Marine Biological Resources Research Articles

Цели и задачи государственной политики Республики Корея в Арктике

The article compares the provisions of normative documents that determine the Arctic policy of Korea and the results of a survey by Korean experts dealing with Arctic issues. The presented study examines the issues of transforming the priorities of the ROK state policy in the Arctic and promising areas of Seoul’s activity in the Arctic region. An analysis of the main regulatory documents that determine the priorities of the Republic of Korea in the Arctic (the Arctic Policy Basic Plan for 2013–2017 and the Arctic Development Basic Plan for 2018–2022) demonstrates the growing importance of economic cooperation in the Arctic as a priority for Korean policy. The results of the expert survey conducted as part of the study demonstrate that the Korean expert community considers environmental protection and response to climate change a paramount for the country’s policy in the Arctic region. According to the study, the experts have chosen the following most important tasks in the Arctic: “responding to climate change and forecasting climate change”; “protection of the marine environment and biological resources”; “conservation of ecosystems”; “the introduction and development of polar scientific research”; “expansion of polar research and monitoring infrastructure”. The survey results indicate that the key direction of the Arctic policy for the Republic of Korea, is the development of international relations within the framework of the Arctic Council, the main subject of which is scientific research in the field of climate and ecology. Thus, despite the priorities formulated in the General Plan for the Development of Arctic Activities for 2018–2022, Arctic experts consider the establishment of international partnerships to be a more important task than the participation of Korean business in Arctic projects and the creation of Arctic infrastructure. Acknowledgements. This article has been supported by the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) (PE19460).

A Marine Biodiversity Observation Network for Genetic Monitoring of Hard-Bottom Communities (ARMS-MBON)

Marine hard-bottom communities are undergoing severe change under the influence of multiple drivers, notably climate change, extraction of natural resources, pollution and eutrophication, habitat degradation, and invasive species. Monitoring marine biodiversity in such habitats is, however, challenging as it typically involves expensive, non-standardized, and often destructive sampling methods that limit its scalability. Differences in monitoring approaches furthermore hinders inter-comparison among monitoring programs. Here, we announce a Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) consisting of Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) with the aim to assess the status and changes in benthic fauna with genomic-based methods, notably DNA metabarcoding, in combination with image-based identifications. This article presents the results of a 30-month pilot phase in which we established an operational and geographically expansive ARMS-MBON. The network currently consists of 20 observatories distributed across European coastal waters and the polar regions, in which 134 ARMS have been deployed to date. Sampling takes place annually, either as short-term deployments during the summer or as long-term deployments starting in spring. The pilot phase was used to establish a common set of standards for field sampling, genetic analysis, data management, and legal compliance, which are presented here. We also tested the potential of ARMS for combining genetic and image-based identification methods in comparative studies of benthic diversity, as well as for detecting non-indigenous species. Results show that ARMS are suitable for monitoring hard-bottom environments as they provide genetic data that can be continuously enriched, re-analyzed, and integrated with conventional data to document benthic community composition and detect non-indigenous species. Finally, we provide guidelines to expand the network and present a sustainability plan as part of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (www.embrc.eu).

Visualising the Collaboration Network of a European Marine Research Infrastructure

Collaboration has been recognised as an effective mean to foster the performance of research organisations. Throughout the years, numerous initiatives and investments have been made towards building research capacity and promoting collaborative research.
 With a focus on the effects of the implementation of a distributed Research Infrastructure on Marine Sciences – the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC-ERIC), this study applies bibliometric approaches and social network theory to examine the structure, characteristics and trends in the collaboration network of the European Marine Sciences research community over the last 20 years.

Exploring student anxiety when starting in a joint international Master’s programme

ABSTRACT There are a handful of programmes in higher education that offer students a joint international study programme and research shows that students have certain levels of anxiety when starting studying in such graduate programmes. This study aimed to explore levels of student anxiety and investigates the prerequisite skills in order to better prepare students for studying in an international Master programme of Marine Biological Resources with 10 European campuses in seven countries. We applied mixed-methods including online questionnaires and interviews capturing student experiences and teachers’ perspectives. Results show that especially mature and non-native English-speaking students experience anxiety and that there is a high class-heterogeneity in terms of academic background and life experience. This may simultaneously act as a barrier for and enable learning. The presented results show a need to improve the student acculturation process in international programmes. This could be done by better communicating expectations and by providing resources for social, methodological, and pedagogical skills. More specific strategies are a) prerequisite courses that use quantitative measurements as the most significant causes of anxiety, b) educators to better state what a good practice of learning in their course is, c) mixing local and international students in courses i.e. groupwork or other class interactivity.

