Shifting elasmobranch community assemblage at Cocos Island—an isolated marine protected area

Fishing pressure has increased the extinction risk of many elasmobranch (shark and ray) species. Although many countries have established no‐take marine reserves, a paucity of monitoring data means it is still unclear if reserves are effectively protecting these species. We examined data collected by a small group of divers over the past 21 years at one of the world's oldest marine protected areas (MPAs), Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica. We used mixed effects models to determine trends in relative abundance, or probability of occurrence, of 12 monitored elasmobranch species while accounting for variation among observers and from abiotic factors. Eight of 12 species declined significantly over the past 2 decades. We documented decreases in relative abundance for 6 species, including the iconic scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) (?45%), whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) (?77%), mobula ray (Mobula spp.) (?78%), and manta ray (Manta birostris) (?89%), and decreases in the probability of occurrence for 2 other species. Several of these species have small home ranges and should be better protected by an MPA, which underscores the notion that declines of marine megafauna will continue unabated in MPAs unless there is adequate enforcement effort to control fishing. In addition, probability of occurrence at Cocos Island of tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier), Galapagos (Carcharhinus galapagensis), blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus), and whale (Rhincodon typus) sharks increased significantly. The effectiveness of MPAs cannot be evaluated by examining single species because population responses can vary depending on life history traits and vulnerability to fishing pressure.     

位阻胺混合甘氨酸盐溶液吸收CO2的研究

在双搅拌反应釜中研究了位阻胺2-氨基-2-甲基-1-丙醇(AMP)与甘氨酸钠(SG)混合溶液吸收CO2的性能.实验温度293~313K,混合溶液的浓度为AMP(1.5kmol/m3)+SG (0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8kmol/m3),SG浓度每增加0.2kmol/m3,200min内的平均吸收速率分别提高11.47%,10.07%,9.18%和5.33%.与AMP单一溶液相比,混合溶液在200 min时的吸收容量增加了11.5%~41.1%.在293~313K,吸收速率随温度上升而提高.使用加热的方法进行再生实验,得到1.5 kmol/m3 AMP + 0.6 kmol/m3 SG混合液的最适再生温度为378K.AMP + SG混合溶液的再生效率高于单一SG溶液及AMP + MEA/DEA混合溶液.     

磁性炭微球表面印迹吸附材料的制备及其对氨苄西林识别与选择性吸附

以核桃壳为原料,利用溶剂热法制备了磁性炭微球(MCMs),结合表面印迹技术制备了基于MCMs的磁性炭微球表面分子印迹材料(MMIPs).通过FT-IR、TGA、VSM和TEM等表征手段对其理化性能进行了表征,结果表明MMIPs为球形,印迹聚合层厚度50~80 nm,具有热稳定性和磁稳定性.采用吸附实验研究了MMIPs对AMP的识别与选择性吸附性能.Langmuir等温模型能较好地描述MMIPs对AMP的吸附平衡数据,25℃时MMIPs的单分子层最大吸附容量为40.96 mg·g-1.准二级动力学模型能较好的描述MMIPs对AMP吸附动力学行为.选择性分析结果表明,MMIPs对AMP具有较好地选择识别性,并且MMIPs可以循环使用5次.结合高效液相色谱分析技术,MMIPs已成功应用于牛奶样品中痕量AMP的分离、富集和回收,AMP的回收率为92.78%.     

Protection of Genetic Diversity and Maintenance of Connectivity among Reef Corals within Marine Protected Areas

