ALBERT

Description: Expedition SO287 – CONNECT 11.12.2021 - 11.01.2022 Las Palmas-Guayaquil Wochenbericht Nr. 4 27.12.2021- 02.01.2022

Description: Expedition SO287 – CONNECT 11.12.2021 - 11.01.2022 Las Palmas-Guayaquil Wochenbericht Nr. 5 03. - 10.01.2022

Description: FS MARIA S. MERIAN - MSM106 (26.02. - 19.03.2022) 2. Wochenbericht (28.2. – 6.3.2022)

Description: FS MARIA S. MERIAN - MSM106 (26.02. – 19.03.2022) 3. Wochenbericht (07.03. – 13.03.2022)

Description: FS MARIA S. MERIAN - MSM106 (26.02. - 19.03.2022) 1. Wochenbericht (23. – 27.02.2022)

Description: Fahrtabschnitt 14.05. - 22.05.2022

Description: Fahrtabschnitt 30.08. - 04.09.2022

Description: New sedimentological data of facies and diagenesis as well as chronological data including strontium (87Sr/86Sr)-isotope ratios and uranium (U)-series dating, radiocarbon (14C) accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating and biostratigraphy from elevated reef terraces (makatea) in the southern Cook Islands of Mangaia, Rarotonga and Aitutaki contribute to controversial discussions regarding age and sea-level relationships of these occurrences during the Neogene and Quaternary. The oldest limestones of the uplifted makatea island of Mangaia include reef-related facies which are mid-Miocene in age, based on new Sr-isotope and biostratigraphical data. In between these older deposits and the lowest coastal reef terrace of marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e, various older Pleistocene reef-related facies were identified. Based on Sr-isotope ratios, these were deposited during earlier Pleistocene highstands (as old as 2.28 Ma). Rare reef terraces on Rarotonga belong to the Plio-Pleistocene and the late Miocene, according to 87Sr/86Sr ratios. The late Miocene age is enigmatic as it exceeds the age of subaerially exposed volcanic rocks of Rarotonga island. The fossil reef could have formed on an older submarine volcanic high that was later displaced by younger volcanism to its present position, or the Sr-age could be too old due to diagenetic resetting. The Plio-Pleistocene Rarotonga reef terraces are overlain irregularly by Holocene reef deposits that are interpreted as storm rubble. Reef terraces on Aitutaki represent evidence of a higher-than-present (up to 1 m) sea-level during the late Holocene, based on 14C AMS age data. They are very similar to elevated late Holocene reefs of adjacent French Polynesia with regard to composition, elevation and age.

Description: The present study aims to valorize the apple peels (AP) and grape seeds (GS) by the fortification of the yogurts using their powder. Firstly, the optimization of the extraction parameters for assessing maximum of total phenolic content (TPC) was achieved. Under the optimized conditions, the experimental maximum yields of TPC were 19.33 ± 2.33 and 240.59 ± 4.77 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE)/100 g Dry Weight (DW) for AP and GS, respectively, which was in close agreement with predicted values (19.32 ± 0.91 and 242.26 ± 11.08 mg GAE/100 g DW for AP and GS, respectively). The antioxidant capacity of GS extract was better with IC50 of 12.22 ± 0.89 and 225.47 ± 7.10 µg/ml in DPPH and phosphomolybdenum assays, respectively. Besides, powder from these by-products was incorporated into yogurt samples. The classification test revealed that the yogurt prepared with GS powder was the preferred one.

Description: Expedition SO287 – CONNECT 11.12.2021 - 11.01.2022 Las Palmas-Guayaquil Wochenbericht Nr. 3 20.12. - 26.12.2021

Description: Pa.ra.rho.do.spi.ril'lum. Gr. pref. para-, beside, alongside of, near, like; N.L. neut. n. Rhodospirillum, a bacterial generic name; N.L. neut. n. Pararhodospirillum, resembling Rhodospirillum. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Rhodospirillaceae / Pararhodospirillum Pararhodospirillum species are spiral-shaped, mesophilic, and phototrophic freshwater bacteria of the Rhodospirillaceae family. Cells are motile by polar flagella, and photosynthetic pigments are located in internal photosynthetic membranes present as lamellar stacks. Photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series with spirilloxanthin itself lacking. Ubiquinone-9 and rhodoquinone-9 are the major quinones. All species are sensitive to oxygen and require anoxic or microoxic conditions for growth. They grow photoheterotrophically under anoxic conditions in the light. Photoautotrophic growth, aerobic chemotrophic growth, and fermentative growth have not been demonstrated. Growth factors are required. DNA G + C content (mol%): 60.2–65.8 (Bd and HPLC) and 64.7–67 (GA). Type species: Pararhodospirillum photometricum Lakshmi et al. 2014VP (basonym: Rhodospirillum photometricum Molisch 1907AL).

Description: Rho.do.ci'sta Gr. neut. n. rhodon, rose; L. fem. n. cista a basket; N.L. fem. n. Rhodocista, red basket. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Azospirillaceae / Rhodocista Rhodocista centenaria is a well-characterized thermotolerant, phototrophic purple bacterium growing optimally at a temperature of 40–45°C and a maximal growth temperature of 48°C. Under low nutrient conditions, Rhodocista forms desiccation-, heat-, and UV-resistant cysts, which enable survival under severe drought and salt stress. Cells are motile by a single polar flagellum in liquid culture but in addition form lateral flagella on agar surfaces and under these conditions may show a characteristic phototactic movement. Rhodocista species grow under photoheterotrophic conditions and also are able to perform a chemotrophic aerobic metabolism. They encode enzymes for autotrophic carbon dioxide fixation and fixation of dinitrogen, although autotrophic growth has so far not been demonstrated. In the type species, bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis occurs under both aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions. Aerobically grown cells are fully pigmented. In other species, oxygen may inhibit photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis, and aerobically grown cells are colorless. DNA G + C content (mol%): 68.8–69.9 (Tm), 70.5 (WGS). Type species: Rhodocista (Rcs.) centenaria Kawasaki et al. 1992, VL48 (basonym: Rhodospirillum centenum Favinger et al. 1989, VL48).

Description: Rho.do.pi'la. Gr. neut. n. rhodon the rose; N.L. fem. n. pila a ball or sphere; N.L. fem. n. Rhodopila red sphere. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Acetobacteraceae / Rhodopila Rhodopila globiformis is one of the very few anaerobic phototrophic purple bacteria that can grow below pH 6 with an optimum depending on the organic carbon substrate from 4.8 to 5.6. Growth occurs preferably photoheterotrophically under anoxic conditions in the light. Cells are sensitive to oxygen but grow by respiration under microoxic conditions in the dark. Growth factors are required. They are acidophilic freshwater bacteria that inhabit acidic warm sulfur springs. Cells are spherical to ovoid, motile by means of polar flagella, and divide by binary fission. They stain Gram-negative and have internal photosynthetic membranes of the vesicular type. Rhodopila is classified within the Acetobacteraceae family and Rhodospirillales order of the Alphaproteobacteria. The photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids. The major fatty acids are C18:1 (∼75%) and C16:0. Ubiquinones, menaquinones, and rhodoquinones with 9 and 10 isoprene units are produced. DNA G + C content (mol%): 67.1 (genome analysis). Type species: Rhodopila globiformis Imhoff et al. 1984VP (basonym: Rhodopseudomonas globiformis Pfennig 1974AL).

Description: Rho.do.pla'nes. Gr. neut. n. rhodon rose; Gr. masc. n. planos a wanderer; N.L. masc. n. Rhodoplanes a red wanderer. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhizobiales / Hyphomicrobiaceae / Rhodoplanes The genus Rhodoplanes accommodates species of anoxygenic facultative phototrophic bacteria that grow optimally under anaerobic conditions in the light. They belong to the family Hyphomicrobiaceae of the order Rhizobiales within the class Alphaproteobacteria. Cells are Gram-stain-negative rods and multiply by budding and asymmetric cell division. Motile by means of polar, subpolar, or lateral flagella. Internal photosynthetic membranes are present as lamellar stacks parallel to the cytoplasmic membrane. Photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series. Photoorganotrophy with pyruvate and some other organic acids is the best mode of growth. Straight-chain, monounsaturated C18:1 ω7c is the main component of the cellular fatty acids and C16:0 is a second major component. Ubiquinones and rhodoquinones with 10 isoprene units (Q-10 and RQ-10) are present. The main components of polar lipids are phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, and diphosphatidylglycerol. Terrestrial and freshwater bacteria having a preference for mesophilic to moderately thermophilic habitats and neutral pH. DNA G + C content (mol%): 67.2–70.4. Type species: Rhodoplanes roseus Hiraishi and Ueda 1994 (Rhodopseudomonas rosea Janssen and Harfoot 1991).

Description: Rho.do.pi'la. Gr. neut. n. rhodon the rose; N.L. fem. n. pila a ball or sphere; N.L. fem. n. Rhodopila red sphere. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Acetobacteraceae / Rhodopila Rhodopila globiformis is one of the very few anaerobic phototrophic purple bacteria that can grow below pH 6 with an optimum depending on the organic carbon substrate from 4.8 to 5.6. Growth occurs preferably photoheterotrophically under anoxic conditions in the light. Cells are sensitive to oxygen but grow by respiration under microoxic conditions in the dark. Growth factors are required. They are acidophilic freshwater bacteria that inhabit acidic warm sulfur springs. Cells are spherical to ovoid, motile by means of polar flagella, and divide by binary fission. They stain Gram-negative and have internal photosynthetic membranes of the vesicular type. Rhodopila is classified within the Acetobacteraceae family and Rhodospirillales order of the Alphaproteobacteria. The photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids. The major fatty acids are C18:1 (∼75%) and C16:0. Ubiquinones, menaquinones, and rhodoquinones with 9 and 10 isoprene units are produced. DNA G + C content (mol%): 67.1 (genome analysis). Type species: Rhodopila globiformis Imhoff et al. 1984VP (basonym: Rhodopseudomonas globiformis Pfennig 1974AL).

