Spectral composition of shade light in coastal-zone oak forests in SE Bulgaria,and relationships with leaf area index: a first overview

Major knowledge gaps exist with respect to light-quality regimes in the coastal-zone Strandzha Quercus frainetto (Q.f.) forest region adjoining the southern Bulgarian Black Sea. This paper presents preliminary results that help narrow these gaps. In conjunction with leaf area index (LAI) field campaigns we undertook measurements with an array of 7 broad-band (ca 40 nm) sensors covering the range 0.40–0.94 μm, plus 1 sensor for UVB (0.297 μm peak) and 1 for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Measurements focused on inside-forest shade conditions at sites 0 to ca 15 km from the Black Sea and at altitudes up to ca 120 m above sea level. Some of the sites were also studied using a high-resolution spectroradiometer. A sequential measuring strategy was necessary. This involves potentially large uncertainties, here addressed through estimations of the variability around the sinusoidal course of daylight. Light-quality regimes were found to be in general support of earlier studies of deciduous forests. Our data from the broad-band sensors and from the spectroradiometer are mutually supportive. They indicate a stronger red-shift below Q.f. canopies than below canopies in enclaves dominated by Fagus orientalis and Pinus sylvestris. Transmission in the range 0.50–0.55 μm increases beneath the three types of canopies, most pronounced in the Q.f. case. Analysis of relationships between the inside-forest to open-field irradiance ratio and LAI supports the use of Beer’s Law. We found a fairly strong relationship between the red (0.66 μm) to far-red (0.73 μm) irradiance ratios (R/FR) and LAI for the Q.f. forest. In quantitative terms, the result is new for this Q.f. region, and suggests further research to explore whether a two-sensor approach (0.66 and 0.73 μm) might offer possibilities for further low-cost mapping of the spatio-temporal patterns of R/FR and LAI in Strandzha. Such mapping would assist in further studies of the region’s forest biogeochemistry and vitality.     

Long-term changes in growth and age at maturity of mackerel, Scomber scombrus L., from the North Sea

Mean length and mean weight at age of Atlantic mackerel in the North Sea increased significantly between 1960 and 1979, then, decreased markedly during the 1980s. In contrast, median age at maturity decreased (c. 1-1.5 years) from 1960. Median length at maturity remained stable until the 1980s, when it declined sharply. The significance of these changes is discussed in relation to variation in sea temperature, food availability and stock size. It is speculated that the changes during the 1980s resulted from immigration of western stock mackerel.     

The sea-skater Halobates (Heteroptera: Gerridae) – probable cause for extinction in the Mediterranean and potential for re-colonisation following climate change

Sea-skaters in the genus Halobates Eschscholtz 1822 include some of the most specialised water striders and are found in tropical and subtropical seas around the world. Even though species of Halobates occur in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea, no extant sea-skater has been reported from the Mediterranean Sea. A fossil, Halobates ruffoi Andersen et al., 1994, described from Middle–Upper Eocene (45 Ma) Italy indicates that sea skaters were present in this part of the world in the past. Other geological evidence points to dramatic changes in the Mediterranean Sea during the Tertiary and Quaternary that may have led to their later extinction. In this paper we review briefly the distribution, systematics, evolution and ecology of Halobates, and discuss the potential for the Mediterranean to be recolonised following expected environmental changes due to global warming.     

Habitat suitability of the Wadden Sea for restoration of Zostera marina beds

A conceptual model is proposed, describing potential Zostera marina habitats in the Wadden Sea, based on reported data from laboratory, mesocosm and field studies. Controlling factors in the model are dynamics, degree of desiccation, turbidity, nutrients and salinity. A distinction has been made between a higher and a lower zone of potential habitats, each suitable for different morphotypes of Z. marina. The model relates the decline of Z. marina in the Wadden Sea to increased sediment and water dynamics, turbidity, drainage of sediments (resulting in increased degree of desiccation) and total nutrient loads during the twentieth century. The upper and lower delineation of both the higher and the lower zone of potential Z. marina habitats appear to be determined by one or a combination of several of these factors. Environmental changes in one of these factors will therefore influence the borderlines of the zones. The lower zone of Z. marina will be mainly affected by increased turbidity, sediment dynamics, degree of desiccation during low tide and nutrient load. The higher zone will be affected by increases in water and sediment dynamics, desiccation rates and nutrient loads. Potential Z. marina habitats are located above approx. –0.80 m mean sea level (when turbidity remains at the same level as in the early 1990s) in sheltered, undisturbed locations, and preferably where some freshwater influence is present. At locations with a high, near-marine, salinity, the nutrient load has to be low to allow the growth of Z. marina. The sediment should retain enough water during low tide to keep the plants moist. Our results suggest that the return of Z. marina beds within a reasonable time-scale will require not only suitable habitat conditions, but also revegetation measures, as the changes in the environment resulting from the disappearance of Z. marina may impede its recovery, and the natural import of propagules will be unlikely. Furthermore, the lower zone of Z. marina may require a genotype that is no longer found in the Wadden Sea. Received: 26 April 1999 / Received in revised form: 15 October 1999 / Accepted: 16 October 1999     

