海南东寨港红树林区主要鱼类汞含量及生物质量指数

汞可以通过鱼类富集,危害人类健康.为了解东寨港红树林区鱼类的汞含量及其生物质量,本研究对林区内14种主要鱼类和不同环境介质的汞含量进行了分析.研究发现,鱼肉汞平均含量为67.7 ng·g-1,变化范围为34.9～154.9 ng·g-1.海水、红树植物叶片、沉积物中汞含量分别为0.4 μg·L-1、153.9 ng·g-1、314.1 ng·g-1.相对于海水,鱼对环境中的汞具有明显的生物富集作用,鱼体汞含量与其食物来源和生活习性有关,杂食性鱼类汞含量高于植食性鱼类和肉食性鱼类汞含量.所有鱼类体内的生物质量指数均＜1,可安全食用.     

长江流域汞的生物地球化学研究进展

自工业革命以来,人为活动加剧了全球范围内的汞污染,汞的致癌性、致畸性和诱变性严重危害人体健康.长江经济带高度集聚的工业发展和人口密度,使得长江流域接纳了大量的化工、钢铁、炼油等工矿废气、废水和生活污水等,流域内的汞污染严重,亟需关注.为了解目前长江流域的汞污染及研究现状,本文归纳总结了近年来有关长江流域重金属汞的生物地...     

南极硅藻生物多样性及生态分布研究进展

南极硅藻在南极生态系统中起着至关重要的作用, 是南极食物网的基石, 其物种多样性、群落结构特征直接或间接影响南极生态系统的稳定性。根据近30 年来国内、外有关南极硅藻的多样性和生物地理学研究, 综述了海冰硅藻的种类组成和分布特点, 南极湖泊硅藻的物种构成特征及附生硅藻和共生硅藻多样性的研究进展, 为南极硅藻的生物多样性研究、分子生态学研究、生物地理学研究开发和利用提供参考依据。     

蓝细菌对汞耐受机制的研究进展

蓝细菌对不同形态的汞具有很强的耐受和富集能力，能够改变环境中的汞浓度，影响汞的生物地球化学循环。同时，蓝细菌是生态系统中重要的初级生产者，经过蓝细菌富集的汞更容易进入食物链，影响人类健康。本文系统总结了蓝细菌对汞的耐受机制，主要包括：(1)在细胞壁外合成胶质鞘隔离汞；(2)通过与自身化合物结合钝化汞的毒性；(3)利用自身抗氧化机制修复汞对细胞的损伤；(4)利用自身酶转化汞的形态降低毒性；(5)与抗汞细菌共生抵御汞。基于此，本文展望了蓝细菌汞耐受机制的进一步研究方向，以及利用蓝细菌进行汞解毒和污染修复的前景。     

基于信号放大技术的适体生物传感器研究进展

信号放大技术因其能实现低浓度分子检测,灵敏度高而在多个研究领域发展非常迅速。而适体作为识别分子已成功应用于多种生物传感器平台,在医疗诊断、环境检测、生化分析中显示出良好的应用前景。近年来,以适体为识别元件的生物传感器越来越受到人们的关注。综述了近3年来基于信号放大技术的适体生物传感器研究新发展。     

南极菲尔德斯半岛水生植物的生物地球化学特征研究

利用中子活化分析技术,得到南极西湖沉积岩芯中水生植物（镰刀藓）的22种化学元素含量,发现南极水生植物的地球化学元素含量范围变化较大,而且在沉积层次上,各个元素的变异系数也较大,水生植物吸收和累积元素的特征为：稀土元素,U,As极容易为植物吸收同化,Ca,Co,Sc为水生植物容易吸收的元素,Th,Hf,Na为水生植物难以同化的元素。同时,研究发现水生植物的直接营养物源为湖水中的可溶性离子;对水生植物的22种化学元素进行聚类分析,发现稀土元素,Ca,Zn,U之间,As,Fe,Co之间共生关系密切,对水生植物具有相似的生理作用。     

