (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from Caribbean Panama

The reproductive status of the holothuroid species Isostichopus badionotus (Selenka, 1867) and Holothuria mexicana (Ludwig, 1875) was studied over 16 months in Bocas del Toro (Panama), from November 1999 to February 2001. Sexual reproduction was evaluated by the gonad index method, and by histology of gonad development. In addition, population structure was assessed based on sex ratio, minimum reproductive size, and length and weight distributions of males and females. The sex ratio in both species was 1:1, with a unimodal population distribution composed mainly of mature individuals. The minimum reproductive length and weight were 13-20 cm and 150 g, respectively, for both species, although reproductive individuals 10 cm in length were also found. A consistently higher gonad index was observed in H. mexicana, due to a high proportion of mature females and males and high gonad indices in most monthly samples. Gametogenesis and spawning patterns seemed to occur throughout the year, with periods of enhanced activity. Two periods of maximum reproductive activity were tentatively identified: July-November for I. badionotus and February-July for H. mexicana, but neither species had a single, sharply defined annual spawning event. Further work on these exploited holothuroids should examine the relationships between reproduction and environmental factors and between reproductive status and recruitment.     

Biosorption of Cr(VI) using low cost sorbents

Waste products from industrial operations, such as yohimbe bark, grape stalks, cork and olive stones were investigated for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. Equilibrium batch experiments at room temperature were performed. Metal uptake showed a pH-dependent profile and optimum uptake at initial pH between 2.0–3.0. Slight influence of NaCl on metal uptake was observed. The sorption data fitted well to the Langmuir model within the concentration range studied. Grape stalks proved to be the most efficient sorbent followed by yohimbe bark, cork and olive stones. N. Fiol is the recipient of the 2002 ACE Environmental Chemistry Award     

Ecology of a corallivorous gastropod,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Coralliophila abbreviata</Emphasis>, on two scleractinian hosts. II. Feeding,respiration and growth

Coralliophila abbreviata is a corallivorous gastropod that has been observed to cause large feeding scars on reef-building corals on Floridian and Caribbean reefs. We detected differences in the population structure (length-frequency distribution and sex ratios) of C. abbreviata populations living on two coral host taxa, Acropora palmata and Montastraea spp., in the Florida Keys in a previous study. We hypothesize that diet (host) has a major influence on snail population structure and, thus, we characterize metabolism, feeding and growth for snails residing on these coral taxa. Here, we present results of a reciprocal transplant experiment demonstrating that the taxon of the host influences snail growth rates, as indicated by changes in shell and body tissue weight. Regardless of the host from which they were drawn, snails resident on A. palmata grew faster than those resident on Montastraea spp. Thus, diet influences snail population structure. However, the tissue of Montastraea spp. provides more N and C per area of tissue than that of A. palmata. Respiration rates and tissue composition of snails collected from the two host taxa did not differ. Therefore, snails feeding on Montastraea spp. should have to consume less tissue per day to satisfy their metabolic requirements compared to snails feeding on A. palmata. Feeding rates for snails on A. palmata were measured in the laboratory over 48 h (1–9 cm² coral tissue snail⁻¹ day⁻¹) and estimated from feeding scars observed in the field (weekly mean rate of 1.07 cm² coral tissue snail⁻¹ day⁻¹). The lack of definition of snail feeding scars on Montastraea spp. required the calculation of coral tissue consumption rates based on estimated minimum carbon requirements. Calculated feeding rates for C. abbreviata were 0.13–0.88 cm² coral tissue day⁻¹ snail⁻¹, when feeding on Montastraea spp., and 0.44–3.28 cm² coral tissue day⁻¹ snail⁻¹, when feeding on A. palmata. The calculated range for the latter is consistent with measured rates. Thus, C. abbreviata exhibits high variation in growth parameters in response to environmental variability and/or food source. At mean levels of snail density on reefs off Key Largo, Fla., 20% of A. palmata colonies lose between 1.32 and 9.84 cm² tissue day⁻¹, while 50% of Montastraea spp. colonies lose between 1.04 and 7.04 cm² tissue day⁻¹. Together with published coral tissue regeneration rates, these results suggest that if sustained, such rates of predation could have a serious effect on the viability of these coral populations on Florida's reefs.     

Change in the uptake and cellular Si:N ratio in diatoms responding to the ambient Si:N ratio and growth phase

A change in the Si:N ratio of diatom cells during growth was examined for Chaetoceros socialis and Thalassiosira sp., with different initial silicate to nitrate (Si:N) ratios in the media. During exponential growth, C. socialis assimilated silicate and nitrate with a molar ratio of 0.5, independent of the ratio in the media, but after the depletion of nitrate, silicate continued to be taken up, and the Si:N ratio in the stationary phase increased to 2 as a function of the Si:N ratios in the media. In contrast, the ratio of silicate to nitrate taken up by Thalassiosira sp. increased with an increase in the Si:N ratio in the media. The Si:N ratio in the cells during the stationary phase increased in response to an increase in this ratio in the media. The Si:chl  a ratio also increased with the increase in the initial Si:N ratio in the media, while the N:chl  a ratio did not change to a great extent, indicating the changes in the cellular Si:N ratio was derived from changes in the Si content of the cells. These results indicated that the cellular Si:N ratio changed with the Si:N ratio in the medium, and the Si:N uptake ratio during the growth phase was different depending on diatom species. Thus, the dominance of different diatom species may affect nutrient composition and dynamics in the ocean.