Sunscreens,oxidative stress and antioxidant functions in marine organisms of the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

An overview of the biochemical photophysiology of tropical, reef-building corals is presented with a discussion on the biosynthetic relationship between natural UV-absorbing sunscreens and certain antioxidant functions in marine organisms. Our studies reveal that marine organisms, including ‘UV-extremophilic’ bacteria, are a rich source of novel antioxidants having potential for the development of commercial and biomedical applications. Novel sunscreening agents derived from tropical marine organisms of the Great Barrier Reef are in development. New marine-derived antioxidants are being isolated for testing as chemopreventatives in a variety of oxidatively degenerative diseases.     

Cryopreservation of the cells and larvae of marine organisms

This paper reviews original and literature data on the cryoresistance of the cells of marine organisms. The technology for the cryopreservation of these objects includes the selection of freezing conditions and the use, in addition to traditional cryoprotectants, of combinations of exogenous lipids, antioxidants, and disaccharide trehalose as a membrane stabilizing agent. We propose an approach for the preservation of marine invertebrate cells. The approach is based on the use of biologically active substances obtained from the tissues of marine organisms. Our results demonstrated the synergistic activity of these components of cryoprotective mixtures, and, at the same time, the specificity of antioxidant effects. An analysis of the factors that determine the choice of cryoprotectors was performed for various cell types. The development of the cryopreservation methods of marine organisms provides an opportunity for their wide application in both developmental biology and in marine biotechnology and serves as an important prerequisite for the cryobank creation.     

Diatoms from surface sediments of the northern part of Lake Tanganyika

227 Diatom taxa were observed in the surface sediments of the northern part of Lake Tanganyika, including 1 new to science: Amphora tanganyikae. The diatom community of these sediments is mainly composed of benthic organisms while planktonic diatoms are rather rare. Many brackish-water and a few marine organisms were observed. Cosmopolitan organisms (77.1%) dominate the diatom flora but tropical, tropical African and African taxa are also well represented (22.9%)Deceased.Deceased.     

Ecophysiological adaptability of tropical water organisms to salinity changes]

Physiological response of tropical organisms to salinity changes was studied for some marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes (Astyanax bimaculatus, Petenia karussii, Cyprinodon dearborni, and Oreochromis mossambicus), marine and freshwater crustaceans (Penaeus brasiliensis, Penaeus schmitti and Macrobrachium carcinus), and marine bivalves (Perna perna, Crassostrea rhizophorae, and Arca zebra) collected from Northeast Venezuela. They were acclimated for four weeks at various salinities, and (1) placed at high salinities to determine mean lethal salinity, (2) tested by increasing salinity 5@1000 per day to define upper lethal salinity tolerance limit, or (3) observed in a saline gradient tank to determine salinity preference. Acclimation level was the most significant factor. This phenomenon is important for tropical aquatic organisms in shallow waters, where they can adapt to high salinity during the dry season and cannot lose their acclimation level at low salinity during abrupt rain. For saline adaptation of tropical organisms, this behavior will contribute to their proliferation and distribution in fluctuating salinity environments.     

Back to the sea: secondary marine organisms from a biogeographical perspective

Secondary marine organisms belong to groups of terrestrial ancestry which have recolonized marine habitats. Some of them are, to various degrees, still dependent on the terrestrial habitat where they originated, which imposes certain limits in the expansion of their distribution range. This makes them an ideal subject for historical reconstruction. Here I perform biogeographical analyses on the global distribution of 12 groups of land-dependent secondary marine plants and animals (mangrove trees, sea turtles, sea snakes, seabirds and seals). When all groups are taken together, species diversity shows a unique bimodal pattern for each hemisphere, with high values in cold-temperate and tropical regions, but low values in mid-latitude regions. None of the individual groups considered reaches its highest species concentration in mid-latitude regions. This is shown to be due to the existence of three different species assemblages, inhabiting the three species-rich latitudinal bands (northern cold-temperate, tropical, and southern cold-temperate), and intermixing to a limited degree in the species-poor mid-latitude bands. This is evidence that secondary marine organisms diversified independently in cold-temperate and tropical regions, and strongly suggests that colonization from terrestrial habitats took place independently in the three species-rich latitudinal bands. Different constraints in the terrestrial habitat of origin are put forward as evolutionary incentives for colonizing the sea: glaciation processes in cold regions and competition in tropical regions.     

