Preferred Environmental Conditions Research Articles

Combined Effects of Local and Regional Drivers on Oyster Spat Density and Growth in Eastern Australia

Up to 85% of shellfish reefs have been lost worldwide, resulting in declining ecosystem services, and increasing restoration demand. However, more information regarding the conditions which maximise oyster settlement and growth is required to optimise restoration. We deployed oyster settlement tiles at 21 intertidal sites throughout Moreton Bay, Australia; a region where > 96% of rock oyster reefs are lost and demand for restoration is high. We quantified effects of variables describing the spatial (from GIS), local habitat (using quadrats and water quality measures), and oyster predator (using underwater videography) characteristics of sites on oyster density and size on tiles. Oyster density was highest at sites with intermediate predator abundance and temperature, highest nearby invertebrate cover, and low and high values of turbidity and nearby rock and algae cover. Conversely, oyster size was highest at sites with intermediate predator density, higher fish species richness and turbidity, and lowest temperatures. Together, this showed that optimal restoration requires sites with 22 to 23 °C average water temperatures, between 10 and 15 oyster predators, and either low (< 2 NTU) or high (> 6 NTU) turbidity levels. Notably, we observed multiple peaks for several variables, suggesting the potential presence of multiple cryptic oyster species on settlement tiles. We found that oysters shared preferred environmental conditions with polychaetes, coralline algae, and tunicates, and were more prevalent and abundant at sites with lower turf algae, barnacle, and mussel cover. Identifying environmental variables influencing oyster population distribution, settlement, and growth can guide the selection and approach of oyster restoration sites.

Projected future climatic forcing on the global distribution of vegetation types.

Most emissions scenarios suggest temperature and precipitation regimes will change dramatically across the globe over the next 500 years. These changes will have large impacts on the biosphere, with species forced to migrate to follow their preferred environmental conditions, therefore moving and fragmenting ecosystems. However, most projections of the impacts of climate change only reach 2100, limiting our understanding of the temporal scope of climate impacts, and potentially impeding suitable adaptive action. To address this data gap, we model future climate change every 20 years from 2000 to 2500 CE, under different CO2 emissions scenarios, using a general circulation model. We then apply a biome model to these modelled climate futures, to investigate shifts in climatic forcing on vegetation worldwide, the feasibility of the migration required to enact these modelled vegetation changes, and potential overlap with human land use based on modern-day anthromes. Under a business-as-usual scenario, up to 40% of terrestrial area is expected to be suited to a different biome by 2500. Cold-adapted biomes, particularly boreal forest and dry tundra, are predicted to experience the greatest losses of suitable area. Without mitigation, these changes could have severe consequences both for global biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.

Utilisation of Machine Learning in Control Systems Based on the Preference of Office Users

Reducing energy consumption is vital to save natural resources and contribute to the sustainable development in any sector of society. In the building sector, there are many well-known energy efficiency strategies currently being applied. However, considering the advances in technology and in comfort studies, it is possible to see that the current building sector scenario demands new energy efficiency strategies. Such strategies need to be capable of identifying and assuring comfortable environments according to users’ perceptions. Machine learning techniques can be a useful alternative to identify users’ preferences and control lighting and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems in buildings. This paper shows a systematic literature review on the use of machine learning algorithms on preference identification and environmental adequacy according to users’ demands. Its contribution is to explore beyond the performance and configurations of the algorithms, addressing users’ preference aspects as well. The strategies found in the literature provided promising results. The most used approach was supervised learning because data can be treated as categories. In general, the control systems have shown good performance, and so have the algorithms. Users were mostly satisfied with environmental conditions. Situations of dissatisfaction were associated with the occupant’s willingness to use the system more than with the control system’s performance. Furthermore, it is also possible to ally user-centred control and energy savings but this relies on occupants’ characteristics and the control strategies used. We underline the importance of identifying whether the users are willing to deal with an automatic control system before making any decision, even if the operation of the system is based on their preferred environmental conditions.