Isolation and characterization marine bacteria capable of degrading lignin-derived compounds.

Lignin, a characteristic component of terrestrial plants. Rivers transport large amounts of vascular plant organic matter into the oceans where lignin can degrade over time; however, microorganisms involved in this degradation have not been identified. In this study, several bacterial strains were isolated from marine samples using the lignin-derived compound vanillic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid) as the sole carbon and energy source. The optimum growth temperature for all isolates ranged from 30 to 35°C. All isolates grew well in a wide NaCl concentration range of 0 to over 50 g/L, with an optimum concentration of 22.8 g/L, which is the same as natural seawater. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that these strains are the members of Halomonas, Arthrobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Marinomonas, and Thalassospira. These isolates are also able to use other lignin-derived compounds, such as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, syringic acid, and benzoic acid. Vanillic acid was detected in all culture media when isolates were grown on ferulic acid as the sole carbon source; however, no 4-hydroxy-3-methoxystyrene was detected, indicating that ferulic acid metabolism by these strains occurs via the elimination of two side chain carbons. Furthermore, the isolates exhibit 3,4-dioxygenase or 4,5-dioxygenase activity for protocatechuic acid ring-cleavage, which is consistent with the genetic sequences of related genera. This study was conducted to isolate and characterize marine bacteria of degrading lignin-derived compounds, thereby revealing the degradation of aromatic compounds in the marine environment and opening up new avenues for the development and utilization of marine biological resources.

Possible Consequences of Global Climate Change in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation

On December 25, 2019, by an order of the Government of the Russian Federation, the National Plan of Measures for the first stage of adaptation to the climate change for the period until 2022 was approved. This plan pays considerable attention to the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. In 2020-2021, it is planned to develop and approve a separate sectoral plan for adaptation to the climate change in the macroregion. In general, among the key problems of the socio-economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, the unpreparedness of all types of infrastructure for the possible consequences of the global climate change is particularly notable. Climate change occurring in the macroregion is superimposed by additional anthropogenic factors, including chemical pollution, excess catch of aquatic biological resources, changes in land use, population growth, and changes in the structure of the economy. The problem of the impact of climate processes on socio-economic development is fundamental and has its positive or negative manifestations in all spheres of life. The negative manifestations of the climate change primarily include consequences for ecosystems, the environment, infrastructure, especially coastal areas, public health and traditional local lifestyles. The positive effects of climate change include reducing heating costs, expanding opportunities for agriculture and forestry, developing shipping along routes in the Northern Sea, as well as expanding access and increasing the extraction of mineral and marine biological resources.

Diversity and Species Composition of Sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) in Reef Flat of Barranglompo Island

Sponge is one of the biota that makes up coastal and marine ecosystems, especially in coral reef ecosystems and seagrass beds in both tropical and subtropical waters. The lack of research and knowledge about sponges (Porifera; Demospongiae), especially in the reef flat ecosystem on Barranglompo Island, is considered necessary to be studied and equipped for research on marine biological resources in the future. This research was conducted in March-November 2019 on Barranglompo Island. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity and species composition and density of sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) in the reef flat of Barranglompo Island, Sangkarang District, Makassar City. The method used in sponge data collection is a belt transect starting from ± 50m of shoreline drawn perpendicular to the end of the back reef at each station. The diversity of sponge species found was 22 species belonging to the Demospongiae class. The diversity of sponges on Barranglompo Island is still quite diverse, with a fairly even distribution.

Institutional Models of International Scientific and Technical Cooperation (Based on the Case Study of Marine Scientific Research)

The institutional model of international scientific and technical cooperation in the field of marine scientific research characterizes the status and activities of subjects. It is mainly expressed in the establishment of international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. European research infrastructure consortia act as an independent institutional model.Institutional models of international scientific and technical cooperation can be divided into ecosystem-based and collaborative models. Ecosystem-based models only create the necessary legal, organizational, economic and other conditions for international cooperation and joint marine scientific research. Collaborative models are created directly for international scientific research. There is no strict border between them, but while the former are mainly focused on creating the necessary environment and conditions for simplifying and strengthening international scientific and technical cooperation, the latter mainly adapt the developed mechanisms of interaction to the needs of a particular project.As ecosystem-type models, the UNESCO IOC and SСOR make the most visible contribution to the formation of regulatory and organizational conditions for the implementation of international projects in the field of ocean research and their financing. They involve a significant number of bodies and programs of international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, specialized national scientific institutions, related structures and individual scientists. Collaborative institutional models, such as the European research infrastructure consortium "The European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC)" and GRID-Arendal, carry out international research projects and act as a unifying platform for various research institutions and scientists, based largely on the organizational, financial and structural basis developed by ecosystem models.

