Phase Relations between Host and Grafted SCN Depend on Graft Location in Rats

Fetal SCN grafts into intact rats were used as a model to study coupling among circadian oscillators. The phase relation in metabolic activity was analyzed between host SCN and fetal SCN grafted into the third (n = 24) or lateral (n = 18) ventricles. Host and third ventricle SCN grafts showed metabolic activity rhythms with peak values at CT 6, as extrapolated from drinking rhythmicity. In lateral ventricle grafted animals only the host SCN showed rhythmicity, although peak values oc curred as indicated by the drinking rhythms at CT 9. The present data suggest asymmetrical communication between host and grafted SCN depending on graft location, which may be related to different types of signal transmission.     

The role of Ulva spp. as a temporary nutrient sink in a coastal lagoon with oyster cultivation and upwelling influence

Bahía San Quintín is a coastal lagoon with large Ulva biomass and upwelling influence. Previous observations suggest that Ulva has increased recently as a result of oyster cultivation. To evaluate the possible role of Ulva as a temporary nutrient sink, biomass and tissue C, N, and P were determined seasonally. Maximum biomass was present during spring and early summer (1,413–1,160 t (dry)) covering about 400 ha. However, the biomass decreased to 35 t (dry) by winter. The mean annual percentage of Ulva C, N, and P was 28%, 2%, and 0.14%, respectively. This study shows that Ulva can store up to 28 t of N and 2 t of P in Bahía San Quintín during spring–summer. Ulva may be displacing the seagrass Zostera marina subtidal beds. A partial removal of the seaweed would reduce the risk of eutrophication and the displacement of eelgrass beds.     

Eisenia arborea J.E. Areschoug as abalone diet on an IMTA farm in Baja California,México

Recent progress in the domestication of Eisenia arborea lead us to test this species as an alternative to feed red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) instead of Macrocystis pyrifera, which is the main seaweed used to feed farmed abalone in Baja California, Mexico. E. arborea is the kelp with the largest and most southerly latitudinal distribution on the North Pacific East Coast capable of growing at higher temperatures and in relatively low nutrient conditions. The availability of M. pyrifera is frequently uncertain because it is strongly affected by El Niño events. In order to test E. arborea as a diet for farmed abalone, animals of two different sizes (6 and 2 cm) were fed separately for 12 months with these two seaweed species. The abalones were cultured in cages in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture farm within San Quintín Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Seaweed was collected for chemical analysis, and every 3 months, animals were measured and weighed to estimate growth. Small size abalone doubled their size on both diets, with an average increase in length of 2.2 mm month^?1. No significant differences were observed between both treatments. Large abalone fed with M. pyrifera had slighter higher growth rates compared to those fed with E. arborea (0.57 and 0.50 % day^?1, respectively). Although M. pyrifera appeared to be a better diet for large animals, the growth rates obtained with E. arborea and the fact that this species could be cultivated in warmer conditions makes this seaweed species a good candidate to feed farmed abalone.     

Bathymetric origin shapes the physiological responses of Pterygophora californica (Laminariales,Phaeophyceae) to deep marine heatwaves

Kelp communities are experiencing exacerbated heat-related impacts from more intense, frequent, and deeper marine heatwaves (MHWs), imperiling the long-term survival of kelp forests in the climate change scenario. The occurrence of deep thermal anomalies is of critical importance, as elevated temperatures can impact kelp populations across their entire bathymetric range. This study evaluates the impact of MHWs on mature sporophytes of Pterygophora californica (walking kelp) from the bathymetric extremes (8–10 vs. 25–27 m) of a population situated in Baja California (Mexico). The location is near the southernmost point of the species's broad distribution (from Alaska to Mexico). The study investigated the ecophysiological responses (e.g., photobiology, nitrate uptake, oxidative stress) and growth of adult sporophytes through a two-phase experiment: warming simulating a MHW and a post-MHW phase without warming. Generally, the effects of warming differed depending on the bathymetric origin of the sporophytes. The MHW facilitated essential metabolic functions of deep-water sporophytes, including photosynthesis, and promoted their growth. In contrast, shallow-water sporophytes displayed metabolic stress, reduced growth, and oxidative damage. Upon the cessation of warming, certain responses, such as a decline in nitrate uptake and net productivity, became evident in shallow-water sporophytes, implying a delay in heat-stress response. This indicates that variation in temperatures can result in more prominent effects than warming alone. The greater heat tolerance of sporophytes in deeper waters shows convincing evidence that deep portions of P. californica populations have the potential to serve as refuges from the harmful impacts of MHWs on shallow reefs.