Within- and cross-domain effects of environmental factors on students’ perception in educational buildings

Students in classrooms are exposed to environmental stimuli in the thermal, visual, acoustic and air quality domains, which affect their overall comfort and performance. Therefore, in recent studies, questionnaires are used to collect information about subjective perceptions and investigate links with physical parameters. Most field studies in educational buildings either focus on a single comfort domain, or consider multiple domains but provide inconsistent questions among the 4 domains (i.e., IAQ, thermal, visual and acoustic). Very few studies have investigated cross-domain effects in a consistent manner, considering satisfaction, comfort and perception aspects. To address this research gap, a survey with consistent questions among the 4 comfort domains was designed and used to collect more than 900 subjective responses from students. The analysis of subjective data together with objective measurements allows: (i) correlating the environmental physical parameters and students’ perception in each of the comfort domains; (ii) understanding the students’ preferred environmental conditions; and (iii) understanding cross-domain effects, i.e., the effects between the average conditions and the mean vote expressed for another domain. The results show that air temperature, illuminance and sound pressure level are correlated with the sensation in the respective domains, in contrast to CO2 concentration. Regarding cross-effects, the study confirms interference of CO2 concentration and illuminance on thermal sensation as well as the effect of sound pressure level on visual sensation.

Environmental factors and non-chemical methods to suppress growth of the invasive plant Gutenbergia cordifolia

Little is known about preferred environmental conditions and non-chemical control of invasive Gutenbergia cordifolia. We assessed the effects of different A. annua crude extract concentrations, synthetic herbicide (glyphosate), fire regime and shade to G. cordifolia germination, shoot and root dry biomass, seedling height and leaf chlorophyll. High concentrations (75%) of A. annua crude extracts significantly reduced germination percentage of G. cordifolia by 25% (F2,4=77.2, p < 0.001), and suppressed shoot and root dry biomass (F2,4 = 80.3, p < 0.001; F2,4=46.104, p < 0.001, respectively) as well as seedling height and leaf chlorophyll (F2,4 = 12.02, p < 0.002; F2,4 = 15.9, p < 0.001), respectively. Medium temperature (60 °C) and long exposure time (5 min) significantly increased G. cordifolia germination percentage (F2,7 = 32.6, p < 0.001) while extreme temperatures (≥150 °C) at both (1 min) short and (5 min) long exposure time completely suppressed germination of G. cordifolia. Under high shade, while germination percentage was a third that of other treatments (F2, 4 = 20.9, p = 0.008), mean germination took twice as long (F2, 4 = 17.9, p = 0.010) and shoot fresh biomass was reduced by half (F 2, 4 = 16.92, p = 0.004). Shoot and root dry biomass were reduced to more than a third under high shade, seedling height reduced to half but leaf chlorophyll content was not affected (F 2,4 = 6.3, p = 0.030; F 2,4 = 9.1, p = 0.020; F 2,4 = 18.3, p = 0.003; F 2,4 = 3.02, p = 0.120, respectively). We suggest using A. annua as a potential bio-herbicide and highlight considering fire and shade as suppressor tools to control G. cordifolia, but first include in-situ trials to assess their impacts to both native plants and animals.

TICK-BORNE BACTERIAL PATHOGENS OF LIVESTOCK AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES

In the modern world, ticks are considered to be second only to mosquitoes as a vector of various infectious diseases in livestock as well as in humans. Most tick species preferred suitable environmental conditions and typography that establish distribution and consequently increase the risk areas for different tick-borne diseases. They have a vectorial capacity to transmit and consider reservoirs of pathogens that cause direct damage to the host during blood-feeding and through the secretion of toxins present in the saliva of the animal. The main consequence of the tick primarily depends on the different pathogens they can transmit like bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and helminths. This review explains the various aspects of tick biology, vector competence, and tick microbiome identification, mainly focused on bacterial pathogens, techniques or methods used for their characterization, and different bacterial diseases associated with it, as well as pharmaceuticals used against ticks and ticks-borne pathogens.