Abstract: High‐latitude coral reefs (HLRs) are potentially vulnerable marine ecosystems facing well‐documented threats to tropical reefs and exposure to suboptimal temperatures and insolation. In addition, because of their geographic isolation, HLRs may have poor or erratic larval connections to tropical reefs and a reduced genetic diversity and capacity to respond to environmental change. On Australia's east coast, a system of marine protected areas (MPAs) has been established with the aim of conserving HLRs in part by providing sources of colonizing larvae. To examine the effectiveness of existing MPAs as networks for dispersal, we compared genetic diversity within and among the HLRs in MPAs and between these HLRs and tropical reefs on the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The 2 coral species best represented on Australian HLRs (the brooding Pocillopora damicornis and the broadcast‐spawning Goniastrea australensis) exhibited sharply contrasting patterns of diversity and connectedness. For P. damicornis, the 8‐locus genetic and genotypic diversity declined dramatically with increasing latitude (N_a= 3.6–1.2, H_e= 0.3–0.03, N_g:N = 0.87–0.06), although population structure was consistent with recruitment derived largely from sexual reproduction (G_o:G_e= 1.28–0.55). Genetic differentiation was high among the HLRs (F_ST[SD]= 0.32 [0.08], p < 0.05) and between the GBR and the HLRs (F_ST= 0.24 [0.06], p < 0.05), which indicates these temperate populations are effectively closed. In contrast for G. australensis, 9‐locus genetic diversity was more consistent across reefs (N_a= 4.2–3.9, H_e= 0.3–0.26, N_g:N = 1–0.61), and there was no differentiation among regions (F_ST= 0.00 [0.004], p > 0.05), which implies the HLRs and the southern GBR are strongly interconnected. Our results demonstrate that although the current MPAs appear to capture most of the genetic diversity present within the HLR systems for these 2 species, their sharply contrasting patterns of connectivity indicate some taxa, such as P. damicornis, will be more vulnerable than others, and this disparity will provide challenges for future management.     

A DFT study on the carbamates formation through the absorption of CO2 by AMP

DFT calculations in gas and aqueous solution phases have been performed to study the mechanism of carbamate formation by the absorption of CO₂ in 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP). The results reveal the importance of considering the effect of water as solvent for the reaction to proceed. Furthermore water molecules play an important role as a basic reactant leading to stable intermediates formation. These results point at a single-step, third order reaction as the most probable mechanism for the formation of carbamate by the absorption process.     

Efficient and equitable design of marine protected areas in Fiji through inclusion of stakeholder‐specific objectives in conservation planning

The efficacy of protected areas varies, partly because socioeconomic factors are not sufficiently considered in planning and management. Although integrating socioeconomic factors into systematic conservation planning is increasingly advocated, research is needed to progress from recognition of these factors to incorporating them effectively in spatial prioritization of protected areas. We evaluated 2 key aspects of incorporating socioeconomic factors into spatial prioritization: treatment of socioeconomic factors as costs or objectives and treatment of stakeholders as a single group or multiple groups. Using as a case study the design of a system of no‐take marine protected areas (MPAs) in Kubulau, Fiji, we assessed how these aspects affected the configuration of no‐take MPAs in terms of trade‐offs between biodiversity objectives, fisheries objectives, and equity in catch losses among fisher stakeholder groups. The achievement of fisheries objectives and equity tended to trade‐off concavely with increasing biodiversity objectives, indicating that it is possible to achieve low to mid‐range biodiversity objectives with relatively small losses to fisheries and equity. Importantly, the extent of trade‐offs depended on the method used to incorporate socioeconomic data and was least severe when objectives were set for each fisher stakeholder group explicitly. We found that using different methods to incorporate socioeconomic factors that require similar data and expertise can result in plans with very different impacts on local stakeholders.     

Expanding marine protected areas to include degraded coral reefs

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a commonly applied solution to coral reef degradation, yet coral reefs continue to decline worldwide. We argue that expanding the range of MPAs to include degraded reefs (DR‐MPA) could help reverse this trend. This approach requires new ecological criteria for MPA design, siting, and management. Rather than focusing solely on preserving healthy reefs, our approach focuses on the potential for biodiversity recovery and renewal of ecosystem services. The new criteria would help identify sites with the highest potential for recovery and the greatest resistance to future threats (e.g., increased temperature and acidification) and sites that contribute to MPA connectivity. The DR‐MPA approach is a compliment rather than a substitute for traditional MPA design approaches. We believe that the DR‐MPA approach can enhance the natural, or restoration‐assisted, recovery of DRs and their ecosystem services; increase total reef area available for protection; promote more resilient and better‐connected MPA networks; and improve conditions for human communities dependent on MPA ecosystem services.     

