Marine Science Center Research Articles

Evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of sulfated polysaccharides from the marine invasive algae Asparagopsis armata (Harvey, 1855).

Event Abstract Back to Event Evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of sulfated polysaccharides from the marine invasive algae Asparagopsis armata (Harvey, 1855). Fernando Teodoro1, Fábio Gomes1, Susete Pinteus1, Celso Alves1, Joana Silva1, Susana M. Bernardino1 and Rui P. Pedrosa1* 1 MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ESTM, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portugal The marine environment harbors a high number of ecosystems, where a wide diversity of organisms capable of producing interesting secondary metabolites can be found. Among these organisms are the macroalgae, sources of renewable resources characterized as being rich in biological properties [1]. Among other metabolites, these present sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) in the constitution of their cell wall, molecules widely studied for their biotechnological potential. Asparagopsis armata (Harvey, 1855) is an invading seaweed native to the Australian coast that has been spreading throughout the Portuguese coast [2]. The invasive status of this algae and low economical value, potentiate the search for novel compelling applications, valorizing this specie. Accordingly, this study evaluates the antimicrobial properties of SPs, extracted from Asparagopsis armata collected in the Peniche coast, against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and Salmonella enterica (ATCC 13076) through growth inhibition analysis. The growth of E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and S. enterica was performed in LB medium while the growth of C. albicans was performed in yeast-extract-peptone-dextrose, placed in a shaker incubator at a temperature of 37 °C until reach exponential growth (OD600). For the evaluation of the inhibitory capacity, the microorganisms were subjected to SP samples at a concentration range of 10 – 500 µg mL-1. The inhibitory effects were most expressive against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, with an IC50 of 31.51 (25.29-39.26) µg mL-1 and 309.90 (248.00 – 384.90) µg mL-1, respectively. All statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism (Version 7.04) software for windows. Our results demonstrate that Asparagopsis armata presents a potential applicability as antibacterial against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, thus being able to grant some economic value from this invasive seaweed. Acknowledgements Authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through Strategic Project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, through Red2Discovery Project (PTDC/MAR-BIO/6149/2014), co-financed by COMPETE (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016791), and through Oncologia de Precisão: Terapias e Tecnologias Inovadoras project (POINT4PAC) (SAICTPAC/0019/2015 - LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-016405).

HISTAMINE DETERMINATION IN FISHERY PRODUCTS: ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR EXTRACTION AND QUANTIFICATION

HISTAMINE DETERMINATION IN FISHERY PRODUCTS: ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR EXTRACTION AND QUANTIFICATION

Disentangling biological variables affecting population structure and genetic connectivity

Event Abstract Back to Event Disentangling biological variables affecting population structure and genetic connectivity Sara M. Francisco1*, Ana M. Pereira1 and Joana I. Robalo1 1 Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida, MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Portugal Evaluating and understanding the evolutionary dynamics of divergent populations is of paramount importance for both fisheries management and conservation strategies. Nevertheless, direct measurement of marine organisms’ dispersal capabilities can be highly challenging at broad spatial scales. Despite the traditional use of genetic approaches to quantify demographic connectivity, the difficulty to distinguish contemporary from historical connectivity remains. In this study, we aim to disentangle the various biological factors affecting population structure in marine fishes from the Northeastern Atlantic. This work included most of the phylogeography studies available in scientific search engines, encompassing a wide geographical area and using both genetic and genomic data. We did a meta-analysis using exploratory factorial followed by several regression analyses to reveal potential emerging patterns. The fixation index (FST) obtained in the literature was compared against several independent biogeographical, ecological and life-history variables. Despite the lack of available data for several parameters, our results refute general expectations, conventional wisdom and several papers, that PLD and early life-history traits are good predictors of population structure in marine organisms. In fact, the Type of Genetic Marker (mitochondrial, nuclear, microsatellite) and Adult Ability to Dispersal (weak, good or strong) were found to be determinant for significant FST and population structure. These results point to the need of future intercomparable studies with larger species numbers and including marine organisms with distinct life-history traits, which would significantly enrich the present approach and have a huge potential for marine protected areas design and management. Keywords: population structure, Genetic connectivity, fish, Northeastern Atlantic, Meta-analysis Conference: IMMR'18 | International Meeting on Marine Research 2018, Peniche, Portugal, 5 Jul - 6 Jul, 2018. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Biodiversity, Conservation and Coastal Management Citation: Francisco SM, Pereira AM and Robalo JI (2019). Disentangling biological variables affecting population structure and genetic connectivity. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR'18 | International Meeting on Marine Research 2018. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2018.06.00139 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 19 Apr 2018; Published Online: 07 Jan 2019. * Correspondence: Dr. Sara M Francisco, Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida, MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Lisbon, , 1149-041, Portugal, sara_francisco@ispa.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Sara M Francisco Ana M Pereira Joana I Robalo Google Sara M Francisco Ana M Pereira Joana I Robalo Google Scholar Sara M Francisco Ana M Pereira Joana I Robalo PubMed Sara M Francisco Ana M Pereira Joana I Robalo Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