Description: Rho.do.spi.ril'lum. Gr. neut. n. rhodon, the rose; N.L. neut. n. Spirillum, a bacterial genus; N.L. neut. n. Rhodospirillum, the rose Spirillum. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Rhodospirillaceae / Rhodospirillum The genus Rhodospirillum has harbored a diverse set of spiral-shaped phototrophic bacteria, most of which have been reclassified as species of other genera, families, and even orders and phyla since the 1980s. The heterogeneity has been long known, but only the faith into sequence-based information gave strong support for taxonomic rearrangements. Currently, the genus Rhodospirillum contains a single species, which is characterized by spiral-shaped cells, motility by bipolar flagella, and internal membranes as vesicles. It performs anaerobic photosynthesis, which is restricted to anoxic light conditions due to the oxygen-sensitive biosynthesis of bacteriochlorophyll and thus the phototrophic apparatus. It can grow photoheterotrophically as well as photoautotrophically. The key enzyme of autotrophic carbon dioxide fixation in Rhodospirillum rubrum, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RubisCO) type-II, is well characterized and forms a homodimer that is also encoded in some related genera of Rhodospirillaceae. Chemotrophic growth may also occur under microoxic to oxic conditions in the dark and anaerobically by fermentation. The genus comprises mesophilic freshwater bacteria. Ubiquinones and rhodoquinones with 10 isoprene units and fatty acids typical of other Alphaproteobacteria with C18:1, C16:0, and C16:1 as major components are present. DNA G + C content (mol%): 64.6–65.7, type 65.4 (genome analysis), 63.8–65.8 (Bd). Type species: Rhodospirillum (Rsp.) rubrum Molisch 1907AL (basonym: Spirillum rubrum Esmarch 1887).

Description: Rho.do.ci'sta Gr. neut. n. rhodon, rose; L. fem. n. cista a basket; N.L. fem. n. Rhodocista, red basket. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Azospirillaceae / Rhodocista Rhodocista centenaria is a well-characterized thermotolerant, phototrophic purple bacterium growing optimally at a temperature of 40–45°C and a maximal growth temperature of 48°C. Under low nutrient conditions, Rhodocista forms desiccation-, heat-, and UV-resistant cysts, which enable survival under severe drought and salt stress. Cells are motile by a single polar flagellum in liquid culture but in addition form lateral flagella on agar surfaces and under these conditions may show a characteristic phototactic movement. Rhodocista species grow under photoheterotrophic conditions and also are able to perform a chemotrophic aerobic metabolism. They encode enzymes for autotrophic carbon dioxide fixation and fixation of dinitrogen, although autotrophic growth has so far not been demonstrated. In the type species, bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis occurs under both aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions. Aerobically grown cells are fully pigmented. In other species, oxygen may inhibit photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis, and aerobically grown cells are colorless. DNA G + C content (mol%): 68.8–69.9 (Tm), 70.5 (WGS). Type species: Rhodocista (Rcs.) centenaria Kawasaki et al. 1992, VL48 (basonym: Rhodospirillum centenum Favinger et al. 1989, VL48).

Description: Rho.do.tha.las.si.a.ce'ae. N.L. neut. n. Rhodothalassium, type genus of the family; suff. -aceae, ending to denote a family; N.L. fem. pl. n. Rhodothalassiaceae, the family of Rhodothalassium. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodothalassiales / Rhodothalassiaceae Cells are vibrioid to spiral shaped, are motile by means of polar flagella, and multiply by binary fission. They belong to the class Alphaproteobacteria and stain Gram-negative. An unusual protein-rich cell wall with only low amounts of peptidoglycan may be present. Internal photosynthetic membranes are present as lamellar stacks lying parallel to the cytoplasmic membrane. The photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids. The major ubiquinone and menaquinone components are Q-10 and MK-10. Growth occurs preferably photoheterotrophically under anoxic conditions in the light but also may be possible under microoxic to oxic conditions in the dark. Obligately halophilic bacteria that require NaCl or sea salt for growth. Habitats are anoxic zones of hypersaline environments such as salterns, salt lakes, and evaporated coastal lagoons that are exposed to light. At present, the family includes a single genus. DNA G + C content of the type species and genus (mol%): 68.5–69.0 (genome analysis), 60.0–62.8 (HPLC analysis). Type genus: Rhodothalassium Imhoff et al. 1998VP.

Description: Phae.o.spi.ril'lum. Gr. masc. adj. phaeos, brown; N.L. neut. n. Spirillum, a bacterial genus; N.L. neut. n. Phaeospirillum, brown Spirillum. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Rhodospirillaceae / Phaeospirillum Phaeospirillum species are vibrioid to spiral shaped and motile Alphaproteobacteria. They are strictly anaerobic and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria with a reaction center and light-harvesting complexes located in the internal membrane stacks formed at a sharp angle with the cytoplasmic membrane. The photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a esterified with phytol and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series, with spirilloxanthin itself lacking. They have a photoheterotrophic metabolism and depend on anoxic conditions for biosynthesis of bacteriochlorophyll and photosynthesis. The preferred carbon substrates are fatty acids including longer chains up to pelargonate. The longer chain fatty acids provide a selective advantage for several of the species. Chemotrophic growth may be possible at controlled and very low oxygen tensions (〈1.5 kPa) in the dark. Ammonia and dinitrogen serve as nitrogen sources. Assimilatory sulfate reduction is present. Growth factors may be required. Phaeospirillum species are mesophilic freshwater bacteria with a preference for neutral pH that live in stagnant and anoxic freshwater habitats. DNA G + C content (mol%): 60.5–65.3 (Bd), 62.1–62.8 (Tm), 61.5–64.7 (WGS). Type species: Phaeospirillum (Phs.) fulvum Imhoff et al. 1998VP (basonym: Rhodospirillum fulvum van Niel 1944AL).

Description: Rho.do.tha.las.si.a'les. N.L. neut. n. Rhodothalassium, type genus of the order; suff. -ales, ending denoting an order; N.L. fem. pl. n. Rhodothalassiales, the Rhodothalassium order. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodothalassiales The order currently comprises a single family and genus, which is characterized by halophilic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria having spiral-shaped cells and containing lamellar photosynthetic membranes. The properties of the order are determined by the characteristics of the Rhodothalassiaceae family.

Description: Rho.do.tha.las'si.um. Gr. neut. n. rhodon, the rose; Gr. masc. adj. thalassios, belonging to the sea; N.L. neut. n. Rhodothalassium, the rose belonging to the sea. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodothalassiales / Rhodothalassiaceae / Rhodothalassium The genus Rhodothalassium is represented by a single species and is the only genus of the Rhodothalassiaceae family and Rhodothalassiales order. It is characterized by vibrioid- to spiral-shaped cells which multiply by binary fission and are motile by means of flagella. Internal photosynthetic membranes are present as lamellar stacks lying parallel to the cytoplasmic membrane. Photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series. Ubiquinones and menaquinones with 10 isoprene units (Q-10 and MK-10) are present. Growth occurs preferably photoheterotrophically under anoxic conditions in the light. Most strains also grow chemoorganotrophically under oxic conditions in the dark. Rhodothalassium species are obligately halophilic, require NaCl or sea salt for growth, and live in anoxic zones of hypersaline environments such as salterns, salt lakes, and evaporated coastal lagoons that are exposed to the light. DNA G + C content (mol%): 68.5–69.0 (WGS), 60.0–62.8 (HPLC). Type species: Rhodothalassium salexigens Imhoff et al. 1998VP (basonym: Rhodospirillum salexigens Drews 1981, VL9).

Description: Rho.do.pla'nes. Gr. neut. n. rhodon rose; Gr. masc. n. planos a wanderer; N.L. masc. n. Rhodoplanes a red wanderer. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhizobiales / Hyphomicrobiaceae / Rhodoplanes The genus Rhodoplanes accommodates species of anoxygenic facultative phototrophic bacteria that grow optimally under anaerobic conditions in the light. They belong to the family Hyphomicrobiaceae of the order Rhizobiales within the class Alphaproteobacteria. Cells are Gram-stain-negative rods and multiply by budding and asymmetric cell division. Motile by means of polar, subpolar, or lateral flagella. Internal photosynthetic membranes are present as lamellar stacks parallel to the cytoplasmic membrane. Photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series. Photoorganotrophy with pyruvate and some other organic acids is the best mode of growth. Straight-chain, monounsaturated C18:1 ω7c is the main component of the cellular fatty acids and C16:0 is a second major component. Ubiquinones and rhodoquinones with 10 isoprene units (Q-10 and RQ-10) are present. The main components of polar lipids are phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, and diphosphatidylglycerol. Terrestrial and freshwater bacteria having a preference for mesophilic to moderately thermophilic habitats and neutral pH. DNA G + C content (mol%): 67.2–70.4. Type species: Rhodoplanes roseus Hiraishi and Ueda 1994 (Rhodopseudomonas rosea Janssen and Harfoot 1991).

Description: Pa.ra.rho.do.spi.ril'lum. Gr. pref. para-, beside, alongside of, near, like; N.L. neut. n. Rhodospirillum, a bacterial generic name; N.L. neut. n. Pararhodospirillum, resembling Rhodospirillum. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Rhodospirillaceae / Pararhodospirillum Pararhodospirillum species are spiral-shaped, mesophilic, and phototrophic freshwater bacteria of the Rhodospirillaceae family. Cells are motile by polar flagella, and photosynthetic pigments are located in internal photosynthetic membranes present as lamellar stacks. Photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series with spirilloxanthin itself lacking. Ubiquinone-9 and rhodoquinone-9 are the major quinones. All species are sensitive to oxygen and require anoxic or microoxic conditions for growth. They grow photoheterotrophically under anoxic conditions in the light. Photoautotrophic growth, aerobic chemotrophic growth, and fermentative growth have not been demonstrated. Growth factors are required. DNA G + C content (mol%): 60.2–65.8 (Bd and HPLC) and 64.7–67 (GA). Type species: Pararhodospirillum photometricum Lakshmi et al. 2014VP (basonym: Rhodospirillum photometricum Molisch 1907AL).

Description: Ro.se.o.spi'ra. L. masc. adj. roseus, rosy; Gr. fem. n. spira, the spiral; N.L. fem. n. Roseospira the rosy spiral. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhodospirillales / Rhodospirillaceae / Roseospira Roseospira species are vibrioid to spiral shaped, anoxygenic, and phototrophic bacteria of the Rhodospirillaceae family that live in various types of marine and slightly saline habitats all over the world. The photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series, and internal photosynthetic membranes are present as vesicles. They perform a phototrophic way of life using organic substrates (photoheterotrophic growth) or inorganic reduced sulfur compounds (photoautotrophic growth) as electron donors for photosynthesis. Bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis depends on anoxic to microoxic conditions, and chemotrophic growth is possible under microoxic to oxic conditions in the light. Nitrogenase and ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase may be present. Vitamins or yeast extracts are required as growth factors. The G + C content of the DNA is 67.8–71.2 (GA), and the genome size ranges from 4.19 to 4.61 Mb. DNA G + C content (mol%): 67.8–71.2 (GA) (type species 66.6 Tm). Type species: Roseospira mediosalina Imhoff et al. 1998VP (synonym: “Rhodospirillum mediosalinum” Kompantseva and Gorlenko 1984).