State‐space modeling clarifies productivity regime shifts of Japanese flying squid

AbstractRegime shifts of climatic and environmental conditions potentially affect the productivity of fishery resources, posing challenges in stock management. The stocks of the Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus) are suspected to suffer from regime shifts, but detecting the occurrence of regime shifts in this species is generally difficult and unreliable because the short‐lived nature of this species inherently confounds the effect of regime shifts with observation and process errors. Here we developed a new state‐space assessment model to evaluate the influence of regime shifts on the spawner‐recruit relationship of the Japanese flying squid. The model simultaneously estimates the population dynamics of multiple stocks that could share some life history parameters, thereby stabilizing parameter inference. We demonstrate that two regime shifts in productivity around 1991 and 2015 caused two‐ to threefold changes of maximum sustainable yields. The model with regime shifts clarifies the relationship between fishing pressure and spawner abundance that is difficult to detect in a model with no regime shift. The state‐space approach is a promising tool for accurately assessing stock status by separating the recruitment process from observation errors and is expected to contribute to the effective management of marine biological resources sensitive to regime shifts.

Growth Characteristics Layur Fish Lepturacanthus savala in Juata Waters, Tarakan, Indonesia

The city of Tarakan, Indonesia, benefits economically from abundant marine biological resources, one of which is the layur fish, known commercially as ribbonfish. The purpose of this study was to analyze the growth character of the layur fish (Lepturacanthus savala) obtained from the juata waters of Tarakan City. The method of this quantitative and descriptive study was to analyze the growth of layur fish Lepturacanthus savala in the Juata waters off the coast from the city of Tarakan. Body shape, length, weight, and ratio sex data were collected from sites selected by the purposive sampling method based on trawl fishing catch. Secondary data, collected from interviews of fishing personnel, included the number of catches using trawling gear and trawl fishing location. The length ranges of male from 20,4 to 54,0 cm with an average length of 37,2±16.8 cm (n = 255) and the length ranges of female from 20,5 to 68 cm with an average length of 44,25±23.75 cm (n = 275). The results showed that maximum length of male layur fish was smaller than the maximum length of female fish, which were 59.352 cm at 267 d and 72.638 cm at 315 d, respectively. The result shows a negative allometric growth pattern male and female layur fish was found to be the same and sex ratio of male to female has a ratio of 1,0: 1,8 with a percentage of males at 48.11% and females at 51.89%. The majority of male and female fish exhibited a thin body shape (51,4% of male and 52% of female).

Current Research Landscape of Marine-Derived Anti-Atherosclerotic Substances.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by lipid accumulation and chronic inflammation of the arterial wall, which is the pathological basis for coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and thromboembolic disease. Currently, there is a lack of low-cost therapeutic agents that effectively slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the development of new drugs is urgently needed. The research and development of marine-derived drugs have gained increasing interest from researchers across the world. Many marine organisms provide a rich material basis for the development of atherosclerotic drugs. This review focuses on the latest technological advances in the structures and mechanisms of action of marine-derived anti-atherosclerotic substances and the challenges of the application of these substances including marine polysaccharides, proteins and peptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids and small molecule compounds. Here, we describe the theoretical basis of marine biological resources in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Cryopreservation of Algae.

Cryopreservation has been successfully used in the banking and maintenance of cultures of microorganisms, from bacteria to yeasts, since the onset of cryobiology. Biobanking of marine biological resources is crucial for development of scientific knowledge as researchers rely on guaranteed access to reliable, stable resources. Culture collections play a key role in the provision of marine biological resources as they ensure long-term ex situ storage of biological resources that are made available for public and private sector research and education. In this chapter, we provide protocols for cryopreservation of different types of algae cultures.