TICK-BORNE BACTERIAL PATHOGENS OF LIVESTOCK AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES

In the modern world, ticks are considered to be second only to mosquitoes as a vector of various infectious diseases in livestock as well as in humans. Most tick species preferred suitable environmental conditions and typography that establish distribution and consequently increase the risk areas for different tick-borne diseases. They have a vectorial capacity to transmit and consider reservoirs of pathogens that cause direct damage to the host during blood-feeding and through the secretion of toxins present in the saliva of the animal. The main consequence of the tick primarily depends on the different pathogens they can transmit like bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and helminths. This review explains the various aspects of tick biology, vector competence, and tick microbiome identification, mainly focused on bacterial pathogens, techniques or methods used for their characterization, and different bacterial diseases associated with it, as well as pharmaceuticals used against ticks and ticks-borne pathogens.

Ontogenetic habitat partitioning among four shark species within a nursery ground

Context Nursery areas provide refuge from predators, rich foraging grounds, and physical conditions conducive to growth and development of juvenile inhabitants. Specifically, the Mississippi Sound in the northern Gulf of Mexico is likely a nursery ground for multiple large and small coastal sharks. Aims and methods Using over a decade of shark survey catch data, we employed habitat modelling approaches to identify preferred environmental conditions and spatial distribution, and quantify core habitat overlap within the Mississippi Sound for young-of-year (YOY), juvenile and adult life stages of four coastal shark species. Results YOY Atlantic sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae), blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) and finetooth (Carcharhinus isodon) sharks showed a preference for a combination of shallow, warm, low salinity, low dissolved oxygen and turbid waters. Corresponding to shared environmental preferences, spatial distributions of YOY sharks showed a high degree of overlap, particularly in the northern portion of the Mississippi Sound where few adult sharks were observed, suggesting that these life stages partition themselves to avoid predation. Conclusion and implications With a continued rise in US coastal shark populations, we hope this study can help further refine essential fish habitat for these coastal species and provide a framework analysis that can be used to understand habitat partitioning in other regions.

Comparing contemporaneous hunter-gatherer and early agrarian settlement systems with spatial point process models: Case study of the Estonian Stone Age

Inductive locational models have been used for decades to map the probability of past settlements and identify the preferred environmental conditions for habitation. In this study we apply inductive modelling to compare the spatial structure of the settlement systems of hunter-fisher-gatherer groups (Narva and Combed Ware Culture) and early agrarian communities (Corded Ware Culture) in Stone Age Estonia.We conceptualise settlement system formation as a point process and develop a first order point process model representing the environmental suitability for habitation based on geomorphological, soil and proximity to water. We use MaxEnt and the SDMTune machine learning framework for building the model, variable selection and estimation. The model is applied to the two communities and the effects of the variables and the resulting spatial patterns compared.The statistical analysis indicated higher predictive power for hunter-fisher-gatherer sites, which might result from higher variety of agrarian activities, different socio-economic organization or effects of spatial structure of the landscape.The spatial comparison indicates significant differences between the suitable environments for habitation between the two groups. While the hunter-fisher-gatherer population had an entirely shoreline connected settlement system the Corded Ware people inhabited the areas further away from water bodies. This resulted in significantly expanded potential space with differing spatial configuration for the incoming agrarian groups, possibly allowing tolerated immigration. The results also indicate there was a certain overlap of areas considered suitable habitation by both cultural groups, which might have caused a competition for land.

Potential changes in the distributions of Near Eastern fire salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata) in response to historical, recent and future climate change in the Near and Middle East: Implication for conservation and management

Climate change has a significant impact on the distribution of species over time. In response, species may shift, contract, extend or fragment their distributions to track preferred environmental conditions. This study aims to track the recent (1970–2000), Quaternary (Last Glacial Maximum (LGM): 21 Kya and the Mid-Holocene (MH): 6 Kya) and future (2070) range dynamics, as well as identifying putative climate refugia of the Near Eastern fire salamander, Salamandra infraimmaculata in the Near and Middle East. For this purpose, ensemble species distribution modelling (eSDM) using ten algorithms was applied to 119 occurrence records within CCSM4 and MIROC-ESM global climate models. According to the findings of this study, bioclimatic parameters, especially precipitation of wettest month (33.77%), annual precipitation (15.04%) and max temperature of warmest month (12.23%), have a stronger impact on S. infraimmaculata distribution than environmental variables referring to solar radiation, soil, topography and land cover as well as human impact. The modelled eSDM revealed a pattern of past range expansion and postglacial contraction. During the LGM, the range of species expanded to lower elevations, compared to MH and recent climate conditions. Based on future climate projections, habitat loss will be more apparent at the margins of the distribution range and low elevations, while habitat gain will be visible at higher elevations. The consensus model predicted that countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine/Israel, southwestern Turkey), as well as a small portion of the central Zagros mountains in western Iran, northeastern Iraq and southeast to central Turkey may act as climate refugia for the S. infraimmaculata. In comparison to the historical and recent distribution, this result predicts that species ranges will fragment in the future. Therefore, global climate change should be considered a potential threat to this species and effective conservation plans should be implemented.