Description: 19.07. – 27.07.2021, Kiel (Germany) – Kiel (Germany) BALTEACH - 1

Description: Expedition SO287 – CONNECT 11.12.2021 - 11.01.2022 Las Palmas - Guayaquil 1. Wochenbericht 10.12. - 12.12.2021

Description: Expedition SO287 – CONNECT 11.12.2021 - 11.01.2022 Las Palmas - Guayaquil 2. Wochenbericht 13.12. - 19.12.2021

Description: SONNE 284 Mooring Rescue Emden - Emden, 27.06. - 17.08.2021 1. WOCHENBERICHT 27.06. - 04.07.2021

Description: SONNE 284 Mooring Rescue Emden - Emden, 27.06. - 17.08.2021 5. WOCHENBERICHT 26.07. - 01.08.2021

Description: SONNE 284 Mooring Rescue Emden - Emden, 27.06. - 17.08.2021 3. WOCHENBERICHT 12.07. - 18.07.2021

Description: SONNE 284 Mooring Rescue Emden - Emden, 27.06. - 17.08.2021 2. WOCHENBERICHT 05.07. - 11.07.2021

Description: SONNE 284 Mooring Rescue Emden - Emden, 27.06. - 17.08.2021 6. WOCHENBERICHT 02.08. - 08.08.2021

Description: SONNE 284 Mooring Rescue Emden - Emden, 27.06. - 17.08.2021 4. WOCHENBERICHT 19.07. - 25.07.2021

Description: Dates of Cruise: 02.-06.08.2021 Areas of Research: Aquarium West Shore Port Calls: Grenå DK (03.08. - 05.08.2021, 2 nights) Institute: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Acquisition of living marine organism for the institute’s own aquarium in the northern Kattegat.

Description: Rho.do.mi.cro' bi.um. Gr. neut. n. rhodon the rose; Gr. masc. adj. micros small; Gr. masc. n. bios life; N.L. neut. n. Rhodomicrobium red microbe. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhizobiales / Hyphomicrobiaceae / Rhodomicrobium Most characteristic for Rhodomicrobium species is the polar cell growth and the characteristic vegetative growth cycle which includes the formation of peritrichously flagellated swarmer cells and nonmotile “mother cells,” which form prosthecae from one to several times the length of the mother cell. Daughter cells originate as spherical buds at the end of the prosthecae and may undergo differentiation in various ways. They are Gram-negative ovoid to elongate-ovoid bacteria belonging to the Alphaproteobacteria. Internal photosynthetic membranes are of the lamellar type. Photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series. The predominant cellular fatty acid is C18:1, which comprises more than 80% of the membrane-bound fatty acids. Ubiquinone and rhodoquinone with 10 isoprene units are present, and the lipopolysaccharides are characterized by a glucosamine-containing, phosphate-free lipid A with amide-bound C16:0 3 OH. DNA G + C content (mol%): 61.8–63.8. Type species: Rhodomicrobium vannielii Duchow and Douglas 1949.

Description: Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Rhizobiales Hyphomicrobiaceae Blas.to.chlo'ris. Gr. masc. n. blastos bud shoot; Gr. masc. adj. chloros green; N.L. fem. n. Blastochloris green bud shoot. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhizobiales / Hyphomicrobiaceae / Blastochloris Blastochloris species are anoxygenic phototrophic Alphaproteobacteria that have bacteriochlorophyll b in their photosynthetic reaction centers. Crystals of the photosynthetic reaction centers of Blastochloris viridis were the first that have been studied in high-resolution structure analysis at 3 Å resolution. Internal photosynthetic membranes are present as lamellae underlying and parallel to the cytoplasmic membrane. Cells are rod shaped to ovoid and exhibit polar growth, budding, and asymmetric cell division and form rosette-like cell aggregates. They are motile by means of subpolar flagella and stain Gram-negative. Straight-chain monounsaturated C18:1 is the predominant component of cellular fatty acids. Ubiquinones and menaquinones are present, and the lipopolysaccharides are characterized by a 2,3-diamino-2,3-deoxy-d-glucose (DAG)-containing, phosphate-free lipid A with amide-bound C14:0 3OH. DNA G + C content (mol%): 63.8–68.3. Type species: Blastochloris viridis (Drews and Giesbrecht 1966) Hiraishi 1997 (Rhodopseudomonas viridis Drews and Giesbrecht 1966).

Description: Rho.do.mi.cro' bi.um. Gr. neut. n. rhodon the rose; Gr. masc. adj. micros small; Gr. masc. n. bios life; N.L. neut. n. Rhodomicrobium red microbe. Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rhizobiales / Hyphomicrobiaceae / Rhodomicrobium Most characteristic for Rhodomicrobium species is the polar cell growth and the characteristic vegetative growth cycle which includes the formation of peritrichously flagellated swarmer cells and nonmotile “mother cells,” which form prosthecae from one to several times the length of the mother cell. Daughter cells originate as spherical buds at the end of the prosthecae and may undergo differentiation in various ways. They are Gram‐negative ovoid to elongate‐ovoid bacteria belonging to the Alphaproteobacteria. Internal photosynthetic membranes are of the lamellar type. Photosynthetic pigments are bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series. The predominant cellular fatty acid is C18:1, which comprises more than 80% of the membrane‐bound fatty acids. Ubiquinone and rhodoquinone with 10 isoprene units are present, and the lipopolysaccharides are characterized by a glucosamine‐containing, phosphate‐free lipid A with amide‐bound C16:0 3 OH. DNA G + C content (mol%): 61.8–63.8. Type species: Rhodomicrobium vannielii Duchow and Douglas 1949.

Description: Oct. 07 2019 – Oct. 10, 2019 Kiel (Germany) – Kiel (Germany) MNF-Pher-110The main purpose of the ALKOR cruise AL529 was the training of students in observational techniques applied by physical oceanographers. The students who participated in the trip attend the module "Measurement Methods of Oceanography" which is offered in the Bachelor program "Physics of the Earth System" at CAU Kiel. During the AL529 the students were instructed in instrument calibration and in the interpretation of measurement data at sea. In addition, the students had the opportunity to learn about working and living at sea and to explore and study the impact of physical processes in the western Baltic Sea, the sea at their doorstep. The observations show a quasi-synoptic picture of the hydrography and currents in the western Baltic Sea. Twice-repeated hydrographic and current sections across the Fehmarn Belt show well the short time scales where significant changes occur. A zonal section along the deepest topography, from about 10°40'E to 014°21'E, shows very nicely the two-layer system of outflowing low salinity and inflowing North Sea water. A bottom shield anchorage shows the currents in the water column and the near-bottom temperature and salinity variations in the Fehmarnbelt area.

Description: The availability of dissolved iron (dFe) exerts an important control on primary production. Recent ocean observation programs have provided information on dFe in many parts of the ocean, but knowledge is still limited concerning the rates of processes that control the concentrations and cycling of dFe in the ocean and hence the role of dFe as a determinant of global primary production. We constructed a three-dimensional gridded dataset of oceanic dFe concentrations by using both observations and a simple model of the iron cycle, and estimated the difference of processes among the ocean basins in controlling the dFe distributions. A Green's function approach was used to integrate the observations and the model. The reproduced three-dimensional dFe distribution indicated that iron influx from aeolian dust and from shelf sediment were 7.6 Gmol yr and 4.4 Gmol yr in the Atlantic Ocean and 0.4 Gmol yr and 4.1 Gmol yr in the Pacific Ocean. The residence times were estimated to be 12.2 years in the Atlantic and 80.4 years in the Pacific. These estimates imply large differences in the cycling of dFe between the two ocean basins that would need to be taken into consideration when projecting future iron biogeochemical cycling under different climate change scenarios. Although there is some uncertainty in our estimates, global estimates of iron cycle characteristics based on this approach can be expected to enhance our understanding of the material cycle and hence of the current and future rates of marine primary production.

Description: Micro-Raman spectroscopy has been used on adult bivalve shells to investigate organic and inorganic shell components but has not yet been applied to bivalve larvae. It is known that the organic matrix of larval shells contains pigments, but less is known about the presence or source of these molecules in larvae. We investigated Raman spectra of seven species of bivalve larvae to assess the types of pigments present in shells of each species and how the ratio of inorganic : organic material changes in a dorso-ventral direction. In laboratory experiments, we reared larvae of three clam species in waters containing different organic signatures to determine if larvae incorporated compounds from source waters into their shells. We found differences in spectra and pigments between most species but found less intraspecific differences. A neural network classifier for Raman spectra classified five out of seven species with greater than 85% accuracy. There were slight differences between the amount and type of pigment present along the shell, with the prodissoconch I and shell margin areas being the most variable. Raman spectra of 1-day-old larvae were found to be differentiable when larvae were reared in waters with different organic signatures. With micro-Raman spectroscopy, it may be possible to identify some unknown species in the wild and trace their natal origins, which could enhance identification accuracy of bivalve larvae and ultimately aid management and restoration efforts.

Description: INTRODUCTION: Lichens are self-sustaining partnerships comprising fungi as shape-forming partners for their enclosed symbiotic algae. They produce a tremendous diversity of metabolites (1050 metabolites described so far). OBJECTIVES: A comparison of metabolic profiles in nine lichen species belonging to three genera (Lichina, Collema and Roccella) by using an optimised extraction protocol, determination of the fragmentation pathway and the in situ localisation for major compounds in Roccella species. METHODS: Chemical analysis was performed using a complementary study combining a Taguchi experimental design with qualitative analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry techniques. RESULTS: Optimal conditions to obtain the best total extraction yield were determined as follows: mortar grinding to a fine powder, two successive extractions, solid:liquid ratio (2:60) and 700 rpm stirring. Qualitative analysis of the metabolite profiling of these nine species extracted with the optimised method was corroborated using MS and MS/MS approaches. Nine main compounds were identified: 1 β-orcinol, 2 orsellinic acid, 3 putative choline sulphate, 4 roccellic acid, 5 montagnetol, 6 lecanoric acid, 7 erythrin, 8 lepraric acid and 9 acetylportentol, and several other compounds were reported. Identification was performed using the m/z ratio, fragmentation pathway and/or after isolation by NMR analysis. The variation of the metabolite profile in differently organised parts of two Roccella species suggests a specific role of major compounds in developmental stages of this symbiotic association. CONCLUSION: Metabolic profiles represent specific chemical species and depend on the extraction conditions, the kind of the photobiont partner and the in situ localisation of major compounds.

