Molecular genetic study of the beluga (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Delphinapterus leucas</Emphasis>: Cetacea,Monodontidae) summering in the southern Sea of Okhotsk as compared to North American populations

The structure of the left part of the mtDNA control region has been studied in Delphinapterus leucas captured in summer in the southern Sea of Okhotsk. The data have been compared with published results of similar studies on D. leucas at different sites along the American coast. A high specificity of maternal lineages of D. leucas from the southern Sea of Okhotsk has been demonstrated against the background of its historical connection with the form from the Pacific refugium that colonized the western Arctic region in postglacial time.     

Genetic variation of the St. Lawrence beluga whale population assessed by DNA fingerprinting

Recent surveys suggest that the endangered St. Lawrence beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas ) population is not recovering significantly despite 20 years of protection. Dead individuals that have been autopsied show high levels of tumours and infections. This situation could be a result of pollution, loss of genetic variation, inbreeding depression or a combination of these factors. Analyses of DNA fingerprints from St. Lawrence belugas with three minisatellite probes (Jeffreys 33.6, 33.15 and M13) indicate a reduced level of genetic variation compared to Beaufort Sea animals. The average band-sharing between individuals of the St. Lawrence beluga population for the three probes (0.534, 0.573 and 0.478, respectively) was significantly higher than that of the Beaufort Sea beluga population (0.343, 0.424, 0.314, respectively). Higher levels of mean allele frequency in the St. Lawrence belugas (0.33 vs. 0.21) suggest that this population is composed of individuals which are related. Inbreeding depression could therefore be a factor in the lack of recovery of the St. Lawrence beluga population.     

Tracing the introduction history of the brown seaweed Dictyota cyanoloma (Phaeophyceae,Dictyotales) in Europe

Dictyota cyanoloma has recently been described from the Mediterranean Sea and Macaronesia but doubt had arisen as to whether this species was truly native in Europe. The species is mainly found on non-natural substrata (harbour walls, marinas, boat hulls, etc.), strongly suggesting that it is an introduction. Molecular sequence information from historical herbarium samples proves the presence of D. cyanoloma in the Adriatic Sea as early as 1935. Since approximately the year 2000, however, the number of records as well as the geographic range of the species has expanded significantly. The present-day distribution of D. cyanoloma occupies most of the Mediterranean Sea, Macaronesia, NW Africa and southern Portugal, but recent records from Galicia and SW England (Falmouth, Cornwall) indicate that the species is rapidly expanding northward. Collections from Australia demonstrated that the species is also present from Perth in Western Australia, over much of the southern Australian coastline up to Minnie Water in New South Wales. Phylogenetic analyses resolve D. cyanoloma in a sister clade to a previously unreported Australian Dictyota species. Analysis of genetic diversity of the mitochondrial markers (nad6–nad11 and atp9–orf11) reveals that even though Australian populations contain a much higher haplotype richness, European populations are also fairly diverse. Furthermore, only two out of 25 haplotypes are shared between both regions. These somewhat counterintuitive results could be indicative of a more complicated introduction history.     

The microcopepod fauna in the Gulf of Aqaba, northern Red Sea: species diversity and distribution of Oncaeidae (Poecilostomatoida)

A total of 23 species and three groups of form variants of oncaeidcopepods have been identified, which were collected in smallmesh net samples taken along a transect from the northernmostRed Sea (>27°N) to the Gulf of Aqaba down to a maximumdepth of 800 m. Two of the species were present only in theRed Sea main basin, but were not recorded in the Gulf. By comparingthe present results with previously published data from thecentral and southern Red Sea a first assessment of the zoogeographicaldistribution of Oncaeidae in the entire Red Sea has been achieved.The species diversity of Oncaeidae in the Gulf of Aqaba appearsto be considerably lower compared to the southern Red Sea, where31 oncaeid species and four groups of form variants have beenfound. The observed latitudinal gradient in species numbersof Oncaeidae generally corresponds to the gradients observedfor various other zooplankton taxa in the Red Sea. First dataon the vertical distribution of oncaeid species in the Gulfare provided.     