Local Adaptive Denoising of Phytoplankton Image Based on Minimum Bayes Risk

Bai, Y.-X. and Yu, Y., 2020. Local adaptive denoising of phytoplankton image based on minimum bayes risk. In: Qiu, Y.; Zhu, H., and Fang, X. (eds.), Current Advancements in Marine and Coastal Research for Technological and Sociological Applications. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 107, pp. 29-32. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Marine phytoplankton is an important marine biological resource. We can classify and identify marine phytoplankton, which is classified and quantitatively analyzed under the microscope. However, denoising is an important part of image processing. By analyzing the histogram of noisy image, we can make adaptive denoising according to Bayes decision of minimum error rate. Through the scanning system of microscope and computer, we can form a set of adaptive desiccation of phytoplankton, which is of great significance for the identification of phytoplankton species. Through the improvement of image acquisition, image processing and feature selection, we can automatically identify marine phytoplankton, which will provide a new real-time, fast and efficient detection platform for marine ecological environment monitoring. Firstly, this paper analyzes the minimum Bayesian risk. Then, this paper demonstrated the adaptive desiccation of phytoplankton. Finally, some suggestions are put forward.

A dual-functional peptide, Kpt from Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 for protein purification and silica precipitation

Marine biological resources are significant sources of biological and chemical processes and principles from which new bioactive compounds can be explored. Here, we report a new silica-forming peptide (SFP) called Kpt (KPTHHHHHHDG) derived from a membrane protein in Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3, a heterotrophic marine bacterium found in coastal areas. The imidazole-, hydroxy-groups, and high positive charge of the Kpt sequence contribute to silica precipitation. Kpt exhibited high silica-precipitating activity at a pH 8.0 compared to other SFPs. Additionally, Kpt sustained its activity when was fused to N-terminus of ferritin (Fn), forming Kpt-Fn with unchanged caged structure. The results of this study suggest that Kpt can be used as a new SFP and a purification tag in fusion proteins by affinity chromatography. With its short sequence, Kpt is expected to have no effect on the main protein structure, which was fused by Kpt. Therefore, it is an ideal peptide for producing multi-functional biomolecules.

Distribution of Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharinus melanopterus) Based on Habitat Characteristics by the Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) Method in Morotai Waters of North Maluku

Morotai has abundant marine biological resources, sharks being one of them. The blacktip reef shark is one of the dominant types of coral reef sharks in Morotai waters. Worldwide shark are threatened due to the demand for shark fins and over fishing, to protect sharks is important to know their distribution so protected areas can be established. This research aims to examine the distribution of blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) based on habitat characteristics in the Morotai Waters. Through surveys and observation of coral cover, using the Line Intercept Transect (PIT) method and the Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) to record the blacktip reef sharks who passed by the coral reef. Water quality parameters measured include temperature, salinity, visibility, acidity, current type, tides, and moon phases. Blacktip reef sharks were found in three of the four research stations. Station 4 was the one with the most blacktip reef shark appearances, amounting to 91 individuals. This station has the lowest sloping contour and has the smallest live coral cover of only 1%. Station 4 is dominated by sand covering 40%. All water quality parameters influence blacktip reef shark occurrence. The highest appearance of the blacktip reef shark happens during the new moon phase, when the tides are loose and the currents are quite strong.

Advances in the Study of Genetic Diversity of Important Marine Animals in China by Using Computer Aided Systems

The study of genetic diversity of Marine animals can not only reveal the origin and evolution history of species, but also provide theoretical basis for the conservation of genetic resources, breeding and genetic improvement of mariculture animals, as well as the restoration and stability of the entire Marine ecosystem. In this paper, the genetic diversity of important Marine animals (mainly including fishes, shrimps, crabs and shellfish) in China in the past ten years is reviewed. Their application in germplasm identification, system evolution, population genetic structure analysis, improvement of plant species, and other aspects this paper expounds the further promote Marine animals, genetic diversity research, speed up the cultivation of excellent germplasm resources, and promote the healthy development of Marine aquaculture, realize the reasonable development and sustainable utilization of Marine biological resources.

Ekstraksi Protein dari Rhodophyta dan Chlorophyta Dari Perairan Pulau Pari Sebagai Alternatif Antioksidant

Indonesia has millions island and big part of Indonesia is sea that is rich in marine biological resources and has the potential to be developed and optimized. One of the abundant marine resources in Indonesia is algae. Algae are plant-like protists. Algae have several important compounds, including protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and other useful elements. Proteins contained in algae have the potential to be used as antioxidants. In this study, the levels of protein in red and green algae were tested by using the lowry method and testing the antioxidant activity of red and green algae extracts using the Diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Algae extraction was done by maceration, which is soaking the sample in low temperature with phosphate buffer saline (PBS) pH 7. From the extraction results it can be concluded that the red algae (Rhodophyta) has the highest protein content of 5.115 ± 0.126% and the lowest protein content in green algae (Chloropytha) as big as 1.686 ± 0.430%. And from the results of the antioxidant activity test showed that all positive algae showed antioxidant activity but the green algae (Chlorophyta) had the highest antioxidant activity of 71.5946 ± 0.01612% with IC50 value 1.6114.

