Juvenile sockeye salmon distribution, size, condition and diet during years with warm and cool spring sea temperatures along the eastern Bering Sea shelf

Interannual variations in distribution, size, indices of feeding and condition of juvenile Bristol Bay sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka collected in August to September (2000–2003) during Bering–Aleutian Salmon International Surveys were examined to test possible mechanisms influencing their early marine growth and survival. Juvenile sockeye salmon were mainly distributed within the southern region of the eastern Bering Sea, south of 57°0' N during 2000 and 2001 and farther offshore, south of 58°0' N during 2002 and 2003. In general, juvenile sockeye salmon were significantly larger ( P < 0·05) and had significantly higher indices of condition ( P < 0·05) during 2002 and 2003 than during 2000 and 2001. The feeding index was generally higher for age 1.0 year sockeye salmon than age 2.0 year during all years. Among-year comparisons suggested that Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus were important components of the juvenile sockeye salmon diet during 2000 and 2001 (20 to 50% of the mean wet mass) and age 0 year walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma were important components during 2002 and 2003 (50 to 60% of the mean wet mass). Warmer sea temperatures during spring and summer of 2002 and 2003 probably increased productivity on the eastern Bering Sea shelf, enhancing juvenile sockeye salmon growth.     

Woody Debris in the Mangrove Forests of South Florida1

Woody debris is abundant in hurricane‐impacted forests. With a major hurricane affecting South Florida mangroves approximately every 20 yr, carbon storage and nutrient retention may be influenced greatly by woody debris dynamics. In addition, woody debris can influence seedling regeneration in mangrove swamps by trapping propagules and enhancing seedling growth potential. Here, we report on line‐intercept woody debris surveys conducted in mangrove wetlands of South Florida 9–10 yr after the passage of Hurricane Andrew. The total volume of woody debris for all sites combined was estimated at 67 m³/ha and varied from 13 to 181 m³/ha depending upon differences in forest height, proximity to the storm, and maximum estimated wind velocities. Large volumes of woody debris were found in the eyewall region of the hurricane, with a volume of 132 m³/ha and a projected woody debris biomass of approximately 36 t/ha. Approximately half of the woody debris biomass averaged across all sites was associated as small twigs and branches (fine woody debris), since coarse woody debris >7.5 cm felled during Hurricane Andrew was fairly well decomposed. Much of the small debris is likely to be associated with post‐hurricane forest dynamics. Hurricanes are responsible for large amounts of damage to mangrove ecosystems, and components of associated downed wood may provide a relative index of disturbance for mangrove forests. Here, we suggest that a fine:coarse woody debris ratio ≤0.5 is suggestive of a recent disturbance in mangrove wetlands, although additional research is needed to corroborate such findings.     

莱州湾水母种类多样性及群集结构的季节变化

基于2011年5月至2012年4月(除冰期12月和翌年1—2月外)在渤海莱州湾逐月采集的数据资料,系统地开展水母种类组成、数量分布的周年季节变动,弥补自20世纪90年代以来该区域相关资料的不足,有利于掌握该水域水母(主要是小型水母)主要种类数量时空分布特点,促进莱州湾生物类群对生境改变响应的相关研究。结果显示:所有调查中,共出现水母30种,无全年出现的种类。各月中,莱州湾水母以8月种数最多,5月数量居多。各月水母总数量的80%多由1—2种优势种贡献所致;水母优势种类组成季节更替明显。3—5月优势种为八斑唇腕水母;6月为嵊山秀氏水母和贝氏真囊水母;7月为贝氏真囊水母、9月有细颈和平水母;10月为细颈和平水母和大西洋五角水母,8月和11月无明显的优势种,但8月细颈和平水母和曲膝薮枝螅水母数量较多。莱州湾小型水母聚集结构主要呈现季节性时间格局上的变动。春季有八斑唇腕水母为代表、在湾内分布的聚集组;夏季有以嵊山秀氏水母和贝氏真囊水母为代表、在湾口西侧和湾中部分布的聚集组,以及细颈和平水母为代表、在湾中底部分布的聚集组;秋季有四枝管水母和大西洋五角水母为代表、在湾口和中部分布的聚集组。水温对小型水母聚集结构分布具有较为重要的影响作用。大型水母在本调查出现较少。海蜇和沙海蜇出现于6—8月个别站位;海月水母7—10月均有出现,但高密集区出现在10月紧邻莱州湾的湾底水域。     

