The Lagoon at Caroline/Millennium Atoll,Republic of Kiribati: Natural History of a Nearly Pristine Ecosystem

A series of surveys were carried out to characterize the physical and biological parameters of the Millennium Atoll lagoon during a research expedition in April of 2009. Millennium is a remote coral atoll in the Central Pacific belonging to the Republic of Kiribati, and a member of the Southern Line Islands chain. The atoll is among the few remaining coral reef ecosystems that are relatively pristine. The lagoon is highly enclosed, and was characterized by reticulate patch and line reefs throughout the center of the lagoon as well as perimeter reefs around the rim of the atoll. The depth reached a maximum of 33.3 m in the central region of the lagoon, and averaged between 8.8 and 13.7 m in most of the pools. The deepest areas were found to harbor large platforms of Favia matthaii, which presumably provided a base upon which the dominant corals (Acropora spp.) grew to form the reticulate reef structure. The benthic algal communities consisted mainly of crustose coralline algae (CCA), microfilamentous turf algae and isolated patches of Halimeda spp. and Caulerpa spp. Fish species richness in the lagoon was half of that observed on the adjacent fore reef. The lagoon is likely an important nursery habitat for a number of important fisheries species including the blacktip reef shark and Napoleon wrasse, which are heavily exploited elsewhere around the world but were common in the lagoon at Millennium. The lagoon also supports an abundance of giant clams (Tridacna maxima). Millennium lagoon provides an excellent reference of a relatively undisturbed coral atoll. As with most coral reefs around the world, the lagoon communities of Millennium may be threatened by climate change and associated warming, acidification and sea level rise, as well as sporadic local resource exploitation which is difficult to monitor and enforce because of the atoll''s remote location. While the remote nature of Millennium has allowed it to remain one of the few nearly pristine coral reef ecosystems in the world, it is imperative that this ecosystem receives protection so that it may survive for future generations.     

The habitats exploited and the species trapped in a Caribbean island trap fishery

We visually observed fish traps in situ to identify the habitats exploited by the U.S. Virgin Islands fishery and to document species composition and abundance in traps by habitat. Fishers set more traps in algal plains than in any other habitat around St. John. Coral reefs, traditionally targeted by fishers, accounted for only 16 % of traps. Traps in algal plain contained the highest number of fishes per trap and the greatest numbers of preferred food species. Traps on coral reefs contained the most species, 41 of the 59 taxa observed in the study. Acanthurus coeruleus was the most abundant species and Acanthuridae the most abundant family observed in traps. Piscivore numbers were low and few serranids were observed. Traps in algal plain contained the most fishes as a result of: ecological changes such as shifts in habitat use, mobility of species and degradation of nearshore habitat (fishery independent); and, catchability of fishes and long-term heavy fishing pressure (fishery dependent). The low number of serranids per trap, dominance of the piscivore guild by a small benthic predator, Epinephelus guttatus, and dominance of trap contents overall by a small, fast-growing species of a lower trophic guild, Acanthurus coeruleus, all point to years of intense fishing pressure.     

Identification of a cis-element that determines autonomous DNA replication in eukaryotic cells

A 36-bp human consensus sequence (CCTMDAWKSGBYTSMAAWTWBCMYTTRSCAAATTCC) is capable of supporting autonomous replication of a plasmid after transfection into eukaryotic cells. After transfection and in vitro DNA replication, replicated plasmid DNA containing a mixture of oligonucleotides of this consensus was found to reiterate the consensus. Initiation of DNA replication in vitro occurs within the consensus. One version, A3/4, in pYACneo, could be maintained under selection in HeLa cells, unrearranged and replicating continuously for >170 cell doublings. Stability of plasmid without selection was high (> or =0.9/cell/generation). Homologs of the consensus are found consistently at mammalian chromosomal sites of initiation and within CpG islands. Versions of the consensus function as origins of DNA replication in normal and malignant human cells, immortalized monkey and mouse cells, and normal cow, chicken, and fruit fly cells. Random mutagenesis studies suggest an internal 20-bp consensus sequence of the 36 bp may be sufficient to act as a core origin element. This cis-element consensus sequence is an opportunity for focused analyses of core origin elements and the regulation of initiation of DNA replication.     

Co-translational targeting and translocation of the amino terminus of opsin across the endoplasmic membrane requires GTP but not ATP

The tight coupling between ongoing translation and translocation across the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum has made it difficult to determine the requirements that are specific for translocation. We have developed an in vitro assay that faithfully mimics the co-translational targeting and translocation of the amino terminus of opsin without ongoing translation. Using this system we demonstrate that this post-translational targeting and translocation requires nucleotide triphosphates but not cytosolic proteins. The addition of GTP alone was sufficient to fully restore targeting. The addition of ATP was not specifically required, and non-hydrolyzable analogs of ATP that blocked 90% of the ATPase activity also had no inhibitory effect on translocation.