Waters Of Papua New Guinea Research Articles

Five new species of Terebellides (Annelida, Polychaeta, Trichobranchidae) from Papua New Guinea (Bismarck and Solomon seas)

Five new species of Terebellides are described from coastal and deep waters of Papua New Guinea, using both morphology and molecular tools (for four species). Terebellides elenae n. sp. is characterized by the absence of both a glandular lateral region on TC3 and papillae on margins of the branchial lamellae and by the presence of partially fused branchial lobes with conspicuous fifth lobe and dorsal rounded projections until TC6. Terebellides fauchaldi n. sp. has a very large glandular lateral region on the third thoracic chaetiger (TC3), a fifth branchial lobe and partially fused branchial lobes, and conspicuous dorsal rounded projections on TC2–6. Terebellides madeep n. sp. is characterized by a thin glandular region on TC3 and by four free branchial lobes. Terebellides oculata n. sp. is one of the only two species in the world to have eyespots. Finally, T. papillosa n. sp. has geniculate chaetae on TC6 and TC7 and bears a large number of papillae. A majority-rule consensus tree using the 16S gene and an identification key for all Terebellides species described from the Central Indo-Pacific region are provided.

Heterologous Expression in Anabaena of the Columbamide Pathway from the Cyanobacterium Moorena bouillonii and Production of New Analogs.

Columbamides are chlorinated acyl amide natural products, several of which exhibit cannabinomimetic activity. These compounds were originally discovered from a culture of the filamentous marine cyanobacterium Moorena bouillonii PNG5-198 collected from the coastal waters of Papua New Guinea. The columbamide biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) had been identified using bioinformatics, but not confirmed by experimental evidence. Here, we report the heterologous expression in Anabaena (Nostoc) PCC 7120 of the 28.5 kb BGC that encodes for columbamide biosynthesis. The production of columbamides in Anabaena is investigated under several different culture conditions, and several new columbamide analogs are identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In addition to previously characterized columbamides A, B, and C, new columbamides I-M are produced in these experiments, and the structure of the most abundant monochlorinated analog, columbamide K (11), is fully characterized. The other new columbamide analogs are produced in only small quantities, and structures are proposed based on high-resolution-MS, MS/MS, and 1H NMR data. Overexpression of the pathway's predicted halogenases resulted in increased productions of di- and trichlorinated compounds. The most significant change in production of columbamides in Anabaena is correlated with the concentration of NaCl in the medium.

Cetaceans of the Northern Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea1

There is little known about cetaceans in the waters of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Here we present findings from the first two sets of cetacean sighting and acoustic surveys conducted within the Admiralty Island group in the northern Bismarck Sea. More than 1,000 cetaceans were sighted during our boat-based surveys–the most common being spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris), followed by pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata), short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). The relative group size of spinner dolphins was different between years with group sizes in 2010 being significantly lower (median = 15, range = 2–50) than those recorded in 2013 (median = 50, range = 5–100). The presence of large aggregations of spinner dolphins (including calves) as well as sightings of Vulnerable sperm whales suggest the northern Bismarck Sea as an area of conservation importance for cetaceans. Our surveys also provide useful baseline data for a variety of marine protected area planning processes and management initiatives that are ongoing in PNG.