莱州湾三疣梭子蟹的生物学特征、时空分布及环境因子的影响

根据2011年5月—2012年4月进行的9个航次(月份)的底拖网调查,研究了莱州湾水域三疣梭子蟹的生物学特征、数量分布以及环境因子的影响.结果表明: 莱州湾三疣梭子蟹生物量密度的月间排序为9月>10月>7月>8月>6月>11月>3月>5月>4月.其中1龄以下个体占绝对优势,2011年7—10月4个航次所占比例平均值为86.1%.9个航次中,三疣梭子蟹的体质量、头胸甲宽及头胸甲长的平均值均以8月最高、4月最低.7—11月,雌、雄个体肥满度均以8月最高,分别为1.030和1.023,7月最低,雌雄均为1.007;雌雄个体肥满度的性别差异不显著.除6—8月外,其他月份性比(雌/雄)均小于1.0.莱州湾三疣梭子蟹5—7月主要集中在黄河口、龙口近岸,8—9月以潍坊及龙口近海密度最高,11月至翌年4月主要集中在湾口深水区.Pearson相关分析表明,莱州湾三疣梭子蟹数量分布与表层水温、溶解氧和水深的相关性最高,其次为盐度和浮游动物密度,与浮游植物密度及其他底层渔业生物个体数的相关性最低.与1981年同期对比,2011年莱州湾三疣梭子蟹的头胸甲长显著降低.建议适当降低捕捞强度,提高捕捞规格,进一步加强三疣梭子蟹增殖基础的研究,提出更加合理的增殖放流数量,以利于三疣梭子蟹资源的可持续利用.     

The “Grey Area” in the Northern Bay of Bengal: A Note on a Functional Cooperative Solution

The judgments in maritime delimitation cases involving Bangladesh and Myanmar (2012) and between Bangladesh and India (2014) have resulted in a “Grey Area” in the northern Bay of Bengal involving intersecting and overlapping rights and responsibilities in terms of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf regimes. This article seeks to identify a functional solution for this Grey Area.     

Gap Dynamics in a Seagrass Landscape

We investigated gap dynamics within a shallow subtidal landscape characterized by seagrass vegetation and examined the relationship between gap formation and selected physical factors. The study was conducted over 2 y by using a biannual mapping of seagrass and water depth across an 48,800-m² area in Tampa Bay, Florida. In addition, monthly sediment deposition or erosion was recorded at 96 locations within the landscape. Gaps represented from 2.4% to 5.7% of the seagrass landscape, and all were within monospecific stands of Halodule wrightii. Gaps ranged in size from 10 to 305 m² and most frequently decreased in size over time. Most gaps were small and short lived (less than 6-mo duration), but the second age group most frequently recorded was at least 1.5 y old. No new species of seagrass invaded the gaps with Halodule replacing itself 100% of the time. Gaps were recorded over the entire range of water depths within the landscape. Neither gap area nor persistence of gaps was related to water depth. However gap area was associated positively with the number of extreme sedimentation events. Gaps originated not only from removal of interior vegetation (similar to classic gaps) but also from differential growth of the seagrass margin (similar to edaphic gaps). Distinct seasonal components to the mode of formation were detected with interior-produced gaps originating primarily in the winter and margin gaps most commonly during summer. These results combine to illustrate the importance of large-scale studies with fine-scale resolution for deciphering unique features of seagrass landscape dynamics. Our historical information suggests that a static enumeration of gaps may not provide an accurate assessment of disturbance intensity in this system, and the seagrass mosaic probably is explained best by a combination of disturbance regimes and edaphic factors, such as sediment stability. Moreover, we suggest that even in areas characterized by monospecific stands of vegetation and over short or moderate time periods, gaps indirectly may influence community structure and ecosystem function via modification of habitat arrangement. Received 17 September 1998; accepted 26 April 1999.     

Evidence that the parasitic nematode Skrjabinoclava manipulates host Corophium behavior to increase transmission to the sandpiper, Calidris pusilla

We found evidence that a nematode (Skrjabinoclava morrisoni) adaptivelymanipulates the behavior of its intermediate host (the amphipod Corophiumvolutator) to increase its likelihood of transmission to itsfinal host (the semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla). We foundthat male and female amphipods parasitized by nematodes increasedtheir surface activity in the field during daytime, but notduring nighttime hours. Increased surface activity is knownto increase susceptibility of amphipods to predation by sandpipersduring the day, but not at night, when sandpipers do not feedvisually. Also, as predicted by the manipulation hypothesis,only late-stage (infective) larvae of nematodes were associatedwith behavioral changes of amphipods. We found no evidence thatparasites were associated with other amphipod behaviors in thelaboratory, such as trail complexity, distance traveled, orburrow-probing activity of crawling males as would be expectedif parasitized hosts altered their own behavior. Survivorshipof amphipods was also unaffected by parasitism, which may favorparasite transmission. Thus, behavioral changes of parasitizedhosts were simple, and their expression was context-dependentand related to likelihood of predation. We argue that maturationtimes of nematodes in relation to migration schedules of sandpipers providea narrow window of opportunity and may explain why nematodes manipulateamphipod behavior.     

