Maturity and spawning pattern of Sardinella aurita in relation to water temperature and zooplankton abundance off Ghana, West Africa

Studies on the maturity and spawning pattern of Sardinella aurita Valenciennes in relation to sea surface temperature (SST) and zooplankton abundance were carried out during the period 1986–91 in Ghanaian waters (West Africa). Both sexes exhibited synchronous seasonal maturation patterns. The mean length at first maturity occurred at approximately16.7 cm for males and 17.1 cm for females. The mean length at first maturity (L₅₀) increased in comparison with that observed in the 1970s. Three spawning seasons were identified: a major season which extends from July to October, and two minor seasons which occur in March and December. Significant correlations were found between the female gonadosomatic index and SST, between egg abundance and SST, and between egg abundance and zooplankton abundance. The SST seems to be an important factor in species maturation. There is a time lag between attainment of peak gonad maturation and onset of spawning. Spawning appears to commence in response to the start of the coastal upwelling which is characterised by a sharp decrease in SST and an increase in zooplankton abundance.     

Effects of an autocorrelated stochastic environment and fisheries on the age at maturity of Chinook salmon

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reproduce only once in their lifetime, and their age at reproduction varies among individuals (indeterminate semelparous). However, the factors that determine their spawning age still remain uncertain. Evidence from recent studies suggests that individual growth and reproduction of Chinook salmon are affected by the rate of coastal upwelling, which is shown to be positively autocorrelated between years. Therefore, the serially autocorrelated environmental is expected to play an important role in determining their spawning age. In the present study, I demonstrate the advantage of an indeterminate maturation strategy under a stochastic environment. I then present theoretical evidence for the advantage of adjusting the maturation probability based on the environment they experienced and demonstrate that fisheries reduce the fitness of the strategy to delay maturation. The results presented herein emphasize the importance of incorporating detailed life-history strategies of organisms when undertaking population management.     

烟台四十里湾浮游动物群落特征及与环境因子的关系

2009年3月—2010年12月在烟台四十里湾海域对浮游动物群落结构及其环境因子进行了连续20个航次的综合调查,记录到浮游动物8大类共计64种(类)。浮游动物主要类群为桡足类和浮游幼虫,分别发现22种、18类,占总种(类)数34%、28%;其次为水螅水母类,发现13种,占20%;毛颚动物和栉水母类各发现1种。浮游动物的优势种为中华哲水蚤(Y=0.183)、腹针胸刺水蚤(Y=0.078)、强壮箭虫(Y=0.078)和洪氏纺锤水蚤(Y=0.026)。浮游动物的生态类型主要为温带近岸种和广布性种。四十里湾海域浮游动物群落结构的季节变化较为明显,春、夏、秋、冬四季之间群落结构有显著性差异(P0.05),同一季节内群落结构相似度较高,达55%以上。浮游动物丰度中位值在5月份达到最高(546.3个/m~3);种类数、多样性指数中位值均在8月达到最高,分别为18种、3.20;浮游动物生物量呈现出双峰变化模型,5月份达到第1峰值(中位值870.4 mg/m~3),10月份为第2峰值(中位值362.0 mg/m~3)。浮游动物种类数高值区主要分布在养马岛北部海域,而丰度高值区主要分布在近岸尤其是辛安河口海域。浮游动物种类数及多样性指数与水温、化学需氧量、硅酸盐显著正相关(P0.01),与盐度、溶解氧、无机氮显著负相关(P0.01);水温和盐度是影响浮游动物分布的主要环境因子,其次是硅酸盐、叶绿素a和化学需氧量,活性磷酸盐、溶解氧、透明度以及无机氮对浮游动物分布的影响较小。     

Chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> as a measure of seasonal coupling between phytoplankton and the monsoon periods in the Gulf of Oman