Cell-specific density of symbiotic dinoflagellates in tropical anthozoans

 Symbiotic dinoflagellates are abundant in the endoderm cells of tropical marine anthozoans, but the cell-specific density (CSD) of symbionts has not yet been investigated. In this study we used mechanical and enzymatic methods of maceration, and staining with substrate-specific fluorochromes, to observe a large number of individual host cells from 33 species of tropical anthozoans collected in Florida, Hawaii and Jamaica or cultured in Monaco. In the majority of species, most of the host cells contained a single algal cell (singlet). Host cells with two or more (up to six) algae were much less abundant. The average CSD for the 33 species was 1.54±0.30 (range 1.11 to 2.19). Singlets arranged in a monolayer can account for the areal density of algae observed in many anthozoans. The dinoflagellates occupy most of the interior of macerated host cells, leaving the host cytoplasm and cell membrane as a thin outer layer, often unresolvable by light microscopy. This spatial arrangement may favor diffusion and transport of CO₂, bicarbonate ions, and nutrients from the environment to the algae. The effect of nutrient enrichment on CSD was determined by exposing eleven species to chronically elevated levels of ammonium-N. After four weeks all species exhibited a dramatic increase in algal mitotic index and CSD. The potential consequences of environmentally induced increases in CSD in tropical anthozoans are discussed in terms of the decreased cell-specific photosynthesis (CO₂ limitation) and decreased rates of calcification observed in other studies. Accepted: 16 February 1998     

Reproductive Phenology of the Brown Alga Analipus japonicus in Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan)

The alga Analipus japonicus (Harv.) Wynne displays a distinct seasonal pattern in its development in Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan). In winter and spring, it occurs only in the form of basal crusts, and vertical axes develop in the summer–autumn period. It reproduces mostly asexually from July to November. Algae with unilocular sporangia occur very seldom, only in June and July.     

Microbial carbonate production in a starved basin: The crenistria Limestone of the upper Viséan German Kulm facies

The crenistria Limestone is a set of three autochthonous massive limestone beds occurring with great lithological persistence in the Kulm Facies (cd III , upper Viséan) of the eastern Rheinisches Schiefergebirge. Microfacies analysis reveals mainly minipeloidal fabrics and homogeneous micrite. Uncrushed, sediment-filled conchs of goniatites represent loci of sheltered preservation of primary carbonate textures. Calcified radiolarians are abundant, forming between 20 and 80% of total rock volume. The alleged algal genus Rectangulina is common in the crenistria Limestone. It is reinterpreted to represent the faeces of goniatites. For the first time the presence of in situ preserved sponges is reported. They can be recognized as delicate networks of microsparitic needles embedded in peloidal fabrics. Hexactinellids with primary spicule arrangements can be found embedded in homogeneous micrite. The carbonate forming the limestone beds was produced microbially during decomposition of soft tissue of the radiolarians and sponges. During the cd III , anoxia in the bottom waters of the Kulm Basin persisted for long periods due to stable density stratification of the water column under humid climatic conditions. Oxic conditions in the bottom waters during formation of the limestone are indicated by bioturbation, the presence of sponges and the high Mn-contents of the carbonate. The latter derived from reduction of Mn-oxides during microbial carbonate formation.     

Structure-based protein design with deep learning

Since the first revelation of proteins functioning as macromolecular machines through their three dimensional structures, researchers have been intrigued by the marvelous ways the biochemical processes are carried out by proteins. The aspiration to understand protein structures has fueled extensive efforts across different scientific disciplines. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that proteins with new functionality or shapes can be designed via structure-based modeling methods, and the design strategies have combined all available information — but largely piece-by-piece — from sequence derived statistics to the detailed atomic-level modeling of chemical interactions. Despite the significant progress, incorporating data-derived approaches through the use of deep learning methods can be a game changer. In this review, we summarize current progress, compare the arc of developing the deep learning approaches with the conventional methods, and describe the motivation and concepts behind current strategies that may lead to potential future opportunities.     

Indicators of seabird reproductive performance demonstrate the impact of commercial fisheries on seabird populations in the North Sea

In a world of growing anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity, effective indicators need to be specific and sensitive to the pressures in the ecosystem concerned, yet be simple enough to be interpreted by non-experts and straightforward enough to facilitate routine monitoring. Globally, seabirds are under increasing pressure as a result of anthropogenic activities and environmental variation. Traditionally, seabird indicators have been based on abundance at breeding colonies. However, as many species do not reach sexual maturity for several years, and may not attend the colony over this time period, such indicators may fail to capture the ecological complexity of the system concerned.We constructed two indicators of the state of nine seabird species that breed along the UK coast of the North Sea: (i) abundance of seabirds at breeding colonies, and (ii) probability of seabird breeding failure. The indicators were significantly and strongly correlated with each other for eight out of nine species, but the abundance indicator typically lagged the indicator on seabird breeding failure by two to three years. We then considered a third indicator which compared kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) breeding success to the levels expected given the underlying environmental conditions; changes in the abundance indicator also lagged this by three years. We investigate how sensitive each of these indicators was to the impacts of fishing. We found that the species which had seen the greatest increases in breeding failure rate over the study period were those species which were most sensitive to fisheries pressure.By focussing on demographic parameters, and correcting for the underlying environmental conditions, we can detect potentially important population level changes at an earlier stage than by focussing on abundance alone. These indicators are able to more accurately capture the complexity of the ecosystem concerned and can be readily interpreted by policy-makers.     

The distribution of fishes on the outer reef slopes of Aldabra (Indian Ocean) in relation to bottom temperatures

Synopsis Ninety six fish belonging to 19 species were taken by deep water line fishing off Aldabra. Analysis of the results shows how various factors such as hooking time changed with depth. The change of bottom temperature with depth was examined. The zone between 100 m and 150 m was found to have considerable temperature variations. The distribution of some serranids and lutjanids appeared to be stratified though there was usually overlap in the range of adjacent species. The results are compared with previous line-fishing off the South coast of Aldabra from deeper water and other areas of the western Indian Ocean.