The influence of light and culture media on the growth of the red seaweed Gracilaria gracilis (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales) under laboratory conditions

The influence of light and culture media on the growth of the red seaweed Gracilaria gracilis (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales) under laboratory conditions

Effect of temperature on gonadal growth and maturation of Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)

Effect of temperature on gonadal growth and maturation of Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)

Effect of a naphtha spill on Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816): a reproductive approach

Effect of a naphtha spill on Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816): a reproductive approach

Effect of food density and hydrodynamic conditions on the survival and growth of the stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes

Effect of food density and hydrodynamic conditions on the survival and growth of the stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes

Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Peniche coastal waters

Event Abstract Back to Event Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Peniche coastal waters Adriana P. Januário1*, Clélia N. Afonso1, Susana L. Mendes1 and Maria J. Rodrigues1 1 Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Portugal P. aeruginosa is a ubiquitous organism with minimal requirements for survival and a remarkable ability to adapt to a variety of environmental conditions [1-2]. Members of this species can even survive for months in deionized or distilled water [3]. In the last decades, P. aeruginosa has become one of the most studied bacteria in the public health area due to the fact that a small percentage of strains, demonstrated to be a significant human threat [1]. It is primarily associated with ear, eye and skin infections, causing serious nosocomial infections in cystic fibrosis and burn patients [4-7]. Since the 60’s, that traditional microbiological techniques have been used for the detection and enumeration of P. aeruginosa, mostly the membrane filtration (MF) method, included in the ISO 16266:2006 [8]. Having several limitations, especially the fact that is time consuming, there is an urgent need for the development of alternative methods that overcome the limitations found in conventional methodologies. Pseudalert®/Quanti-Tray® MPN test is a new method, developed by IDEXX Laboratories Inc., which signals the presence of P. aeruginosa in just 24 hours, clearly reducing the time needed to obtain the results. But this methodology is only indicated for tap, pool and drinking water [9-10]. Results showed no significant differences (p-value>0.05) when comparing the new method with the traditional microbiological method, suggesting that Pseudalert®/Quanti-Tray® MPN test can be considered a faster, easier to perform, and safer alternative methodology to assess P. aeruginosa contamination in coastal waters. The major drawback of microbiological methods is the inability to detect viable but non-culturable (VNBC) forms [8]. PCR-based assays have become more attractive, but most authors still use a culture-enrichment step or a short grow step in the culture medium [11-12]. So, we developed a preliminary RT-PCR assay to detect P. aeruginosa without any of these previous steps. The estimated time of the assay was 6 hours, allowing the detection of P. aeruginosa through the amplification of the ecfX gene and using a TZ lysing solution to extract the bacterial genomic DNA of the membrane filters. This assay constitutes a viable alternative to the conventional methodologies, when applied to the detection of P. aeruginosa in seawater samples. Acknowledgements This study had financial support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE.

Spatio-temporal variability of biological and environmental parameters in the presence of warm conditions in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific, Niño 1+2

