Microbially Mediated Redox Cycling at the Oxic–Anoxic Boundary in Sediments: Comparison of Animal and Plants Habitats

Microorganisms are responsible for the bulk of transformations that occur in surficial sediments. They are most active at redox boundaries where they can benefit from access to various oxidants and reductants generated during redox cycling events. To illustrate the dynamics of microbially mediated processes, especially those involving sulfur and metal cycles, processes were compared in habitats either bioturbated by a capitellid worm or inhabited by a salt marsh grass. The presence of macrofauna and macroflora greatly altered the three-dimensional array of redox gradients in sediments, but the type and form of reductants and oxidants provided varied greatly; clastic sedimentary infauna subducted solid phase organic material and iron oxides, whereas plant roots released dissolved organic matter and oxygen. These differences resulted in a bioturbated system that exhibited a rapid sulfur cycle (residence time of minutes), but a slower iron cycle (days), whereas vegetation caused a slow sulfur cycle and rapid iron cycle. Alteration of sediments by higher life forms also greatly affected the composition and relative abundances of sedimentary bacteria, even on short time scales. Although redox cycling at interfaces can be somewhat predictable, variations in response to biological and physical perturbations demonstrated wide differences in the dynamics of redox-mediated processes.     

《海洋环境保护法》对排污收费制度的改革

长期以来,我国对排污或超标排污实行征收排污费制度。九届人大常委会第13次会议修订通过的《海洋环境保护法》对此进行了改革。本文对此进行了深入分析。     

Long-Term Changes in the State of Gonads in Sea Urchins Strongylocentrotus intermediusfrom Amur Bay,the Sea of Japan

The state of gonads was analyzed in sea urchins Strongylocentrotus intermediuscollected in Amur Bay (Peter the Great Bay, the Sea of Japan) in August 1984, 1985, 1989, and 1997 at five stations: Skrebtsov Island (1), Sportivnaya Harbor (2), Cape Tokarevskii (3), Alekseev Bay on Popov Island (4), and Verkhovskii Islands (5). The first three stations were in the polluted inshore zone of Vladivostok; stations 4 and 5 were in the open (insular) part of the bay, remote from the main sources of pollution. The state of gonads of sea urchins collected in different years and areas strongly varied with respect to gonad index (GI), gonad maturity index, and indices of pathological changes in gonads. As compared with the data obtained in 1984, 1985, and 1989, the values of GI increased in sea urchins from stations 1–3 and decreased in sea urchins from stations 4 and 5. Although GI values were high, the indices of gonad maturity in animals from the coastal zone were very low. In general gonad maturity in sea urchins from the Amur Bay was lower in 1997 than in the previous years. The correlation analysis of long-term data revealed no positive correlation between the values of GI and gonad maturity index in sea urchins from stations 1–4. Histopathological changes were more serious in sea urchins from stations 1–3. In 1997, the indices of pathological changes in the gonads of sea urchins from the insular zone (stations 4 and 5) were higher than in the previous period (1984–1989). The influence of various ecological factors—temperature, salinity, environmental pollution, and food supply—on gametogenesis in sea urchins is discussed.     

利用废锂渣制备碳酸锂

介绍了用生产丁基过程中的渣制备碳酸锂的工艺过程及最佳工艺条件,在碳酸钠加入量为理论需要量的110％、pH为9－10、陈化时间为12h、干燥温度为450℃、干燥时间为2h的条件下,碳酸锂的总收率为70.3%左右,产品的纯度为98％左右,产品质量达到GB11075－89的三级标准。     

Coral Reef Habitats as Surrogates of Species, Ecological Functions, and Ecosystem Services

Abstract: Habitat maps are often the core spatially consistent data set on which marine reserve networks are designed, but their efficacy as surrogates for species richness and applicability to other conservation measures is poorly understood. Combining an analysis of field survey data, literature review, and expert assessment by a multidisciplinary working group, we examined the degree to which Caribbean coastal habitats provide useful planning information on 4 conservation measures: species richness, the ecological functions of fish species, ecosystem processes, and ecosystem services. Approximately one‐quarter to one‐third of benthic invertebrate species and fish species (disaggregated by life phase; hereafter fish species) occurred in a single habitat, and Montastraea‐dominated forereefs consistently had the highest richness of all species, processes, and services. All 11 habitats were needed to represent all 277 fish species in the seascape, although reducing the conservation target to 95% of species approximately halved the number of habitats required to ensure representation. Species accumulation indices (SAIs) were used to compare the efficacy of surrogates and revealed that fish species were a more appropriate surrogate of benthic species (SAI = 71%) than benthic species were for fishes (SAI = 42%). Species of reef fishes were also distributed more widely across the seascape than invertebrates and therefore their use as a surrogate simultaneously included mangroves, sea grass, and coral reef habitats. Functional classes of fishes served as effective surrogates of fish and benthic species which, given their ease to survey, makes them a particularly useful measure for conservation planning. Ecosystem processes and services exhibited great redundancy among habitats and were ineffective as surrogates of species. Therefore, processes and services in this case were generally unsuitable for a complementarity‐based approach to reserve design. In contrast, the representation of species or functional classes ensured inclusion of all processes and services in the reserve network.     

我国海洋自然保护区面临的主要问题及管理策略

我国海洋自然保护区的建立,在保护海洋环境、物种资源,维护海洋生态平衡等方面起了重要作用;然而海洋自然保护区建设管理工作起步较晚、基础薄弱、保护区的管理正处于摸索阶段,还存在一些问题.文章提出了目前我国海洋自然保护区在管理体制、总体布局规划、经费投入、法律法规以及科研工作方面存在的主要问题,并根据这些问题提出相应解决的管理策略.     