Hematology and serum chemistry values in the beluga (Delphinapterus leucas)

Normal values and ranges for 31 clinical hematology and serum chemistry tests are reported for the beluga or white whale (Delphinapterus leucas). The values were collected over a 6-yr period from eight belugas maintained for display at Sea World (San Diego, California, USA) facilities and represent long-term evaluations for each animal in a controlled environment. They represent the first report for a number of serum chemistry values for the beluga. Normal values such as these provide an important data base from which to detect diagnostically important changes in health status for belugas in a zoological setting. They also establish a baseline from which to evaluate differences in normal values in free-ranging belugas and from which to diagnose disease problems in wild populations.     

The diet of whiting Merlangius merlangus in the western Baltic Sea

The diet of whiting Merlangius merlangus in the western Baltic Sea was investigated and compared to the diet in the southern North Sea. Clupeids were important prey in both areas, but especially in the western Baltic Sea where they constituted up to 90% of the diet of larger individuals. Gobies, brown shrimps and polychaetes were the main prey of juveniles in the western Baltic Sea, while a wider range of species were consumed in the North Sea. The shift to piscivory occurred at smaller sizes in the western Baltic Sea and the fish prey consumed was proportionately larger than in the southern North Sea. Estimates of prey abundance and food intake of M. merlangus are required to evaluate its predatory significance in the western Baltic Sea, but its diet suggests that it could be just as significant a fish predator here as in the southern North Sea.     

Lunar and seasonal patterns in fecundity of an indeterminate,multiple‐spawning surgeonfish,the yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens

Adult bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas were monitored with electronic tags to investigate horizontal and vertical movements in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In both locations, C. leucas showed some fidelity to specific coastal areas with only limited horizontal movements away from the tagging sites after tag attachment. Fish tagged in the Bahamas were detected mostly in the upper 20 m of the water column in water 25-26° C, whereas C. leucas tagged in Fiji spent most of their time below 20 m in water usually >26° C. The results highlight the importance of coastal inshore habitats for this species.     

Impact of late Quaternary environmental changes on deep-sea benthic foraminiferal faunas of the Red Sea

Fluctuations in abundance, diversity and species composition of benthic foraminifera from two sites of the northern and southern Red Sea indicate strong variability of deep-sea ecosystems during the last four glacial to interglacial cycles. In total, five and four different benthic foraminiferal assemblages have been identified in the northern core and southern core, respectively. Comparison with recent faunas from the Red Sea and adjacent oceans allowed the reconstruction of temporal changes in deep-water ventilation, salinity and food availability at the seafloor. Generally, the abundance of infaunal and miliolid taxa increase during glacial intervals indicating increased organic matter fluxes, oxygen decrease and salinity increase in deep waters during these times. These fluctuations are attributed to enhanced oxygen consumption rates and temporarily reduced deep-water formation in the northern Red Sea during glacial intervals. The recorded environmental changes are a reflection of both high- and low-latitude climate changes. The northern Red Sea is mainly influenced by glacio-eustatic sea level fluctuations that control deep-water formation rates and by mid-latitude climate changes of the Mediterranean region that control surface productivity. In contrast, deep-sea ecosystem variability of the southern Red Sea is additionally influenced by low-latitude climate changes attributed to the NE monsoon intensity that drives the inflow of nutrient-rich surface waters from the Gulf of Aden. These results demonstrate the high sensitivity of deep-sea ecosystems of the Red Sea to both global and regional climate changes.     