Flies Avoid Current Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations.

CO2 differs from most other odors by being ubiquitously present in the air animals inhale. CO2 levels of the atmosphere, however, are subject to change. Depending on the landscape, temperature, and time of the year, CO2 levels can change even on shortest time scales. In addition, since the 18th century the CO2 baseline keeps increasing due to the intensive fossil fuel usage. However, we do not know whether this change is significant for animals, and if yes whether and how animals adapt to this change. Most insects possess olfactory receptors to detect the gaseous molecule, and CO2 is one of the key odorants for insects such as the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster to find food sources and to warn con-specifics. So far, CO2 and its sensory system have been studied in the context of rotting fruit and other CO2-emitting sources to investigate flies’ response to significantly elevated levels of CO2. However, it has not been addressed whether flies detect and potentially react to atmospheric levels of CO2. By using behavioral experiments, here we show that flies can detect atmospheric CO2 concentrations and, if given the choice, prefer air with sub-atmospheric levels of the molecule. Blocking the synaptic release from CO2 receptor neurons abolishes this choice. Based on electrophysiological recordings, we hypothesize that CO2 receptors, similar to ambient temperature receptors, actively sample environmental CO2 concentrations close to atmospheric levels. Based on recent findings and our data, we hypothesize that Gr-dependent CO2 receptors do not primarily serve as a cue detector to find food sources or avoid danger, instead they function as sensors for preferred environmental conditions.

Nice and slow: Measuring sensitivity and visual preference toward naturalistic stimuli varying in their amplitude spectra in space and time

The 1/fα amplitude spectrum is a statistical property of natural scenes characterising a specific distribution of spatial and temporal frequencies and their associated luminance intensities. This property has been studied extensively in the spatial domain whereby sensitivity and visual preference overlap and peak for slopes within the natural range (α ≈ 1), but remains relatively less studied in the temporal domain. Here, we used a 4AFC task to measure sensitivity and a 2AFC task to measure visual preference and across a wide range of spatial (α = 0.25, 1.25, 2.25) and temporal (α = 0.25 to 2.50, step size: 0.25) slope conditions. Stimuli with a shallow temporal slope modulate rapidly (e.g. 0.25), whereas stimuli with a steep slope modulate slowly (e.g. 2.25). Interestingly, sensitivity and visual preference did not closely overlap. While the sensitivity of the visual system is highest for our stimulus with an intermediate modulation rate (1.25), which is most abundant in nature, the stimulus with the slowest modulation rate (2.25) was most preferred. It seems sensible for the visual system to be sensitive to spatiotemporal spectra that most commonly exist in nature (α ≈ 1). However, it is possible that preference might be related to what these properties signal in the natural world. Consider the cases of waves slowly vs. rapidly crashing on a beach or fast vs. slow animals. In both instances the slowest option is often the safest and preferential, suggesting that the temporal 1/fα amplitude spectrum provides additional information that may indicate preferred environmental conditions.

Multiple dimensions of climate change on the distribution of Amazon primates

Owing to climate change, species’ geographical distribution may be extended, reduced or displaced in the future. Across species’ ranges, novel climate conditions may also expose species to thermal conditions for which they are not adapted. Migration toward more suitable climates will, however, only be possible if species are able to keep pace with climate change. Here, we analyze different metrics to predict the impacts of climate change on the distribution of Amazon primates. We found that this iconic group will be exposed to novel climate conditions in a large portion of their territories and most species might not be able to track their preferred environmental conditions, even when their range is forecasted to expand. Remaining future populations are expected to become fragmented and to occupy sub-optimal conditions at the periphery of their projected bioclimatic envelopes. Our results suggest that climate change may have unprecedented impacts on Amazon biodiversity, especially for species with low dispersal ability, such as primates. In addition to deforestation, hunting, and disease spread, climate change is likely to add up to conservation-defying feedbacks for Amazon primate populations’ fitness and resilience dynamics.