Effects of dredging on critical ecological processes for marine invertebrates,seagrasses and macroalgae,and the potential for management with environmental windows using Western Australia as a case study

Dredging can have significant impacts on benthic marine organisms through mechanisms such as sedimentation and reduction in light availability as a result of increased suspension of sediments. Phototrophic marine organisms and those with limited mobility are particularly at risk from the effects of dredging. The potential impacts of dredging on benthic species depend on biological processes including feeding mechanism, mobility, life history characteristics (LHCs), stage of development and environmental conditions. Environmental windows (EWs) are a management technique in which dredging activities are permitted during specific periods throughout the year; avoiding periods of increased vulnerability for particular organisms in specific locations. In this review we identify these critical ecological processes for temperate and tropical marine benthic organisms; and examine if EWs could be used to mitigate dredging impacts using Western Australia (WA) as a case study. We examined LHCs for a range of marine taxa and identified, where possible, their vulnerability to dredging. Large gaps in knowledge exist for the timing of LHCs for major species of marine invertebrates, seagrasses and macroalgae, increasing uncertainty around their vulnerability to an increase in suspended sediments or light attenuation. We conclude that there is currently insufficient scientific basis to justify the adoption of generic EWs for dredging operations in WA for any group of organisms other than corals and possibly for temperate seagrasses. This is due to; 1) the temporal and spatial variation in the timing of known critical life history stages of different species; and 2) our current level of knowledge and understanding of the critical life history stages and characteristics for most taxa and for most areas being largely inadequate to justify any meaningful EW selection. As such, we suggest that EWs are only considered on a case-by-case basis to protect ecologically or economically important species for which sufficient location-specific information is available, with consideration of probable exposures associated with a given mode of dredging.     

Identification of carbohydrate degrading bacteria in sub-tropical regions

Several bacteria from the islands of Puerto Rico, Vieques and Trinidad were isolated for their carbohydrate degrading activities. These terrestrial and marine bacterium were collected from pineapple agricultural lands, tropical rain forests, coastlands and mangrove swamps. Organisms were screened for activity using chromogenic substrates (AZCL Megazyme International Ltd., Ireland). The media composition for the effective culturing of some of the marine organisms has also been standardized. Gram-negative organisms were identified by sequence analysis of the PCR- amplified partial small subunit rRNA gene. Results indicate that the majority of the marine organisms tested belong to the genera Vibrio and Pseudoalteromonas and in the terrestrial environments Chryseobacterium predominated. These experiments reveal that sub-tropical environments are potentially good sources of microorganisms with novel carbohydrase activities.     

Prospective of the cosmeceuticals derived from marine organisms

Cosmeceuticals, derived from the words ‘cosmetic and pharmaceutical’, have drug-like benefits and contain active ingredients such as vitamins, phytochemicals, enzymes, antioxidants, and essential oils. Cosmeceuticals have attracted increased attention because of their beneficial effects on human health. Bioactive substances derived from marine organisms have diverse functional roles as a secondary metabolite and these properties can be applied to the developments of novel pharmaceuticals and cosmeceuticals. Recently, extensive studies have been conducted on the general aspects of the chemical structures, physical and biochemical properties, and biotechnological applications of bioactive substances derived from marine organisms. In this review, we have discussed recent progresses in the biotechnological applications of bioactive substances from marine organisms as cosmeceuticals.     

MabCent: Arctic marine bioprospecting in Norway

The deep waters surrounding the coastline of the northern parts of Norway represent an exciting biotope for marine exploration. Dark and cold Arctic water generates a hostile environment where the ability to adapt is crucial to survival. These waters are nonetheless bountiful and a diverse plethora of marine organisms thrive in these extreme conditions, many with the help of specialised chemical compounds. In comparison to warmer, perhaps more inviting shallower tropical waters, the Arctic region has not been as thoroughly investigated. MabCent is a Norwegian initiative based in Tromsø that aims to change this. Since 2007, scientists within MabCent have focussed their efforts on the study of marine organisms inhabiting the Arctic waters with the long term goal of novel drug discovery and development. The activities of MabCent are diverse and range from sampling the Arctic ice shelf to the chemical synthesis of promising secondary metabolites discovered during the screening process. The current review will present the MabCent pipeline from isolation to identification of new bioactive marine compounds via an extensive screening process. An overview of the main activities will be given with particular focus on isolation strategies, bioactivity screening and structure determination. Pitfalls, hard earned lessons and the results so far are also discussed.     

