A DESCRIPTION OF THE CORAL STRUCTURE OF TUTIA REEF (PANGANYIKA TERRITORY, EAST AFRICA), AND ITS FISH FUNA

The origin and structure of Tutia Reef, a coral reef off the Tanganyika coast, is described. It is concluded that the reef is formed in part from the cutting back flat of the older reef 14 ft above the level of the present reef, and in part from seaward growth of the reef.
Based on lines of quadrats down three sides of the reef an assessment of the cover of living coral on the reef is made, and the distribution of the dominant corals of the reef described. It is suggested that, contrary to the views of Crossland (1902, 1903), many East African coral reefs are undergoing seaward growth.
The distribution of the fishes on the reef is described, and a correlation is shown with the distribution of living coral on the reef. Many species of fishes have restricted distribution on the reef.
The feeding relationships of the fishes are discussed, and the total fish biomass divided into separate feeding categories. Tutia Reef has a low biomass of herbivorous fishes compared with the results from Eniwetok Atoll obtained by Odum & Odum (1955). This is considered to be due to the fact that Tutia Reef exhibits characteristics of an outer reef, deriving much of its energy from plankton, not those of an enclosed and almost autotrophic logoon.     

Genetical variation in three Pacific House mouse (Mus musculus) populations

Studies of allozymic variation at 36 loci in samples of House mouse ( Mus musculus ) populations collected from the island of Hawaii and two islets in the Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands are reported. All three populations carried a great deal of inherited variation: the Hawaiian sample had a mean heterozygosity of 16.6% per locus, which is the highest value so far found for a mouse population. The mean heterozygosities for the two atoll populations were 11.4% and 10.9%.
There were no changes in either heterozygosity or allozyme frequencies with age. In this respect, these populations from the tropical Pacific differed from populations living in cold temperate regions where natural selection has been shown to affect allele frequencies in different ways at different stages of the life cycle.     

Radiographic studies of reef coral exoskeletons: Rates and patterns of coral growth

X-radiographs were made of vertical slices through the centers of 47 hermatypic coral colonies collected at Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands. The image thus obtained are useful for the study of colony geometry, development, and response to damage.Comparison of radioactive inclusions of known age with previously reported cyclic skeletal density variations normal to the axis of growth confirms the annual nature of the density banding. Growth rates based on density bands and radioactivity inclusions are calculated for all 47 specimens, and measurements of the individual ‘growth bands’ are presented for 25 of them.Bulk densities measured by X-ray transmission ranged from 1.0 to 2.2 g/cm³, with an average range of 1.3–1.6 g/cm³. Intra-specimen skeletal densities typically vary by 10–30%; the period of high density skeletal deposition appears to coincide with the season of higher rainfall and warmer surface water at Eniwetok. Pigment residues left by boring algae are more commonly found in low density portions of the skeletons, but this distribution is believed to result from rather than cause the variations in the density of the deposited aragonite.Linear growth rates for the same specimen vary by factors of two or more from year to year, but the 25 specimens studied did not show a common pattern in the linear growth rate. Other than showing some general trends in growth as a function of species and depth, linear growth rates do not appear to be a particularly informative parameter.The density and growth rate variations are important factors in the measurement of coral growth and metabolism, and to the study of environmental controls of coral growth.     

山东荣成人群线粒体DNA多态性研究

人类线粒体DNA（mtDNA)COⅡ/tRNA^lys区有两个9－bp(CCCCCTCTA)的串联重复序列,此重复序列中一个重复单位的缺失,在亚态地区人群中很普遍。对210名山东荣成人的mtDNA COⅡ/tRNA^lys区的9-bp 缺失情况进行了检测,并从中随机选取95个样本,利用PCR－RFLP法对另外6个区进行了多态性分析,以确定其单位型。结果表明,荣成人9－bp缺失频率为12.4%,相对于已检测的中国其他群体,此缺失频率处于中等水平。同时多态性分析也表明在95个被检测对象中存在27种不同的单倍型。此外还发现了两个未报道过的新酶切位点,序列分析表明是由点突变造成的。     

A Comparative Field Study of the Social Behavior and Related Ecology of Reef Fishes of the Family Chaetodontidae1)2)

20 species of Chaetodontidae were observed in the field for a total of about 150 hrs at Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands, at Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, and at Johnson Island. During observations the diver either stayed in one place for 30 min, swam transects or followed individual fish. Social groupings of the different species, their intra- and interspecific agonistic interactions and their feeding are described. The frequent occurrence of Chaetodontidae in pairs and the relatively low observed level of agonistic encounters are discussed.     