海水中137Cs的富集与分析

应用改进的磷钼酸铵(AMP)富集法吸附、富集海水中的137Cs,并采用γ谱仪进行测量。结果表明,改进磷钼酸铵法最佳的实验条件为:量取20～100 L海水样品,调节pH 1.2～3.3,按每5 L水样50 mg、1 g的比例分别先后加入铯载体和40～60目的磷钼酸铵(AMP),通入30 L/min的气泡搅拌30 min,放置澄清4 h以上(一般放置时间不超过24 h)。用改进磷钼酸铵法取40 L海水样品进行实验时,铯的化学回收率93%～100%,放射性137Cs回收率94%～102%。γ能谱法测定海水中137Cs分析结果和β计数法进行比较,两者在t检验上没有显著性差异,证明γ能谱法测定大体积海水中137Cs的方法是可行的。     

Interactive effects of cadmium and hypoxia on metabolic responses and bacterial loads of eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica Gmelin

Pollution by toxic metals including cadmium (Cd) and hypoxia are important stressors in estuaries and coastal waters which may interactively affect sessile benthic organisms, such as oysters. We studied metabolic responses to prolonged hypoxic acclimation (2 weeks at 5% O₂) in control and Cd-exposed (30 d at 50 μg L⁻¹ Cd) oysters Crassostrea virginica, and analyzed the effects of these stressors on abundance of Vibrio spp. in oysters. Hypoxia-acclimated oysters retained normal standard metabolic rates (SMR) at 5% O₂, in contrast to a decline of SMR observed during acute hypoxia. However, oysters spent more time actively ventilating in hypoxia than normoxia resulting in enhanced Cd uptake and 2.7-fold higher tissue Cd burdens in hypoxia. Cd exposure led to a significant decrease in tissue glycogen stores, increase in free glucose levels and elevated activity of glycolytic enzymes (hexokinase and aldolase) indicating a greater dependence on carbohydrate catabolism. A compensatory increase in activities of two key mitochondrial enzymes (citrate synthase and cytochrome c oxidase) was found during prolonged hypoxia in control oysters but suppressed in Cd-exposed ones. Cd exposure also resulted in a significant increase in abundance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus levels during normoxia and hypoxia, respectively. Overall, Cd- and hypoxia-induced changes in metabolic profile, Cd accumulation and bacterial flora of oysters indicate that these stressors can synergistically impact energy homeostasis, performance and survival of oysters in polluted estuaries and have significant consequences for transfer of Cd and bacterial pathogens to the higher levels of the food chain.     

Policy challenges and approaches for the conservation of mangrove forests in Southeast Asia

Many drivers of mangrove forest loss operate over large scales and are most effectively addressed by policy interventions. However, conflicting or unclear policy objectives exist at multiple tiers of government, resulting in contradictory management decisions. To address this, we considered four approaches that are being used increasingly or could be deployed in Southeast Asia to ensure sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. First, a stronger incorporation of mangroves into marine protected areas (that currently focus largely on reefs and fisheries) could resolve some policy conflicts and ensure that mangroves do not fall through a policy gap. Second, examples of community and government comanagement exist, but achieving comanagement at scale will be important in reconciling stakeholders and addressing conflicting policy objectives. Third, private‐sector initiatives could protect mangroves through existing and novel mechanisms in degraded areas and areas under future threat. Finally, payments for ecosystem services (PES) hold great promise for mangrove conservation, with carbon PES schemes (known as blue carbon) attracting attention. Although barriers remain to the implementation of PES, the potential to implement them at multiple scales exists. Closing the gap between mangrove conservation policies and action is crucial to the improved protection and management of this imperiled coastal ecosystem and to the livelihoods that depend on them.