Contracts on the Seabed

Four million square kilometers of seabed within the sovereignty of Pacific Island nations are currently under contract for mineral exploration or exploitation. Over a million additional square kilometers of the non-sovereign seafloor are licensed for such use. Historically, these licenses have served to establish “squatters’ rights” in anticipation of a distant future when the industry would develop the machinery to exploit oceanic mineral wealth. That moment has arrived, with the first seafloor mining machines rolling off production lines in 2015-2016. Indeed, but for failed financing, the first seabed mine would now be operating in the territorial ocean waters of Papua New Guinea. Governance mechanisms have not kept pace with scientific and industrial innovation. Few countries have developed laws, regulations or even voluntary agreements governing this activity, and none adequately address the known effects of seafloor mining or provide contingency plans for the unknown and currently unknowable effects of this new technology. Local communities and civil society organizations in the South Pacific have called for outright bans on the activity, fearing grave and unpredictable harms to the marine environments with which they have vital economic and social relationships. Governments, too, are scrambling. While some have called for moratoria, and a few have been moving at top speed to enact seabed mining legislation, most governments contemplating seabed mining are still unprepared. They have not declared moratoria, nor have they enacted legislation or created the statutory, regulatory, and administrative structures necessary to support seafloor mining and to mitigate potential harms. This Article addresses the urgent need for strong contracts between governments that plan to allow seabed mining as a path to economic development and the companies interested in accessing the valuable natural resources on the seabed within these countries’ sovereign control. Especially for countries with little experience with land-based mining or with thin regulatory infrastructure for seabed mining, such contracts will be indispensable in ensuring that countries receive the economic benefits they have been promised, while also safeguarding the ocean on which the countries and their populations traditionally rely for their well-being.

Contracts on the Seabed

Four million square kilometers of seabed within the sovereignty of Pacific Island nations are currently under contract for mineral exploration or exploitation. Over a million additional square kilometers of the non-sovereign seafloor are licensed for such use. Historically, these licenses have served to establish “squatters’ rights” in anticipation of a distant future when the industry would develop the machinery to exploit oceanic mineral wealth. That moment has arrived, with the first seafloor mining machines rolling off production lines in 2015-2016. Indeed, but for failed financing, the first seabed mine would now be operating in the territorial ocean waters of Papua New Guinea. Governance mechanisms have not kept pace with scientific and industrial innovation. Few countries have developed laws, regulations or even voluntary agreements governing this activity, and none adequately address the known effects of seafloor mining or provide contingency plans for the unknown and currently unknowable effects of this new technology. Local communities and civil society organizations in the South Pacific have called for outright bans on the activity, fearing grave and unpredictable harms to the marine environments with which they have vital economic and social relationships. Governments, too, are scrambling. While some have called for moratoria, and a few have been moving at top speed to enact seabed mining legislation, most governments contemplating seabed mining are still unprepared. They have not declared moratoria, nor have they enacted legislation or created the statutory, regulatory, and administrative structures necessary to support seafloor mining and to mitigate potential harms. This Article addresses the urgent need for strong contracts between governments that plan to allow seabed mining as a path to economic development and the companies interested in accessing the valuable natural resources on the seabed within these countries’ sovereign control. Especially for countries with little experience with land-based mining or with thin regulatory infrastructure for seabed mining, such contracts will be indispensable in ensuring that countries receive the economic benefits they have been promised, while also safeguarding the ocean on which the countries and their populations traditionally rely for their well-being.

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF PAPUAN SEERFISH (Scomberomorus multiradiatus MUNRO, 1964) IN MERAUKE WATERS, PAPUA, INDONESIA

Papuan seerfish (Scomberomorus multiradiatus; local: tenggiri papua) is an endemic species to the Papuan waters and distributed from the waters of Papua New Guinea to Merauke in Indonesia. The biological information of this species is little known. This study aimed to determine the biological aspects of Papuan seerfish to fill the research gap of this species. The data collection were conducted from February to November 2016. Biological parameters observation of the fish sample included of fork length (FL), sex, and maturity stages. All the data were analyzed using standard methods. The maximum length and weight of Papuan seerfish from Merauke waters were 49 cm and 908 g and this size became the largest published size ever. The sex ratio was in an equal condition and the growth pattern was isometric. Spawning occurs all year arounds and reach its peak on August. The relative condition factor of Papuan seerfish tend to be low in the reproductive periods. Papuan seerfish from Merauke waters were caught before reaching their size at maturity (Lc < Lm). For the sustainability of this resources and precautionary approach of fisheries management, it is suggested to apply the minimum catch size in 33 cm.