南极特别保护区体系:现状、问题与建议

随着南极变暖、海冰融化、生态系统变化,以及人类对自然资源的需求增加,南极生态环境保护正面临巨大挑战。在国际社会积极推动下,南极特别保护区已经从单一保护区发展为多类型保护区体系。目前,已有16个国家选划72个保护区,其中美国、英国、新西兰、澳大利亚与智利占主导地位,主要覆盖南极半岛与罗斯海维多利亚地地区,并通过发展南极保护生物地理区技术作为保护区的重要识别工具。然而,南极特别保护区体系仍然存在着总体发展进度减缓、保护区信息管理混乱、覆盖率偏低、代表性不足等一系列问题。针对以上问题,本文提出以履行南极环境保护职责为重要前提,加强南极环境保护科学合作为有效途径,积极应对南极气候变化为科学挑战,开展基于生态系统的南极海洋空间规划为发展方向的综合建议,期望推动南极特别保护区体系的进一步优化,以实现南极环境与生态系统的有效保护。     

水库鱼体汞积累的预测

回归分析表明,在所研究的长江流域的１２个水库中,水库与河流鲤鱼汞含量的比值Ｆ与水库集水面积Ａ和径流量Ｑ的比值呈显著的同相关：Ｆ＝２．５０９６－０．４８０４７Ａ／Ｑ（ｒ＝－０．７９５,ｎ＝１２）凤滩水库调查结果证实了此回归方程的可靠性。实测的Ｆ值与预测值比较,相对误差为２３．１％。用此模型预测三峡大坝建成蓄水后将加剧鱼体对汞的生物富集作用,局部水域存在鱼体汞含量超过我国食品汞含量标准的可能性。本文讨     

南极地区苔藓地衣植物的地球化学元素营养富集特征

研究南极苔藓地衣中地球化学元素的营养富集特征,发现K,Ca为苔藓地衣中最活跃元素,主要以主动吸收的方式累积于苔藓地衣植物中,P极易富集在地衣的藻层,参与藻类的有机合成过程,苔藓容易富集环境中的S,Al,Si以被动吸收的方式累积于地衣中,同时Fe,Mg以被动吸收的方式累积于苔藓体内,根据元素的含量和营养作用,研究认为K,Ca苔地衣的大量无机营养元素,S,P为苔藓地衣的中等营养元素,Al,Si为苔藓地衣的环境累积元素。     

Keratinophilic fungi isolated from antarctic soil

In the present study, 10 soil samples were collected aseptically from an equal number of areas of the Antarctic in the zone occupied by the 1986–1987 Italian expedition for research on keratinophilic fungi.Of particular interest was the isolation of a pathogenic fungus, Microsporum gypseum, from two sites in the base camp occupied by men and by skuas. Trichophyton terrestre was isolated from a site in which people worked and through which penguins and skuas passed.The most widespread fungal species were members of the genus Chrysosporium. Some of these species were isolated but not identified and this part of the study was still be completed.Another significant finding was the absence of fungi in one sample, while in another the widespread and abundant growth in all the seeded dishes of a single species of Chrysosporium.Other species in genera of general diffusion in many environments were also isolated : Aspergillus spp., Malbranchea sp., Mycelia sterilia spp., Paecilomyces sp., Penicillium spp. and Scopulariopsis spp.     

Methylmercury in Marine Ecosystems: Spatial Patterns and Processes of Production,Bioaccumulation, and Biomagnification

The spatial variation of MeHg production, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification in marine food webs is poorly characterized but critical to understanding the links between sources and higher trophic levels, such as fish that are ultimately vectors of human and wildlife exposure. This article discusses both large and local scale processes controlling Hg supply, methylation, bioaccumulation, and transfer in marine ecosystems. While global estimates of Hg supply suggest important open ocean reservoirs of MeHg, only coastal processes and food webs are known sources of MeHg production, bioaccumulation, and bioadvection. The patterns observed to date suggest that not all sources and biotic receptors are spatially linked, and that physical and ecological processes are important in transferring MeHg from source regions to bioaccumulation in marine food webs and from lower to higher trophic levels.     