中国长臂虾总科的动物地理学特点

本文讨论了长臂虾总科在中国分布的3个科,即拟贝隐虾科、叶颚虾科和长臂虾科的属、种在中国的分布情况及区系特点。拟贝隐虾科和叶颚虾科种类较少,分布于热带海域,我国分别在南沙群岛和西沙群岛发现1属1种和3属3种,均为广布的常见种。长臂虾科是本总科中种类最多、分布最广、十分常见的科,包括2亚科102属,世界性分布,海洋、淡水均有,我国大量分布。其起源中心应在印度－西太平洋暖水区,一部分浅海沿岸种经河口进入淡水水域, 大量发展,很少种可分布至温带区边缘;另一部分在热带珊瑚礁环境大量发展,并与许多动物类群共栖或共生。长臂虾亚科基本上是浅海－淡水自由生活类群,我国已记录9属61种,主要分布于南部,多数为东洋界热带和亚热带种,分别属东洋界(淡水)和印度－西太平洋区(海水、半咸水);而极少数种分布至北方,温带性的淡水种有2种白虾,1种小长臂虾和仅见于东北部的条纹长臂虾,属于古北界区系(淡水),海水种有黄、东海的敖氏长臂虾及细指长臂虾,属于北太平洋温带区系(海水、半咸水)。隐虾亚科全部为海洋种,主要分布在热带、亚热带海域,以珊瑚礁为主要栖息地,大部分分布于印度－西太平洋海域,80%以上的种类或多或少与其他海洋生物共栖,自由生活的种很少。根据推论,隐虾类的起源中心应在印度－西太平洋热带水域的珊瑚礁环境, 并在这一水域得到了充分的分化与发展,分别适应与腔肠动物、双壳类软体动物、海绵动物、棘皮动物和海鞘类被囊动物共栖生活;而热带美洲的类群则是在隐虾类演化到可与石珊瑚类共栖时由印度－西太平洋水域扩散过去的, 共栖宿主仅涉及腔肠动物和棘皮动物。我国南海水域已发现31属96种,极少数种也分布到东海,属于印度－西太平洋热带水域珊瑚礁区系。     

Research on marine actinobacteria in India

Marine actinobacteriology is one of the major emerging areas of research in tropics. Marine actinobacteria occur on the sediments and in water and also other biomass (mangrove) and substrates (animal). These organisms are gaining importance not only for their taxonomic and ecological perspectives, but also for their unique metabolites and enzymes. Many earlier studies on these organisms were confined only to the temperate regions. In tropical environment, investigations on them have gained importance only in the last two decades. So far, from the Indian peninsula, 41 species of actinobacteria belonging to 8 genera have been recorded. The genus, Streptomyces of marine origin has been more frequently recorded. Of 9 maritime states of India, only 4 have been extensively covered for the study of marine actinobacteria. Most of the studies conducted pertain to isolation, identification and maintenance of these organisms in different culture media. Further, attention has been focused on studying their antagonistic properties against different pathogens. Their biotechnological potentials are yet to be fully explored.     

From offshore to onshore: multiple origins of shallow-water corals from deep-sea ancestors

Shallow-water tropical reefs and the deep sea represent the two most diverse marine environments. Understanding the origin and diversification of this biodiversity is a major quest in ecology and evolution. The most prominent and well-supported explanation, articulated since the first explorations of the deep sea, holds that benthic marine fauna originated in shallow, onshore environments, and diversified into deeper waters. In contrast, evidence that groups of marine organisms originated in the deep sea is limited, and the possibility that deep-water taxa have contributed to the formation of shallow-water communities remains untested with phylogenetic methods. Here we show that stylasterid corals (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Stylasteridae)--the second most diverse group of hard corals--originated and diversified extensively in the deep sea, and subsequently invaded shallow waters. Our phylogenetic results show that deep-water stylasterid corals have invaded the shallow-water tropics three times, with one additional invasion of the shallow-water temperate zone. Our results also show that anti-predatory innovations arose in the deep sea, but were not involved in the shallow-water invasions. These findings are the first robust evidence that an important group of tropical shallow-water marine animals evolved from deep-water ancestors.     

Molecular phylogenetics reveals a pattern of biome conservatism in New World anchovies (family Engraulidae)

Evolutionary transitions between marine and freshwater biomes are relatively rare events, yielding a widespread pattern of biome conservatism among aquatic organisms. We investigated biome transitions in anchovies (Engraulidae), a globally distributed clade of economically important fishes. Most anchovy species are near-shore marine fishes, but several exclusively freshwater species are known from tropical rivers of South America and were previously thought to be the product of six or more independent freshwater invasions. We generated a comprehensive molecular phylogeny for Engraulidae, including representatives from 15 of 17 currently recognized genera. Our data support previous hypotheses of higher-level relationships within Engraulidae, but show that most New World genera are not monophyletic and in need of revision. Ancestral character reconstruction reveals that New World freshwater anchovies are the product of a single marine to freshwater transition, supporting a pattern of biome conservatism. We argue that competition is the principal mechanism that regulates aquatic biome transitions on a continental scale.     