Description: Uncertainty over the identity and age of Toba tephras across peninsular India persists, with radiometric age dates contradicting earlier compositional data, which have been used to identify this important Stratigraphie marker as the Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT). To address this issue, new single glass shard analyses have been performed for samples from Morgaon and Bori (north-western India), which have recently been dated at c. 800 ka. These, and indeed all Toba tephra samples thus far analysed from India, show the presence of four populations of glass shards (defined by their Ba/Y ratio), which uniquely identifies them as products of the c. 75-ka Youngest Toba eruption. Confirmation that the YTT fingerprint is characteristic comes from new analyses of Oldest Toba Tuff (OTT) glass shards from five sites in the Indian Ocean. These are compositionally identical to Layer D from the ODP site 758 Sediment core (c. 800 ka), and belong to a single, low-Ba population, clearly different from YTT. These analyses show that there is essentially no reworked OTT material in the YTT eruption, and indicate unequivocally that all known Toba tephra occurrences in India belong to the c. 75-ka Youngest Toba eruption.

Description: Forazoline A, a novel antifungal polyketide with in vivo efficacy against Candida albicans, was discovered using LCMS-based metabolomics to investigate marine-invertebrate-associated bacteria. Forazoline A had a highly unusual and unprecedented skeleton. Acquisition of 13C–13C gCOSY and 13C–15N HMQC NMR data provided the direct carbon–carbon and carbon–nitrogen connectivity, respectively. This approach represents the first example of determining direct 13C–15N connectivity for a natural product. Using yeast chemical genomics, we propose that forazoline A operated through a new mechanism of action with a phenotypic outcome of disrupting membrane integrity.

Description: Eutrophication, coupled with loss of herbivory due to habitat degradation and overharvesting, has increased the frequency and severity of macroalgal blooms worldwide. Macroalgal blooms interfere with human activities in coastal areas, and sometimes necessitate costly algal removal programmes. They also have many detrimental effects on marine and estuarine ecosystems, including induction of hypoxia, release of toxic hydrogen sulphide into the sediments and atmosphere, and the loss of ecologically and economically important species. However, macroalgal blooms can also increase habitat complexity, provide organisms with food and shelter, and reduce other problems associated with eutrophication. These contrasting effects make their overall ecological impacts unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the overall effects of macroalgal blooms on several key measures of ecosystem structure and functioning in marine ecosystems. We also evaluated some of the ecological and methodological factors that might explain the highly variable effects observed in different studies. Averaged across all studies, macroalgal blooms had negative effects on the abundance and species richness of marine organisms, but blooms by different algal taxa had different consequences, ranging from strong negative to strong positive effects. Blooms' effects on species richness also depended on the habitat where they occurred, with the strongest negative effects seen in sandy or muddy subtidal habitats and in the rocky intertidal. Invertebrate communities also appeared to be particularly sensitive to blooms, suffering reductions in their abundance, species richness, and diversity. The total net primary productivity, gross primary productivity, and respiration of benthic ecosystems were higher during macroalgal blooms, but blooms had negative effects on the productivity and respiration of other organisms. These results suggest that, in addition to their direct social and economic costs, macroalgal blooms have ecological effects that may alter their capacity to deliver important ecosystem services.

Description: In virtually every assessment of responses to large-scale crises and disasters, coordination is identified as a critical failure factor. After the crisis, official committees and political opponents often characterize the early phases of the response as a ‘failure to coordinate.’ Not surprisingly, improved coordination quickly emerges as the prescribed solution. Coordination, then, is apparently both the problem and the solution. But the proposed solutions rarely solve the problem: coordination continues to mar most crises and disasters. In the absence of a shared body of knowledge on coordination, it is hard to formulate a normative framework that allows for systematic assessment of coordination in times of crisis. As coordination is widely perceived as an important function of crisis and disaster management, this absence undermines a fair and balanced assessment of crisis management performance. This paper seeks to address that void. We aim to develop a framework that explains both the failure and success of crisis coordination. We do this by exploring the relevant literature, reformulating what coordination is and distilling from research the factors that cause failure and success.

Description: The purine alkaloid caffeine is a major component of many beverages such as coffee and tea. Caffeine and its metabolites theobromine and xanthine have been shown to have antioxidant properties. Caffeine can also act as adenosine-receptor antagonist. Although it has been shown that adenosine and antioxidants promote wound healing, the effect of caffeine on wound healing is currently unknown. To investigate the effects of caffeine on processes involved in epithelialisation, we used primary human keratinocytes, HaCaT cell line and ex vivo model of human skin. First, we tested the effects of caffeine on cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion and migration, processes essential for normal wound epithelialisation and closure. We used 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) proliferation assay to test the effects of seven different caffeine doses ranging from 0·1 to 5 mM. We found that caffeine restricted cell proliferation of keratinocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, scratch wound assays performed on keratinocyte monolayers indicated dose-dependent delays in cell migration. Interestingly, adhesion and differentiation remained unaffected in monolayer cultures treated with various doses of caffeine. Using a human ex vivo wound healing model, we tested topical application of caffeine and found that it impedes epithelialisation, confirming in vitro data. We conclude that caffeine, which is known to have antioxidant properties, impedes keratinocyte proliferation and migration, suggesting that it may have an inhibitory effect on wound healing and epithelialisation. Therefore, our findings are more in support of a role for caffeine as adenosine-receptor antagonist that would negate the effect of adenosine in promoting wound healing.

Description: In May 2006 high-resolution measurements using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetic gradiometer systems conducted over selected areas at the site of the Viking Age settlement and trading place Birka in central Sweden demonstrated the suitability of these methods for archaeological prospection of Scandinavian proto-urban settlements. The non-invasive geophysical surveys revealed numerous structural details of the settlement: houses, property boundaries, track-ways, buried remains of the town ramparts dating from different building periods, including a gate, were mapped with a manually operated single-channel GPR system and a four-channel magnetometer array. The combination of these two prospection methods, state-of-the-art data processing and visualization and archaeological interpretation within a geographical information system resulted in valuable new information about the UNESCOWorld Cultural Heritage Site Birka-Hovgården.We present methodology and results of this first archaeological prospection case study conducted in 2006.

Description: The eastern Mediterranean transient (EMT) was caused by a combination of high‐salinity waters intruding into the Aegean Sea and the two particularly strong winters of 1991–1992 and 1992–1993. The approach in this chapter is to search for specific signatures in the historic hydrographic observations, which date back to 1910. To deal with the problem that up into the 1950s the data not only are of limited precision but also have gaps of about 20 years, it is advantageous to consider the fact that the evolution of the actual EMT is rather well documented over a similar time span. The chapter begins by outlining the characteristics of the current EMT. Thereafter, a selection of suitable hydrographic observations among the available historic data is provided to compare these with signatures expected from the evolution of the actual EMT.

Description: This study presents a new estimate of the oceanic anthropogenic CO2(Cant) sink over the industrial era (1780 to present), from assimilation of potential temperature, salinity, radiocarbon, and CFC-11 observations in a global steady state ocean circulation inverse model (OCIM). This study differs from previous data-based estimates of the oceanic Cant sink in that dynamical constraints on ocean circulation are accounted for, and the ocean circulation is explicitly modeled, allowing the calculation of oceanic Cant storage, air-sea fluxes, and transports in a consistent manner. The resulting uncertainty of the OCIM-estimated Cant uptake, transport, and storage is significantly smaller than the comparable uncertainty from purely data-based or model-based estimates. The OCIM-estimated oceanic Cant storage is 160–166 PgC in 2012, and the oceanic Cant uptake rate averaged over the period 2000–2010 is 2.6 PgC yr−1 or about 30% of current anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This result implies a residual (primarily terrestrial) Cant sink of about 1.6 PgC yr−1 for the same period. The Southern Ocean is the primary conduit for Cant entering the ocean, taking up about 1.1 PgC yr−1 in 2012, which represents about 40% of the contemporary oceanic Cant uptake. It is suggested that the most significant source of remaining uncertainty in the oceanic Cant sink is due to potential variability in the ocean circulation over the industrial era.

Description: Contemporary genetic diversity is the product of both historical and contemporary forces, such as climatic and geological processes affecting range distribution and continuously moulded by evolutionary forces selection, gene flow and genetic drift. Predatory freshwater fishes, such as Northern Pike Esox lucius, commonly exhibit small population sizes, and several local populations are considered endangered. Pike inhabit diverse habitat types, including lakes, rivers and brackish marine waters, thus spanning from small isolated patches to large open marine systems. However, pike population structure from local to regional scales is relatively poorly described, in spite of its significance to developing conservation measures. We analysed microsatellite variation in a total of 1185 North European pike from 46 samples collected across both local and regional scales, as well as over time, to address two overarching questions: Is pike population structure associated with local and/or regional connectivity patterns, and which factors likely have the main influence on the contemporary distribution of genetic diversity? To answer this, we combined estimators of population diversity and structure to assess evidence of whether populations within (i) habitats, (ii) drainage systems and (iii) geographical regions are closer related than among these ranges, and whether patterns are temporally stable. Contrasting previous predictions that genetic drift obscures signals of postglacial colonisation history, we identified clear regional differences in population genetic signatures, suggesting a major effect of drainage divides on colonisation history and connectivity. However, several populations deviated from the general pattern, showing that local processes may be complex and need to be examined case-by-case.

Description: Die fünfte Folge des Magazins GEOMAR.tv stellt das Technik- und Logistikzentrum des GEOMAR vor. Der wissenschaftliche Leiter Dr. Olaf Pfannkuche nimmt Moderatorin Annika de Buhr mit auf einen Rundgang, der technische Leiter Ralf Schwarz entwickelt mit Ingenieuren und Forschern ein neues Messgerät und Dr. Friedrich Abegg stellt die Tauchroboter ROV KIEL 6000 und ROV PHOCA vor. Weitere Beiträge berichten über Sauerstoffminimumzonen in der Ostsee und die ARENA -- ein Planetarium für die Tiefsee. Als News: Der Helmholtz-Tag der Schülerlabore, Exponate des GEOMAR im Deutschen Museum München und ABYSS auf der Suche nach einem neuen Hydrothermalfeld.

Description: Correlations between particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral fluxes in the deep ocean have inspired the inclusion of “ballast effect” parameterizations in carbon cycle models. A recent study demonstrated regional variability in the effect of ballast minerals on the flux of POC in the deep ocean. We have undertaken a similar analysis of shallow export data from the Arctic, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans. Mineral ballasting is of greatest importance in the high-latitude North Atlantic, where 60% of the POC flux is associated with ballast minerals. This fraction drops to around 40% in the Southern Ocean. The remainder of the export flux is not associated with minerals, and this unballasted fraction thus often dominates the export flux. The proportion of mineral-associated POC flux often scales with regional variation in export efficiency (the proportion of primary production that is exported). However, local discrepancies suggest that regional differences in ecology also impact the magnitude of surface export. We propose that POC export will not respond equally across all high-latitude regions to possible future changes in ballast availability.

