Diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii in oligotrophic versus eutrophic culture: models and ultrastructure

Populations of marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii were grown in continuous cultures enriched with f/2 medium. One of the two contrasting cultures (‘eutrophic’) received 5.6 times more nutrients than the other (‘oligotrophic’). Two mathematical models are analyzed to estimate eutrophication differences. The second model based on the Michaelis–Menten uptake and Droop growth shows that cells in the eutrophic culture should have about 56% higher content of silica which is the limiting nutrient. Diatom samples were prepared for the transmission electron microscopy after cells have been kept in chemostats for 37 days. The structure of diatom cells was investigated and a comparison is made between cells grown in oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions. In eutrophic culture, dividing cells were encountered more frequently while cell concentration was approximately equal in both chemostats. The central vacuole of cells in eutrophic culture accumulated dispersed and compact material from amorphous to spherical shape. In some cells the large central vacuole had fibrilar and peppered dense materials in addition to translucent granules, vesicules and multivesicular bodies. In the cytoplasm we found increased number of multivesicular bodies, dense and lucent granules some of which enclose membrane particles and lucent vesicules. Dense material depositions observed in the vacuole are also seen in the cytoplasm associated with organelles, mitochondria and plasmalemma. Cells have well-developed, active and slightly increased number of dictyosomes (5–6). Some dictyosomes with dense secretory material in the cistern are apparently engaged in a granule formation process. Functional significance of dense material in the central vacuole, which has not been observed in cells grown in oligotrophic condition, is discussed.     

Role of probiotics on the environment of shrimp pond

Recent disease outbreak in shrimp farming caused mainly by bacteria, virus, fungi or a combination of these etiologic agents is attributed to disturbance in the environment of pond. To combat this, different antibiotics and chemicals are being used which are reported to be not environment friendly. Of late, a new and unique biotechnological product called "Probiotics " is being used widely by all the shrimp farmers worldwide, which is found to be more effective and environmentally safe also. In the present study 2 probiotics were used in a small 0.7 ha shrimp farm near Pattukottai in Tamil Nadu State for one culture period for the management of pond environment and also the gut ecology of Penaeus monodon. The environmental parameters analysed were within the acceptable limits. It was evident from the results that the production was better in the experimental pond where the probiotics were used. The biological parameters such as the average body weight, FCR and total harvest achieved were better in the experimental pond than the control pond, all due to congenial environment, which obtained in the former mainly due to the use of probiotics.     

Kenntnisdefizite bei Stoffeigenschaften und ihre Folgen

The data situation to chemical substances is unsatisfactory— in spite of in part considerable efforts in the last decades. One knows still very little on the subject of the dangerous characteristics of chemical substances. The consequences of this ignorance have primarily the employees to carry. They get sick due to a dealing with substances whose characteristics were not completely enlightened. But as well the enterprises have to suffer under it, after all, lose her experienced staff member and have to pay the costs about the Berufsgenossenschaften for these knowledge deficits. In the EU, the future European chemical policy is therefore discussed. The contribution explains the range of the sicknesses through dealing with substances with unknown characteristics.     

Ökologische Charakterisierung ausgewählter Enchytraeenarten hinsichtlich relevanter Bodeneigenschaften

The aim of this contribution was the ecological characterization of 32 selected terrestrial Central-European enchytraeid species regarding factors of land use, pH-value, grain-size distribution, humus form, and soil moisture. The background of this characterization is generated by the so-called Soil Biological Site-Classification (abbreviated BBSK), a concept for the soil-biological assessment of soils. The crucial point within this concept is the comparison of the theoretically expected soil biocoenosis with the biocoenosis actually detected at a single site. Intending to obtain a simplified management of the parameters mentioned, these were each divided into three to five classes. The data-basis for the ecological characterization was formed by analysing suitable sources of literature with both biological and abiotic data given for one site. The result of the analysis was the frequency of a single species regarding the classes of the viewed soil parameters. On the basis of these results, the enchytraeid coenosis of three adjacent Bavarian sites of different use was predicted exemplarily and the enchytraeid community of these sites was investigated. The comparison of the predicted and detected coenoses showed that the sureness of the forecast varied between the different land uses: for wood and grassland, the prognosis was very precise and satisfactory, whereas the forecast for the agricultural site differed quite extensively. This was mainly due to the narrow data basis for agricultural sites.     

Evidence for the remobilisation of transuranic elements in the terrestrial environment

The transuranium elements, Np, Pu and Am discharged from the BNFL fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield have accumulated in the local environment. The processes responsible for their dispersal rely both on physical transportation and their chemical reactivity. The transuranics have a complex chemistry, with multiple oxidation states and a strongly polarising character. In the environment, the particle active III/IV and more mobile VNI oxidation state groups are important and govern their geochemical behaviour and subsequent dispersal. Studies of the behaviour of the transuranics, particularly Pu, in the Irish Sea, have shown that the majority of the radionuclides in the liquid effluent discharged from Sellafield, quickly becomes associated with the marine sediments. Their dispersal and distribution in the environment is then governed primarily by the movement of particulate material and for some sites it has been suggested that sediment profiles preserve the historical record of discharges from the plant. In tidally inundated soils, radionuclide levels are greatly enhanced. These soils are water-logged for long periods of the year, are strongly anoxic and accretion rate are very low. The distribution of Np, Pu and Am in the soil suggests that simple sedimentary accumulation mechanism cannot provide an adequate explanation for the profiles observed. From preliminary studies of soil pore water composition and detailed analysis of the variation of isotopic ratios in the soil cores, it is apparent that a small but significant component of the radionuclide inventory is mobile. In addition, it is clear that the mechanisms responsible for this mobility allows differentiation between the transuranium nuclides.     

