Crenarchaeota in Lake Michigan sediment.

RNA from Lake Michigan sediment was hybridized with a DNA probe for archaeal 16S rRNA. There was a peak of archaeal rRNA abundance in the oxic zone and another immediately below it. Six contributing species were identified by PCR amplification of extracted DNA with primers specific for archaeal rDNA: two related to Methanosarcina acetivorans and four related to marine crenarchaeotal sequences. rRNA quantification using a DNA probe specific for this crenarchaeotal assemblage showed it is most abundant in the oxic zone, where it accounts for about 10% of total archaeal rRNA.     

The phytoplankton of spring Lake,Michigan

Summary Spring Lake in Michigan U.S.A. is a highly productive body of water, containing many rare and unknown phytoplanktonic algae. A list of 283 species identified and their general distribution during the eight months of collection is brought.     

Program review. The Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program at the University of Michigan

The Michigan Biophysics Graduate Program (MBGP) was established in 1949, making it one of the first such programs in the world. The intellectual base of the program was significantly broadened in the 1980 when faculty members from a number of other units on campus were invited to join. Currently over forty faculty members from a variety of disciplines participate as mentors for the Ph.D. students enrolled in the MBGP providing our students with rich opportunities for academic learning and research. The MBGP has two main objectives: 1) to provide graduate students with both the intellectual and technical training in modern biophysics, 2) to sensitize our students to the power and unique opportunities of interdisciplinary work and thinking so as to train them to conduct research that crosses the boundaries between the biological and physical sciences. The program offers students opportunities to conduct research in a variety of areas of contemporary biophysics including structural biology, single molecule spectroscopy, spectroscopy and its applications, computational biology, membrane biophysics, neurobiophysics and enzymology. The MBGP offers a balanced curriculum that aims to provide our students with a strong academic base and, at the same time, accommodate their different academic backgrounds. Judging its past performance through the success of its former students, the MBGP has been highly successful, and there is every reason to believe that strong training in the biophysical sciences, as provided by the MBGP, will become even more valuable in the future both in the academic and the industrial settings. in the academic and the industrial settings.     

Distribution of neuromass in a Michigan stream ecosystem.

Neuromass, the mass of central nervous tissue per unit area, is suggested as a new parameter for studying ecosystems. Its use is demonstrated with a comparison of biomass and neuromass distributions for a stream riffle ecosystem in the Huron River, southeastern Michigan. Biomass and neuromass were estimated for three animal groups: small invertebrates, crayfish, and fish. For small invertebrates the mass of the longitudinal nerve cord was estimated with histological sectioning and volumetric calculation. For crayfish and fish the central nervous system was dissected out and weighed. Total biomass was about 12 g dry wt/m2 and was dominated by small invertebrates that made up 76% of the total. Total neuromass was about 0.2 g wet wt/m2. Fish neuromass made up 93% of the total neuromass even though their biomass contribution was only 18% of the total. These results are discussed in relation to the potential of this approach for developing a view of information processing at the ecosystem level of organization.     

The possibility of predator avoidance by Lake Michigan zooplankton

Low densities of Diaptomus ashlandi, Diacyclops thomasi, and Daphnia galeata mendotae were measured at depths where Mysis relicta formed nighttime aggregations. Calculations suggest that mysid predation can not account for the rarity of prey animals at these depths, which further suggests that the prey avoided the mysids. Unlike D. galeata mendotae, Daphnia pulicaria was common in mysid aggregations. The somewhat larger size of D. pulicaria may reduce its vulnerability to mysid predation, and consequently may explain the vertical distribution differences between the two congeners. Vertical distributions of Limnocalanus macrurus and copepod nauplii showed no obvious relationships to the mysid distributions. These were the only two taxa with distributions that were correlated with chlorophyll a concentrations. All crustacean taxa were rare in the epilimnion at night when sonar recorded a dense fish school.     

The distribution of Heterotrissocladius oliveri Saether (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Lake Michigan

Fifty one chironomid species were identified from 504 samples collected at depths ranging 8 to 267 m in Lake Michigan, U.S.A. Heterotrissocladius oliveri Saether occurred in 32% of these samples and had an average abundance of 22 m^–2 which was similar to other estimates from the Great Lakes. Maximum average lake-wide density was at 30 to 60 m (41 m^–2). At depths 60 m, H. oliveri was the dominant chironomid species comprising 75% of total Chironomidae. The substrate preference of H. oliveri differed within each depth regime considered: at 30–60 m, 2–3 ; at 60–120 m, 3–5 , 7–9 ; and at 120–180 m, 6–8 . Abundance was notably reduced at all depths in substrates characterized as medium silt (5–6 ). On a lake-wide basis, the distribution pattern suggested H. oliveri was most numerous from 30 to 60 m along the southwestern, eastern, and northern shorelines and at 60–120 m depths along the southern and eastern shorelines. Increased abundance in the South Basin was concurrent with evidence of increased sedimentation at 60 to 100 m. However, in several other areas of the lake, high densities were associated with medium to very fine sands relatively free of silts and clays. This observation suggested occurrence of H. oliveri was minimally affected by sediment type.Widely variable, but generally elevated water temperatures likely prevent H. oliveri from establishing a substantial population density at depths < 30 m. With increased depth, temperature fluctuation is negligible and food is more stable, though the source is variable. Factors limiting abundance of H. oliveri at depths 30 m were related to decreased food supply due to distance from shore, food sources of lower value (clays), and, most importantly, to reproductive replenishment.Although still oligotrophic in nature, high density occurrences in both high and low sedimentation areas of the lake suggest the trophic indicator status of H. oliveri might be broader than previously thought.     

Organic-solvent water pollution and low birth weight in Michigan.

This pilot study explored the association between a measure of water pollution caused by benzene or chlorinated solvents and the incidence of low birth weights for white residents of Michigan counties. A positive relationship between water pollution by these contaminants and the per cent of low-weight births (less than 2,500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds) resulted despite controls for the incidence of teenaged childbearing, infrequent prenatal care, and mean household income from wages or salaries. Water pollution showed an association with the incidence of low birth weight that was as strong as that between low birth weight and low prenatal care. While correlation cannot prove causation, the finding suggests that impure water may impair fetal growth in Michigan.     

Leucocytozoonosis in nestling bald eagles in Michigan and Minnesota.

Thirteen of 21 nestling bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) examined for blood parasites in Michigan and Minnesota (USA) during June and July 1997 had patent infections of Leucocytozoon toddi. No other parasites were seen. The degree of parasitemia was light and varied from 1 to 2 on the Ashford Scale. Several of the infected nestlings appeared to have elevated levels of heterophils in their peripheral circulating blood. One of the infected nestlings also showed signs of severe anemia. We believe this is the first report of L. toddi in the bald eagle.