Notes on the distribution and biology of the deep-sea crab Bathynectes maravigna (Brachyura: Portunidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

Data on the distribution and biology of the deep-sea portunid crab Bathynectes maravigna are reported for the Mediterranean Sea, based on several fisheries research surveys. Densities are low and, therefore, biological data are scarce. In the western Mediterranean, the species is much commoner in Alborán Sea than in the Catalano-Balearic Sea. Occurrences are also scarce in the southern Adriatic and northwestern Thyrrenian Sea, as well as in the Ionian Sea. The Alborán Sea and the seas surrounding the southern Italian peninsula are the areas where densities are the highest. The occurrence depth range was found to be 245–786 m, but most of the occurrences took place deeper than 500 m. Sizes ranged between 9 and 51 mm carapace length in males and between 12 and 51 mm in females. Ovigerous females have been only reported in October–December and March–May. Eighty three percent of both males and females are right-handed. Sexual dimorphism was present in cheliped length with males having longer chelae than females. The species appears to be much commoner in those areas where Atlantic influence is the highest.     

Specific features of the spatial and temporal distribution of the White Sea population of harp seal

Analysis of the data obtained during aerial survey of sea mammals in the 1980s–1990s (White and Barents seas) has revealed that, during all the seasons of the year, harp seals of the White Sea population form two types of aggregations which differ in size and some ecological features. Large herds of seals (tens of thousands of individuals) are able to occupy areas extending tens and even hundreds of kilometers. Harp seals prefer to inhabit the northern part of the population range (Barents Sea), whereas the southern part (White Sea) is mainly used for reproduction and molting. Small herds (several hundred animals) can be scattered over vast territories, but they tend to dwell in the southern part of the area including the White Sea and southern areas of the Barents Sea. The opportunity to distinguish between these two types of aggregations makes it possible to study the biological features of each of them and to specify characteristics of the species biology.     

The formation of the Lycodinae fauna (Perciformes: Zoarcidae) of the Sea of Japan

The subfamily Lycodinae is represented in the Sea of Japan by two genera (Lycodes and Petroschmidtia) and seven species (Lycodes japonicus, L. nakamurae, L. raridens, L. tanakae, L. teraoi, L. yamatoi, and Petroschmidtia toyamensis), which are widely distributed on the shelf and upper continental slope. Based on the geographic and bathymetric distribution of eelpouts of the Sea of Japan and adjacent waters, two groups of closely related species with different types of distribution ranges were distinguished. The first group includes pairs of species that live primarily on the continental slope and are completely isolated in the Sea of Japan or in the Sea of Okhotsk. The second group is comprised of upper interzonal species of the Sea of Japan that are found on the continental slope and shelf, as well as in the southern Sea of Okhotsk from Terpeniya Bay to the southern Kuril Islands. Their related species in the Sea of Okhotsk are mostly found to the north of the Terpeniya Bay. The study of the eelpout distribution and the data on the geological history and paleoclimate of the Far East show that the Lycodinae fauna of the Sea of Japan was formed from North Pacific eelpout-like fishes during the isolation of the sea in the late Pliocene-early Pleistocene, which was concomitant with the general cooling of the Earth’s climate. During the Pleistocene interglacials, the eelpout migrations were unidirectional, from the Sea of Japan to the southern Sea of Okhotsk. The reconstruction of the formation of the Sea of Japan Lycodinae fauna suggests that the related taxa from the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk are separate species, while the northern and southern forms of species from the Sea of Japan (Lycodes yamatoi and L. teraoi) are no more than subspecies.     

A review of the genus Malakichthys Döderlein (Perciformes: Acropomatidae) with the description of a new species

Malakichthys Döderlein, 1883, comprises seven species: type species Malakichthys griseus Döderlein 1883, from southern Japan to north‐western Australia; Malakichthys barbatus Yamanoue & Yoseda, 2001 , from southern Japan, the South China Sea, north‐western Australia and the Coral Sea; Malakichthys elegans Matsubara & Yamaguti, 1943 , from southern Japan south to the Arafura Sea; Malakichthys levis Yamanoue & Matsuura, 2001 , from northern Australia; Malakichthys mochizuki Yamanoue & Matsuura, 2001 , from the Coral Sea; Malakichthys similis sp. nov. from the Bohol Sea, Philippines; Malakichthys wakiyae Jordan & Hubbs, 1925 , from southern Japan and Taiwan. Species of Malakichthys are very similar to each other in general appearance but are distinguishable by spination on the lower jaw, features of the proximal‐middle radial of the first anal‐fin pterygiophore, the number of anal‐fin soft rays and body depth.     

