Preliminary results on the effects of salinity and settling conditions on megalopal metamorphosis of fiddler crab Ilyoplax pusilla

Metamorphosis of fiddler crab Ilyoplax pusilla larvaefrom megalopal to first crab stage wasstudied in laboratory experiments under variousconditions of salinity and substratum. The hatchedzoea metamorphose through five stages before reachingmegalopal stage. The megalops were placed in a 20 mlPetri dishes (2–3 megalops/dish), with salinities of10, 20 or 30 . Each salinity level was tested eitherwith or without sandy mud substratum. Thirty to 35megalops were used in each of the six treatments. Theexperiment was carried out at a water temperature of28 ±0.5°C and with daily feeding of the diatomChaetoceros gracilis. Treatment of 20 salinity andsandy mud substratum revealed the highest metamorphicrate (87%), while in contrast no metamorphosis wasobserved at 30 salinity withoutsandy mud substratum. Duration of the metamorphosiswas about 16 days. Numerous malformed juvenile crabswere observed in treatments conductedwithout sandy mud substratum.     

Gauging resource exploitation by juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in restoring estuarine habitat

In the context of delta restoration and its impact on salmonid rearing, success is best evaluated based on whether out‐migrating juvenile salmon can access and benefit from suitable estuarine habitat. Here, we integrated 3 years of post‐restoration monitoring data including habitat availability, invertebrate prey biomass, and juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) physiological condition to determine whether individuals profited from the addition of 364 ha of delta habitat in South Puget Sound, Washington, United States. Productivity in the restored mudflat was comparable to reference sites 3 years after dike removal, surpassing a mean total of 6 million kJ energy from invertebrate prey. This resulted from the development of a complex network of tidal channels and a resurgence in dipteran biomass that was unique to the restoration area. Consequently, a notable shift in invertebrate consumption occurred between 2010 and 2011, whereby individuals switched from eating primarily amphipods to dipteran flies; however, dietary similarity to the surrounding habitat did not change from year to year, suggesting that this shift was a result of a change in the surrounding prey communities. Growth rates did not differ between restored and reference sites, but catch weight was positively correlated with prey biomass, where greater prey productivity appeared to offset potential density‐dependent effects. These results demonstrate how the realized function of restoring estuarine habitat is functionally dependent. High prey productivity in areas with greater connectivity may support healthy juvenile salmon that are more likely to reach the critical size class for offshore survival.     

Methane and sulfate profiles within the subsurface of a tidal flat are reflected by the distribution of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea

The anoxic layers of marine sediments are dominated by sulfate reduction and methanogenesis as the main terminal oxidation processes. The aim of this study was to analyze the vertical succession of microbial populations involved in these processes along the first 4.5 m of a tidal-flat sediment. Therefore, a quantitative PCR approach was applied using primers targeting the domains of Bacteria and Archaea, and key functional genes for sulfate reduction (dsrA) and methanogenesis (mcrA). The sampling site was characterized by an unusual sulfate peak at 250 cm depth resulting in separate sulfate-methane transition zones. Methane and sulfate profiles were diametrically opposed, with a methane maximum in the sulfate-depleted zone showing high numbers of archaea and methanogens. The methane-sulfate interfaces harbored elevated numbers of sulfate reducers, and revealed a slight increase in mcrA and archaeal 16S rRNA genes, suggesting sulfate-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane. A diversity analysis of both functional genes by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed a vertical succession of subpopulations that were governed by geochemical and sedimentologic conditions. Along the upper 200 cm, sulfate-reducing populations appeared quite uniform and were dominated by the Deltaproteobacteria. In the layers beneath, an apparent increase in diversity and a shift to the Firmicutes as the predominant group was observed.     