We present data from a long time-series study to describe the factors that control phytoplankton population densities and biomass in the coastal waters of Oman. Surface temperature, salinity, nutrients, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a (Chl a), and phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance of sea water were measured as far as possible from February 2004 through February 2006, at two stations along the southern coast of the Gulf of Oman. The highest concentrations of Chl a (3 mg m⁻³) were recorded during the southwest monsoon (SWM) when upwelling is active along the coast of Oman. However, results from our study reveal that the timing and the amplitude of the seasonal peak of Chl a exhibited interannual variability, which might be attributed to interannual differences in the seasonal cycles of nutrients caused either by coastal upwelling or by cyclonic eddy activity. Monthly variability of SST and concentrations of dissolved nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and silicate together explained about 90% of the seasonal changes of Chl a in the coastal ecosystem of the Gulf of Oman. Phytoplankton communities of the coastal waters of Oman were dominated by diatoms for most part of the year, but for a short period in summer, dinoflagellates were dominant.     

Zooplankton community structure and copepod egg production in coastal waters of the central Great Barrier Reef lagoon

We describe zooplankton community structure and copepod eggproduction in the vicinity of the coastal boundary zone of theGreat Barrier Reef lagoon, Australia. The abundance and eggproduction rate of constituents of the zooplankton assemblagecharacteristic of the coastal zone rapidly increase subsequentto events such as flooding and upwelling. Our sampling spannedtwo summer monsoonal seasons, the first of which (1990-91) wasvery wet. The second monsoonal season (1991-92) was very dryand was characterized by intrusive upwelling events from theCoral Sea. Chlorophyll a concentrations did not rise in thewet year, probably because of light limitation, but did riseas a result of upwelling. Terrestrial run-off in the wet yearhad a greater apparent effect on zooplankton abundance patternsthan did upwelling in the dry year, except where coastal trappingallowed sufficient time for increases in zooplankton abundanceto occur. Egg production rates by the copepods Acrocalanus gibberand Acrocalanus gracilis showed haphazard spatial differences.Nitrogen-specific egg production ranged between 0.03 and 0.21day^–1 for A.gibber, and between 0.13 and 0.41 day^–1for A.gracilis. The egg production rate by A.gibber was foodlimited for most of the year and showed a poor correlation withtemperature. ³Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, FloridaTech, 150 W University Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA     

Biogeography of common dolphins (genus Delphinus) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

• 1 The common dolphins (genus Delphinus) have one of most problematic taxonomies and complex distribution patterns of all cetaceans. Although the taxonomy and the distribution seem to have been clarified somewhat in the eastern North Pacific and Indo‐Pacific Oceans, many questions remain in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA). We review the biogeography of Delphinus in the SWA.
• 2 We reviewed data from strandings, incidental catches and sightings since 1922. Systematic surveys were conducted in five major areas. Twenty‐one natural history collections were examined, and 135 skulls were measured.
• 3 A total of 184 records of common dolphins were compiled. Delphinus apparently occurs in three stocks in the SWA: one located in northern Brazil and two from southeastern Brazil (～22°S) to central Argentina (～42°S). Two distinct patterns in habitat use were observed by depth: in southeastern Brazil, sightings were restricted to coastal waters with water depths ranging from 18m to 70m. On the other hand, in the area that extends from southern Brazil to Central Argentina (from 28°S to 42°S), sightings were recorded in deeper waters, ranging from 71m to 1435m, with the exception of occasional coastal sightings. The cranial analyses demonstrated that both short‐beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis and long‐beaked common dolphins Dephinus capensis occur in the SWA.
• 4 In the SWA, Delphinus seems to occur near areas of high productivity. One stock is associated with the productive waters discharged by the Amazon River and possibily with the coastal upwelling system off the coast of Venezuela, while the other stocks are associated with the Cabo Frio upwelling system and the Subtropical Convergence. Our results indicate that the current taxonomy does not adequately reflect the amount of variation within the genus in the world.