Description: Because the vast majority of species are well diverged, relatively little is known about the genomic architecture of speciation during the early stages of divergence. Species within recent evolutionary radiations are often minimally diverged from a genomic perspective, and therefore provide rare opportunities to address this question. Here, we leverage the hamlet radiation (Hypoplectrus spp., brightly coloured reef fishes from the tropical western Atlantic) to characterize genomic divergence during the early stages of speciation. Transect surveys and spawning observations in Belize, Honduras and Panama confirm that sympatric barred (H. puella), black (H. nigricans) and butter (H. unicolor) hamlets are phenotypically distinct and reproductively isolated, although hybrid spawnings and individuals with intermediate phenotypes are seen on rare occasions. A survey of approximately 100 000 restriction site-associated SNPs in 126 samples from the three species across the three replicate populations reveals extremely slight genomewide divergence among species (FST = 0.0038), indicating that ecomorphological differences and functional reproductive isolation are maintained in sympatry in a backdrop of extraordinary genomic similarity. Nonetheless, a very small proportion of SNPs (0.05% on average) are identified as FST outliers among sympatric species. Remarkably, a single SNP is identified as an outlier in repeated populations for the same species pair. A minicontig assembled de novo around this SNP falls into the genomic region containing the HoxCa10 and HoxCa11 genes in 10 teleost species, suggesting an important role for Hox gene evolution in this radiation. This finding, if confirmed, would provide a better understanding of the links between micro- and macroevolutionary processes.

Description: In the vast Low Nutrient Low-Chlorophyll (LNLC) Ocean, the vertical nutrient supply from the subsurface to the sunlit surface waters is low, and atmospheric contribution of nutrients may be one order of magnitude greater over short timescales. The short turnover time of atmospheric Fe and N supply (〈1 month for nitrate) further supports deposition being an important source of nutrients in LNLC regions. Yet, the extent to which atmospheric inputs are impacting biological activity and modifying the carbon balance in oligotrophic environments has not been constrained. Here, we quantify and compare the biogeochemical impacts of atmospheric deposition in LNLC regions using both a compilation of experimental data and model outputs. A metadata-analysis of recently conducted field and laboratory bioassay experiments reveals complex responses, and the overall impact is not a simple “fertilization effect of increasing phytoplankton biomass” as observed in HNLC regions. Although phytoplankton growth may be enhanced, increases in bacterial activity and respiration result in weakening of biological carbon sequestration. The application of models using climatological or time-averaged non-synoptic deposition rates produced responses that were generally much lower than observed in the bioassay experiments. We demonstrate that experimental data and model outputs show better agreement on short timescale (days to weeks) when strong synoptic pulse of aerosols deposition, similar in magnitude to those observed in the field and introduced in bioassay experiments, is superimposed over the mean atmospheric deposition fields. These results suggest that atmospheric impacts in LNLC regions have been underestimated by models, at least at daily to weekly timescales, as they typically overlook large synoptic variations in atmospheric deposition and associated nutrient and particle inputs. Inclusion of the large synoptic variability of atmospheric input, and improved representation and parameterization of key processes that respond to atmospheric deposition, is required to better constrain impacts in ocean biogeochemical models. This is critical for understanding and prediction of current and future functioning of LNLC regions and their contribution to the global carbon cycle.

Description: Epsilonproteobacteria have been found globally distributed in marine anoxic/sulfidic areas mediating relevant transformations within the sulfur and nitrogen cycles. In the Baltic Sea redox zones, chemoautotrophic epsilonproteobacteria mainly belong to the Sulfurimonas gotlandica GD17 cluster for which recently a representative strain, S. gotlandica GD1T, could be established as a model organism. In this study, the potential effects of changes in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and pH on S. gotlandica GD1T were examined. Bacterial cell abundance within a broad range of DIC concentrations and pH values were monitored and substrate utilization was determined. The results showed that the DIC saturation concentration for achieving maximal cell numbers was already reached at 800 μmol L−1, which is well below in situ DIC levels. The pH optimum was between 6.6 and 8.0. Within a pH range of 6.6–7.1 there was no significant difference in substrate utilization; however, at lower pH values maximum cell abundance decreased sharply and cell-specific substrate consumption increased.

Description: Harmful, bloom-forming cyanobacteria (CyanoHABs) are occurring with increasing regularity in freshwater and marine ecosystems. The most commonly occurring cyanobacterial toxins are the hepatotoxic microcystin and nodularin. These cyclic hepta- and pentapeptides are synthesised nonribosomally by the gene products of the toxin gene clusters mcy and nda, respectively. Understanding of the regulation of hepatotoxin production is incomplete, although there is strong evidence supporting the roles of iron, light, higher nitrate availability and inorganic carbon in modulating microcystin levels. The majority of these studies have focused on the unicellular freshwater, microcystin-producing strain of Microcystis aeruginosa, with little attention being paid to terrestrial or marine toxin producers. This review intends to investigate the regulation of microcystin and nodularin production in unicellular and filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria against the background of changing climate conditions. Special focus is given to diazotrophic filamentous cyanobacteria, for example Nodularia spumigena, capable of regulating their nitrogen levels by actively fixing dinitrogen. By combining data from significant studies, an overall scheme of the regulation of toxin production is presented, focussing specifically on nodularin production in diazotrophs against the background of increasing carbon dioxide concentrations and temperatures envisaged under current climate change models. Furthermore, the risk of sustaining and spreading CyanoHABs in the future ocean is evaluated.

Description: 1. Macroecology has prospered in recent years due in part to the wide array of climatic data, such as those provided by theWorldClim and CliMond data sets, which has become available for research. However, important environmental variables have still been missing, including spatial data sets on UV-B radiation, an increasingly recognized driver of ecological processes. 2. We developed a set of globalUV-B surfaces (glUV) suitable to match common spatial scales in macroecology. Our data set is based on remotely sensed records fromNASA’sOzone Monitoring Instrument (Aura-OMI). Following a similar approach as for theWorldClim and CliMond data sets, we processed daily UV-B measurements acquired over a period of eight years into monthly mean UV-B data and six ecologically meaningful UV-B variables with a 15-arc minute resolution. These bioclimatic variables represent Annual Mean UV-B, UV-B Seasonality, Mean UV-B of Highest Month, Mean UV-B of Lowest Month, Sum of Monthly Mean UV-B during Highest Quarter and Sum of Monthly Mean UV-B during Lowest Quarter. We correlated our data sets with selected variables of existing bioclimatic surfaces for land and with Terra–MODIS Sea Surface Temperature for ocean regions to test for relations to known gradients and patterns. 3. UV-B surfaces showed a distinct seasonal variance at a global scale, while the intensity of UV-B radiation decreased towards higher latitudes and was modified by topographic and climatic heterogeneity. UV-B surfaces were correlated with global mean temperature and annual mean radiation data, but exhibited variable spatial associations across the globe.UV-B surfaces were otherwise widely independent of existing bioclimatic surfaces. 4. Our data set provides new climatological information relevant for macroecological analyses. As UV-B is a known driver of numerous biological patterns and processes, our data set offers the potential to generate a better understanding of these dynamics inmacroecology, biogeography, global change research and beyond. The glUV data set containing monthly mean UV-B data and six derived UV-B surfaces is freely available for download at: http://www.ufz.de/gluv.

Description: Natural antifouling products have been the subject of considerable attention. We screened marine algae for antifouling activity and discovered omaezallenes, the new bromoallene-containing natural products isolated from the red alga Laurencia sp. Described is the isolation, structure elucidation, and total syntheses of omaezallenes. The relative and absolute configurations of natural omaezallenes were unambiguously established through total synthesis. The antifouling activities and ecotoxicity of omaezallenes were also evaluated.

Description: Hyperthermophilic iron reducers are common in hydrothermal chimneys found along the Endeavour Segment in the northeastern Pacific Ocean based on culture-dependent estimates. However, information on the availability of Fe(III) (oxyhydr) oxides within these chimneys, the types of Fe(III) (oxyhydr) oxides utilized by the organisms, rates and environmental constraints of hyperthermophilic iron reduction, and mineral end products is needed to determine their biogeochemical significance and are addressed in this study. Thin-section petrography on the interior of a hydrothermal chimney from the Dante edifice at Endeavour showed a thin coat of Fe(III) (oxyhydr) oxide associated with amorphous silica on the exposed outer surfaces of pyrrhotite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite in pore spaces, along with anhydrite precipitation in the pores that is indicative of seawater ingress. The iron sulfide minerals were likely oxidized to Fe(III) (oxyhydr) oxide with increasing pH and Eh due to cooling and seawater exposure, providing reactants for bioreduction. Culture-dependent estimates of hyperthermophilic iron reducer abundances in this sample were 1740 and 10 cells per gram (dry weight) of material from the outer surface and the marcasite-sphalerite-rich interior, respectively. Two hyperthermophilic iron reducers, Hyperthermus sp. Ro04 and Pyrodictium sp. Su06, were isolated from other active hydrothermal chimneys on the Endeavour Segment. Strain Ro04 is a neutrophilic (pHopt 7–8) heterotroph, while strain Su06 is a mildly acidophilic (pHopt 5), hydrogenotrophic autotroph, both with optimal growth temperatures of 90–92 °C. Mössbauer spectroscopy of the iron oxides before and after growth demonstrated that both organisms form nanophase (〈12 nm) magnetite [Fe3O4] from laboratory-synthesized ferrihydrite [Fe10O14(OH)2] with no detectable mineral intermediates. They produced up to 40 mm Fe2+ in a growth-dependent manner, while all abiotic and biotic controls produced 〈3 mm Fe2+. Hyperthermophilic iron reducers may have a growth advantage over other hyperthermophiles in hydrothermal systems that are mildly acidic where mineral weathering at increased temperatures occurs.

Description: Marine sponges are generally classified as high microbial abundance (HMA) and low microbial abundance (LMA) species. Here, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was applied to investigate the diversity, specificity and transcriptional activity of microbes associated with an LMA sponge (Stylissa carteri), an HMA sponge (Xestospongia testudinaria) and sea water collected from the central Saudi Arabia coast of the Red Sea. Altogether, 887 068 denoised sequences were obtained, of which 806 661 sequences remained after quality control. This resulted in 1477 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that were assigned to 27 microbial phyla. The microbial composition of S. carteri was more similar to that of sea water than to that of X. testudinaria, which is consistent with the observation that the sequence data set of S. carteri contained many more possibly sea water sequences (~24%) than the X. testudinaria data set (~6%). The most abundant OTUs were shared between all three sources (S. carteri, X. testudinaria, sea water), while rare OTUs were unique to any given source. Despite this high degree of overlap, each sponge species contained its own specific microbiota. The X. testudinaria-specific bacterial taxa were similar to those already described for this species. A set of S. carteri-specific bacterial taxa related to Proteobacteria and Nitrospira was identified, which are likely permanently associated with S. carteri. The transcriptional activity of sponge-associated microorganisms correlated well with their abundance. Quantitative PCR revealed the presence of Poribacteria, representing typical sponge symbionts, in both sponge species and in sea water; however, low transcriptional activity in sea water suggested that Poribacteria are not active outside the host context.