Environmental conditions and compositions of plankton and nekton in the epipelagic zone of the northwestern Pacific Ocean in summer 2009, the year of the largest spawning migration of pink and Chum Salmon

The distribution of temperature, salinity, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and nekton, including Pink Salmon and Chum Salmon, is analyzed based on the data from a complex survey conducted in the upper epipelagic zone of the northwestern Pacific Ocean in June–July 2009. An estimate of water transfer, plankton biomass (by size fractions and taxonomic groups), and biomass and abundance of nekton is made. The water circulation pattern was notable for the “compressed” state of the Western Subarctic Gyre. Copepods predominated in zooplankton (60.8% biomass), and Pacific Salmon dominated in the nekton. The ratio of the plankton biomass to the nekton biomass in various biostatistical areas varied from 23.9 to 195.1 (mean 46.7). It was found that the nekton biomass in the area of the spreading subarctic waters reaches its maximum in the summer months and that in the area of subtropical waters reaches its maximum in the fall. In the upper 30-meter layer, the biomass of fish and squid rose during the night to 2.92 million tons, or 1.6 times as much, due to mesopelagic migrants. The nekton communities of the upper epipelagic of the northwestern Pacific Ocean functioned normally, providing a high level of biological and fish productivity.     

Characteristic features of ecology of the Pacific saury Cololabis saira (Scomberesocidae, Beloniformes) in open waters and in the northeast Pacific ocean

The results of long-term studies of the spatial distribution, size composition, and spawning intensity of the Pacific saury Cololabis saira in open waters of the North Pacific Ocean and the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of North America are presented. In the open waters of the Pacific Ocean, saury forms aggregations early in summer; intraseasonal changes in their distribution pattern have been identified. Migrations of Pacific saury stocks in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean were considered, and assumptions about their causes were made. The differences in the size composition of Pacific saury in different parts of the range are associated with the peculiarities of occurrence of favorable conditions for the formation of aggregations. Intensive spawning of Pacific saury in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean is observed in winter and spring, and that in open waters is observed in summer. The distribution of the early progeny of Pacific saury is associated with the systems of currents; its findings in the extreme northern regions in the 1980s are explained.     

The distribution,abundance and ecology of the blue coral Heliopora coerulea (Pallas) in the Pacific

Heliopora coerulea (Alcyonaria, Coenothecalia), widespread since the Cretaceous, is today found in the Indo-Western Pacific between 25° N and 25° S but is uncommon throughout most of its range. Studies around its reported southern and eastern limits of distribution (Great Barrier Reef, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa, Tuvalu, Gilbert Group) suggest that ocean temperature (a lower marginal isotherm of 22°C), duration of larval life-span, prevailing currents, and the geological and climatic history of isolated archipelagoes determine distribution. Heliopora was found to be far more abundant in the equatorial Central Pacific sites (Tuvalu and Gilbert growps) than in the Western Pacific (Great Barrier Reef, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Ponape, Palau). Heliopora comprised up to 16% of beach sediments in Tuvalu atolls, and was the dominant coral (averaging 40% of substrate between 6 m and 10 m on reef slopes) in coral assemblages on Tarawa Atoll. From ecological studies in Tarawa it is suggested that competition from the more specialized and aggressive Scleractinia (particularly Acroporidae and Faviidae) is the major factor limiting abundance in the equatorial Western Pacific.     

Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Plasma and Preen Oil of Black-Footed Albatross (Diomedea nigripes) Chicks and Adults on Midway Atoll,North Pacific Ocean

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous in the environment. Midway Atoll, located in the North Pacific Ocean, was occupied by the military during and after World War II. However, Midway Atoll has become a national wildlife refuge and home to many different seabirds today, including the black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripes) (BFAL). The profiles and toxic equivalents (TEQ) of PCB congeners in the plasma and preen oil of BFAL chicks and adults were determined in this study. The concentrations of the total PCBs in the plasma samples of chicks and adults collected in Midway Atoll ranged from 2.3 to 223.8 (mean 80.1) and 22.8 to 504.5 (mean 158.6) ng g^-1 (wet weight, ww), respectively. The TEQs ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 (mean 0.4) and 0.4 to 1.6 (mean 0.9) pg g^-1 ww, respectively, in the plasma samples of chicks and adults from Midway Atoll. The major congeners in the plasma samples of chicks and adults included PCBs 31, 87, 97, 99, 118, 138, 153, and 180, accounting for 70% of the total PCBs. The concentrations of the total PCBs in the adult preen oil samples ranged from 1693 to 39404 (mean 10122) ng g^-1 (ww), of which 97% were PCBs 105, 118, 128, 138, 153, 161, 172, and 183.     