New species and new records of littoral and bathyal living Pectinoidea (Bivalvia: Propeamussiidae, Cyclochlamydidae, Pectinidae) from the western and southwestern Pacific

ABSTRACT Twenty species of Pectinoidea (12 Propeamussiidae, three Cyclochlamydidae, five Pectinidae) are herein listed. Six new species of Pectinoidea (three Propeamussiidae, three Cyclochlamydidae) are from littoral and bathyal depths of the western and southwestern Pacific, sampled by various expeditions and cruises to Papua New Guinea and the South China Sea, viz. Propeamussium regillum n. sp. from the bathyal Bismarck and Solomon Seas, Parvamussium minusculum n. sp. from the lower bathyal South China Sea, Cyclopecten inoculatus n. sp. from the bathyal Bismarck Sea, Cyclochlamys corrugata n. sp., Cyclochlamys barbatula n. sp. and Micropecten reticulatus n. sp. from shallow coastal waters of Papua New Guinea. Fourteen species of Pectinoidea (nine Propeamussiidae, five Pectinidae) are new records for the Bismarck Sea (five), for the Solomon Sea (four), and for the South China Sea (seven).

Diversity and biogeography of the little known deep-sea barnacles of the genus Waikalasma Buckeridge, 1983 (Balanomorpha: Chionelasmatoidea) in the Southwest Pacific, with description of a new species

ABSTRACTDue to the extreme scarcity of specimens, little is known about the biodiversity and biogeography of the barnacles of the genus Waikalasma Buckeridge, 1983 (Thoracica: Waikalasmatidae Ross and Newman, 2001), which inhabit the deep sea of the Southwest Pacific. Previous studies reported only a single living species, W. boucheti Buckeridge, 1996, from Vanuatu. In the present study, the collections by French deep-sea expeditions off New Caledonia (NORFOLK 1 & 2, EBISCO, SMIB 2, SMIB 4, SMIB 8, BIOCAL, MUSORSTOM 6, MUSORSTOM 4, MUSORSTOM 5, BATHUS 2), the Solomon Islands (SALOMON 1), Vanuatu (BOA1) and Papua New Guinea (BIOPAPUA) yielded specimens of Waikalasma species from 500 to 800 m depth. From molecular (DNA barcode region cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 12S gene) and morphological analysis, a new species Waikalasma dianajonesae sp. nov., and W. boucheti were identified. From molecular phylogenetic analysis, sequence divergence in the DNA barcode region between W. dianajonesae sp nov. and W. boucheti reached > 10%. Waikalasma dianajonesae sp. nov. differs from W. boucheti in the number and size of imbricating plates on the shell and the shape of the tergum. Waikalasma dianajonesae sp. nov. and W. boucheti exhibit sympatric biogeographical distributions in the Southwest Pacific. Waikalasma dianajonesae was found in the waters of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island, whilst W. boucheti was collected from Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and New Caledonia waters.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:713013C7-677A-478F-B5DF-FD4690A7C6A9

Two new deep-sea stalked barnacles, Arcoscalpellum epeeum sp. nov. and Gymnoscalpellum indopacificum sp. nov., from the Coral Sea, with descriptions of the penis in Gymnoscalpellum dwarf males.

The present study describes a new species of Arcoscalpellum Hoek, 1907, and a new species of Gymnoscalpellum Newman & Ross, 1971, collected by deep-sea expeditions led by the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris) in the Coral Sea off New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Arcoscalpellum epeeum sp. nov. differs from all described species of Arcoscalpellum by the presence of a long, sharp, sword-shaped carina, which extends beyond the apices of the terga by 1/3 to 1/4 of their length. The species is dioecious, with large females and dwarf males that are sac-like, lack shell plates and are housed in paired receptacles at the inner edges of the scutal plates. Arcoscalpellum epeeum sp. nov. was collected in the waters of New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Gymnoscalpellum indopacificum sp. nov. differs from the six currently described species of Gymnoscalpellum by having a very small inframedian latus and a branched upper latus. The species is dioecious, with large females and dwarf males, the latter composed of 4 shell plates and housed in paired receptacles at the inner edges of the scutal plates. The penis of the dwarf males of G. indopacificum sp. nov. is about 0.8 of the total length of the male and has five side branches extending out along its length. Gymnoscalpellum indopacificum sp. nov. is distributed in the waters of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and represents the first record of this genus in the Indo-Pacific region.