Landward changes of soil enzyme activities in a tidal flat wetland of the Yangtze River Estuary and correlations with physico-chemical factors

The landward changes of soil enzyme activities and physico-chemical properties of the surface sediment in Chongming Dongtan of the Yangtze River Estuary, were studied. Along the elevation gradient or succession series, the contents of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and organic matter (OM) in the sediment increased, but the average grain size (AGS) of the sediment and the content of the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) decreased. The activity of alkaline phosphatase increased gradually along the elevation gradient, and was positively correlated with the values of TP, TN and OM (P<0.05), but negatively to AGS and DIP (P<0.05). It was correlated with a mechanism of substrate inductivity and product inhibition. Catalase activity had the similar trend of gradual increase along the elevation gradient, enhancing the fertility of the soil and the oxidative process of OM in the sediment. Along the succession series, from the tidal flat to the bulrush (Scirpus mariqueter) zone, and then to the reed (Phragmites australis) zone, the activity of sucrase only changed insignificantly, but there was a higher activity in the bulrush zone than in other zones. The activity of proteinase decreased from the tidal flat to the reed zone, and the activity was negatively correlated with OM and TN (P<0.05), but positively with DIP (P<0.05). Through the succession zones a decrease in the number of diatoms resulted in a decline in the concentration of protein, which influenced the proteinase activity, suggesting that the proteinase in the sediment was produced by diatoms.     

Tidal and diurnal variations in larval fish abundance in an estuarine inlet in Ariake Bay,Japan: implication for selective tidal stream transport

We have conducted a preliminary study of tidal and diurnal variations in the distribution of dominant larval and juvenile fishes in the Chikugo River inlet (Ariake Bay, Kyushu, Japan) to determine whether selective tidal stream transport (STST) occurs. Larval and juvenile fish were collected from the mesohaline zone of the Chikugo River inlet during spring 2002. Temperature, salinity, depth, and current velocity were measured. Larval and juvenile abundance were compared among four tidal conditions, flooding tide, high tide, ebbing tide, and low tide, and between day and night. A total of 12 families, 15 species, and 5,577 individuals were collected. Temperature did not vary significantly with tidal conditions whereas salinity, depth, and current velocity varied significantly. Salinity also was correlated significantly and positively with depth. The abundance of most of the fishes was correlated positively and significantly with salinity and depth. Lateolabrax japonicus, Trachidermus fasciatus, Acanthogobius hasta, and other gobiid larvae (Gobiidae spp.) were significantly more abundant during high tide; in contrast, Coilia nasus and Neosalanx reganius were most abundant during low tide. The abundance of most of the fishes was higher during high tides at night than during the day, indicating the existence of STST, which may be strategically associated with ascending progress to upstream nursery areas.     

Scontrone (central Italy), signs of a 9‐million‐year‐old tragedy

The fossilierous bonebeds of Scontrone (Abruzzo region, central Italy) are preserved in tidal‐flat aeolian calcarenites at the base of the Lithothamnion Limestone, a Miocene carbonate ramp widespread in the central‐southern Apennines. The site bears evidence of a catastrophic event at 9 Ma. Reported are the results of the palaeobiological and taphonomic analysis conducted on the rich vertebrate assemblage, particularly on the remains of Hoplitomeryx (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Ruminantia), recovered from the so‐called Scontrone calcarenites between 1992 and 2012. This is the first taphonomic study of a Late Miocene continental bone assemblage preserved in coastal deposits. The bones are not in primary context. They were likely exhumed during the initial phase of a marine transgression after a period of primary ‘storage’ within a possibly flood‐generated deposit in an estuarine environment. The mortality patterns indicate that the carcasses accumulated in a short time (within a year). The bones of the disarticulated skeletons were then removed, broken in a dry and brittle state, scattered over wide carbonate ramps along an arid to semi‐arid, wind‐exposed coastline and eventually buried again in aeolian calcarenites that drape transgressive tidal‐flat creek deposits. The analysis also reveals that hoplitomerycids were possibly seasonal reproducers and that the land they inhabited, the so‐called Apulia Platform, was probably swept by sudden, disastrous, storm‐supplied flash floods.     