Merremia discoidesperma: Its taxonomy and capacity of its seeds for ocean drifting

Merremia discoidesperma (Donn. Sm.) O’Donell (Mary’s-bean) is a rarely collected and inadequately described high climbing woody liana of Chiapas, Mexico; Guatemala; Costa Rica; Hispaniola; and Cuba. There is only one record of this species being cultivated and this from Guanajuato, Mexico in 1894, though seeds are used in folk remedies. These seeds are topographically unlike other known convolvulaceous seeds, thus permitting their positive identification. Because seeds remain buoyant for more than three years in seawater, those produced in the Caribbean and Atlantic drainage region may be transported by the Gulf Stream System as far north as the Norwegian coast, a distance of about 9,500 km. Seeds produced in the Pacific drainage region from Chiapas, Mexico south to Costa Rica may be transported by the North Pacific Equatorial Current as far west as Wotho Atoll in the Marshall Islands, a distance of about 11,000 km. Records of drifting and subsequent stranding of these and other tropical New World disseminules are supported by drift bottle studies and drift debris records in the Atlantic Ocean. In the Pacific Ocean region distribution of stranded Mary’s-bean seeds is supported by a similar distribution of New World pumice. There is an indication in the literature that Mary’s-bean seeds may drift to the Philippines. The record from Wotho Atoll to Norway constitutes the widest drift range of any seed or fruit which has been documented. Other tropical disseminules may drift as far or farther, but their origins cannot be ascertained with certainty. The plant is described, its synonyms listed, and its distribution as well as the distribution of its stranded seeds recorded.     

Isolation by distance across the Hawaiian Archipelago in the reef-building coral Porites lobata

There is an ongoing debate on the scale of pelagic larval dispersal in promoting connectivity among populations of shallow, benthic marine organisms. The linearly arranged Hawaiian Islands are uniquely suited to study scales of population connectivity and have been used extensively as a natural laboratory in terrestrial systems. Here, we focus on Hawaiian populations of the lobe coral Porites lobata, an ecosystem engineer of shallow reefs throughout the Pacific. Patterns of recent gene flow and population structure in P. lobata samples (n = 318) from two regions, the Hawaiian Islands (n = 10 sites) and from their nearest neighbour Johnston Atoll, were analysed with nine microsatellite loci. Despite its massive growth form, ～ 6% of the samples from both regions were the product of asexual reproduction via fragmentation. Cluster analysis and measures of genetic differentiation indicated that P. lobata from the Hawaiian Islands are strongly isolated from those on Johnston Atoll (F(ST) = 0.311; P < 0.001), with the descendants of recent migrants (n = 6) being clearly identifiable. Within the Hawaiian Islands, P. lobata conforms to a pattern of isolation by distance. Here, over 37% (P = 0.001) of the variation in genetic distance was explained by geographical distance. This pattern indicates that while the majority of ongoing gene flow in Hawaiian P. lobata occurs among geographically proximate reefs, inter-island distances are insufficient to generate strong population structure across the archipelago.     

SEASONAL PATTERNS IN THE ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF CALIFORNIA CETACEANS, 1991–1992

This study presents a detailed seasonal comparison of the abundance and distribution of cetaceans within 100-150 nmi (185-278 km) of the California coast during 1991 and 1992. The results of a shipboard line-transect survey conducted in July-November 1991 ("summer") were compared to those from aerial line-transect surveys conducted in March-April 1991 and February-April 1992 ("winter"). Using a confidence-interval-based bootstrap procedure, abundance estimates for six of the eleven species included in the comparison exhibited significant (α= 0.05) differences between the winter and summer surveys. Pacific white-sided dolphins ( Lagenorhynchus obliquidens ), Risso's dolphins ( Grampus griseus ), common dolphins ( Delphinus spp.), and northern right whale dolphins ( Lissodelphis borealis ) were significantly more abundant in winter. The abundance of blue whales ( Balaenoptera musculuss ) and gray whales ( Eschrichtius robustus ) reflected well-documented migratory patterns. Fin whales ( B. physalus ) were significantly more abundant during summer. No significant differences in seasonal abundance were identified for Dall's porpoises ( Phocoenoides dalli ), bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ), killer whales ( Orcinus orca ), sperm whales ( Physeter macrocephalus ), or humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ). Significant north/south shifts in distribution were found for Dall's porpoises, common dolphins, and Pacific white-sided dolphins, and significant inshore/offshore differences were identified for northern right whale dolphins and humpback whales.     