Marine Lake Mogilnoe (Kildin Island,the Barents Sea): one hundred years of solitude

Lake Mogilnoe (Kildin Island, the Barents Sea) is a marine stratified lake, a refuge for landlocked populations of marine organisms. Unlike other known marine lakes from polar areas, which communicate with the sea by water percolation at the surface, Mogilnoe has a subterranean connection with the sea like tropical and subtropical anchialine lakes. Similarly to some other marine lakes, Mogilnoe has traditionally been considered to be biologically isolated from the sea and subject to little change. We review the current status of the physical features, zooplankton and benthos of Mogilnoe and trace changes that have occurred in the lake since the start of observations in 1894. The anaerobic bottom water layer has expanded by 100 %, while the upper freshwater layer has diminished by 40 %. The species diversity of zooplankton and macrobenthos has halved. The occurrence of Atlantic cod likens Mogilnoe to some other Arctic marine lakes while the presence of large flocks of sea anemones, scyphomedusae and suberitid sponges makes it similar to tropical anchialine lakes. Lake Mogilnoe is not entirely biologically isolated; accidental introduction of species from the sea does occur. We argue that the idealised model of an isolated steady-state ecosystem can be applied to a marine lake with caution. A model of fluctuating abiotic environment and partial biological isolation portrays the real situation better.     

Chemical defence against predators in a sub-Arctic fjord

The development of chemical defences in marine organisms is supposed to be driven by intense pressure of predation and competition. While benthic communities in tropical and also Antarctic regions are thought to be mainly structured by intra- and interspecific interactions, these factors are proposed to be less important in northern high latitudes. Consequently, selective pressure for chemical defence should be low in these regions. To investigate the incidence of chemical defence against predation in northern high latitudes, crude extracts of 18 abundant sessile or slow-moving invertebrate species (4 sponges, 3 actinians, 1 soft coral, 4 bryozoans, 3 ascidians and the egg mass of a gastropod) from Kongsfjord (Spitsbergen) were tested for feeding deterrent activity. Laboratory assays were performed by offering artificial food with extracts to two different predators, the amphipod Anonyx nugax which is a common species in Kongsfjord, and the starfish Asterias rubens from the North Sea. Of the 18 extracts tested, 2 (Haliclona viscosa, Hormathia nodosa) exhibited significant feeding deterrent effects in the amphipod assay. Furthermore, 6 extracts had a significantly stimulating effect on the amphipod feeding, and 10 extracts did not affect consumption. In the starfish assay, only the crude extract of H. viscosa was significantly rejected. For H. viscosa, feeding deterrence could be established for two pure compounds, and for H. nodosa for one fraction. The present data show that feeding deterrent compounds are present in sub-Arctic marine invertebrates from Kongsfjord but are less abundant than in temperate, tropical and Antarctic species.     

The impact of accelerating land-use change on the N-Cycle of tropical aquatic ecosystems: Current conditions and projected changes

Published data and analyses from temperate and tropical aquatic systems are used to summarize knowledge about the potential impact of land-use alteration on the nitrogen biogeochemistry of tropical aquatic ecosystems, identify important patterns and recommend key needs for research. The tropical N-cycle is traced from pre-disturbance conditions through the phases of disturbance, highlighting major differences between tropical and temperate systems that might influence development strategies in the tropics. Analyses suggest that tropical freshwaters are more frequently N-limited than temperate zones, while tropical marine systems may show more frequent P limitation. These analyses indicate that disturbances to pristine tropical lands will lead to greatly increased primary production in freshwaters and large changes in tropical freshwater communities. Increased freshwater nutrient flux will also lead to an expansion of the high production, N- and light-limited zones around river deltas, a switch from P- to N-limitation in calcareous marine systems, with large changes in the community composition of fragile mangrove and reef systems. Key information gaps are highlighted, including data on mechanisms of nutrient transport and atmospheric deposition in the tropics, nutrient and material retention capacities of tropical impoundments, and N/P coupling and stoichiometric impacts of nutrient supplies on tropical aquatic communities. The current base of biogeochemical data suggests that alterations in the N-cycle will have greater impacts on tropical aquatic ecosystems than those already observed in the temperate zone.     

海洋生物抗氧化剂研究进展

综述海洋生物抗氧化剂研究现状,海洋生物抗氧化剂的种类,讨论了海洋生物抗氧化剂的抗氧化机理,展示了从海洋生物中寻找抗氧化剂的广阔前景。     

Fatty Acids and Other Lipids of Marine Sponges

At the present, the structure of lipids and fatty acids (FA) of almost 250 species of marine sponges has been studied. It was shown that sponges are leaders in FA diversity among aquatic animals. The great majority of the works on research of FA structure in sponges was focused on representatives of the class Demospongiae and was carried out on organisms from tropical and subtropical areas, whereas sponges from the boreal region remain poorly studied.