Marine Telemetry and the Conservation and Management of Risk to Seal Species in Canada and Australia

Marine telemetry expands the knowledge of the biology of marine species at risk: their life cycles, activities, interactions, habitats, and threats. Four seal species in Canada and Australia are faced with distinctive and divergent management problems. This article examines their conservation status, legal protection, and the role that telemetry has played, or could play, in providing previously unavailable information to help meet conservation goals. The value of telemetry data to minimize fisheries mortality of one species has been demonstrated in Australia. Despite there being significant telemetry data for the other species, policy and management have not yet responded.     

Human disease-associated extracellular matrix orthologs ECM3 and QBRICK regulate primary mesenchymal cell migration in sea urchin embryos

Sea urchin embryos have been one of model organisms to investigate cellular behaviors because of their simple cell composition and transparent body. They also give us an opportunity to investigate molecular functions of human proteins of interest that are conserved in sea urchin. Here we report that human disease-associated extracellular matrix orthologues ECM3 and QBRICK are necessary for mesenchymal cell migration during sea urchin embryogenesis. Immunofluorescence has visualized the colocalization of QBRICK and ECM3 on both apical and basal surface of ectoderm. On the basal surface, QBRICK and ECM3 constitute together a mesh-like fibrillar structure along the blastocoel wall. When the expression of ECM3 was knocked down by antisense-morpholino oligonucleotides, the ECM3-QBRICK fibrillar structure completely disappeared. When QBRICK was knocked down, the ECM3 was still present, but the basally localized fibers became fragmented. The ingression and migration of primary mesenchymal cells were not critically affected, but their migration at later stages was severely affected in both knock-down embryos. As a consequence of impaired primary mesenchymal cell migration, improper spicule formation was observed. These results indicate that ECM3 and QBRICK are components of extracellular matrix, which play important role in primary mesenchymal cell migration, and that sea urchin is a useful experimental animal model to investigate human disease-associated extracellular matrix proteins.     

人工海水胁迫下小麦种质资源的耐盐性筛选与鉴定

利用人工配制的海水筛选耐盐性较好的小麦品种,为沿海滩涂地区的小麦耐盐育种提供重要信息。本研究利用人工海水处理的方法,对363份小麦种质资源进行了芽期耐盐性初步鉴定,筛选出芽期耐盐性为1级的小麦种质28份。进一步对芽期耐盐性较好的48份小麦种质进行了苗期耐盐性鉴定,并对其耐盐指标进行隶属值模糊评价分析,从中鉴定出了2个苗期耐盐性较强的小麦种质,分别为淮麦31和红壳洋麦。依据来源的不同,发现小麦种质资源的芽期耐盐性大小依次为地方品种>育成品种>国外引进品种。小麦芽期与苗期的耐盐性相关分析表明,二者相关性极低(r=-0.0051)。     

Relative sea‐level change regulates organic carbon accumulation in coastal habitats

Because coastal habitats store large amounts of organic carbon (C_org), the conservation and restoration of these habitats are considered to be important measures for mitigating global climate change. Although future sea‐level rise is predicted to change the characteristics of these habitats, its impact on their rate of C_org sequestration is highly uncertain. Here we used historical depositional records to show that relative sea‐level (RSL) changes regulated C_org accumulation rates in boreal contiguous seagrass–saltmarsh habitats. Age–depth modeling and geological and biogeochemical approaches indicated that C_org accumulation rates varied as a function of changes in depositional environments and habitat relocations. In particular, C_org accumulation rates were enhanced in subtidal seagrass meadows during times of RSL rise, which were caused by postseismic land subsidence and climate change. Our findings identify historical analogs for the future impact of RSL rise driven by global climate change on rates of C_org sequestration in coastal habitats.     

深海热液区微生物矿化过程的功能群和分子机制

深海热液区富含铁、锌、铜等含金属矿物(硫化物、氧化物、碳酸盐等)和无机小分子气体(H_2S、H_2、CO_2、CH_4等),具有独特的生态系统。微生物是深海热液生态系统的主要生产者和重要组成,并以控制矿化和诱导矿化两种途径参与了深海热液区的生物地球化学循环。在深海热液区存在着不同类型的微生物参与了生物矿化过程,如硫氧化菌、金属氧化菌、硫还原菌和金属还原菌等。本文详述了这些微生物参与的生物矿化现象、菌群多样性和矿化过程的分子机制,并对研究微生物矿化的研究工作进行了展望。     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibition blocks skeletogenesis and echinochrome production in Paracentrotus lividus and Heliocidaris tuberculata embryos and larvae