Description: Dr. Elizabeta Briski has founded a research group at GEOMAR with a Sofia Kovalevskaya Award of the Humboldt Foundation 5th August 2014/Kiel. The Croatian/Canadian biologist Dr. Elizabeta Briski studies the question whether species from certain regions have inherent advantages over other species in colonizing new ecosystems. For her research she has been awarded with the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The award is endowed with 1.6 million euro. With the funding Dr. Briski will set up a junior research group at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.

Description: Several slope failures are observed near the deformation front on the frontal ridges of the northern Cascadia accretionary margin off Vancouver Island. The cause for these events is not clear, although several lines of evidence indicate a possible connection between the occurrence of gas hydrate and submarine landslide features. The presence of gas hydrate is indicated by a prominent bottom-simulating reflector (BSR), at a depth of ∼265–275 m beneath the seafloor (mbsf), as interpreted from vertical-incidence and wide-angle seismic data beneath the ridge crests of the frontal ridges. For one slide, informally called Slipstream Slide, the velocity structure inferred from tomography analyses shows anomalous high velocities values of about 2.0 km s−1 at shallow depths of 100 mbsf. The estimated depth of the glide plane (100 ± 10 m) closely matches the depth of these shallow high velocities. In contrast, at a frontal ridge slide just to the northwest (informally called Orca Slide), the glide plane occurs at the same depth as the current BSR. Our new results indicate that the glide plane of the Slipstream slope failure is associated with the contrast between sediments strengthened by gas hydrate and overlying sediments where little or no hydrate is present. In contrast, the glide plane of Orca Slide is between sediment strengthened by hydrate underlain by sediments beneath the gas hydrate stability zone, possibly containing free gas. Additionally, a set of margin perpendicular normal faults are imaged from seafloor down to BSR depth at both frontal ridges. As inferred from the multibeam bathymetry, the estimated volume of the material lost during the slope failure at Slipstream Slide is about 0.33 km3, and ∼0.24 km3 of this volume is present as debris material on the ocean basin floor. The 20 per cent difference is likely due to more widely distributed fine sediments not easily detectable as bathymetric anomalies. These volume estimates on the Cascadia margin are approaching the mass failure volume for other slides that have generated large tsunamis—for example 1–3 km3 for a 1998 Papua New Guinea slide.

Description: Ausstellung „Die Tiefe hören“: Sie beschäftigt sich mit der Entwicklung des Echolots, für das der Kieler Physiker und Unternehmer Alexander Behm vor genau 100 Jahren das erste Patent erhielt. Echolote sind bis heute nicht nur wichtige Hilfsmittel der Schifffahrt, sondern auch unverzichtbare Werkzeuge bei der Erkundung der Ozeanböden. Die Ausstellung zeigt die Entwicklung der Tiefenmessung im Ozean von den Handloten im alten Ägypten bis zur Vermessung der Wasseroberfläche mit Satelliten sowie mit Autonomen Tiefseegeräten, die mit modernen Fächerecholoten ausgestattet sind.

Description: Sponges are important components of marine benthic environments and are associated with microbial symbionts that carry out ecologically relevant functions. Stylissa carteri is an abundant, low-microbial abundance species in the Red Sea. We aimed to achieve the functional and taxonomic characterization of the most actively expressed prokaryotic genes in S. carteri. Prokaryotic mRNA was enriched from sponge total RNA, sequenced using Illumina HiSeq technology and annotated using the metagenomics Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology (MG-RAST) pipeline. We detected high expression of archaeal ammonia oxidation and photosynthetic carbon fixation by members of the genus Synechococcus. Functions related to stress response and membrane transporters were among the most highly expressed by S. carteri symbionts. Unexpectedly, gene functions related to methylotrophy were highly expressed by gammaproteobacterial symbionts. The presence of seawater-derived microbes is indicated by the phylogenetic proximity of organic carbon transporters to orthologues of members from the SAR11 clade. In summary, we revealed the most expressed functions of the S. carteri-associated microbial community and linked them to the dominant taxonomic members of the microbiome. This work demonstrates the applicability of metatranscriptomics to explore poorly characterized symbiotic consortia and expands our knowledge of the ecologically relevant functions carried out by coral reef sponge symbionts.

Description: Increasingly large climate model simulations are enhancing our understanding of the processes and causes of anthropogenic climate change, thanks to very large public investments in high-performance computing at national and international institutions. Various climate models implement mathematical approximations of nature in different ways, which are often based on differing computational grids. These complex, parallelized coupled system codes combine numerous complex submodels (ocean, atmosphere, land, biosphere, sea ice, land ice, etc.) that represent components of the larger complex climate system.

Description: Global warming is assumed to alter the trophic interactions and carbon flow patterns of aquatic food webs. The impact of temperature on phyto-bacterioplankton coupling and bacterial community composition (BCC) was the focus of the present study, in which an indoor mesocosm experiment with natural plankton communities from the western Baltic Sea was conducted. A 6°C increase in water temperature resulted, as predicted, in tighter coupling between the diatom-dominated phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria, accompanied by a strong increase in carbon flow into bacterioplankton during the phytoplankton bloom phase. Suppressed bacterial development at cold in situ temperatures probably reflected lowered bacterial production and grazing by protists, as the latter were less affected by low temperatures. BCC was strongly influenced by the phytoplankton bloom stage and to a lesser extent by temperature. Under both temperature regimes, Gammaproteobacteria clearly dominated during the phytoplankton peak, with Glaciecola sp. as the single most abundant taxon. However, warming induced the appearance of additional bacterial taxa belonging to Betaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Our results show that warming during an early phytoplankton bloom causes a shift towards a more heterotrophic system, with the appearance of new bacterial taxa suggesting a potential for utilization of a broader substrate spectrum.

Description: We present an unprecedented multicentennial sediment record from the foot of Vesterisbanken Seamount, central Greenland Sea, covering the past 22.3 thousand years (ka). Based on planktic foraminiferal total abundances, species assemblages, and stable oxygen and carbon isotopes, the palaeoenvironments in this region of modern deepwater renewal were reconstructed. Results show that during the Last Glacial Maximum the area was affected by harsh polar conditions with only episodic improvements during warm summer seasons. Since 18 ka extreme freshwater discharges from nearby sources occurred, influencing the surface water environment. The last major freshwater event took place during the Younger Dryas. The onset of the Holocene was characterized by an improvement of environmental conditions suggesting warming and increasing ventilation of the upper water layers. The early Holocene saw a stronger Atlantic waters advection to the area, which began around 10.5 and ended quite rapidly at 5.5 ka, followed by the onset of Neoglacial cooling. Surface water ventilation reached a maximum in the middle Holocene. Around 3 ka the surface water stratification increased leading to subsequent amplification of the warming induced the North Atlantic Oscillation at 2 ka.

Description: I summarize marine studies on plastic versus adaptive responses to global change. Due to the lack of time series, this review focuses largely on the potential for adaptive evolution in marine animals and plants. The approaches were mainly synchronic comparisons of phenotypically divergent populations, substituting spatial contrasts in temperature or CO2 environments for temporal changes, or in assessments of adaptive genetic diversity within populations for traits important under global change. The available literature is biased towards gastropods, crustaceans, cnidarians and macroalgae. Focal traits were mostly environmental tolerances, which correspond to phenotypic buffering, a plasticity type that maintains a functional phenotype despite external disturbance. Almost all studies address coastal species that are already today exposed to fluctuations in temperature, pH and oxygen levels. Recommendations for future research include (i) initiation and analyses of observational and experimental temporal studies encompassing diverse phenotypic traits (including diapausing cues, dispersal traits, reproductive timing, morphology) (ii) quantification of nongenetic trans-generational effects along with components of additive genetic variance (iii) adaptive changes in microbe–host associations under the holobiont model in response to global change (iv) evolution of plasticity patterns under increasingly fluctuating environments and extreme conditions and (v) joint consideration of demography and evolutionary adaptation in evolutionary rescue approaches.

Description: Energy availability and local adaptation are major components in mediating the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on marine species. In a long-term study, we investigated the effects of food availability and elevated pCO2 (~ 400, 1000 and 3000 μatm) on growth of newly settled Amphibalanus (Balanus) improvisus to reproduction, and on their offspring. We also compared two different populations, which were presumed to differ in their sensitivity to pCO2 due to differing habitat conditions: Kiel Fjord, Germany (Western Baltic Sea) with naturally strong pCO2 fluctuations, and the Tjärnö Archipelago, Sweden (Skagerrak) with far lower fluctuations. Over 20 weeks, survival, growth, reproduction and shell strength of Kiel barnacles were all unaffected by elevated pCO2, regardless of food availability. Moulting frequency and shell corrosion increased with increasing pCO2 in adults. Larval development and juvenile growth of the F1 generation were tolerant to increased pCO2, irrespective of parental treatment. In contrast, elevated pCO2 had a strong negative impact on survival of Tjärnö barnacles. Specimens from this population were able to withstand moderate levels of elevated pCO2 over 5 weeks when food was plentiful but showed reduced growth under food limitation. Severe levels of elevated pCO2 negatively impacted growth of Tjärnö barnacles in both food treatments. We demonstrate a conspicuously higher tolerance to elevated pCO2 in Kiel barnacles than in Tjärnö barnacles. This tolerance was carried-over from adults to their offspring. Our findings indicate that populations from fluctuating pCO2 environments are more tolerant to elevated pCO2 than populations from more stable pCO2 habitats. We furthermore provide evidence that energy availability can mediate the ability of barnacles to withstand moderate CO2 stress. Considering the high tolerance of Kiel specimens and the possibility to adapt over many generations, near future OA alone does not seem to present a major threat for A. improvisus

Description: The potential for a dynamical impact of Saharan mineral dust on the North Atlantic Ocean large-scale circulation is investigated. To this end, an ocean general circulation model forced by atmospheric fluxes is perturbed by an idealized, seasonally varying, net shortwave flux anomaly, as it results from remote sensing observations of aerosol optical thickness representing Saharan dust load in the atmosphere. The dust dynamical impact on the circulation is assessed through a comparison between perturbed and an unperturbed run. Results suggest that, following the dust-induced shortwave irradiance anomaly, a buoyancy anomaly is created in the Atlantic offshore the African coast, which over the course of the time propagates westward into the interior Atlantic while progressively subducting. Changes in the large-scale barotropic and overturning circulations are significant after 3 years, which coincides with the elapsed time required by the bulk of the buoyancy perturbation to reach the western boundary of the North Atlantic. Although small in amplitude, the changes in the meridional overturning are of the same order as interannual-to-decadal variability. Variations in the amplitude of the forcing lead to changes in the amplitude of the response, which is almost linear during the first 3 years. In addition, a fast, but dynamically insignificant, response can be observed to propagate poleward along the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic, which contributes to a nonlinear response in the subpolar region north of 40°N.

