Chemical criteria for marine eutrophication with special reference to the Oslofjord,Norway

Results of a chemical and geochemical study of the Oslofjord system are presented to explore the possibility of qualitatively identifying a eutrophication gradient. Nutrient concentration and dissolved oxygen may indicate such a gradient in areas of similar hydrographies. Uncertainties due to minor differences in hydrography may be resolved by considering sedimentary organic carbon, C:N ratios and the accumulation of mineralisation products in the sediment pore water. The reliability of the sedimentary organic matter and the pore water composition as gradient indicators can be impaired by input of terrestrial organics, dispersal of mineralisation products by the benthic fauna or the apparent high levels of organic carbon and pore water nutrients in the absence of the benthic fauna under anoxic conditions.     

Relationship between cation accumulation and water content of salt-tolerant grasses and a sedge

Abstract Salt-tolerant grasses and a sedge were grown at three salinities in a controlled-environment greenhouse. They were measured for growth rate, ash content, water content and cations. Fourteen species from the genera Sporobolus, Aeluropus, Leptochloa, Paspalum, Puccinellia, Hordeum, Elymus, Distichlis and Spartina survived up to the highest salt treatment (540 mol m^?3 NaCl). These were designated halophytes. Eleven species from the genera Triticum, Phragmites, Dactylotenium, Cynodon, Polypogon, Panicum, Jovea and Heleocharis only survived up to 180 mol m^?3 NaCl and were designated salt-tolerant glycophytes. All species except Distichlis palmeri grew fastest on the non-saline control treatment. All species tended to have higher Na⁺ contents and lower K⁺ and water contents on saline treatments compared to control plants. Halophytes differed from glycophytes in having statistically significant lower water contents on the non-saline treatment, and lower ash contents and Na:K ratios on 180 mol m^?3. However, the range of values among species was greater than the differences between halophytes and glycophytes. All species appeared to use Na⁺ accumulation and loss of water as the main means of osmotic adjustment. Three halophytic species were grown for a longer period of time to check the above results. The osmolality of the cell sap was measured directly by the vapour pressure method and compared to calculated values based on Na⁺, K⁺ and water contents (and assuming a balancing anion such as Cl^?). Na⁺ and K⁺ alone could account for greater than 75% of the osmotic potential at all salinities. Hence, the accumulation of organic solutes did not appear to be an important factor in the osmotic adjustment of these species. The results support the conclusion that grasses coordinate Na⁺ uptake and water loss to maintain a constant osmotic potential gradient between the shoot tissues and the external solution. The results were compared to a previous study with dicotyledonous halophytes at the same location.     

Combined fluorescent antibody assay and viability staining for the assessment of the physiological states of Escherichia coli in seawaters

AIMS: A comparison of methods that combine the use of immune sera with specific fluorescent probes for testing viability at single cell level was performed in order to estimate different living attributes of Escherichia coli in natural seawater samples. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cell culturability was assayed by plate method, respiratory activity and membrane integrity were determined by an indirect fluorescent antibody assay, combined with 5-cyano-2, 3 ditolyl tetrazolium chloride and propidium iodide, respectively. Results showed the coexistence of different physiological states within the E. coli population, of which a large fraction (46%) of cells was actively respiring. CONCLUSIONS: The methodological approach used offer interesting perspectives in water pollution monitoring, particularly when the differentiation between dead and living E. coli cells is required for a more precise assessment of the bacteriological quality of seawaters. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The study suggests the importance of knowledge of the viability status of faecal bacteria in aquatic environments as a fundamental issue for the preservation of public health; the availability of rapid analytical procedures for this purpose may find significant applications in the evaluation of the sanitary risk consequent to water use.     

Flavobacterium frigidimaris sp. nov., isolated from Antarctic seawater

We described the polyphasic characterization of the psychrotolerant isolated from Antarctic seawater. The strain was closely related to Flavobacterium hydatis, F. pectinovorum, and F. saccharophilum on the basis of the 16S rDNA sequence analysis. However, DNA–DNA hybridization experiments showed that the DNA-similarities between strain KUC-1^T and the reference strains of Flavobacterium were less than 30%. Therefore, we can definite a new species of Flavobacterium phylogenetically, and strain KUC-1^T can be considered to be a new species of Flavobacterium. i.e. F. frigidimaris (KUC-1^T: JCM 12218^T and DSM 15937^T; mol% G+C of DNA of the type strain is 34.5 mol%). Useful phenotypical features for discrimination of F. frigidimaris from other Flavobacterium species, such as a resistance to NaCl, optimum growth temperature, and cellular fatty acid composition, were also determined.     