Event Abstract Back to Event Spatio-temporal variability of biological and environmental parameters in the presence of warm conditions in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific, Niño 1+2 Mariela González-Narváez1, 2*, Mª José Fernández-Gómez2, 3, SUSANA L. MENDES4 and Maria-Purificacion Galindo-Villardon2, 3 1 Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecuador 2 Universidad de Salamanca, Department of Statistics, Spain 3 Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Spain 4 Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente (IPLeiria), MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ESTM, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal The Eastern Equatorial Pacific zone is recognized for its high biological productivity. In particular, the period 2013, 2014 and 2015 was a warm event of great importance in the region. Thus, with this investigation it was intended to study the surface spatio-temporal behavior of phytoplankton abundance, and the variations in environmental parameters in one of the most recent warm events in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific area. Therefore, data from four sampling sites, namely Esmeraldas, Manta, La Libertad and Puerto Bolívar (located on the coastal border of Continental Ecuador contained in the region Niño 1 + 2, which is a sensitive area to receive variations in sea surface temperature), in the period from 2013 to 2015 were analyzed. Thus, a comparison between statistical techniques, namely HJ-Biplot (Galindo, 1986) and Partial Tridiac Analysis (PTA) PTA (Jaffrenou, 1978) were performed in order to analyze the relationship between phytoplankton abundance and environmental parameters. The results from the comparison of the techniques PTA and HJ-Biplot demonstrated the relationship between the sampling sites and the variables (phytoplankton abundance and environmental parameters) in a two-dimensional space. However, it was observed that with the PTA the biological and environmental changes that occurred during 2015 are captured and manifested more clearly, being more evident the changes in the biological pattern. In addition, PTA clearly presented an important differentiation between the abundance of the species in a year of normal conditions such as 2013 and a year of considerable warm conditions as the 2015. Acknowledgements PhD Susana Mendes had financial support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE. Keywords: Phytoplankton, Niño 1+2, Warm conditions, compromise of data tables, Interstructure, Partial triadic analysis, HJ-Biplot Conference: IMMR'18 | International Meeting on Marine Research 2018, Peniche, Portugal, 5 Jul - 6 Jul, 2018. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Biodiversity, Conservation and Coastal Management Citation: González-Narváez M, Fernández-Gómez M, MENDES SL and Galindo-Villardon M (2019). Spatio-temporal variability of biological and environmental parameters in the presence of warm conditions in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific, Niño 1+2. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR'18 | International Meeting on Marine Research 2018. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2018.06.00112 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 05 May 2018; Published Online: 07 Jan 2019. * Correspondence: Mrs. Mariela González-Narváez, Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Life Sciences, Guayaquil, Guayaquil, 09-01-5863, Ecuador, margonzal@espol.edu.ec Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Mariela González-Narváez Mª José Fernández-Gómez SUSANA L MENDES Maria-Purificacion Galindo-Villardon Google Mariela González-Narváez Mª José Fernández-Gómez SUSANA L MENDES Maria-Purificacion Galindo-Villardon Google Scholar Mariela González-Narváez Mª José Fernández-Gómez SUSANA L MENDES Maria-Purificacion Galindo-Villardon PubMed Mariela González-Narváez Mª José Fernández-Gómez SUSANA L MENDES Maria-Purificacion Galindo-Villardon Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

The fish assemblages of the mangroves of São Tomé island (Gulf of Guinea), patterns of functional diversity

The fish assemblages of the mangroves of São Tomé island (Gulf of Guinea), patterns of functional diversity

Unlocking the hidden nutritional value of Portuguese edible halophytes cultivated under estuarine water irrigation schemes