Deep-water Pycnogonida from recent cruises to Papua New Guinea and Melanesia, with an appendix of new records from Polynesia and descriptions of five new species

Deep-sea pycnogonid material collected during the N/O Alis Campagnes SalomonBOA 3 to the Solomon Islands in 2007, Terasses to New Caledonia in 2008, Tarasoc to the Tuamoto Archipelago and Tarava Seamounts in 2009, Biopapua to Papua New Guinea in 2010, and Exbodi to New Caledonia in 2011, has been analyzed. This includes the first collection of deep-sea pycnogonids from the waters of Papua New Guinea. The material includes 71 specimens from 14 species in seven genera. Most are frequently-recorded species of the genus Colossendeis, but there are also four species new to science, Ascorhynchus quartogibbus n. sp., Cilunculus roni n. sp., Phoxichilidium alis n. sp., Pycnogonum papua n. sp. A specimen from New Caledonia, identified by Stock in 1997 as Pycnogonum occa Loman, 1908, but not figured or described, has been re-examined, and found also to be a distinct species, Pycnogonum staplesi n. sp.

Dispersal of Adult Black Marlin (Istiompax indica) from a Great Barrier Reef Spawning Aggregation

The black marlin (Istiompax indica) is one of the largest bony fishes in the world with females capable of reaching a mass of over 700 kg. This highly migratory predator occurs in the tropical regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and is the target of regional recreational and commercial fisheries. Through the sampling of ichthyoplankton and ovaries we provide evidence that the relatively high seasonal abundance of black marlin off the Great Barrier Reef is, in fact, a spawning aggregation. Furthermore, through the tracking of individual black marlin via satellite popup tags, we document the dispersal of adult black marlin away from the spawning aggregation, thereby identifying the catchment area for this spawning stock. Although tag shedding is an issue when studying billfish, we tentatively identify the catchment area for this stock of black marlin to extend throughout the Coral Sea, including the waters of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tuvalu and Nauru.

Mining the depths

The paper mentions that companies are racing to sample the wealth of minerals below the surface of the ocean. The race to the seabed is being led by two companies, Nautilus Minerals with a project off Papua New Guinea (PNG), and Neptune Minerals in the seas off New Zealand. Nautilus is proposing to develop the Solwara SMS system in the territorial waters of PNG. Nautilus' proposed mining system will consist of an excavator, a support ship, and a riser and lifting system to pump metal sulphide debris to the surface. At present, the oil and gas industry is experimenting with seafloor processing that saves the expense of pumping huge amounts of water and sand to the surface for separation, only to have to pump it back to the seabed after extracting the oil.

Economic potential of sea–floor massive sulphide deposits: ancient and modern

Land–based massive sulphide deposits are of major importance to world mining and world commerce. Major products are base metals (copper, zinc, lead, tin), precious metals (gold, silver), and a number of special metals (e.g. indium, gallium, germanium). More than 100 modern analogues of massive sulphide deposits and hydrothermal systems are presently known at the modern seafloor, including some very large accumulations of metals such as in the Atlantis II Deep in the Red Sea, at Middle Valley at the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and in the TAG deposit at the Mid–Atlantic Ridge. Currently, mining of hydrothermal deposits at the seafloor appears to be most attractive for sites with (1) high gold and base metal grades, (2) site location close to land (i.e. within the Exclusive Economic Zone), (3) shallow water depth not significantly exceeding 2000 m (although the technology exists for mining in deeper water). The environmental impact will be minimal at those sites, which are inactive (i.e. not inhabited by vent fauna) and are not covered by sediments (no creation of sediment plumes due to mining activities). Some of the most prospective gold–rich deposits have been found in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea. If drilling proves that mineralization extends to depth, these deposits may become the first marine mine sites for gold and base metal sulphide mineralization.

Mercury in Marine and Freshwater Fish of Papua New Guinea

A survey was carried out of the mercury content of 19 fish species from 18 locations In the coastal and fresh waters of Papua New Guinea. Most commercial catches had total mercury contents well below the 0.5 �g/g limit recommended by the World Health Organization, the only exception being barramundi (Lates calcarifer) caught in the Fly River system. The presence of mercury in this river is discussed.