     

Reproduction and life history strategies of the common jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, in relation to its ambient environment

The scyphozoan Aurelia aurita (Linnaeus) is a cosmopolitan species, having been reported from a variety of coastal and shelf sea environments around the world. It has been extensively studied over the last 100 years or so, and examination of the literature reveals three striking features: (1) the presence of populations in a wide range of environmental conditions; (2) large inter-population differences in abundance and life history patterns over large and small spatial scales; and (3) inter-annual variability in various aspects of its population dynamics. A. aurita is clearly a highly flexible species that can adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions. While various physiological and behavioural characteristics explain how A. aurita populations can take advantage of their surrounding environment, they do not explain what governs the observed temporal and spatial patterns of abundance, and the longevity or lifespan of populations. Understanding these features is necessary to predict how bloom populations might form. In a given habitat, the distribution and abundance of benthic marine invertebrates have been found to be maintained by four factors: larval recruitment (sexual reproduction), migration, mortality and asexual reproduction. The aims of this review are to determine the role of reproduction and life history strategies of the benthic and pelagic phases of A. aurita in governing populations of medusae, with special attention given to the dynamic interaction between A. aurita and its surrounding physical and biological environment.     

Spatio-Temporal Variability of Copepod Abundance along the 20°S Monitoring Transect in the Northern Benguela Upwelling System from 2005 to 2011

Long-term data sets are essential to understand climate-induced variability in marine ecosystems. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of longer-term temporal and spatial variations in zooplankton abundance and copepod community structure in the northern Benguela upwelling system from 2005 to 2011. Samples were collected from the upper 200 m along a transect at 20°S perpendicular to the coast of Namibia to 70 nm offshore. Based on seasonal and interannual trends in surface temperature and salinity, three distinct time periods were discernible with stronger upwelling in spring and extensive warm-water intrusions in late summer, thus, high temperature amplitudes, in the years 2005/06 and 2010/11, and less intensive upwelling followed by weaker warm-water intrusions from 2008/09 to 2009/10. Zooplankton abundance reflected these changes with higher numbers in 2005/06 and 2010/11. In contrast, zooplankton density was lower in 2008/09 and 2009/10, when temperature gradients from spring to late summer were less pronounced. Spatially, copepod abundance tended to be highest between 30 and 60 nautical miles off the coast, coinciding with the shelf break and continental slope. The dominant larger calanoid copepods were Calanoides carinatus, Metridia lucens and Nannocalanus minor. On all three scales studied, i.e. spatially from the coast to offshore waters as well as temporally, both seasonally and interannually, maximum zooplankton abundance was not coupled to the coldest temperature regime, and hence strongest upwelling intensity. Pronounced temperature amplitudes, and therefore strong gradients within a year, were apparently important and resulted in higher zooplankton abundance.     

莱州湾金城海域浮游动物群落结构及与环境因子的关系

于2009年和2010年3—12月在莱州湾金城海域对浮游动物群落结构及其环境因子进行了连续20个月份的综合调查,共记录到浮游动物75种,分属14个不同大类。浮游动物以桡足类和浮游幼虫居多,分别鉴定出22种、20类,占种类总数的29.3%、26.7%,其次为水螅水母类,鉴定出11种,端足类、被囊动物、腹足类和栉水母类分别鉴定出6种、4种、4种、2种,其它枝角类、毛颚动物、等足类、糠虾类、磷虾类以及钵水母类各鉴定出1种。主要优势种为强壮箭虫(优势度Y=0.24)、中华哲水蚤(Y=0.13)、墨氏胸刺水蚤(Y=0.07)、以及洪氏纺锤水蚤(Y=0.02)。2009年与2010年浮游动物群落结构的变化趋势比较稳定,同一季节群落结构相似度达到40%以上。浮游动物丰度分别在2009年及2010年的5月份达到最高值951.65个/m3、1348.14个/m3。种类数分别在2009年9月和2010年6月达到最高值48种、40种。多样性指数分别在2009年10月及2010年5月达到最高值2.6、2.7,呈现明显的季节变化特征。典范对应分析(Canonical correspondence analysis,CCA)显示,水温和盐度是影响浮游动物群落结构最主要的影响因子,水温与浮游动物种类数的相关系数达到0.87(P0.01)。盐度与浮游动物数量的相关系数为0.484(P0.05)。透明度、化学耗氧量、pH、叶绿素及总氮总磷等环境参数对浮游动物群落结构的影响较弱。     

