Analysis of effects induced by a pollock protein hydrolysate on early development, innate immunity and the bacterial community structure of first feeding of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.) larvae

A pollock protein hydrolysate was used for enrichment of the live feed offered to halibut larvae from the onset of exogenous feeding and the effects of treatment on selected innate immune parameters studied. The effects of treatment on the bacterial community structure of larvae were furthermore studied using the PCR–DGGE method. C3 and lysozyme were identified in larvae already at the onset of first feeding and low concentrations of IgM detected at this stage indicate maternal origin. Endogenous production of IgM was validated in the gastrointestinal tract of larvae from 29 days post onset of first feeding, with similar concentrations found in both groups. Feeding the peptide-enriched live feed stimulated production of lysozyme and affected the distribution of C3 in larval tissue but survival and normal development of halibut larvae were not affected by the treatment. Vibrio sp. and Pseudoalteromonas sp. dominated the bacterial community of larvae from both groups and peptide enrichment of the live feed was not found to affect the bacterial community structure associated with surface sterilized larvae.     

Effects of temperature regime on primary producers in Icelandic geothermal streams

Eight adjacent sub-arctic streams with consistently different temperatures but broadly similar chemistry, other than some differences in conductivity and linked pH, were used to investigate effects of temperature regime on the structure of primary producer communities. Grazing by invertebrates was also taken into account to detect possible effects on the primary producers.The moss species Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. (Bryophyta) was only observed in the warmer streams and its cover was positively linked with temperature. The liverwort Jungermannia exsertifolia (Steph.) was absent from the warmer streams and scarce in the colder streams. The biomass of F. antipyretica was inversely correlated with concentration of epilithic chlorophyll a, possibly due to shading from the bryophyte and/or competition between algae and bryophytes for nutrients. Epilithic algae and bryophyte biomass were not related to density of the main grazer, Radix peregra Müller (Gastropoda).A high biovolume of green algae (Chlorophyta) occurred in all streams. The biovolume Cyanobacteria was greatest in the coldest stream and in the two intermediately warm streams. Diatom biovolume was low compared with the biovolumes of Cyanobacteria and green algae in all streams, except in the two warmest streams, where the highest biovolume of diatom occurred.Regularized Canonical Correlation Analysis (RCCA) classification based on all primary producer assemblages and invertebrates indicated that warm streams (16.7–22.2 °C) were similar to each other. It also showed that the colder streams (6.6–13.2 °C) were different from the warmer streams and from each other because of differences in conductivity. Temperature and conductivity were the most influential variables in determining overall stream diversity.