The eye and some effects of light on locomotor activity in Nephrops norvegicus

The compound eye of Nephrops norvegicus (L.) is of the superposition type, well-adapted to the low levels of light prevailing at the sea bed during the activity periods of the species. Only the proximal retinal shielding pigment responds to light, the distal retinal shielding pigment being in the dark-adapted position at all times. The response of the proximal pigment appears to vary seasonally. Field observations compared light intensity at the sea bed with the numbers of N. norvegicus caught by trawl at various times of day in the Irish Sea in summer and winter. Laboratory experiments were combined with these field data to indicate that light is an important modulator of locomotor activity in this species.     

Seasonal differences in citrate synthase and digestive enzyme activity in larval and postlarval antarctic krill, Euphausia superba

Antarctic krill maintain large population sizes despite dramatic seasonal fluctuations in food availability, but the mechanisms for this are still debated. The aim of this study was to compare seasonal differences in enzyme activity and respiration rates of larval and postlarval krill to provide insights into their overwintering strategies. Respiration rates, activity of the metabolic enzyme citrate synthase (CS), and those of the digestive enzymes laminarinase and total proteinase were measured in austral summer west of the Antarctic Peninsula, and in autumn in the southwestern Lazarev Sea. The 100-fold difference in chlorophyll a concentrations between the two studies is representative of the classic transition from a summer bloom to sparse winter conditions. Correspondingly, adult krill showed reduced respiration rates and CS activity in autumn. However, their digestive enzyme activity was significantly higher, suggesting more efficient assimilation of food at low food levels. Similar-sized larvae showed no summer-autumn differences in respiration rates and enzyme activity, supporting suggestions that they need to feed and grow year-round. However, trends in enzymatic activity varied between the larval stages measured, implying ontogenetic changes in body structure and function. Published online: 1 August 2002     

A model for energetics and bioaccumulation in marine mammals with applications to the right whale.

We present a dynamic energy budget (DEB) model for marine mammals, coupled with a pharmacokinetic model of a lipophilic persistent toxicant. Inputs to the model are energy availability and lipid-normalized toxicant concentration in the environment. The model predicts individual growth, reproduction, bioaccumulation, and transfer of energy and toxicant from mothers to their young. We estimated all model parameters for the right whale; with these parameters, reduction in energy availability increases the age at first parturition, increases intervals between reproductive events, reduces the organisms' ability to buffer seasonal fluctuations, and increases its susceptibility to temporal shifts in the seasonal peak of energy availability. Reduction in energy intake increases bioaccumulation and the amount of toxicant transferred from mother to each offspring. With high energy availability, the toxicant load of offspring decreases with birth order. Contrary to expectations, this ordering may be reversed with lower energy availability. Although demonstrated with parameters for the right whale, these relationships between energy intake and energetics and pharmacokinetics of organisms are likely to be much more general. Results specific to right whales include energy assimilation estimates for the North Atlantic and southern right whale, influences of history of energy availability on reproduction, and a relationship between ages at first parturition and calving intervals. Our model provides a platform for further analyses of both individual and population responses of marine mammals to pollution, and to changes in energy availability, including those likely to arise through climate change.     

A preliminary study of the phycological degradation of natural stone masonry

For many years it has been realised that the weathering of stone is not merely determined by physical and chemical factors but also by biological agents. When the stone in question is a historic building or monument, the damage done constitutes an irretrievable loss of our heritage and history. Laboratory studies have commenced in Paisley to study the effect of photoautotrophs on the major sedimentary rock forming minerals, with a view to expanding this work to study the overall effect of these micro-organisms on heritage masonry. Tests were carried out on Albite, Calcite, Dolomite, Orthoclase, Siderite and Quartz, using axenic cultures of the following: Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorococcum tetrasporum, Scenedesmus obliquus, Oocystis marsonii, Stichococcus bacillaris. The rock chips were immersed in either water or bolds basal media and exposed to a mix of the micro-organisms listed above and then tested weekly for their pH, fortnightly for the waters chemical composition using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and visually utilising the universitys SEM facilities. Work so far has revealed biologically mediated etching of minerals, a well-defined pH profile over a period of 90 days, as well as a variety of elemental release patterns for the different minerals.     