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are a family of widely distributed metalloenzymes, involved in diverse physiological processes. These enzymes catalyse the reversible conversion of carbon dioxide to protons and bicarbonate. At least 19 genes encoding for CAs have been identified in the sea urchin genome, with one of these localized to the skeletogenic mesoderm (primary mesenchyme cells, PMCs). We investigated the effects of a specific inhibitor of CA, acetazolamide (AZ), on development of two sea urchin species with contrasting investment in skeleton production, Paracentrotus lividus and Heliocidaris tuberculata, to determine the role of CA on PMC differentiation, skeletogenesis and on non‐skeletogenic mesodermal (NSM) cells. Embryos were cultured in the presence of AZ from the blastula stage prior to skeleton formation and development to the larval stage was monitored. At the dose of 8 mmol/L AZ, 98% and 90% of P. lividus and H. tuberculata embryos lacked skeleton, respectively. Nevertheless, an almost normal PMC differentiation was indicated by the expression of msp130, a PMC‐specific marker. Strikingly, the AZ‐treated embryos also lacked the echinochrome pigment produced by the pigment cells, a subpopulation of NSM cells with immune activities within the larva. Conversely, all ectoderm and endoderm derivatives and other subpopulations of mesoderm developed normally. The inhibitory effects of AZ were completely reversed after removal of the inhibitor from the medium. Our data, together with new information concerning the involvement of CA on skeleton formation, provide evidence for the first time of a possible role of the CAs in larval immune pigment cells.     

QTL for body weight,morphometric traits and stress response in European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax

Natural mating and mass spawning in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L., Moronidae, Teleostei) complicate genetic studies and the implementation of selective breeding schemes. We utilized a two‐step experimental design for detecting QTL in mass‐spawning species: 2122 offspring from natural mating between 57 parents (22 males, 34 females and one missing) phenotyped for body weight, eight morphometric traits and cortisol levels, had been previously assigned to parents based on genotypes of 31 DNA microsatellite markers. Five large full‐sib families (five sires and two dams) were selected from the offspring (570 animals), which were genotyped with 67 additional markers. A new genetic map was compiled, specific to our population, but based on the previously published map. QTL mapping was performed with two methods: half‐sib regression analysis (paternal and maternal) and variance component analysis accounting for all family relationships. Two significant QTL were found for body weight on linkage group 4 and 6, six significant QTL for morphometric traits on linkage groups 1B, 4, 6, 7, 15 and 23 and three suggestive QTL for stress response on linkage groups 3, 14 and 23. The QTL explained between 8% and 38% of phenotypic variance. The results are the first step towards identifying genes involved in economically important traits like body weight and stress response in European sea bass.     

Water sources and water-use efficiency in mediterranean coastal dune vegetation

In coastal environments plants have to cope with various water sources: rainwater, water table, seawater, and mixtures. These are usually characterized by different isotopic signatures ( (18)O/ (16)O and D/H ratios). Xylem water reflects the isotopic compositions of the water sources. Additionally, water-use efficiency (WUE) can be assessed with carbon isotope discrimination (Delta) analyses. Gas exchange, Delta of leaf dry matter, and isotopic composition (delta (18)O) of xylem water were measured from June to August 2001 in herbaceous perennials of mobile dunes (Ammophila littoralis, Elymus farctus) and sclerophyllous shrubs and climbers (Arbutus unedo, Pistacia lentiscus, Phillyrea angustifolia, Qercus ilex, Juniperus oxycedrus, Smilax aspera) of consolidated dunes. Assimilation rates were rather low and did not show clear seasonal patterns, possibly due to limited precipitation and generally low values of stomatal conductance. The lowest values were shown in S. aspera. Different physiological patterns were found, on the basis of delta (18)O and Delta analyses. Values of delta (18)O of xylem water of phanerophytes were remarkably constant and matched those of the water table, indicating dependence on a reliable water source; values of Delta were relatively high, indicating low intrinsic WUE, with the exception of J. oxycedrus. Surprisingly, very high delta (18)O values were found for the xylem water from S. aspera in August. This suggests retrodiffusion of leaf water to xylem sap in the stem or direct uptake of water by leaves or stems, owing to dew or fog occurrence. Low Delta values indicated high WUE in S. aspera. Contrasting strategies were shown by the species of mobile dunes: E. farctus relied on superficial water and exhibited low WUE, accordingly to its therophyte-like vegetative cycle; on the contrary, A. littoralis used deeper water sources, showing higher WUE in relation to its long-lasting vegetative habit.     

Fish tongues–surface fine structures and ecological considerations

The surface structures of the tongues of Dissostichus mawsoni, Trematomus bemacchii, f. borchgrevinki (Nototheniidae), Stemoptyx diaphana (Sternoptychidae), Diretmus sp. (Diretmidae), Cataetyx memorabilis (Ophidiidae), Photoblepharon palpebratus (Anomalopidae), Carapus mourlani (Carapidae) and Salmo gairdneri (Salmonidae) were investigated with the scanning electron microscope. The aim of the study was to test the theory that the degree to which gustatory receptors are developed morphologically in different species of fishes is related to the environment, and in particular to the variey of food present in the latter. It was found that in the two mesopelagic species, S. diaphana and Diretmus sp., taste receptors were poorly developed, but in the benthic deep-water fish C. memorabilii , which lives off South West Africa in a biologically rich environment, well-developed taste receptors occurred in large numbers. The three Antarctic species studied had similar tongue surface structures with rather well developed papillae of a moderate density. Photoblepharon palpebratus , in spite of its small tongue, possessed a large number of taste buds on elevated ridges; Carapus mourlani , however, had only very few obvious receptors and is thought to be a poor taster. Undoubtedly the highest degree of taste receptor development is found in the freshwater trout Salmo gairdneri. The results support the hypothesis that taste receptor development and the variety of food types preseni in a fish's environment are correlated.