Distribution patterns of the warrior swimming crab, Callinectes bellicosus, fishery in Bahía Magdalena, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Abstract Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of the warrior swimming crab Callinectes bellicosus fishery in the Mexican Pacific were investigated. Geo-referenced commercial trap capture data derived from 44 trips in the Bahia Magdalena were analysed. Three fishing zones (Z1, inner; Z2, middle; Z3, mouth of the bay) and two climate seasons (warm, July-December; and cold, January-June) were defined previously. There were 1099 traps in Z1, 715 in Z2 and 2111 in Z3; in the warm season, 2091 traps were checked, whereas 1834 were checked in the cold season. The average number of individuals per trap (CPUE) varied by sex, zone and season, however, male crabs always predominated. During the warm season, large males (CW &gt; 115 mm) exhibited the greatest value of CPUE. On average, the males represented 77% during the warm season and 84% during the cold season. The average size of the males (125 ± 0.843 mm CW) was significantly higher than the average size of females (121 ± 1.140 mm CW). The catch was composed of large mature males but females were absent in Z1; in comparison, both large mature males and females, in addition to ovigerous females, composed the catch at the mouth of the bay (Z3). Crab abundance was notably reduced in the cold season, especially for female crabs. The temporal behaviour of the warrior swimming crab in Bahia Magdalena is similar to that reported from the coastal lagoons of the Gulf of California; however, the low presence of females throughout the year could be related to their preferred environmental conditions, which include deeper areas with more current circulation, like those that occur at the mouth of the bay. These data corroborate the necessity to interpret with caution the crab population dynamics solely based on results derived from fishing with traps in coastal lagoons.

Exploring bacterial community composition in Mediterranean deep-sea sediments and their role in heavy metal accumulation

The role of microbial processes in bioaccumulation of major and trace elements has been broadly demonstrated. However, microbial communities from marine sediments have been poorly investigated to this regard. In marine environments, particularly under high anthropogenic pressure, heavy metal accumulation increases constantly, which may lead to significant environmental issues. A better knowledge of bacterial diversity and its capability to bioaccumulate metals is essential to face environmental quality assessment. The oligotrophic westernmost Mediterranean, which is highly sensitive to environmental changes and subjected to increasing anthropogenic pressure, was selected for this study. A sediment core spanning the last two millennia was sampled at two intervals, with ages corresponding to 140 (S1) and 1400 (S2) yr BP. High-throughput sequencing showed an abundance of Bacillus, Micrococcus, unclassified members of Planococcaceae, Anaerolineaceae, Planctomycetaceae, Microlunatus, and Microbacterium in both intervals, with slight differences in their abundance, along with newly detected ones in S2, i.e., Propionibacterium, Fictibacillus, Thalassobacillus, and Bacteroides. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and co-occurrence patterns confirmed strong correlations among the taxa and the environmental parameters, suggesting either shared and preferred environmental conditions, or the performance of functions similar to or complementary to each other. These results were further confirmed using culture-dependent methods. The diversity of the culturable bacterial community revealed a predominance of Bacillus, and Micrococcus or Kocuria. The interaction of these bacterial communities with selected heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Zn and Pb) was also investigated, and their capacity of bioaccumulating metals within the cells and/or in the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) is demonstrated. Interestingly, biomineralization of Pb resulted in the precipitation of Pb phosphates (pyromorphite). Our study supports that remnants of marine bacterial communities can survive in deep-sea sediments over thousands of years. This is extremely important in terms of bioremediation, in particular when considering possible environmentally friendly strategies to bioremediate inorganic contaminants.