Community of Seaweeds on Cemara Beach East Lombok

Seaweeds (macroalgae) are a marine biological resource that have an important role in aquatic ecosystems and for society. The aim of this research was to determine community of seaweeds in Cemara Beach, East Lombok Regency.Data were collected at four observation points using a method of combinationof the line transect and quadrat. Seaweeds community data were analyzed using density parameters, important values, species diversity index, and species evenness index. The similarity percentage between transects was determined based on the Bray-Curtis cluster analysis using biodiversity program-version 2. In Cemara Beach there were 24 species of macroalgae which memberof 3 divisions, 11 orders and 15 families. Chlorophyta was a division with highest number of species. The number of species for Chlorophyta was 14 species, Rhodophyta division was 7 species, and Phaeophyta division 3 species. The species with highest density is Enteromorpha sp.,25.1 clumps/m2. Ulva lactuca is the species with the highest important value (72.69%). Diversity and evenness index in Cemara Beach seaweed species were 1,868 (medium category) and 0,699 (almost evenly distributed).The results of cluster analysis based on environmental parameters, species similarity and number of clumps of seaweed species, diversity index, and species evenness index indicate that seaweed in Cemara Beach can generally be divided into 2 groups.

CONDITION OF CORAL AND REEF FISH IN THE LOCATION OF FISH CATCHING USING DYNAMITE FISHING IN KAPOPOSANG WATER PARK AND THE SURROUNDING SEA

Dynamite fishing is one of the causes of damage to the coral reef ecosystem in Indonesia. Fishing activities using explosives (dynamite fishing) occur because of the desire of fishermen to get a lot of catch with low cost in a short time. Kapoposang Water Park (WP) is a region rich in marine biological resources. However, dynamite fishing activities which are still found within the area have caused the coral reef ecosystem to be severely damaged. The results showed a lower difference in the percentage of live coral cover at dynamite fishing locations (DF1, DF2) compared to control locations (K1, K2). In addition, the highest average values of coral fish abundance were found at locations K1, DF1, and DF2. Conversely, the results of the analysis found the lowest fish abundance at the K2 location. Different from the average number of reef fish species that were higher at the control location (K1, K2) compared to dynamite fishing locations (DF1, DF2). For the target fish biomass there is no real difference between the control location and dynamite fishing.

Integrated Model of the Ecological-Economic System for Managing the Coastal Pollution Inflow to the Sea Bay

Purpose. The paper is aimed at describing the improved integrated model of the ecological-economic system "coast-bay" permitting to control the balance of rates of accumulation and destruction of the pollutants entering the sea with coastal runoff. Methods and Results. The model is based on the concept of mutual adaptation of the simulated processes’ deviations from their standard values under the influence of external forces. The average multi-year values of the simulated processes are used as a stationary state of the system. The scheme of the cause-effect relationships between the development of the biochemical processes in the marine ecosystem and the economic processes of consumption and reproduction of the marine biological and assimilation resources is proposed. The scheme contains the logical agents for managing the scenarios of these processes based on the criteria of the pollution and biodiversity levels of the marine environment. The system dynamic model was constructed using the method of adaptive balance of causes in which, in order to assess the influence coefficients, a new presentation of the normalized relations of the standard mean values is used. The current values of the simulated processes are used in the coefficient estimates. To test correspondence of the model scenarios to real processes, the computational experiments including the model of the ecological-economic system "coastal runoff-the Sevastopol Bay ecosystem" were performed. The observations-derived average multi-year values of phyto-, zoo-, bacterio-plankton, nitrates, ammonium, dissolved organic matter and detritus concentrations were used in the model. Conclusions. The results of the experiments confirmed possibility of managing the forecasted scenarios of the ecological and economic processes in accordance with the management concepts embedded in the model. The scenarios’ response to different variants of the external managing actions is shown, that makes such models a convenient tool for planning the nature-protection measures within the "coast-bay" systems.