Distribution and migration ofSalmo gairdneri andSalmo mykiss in the North Pacific based on allelic variations of enzymes

Seasonal distribution and migration patterns of the steelhead trout and the Kamchatkan trout in the North Pacific were examined based on allelic variations of enzymes from specimens which were collected by Japanese research operations from 1976 through 1983. The western segment of the population mainly consisted of the Kamchatkan trout originating in the Kamchatka Peninsula in all months. As the fish extended to the west from spring through summer, the distribution of the steelhead trout extended to the western North Pacific. The westward extension of the steelhead was more evident in the immature population than in adults. As two major geographic units divided at the crest of Cascade Mountains, namely coastal and inland populations of the steelhead are defined in North America based on the differences of allelic frequencies, the immatures of the inland population exhibited a remarkable westward extension which reaches as far as 160°E longitude in summer. The distribution of the steelhead is distinguished by its extreme westward extension compared to the general distribution of Pacific salmon originating in North America.     

Genetic isolation between the Western and Eastern Pacific populations of pronghorn spiny lobster Panulirus penicillatus

The pronghorn spiny lobster, Panulirus penicillatus, is a circumtropical species which has the widest global distribution among all the species of spiny lobster, ranging throughout the entire Indo-Pacific region. Partial nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA COI (1,142-1,207 bp) and 16S rDNA (535-546 bp) regions were determined for adult and phyllosoma larval samples collected from the Eastern Pacific (EP)(Galápagos Islands and its adjacent water), Central Pacific (CP)(Hawaii and Tuamotu) and the Western Pacific (WP)(Japan, Indonesia, Fiji, New Caledonia and Australia). Phylogenetic analyses revealed two distinct large clades corresponding to the geographic origin of samples (EP and CP+WP). No haplotype was shared between the two regional samples, and average nucleotide sequence divergence (Kimura's two parameter distance) between EP and CP+WP samples was 3.8±0.5% for COI and 1.0±0.4% for 16S rDNA, both of which were much larger than those within samples. The present results indicate that the Pacific population of the pronghorn spiny lobster is subdivided into two distinct populations (Eastern Pacific and Central to Western Pacific), with no gene flow between them. Although the pronghorn spiny lobster have long-lived teleplanic larvae, the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean with no islands and no shallow substrate which is known as the East Pacific Barrier appears to have isolated these two populations for a long time (c.a. 1MY).     

No gene flow across the Eastern Pacific Barrier in the reef‐building coral Porites lobata

The expanse of deep water between the central Pacific islands and the continental shelf of the Eastern Tropical Pacific is regarded as the world's most potent marine biogeographic barrier. During recurrent climatic fluctuations (ENSO, El Niño Southern Oscillation), however, changes in water temperature and the speed and direction of currents become favourable for trans‐oceanic dispersal of larvae from central Pacific to marginal eastern Pacific reefs. Here, we investigate the population connectivity of the reef‐building coral Porites lobata across the Eastern Pacific Barrier (EPB). Patterns of recent gene flow in samples (n = 1173) from the central Pacific and the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) were analysed with 12 microsatellite loci. Results indicated that P. lobata from the ETP are strongly isolated from those in the central Pacific and Hawaii (  = 0.509; P < 0.001). However, samples from Clipperton Atoll, an oceanic island on the eastern side of the EPB, grouped with the central Pacific. Within the central Pacific, Hawaiian populations were strongly isolated from three co‐occurring clusters found throughout the remainder of the central Pacific. No further substructure was evident in the ETP. Changes in oceanographic conditions during ENSO over the past several thousand years thus appear insufficient to support larval deliveries from the central Pacific to the ETP or strong postsettlement selection acts on ETP settlers from the central Pacific. Recovery of P. lobata populations in the frequently disturbed ETP thus must depend on local larval sources.     