水东湾海域浮游植物潮汐分布特征及其与环境因子的关系

2014年秋、冬两季,每个季节在大潮期和小潮期对水东湾海域浮游植物群落结构和环境因子进行了调查,共鉴定出4门57属134种。其中硅藻门42属106种,占浮游植物种类数的79.1%;甲藻门13属26种,占浮游植物种类数的19.4%;蓝藻门1属1种,占浮游植物种类数的0.8%;针胞藻纲1属1种,占浮游植物种类数的0.8%。优势种15种,主要为尖布纹藻Gyrosigma aluminatum、圆海链藻Thalassiosira rotula、中肋骨条藻Skeletonema costatum、丹麦细柱藻Leptocylindrus danicus和舟形鞍链藻Campylosira cymbelliformis等。4个航次共有种类数在18—40种,Jaccard种类相似性指数范围在0.200—0.404,多样性指数和均匀度平均值分别为2.60和0.60。秋季大、小潮期多样性指数差异较显著(P0.05),冬季细胞丰度、多样性指数和均匀度大、小潮期均无明显差异。浮游植物细胞丰度变化范围为0.95×10~4个/L—28.0×10~4个/L,平均为6.86×10~4个/L,平均丰度冬季小潮期(9.46×10~4个/L)秋季小潮期(7.56×10~4个/L)冬季大潮期(5.97×10~4个/L)秋季大潮期(4.44×10~4个/L)。主成分分析(PCA)表明:盐度和营养盐可能是影响水东湾海域生态环境的主导因子。对水东湾海域浮游植物群落结构与主要环境因子进行Spearman相关性分析,细胞丰度与盐度在秋季大、小潮期为负相关,在冬季大、小潮期呈显著正相关;与无机氮和磷酸盐在冬季大、小潮期呈极显著负相关,在秋季大、小潮期均无相关性。冬季小潮期水温与多样性指数、均匀度和细胞丰度均呈正相关;从测定结果来看浮游植物细胞丰度、多样性指数和均匀度与叶绿素a含量均无统计学意义上的相关性。     

Variation in growth rate,carbon assimilation,and photosynthetic efficiency in response to nitrogen source and concentration in phytoplankton isolated from upper San Francisco Bay

Six species of phytoplankton recently isolated from upper San Francisco Bay were tested for their sensitivity to growth inhibition by ammonium (NH₄⁺), and for differences in growth rates according to inorganic nitrogen (N) growth source. The quantum yield of photosystem II (F_v/F_m) was a sensitive indicator of NH₄⁺ toxicity, manifested by a suppression of F_v/F_m in a dose‐dependent manner. Two chlorophytes were the least sensitive to NH₄⁺ inhibition, at concentrations of >3,000 μmoles NH₄⁺ · L^?1, followed by two estuarine diatoms that were sensitive at concentrations >1,000 μmoles NH₄⁺ · L^?1, followed lastly by two freshwater diatoms that were sensitive at concentrations between 200 and 500 μmoles NH₄⁺ · L^?1. At non‐inhibiting concentrations of NH₄⁺, the freshwater diatom species grew fastest, followed by the estuarine diatoms, while the chlorophytes grew slowest. Variations in growth rates with N source did not follow taxonomic divisions. Of the two chlorophytes, one grew significantly faster on nitrate (NO₃^?), whereas the other grew significantly faster on NH₄⁺. All four diatoms tested grew faster on NH₄⁺ compared with NO₃^?. We showed that in cases where growth rates were faster on NH₄⁺ than they were on NO₃^?, the difference was not larger for chlorophytes compared with diatoms. This holds true for comparisons across a number of culture investigations suggesting that diatoms as a group will not be at a competitive disadvantage under natural conditions when NH₄⁺ dominates the total N pool and they will also not have a growth advantage when NO₃^? is dominant, as long as N concentrations are sufficient.