SEABIRDS OF THE SENEGAL UPWELLING AND ADJACENT WATERS

Seabird distributions were observed off Senegal during the upwelling season there, in February-March 1976, and are interpreted against an oceanographic background. Gannets Sula bassana , Pomarine Skuas Stercorarius pomarinus , Great Skuas Catharacta skua , Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus , Black-headed Gulls L. ridibundus , Sandwich Terns Sterna sandvicensis and Royal Terns S. maxima were the dominant species on the shelf and slope adjacent to the inshore upwelling zone. Grey Phalaropes Phalaropus fulicarius were the only seabirds associated with an oceanic 'front' farther offshore; it is suggested that this and similar boundary zones are important feeding areas during the pelagic phase of this species' annual cycle.
Leach's Storm-Petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa were seen east to 20W, but the predominant storm-petrel of the waters between 23W and the continental slope was the Madeiran O. castro. It is suggested that the hatching period of Madeiran Storm-Petrels on the Cape Verde Islands is timed to take advantage of the arrival there of young fish in the surface waters, spawned off the African coast and drifted offshore. However Madeiran Storm-Petrels make no direct use of the coastal upwelling; nor do Little Shearwaters Puffinus assimilis or White-faced Storm-Petrels Pelagodroma marina , the other winter-breeding Cape Verdes seabirds, which probably feed close to the Islands.
The Senegal upwelling is underexploited by seabirds, in contrast to comparable upwelling systems elsewhere. It is suggested that this is due to the seasonal timing of the upwelling, the scarcity of secure nest-sites for breeding seabirds, and the competing attractions of the Benguela upwelling in the South Atlantic.     

南沙群岛美济礁海域夏季浮游动物群落特征

浮游动物是珊瑚礁生态系统中的重要组成部分,但国内相关研究相对较少。利用2012年7月在南沙群岛美济礁海域开展的13个站次的海洋生物调查数据,对美济礁浮游动物的群落特征进行研究,表明:(1)美济礁浮游动物种类组成丰富,共出现15个类群138种(类)浮游动物;(2)优势种组成复杂、区域变化明显,单一种的优势度不高;(3)浮游动物平均密度和湿重生物量分别为117.70个/m3、69.01 mg/m3,浮游幼虫在总密度中所占比例最大;(4)浮游动物非常丰富,多样性程度较高。平均丰富度、多样性指数和均匀度分别为4.93、3.33和0.67;(5)浮游动物可划分为2个群落,分别为潟湖-礁坪区群落和向海坡群落;(6)受珊瑚礁不同生物地貌带的空间异质性和水动力条件的影响,美济礁浮游动物群落区域差异明显。潟湖区浮游动物多样性较高,生物量最低;礁坪区浮游动物数量大,但分布不均匀,且多样性水平最低;向海坡区浮游动物种类最多、多样性非常丰富,但栖息密度最低。     

Seasonal and interannual variation of the ichthyoplankton off the coast of Northern Morocco

Changes in the qualitative and quantitative composition of the ichthyoplankton off the coast of Northern Morocco (36–28° N) are analyzed in different seasons of 1994–2008. Pelagic eggs and larvae of over 80 fish species belonging to 57 families are recorded. In cold periods at the Morocco coast, there is maximum spawning of fish belonging to the subtropical (Mediterranean-Atlantic) fauna, the dominant of which are European pilchard Sardina pilchardus, common scad Trachurus trachurus, and Atlantic mackerel Scomber japonicus. In warm periods, in addition to the aforementioned species, the ichthyopankton often comprises eggs and larvae of fish form the tropical fauna. Among the latter are round sardinella Sardinella aurita and West-African mackerel T. trecae dominate. The spawning biomass of principal commercial fish is also calculated by the quantity of eggs laid by females.     

