ALBERT

Notes: Abstract Increased levels of nitrate occur in natural waters due to pollution, and in aquaculture systems from nitrification and addition of microalgal cultures for feeding. Static bioassays showed that significant mortality of larvalPenaeus monodon (Fabricius) occurred within 40 h at nitrate concentrations as low as 1 mg NO 3 - l−1. Sublethal effects of this concentration resulted in changes to ganglionic neuropiles and muscles. At higher concentrations (10 and 100 mg NO 3 - l−1), additional tissues were affected including the hypodermis, midgut and proventriculus. This is the first report of toxicity to a marine organism of nitrate at concentrations normally present in enclosed seawater and mariculture systems. The results are discussed in terms of management of culture systems and of natural marine ecosystems containing elevated levels of nitrate.

Notes: Abstract The occurrence of unusual symbiotic microorganisms was examined in the intestines of a range of fish from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The fish taxa examined included 26 species of the family Acanthuridae, as well as representatives of phylogenetically related and herbivorous taxa. The microorganisms, referred to as protists, were only found in herbivorous and detritivorous members of the Acanthuridae. Protists were not found in planktivorous acanthurids, nor in any members of the families Kyphosidae, Pomacentridae, Scaridae, Zanclidae, Siganidae and Bleniidae we examined. In addition, protists were absent from the herbivorous acanthurids A. xanthopterus and A. nigricans. A range of protist forms, characterized by differences in size (8 to 417 μm), shape and mode of cell division (daughter-cell production and binary fission), was observed. The occurrence of these forms appeared to be correlated with host feedingecology. Large forms (〉100 μm) of the protists were only found in acanthurids which fed over hard-reef substrata. Smaller forms were found in sand-grazing and detritivorous species. One of the protist forms appears identical to protists previously reported from Red Sea acanthurids.

Notes: Abstract Marine bdellovibrios have not previously been reported from the southern hemisphere, and knowledge of their occurrence in marine ecosystems is rudimentary. This study examined quantitative and qualitative aspects of bdellovibrios parasitic to the bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus at each of three representative tropical marine habitats of the Great Barrier Reef. Bdellovibrios were found in the water column throughout a 12 mo period from May 1992 at a sandy beach, a mangrove and a fringing coral reef. Their abundance was correlated with water temperature (P〈0.001) and was highest in summer, lowest in winter and intermediate in spring and autumn. Over the sampling period, bdellovibrios were most abundant at the mangrove habitat (36.6 ml-1) and least abundant at the reef (9.5 ml-1), but there was substantial variability in numbers at all habitats among seasons and months of the year. On some occasions no bdellovibrios were found in replicate samples from the beach and reef habitats, while on others the maximum detectable by the method used (180 ml-1) was sometimes found at the beach and mangrove habitats. Bdellovibrios within each habitat were uniformly distributed among sampling sites (P〉0.05). They were more abundant in sub-surface than bottom waters in summer, but the reverse occurred in winter. Midwater samples usually had least bdellovibrios. Bdellovibrio numbers were significantly correlated with those of potential host bacteria—colony-forming bacteria at all habitats and total bacteria at the beach and reef habitats. Strain characteristics, primarily based on host range, indicated qualitative differences in bdellovibrio populations among habitats. Pseudomonas atlantica, P. aeruginosa, P. marina, Cytophaga marinoflava, Vibrio gazogenes, V. mimicus and a Spirillum-like bacterium were not parasitised by bdellovibrios from any habitat. Of the other 25 Vibrio spp. tested, most were parasitised by the majority of bdellovibrio strains from each habitat. Strain differences were principally with respect to parasitism of non-Vibrio bacteria. All strains required Na+ and grew at 35°C, but some failed to grow at 15°C.

Notes: Abstract The crustose coralline alga Lithothamnium pseudosorum induces high rates of settlement and metamorphosis of larvae of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci). In cases where crustose coralline algae (CCA) induce metamorphosis of marine invertebrate larvae it is normally assumed that the inductive molecules are produced by the alga, but an alternative is that they originate from bacteria on the plant surface. Bioassays using shards of L. pseudosorum treated with several antibiotics, whereby some shards were reinfected with bacteria from the alga, showed that if bacteria populations are depleted then settlement and metamorphosis of larvae of A. planci are inhibited. This demonstrates that bacteria are necessary for induction and suggests that morphogenic substances are produced by bacteria on the surface of the alga and not directly by the alga itself. However, surface bacteria are not inductive if they are isolated from soluble algal compounds, suggesting either that they require a substrate from the alga to produce the inductive agents or, alternatively but less likely, that compounds from both the alga and bacteria are required. There is no evidence that inductive compounds derive from the alga, since algal cell debris and soluble extracts prepared from the alga do not induce metamorphosis of A. planci. This is the first time that induction of metamorphosis in a marine invertebrate by CCA has been shown to be mediated by bacteria associated with the alga.

Notes: Infection by ascospores of Sclerotinia selerotiorum caused hypersensitivity in epidermal cells in leaves and etiolated hypocotyls of bean and soybean. In bean, phaseollin and phaseollidin accumulated in leaves but kievitone alone in hypocotyls. In soybean, no phytoalexins were detected in leaves but glyceollin accumulated in hypocotyls.Mycelial infection caused water-soaked spreading lesions in leaves and etiolated hypocotyls of both hosts. In bean, no phytoalexins were detected in leaves but kievitone alone accumulated in hypocotyls. In soybean, glyceollin accumulated in leaves but was not sought in hypocotyls.Transfer of bean hypocotyls infected with mycelium from 18 to 28°C caused lesion limitation and marked accumulation of phaseollin and kievitone.Phaseollin, kievitone and glyceollin inhibited ascospore germination and growth of hyphae from preformed germ-tubes and established mycelia, phaseollin being most active and glyceollin least active. Hyphal growth from mycelia was least affected by the phytoalexins.

Notes: Factors influencing the infection of bean and soybean by ascospores of Sderotinia sclerotiorum were studied. In the absence of an exogenous nutrient source, ascospores on intact host tissues produced a short and usually sub-polar germ-tube but only young host tissues were penetrated by the infection hypha arising from the germinated spore. There was a hypersensitive response by cells to penetration and generally the fungus remained restricted to these cells, though it continued to grow within them. Water-soaked lesions characteristic of successful infections only developed when many individual infection sites coalesced following inoculation with high concentrations of ascospores. Flowers or parts of flowers provided a suitable nutrient base for initial colonization from ascospore inoculum. Mycelium extending from this base initiated infection of intact host surfaces. Pollen stimulated growth from germinating ascospores in vitro and in vivo but did not stimulate infection of bean.

Notes: if an Expert System is to work effectively it must be fitted to its users' needs and preferences, not to its creators' convenience.The elegance of the programming language or the brilliance of the logical mechanisms will be wasted if the system is difficult to use or irrelevant in action.The capture of the knowledge when setting up an Expert System, and the use of a working system are both areas which involve Man/Machine interaction. This paper will draw attention to developments in the modelling of Human Learning Styles and Problem Solving Processes which could contribute to Knowledge Engineering methods.Models drawn from such disciplines can help the designers of Expert Systems to take account of human requirements as well as technical and logical factors. In addition, methods exist whereby the specific needs and objectives of potential users can be incorporated at the design stage, rather than as a result of criticism of systems already provided.Examples will be given of the contribution these methods are making to the progress of several Man/Machine Interface projects that the author is currently engaged upon.