Kinetics of conditioning layer formation on stainless steel immersed in seawater

Adhesion of microorganisms to surfaces in marine environments leads to biofouling. The deleterious effects of biofilm growth in the marine environment are numerous and include energy losses due to increased fluid frictional resistance or to increased heat transfer resistance, the risk of corrosion induced by microorganisms, loss of optical properties, and quality control and safety problems. Antifouling agents are generally used to protect surfaces from such a biofilm. These agents are toxic and can be persistent, causing harmful environmental and ecological effects. Moreover, the use of biocides and regular cleaning considerably increase the maintenance costs of marine industries. An improved knowledge of bio‐film adhesion mechanisms is needed for the development of an alternative approach to the currently used antifouling agents. The aim of this study is to characterise the chemical composition of the molecules first interacting with stainless steel during the period immediately following immersion in natural seawater and to elucidate the kinetics of the adsorbtion process. Proteins are shown to adhere very rapidly, closely followed by carbohydrates. The distribution on the surface of organic molecules is also examined. The ad‐sorbate on the surface is not a continuous film but a heterogeneous deposit, whose average thickness varies widely. The cleaning procedures used affect the adsorption kinetics. In particular, cleaning with hexane results in slower adsorption of nitrogen‐containing species than does cleaning in acetone.     

Uranyl mixed-ligand complex formation in artificial seawater

Abstract

The stability constants of the mixed uranyl-hydroxo-peroxo-carbonato species have been calculated. By incorporating those and including stability constants and corresponding equilibria into the developed model of seawater species distribution enables the dependence of uranyl species on pH to be evaluated. The calculations show that at seawater conditions (pH = 8), 88.3% of total uranyl-ion is in the form UO₂(CO₃)^4-, 11% is in the form UO₂(CO₃)₂(OH)^3-, and 0.5% in the UO₂(CO₃)(OH)₂^2- mixed-ligand complex form, while in the photic layer, 81.2% of uranyl-ion is in the tricarbonate complex, 10.1% in the form UO₂(CO₃)₂(OH₂)^3-, 7% as UO₂(CO₃)₂(OH)^3-, 0.5% as UO₂(CO₃)(OH)₂^4- and 0.5% as UO₂(O₂)₂^2- species.     

Use of specific glycosidases to probe cellular interactions in the sea urchin embryo

We present an unusual and novel model for initial investigations of a putative role for specifically conformed glycans in cellular interactions. We have used α- and ß-amylase and α- and ß-glucosidase in dose-response experiments evaluating their effects on archenteron organization using the NIH designated sea urchin embryo model. In quantitative dose-response experiments, we show that defined activity levels of α-glucosidase and ß-amylase inhibited archenteron organization in living Lytechinus pictus gastrula embryos, whereas all concentrations of ß-glucosidase and α-amylase were without substantial effects on development. Product inhibition studies suggested that the enzymes were acting by their specific glycosidase activities and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggested that there was no detectable protease contamination in the active enzyme samples. The results provide evidence for a role of glycans in sea urchin embryo cellular interactions with special reference to the possible structural conformation of these glycans based on the differential activities of the α- and ß-glycosidases.     

海水胁迫对苦荬菜幼苗生长及生理特性的影响

抗盐耐海水植物的种植是有效利用和开发滩涂资源的措施之一。采用温室砂培方式, 研究了不同稀释配比的海水处理8天对苦荬菜（Lactuca indica）幼苗生物量、根冠比、叶绿素含量、离子含量、可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖含量的影响。结果表明： 苦荬菜幼苗地上部受海水胁迫较为显著, 而根在海水浓度小于30%时与对照相比没有显著差异; 根冠比随着海水浓度的增加而不断提高; 在10%和20%海水浓度处理下, 叶绿素含量与对照相比差异不显著, 但随着海水浓度的进一步增加,叶绿素含量显著下降; 在10%海水浓度处理下, 苦荬菜地上部分及根部的K＋含量与对照相比差异不显著, 而海水浓度高于10%时, 随着海水浓度的增加地上部和根部的K＋含量均逐渐降低; 海水处理下, 苦荬菜体内Na＋和Cl–含量逐渐增加; 地上部可溶性糖含量逐渐增加, 而可溶性蛋白含量先升后降。海水胁迫下, 苦荬菜幼苗维持一定的K＋选择性吸收是其一定程度上盐适应的重要原因。同时, 积累的可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白是苦荬菜幼苗在盐胁迫下的重要渗透调节物质, 可作为其抗盐性的生理参数。     

Climate-mediated mechanical changes to post-disturbance coral assemblages

Increasingly severe storms and weaker carbonate materials associated with more acidic oceans will increase the vulnerability of reef corals to mechanical damage. Mechanistic predictions based on measurements of colony mechanical vulnerability and future climate scenarios demonstrate dramatic shifts in assemblage structure following hydrodynamic disturbances, including switches in species' dominance on the reef and thus potential for post-disturbance recovery. Larger colonies are more resistant to factors such as disease and competition for space, and complex morphologies support more associated reef species. Future reefs are thus expected to have lower colony abundances and be dominated by small and morphologically simple, yet mechanically robust species, which will in turn support lower levels of whole-reef biodiversity than do present-day reefs.