Life history of a simultaneously hermaphroditic fish,Diplectrum formosum

Sand perch Diplectrum formosum were collected in the Atlantic Ocean waters off the south‐eastern U.S. for life history analyses between April 2001 and July 2004 and ranged in size from 63 to 236 mm standard length (L_S) and 0–8 years of age. Diplectrum formosum are simultaneous hermaphrodites that reach 50% sexual maturity at 12·2 months and 122·8 mm L_S for testicular tissue and 13·6 months and 129·3 mm L_S for ovarian tissue. The gonad contains ovarian and testicular tissue separated by a thin basement membrane, with no means of internal self‐fertilization. Spawning females were found between March and January with a peak of spawning activity in May and a realized spawning periodicity of 2 days, equivalent to a maximum of 168 spawning events per year. Fish with testicular tissue in spawning condition were obtained throughout the year in every month sampled with a maximum frequency between June and September. There were also trends indicating that testicular tissue was more likely to be in spawning condition in the presence of hydrated oocytes within the accessory structure. This may indicate the use of the accessory structure as a storage site for hydrated oocytes until a mate can be located.     

Recurrent seasonal changes in bacterial growth efficiency,metabolism and community composition in coastal waters

The microbial response to environmental changes in coastal waters of the eastern Cantabrian Sea was explored for four years by analysing a broad set of environmental variables along with bacterial community metabolism and composition. A recurrent seasonal cycle emerged, consisting of two stable periods, characterized by low bacterial metabolic activity (winter) from October to March, and high bacterial metabolic activity (summer) from May to August. These two contrasting periods were linked by short transition periods in April (T_A) and September (T_S). The phylogenetic groups Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were dominant during winter and summer respectively, and their recurrent alternation was mainly driven by the bloom of eukaryotic phytoplankton before T_A and the bloom of prokaryotic phytoplankton before T_S. Bacterial growth efficiency remained high and stable during the winter and summer periods but dropped during the two short transition periods. Our results suggest that bacterial growth efficiency should be considered a very resilient property that reflects different stages in the adaptation of the bacterial community composition to the environmental changes occurring throughout the seasonal cycle in this coastal ecosystem.     

Diatom taphocoenoses in the coastal upwelling area off South West Africa

The diatom floral composition of 124 sediment samples from the South East Atlantic records the influence of coastal upwelling on sediment composition off South West Africa. Inner shelf samples between 19° and 24°S are rich in diatom valves and the patterns of diatom species distribution in these samples are related to the coastal upwelling process. Comparison with recent phytoplankton data shows that the sediment assemblages preserve many of the important species of the diatom biocoenoses, including Chaetoceros (resting spores), Delphineis karstenii, Thalassiosira eccentrica, and Thalassionema nitzschioides. Delphineis karstenii, a pioneer species in enriched coastal water, occurs nearshore and Chaetoreros resting spores are widespread, with highest relative abundance values in some more offshore samples. The abundance of the Thalassiosira eccentrica group and of Thalassionema nitzschioides in sediment samples in and near Walvis Bay reflects the recurrence of intense upwelling off this part of the coast. An abundance of large centric species has been reported in hydrological conditions characteristic of newly upwelled waters and, correspondingly, Actinocyclus octonarius and some large Coscinodiscus species occur in the sediments in nearshore patches or belts.     