海湾景观生态脆弱性及其对人类活动的响应——以东海区为例

研究围填海影响下海湾景观生态脆弱性,有助于提高海湾生态环境保护意识、加速修复海湾生态系统。基于东海区海湾6期景观数据,分析了围填海影响下东海海湾景观生态脆弱性和人工干扰强度的时空变化特征,并讨论了海湾景观对人类活动的响应程度。结果表明:(1)东海海湾景观脆弱度上升,北部和南部海湾较高和高脆弱区面积呈上升趋势。高等级脆弱区不断扩散,主要由城市到郊区、内地到沿海、陆地到港口等。(2)东海海湾围填海开发利用强度加强。东海北部海湾景观人工干扰强度由低值向高值转变,中强度、较高强度区间和高强度区面积不断增加。南部海湾景观人工干扰强度南北分异显著,呈现出北低南高的特征。人工干扰强度从内陆向河口周边及沿海地区强度逐渐加深。(3)东海海湾景观变化对人类活动响应显著。东海北部海湾景观趋于破碎化、多样化、非均衡化。东海南部海湾逐渐向集约开发方向发展,景观趋于规则化、均衡化。东海海湾景观脆弱度与景观人工干扰强度间存在显著的正相关关系,南部海湾景观脆弱度与人工干扰度之间的拟合度大于北部海湾。     

Hepatic urea biosynthesis in the euryhaline elasmobranch Carcharhinus leucas

Plasma urea levels and hepatic urea production in the euryhaline bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, acclimated to freshwater and seawater environments were measured. It was found that plasma urea concentration increased with salinity and that this increase was, in part, the result of a significant increase in hepatic production of urea. This study provides direct evidence that hepatic production of urea plays an important role in the osmoregulatory strategy of C. leucas.     

Radiolarian evidence of late cenozoic oceanic paleotemperatures,Ross sea,Antarctica

Radiolarian and paleomagnetic studies of 59 Antarctic piston cores reveal that since the middle Gauss ($\text{t ? 3}\text{m.y.}$) radiolarian faunas from the southern Ross Sea consistently have lacked certain species commonly found just to the north in the Southern Ocean. Common Antarctic species generally absent from southern Ross Sea sediments include: Spongopyle osculosus, Cenosphaera nagatai, Chromyechinus antarctica, Stylatractus neptumus, Diploplegma banzare, Prunopyle titan, and Desmospyris spongiosa. These species appear to have consistently preferred water slightly warmer than that of the southern Ross Sea. Their occurrence at intervals in cores from the northern Ross Sea and from north of the Ross Sea has been used as a quantitative paleoclimatic indicator. The resulting paleoclimatic curves reveal that the early Gauss was warmer than the late Gauss, the Matuyama and the Brunhes. Warm and cold periods during the Matuyama and the Brunhes appear to be of equal amplitude. Temperatures in the region since the early Gauss were never warmer by more than about 3°C than they are today. Radiolarian abundance and diversity appear to have been controlled primarily by changes in factors affecting their production.     

Origin of juvenile chum salmon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus keta</Emphasis> (Salmonidae) in the Sea of Okhotsk coastal waters off South Sakhalin

Based on the data of the analysis of distribution of juvenile chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta that were marked at salmon hatcheries in the southern part of the Sakhalin Island and Japan it has been established that their stocks in the Sea of Okhotsk coastal waters off South Sakhalin and Japan are of mixed origin. One part of the stock is composed of juveniles from hatcheries located in the southern part of Sakhalin, and the other part is composed of migrants from the waters adjacent to Japan. The first part is formed by juveniles both from hatcheries on the Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan coasts of South Sakhalin. The second part is formed by juveniles reared at hatcheries in all regions of Japan: the Pacific and Sea of Okhotsk coasts of Honshu and Hokkaido, and from the Sea of Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido and Izmena (Nemuro) Strait. In July, in the Sea of Okhotsk coastal waters off South Sakhalin, the length and weight of most juvenile chum salmon of Japanese origin exceed 10 cm and 10 g, and juveniles of Sakhalin origin are always smaller than 10 cm and 10 g, which makes it possible to differentiate juveniles in trawl catches.     