Event Abstract Back to Event Unlocking the hidden nutritional value of Portuguese edible halophytes cultivated under estuarine water irrigation schemes Filipa Antunes1, Bernardo Duarte2*, Márcia V. Pinto3, Anabela B. Silva4, Ana Rita Matos4, Isabel Caçador2 and Carlos Brandão1 1 Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril, Portugal 2 Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente (MARE), Portugal 3 Salina Greens Unip Lda, Portugal 4 Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas (BioISI), Portugal The present environmental conditions impose serious constrains to typical cultivar farming. Halophytes are known to be high resistant to harsh environments, withstanding drought and salinity conditions while maintain positive biomass production rates. It is known that plants to adapt to adverse conditions suffer some lipid remodelling to maintain membrane stability and the efficiency of the metabolic processes associated to these systems. Thus, this opens a new door for potential biotechnological applications based in added-value fatty acids produced by halophytes. These can be employed in the food industry sector, with some halophytes showing very interesting concentrations of essential omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, even under seawater irrigation schemes. Additionally, to overcome the continuous stress to which these plants are normally exposed, they produce high amounts carotenoids, phenolics and flavenoids to counteract possible oxidative burst within the photosynthetic cells. These molecules are also important to consider as important supplements for human consumption, with recognized nutritional value. The numerous biochemical strategies adopted by plants to cope with salinity include the selective accumulation or exclusion of ions and sugars. The high endogenous concentration of such compounds, known to have healthy properties for human consumption, can be precious for the nutritive characteristics of food. Thus, halophytes grown under estuarine water irrigation schemes could also be a source of compounds with a potential added nutritive and economic value, representing high-value crops, for both food production and biotechnological applications, such as biodiesel production. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank to the “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)” for funding the research in the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) throughout the project UID/MAR/04292/2013 and in the Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI) throughout the project UID/MULTI/04046/2013. BD investigation was supported by FCT throughout a Postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/115162/2016). Keywords: Halophytes, Nutritional value, Saline agriculture, Fatty Acids, Sugars, Carotenoids Conference: IMMR'18 | International Meeting on Marine Research 2018, Peniche, Portugal, 5 Jul - 6 Jul, 2018. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Blue Biotech Citation: Antunes F, Duarte B, Pinto MV, Silva AB, Matos A, Caçador I and Brandão C (2019). Unlocking the hidden nutritional value of Portuguese edible halophytes cultivated under estuarine water irrigation schemes. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR'18 | International Meeting on Marine Research 2018. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2018.06.00032 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 29 Mar 2018; Published Online: 07 Jan 2019. * Correspondence: PhD. Bernardo Duarte, Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente (MARE), Lisbon, Portugal, baduarte@fc.ul.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Filipa Antunes Bernardo Duarte Márcia V Pinto Anabela B Silva Ana Rita Matos Isabel Caçador Carlos Brandão Google Filipa Antunes Bernardo Duarte Márcia V Pinto Anabela B Silva Ana Rita Matos Isabel Caçador Carlos Brandão Google Scholar Filipa Antunes Bernardo Duarte Márcia V Pinto Anabela B Silva Ana Rita Matos Isabel Caçador Carlos Brandão PubMed Filipa Antunes Bernardo Duarte Márcia V Pinto Anabela B Silva Ana Rita Matos Isabel Caçador Carlos Brandão Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Dietary trends of yellow-legged gulls in Galicia, north-west Spain, over the last 30 years

Dietary trends of yellow-legged gulls in Galicia, north-west Spain, over the last 30 years

Concentration of Radon Released from Marine Sediment Around Hajjam Island, Southern Iraq, North West Arabian gulf, using CR-39 detector

Hajjam Island lies in the lower reaches of Khor Al-Zubair southern of Iraq, it is the unity island in the Iraqi marine water. 15 sediment samples were collected from sites around the island and transferred to the lab in Marine Science Centre for radiological investigation. Two methods were adopted, Active and Passive, for determination of Radon in which an environmental radon monitoring system comprising a radon-cup, an etching system, and a track counting system, was constructed. The radon cup is a cylindrical chamber with a radius of 3.5 cm and a height of 15 cm in combination with a CR-39 detector. The effected radium concentrations from sediment samples were found to range from 0.0013 to 0.0049 with an average value of 0.0028 Bq/Kg. Concentrations of radon measured by passive method were 132±34 to 414±108 with average value 287±45 Bq/m 3 and by active method were 401±26 to 145±9 with average value 263±20 Bq/m 3 . The area and mass exhalation rates were found to be 0.1 to 0.31 with average value of 0.220 Bq/m 2 /h and 0.002 to 0.006 with average value 0.004 Bq/kg/h respectively. The values are found to be safe for sediment use.

Impact of climate change on the ontogenetic development of ‘solar-powered’ sea slugs