Hydrography and characteristics of the phytoplankton in shelf and oceanic waters off southeastern Brazil during winter (July/August 1982) and summer (February/March 1984)

The physical and chemical environment, and the phytoplankton primary production of southeastern Brazil were studied in relation to the general oceanographic structure during two research cruises (winter and summer). In each cruise, a total of 91 stations were occupied. Data were collected on the spatial distribution of nutrients, phytoplankton biomass and photosynthetic capacity over the coastal, shelf and oceanic areas off São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina States.During wintertime, the mixing processes between tropical warm waters of the Brazil Current and subantarctic waters of the Malvinas Current formed strong environmental gradients. The drainings of Rio de La Plata and Lagoa dos Patos are transported northwards by coastal currents, enriching the shelf waters off Santa Catarina State with inorganic nutrients and consequently increasing the chlorophyll a to the highest concentrations (> 3.5 mg m ^–3) measured during the two cruises. In slope waters chlorophyll values were always low (0.05–0.45 mg m ^–3). The chlorophyll within the euphotic layer varied from 8.8–36.7 and 1.2–18.5 mg m^–2 during winter and summer, respectively.The surface photosynthetic rates during winter and summer cruises ranged respectively from 0.21–9.17 and 0.66–19.60 mgC/mgChl.a/h. The mean rates were higher in nearshore waters and decreased seaward.The thermal structure of the water column affected the vertical distribution of chlorophyll a and photosynthesis within the euphotic zone; During unstratified periods (winter) they were uniformly distributed but the occurrence of subsurface peaks of chlorophyll and strong photosynthetic inhibition of low light adapted cells in deeper layers are associated to the seasonal thermocline. Occasionally, upwelling of deep waters from shelf break enriched the deeper euphotic layers in offshore areas. Intensive upwelling was observed off Paranagua Bay (Parana State) and the mechanisms of its formation are discussed.     

淤泥湖寡齿新银鱼的生物学研究

寡齿新银鱼的繁殖期为春夏季的３月初至５月末,产卵盛期为３月下旬和４月下旬。性成熟年龄为１上,属分批产卵类型。终生以浮游动物为食,生长１年平均全长为４４．２ｍｍ,平均体重为０．２５２ｇ。产卵后不久便死亡,寿命只有１年。     

Connectivity of a large embayment and coastal fishery: spawning aggregations in one bay source local and broad-scale fishery replenishment

Ichthyoplankton sampling and otolith chemistry were used to determine the importance of transient spawning aggregations of snapper Chrysophrys auratus (Sparidae) in a large embayment, Port Phillip Bay (PPB), Australia, as a source of local and broad-scale fishery replenishment. Ichthyoplankton sampling across five spawning seasons within PPB, across the narrow entrance to the bay and in adjacent coastal waters, indicated that although spawning may occur in coastal waters, the spawning aggregations within the bay were the primary source of larval recruitment to the bay. Otolith chemical signatures previously characterized for 0+ year C. auratus of two cohorts (2000 and 2001) were used as the baseline signatures to quantify the contribution that fish derived from reproduction in PPB make to fishery replenishment. Sampling of these cohorts over a 5 year period at various widely dispersed fishery regions, combined with maximum likelihood analyses of the chemistry of the 0+ year otolith portions of these older fish, indicated that C. auratus of 1 to 3+ years of age displayed both local residency and broad-scale emigration from PPB to populate coastal waters and an adjacent bay (Western Port). While the PPB fishery was consistently dominated (>70%) by locally derived fish irrespective of cohort or age, the contribution of fish that had originated from PPB to distant populations increased with age. At 4 to 5+ years of age, when C. auratus mature and fully recruit to the fishery, populations of both cohorts across the entire central and western Victorian fishery, including two major embayments and c. 800 km of coastal waters, were dominated (>70%) by fish that had originated from the spawning aggregations and nursery habitat within PPB. Dependence of this broadly dispersed fishery on replenishment from heavily targeted spawning aggregations within one embayment has significant implications for management and monitoring programmes.