Benthic community history in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) mega-delta: Damming, urbanization, and environmental control

AbstractThe coastal environment of the Changjiang delta has been influenced by recent anthropogenic activities such as dam construction and increased sewage and fertilizer inputs. Previous work examined the compositional shift of marine plankton to assess ecological impacts of these activities on marine ecosystems in the Changjiang discharge area. Here we used benthic marine ostracodes collected in the Changjiang estuary and the adjacent East China Sea in the 1980s and the 2010s, respectively, to investigate temporal changes of the benthic community and controlling factors for the benthic fauna. Our results revealed more shoreward distribution of some well-known offshore ostracode species in the 2010s compared with the 1980s and a relatively more important role for environmental processes (e.g., bottom-water temperature, bottom-water salinity, and eutrophic conditions of surface water) than spatial processes (e.g., the flow of ocean currents) in structuring ostracode compositions. The temporal changes in the ostracode community are likely attributable to the combined effects of reduced fresh water and sediment discharge and eutrophic conditions of the Changjiang due to the many dams constructed along the Changjiang and population expansion in the Changjiang Basin. Results of redundancy analysis and variation partitioning suggest that ocean currents facilitated environmental filtering of ostracode species such that they could disperse to preferred environmental conditions. These findings highlight the potential uses of marine microfossils to better understand ecological impacts on benthic ecosystems in vulnerable Asian mega-deltas and provide insights into the integration of metacommunity concepts in disentangling dynamics of marine benthic communities.

Fish debris in sediments from the last 25 kyr in the Humboldt Current reveal the role of productivity and oxygen on small pelagic fishes

Upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water from the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) off Peru sustains the world’s highest production of forage fish, mostly composed of anchovy (Engraulis ringens). However, the potential impacts of climate change on upwelling dynamics and thus fish productivity in the near future are uncertain. Here, we reconstruct past changes in fish populations during the last 25,000 years to unravel their response to changes in OMZ intensity and productivity. We quantified and identified fish scales and bones deposited in laminated sediments from Pisco (Peru) with an average sampling resolution of 20.4 years (±7.1). The records span the Last Glacial Maximum to the recent Holocene and thus encompass a variety of combinations of productivity, oxygen, and global temperature. Our results reveal that productivity appears to be the main factor controlling small pelagic fish abundance, while sub-surface oxygenation affects mainly anchovy and likely sardine populations. Lower productivity and higher oxygen concentrations during the glacial resulted in lower total fish productivity, whereas higher productivity and a stronger OMZ in some time intervals during the Holocene resulted in higher fish abundances. A variety of different conditions between these two oceanographic end members indicate preferred environmental conditions for a variety of small pelagic fishes. There is no evidence in our record for an out of phase relationship between anchovy and sardine at the timescales examined in the present study. Anchovy have been the predominant small pelagic fish throughout the record, at least over centennial to millennial timescales. Its abundance reached a maximum during the Current Warm Period, an era characterized by high productivity and intense OMZ conditions. Thus, industrial fisheries developed during a period of exceptional productivity in relation to that of the last 25 kyr. The records reveal that dramatic decreases in pelagic fish abundances have occurred in response to past large-scale climate changes than those observed in the instrumental period, which suggests that future climate change may result in substantial changes in ecosystem structure.

Ecological and taxonomic characterisation of Trentepohlia umbrina (Kützing) Bornet growing on stone surfaces in Lazio (Italy)

The colonisation of building material by photosynthetic organisms is highly dependent on the environmental conditions and the nature of the substrate. The growths of red-orange phototrophic biofilms have been widely reported in the literature and have commonly been associated with the order Trentepohliales, whose ecological and taxonomical information needs to be improved. Considering the recurrent presence of such biofilms throughout the Lazio region, we would identify the occurring species and define their favourable environmental conditions, through morphological, genetic and ecological analyses. Biofilms were collected across an altitude range of 0 to 860 m asl, occurring from the coast to 60-km inland. A dominant presence of the filamentous terrestrial green alga Trentepohlia umbrina (Kutzing) Bornet was confirmed in all sites sometimes mixed with cyanobacteria of the genus Gloeocapsa. The distribution of Trentepohliales is generally given as pan-tropical, but some species, such as T. umbrina, are also distributed in temperate climates. Here, it is reported for the first time a Mediterranean occurrence of the species. Low humidity and light conditions, such as those occurring on vertical surfaces with mainly northern aspects, are the preferred environmental conditions. Coastal areas were more favourable for its growth, probably due to the higher nocturnal condensation that occurs here. Concrete and mortars were particularly bioreceptive to T. umbrina, but marble and trachyte were also colonised under favourable conditions. The findings better define the ecological range of this species, suggesting a wider biogeographic distribution, and adding information on morphological features and genetic data.