Functional responses of copepod nauplii using a high efficiency gut fluorescence technique

To investigate copepod nauplii ingestion rates on phytoplankton, we have adapted the traditional gut fluorescence technique as it can be used with lower gut pigment concentrations. With the improved technique, laboratory experiments were performed to estimate functional responses for nauplii of Calanus helgolandicus and Centropages typicus. Nauplii were raised from eggs to copepodites and the experiments were performed with stages NIV-NV. Gut evacuation rates and ingestion rates were measured on Isochrysis galbana at different concentrations. Specific ingestion rates ranged between 0.038–0.244 μg C μg⁻¹ nauplii C d⁻¹ for C. typicus and 0.041–1.412 μg C μg⁻¹ nauplii C d⁻¹ for C. helgolandicus. Both species showed a type III functional response, reaching a saturation concentration at around 600 μgC l⁻¹ for C. typicus and 800 μgC l⁻¹ for C. helgolandicus. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Sampling of ethylene glycol and ethylene glycol derivatives in work-room air using Amberlite XAD resins

The porous polymers Amberlite XAD-2 and XAD-7 were evaluated for the sampling of ethylene glycol, 2-methoxyethanol, 2-ethoxyethanol, 2-butoxyethanol and 2-ethoxyethyl acetate in work-room air. Using diethyl ether desorption, these adsorbents were found excellent for the compounds studied.     

Effects of degree of water saturation on dispersivity and immobile water in sandy soil columns

Three natural nonaggregated soil samples, with similar grain-size distributions, have been used to determine the dispersive behavior of porous media under steady, saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. Tritium was used as a tracer and was found to have no sorption on the solid matrix. Generated breakthrough curves (BTCs) for the unsaturated experiments were symmetrical with no evidence of tailing. The unsaturated experiments for two of the soils were adequately described by considering all the water in the pore volume as mobile. However, about 10% of the pore water, independent of the degree of saturation, was found to be immobile in the case of the third soil during unsaturated flow. For this soil, there was no mass transfer between the two water regions, indicating that the immobile water is essentially isolated from the flowing water fraction. For all three soils, dispersivity under unsaturated conditions was found to be higher, independent of the degree of water saturation, than the value determined for the saturated experiments. This is inconsistent with what would be expected from the simple bundle-of-capillary-tubes model and does not agree well with a more sophisticated conceptualization of the porous medium. The data, however, clearly indicate a wider range in pore-water velocities when these soils are desaturated.     

An actor game on implementation of environmental quality standards for nitrogen in a Swedish agricultural catchment

Despite political efforts, diffuse pollution from agriculture continues to be the single largest source of nitrogen (N) emissions into the aquatic environment in many countries and regions. This fact, and the recent enactment of a new Swedish environmental code, led to the design of a study targeted at the evaluation of new N pollution abatement strategies. An actor game was chosen as the key component of the study, with a focus on four major goals: to test the implementability of legally binding environmental quality standards for nitrate concentration in groundwater and N transport to the sea, to find sets of agriculturally feasible and cost-effective measures to decrease N loads, to investigate the possibilities for collective action through negotiated and institutionalized actor cooperation, and to investigate the role of mathematical modeling in environmental N management. Characteristics from the agriculturally dominated catchment of Genevads?n (224 km2) on the southwest coast of Sweden served as the playing field for the actor game. The most noteworthy result from the study was that it appeared to be possible to meet ambitious environmental N standards with less economically drastic measures than anticipated by most of the participants. The actor game was shown to be a good method for learning about the new Swedish environmental code and its application and for gaining deeper insight into the issues of N management. In addition, the actor game functioned as an arena for gaining a more thorough understanding of the views of different stakeholders.     

Manganese uptake and accumulation by the hyperaccumulator plant Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae)

The perennial herb Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae), which occurs in Southern China, has been found to be a new manganese hyperaccumulator by means of field surveys on Mn-rich soils and by glasshouse experiments. This species not only has remarkable tolerance to Mn but also has extraordinary uptake and accumulation capacity for this element. The maximum Mn concentration in the leaf dry matter was 19,300 microg/g on Xiangtan Mn tailings wastelands, with a mean of 14,480 microg/g. Under nutrient solution culture conditions, P. acinosa could grow normally with Mn supplied at a concentration of 8000 micromol/l, although with less biomass than in control samples supplied with Mn at 5 micromol/l. Manganese concentration in the shoots increased with increasing external Mn levels, but the total mass of Mn accumulated in the shoots first increased and then decreased. At an Mn concentration of 5000 micromol/l in the culture solution, the Mn accumulation in the shoot dry matter was highest (258 mg/plant). However, the Mn concentration in the leaves reached its highest value (36,380 microg/g) at an Mn supply level of 12,000 micromol/l. These results confirm that P. acinosa is an Mn hyperaccumulator which grows rapidly, has substantial biomass, wide distribution and a broad ecological amplitude. This species provides a new plant resource for exploring the mechanism of Mn hyperaccumulation, and has potential for use in the phytoremediation of Mn-contaminated soils.