黄河三角洲潮间带不同类型湿地景观格局变化与趋势预测

以1979—2013年7期卫星遥感影像(Landsat TM)为数据源,结合野外实地调查,通过建立黄河三角洲潮间带湿地数据库,探讨不同类型湿地的景观格局以及自然与人为因素对景观格局变化的影响,并基于Markov模型对未来20年三角洲潮间带不同类型湿地的景观格局进行了趋势预测。结果表明,三角洲的潮间带湿地面积在1979—2013年间整体呈先降低后增加变化。其中,1979—2010年的湿地面积持续减少,由1050.28 km~2减少为575.39 km~2,减少率为45.22%;2010—2013年的湿地面积略有增加,由575.39 km~2增加为596.17 km~2,增长率为0.36%。1979—2013年,潮间带主要湿地景观类型随距海远近均呈明显带状分布,但芦苇湿地面积呈明显降低趋势(减少273.53 km~2,减少率为79.68%),盐田养殖池面积呈显著增加趋势(增长12.04km~2,增长率为1584.21%),而光滩、碱蓬湿地、碱蓬-柽柳湿地和柽柳-芦苇湿地等其它类型湿地面积整体均呈波动减少趋势。未来20年,潮间带湿地面积整体将呈降低趋势,其值将由2010年的575.39 km~2减少为2030年的546.98 km~2,减少率为6.60%。芦苇湿地面积将继续减少(减少30.16 km~2,减少率为24.12%),盐田养殖池面积将持续增长(增加3.71 km~2,增长率为38.61%),而光滩、碱蓬湿地、碱蓬-柽柳湿地和柽柳-芦苇湿地等其它类型湿地面积均将呈小幅波动变化。研究发现,尽管自然与人为驱动力的双重作用决定了1979—2013年间潮间带的湿地景观格局及其动态变化,但黄河年输沙量(x_1)、区域GDP(x_2)和水产品产量(x_3)对潮间带湿地面积变化(y)的影响更为重要(y=733.192+35.317 x_1-0.005 x_2-4.085 x_3,P=0.00010.05),其对过去30多年间潮间带湿地面积变化的解释贡献高达76.7%。随着黄河三角洲高效生态经济区国家战略的实施,为实现潮间带区域的可持续发展,潮间带湿地的保护与生态保育应给予特别重视。     

Method of Isolated Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion in a Rat Model: Lessons Learned from Developing a Rat EVLP Program

The number of acceptable donor lungs available for lung transplantation is severely limited due to poor quality. Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) has allowed lung transplantation in humans to become more readily available by enabling the ability to assess organs and expand the donor pool. As this technology expands and improves, the ability to potentially evaluate and improve the quality of substandard lungs prior to transplant is a critical need. In order to more rigorously evaluate these approaches, a reproducible animal model needs to be established that would allow for testing of improved techniques and management of the donated lungs as well as to the lung-transplant recipient. In addition, an EVLP animal model of associated pathologies, e.g., ventilation induced lung injury (VILI), would provide a novel method to evaluate treatments for these pathologies. Here, we describe the development of a rat EVLP lung program and refinements to this method that allow for a reproducible model for future expansion. We also describe the application of this EVLP system to model VILI in rat lungs. The goal is to provide the research community with key information and “pearls of wisdom”/techniques that arose from trial and error and are critical to establishing an EVLP system that is robust and reproducible.     

红树林宜林海洋环境指标研究

通过文献资料综合和实地调查,分析研究了温度、盐度、沉积物、潮汐浸淹和波浪能量5种海洋环境因素对红树林总体和各树种分布和生长的影响。明确指出了温度对红树林纬向分布、盐度对红树林沿河口湾和潮水河的上溯、潮汐浸淹频率对红树林沿潮滩的横向分布、和海岸波浪能量对红树林由港湾向开阔海岸的沿岸分布的主导控制作用和各自在我国东南沿海红树林区表现的临界参数。最冷月平均气温9.3℃和水温10.6℃,为最耐寒树种秋茄人工种植分布的北界;大片红树林可分布于河口湾和潮水河的全年大部分时间以咸水为主的岸段(如夏季盐度常＜2.0‰,冬季盐度可达15‰～20‰),零星红树植物可接近枯季大潮咸水上界;红树林只能占据平均海平面(或稍上)与回归潮平均高高潮位之间,大致为潮汐浸淹频率47.5%和2.9%;利用16个方位的平均风速V(m/s),风向频率F(%),有效风区长度L(km),计算海岸波能指数W=∑(Vi2FiLi),W＜7.0×103为适宜红树林生长的低波能海岸;W＞10.5×103为不适宜红树林生长的高波能海岸;W=（7.0～10.5）×103为红树林生长零星或很差,或仅能生长人工林或幼林的中波能海岸。这些临界参数可以作为上述海洋环境因素定量的总体的宜林指标。