Description: Three species of marine phytoplankton, Rhodomonas sp., Isochrysis galbana Parke, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin, were cultivated in semicontinuous cultures to test biochemical responses (fatty acids; FAs) to five nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) supply ratios and four growth rates (dilution rates). The characteristic FA profile was observed for each algal species (representing particular algal class), which remained relatively stable across the entire ranges of N:P supply ratios and growth rates. For all species, significant direct effects of N:P supply ratios on FAs were found at lower growth rates. The highest saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid (SFA and MUFA) contents were observed under N deficiency at the lowest growth rate in all three species, while responses of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) revealed no consistent pattern. Total FAs (and SFAs and MUFAs) in all species showed significant negative correlations with N cell quota (QN) under N deficiency, but PUFAs had species-specific correlations with QN. The results show that characteristic FA profiles of algal genus or species (representing particular algal classes) underlie fluctuations according to culture conditions. The significant correlation between FAs and QN under N deficiency suggests that elemental and biochemical limitation of phytoplankton should be considered mutually as determinants of food quality for zooplankton in marine ecosystems.

Description: Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) is known to impact climate globally, and knowledge about the persistence of AMV is important for understanding past and future climate variability, as well as modeling and assessing climate impacts. The short observational data do not significantly resolve multidecadal variability, but recent paleoproxy reconstructions show multidecadal variability in North Atlantic temperature prior to the instrumental record. However, most of these reconstructions are land-based, not necessarily representing sea surface temperature. Proxy records are also subject to dating errors and microenvironmental effects. We extend the record of AMV 90 years past the instrumental record using principle component analysis of five marine-based proxy records to identify the leading mode of variability. The first principal component is consistent with the observed AMV, and multidecadal variability seems to persist prior to the instrumental record. Thus, we demonstrate that reconstructions of past Atlantic low-frequency variability can be improved by combining marine-based proxies.

Description: Ocean warming has been implicated in the observed decline of oceanic phytoplankton biomass. Some studies suggest a physical pathway of warming via stratification and nutrient flux, and others a biological effect on plankton metabolic rates; yet the relative strength and possible interaction of these mechanisms remains unknown. Here, we implement projections from a global circulation model in a mesocosm experiment to examine both mechanisms in a multi-trophic plankton community. Warming treatments had positive direct effects on phytoplankton biomass, but these were overcompensated by the negative effects of decreased nutrient flux. Zooplankton switched from phytoplankton to grazing on ciliates. These results contrast with previous experiments under nutrient-replete conditions, where warming indirectly reduced phytoplankton biomass via increased zooplankton grazing. We conclude that the effect of ocean warming on marine plankton depends on the nutrient regime, and provide a mechanistic basis for understanding global change in marine ecosystems.

Description: A link between atmospheric variability in the Tropics independent of ENSO and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is found based on seasonal mean data for austral summer. Variations associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are removed usinga linear method and a Tropics Index (TI) is defined as the zonal average of the ENSO-removed 500 hPa geopotential height between 10°S and 10°N. Since the detrended TI shows no link to SST variability in the Tropics, it appears to be related to internal atmospheric variability. We find that the TI can explain about 40% variance of the SAM interannual variability and about 75% of the SAM long term trend between 1957/58 and 2001/02, where here the SAM includes the ENSO signal. Positive/negative values of the TI are associated with the positive/negative SAM. A possible link between the TI and global warming is noted.

Description: Mate choice for compatible genes is often based on genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Although MHC-based mate choice is commonly observed in female choice, male mate choice remains elusive. In particular, if males have intense paternal care and are thus the choosing sex, male choice for females with dissimilar MHC can be expected. Here, we investigated whether male mate choice relies on MHC class I genes in the sex-role reversed pipefish Syngnathus typhle. In a mate choice experiment, we determined the relative importance of visual and olfactory cues by manipulating visibility and olfaction. We found that pipefish males chose females that maximize sequence-based amino acid distance between MHC class I genotypes in the offspring when olfactory cues were present. Under visual cues, large females were chosen, but in the absence of visual cues, the choice pattern was reversed. The use of sex-role reversed species thus revealed that sexual selection can lead to the evolution of male mate choice for MHC class I genes.

Description: The upper ocean circulation of the Pacific and Indian Oceans is connected through both the Indonesian Throughflow north of Australia and the Tasman leakage around its south. The relative importance of these two pathways is examined using virtual Lagrangian particles in a high-resolution nested ocean model. The unprecedented combination of a long integration time within an eddy-permitting ocean model simulation allows the first assessment of the interannual variability of these pathways in a realistic setting. The mean Indonesian Throughflow, as diagnosed by the particles, is 14.3 Sv, considerably higher than the diagnosed average Tasman leakage of 4.2 Sv. The time series of Indonesian Throughflow agrees well with the Eulerian transport through the major Indonesian Passages, validating the Lagrangian approach using transport-tagged particles. While the Indonesian Throughflow is mainly associated with upper ocean pathways, the Tasman leakage is concentrated in the 400–900 m depth range at subtropical latitudes. Over the effective period considered (1968–1994), no apparent relationship is found between the Tasman leakage and Indonesian Throughflow. However, the Indonesian Throughflow transport correlates with ENSO. During strong La Niñas, more water of Southern Hemisphere origin flows through Makassar, Moluccas, Ombai, and Timor Straits, but less through Moluccas Strait. In general, each strait responds differently to ENSO, highlighting the complex nature of the ENSO-ITF interaction.

Description: Oceanic uptake and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are strongly driven by the marine “biological pump,” i.e., sinking of biotically fixed inorganic carbon and nutrients from the surface into the deep ocean (Sarmiento and Bender, 1994; Volk and Hoffert, 1985). Sinking velocity of marine particles depends on seawater viscosity, which is strongly controlled by temperature (Sharqawy et al., 2010). Consequently, marine particle flux is accelerated as ocean temperatures increase under global warming (Bach et al., 2012). Here we show that this previously overlooked “viscosity effect” could have profound impacts on marine biogeochemical cycling and carbon uptake over the next centuries to millennia. In our global warming simulation, the viscosity effect accelerates particle sinking by up to 25%, thereby effectively reducing the portion of organic matter that is respired in the surface ocean. Accordingly, the biological carbon pump's efficiency increases, enhancing the sequestration of atmospheric CO2 into the ocean. This effect becomes particularly important on longer time scales when warming reaches the ocean interior. At the end of our simulation (4000 A.D.), oceanic carbon uptake is 17% higher, atmospheric CO2 concentration is 180 ppm lower, and the increase in global average surface temperature is 8% weaker when considering the viscosity effect. Consequently, the viscosity effect could act as a long-term negative feedback mechanism in the global climate system.

Description: The abyssal warming around Antarctica is one of the most prominent multidecadal signals of change in the global ocean. Here we investigate its dynamical impacts on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) by performing a set of experiments with the ocean-sea ice model NEMO-LIM2 at 1/2 degrees horizontal resolution. The simulations suggest that the ongoing warming of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), already affecting much of the Southern Hemisphere with a rate of up to 0.05 degrees C decade(-1), has important implications for the large-scale meridional overturning circulation in the Atlantic Ocean. While the abyssal northward flow of AABW is weakening, we find the upper AMOC cell to progressively strengthen by 5-10% in response to deep density changes in the South Atlantic. The simulations suggest that the AABW-induced strengthening of the AMOC is already extending into the subtropical North Atlantic, implying that the process may counteract the projected decrease of the AMOC in the next decades.

Description: The nitrogen cycle is fundamental to Earth's biogeochemistry. Yet major uncertainties of quantification remain, particularly regarding the global oceanic nitrogen fixation rate. Hydrogen is produced during nitrogen fixation and will become supersaturated in surface waters if there is net release from diazotrophs. Ocean surveys of hydrogen supersaturation thus have the potential to illustrate the spatial and temporal distribution of nitrogen fixation, and to guide the far more onerous but quantitative methods for measuring it. Here we present the first transect of high resolution measurements of hydrogen supersaturations in surface waters along a meridional 10,000 km cruise track through the Atlantic. We compare measured saturations with published measurements of nitrogen fixation rates and also with model-derived values. If the primary source of excess hydrogen is nitrogen fixation and has a hydrogen release ratio similar to Trichodesmium, our hydrogen measurements would point to similar rates of fixation in the North and South Atlantic, roughly consistent with modelled fixation rates but not with measured rates, which are lower in the south. Possible explanations would include any substantial nitrogen fixation by newly discovered diazotrophs, particularly any having a hydrogen release ratio similar to or exceeding that of Trichodesmium; under-sampling of nitrogen fixation south of the equator related to excessive focus on Trichodesmium; and methodological shortcomings of nitrogen fixation techniques that cause a bias towards colonial diazotrophs relative to unicellular forms. Alternatively our data are affected by an unknown hydrogen source that is greater in the southern half of the cruise track than the northern.