Immature euphausiids do not appear to be prey for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) during spring and summer in Southeast Alaska

Humpbacks whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have shown a remarkable recovery in the North Pacific, raising concerns regarding their impact on marine communities. In Southeast Alaska, humpbacks feed heavily on euphausiids; however, it remains unclear whether they target immature individuals despite evidence that they do so elsewhere. I evaluate the hypothesis that humpbacks target immature euphausiids in late spring‐summer in Southeast Alaska. Plankton samples were collected at random sites (n = 44) and near whales (n = 53) between 8 June and 9 September 2008 in Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage. The proportion of samples containing immature euphausiids, and immature euphausiid abundance within those samples, were compared between the two sample types. Similar analyses were conducted for adult euphausiids (prey) and calanoid copepods (nonprey) for comparison. I found no statistical difference between the whale and random samples with respect to the occurrence or numerical density of immature euphausiids, which is consistent with the hypothesis that whales did not target them in 2008. Smaller size, insufficient numerical densities and lower energy density of immature euphausiids are suggested as possible reasons. These findings can assist in resolving regional humpback abundance and distribution patterns, and can contribute to an understanding of the trophic interactions characterizing the local ecosystem.     

The Foraminifera of the Pitcairn Islands

Foraminifera were recovered from 18 samples collected in the Pitcairn Islands, 12 from Henderson Island (including the best and most comprehensive collections) and three each from Oeno Atoll and Pitcairn Island itself. Although both algae and sediment samples were collected, the living Foraminifera came, almost exclusively, from phytal (attached or clinging) habitats. Foraminifera in the sediment samples are mainly thanatocoenoses. The fauna is an exclusively calcareous, relatively low diversity assemblage, dominated by large soritids [Marginopora, Amphisorus, Sorites) and Amphistegina , all of which are ubiquitous throughout the tropical Pacific. These larger Foraminifera are usually accompanied by small miliolids in particular, as well as by small attached Foraminifera (discorbids and the like). Typical reefal Foraminifera are generally under-represented. So far, no endemic species have been found. Of more significance, perhaps, is the apparent absence of Calcarina , small rotaliids, elphidiids and agglutinating species, so common in the western Pacific islands. One sample of fossil Foraminifera was analysed, from a shelly sand (c. 30 m above present sea-level) on Henderson Island. Though, for the most part, like the Recent assemblages, this was characterized by Archaias , a soritid which was not found in any of the modern collections made by the 1991– 92 Expedition. This could either be a sampling artifact or refer to a real environmental change since the Pleistocene.     

Distribution,Sources and Risk Assessment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Soils from the Midway Atoll,North Pacific Ocean

Concentrations of 28 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were assessed in soils from the Midway Atoll in the central North Pacific Ocean. The analytical procedure involved the application of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and gas chromatography coupled with ion trap mass spectrometric detection (GC/ITMS) for identification and quantification. Among the 28 PCB congeners studied, 26 of them, except CB195 and CB209, were detected in the analyzed samples at different frequencies. The total concentrations of 28 indicator PCBs (ΣPCBs) ranged from 2.6 to 148.8 ng g⁻¹ with an average value of 50.7 ng g⁻¹ and median of 39.5 ng g⁻¹. Sources and congeners’ pattern of PCB were investigated in the soil of Midway Atoll. The principal component analysis indicated that the compositions of PCBs in most of the soil samples were similar. The total concentrations of PCBs were used to assess the cancer risk probabilities in humans via ingestion, dermal contact and inhalation of soil particles. Very low cancer risk was found in all soil samples caused by ΣPCBs.     

Holocene thecideide brachiopods from the north‐western Pacific Ocean: Systematics,life habits and ontogeny

Abstract

A new species of the lacazelline brachiopod genus Ospreyella is described from shallow cryptic habitats in Palau, western Caroline Islands and Arnd Atoll, Pohnpei, eastern Caroline Islands, north‐western Pacific Ocean. This new taxon, here named Ospreyella palauensis, and representing the third discovery of a species of Ospreyella from the Indo‐Pacific region, is compared with the other two recently described extant species of the genus, O. depressa Lüter from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and O. maldiviana Logan from the Maldive Islands, northern Indian Ocean. An ontogenetic sequence is described for the new species and compared with those previously described for other Holocene lacazellines. Additionally, a study of ontogenetic stages in Thecidellina congregata from Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands shows early‐stage similarities to those of the new species and other lacazellines. These observations on development in extant forms provide important analogies for comparison with ontogenetic stages in ancestral fossil forms and information which may be useful in reconstructing thecideide phylogenetic history.