Fresh is best: Accurate SNP genotyping from koala scats

Maintaining genetic diversity is a crucial component in conserving threatened species. For the iconic Australian koala, there is little genetic information on wild populations that is not either skewed by biased sampling methods (e.g., sampling effort skewed toward urban areas) or of limited usefulness due to low numbers of microsatellites used. The ability to genotype DNA extracted from koala scats using next‐generation sequencing technology will not only help resolve location sample bias but also improve the accuracy and scope of genetic analyses (e.g., neutral vs. adaptive genetic diversity, inbreeding, and effective population size). Here, we present the successful SNP genotyping (1272 SNP loci) of koala DNA extracted from scat, using a proprietary DArTseq^? protocol. We compare genotype results from two‐day‐old scat DNA and 14‐day‐old scat DNA to a blood DNA template, to test accuracy of scat genotyping. We find that DNA from fresher scat results in fewer loci with missing information than DNA from older scat; however, 14‐day‐old scat can still provide useful genetic information, depending on the research question. We also find that a subset of 209 conserved loci can accurately identify individual koalas, even from older scat samples. In addition, we find that DNA sequences identified from scat samples through the DArTseq^? process can provide genetic identification of koala diet species, bacterial and viral pathogens, and parasitic organisms.     

Physiological characteristics of the antarctic copepod Calanoides acutus during late summer in the Weddell Sea

Ingestion, respiration and excretion rates as well as lipid and protein body content of the dominant Antarctic copepod Calanoides acutus (CIV to adult females) were studied during the period covering the end of phytoplankton bloom (February) to the beginning of transition to overwintering (March-April). Daily rations measured with gut fluorescence varied from 2.2 to 2.7% in surface C. acutus. Weight-specific respiration and excretion rates in deep C. acutus decreased by a factor of 11 and 3.5–3.8 compared to their surface counterparts. High lipid (up to 455 µg ind^–1) and protein (198 µg ind^–l) content was observed in surface C. acutus CV in February; a month later the animals with similar lipid and protein content were found in the depth (500–1000 m layer). Their lipid reserves were enough to overwinter and probably to ascend, molt and reproduce. At the same time some of the deep CVs had much lower protein and lipid content and could survive only for 4–5 months. Our own and literature data led to the conclusion that females of C. acutus reach adulthood at the age of more than one year while development of males could be completed in one year.     

Preliminary observations on psychrotrophic and psychrophilic,heterotrophic bacteria from antarctic water samples

Bacteria isolated from antarctic sea and lake water samples were examined for growth at 5 °C and 25 °C. Of 250 isolates, 249 were psychrotrophic and one was psychrophilic. The effect of temperature on the growth rate of the latter (strain 755) and a typical psychrotroph (strain 203A) was described by the square root of the growth rate constant. T_MIN values calculated from this model confirmed the strains as psychrophile and psychrotroph.Identification of 93 isolates showed the majority to be Pseudomonas (82%), with Flavobacterium and Moraxella representing 13% of the isolates. The remainder were coryneforms and yeasts. Isolate 611 was studied in detail because of its unusual morphology. This strain has features in common with the genera Spirosoma, Runella and Flectobacillus, but cannot be assigned with certainty. It may represent a new taxon of curved, gram negative bacteria.     