Accounting for enforcement costs in the spatial allocation of marine zones

Marine fish stocks are in many cases extracted above sustainable levels, but they may be protected through restricted‐use zoning systems. The effectiveness of these systems typically depends on support from coastal fishing communities. High management costs including those of enforcement may, however, deter fishers from supporting marine management. We incorporated enforcement costs into a spatial optimization model that identified how conservation targets can be met while maximizing fishers’ revenue. Our model identified the optimal allocation of the study area among different zones: no‐take, territorial user rights for fisheries (TURFs), or open access. The analysis demonstrated that enforcing no‐take and TURF zones incurs a cost, but results in higher species abundance by preventing poaching and overfishing. We analyzed how different enforcement scenarios affected fishers’ revenue. Fisher revenue was approximately 50% higher when territorial user rights were enforced than when they were not. The model preferentially allocated area to the enforced‐TURF zone over other zones, demonstrating that the financial benefits of enforcement (derived from higher species abundance) exceeded the costs. These findings were robust to increases in enforcement costs but sensitive to changes in species’ market price. We also found that revenue under the existing zoning regime in the study area was 13–30% lower than under an optimal solution. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for both the benefits and costs of enforcement in marine conservation, particularly when incurred by fishers. Justificación de los Costos de Aplicación en la Asignación Espacial de Zonas Marinas     

Incorporating Surrogate Species and Seascape Connectivity to Improve Marine Conservation Outcomes

Conservation focuses on maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, but gaps in our knowledge of species biology and ecological processes often impede progress. For this reason, focal species and habitats are used as surrogates for multispecies conservation, but species‐based approaches are not widely adopted in marine ecosystems. Reserves in the Solomon Islands were designed on the basis of local ecological knowledge to conserve bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) and to protect food security and ecosystem functioning. Bumphead parrotfish are an iconic threatened species and may be a useful surrogate for multispecies conservation. They move across tropical seascapes throughout their life history, in a pattern of habitat use that is shared with many other species. We examined their value as a conservation surrogate and assessed the importance of seascape connectivity (i.e., the physical connectedness of patches in the seascape) among reefs, mangroves, and seagrass to marine reserve performance. Reserves were designed for bumphead parrotfish, but also enhanced the abundance of other species. Integration of local ecological knowledge and seascape connectivity enhanced the abundance of 17 other harvested fish species in local reserves. This result has important implications for ecosystem functioning and local villagers because many of these species perform important ecological processes and provide the foundation for extensive subsistence fisheries. Our findings suggest greater success in maintaining and restoring marine ecosystems may be achieved when they are managed to conserve surrogate species and preserve functional seascape connections. Incorporación de Especies Sustitutas y de Conectividad Marina para Mejorar los Resultados de Conservación     

Defining Critical Habitats of Threatened and Endemic Reef Fishes with a Multivariate Approach

Understanding critical habitats of threatened and endemic animals is essential for mitigating extinction risks, developing recovery plans, and siting reserves, but assessment methods are generally lacking. We evaluated critical habitats of 8 threatened or endemic fish species on coral and rocky reefs of subtropical eastern Australia, by measuring physical and substratum‐type variables of habitats at fish sightings. We used nonmetric and metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS, mMDS), Analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), similarity percentages analysis (SIMPER), permutational analysis of multivariate dispersions (PERMDISP), and other multivariate tools to distinguish critical habitats. Niche breadth was widest for 2 endemic wrasses, and reef inclination was important for several species, often found in relatively deep microhabitats. Critical habitats of mainland reef species included small caves or habitat‐forming hosts such as gorgonian corals and black coral trees. Hard corals appeared important for reef fishes at Lord Howe Island, and red algae for mainland reef fishes. A wide range of habitat variables are required to assess critical habitats owing to varied affinities of species to different habitat features. We advocate assessments of critical habitats matched to the spatial scale used by the animals and a combination of multivariate methods. Our multivariate approach furnishes a general template for assessing the critical habitats of species, understanding how these vary among species, and determining differences in the degree of habitat specificity. Definición de Hábitats Críticos para Peces Arrecifales Amenazados y Endémicos Mediante un Método Multivariado     

Seventy‐One Important Questions for the Conservation of Marine Biodiversity

The ocean provides food, economic activity, and cultural value for a large proportion of humanity. Our knowledge of marine ecosystems lags behind that of terrestrial ecosystems, limiting effective protection of marine resources. We describe the outcome of 2 workshops in 2011 and 2012 to establish a list of important questions, which, if answered, would substantially improve our ability to conserve and manage the world's marine resources. Participants included individuals from academia, government, and nongovernment organizations with broad experience across disciplines, marine ecosystems, and countries that vary in levels of development. Contributors from the fields of science, conservation, industry, and government submitted questions to our workshops, which we distilled into a list of priority research questions. Through this process, we identified 71 key questions. We grouped these into 8 subject categories, each pertaining to a broad component of marine conservation: fisheries, climate change, other anthropogenic threats, ecosystems, marine citizenship, policy, societal and cultural considerations, and scientific enterprise. Our questions address many issues that are specific to marine conservation, and will serve as a road map to funders and researchers to develop programs that can greatly benefit marine conservation. Setenta y Un Preguntas Importantes para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad Marina