Pelagic records of the lumpsucker, Cyclopterus lumpus L.

Since the development of mid-water trawls in the mid-1960s, the lumpsucker, Cyclopterus lumpus , has been found to occur frequently in mid-water. Records from cruises of English research vessels show that lumpsuckers occur pelagically from the southern North Sea to about 80°N off Spitsbergen, usually in the upper 50–60 m, and often over abyssal depths of the Norwegian Sea and the north-east Atlantic.     

The distribution and abundance of scyphomedusae (Scyphozoa) of the family Ulmaridae in the pelagic zone of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan

The distribution and abundance of jellyfish of the family Ulmaridae was studied based on the data of trawl surveys conducted in the Sea of Okhotsk (1998–2006) and the Sea of Japan (2003) in the fall. The jellyfish Aurelia aurita mainly inhabits the waters of the Sea of Japan, while in the Sea of Okhotsk small quantities of this species were recorded in southern areas, and solitary individuals, off North Sakhalin. Aurelia limbata tends to shelf waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, being less abundant in the southern deepwater area and in the Sea of Japan. Phacellophora camtschatica, in contrast, aggregates mostly over deep basins, whereas in shallow areas a significant quantity of this species was found only off West Kamchatka. In the northern Sea of Okhotsk, the species A. limbata dominated in biomass and abundance among Ulmaridae. During the studied period, its biomass varied from 27 to 803 kg/km² and its abundance varied from 69 to 1706 ind/km². In the southern Sea of Okhotsk, as a rule, P. camtschatica prevailed (1–16 kg/km² and 6–46 ind/km²). In the Sea of Japan, the most abundant species was A. aurita (29 kg/km² and 104 ind/km²). The jellyfish size structure in catches is presented.     

Warm-water decapods and the trophic amplification of climate in the North Sea

A long-term time series of plankton and benthic records in the North Sea indicates an increase in decapods and a decline in their prey species that include bivalves and flatfish recruits. Here, we show that in the southern North Sea the proportion of decapods to bivalves doubled following a temperature-driven, abrupt ecosystem shift during the 1980s. Analysis of decapod larvae in the plankton reveals a greater presence and spatial extent of warm-water species where the increase in decapods is greatest. These changes paralleled the arrival of new species such as the warm-water swimming crab Polybius henslowii now found in the southern North Sea. We suggest that climate-induced changes among North Sea decapods have played an important role in the trophic amplification of a climate signal and in the development of the new North Sea dynamic regime.     

Microsatellite analysis of population structure in Canadian polar bears

Attempts to study the genetic population structure of large mammals are often hampered by the low levels of genetic variation observed in these species. Polar bears have particularly low levels of genetic variation with the result that their genetic population structure has been intractable. We describe the use of eight hypervariable microsatellite loci to study the genetic relationships between four Canadian polar bear populations: the northern Beaufort Sea, southern Beaufort Sea, western Hudson Bay, and Davis Strait - Labrador Sea. These markers detected considerable genetic variation, with average heterozygosity near 60% within each population. Interpopulation differences in allele frequency distribution were significant between all pairs of populations, including two adjacent populations in the Beaufort Sea. Measures of genetic distance reflect the geographic distribution of populations, but also suggest patterns of gene flow which are not obvious from geography and may reflect movement patterns of these animals. Distribution of variation is sufficiently different between the Beaufort Sea populations and the two more eastern ones that the region of origin for a given sample can be predicted based on its expected genotype frequency using an assignment test. These data indicate that gene flow between local populations is restricted despite the long-distance seasonal movements undertaken by polar bears.