Description: During IODP Expedition 322, an interval of Late Miocene (7.6 to ∼9.1 Ma) tuffaceous and volcaniclastic sandstones was discovered in the Shikoku Basin (Site C0011B), Nankai region. This interval consists of bioturbated silty claystone including four 1–7 m thick interbeds of tuffaceous sandstones (TST) containing 57–82% (by volume) pyroclasts. We use major and trace element glass compositions, as well as radiogenic isotope compositions, to show that the tuffaceous sandstones beds derived from single eruptive events, and that the majority (TST 1, 2, 3a) came from different eruptions from a similar source region, which we have identified to be the Japanese mainland, 350 km away. In particular, diagnostic trace element ratios (e.g., Th/La, Sm/La, Rb/Hf, Th/Nb, and U/Th) and isotopic data indicate a marked contribution from a mantle source beneath continental crust, which is most consistent with a Japanese mainland source and likely excludes the Izu-Bonin island arc and back arc as a source region for the younger TST beds. Nevertheless, some of the chemical data measured on the oldest sandstone bed (TST 3b, Unit IIb) show affinity to or can clearly be attributed to an Izu-Bonin composition. While we cannot completely exclude the possibility that all TST beds derived from unknown and exotic Izu-Bonin source(s), the collected lines of evidence are most consistent with an origin from the paleo-Honshu arc for TST 1 through 3a. We therefore suggest the former collision zone between the Izu-Bonin arc and Honshu paleo-arc as the most likely region where the eruptive products entered the ocean, also concurrent with nearby (∼200 km) possible Miocene source areas for the tuffaceous sandstones at the paleo-NE-Honshu arc. Estimating the distribution area of the tuffaceous sandstones in the Miocene between this source region and the ∼350 km distant Expedition 322, using bathymetric constraints, we calculate that the sandstone beds represent minimum erupted magma volumes between ∼1 and 17 km3 (Dense Rock Equivalent (DRE)). We conclude that several large volume eruptions occurred during the Late Miocene time next to the collision zone of paleo-Honshu and Izu-Bonin arc and covered the entire Philippine Sea plate with meter thick, sheet-like pyroclastic deposits that are now subducted in the Nankai subduction zone.

Description: Continuous high-resolution underway measurements of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and isoprene in the ocean surface were conducted from Germany to South Africa in November 2008. DMS, total dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPt), isoprene and 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (19'-hex) correlated in nitrogen-depleted regions when they were clustered by nitrogen to phosphorous ratio (N:P). The 19'-hex-containing algae groups might be a common source of DMS, DMSPt, and isoprene in the low N: P regions. Additionally, DMS and isoprene correlated in nitrate-depleted regions when they were clustered against nitrate concentrations. Correlations between DMS and isoprene were also found within nitrate-depleted eddies encountered along the cruise track. Eddies with N: P of similar to 2.8 showed the highest positive correlations between DMS and isoprene. We conclude that the DMS/isoprene relationships in the eastern Atlantic Ocean were influenced by nutrient availability, with implications for using nutrients to predict the DMS and isoprene concentrations over a range of oceanographic areas depleted in nitrogen

Description: The relationship between soil moisture (SM) and evaporative fraction (EF) is an important component of land-atmosphere interactions. Frequently, land-atmosphere studies are based on land-surface models and not on observations. This study examines SM-EF interactions over the United States Southern Great Plains using both in situ observations and simulations from the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrologic model. Specifically, we evaluate how the relationship between SM and EF varies by season, we determine why these variations occur, and we compare model-derived and observed SM-energy flux relationships. Data from four sites (2004-2008) that are part of the United States Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation MeasurementSouthern Great Plains network are used in this study. Results show that SM-EF interactions in both the model and observations are in general agreement with the evaporative regime theory described in past studies. That is, EF is a linear function of SM when SM is between the wilting point and the critical value, and when SM is above the critical value, EF is not dependent on SM. However, SM-EF relationships vary substantially from year to year. EF is a linear function of SM only when daily net radiation is above normal. Our results suggest that the strength of SM-EF interactions is not solely controlled by soil wetness but is also strongly influenced by daily net radiation and meteorological conditions.

Description: A synthetic protocol has been designed to synthesize grecoketidone (2k), 5-hydroxylapachol (2g), and the recently discovered natural products juglonbutin (2o) and its derivatives, leading to a small library of different 1,4-naphthoquinones with the intention of finding new active compounds. Within our collection, 2-O-alkylated naphthoquinones with an ester functionality in the side-chain and a free OH group at C-5 showed the best activities. Compounds 2f, 2m, and 2n showed GI50 values against 12 tumor cell lines in the lower micromolar range and juglonbutin (2o) showed remarkably efficient inhibition of the glycogen synthase kinase 3β with an IC50 value of 2.03 μM. Furthermore, studies on the mode of action of the most active cytotoxic compounds have been carried out. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the synthesis of juglonbutin (2o) and its biological activity.

Description: Precisely quantifying the current climate-related sea level change requires accurate knowledge of long-term geological processes known as Glacial Isostatic Adjustments (GIA). Although the major postglacial melting phase is likely to have ended ∼6–4 ka BP (before present), GIA is still significantly affecting the present-day vertical position of the mean sea surface and the sea bottom. Here we present empirical rsl (relative sea level) data based on U/Th dated fossil corals from reef platforms of the Society Islands, French Polynesia, together with the corresponding GIA-modeling. Fossil coral data constrain the timing and amplitude of rsl variations after the Holocene sea level maximum (HSLM). Upon correction for isostatic island subsidence, we find that local rsl was at least ∼1.5 ± 0.4 m higher than present at ∼5.4 ka. Later, minor amplitude variations occurred until ∼2 ka, when the rsl started dropping to its present position with a rate of ∼0.4 mm/yr. The data match with predicted rsl curves based on global ice-sheet chronologies confirming the role of GIA-induced ocean siphoning effect throughout the mid to late Holocene. A long lasting Late Holocene highstand superimposed with second-order amplitudinal fluctuations as seen from our data suggest that the theoretical predicted timing of rsl change can still be refined pending future calibration.

Description: Forces shaping an individual's phenotype are complex and include transgenerational effects. Despite low investment into reproduction, a father's environment and phenotype can shape its offspring's phenotype. Whether and when such paternal effects are adaptive, however, remains elusive. Using three-spined sticklebacks in controlled infection experiments, we show that sperm deficiencies in exposed males compared to their unexposed brothers functionally translated into reduced reproductive success in sperm competition trials. In non-competitive fertilisations, offspring of exposed males suffered significant costs of reduced hatching success and survival but they reached a higher body condition than their counterparts from unexposed fathers after experimental infection. Interestingly, those benefits of paternal infection did not result from increased resistance but from increased tolerance to the parasite. Altogether, these results demonstrate that parasite resistance and tolerance are shaped by processes involving both genetic and non-genetic inheritance and suggest a context-dependent adaptive value of paternal effects

Description: Along the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC), 3He/4He varies from 8.5–5.9 RA. High 3He/4He ratios, resembling those in the western and southern Galápagos islands, are absent. This lack of high 3He/4He contrasts markedly with other localities of plume–ridge interaction, such as Iceland, Easter, and Amsterdam/St. Paul. The most striking feature is a 3He/4He gradient, decreasing westward from 8.4–7.0 RA between 89 and 93°W, where the GSC is shallowest and shows “axial high” morphology. The intra-segment 3He/4He variability within this region indicates that magma crosses the mantle/crust boundary at multiple points beneath individual ridge segments, and lateral mixing within the crust and upper mantle is limited. Some of the 3He/4He variability may also reflect transfer of discrete heterogeneity from beneath the northern sector of the Galápagos plateau. One possible explanation for the absence of high 3He/4He along the GSC is that helium is a relatively ineffective downstream tracer of mantle material from the core of the Galápagos plume, due to its preferential extraction beneath the archipelago compared to other incompatible, lithophile tracers. A second explanation is that the heterogeneous Galápagos plume is sheared in the upper mantle by motion of the Nazca Plate relative to the migrating GSC. In this case, plume core material having high 3He/4He (from beneath Fernandina and Isabela) would be dispersed mostly away from the ridge, while plume edge material having low 3He/4He plus enriched Sr and Pb isotope signatures (from beneath the northern periphery of the archipelago) is smeared into the sub-ridge mantle.

Description: Our understanding of the processes driving the patterns of dissolved iron (DFe) in the ocean interior, either in observations or models, is complicated by the combined influences of subduction from the surface mixed layer, notable subsurface sources, regeneration, and scavenging loss. We describe a ventilation-based framework to quantify these processes in a global ocean biogeochemical model including diagnostics along potential density surfaces. There is a prevailing control of subsurface DFe by the subduction of surface DFe as preformed DFe augmented by benthic sources of DFe from hydrothermal activity and sediments. Unlike phosphate, there is often a first-order balance with a near cancelation between regeneration and scavenging with the remaining “net regeneration” controlled by the ventilation of surface excesses in Fe-binding ligands. This DFe framework provides a more stringent test of how the total DFe distribution is mechanistically controlled within a model and may be subsequently used to interpret observed DFe distributions.

Description: One decade of time-variable gravity field observations from the GRACE satellite mission reveals low-frequency ocean bottom pressure (OBP) variability of up to 2.5 hPa centered at the northern flank of the subtropical gyre in the North Pacific. From a 145 year-long simulation with a coupled chemistry climate model, OBP variability is found to be related to the prevailing atmospheric sea-level pressure and surface wind conditions in the larger North Pacific area. The dominating atmospheric pressure patterns obtained from the climate model run allow in combination with ERA-Interim sea-level pressure and surface winds a reconstruction of the OBP variability in the North Pacific from atmospheric model data only, which correlates favorably (r=0.7) with GRACE ocean bottom pressure observations. The regression results indicate that GRACE-based OBP observations are indeed sensitive to changes in the prevailing sea-level pressure and thus surface wind conditions in the North Pacific, thereby opening opportunities to constrain atmospheric models from satellite gravity observations over the oceans.

Description: The movements of some long-distance migrants are driven by innate compass headings that they follow on their first migrations (e.g., some birds and insects), while the movements of other first-time migrants are learned by following more experienced conspecifics (e.g., baleen whales). However, the overall roles of innate, learned, and social behaviors in driving migration goals in many taxa are poorly understood. To look for evidence of whether migration routes are innate or learned for sea turtles, here for 42 sites around the world we compare the migration routes of 〉400 satellite-tracked adults of multiple species of sea turtle with ∼45 000 Lagrangian hatchling turtle drift scenarios. In so doing, we show that the migration routes of adult turtles are strongly related to hatchling drift patterns, implying that adult migration goals are learned through their past experiences dispersing with ocean currents. The diverse migration destinations of adults consistently reflected the diversity in sites they would have encountered as drifting hatchlings. Our findings reveal how a simple mechanism, juvenile passive drift, can explain the ontogeny of some of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom and ensure that adults find suitable foraging sites. Read More: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/13-2164.1

Description: Despite intense efforts, biodiversity around the globe continues to decrease. To cease this phenomenon, we urgently need a better knowledge not only of the true extent of biodiversity, but also of the evolutionary potential of species to respond to environmental change. These aims are the heart of the developing field of Evolutionary conservation. Here, after describing problems associated with implementing evolutionary perspectives into management, we outline how evolutionary principles can contribute to efficient conservation programmes. We then introduce articles from this special issue on Evolutionary conservation, outlining how each study or review provides tools and concepts to contribute to efficient management of species or populations. Ultimately, we highlight what we believe can be future research avenues for evolutionary conservation.