Habitat use and trophic position determine mercury concentration in the straight fin barb Barbus paludinosus, a small fish species in Lake Awassa, Ethiopia

The diet, habitat use and mercury concentration of the small fish species, the straight fin barb Barbus paludinosus , were studied in Lake Awassa, Ethiopia, for a period of 1 year from February 2003 to January 2004. Stable isotope signatures of nitrogen and carbon in different total length ( L _T) classes were used to determine trophic positions and organic carbon sources, respectively. Barbus paludinosus mainly occupied the protected benthic habitats (littoral and profundal) of the lake. The δ¹³C values were in the range from −24 to −19‰, indicating that the carbon source for B. paludinosus was benthic, as well. Small individuals (≤ 60 mm L _T) mainly preyed upon ostracods, intermediate sizes (60–100 mm) on aquatic insects and gastropods, while a tiny cyprinodont fish Aplocheilichthys antinorii dominated the diet of large individuals (100–160 mm). The progressively increase in δ¹⁵N with increasing L _T also indicated a diet shift towards piscivory in larger individuals. The mercury concentration ranging from 0·02 to 0·74 mg kg⁻¹ wet mass (wm), was unexpectedly high in this small species, and was significantly positively related to L _T, as well as to δ¹⁵N. Some large individuals had mercury concentrations < 0·1 mg kg⁻¹ wm, and low δ¹⁵N, indicating substantial variations in diet between individuals of same size. The study suggests that other piscivorous species which include B. paludinosus in their diet may have a high mercury intake risk.     

Differentiating between Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) and northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) scats through analysis of faecal DNA

We describe a method to determine the species of pinniped from faeces collected from sympatric Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) and northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) rookeries using newly developed species-specific primers that amplify a 667-669-base pair segment from the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome B (cytB) gene region. The primers yielded the correct species in 100% of tissue samples from 10 known animals and 100% of faecal samples from 13 known animals. Species could be identified unequivocally for 87.7% of faecal samples from 122 unknown individuals. The ability to differentiate between scats of sympatrically breeding Steller sea lions and northern fur seals will contribute to the range-wide knowledge of the foraging strategies of both species as well as allow researchers to examine the niche partitioning and potential resource competition between the two predators.     

Seasonal variation in marine phytoplankton and ice algae at a shallow antarctic coastal site

The phytoplankton population near Davis, Vestfold Hills, Antarctica was monitored throughout 1982. Chlorophyll-a determinations and counts of living cells in both the water column and sea ice demonstrated a marked seasonality in phytoplankton abundane and species composition. From April to October nanoplanktonic organisms contributed most of the chlorophyll-a in both the sea ice and water column. Blooms of diatoms occurred in May, November and December in the bottom of the sea-ice and in January and February in the water column. Phaeocystis pouchetii was dominant during December in the water column. Large numbers of dead diatoms were found in winter. The concentrations of nitrate, dissolved inorganic phosphate and dissolved silicate increased throughout the year until December, when the concentrations of nitrate and silicate fell sharply, followed a month later by a reduction in phosphate concentration. The diversity of phytoplankton was greatest during the summer months.     

Mercury Pollution from a Chloralkali Source in a Tropical Lake and Its Biomagnification in Aquatic Biota: Link between Chemical Pollution,Biomarkers, and Human Health Concern

Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that can cause adverse ecological and toxicological impacts through the mechanism of biomagnification. Hg accumulation in aquatic biota may thus also pose a serious threat to humans and other fish-eating animals. The present work observed the transfer of Hg from abiotic (water and sediments) to biotic (algae, aquatic macrophytes, and fish) components, belonging to different trophic levels in a tropical lake in India. Hg was analyzed in water, sediments, plants, and fish collected from different sampling points, receiving the discharge of chloralkali effluent. Hg concentrations increased significantly from lake water and sediments to algae and aquatic macrophytes. Statistical analysis (Pearson correlation) revealed a significant positive correlation between Hg in water and plants (r = 0.88–0.93; p < .01 and p < .05) as well as for Hg in sediment and plants (r = 0.50–0.83; p < .01 and p < .05). However, the increase in Hg concentration in fish was not significantly correlated with lake ambient water (r = 0.31–0.36), sediments (r = 0.29–0.33), and aquatic plants (r = 0.31–0.36). Results obtained encourage the use of naturally occurring wetland plants in designed systems like constructed wetlands to ameliorate Hg pollution in lakes, rivers, and ponds resulting from the discharge of industrial effluents, especially chloralkali effluent, hence reducing the human health risks associated with Hg.