Population genetic structure and connectivity of the seagrass Thalassia hemprichii in the Western Indian Ocean is influenced by predominant ocean currents

This study is the first large‐scale genetic population study of a widespread climax species of seagrass, Thalassia hemprichii, in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). The aim was to understand genetic population structure and connectivity of T. hemprichii in relation to hydrodynamic features. We genotyped 205 individual seagrass shoots from 11 sites across the WIO, spanning over a distance of ~2,700 km, with twelve microsatellite markers. Seagrass shoots were sampled in Kenya, Tanzania (mainland and Zanzibar), Mozambique, and Madagascar: 4–26°S and 33–48°E. We assessed clonality and visualized genetic diversity and genetic population differentiation. We used Bayesian clustering approaches (TESS) to trace spatial ancestry of populations and used directional migration rates (DivMigrate) to identify sources of gene flow. We identified four genetically differentiated groups: (a) samples from the Zanzibar channel; (b) Mozambique; (c) Madagascar; and (d) the east coast of Zanzibar and Kenya. Significant pairwise population genetic differentiation was found among many sites. Isolation by distance was detected for the estimated magnitude of divergence (D_EST), but the three predominant ocean current systems (i.e., East African Coastal Current, North East Madagascar Current, and the South Equatorial Current) also determine genetic connectivity and genetic structure. Directional migration rates indicate that Madagascar acts as an important source population. Overall, clonality was moderate to high with large differences among sampling sites, indicating relatively low, but spatially variable sexual reproduction rates. The strongest genetic break was identified for three sites in the Zanzibar channel. Although isolation by distance is present, this study suggests that the three regionally predominant ocean current systems (i.e., East African Coastal Current, North East Madagascar Current, and the South Equatorial Current) rather than distance determine genetic connectivity and structure of T. hemprichii in the WIO. If the goal is to maintain genetic connectivity of T. hemprichii within the WIO, conservation planning and implementation of marine protection should be considered at the regional scale—across national borders.     

丁苯酞软胶囊联合奥扎格雷钠治疗短暂性脑缺血发作的临床观察

目的:探讨丁苯酞软胶囊联合奥扎格雷钠在短暂性脑缺血发作(TIA)病情治疗中的临床效果.方法:选取住院确诊为TIA患者60例,随机分为用药组和对照组,每组30例,对照组使用奥扎格雷钠治疗,用药组使用丁苯酞软胶囊和奥扎格雷钠联合治疗.观察两组的临床疗效.结果:用药组的终止发作时间短于对照组(P＜0.05).治疗后纤维蛋白原含量和甘油三酯含量与治疗前相比较,两种的变化差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05),但两组治疗后纤维蛋白原含量和甘油三酯含量的分布上差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05),用药组的治疗效果要明显优于对照组.两组3个月、6个月及9个月TIA复发率及卒中发生率差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论:丁苯酞软胶囊与奥扎格雷钠联用治疗TIA安全有效,复发率及脑卒中的发生率低,值得临床广泛应用.     

Macroecological patterns of archaeal ammonia oxidizers in the Atlantic Ocean

Macroecological patterns are found in animals and plants, but also in micro‐organisms. Macroecological and biogeographic distribution patterns in marine Archaea, however, have not been studied yet. Ammonia‐oxidizing Archaea (AOA) show a bipolar distribution (i.e. similar communities in the northernmost and the southernmost locations, separated by distinct communities in the tropical and gyral regions) throughout the Atlantic, detectable from epipelagic to upper bathypelagic layers (<2000 m depth). This tentatively suggests an influence of the epipelagic conditions of organic matter production on bathypelagic AOA communities. The AOA communities below 2000 m depth showed a less pronounced biogeographic distribution pattern than the upper 2000 m water column. Overall, AOA in the surface and deep Atlantic waters exhibit distance–decay relationships and follow the Rapoport rule in a similar way as bacterial communities and macroorganisms. This indicates a major role of environmental conditions in shaping the community composition and assembly (species sorting) and no, or only weak limits for dispersal in the oceanic thaumarchaeal communities. However, there is indication of a different strength of these relationships between AOA and Bacteria, linked to the intrinsic differences between these two domains.     

基于GIS的湖北省森林生态系统定位观测研究网络规划

森林生态系统定位观测研究站可为森林经营和生态效益评估提供基础数据。以湖北省为例,设计森林生态系统定位观测研究网络的指标体系,基于球状模型进行普通克里格插值,与GIS的空间叠置分析相耦合,生成湖北省生态地理区划和生态功能区划;建立森林生态站网络规划的有效分区,进行森林生态站站点布设,构建了湖北省森林生态系统定位观测研究网络;总结讨论了该网络的合理性和保障措施、与其它生态站网络的比较和网络规划的局限性。结果表明:该网络将湖北省划分成12个分区,共布设16个森林生态站,其中计划建设12个生态站,已经建设4个生态站;不仅可以监测湖北省81.8%的森林面积,88.9%的生态功能区面积,98.2%的重点生态功能区面积和87.5%的生物多样性保护优先区面积,而且9个森林生态站分布与湖北省4个重点生态功能区和3个生物多样性保护优先区相匹配。该网络可以实现森林生态系统生态要素的连续观测与清查,为森林生态服务功能和生态效益评估,以及重大生态工程提供数据支撑和辅助决策分析依据。     