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 578:87-97 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12227 Impact of climate change on the ontogenetic development of ‘solar-powered’ sea slugs Gisela Dionísio1,2,3,*, Filipa Faleiro1, Meri Bilan1,4,5,6, Inês C. Rosa1,2, Marta Pimentel1, João Serôdio2, Ricardo Calado2, Rui Rosa1 1MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal 2Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal 3Naturalist, Science & Tourism, Rua da Ladeira, n°2, 9900-029 Horta, Faial, Azores, Portugal 4MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of the Azores, 9900-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal 5IMAR - Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, 9900-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal 6University Department of Marine Studies, Livanjska 5, 21 000 Split, Croatia *Corresponding author: gisela.dionisio@gmail.com ABSTRACT: Solar-powered animals are particularly susceptible to climate change because photosynthesis brings major risks to animals under environmental stress. Although some groups have been widely studied (e.g. corals), little information is available on how other less charismatic photosynthetic animals (e.g. sea slugs) will respond to future ocean conditions. This study is the first to evaluate the impact of future ocean conditions on the fitness of tropical photosynthetic sacoglossan sea slugs throughout different life stages. Adults of Elysia clarki were exposed (30 d) to conditions simulating present-day and predicted scenarios of ocean acidification (ΔpH = 0.4) and warming (+4°C). Egg masses were incubated under the same conditions as adult broodstock until 15 d after metamorphosis. Exposure to ocean acidification and warming scenarios led to a significant decrease in the number of spawned egg masses and in their membrane thickness. Moreover, a significant decrease in the volume of embryo capsules was accompanied by an increase in embryo volume. These findings suggest that sea slugs shifted their energy allocation towards embryo quality rather than to structures that confer protection from environmental challenges. Climate change-related stress significantly reduced the survival and length of veligers and increased the incidence of deformities, but did not affect chloroplast acquisition by juvenile slugs. The lower reproductive output of adults and the adverse impacts on early life stages recorded under future ocean conditions allows us to anticipate negative consequences for the recruitment of these sea slugs’ populations in the oceans of tomorrow. KEY WORDS: Acidification · Warming · Sacoglossan sea slugs · Ontogenetic development · Growth · Malformations · Chloroplast acquisition Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Dionísio G, Faleiro F, Bilan M, Rosa IC and others (2017) Impact of climate change on the ontogenetic development of ‘solar-powered’ sea slugs. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 578:87-97. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12227 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 578. Online publication date: August 31, 2017 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.

English

This study was conducted at Marine Science Center, Basrah University, Basrah, Iraq during the period of 2015 to 2016. In the present work, we used NaCl and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to induced abiotic stress in vitro. Results show that high shoot numbers (24) were produced on MS (solid) medium enriched with 0.8 g/L NaCl in addition to cytokinins while, inclusion of drought agent PEG to proliferation medium (solid and liquid) produced a minimum shoots of 5 and 11 respectively. Root growth and development were also investigated in this study. It was found that high root development was observed on MS (solid or liquid) medium free of hormone (control) and MS (solid or liquid) medium containing 0.8 g/L NaCl 26.67, 25, 21.67 and 18 respectively whereas, less root development was obtained on MS medium (solid or liquid) enriched with NaCl and 26 g/L PEG. In this study it was found that inclusion of the amino acid proline to the stressed media did not improve the growth of shoots or roots. Histological analysis of multiplied shoots under abiotic stress agents showed accumulation of insoluble starch granules in the parenchyma cells of the cortex layer and this may be a part of protective tolerate mechanism used by medicinal hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) against abiotic stress. Key words: Bacopa monnieri, medicinal hyssop, Brbin, micropropagation, salt stress, polyethylene glycol (PEG), proline.

Super-sensitive seal whiskers feel fish breath

![Figure][1] Henry the seal preparing to test the sensitivity of his whiskers to jets of water. Photo credit: Marine Science Center Rostock. Plunging through gentle swell in the northern oceans in search of food, harbour seals are guided by a cryptic superpower that few fish can evade. ‘

EAARL Coastal Topography Eastern Louisiana, 09 March 2008

These datasets, prepared cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and the National Park Service (NPS), provide lidar-derived first-surface and bare-earth topography for a portion of eastern Louisiana. Elevation measurements were acquired by the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) on March 9, 2008.

Short food chains, high connectance and a high rate of cannibalism in food web networks of small intermittent estuaries