Spatial-Temporal Pattern of Sulfate-Dependent Anaerobic Methane Oxidation in an Intertidal Zone of the East China Sea.

Methane is a primary greenhouse gas which is responsible for global warming. The sulfate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (S-AOM) process catalyzed by anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is a vital link connecting the global carbon and sulfur cycles, and it is considered to be the overriding methane sink in marine ecosystem. However, there have been few studies regarding the role of S-AOM process and the distribution of ANME archaea in intertidal ecosystem. The intertidal zone is a buffer zone between sea and land and plays an important role in global geochemical cycle. In the present study, the abundance, potential methane oxidation rate, and community structure of ANME archaea in the intertidal zone were studied by quantitative PCR, stable isotope tracing method and high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the potential S-AOM activity ranged from 0 to 0.77 nmol 13CO2 g-1 (dry sediment) day-1 The copy number of 16S rRNA gene of ANME archaea reached 106 ∼ 107 copies g-1 (dry sediment). The average contribution of S-AOM to total anaerobic methane oxidation was up to 34.5%, while denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation accounted for the rest, which implied that S-AOM process was an essential methane sink that cannot be overlooked in intertidal ecosystem. The simulated column experiments also indicated that ANME archaea were sensitive to oxygen and preferred anaerobic environmental conditions. This study will help us gain a better understanding of the global carbon-sulfur cycle and greenhouse gas emission reduction and introduce a new perspective into the enrichment of ANME archaea.IMPORTANCE The sulfate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (S-AOM) process catalyzed by anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is a vital link connecting the global carbon and sulfur cycles. We conducted a research into the spatial-temporal pattern of S-AOM process and the distribution of ANME archaea in coastal sediments collected from the intertidal zone. The results implied that S-AOM process was a methane sink that cannot be overlooked in the intertidal ecosystem. We also found that ANME archaea were sensitive to oxygen and preferred anaerobic environmental conditions. This study will help us gain a better understanding of the global carbon-sulfur cycle and greenhouse gas emission reduction and introduce a new perspective into the enrichment of ANME archaea.

Movement Patterns of Juvenile Sablefish within a Nursery Area in Southeast Alaska

AbstractThe Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria is a commercially important species that inhabits waters of the Pacific Ocean from Baja California, Mexico, to the Bering Sea, Alaska. Most studies have focused on the larval, neustonic (near‐surface) juvenile, or adult stage of the Sablefish life cycle, while much less is known about the postsettlement juvenile stage (ages 0–2) in nearshore nursery areas, even though survival of postsettlement juveniles is thought to be important for determining year‐class strength. We used acoustic telemetry to monitor movement of postsettlement juvenile Sablefish in a nursery area in Alaska to better describe their period of nearshore residency. Forty juvenile Sablefish received surgically implanted acoustic transmitters and were monitored using eight fixed receivers throughout the summer and fall of 2015 and 2016 in a small bay (St. John Baptist Bay) in Southeast Alaska. We quantified movement patterns in terms of displacement from the head of the bay, distance traveled, and duration of time spent within the bay for 28 individuals. Sablefish showed fidelity to the bay during the summer, with relatively high rates of movement within the bay. Juvenile Sablefish traveled 9.4 km/d and spent 20.2 h/d within the bay on average in 2015 and traveled 13.0 km/d and spent 17.9 h/d within the bay on average in 2016. Tagged Sablefish showed the greatest affinity for a region near the head of the bay, perhaps indicating an area of preferred habitat, prey resources, or environmental conditions. In addition, we assessed variation in horizontal movements among individuals and identified three distinct movement types. This study fills a gap in knowledge of Sablefish early life history by characterizing movement during nearshore residency before out‐migration into deeper waters. Our results reinforce the importance of nearshore habitats like St. John Baptist Bay for juvenile Sablefish prior to recruitment into fisheries.