Use of signature whistles during separations and reunions by wild bottlenose dolphin mothers and infants

We examine the contexts and patterns of signature whistle production by wild bottlenose dolphin mother-infant pairs (Tursiops spp.) to gain insight into the functional significance of whistles. Results are based on focal observations and simultaneous recordings of underwater vocalizations. Whistles occur primarily when mother-infant pairs are separated, and the probability of whistles increases with distance of separation. The timing of whistles during separations varies, but whistles tend to be produced in repetitive series and are generally concentrated toward the later stages of the separation, i.e., during the process of reunion. Although we focused on infants, mothers do not appear to whistle during separations as frequently as infants. Infant whistles may function to facilitate reunions by conveying information to the mother concerning the infant's motivation to reunite and/or its location. Infant whistles could induce a cooperative response from the mother including approach, slowing to allow the infant to catch up or whistling. Highly individualized signature whistles may be particularly useful in a fission-fusion society in which individuals (mothers and infants as well as adults) join and leave temporary parties in a fluid manner, yet maintain consistent, long-term associations with particular individuals. Correspondence to: R.A. Smolker     

Constraints on group size in primates and carnivores: population density and day-range as assays of exploitation competition

Summary We hypothesise that foraging group size (FGS) and population group size (PGS) in primates and carnivores are related to quantifiable variables indexing the intensity of exploitative competition. Group size is predicted to increase with both food density and travel capabilities, as estimated by the constraint-free day-range (DR_s), i.e. the day-range of a solitary individual uninfluenced by competition from conspecifics. We test this exploitation competition hypothesis among primates and carnivores, using data on populations, species and genera. Food density was indexed by population density. Where DR_s could be estimated by regression it was found to be correlated with observed day-range (DR_m). DR_s was therefore indexed by DR_m in all species. Population density and DR_m were associated with each other, but in a multiple regression each variable contributed independently to explaining variation in group size. PGS was predicted better than FGS, but regressions involving either measure of group size were significant in all analyses. The multiple regression analyses were validated by the method of linear contrasts, which accounts for possible lack of independence among taxa. We conclude that species differences in group size are influenced by both food density and DR_s. This suggests that variation in the intensity of exploitation competition is partly responsible for differences in group size.Correspondence to: R.W. Wrangham     

Effect of temperature on the escape responses of larval herring,Clupea harengus

Herring (Clupea harengus L.) larvae from spring and autumn spawning stocks were reared at different constant temperatures from 5° to 17 °C. At equivalent developmental stages, the spring larvae were longer than the autumn larvae and the larvae reared at low temperatures were longer than those reared at high temperatures. At hatching and at the end of the yolk-sac stage, the larvae were induced, by a probe, to make C-start escape responses, which were recorded and analysed using a high-speed video recording at 400 frames s^-1. The response was rapid and of short duration. The tailbeat frequency and swimming speed were measured during the burst of swimming following the C-start at different test temperatures and in larvae with different temperature histories. The tail-beat frequency was strongly temperature-dependent, rising from 19 Hz at 5 °C to 37 Hz at 17 °C with no effect of temperature history, season or developmental stage. The burst-swimming speed ranged at hatching from 75 to 90 mm s^-1 at 5 °C to 110 to 160 mm s^-1 at 17 °C and at yolk resorption from 90–115 mm s^-1 at 5 °C to 175–190 mm s^-1 at 17 °C. The longer, spring-spawned larvae swam faster than the shorter autumn-spawned larvae. When the swimming speeds were expressed as body lengths (L) s^-1, these differences disappeared. Larvae swam from 7–9 L s^-1 at 5 °C to 15–20 L s^-1 at 17 °C at hatching, and from 8–9 L s^-1 at 5 °C to 15–17 L s^-1 at 17 °C at yolk resorption. There was, however, a significantly faster specific swimming speed by the larvae reared at 12 °C in spring 1991.Honorary Research Fellow of the Scottish Association for Marine ScienceUnfortunately, Karen Fretwell was drowned in an accident on 9 January 1993     

Certainty of paternity covaries with paternal care in birds

Summary Male investment in parental care has been hypothesized to be affected or not to be affected by their certainty of paternity, depending on the particular assumptions of theoretical models. We used data on paternal care and extra-pair paternity from 52 bird species to determine whether male parental care was related to certainity of paternity. Paternal care was measured as the relative male contribution to nest building, courtship feeding, incubation, and feeding of nestlings, respectively. Males of avian taxa did not provide less parental care during nest building, courtship feeding and incubation if the frequency of extra-pair paternity was high. However, male participation in feeding of offspring was significantly negatively related to the frequency of extra-pair paternity. This was also the case when the effects of potentially confounding variables such as developmental mode of offspring (which may result in males being freed from parental duties), extent of polygyny (which may result in less paternal care), and the frequency of multiple clutches during one breeding season (which may increase the probability of finding fertile females during the nestling period) were controlled statistically. These results suggest that the extent of paternal care has been affected by certainty of paternity, and that sex roles during the energetically most expensive parts of reproduction have been shaped by sperm competition.     

Photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation in zooxanthellae

The carbon-fixation patterns of freshly isolated zooxanthellae from the hermatypic coral Acropora formosa were examined during a 15 min exposure to sodium mosa were examined during a 15 min exposure to sodium [¹⁴C]bicarbonate. The labelling pattern during the first 60 s exposure showed that the C₃ carbon-fixation pathway is the major route for photosynthetic carbon fixation in Symbiodinium sp. 3-Phosphoglyceric acid, which constituted >50% of the label after 5 s, steadily decreased over the first 60 s. Hexose phosphates, aspartate, malate and glucose were the other main products during the first 60 s. Over longer periods, significant amounts of the organic acids succinate, aspartate and glutamate were found in the extract along with glucose; but no glycerol.