海洋酸化对海洋无脊椎动物的影响研究进展

人源二氧化碳(CO2)的大量排放,导致空气中CO2浓度越来越高,其中大约1/4至1/3被海洋吸收。过多CO2在海水中的溶解,除引起海水p H值降低外,还导致海水中碳酸盐平衡体系的变化,即"海洋酸化"现象。很多海洋无脊椎动物不但在海洋生态系统中发挥重要作用,还是重要的水产养殖种,因此具有重要的生态与经济价值。由于海洋无脊椎动物的生活史在海水中完成,因此海洋环境的变化极易对其造成影响。大量研究已证实海洋酸化能对多种海洋无脊椎动物的受精、发育、生物钙化、基因表达等生命活动产生显著影响。综述了近年来海洋酸化对海洋无脊椎动物影响研究的相关报道,归纳了其对海洋无脊椎动物不同生命活动的影响,分析了其生态学效应,探讨了现有研究在方法创新、内容拓展以及机理分析等方面存在的局限与不足,并展望了海洋酸化对海洋无脊椎动物影响研究的发展方向。     

Could the acid–base status of Antarctic sea urchins indicate a better‐than‐expected resilience to near‐future ocean acidification?

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration alters the chemistry of the oceans towards more acidic conditions. Polar oceans are particularly affected due to their low temperature, low carbonate content and mixing patterns, for instance upwellings. Calcifying organisms are expected to be highly impacted by the decrease in the oceans' pH and carbonate ions concentration. In particular, sea urchins, members of the phylum Echinodermata, are hypothesized to be at risk due to their high‐magnesium calcite skeleton. However, tolerance to ocean acidification in metazoans is first linked to acid–base regulation capacities of the extracellular fluids. No information on this is available to date for Antarctic echinoderms and inference from temperate and tropical studies needs support. In this study, we investigated the acid–base status of 9 species of sea urchins (3 cidaroids, 2 regular euechinoids and 4 irregular echinoids). It appears that Antarctic regular euechinoids seem equipped with similar acid–base regulation systems as tropical and temperate regular euechinoids but could rely on more passive ion transfer systems, minimizing energy requirements. Cidaroids have an acid–base status similar to that of tropical cidaroids. Therefore Antarctic cidaroids will most probably not be affected by decreasing seawater pH, the pH drop linked to ocean acidification being negligible in comparison of the naturally low pH of the coelomic fluid. Irregular echinoids might not suffer from reduced seawater pH if acidosis of the coelomic fluid pH does not occur but more data on their acid–base regulation are needed. Combining these results with the resilience of Antarctic sea urchin larvae strongly suggests that these organisms might not be the expected victims of ocean acidification. However, data on the impact of other global stressors such as temperature and of the combination of the different stressors needs to be acquired to assess the sensitivity of these organisms to global change.     

Viral attack exacerbates the susceptibility of a bloom‐forming alga to ocean acidification

Both ocean acidification and viral infection bring about changes in marine phytoplankton physiological activities and community composition. However, little information is available on how the relationship between phytoplankton and viruses may be affected by ocean acidification and what impacts this might have on photosynthesis‐driven marine biological CO₂ pump. Here, we show that when the harmful bloom alga Phaeocystis globosa is infected with viruses under future ocean conditions, its photosynthetic performance further decreased and cells became more susceptible to stressful light levels, showing enhanced photoinhibition and reduced carbon fixation, up‐regulation of mitochondrial respiration and decreased virus burst size. Our results indicate that ocean acidification exacerbates the impacts of viral attack on P. globosa, which implies that, while ocean acidification directly influences marine primary producers, it may also affect them indirectly by altering their relationship with viruses. Therefore, viruses as a biotic stressor need to be invoked when considering the overall impacts of climate change on marine productivity and carbon sequestration.     

Climate change and dead zones

Estuaries and coastal seas provide valuable ecosystem services but are particularly vulnerable to the co‐occurring threats of climate change and oxygen‐depleted dead zones. We analyzed the severity of climate change predicted for existing dead zones, and found that 94% of dead zones are in regions that will experience at least a 2 °C temperature increase by the end of the century. We then reviewed how climate change will exacerbate hypoxic conditions through oceanographic, ecological, and physiological processes. We found evidence that suggests numerous climate variables including temperature, ocean acidification, sea‐level rise, precipitation, wind, and storm patterns will affect dead zones, and that each of those factors has the potential to act through multiple pathways on both oxygen availability and ecological responses to hypoxia. Given the variety and strength of the mechanisms by which climate change exacerbates hypoxia, and the rates at which climate is changing, we posit that climate change variables are contributing to the dead zone epidemic by acting synergistically with one another and with recognized anthropogenic triggers of hypoxia including eutrophication. This suggests that a multidisciplinary, integrated approach that considers the full range of climate variables is needed to track and potentially reverse the spread of dead zones.     

海洋浮游植物与生物碳汇

系统描述了浮游植物与海洋碳汇相关的几个过程:初级生产、浮游植物沉降、浮游动物粪球打包沉降、经典食物链碳汇、溶解有机碳生产和转化、透明胞外聚合颗粒物(TEP)凝聚网,和CO₂分压升高(海水酸化)影响下浮游植物功能群转变及中国海可能的生物碳汇前景展望。提出海洋初级生产过程和TEP凝聚网过程是中国海生物碳汇的关键过程,而中国海的黄海中部及长江口区域是生物碳汇研究的重点区域,建议将硅藻及其碳汇过程作为今后研究的重点。