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 587:17-30 (2018) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12401 Short food chains, high connectance and a high rate of cannibalism in food web networks of small intermittent estuaries Vanessa Mendonça, Catarina Vinagre* MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal *Corresponding author: cmvinagre@fc.ul.pt ABSTRACT: Small intermittent estuaries are a common feature in some parts of the world. They are recognized as important refuge and nursery areas for several marine species. However, their biological dynamics are still poorly known. In fact, the network structure of their food webs remains undescribed. Highly resolved food webs were compiled for 23 small intermittent estuaries in the Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean, Southwest Indian Ocean, and South Pacific. The structural network properties of these food webs were compared with those of larger open estuaries, lakes, and rivers, as well as marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The most important conclusion is that the network properties of these systems are different from those of larger open estuaries and more like other non-estuarine ecosystems. They also stand out from all other ecosystems, including larger open estuaries, in terms of omnivory, which was found to be remarkably high (83-92%), probably due to the prevalence of opportunistic feeding. Nevertheless, all other properties were well within the ranges reported for other ecosystems; thus, the general organization rules of food web networks also apply to small intermittent estuaries. It was concluded that general rules applied to the management of estuaries should be looked at carefully when managing these smaller intermittent systems, since they have shorter chain lengths, higher connectance, and more cannibalism. Shorter chain length implies that disturbance is more likely to rapidly affect many food web components through predator-prey links, which may be counterbalanced by the effect of high connectance. These systems should, thus, not be looked at simply as smaller versions of larger open systems. KEY WORDS: Estuarine ecosystems · Coastal lagoons · Niche model · Network theory Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Mendonça V, Vinagre C (2018) Short food chains, high connectance and a high rate of cannibalism in food web networks of small intermittent estuaries. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 587:17-30. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12401 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 587. Online publication date: January 25, 2018 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2018 Inter-Research.

The Sedimentological Characteristics and Radiochemistry Data for the Marshes on Dauphin Island, Alabama (U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity Number 2015-322-FA)

This project is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the state of Alabama funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to investigate viable, sustainable restoration options that protect and restore the natural resources of Dauphin Island, Alabama. Scientists from the USGS, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center collected push cores and water quality data from the marshes of Dauphin Island, Little Dauphin Island, and Cedar Key, Alabama in August, 2015 (U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity Number (FAN) 2015-322-FA; referred to as 15BIM09) as well as in April, 2013 (13BIM01). Sample sites varied between high marshes, low salt marshes, and sand flats. This report serves as an archive for the sedimentological and geochemical data derived from the marsh cores and select surface data from the corresponding marsh core sites collected in August, 2015 (15BIM09). Downloadable data are available and include Excel spreadsheets, JPEG files, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata. For further information regarding data collection and/or processing methods refer to USGS OFR Ellis and others 2017–1165 (https://doi.org/10.3133/OFR20171165), and Data Series Ellis and others 2017–1046 (https://doi.org/10.3133/DS20171046).

Early metamorphosis is costly and avoided by young, but physiologically competent, marine larvae

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 559:117-129 (2016) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11914 Early metamorphosis is costly and avoided by young, but physiologically competent, marine larvae Benjamin Mos*, Symon A. Dworjanyn National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 4321, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia *Corresponding author: benjamin.mos@scu.edu.au ABSTRACT: Dispersing organisms often cannot assess habitat quality directly, so they employ proxies (cues) to choose habitats that maximise fitness. Theory suggests organisms should settle as soon as they find appropriate cues in order to reduce physiological costs and mortality risk incurred whilst searching. We propose that for planktotrophic marine larvae, when resources are plentiful, development of adult structures during an extended larval phase provide post-metamorphosis benefits that offset the costs of remaining in the plankton. To test this, we measured fitness consequences of metamorphosis in response to habitat cues at a range of developmental maturities in 2 sea urchin larvae, Tripneustes gratilla and Centrostephanus rodgersii. We found larvae that were capable of responding to cues and settling accrued significant benefits if they extended their pelagic development. Compared to more developed larvae, larvae without adult structures took longer to metamorphose, and after metamorphosis were 11 to 25% smaller, 0.1 to 6 times more likely to lack defensive structures and 3 to 13 times more likely to have abnormal morphology. Most early settlers died within 1 wk compared to >40% survival for more developed larvae. We found larvae avoid the costs of early metamorphosis by only responding to low concentrations of cues in the water column once they have adult structures. Our results contrast with models of habitat selection that suggest organisms should settle in habitat quickly to minimise search costs. Incorporating the trade-off between the benefits of larval development and search costs into current models of habitat selection may provide new insights into how fitness consequences affect habitat selection. KEY WORDS: Delayed metamorphosis · Development · Fitness · Habitat selection · Search costs Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Mos B, Dworjanyn SA (2016) Early metamorphosis is costly and avoided by young, but physiologically competent, marine larvae. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 559:117-129. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11914 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 559. Online publication date: November 09, 2016 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2016 Inter-Research.